FOR MY FIRST COLUMN I've been asked to tell you all a little bit about myself. Well, living in the same house in St Giles all my life, I seem to be one of the lucky ones who grows up in, and works in, the same community. The added advantage for me is in being the Education Officer at Chiltern Open Air Museum which is in the village of St Giles and the parish of St Peter, helping to preserve the built and cultural heritage of the area.

GALA CONCERT, organised by the Friends of the Chiltern Open Air Museum, takes place at Dr Challoners High School for Girls on Saturday, October 15 at 7.30pm. This is the fourth fund raising concert organised by the Friends. There will be a varied programme of opera favourites, Gilbert and Sullivan songs and songs from the musicals assisted by instrumentals and the choir from the school. Tickets are priced at adults £12 and children £5 and are available from the box office on 01844 344461 or on the door.

IT'S A WEEK for music lovers, there will be a concert of piano music at St Giles parish church on Saturday, October 15 at 7.45pm where Neil Crossland will play pieces by Haydn, Beethoven, Schubert and Liszt. Tickets are £10 each.

JAZZ AT MERLINS on Sunday welcomes the fabulous tenor sax player, Dave O'Higgins. Richard Busiakiewicz will be on piano with Clark Tracey on drums. As usual Pete Hughes will be on bass at the back. The music starts at 12.15pm in the barn alongside the pub.

COMPETITION WINNERS in Activity Chest's latest challenges are Kira Fowle, (7) and Steven Spicer, (8). Both children live in St Peter. Kira won the Activity Chest raffle at the Chalfont Park party which raised funds for William's Fund. She won a Hoberman Mega Sphere.

Steven won a Glow in the Dark Dinosaur kit for the recent Word Search competition with Sander Nolan (8) winning second prize. Photos of Kira, Steven and Sander collecting their prizes will soon be on the website at activitychest TO ENSURE that your event is placed in this column, please telephone me on 0791 7843091 or email me on m_kate_maynard@yahoo.co.uk