MARLOW BOTTOM

This survey is carried out in the classroom by a member of staff, and all children are asked how they got to school that day. This survey is conducted by nearly all schools, so the County Council is able to get a clear picture of how children get to school.

The school will be conducting their survey sometime in the next few weeks, so make sure your children continue to walk to school.

SPIDER FORTNIGHT seems to have begun. Regular readers will know my feelings as autumn approaches. The good weather this September seems to have delayed the time when my least favourite animal, the house spider, decides it's time to come in and terrorise the human population.

Evolution will eventually demonstrate to them that this migration into our house is in fact as suicidal a move as any seaside outing undertaken by lemmings.

TALKING about tawny owls last week and the survey that the British Trust for Ornithology started, one day during the week, at around five in the morning, there was the most stringent demonstration we have heard in over 30 years of the birds' territorial call. There was obviously a massive dispute in progress and for several minutes there was frantic shrieking going on. If they wake you, report them to the BTO.

NOTICED that the Valley has been a little quieter during September? This could have been due to those attending the big wedding in North Cyprus on Friday, September 23.

It says a lot for the community bonds in this village. Not many people could have persuaded and arranged for about 40 fellow villages to attend their daughter's wedding thousands of miles away. But Peri and Geoff Wing did, for their daughter Vicky, who was marrying Gary Layton.

Peri - well known for her organisational skills in Marlow Bottom matters, took her inspiration from the old BA adverts to move friends and family across the world, to meet up with her Turkish Cypriot relations.

Most of the guests went out for a week's holiday before the wedding, which took place in the very pretty St Andrew's Church in Kyrenia. It was then back to the Riverside resort for a sumptuous reception and entertainment.

Gary previously lived in Stokenchuch and he and Vicky have set up their new home in Haddenham near Thame. That'll be a challenge after Kyrenia.

DIDN'T THEY DO WELL? It was something of an experiment to turn the Visage kitchen design studio into a coffee shop for the day. But last Friday's event to raise money for the Macmillan Cancer Relief fund was financially and socially a great success. With funds still trickling in, the net total has passed the £600 mark.

The weather tried to wreck it, but a giant gazebo sheltered the tables and chairs and much of the produce, though the banner, which should mainly have been proclaiming Rebellion's support for the day, often had to be deployed as protection for the raffle table that had been generously filled by various traders. Carole Thurston was among the many who made and donated cakes. The Barn Club provided the tables and chairs, Nespresso provided very good coffee, WI members and other villagers became waitresses, while Joyce Howard and husband Philip were persuasive in selling raffle tickets.

Sue Shaw gets the Rebellion beer for guessing the weight of the pumpkin. Barbara Doalen will be cooking wild after winning the star prize of a set of induction pans, the Sheardowns will feast on a Morrison's hamper, while Angela gets healthy on the vegetable collection from Emmetts. There were lots of other prizes, but the one that travelled least distance was the sherry donated by solicitor, Karen Moody, which was won by next door but one's Daphne Borlase at Town and Country Hairdressers.

FOOTBALL is one of the sports regularly supported by the Barn Club. The football club was founded in 1996 by the late Peter Kellick. The team was initially entered into the Second Division of the Sunday Football Conference where they achieved second place in their first season. Over the years they have progressed up the ladder. In 2003 they joined the Premier Division. Despite many of the young players being away at university they finished fourth last season.

This year, expectations in the premier league are high, hoping to consolidate their position and improve the squad to make a challenge for the title. You can read more about this team in Valley News.

BURFORD SCHOOL runs a car share scheme. If you drive to school but wish to reduce your journeys, then contact Sam Kelly via the school office, 01628 486655. He will put you in contact with other parents who do a similar journey.

VALLEY NEWS should have been out last weekend but unusual workloads at the printers and finishers caused a delay. The Residents' Association expresses its apologies, but it should be arriving at your house within the next three or four days.

HANDY CROSS improvement exhibition, delayed from the summer, now takes place at the Holiday Inn, Friday, October 14, from 2pm until 9pm and October 15, from 10am until 4pm. Handy Cross users should inspect the changes. Work started last Monday, the main activities last from October 26 for 15 months.

MARLOW BOTTOM WI held a minute's silence for Molly Smith who died last month. Their September meeting continued with reports on various events including the Denman Picnic where the Carrington Group gained third prize for their stall. The coffee morning in Beryl Game's garden on a nice sunny day was enjoyable and made a small profit for the WI with the raffle in aid of the RNID.

The Gardening Club had visited the Getty Estate Walled Garden and White Waltham Manor garden. Both Reading Clubs read a book each month before meeting to discuss them.

The Craft Group are learning to make butterflies and frogs for greetings cards and are beginning to prepare for the Christmas craft sale.

There was an inspiring talk from Barbara Taylor which she called "A Grandmother goes to Mount Everest". She had trekked for three weeks from a high mountain village to Base Camp at 18,000 ft. and gave a very good description, with slides, of the highs and lows of the trip.