A family history website has launched a new collection of more than half a million criminal records dating from 1817 to 1931.

Findmypast.co.uk teamed up with the National Archives and spent two years scanning and transcribing original records.

Included in the records are many past crooks from the Vale – and what is noticeable is how tough the sentences are compared to those which are handed out today.

A roll from 1868 lists 26-year-old labourer John Newman, who was sentenced to three months hard labour for stealing a pair of boots and a loaf of bread from a house in Bierton.

Another labourer sent down for three months was John Payne, 44, who was convicted of ‘stealing two fowls, the property of Joseph Elliott, his master, at Wendover’.

In 1880 John Kimble pleaded guilty to ‘unlawfully and by false pretences obtaining from George King 4oz of tobacco, value 11d’ in Winslow. He was sentenced to six weeks hard labour.

A notable inmate of Aylesbury Prison is also listed in the records.

Florence Elizabeth Maybrick was convicted of murdering her violent husband James in 1889 and was sentenced to penal servitude for life having originally been sentenced to death.

In an interview printed in The Bucks Herald after she had served seven years at Aylesbury she described how she was not allowed to touch any visitors, even her mother. She was woken at 5.30am and worked in the prison library repairing books. Her only food was dry bread.

The replacement of office space with homes in Aylesbury should be welcomed, a town centre chief has said.

Aylesbury Town Centre Manager Diana Fawcett said having a balance of living and working spaces would help the town.

A planning application has been submitted to convert the upper three floors of a Cambridge Street building from offices into 12 flats. Two of the floors have been vacant for years and there is little demand for town centre offices.

Aylesbury estate agent Christopher Pallet said: “There has been a reduction in demand for town centre offices for the last 10 or 20 years.”

The Cambridge Street plan is just one of many that could see more homes in the town centre. Approval has already been given to convert retail space above Blacks in Market Square and the building of 50 new apartments above the Friars Square shopping centre has been given the green light.

Ms Fawcett said: “I look forward to having more people residing in the town centre.

“It doesn’t limit the amount of office space because there’s an abundance of that.”

She also dismissed fears that more town homes could increase the potential for conflict with nightlife venues.

Ms Fawcett said: “It’s about getting the balance right. Residential buildings need to be in appropriate areas and people need to understand they’re living in a town and what comes with that.”

The grouping of Watermead and Buckingham Park with Wing in the next county council elections will alienate voters, a councillor has warned.

Both areas are currently grouped with Aylesbury, but from May new electoral areas come into effect and see them joined with the Wing division, which includes Ledburn and North Marston.

The boundary changes reduce the number of county councillors from 57 to 49 to save money.

Lib Dem Councillor Raj Khan, who represents Aylesbury East, which includes Watermead, said the change will make it harder for councillors to represent voters.

Mr Khan, who has held the county post since 2005, said: “Although Watermead is a unique place of its own, it is part of Aylesbury town.

“My biggest fear is what have we got in common? What do people in Wing know about the issues of Watermead when the issues are vastly different to rural issues. One needs to be part of the community to know what the problems are.”

Councillor Netta Glover is the current county member for Wing. She agreed the changes were strange and has been visiting the areas that will become part of the ward after the election.

Ms Glover said: “To cut the number of councillors they have had to do some odd things. I don’t know how people will feel about being represented by someone 20 minutes away.

“It would be silly to expect everything to stay the same. The world changes around you and you have to adapt to it.”

Mr Khan claimed the change was politically motivated. He said: “The way they have done it is clearly advantageous to the Tories. Politics shouldn’t meddle with communities but unfortunately they’ve put politics before communities.”

Two Thame assistance dogs who helped their owners find love when they had hit rock bottom have been nominated for a prestigious Crufts award.

Max and Ziggy have helped turn the lives of Sue and Byron Harvey around and are now among five finalists in the Friends for Life competition.

Mr and Mrs Harvey are both in wheelchairs and before marrying had assistance dogs, but were left heartbroken by different events. Mrs Harvey lost her dog Inka and Mr Harvey’s childhood sweetheart Gill died.

They came together because of the link between their two original assistance dogs, who were sisters, and met through Oxfordshire charity Dogs for the Disabled.

Their friendship blossomed into love and then marriage in 2008. Now they and their current dogs, Max and Ziggy, show a love and care for one another that can scarcely be matched.

Mrs Harvey said: “We couldn’t live without them. I’m never stuck in a coat or my boots because they’re always there to help.”

Mr Harvey said: “We share the knowledge of how life changing these dogs are, giving us independence and a second chance at life. We are now such a close knit family.”

The winner, to be announced at Birmingham’s NEC on March 10, will receive £1,500 to give to their chosen charity. To vote for Max and Ziggy call 0844 646 0202.

Visitors to South Oxfordshire and the Vale of White Horse can go on a voyage of discovery in March thanks to English Tourism Week events.

Visit www.southernoxfordshire.com for more information.

A Thame runner is joining more than 1,000 others from the Mr Men and Little Miss team at this year’s London Marathon as they attempt to run the equivalent of the earth’s circumference.

The joint run is to mark the 25th anniversary of Children with Cancer UK and Thame’s Tessa Howlett will be one of a huge group trying to run more than 25,000 miles.

Account director Ms Howlett, 42, has spent months preparing for the race and hopes to raise £2,000 for the charity.

Over the past 25 years, what started as a small memorial charity has evolved into a force in paediatric oncology, raising over £150 million pounds for the research and treatment of childhood cancer.

The Mr Men and Little Miss team that Ms Howlett will be part of is one of the largest teams in the marathon.

The runners will be easy to spot in their Mr Happy and Mr Tickle running vests.

Ben Twyman, head of the charity’s events team, said: “It’s a very special year for us and we are thrilled that Tessa has joined our team.

“Whilst we have made great advances over the past 25 years, we are more committed and determined than ever to fund life-saving research and will not stop until all childhood cancer is eradicated.”

For more info visit www.justgiving.com/Tessa-Howlett to donate.

Parish councils which have opposing views to district council officers on planning matters may no longer be allowed to make their representations only in writing.

At a meeting of the full council tonight (Wednesday) a review of political management arrangements makes the recommendation.

It states that parish councils must confirm they will attend the meeting of the planning committee to make their representations if their view differs from officers’ recommendations.

In a statement to the Bucks Herald John Byrne, head of planning at the district council, said: “We have identified several areas where cost savings and improvements to the planning service could be made and the operation of the committees improved.

“One of the options put forward for consideration is to make changes to the range of applications that are automatically reported to committee.

“We believe these changes will give an appropriate balance between responding to performance improvement for the benefit of customers and efficiency savings whilst not being likely to fundamentally change outcomes on decisions made.”

No reply was given to the Bucks Herald’s suggestion that this change of policy might increase the workload and expense on parish councils.

District council Labour leader Robin Stuchbury said:”This has not been consulted with the parishes prior to going to council.”

A rural grant scheme with an impressive success rate supporting new business ideas is due for review.

After five years the EU funded LEADER Programme, which provides grants to farmers, foresters and community enterprises, comes to an end in December.

Nick Phillips who runs the Buckinghamshire programme from Saunderton met David Lidington recently to seek his support.

Mr Phillips said: “We wanted David here to raise the importance of the programme. We need to maintain it, and we are hopeful it will continue, but nothing is written in stone yet.”

The current five year timescale comes to an end in December and a new five year programme, if approved by the EU, will not start until December 2014. Mr Phillips said Defra is keen to offer support during the interim year, using other available funds from Europe to keep LEADER going until the new timescale starts.

Mr Phillips said: “The money is availabe from Europe and because we have been so successful we expect to be supported with another five year programme. We have created 140 new jobs throughout rural Bucks, with things like farm diversification and retail community projects. We have also helped farmers develop on-farm tourism.”

Mr Lidington said he would like to visit some of the projects in the spring, and would support the programme at European level.

A key part of the LEADER programme is the rigorous application procedure which involves submitting a robust business plan and cashflow forecast.

Mr Phillips explained: “Of all the businesses started and supported by LEADER only one has not gone on to succeed, compared to the Buckinghamshire average of 10%.”

He accepted there has been criticism of the large amount of time and paperwork involved in applying for a LEADER grant, and responded: “We are reviewing this and we are making sure unecessary bureaucracy is removed. However, the people who have been through the process have found the business planning and cashflow forecast work very helpful. Business plans have got to be proven to be sustainable. When using tax payers money you have to spend wisely.”

Over the past three financial years, more than £90,000 has been paid out by Aylesbury Vale District Council in motor vehicle and public liability claims, a Freedom of Information request by the Bucks Herald revealed, while Bucks County Council has paid nearly £80,000.

The majority of motor vehicle claims against the district council follow recycling and waste collection vehicles causing damage around the Vale, including bumping wing mirrors and damaging walls and gates. These types of claims cost the council £28,873 in 2010/11, £22,970 in 2011/12 and, as of January 10, £14,964 in 2012/13.

The council said: “AVDC ensure that all their drivers undertake driver training and awareness courses every year. The recent introduction of technology in vehicles has also prevented claims. In addition, all third party claims are fully investigated by AVDC staff and the officers concerned and the council’s insurers and inspectors are also involved where appropriate.”

In one injury claim in 2011/12, someone claimed £7,551 from the district council following an injury they suffered because of a ‘defective surface’ in a park.

Of the nearly £80,000 paid out by the county council since 2010/11, £68,295 was highways related claims in 2010/11. Since then the council paid out £8,095 for all claims in 2011/12 and, as of February 5, £2,435 in 2012/13.

Rosemary Bryant, transformation manager at Transport for Bucks, said: “The reason the claims for public liability were high in 2010/11 is that we had a severe winter and were still suffering the effects of the previous winter. We did settle a number of claims but there are still around 25 claims outstanding for the year 2011/12 which may yet increase the figure given.”

In 2010/11 the county council also paid out £270 for school related claims and £250 for waste site claims. In 2011/12 £5,302 was paid out for highways claims and £2,792 for school related claims.

The roads that have cost the county council the most have also been revealed. Bridgeway in Cuddington cost the authority £2,128 in claims in 2010/11 and in the same year £624 was paid out for claims relating to Aylesbury Road in Great Missenden.

The Bucks Herald has been trying to find out who is responsible for hedges between the Tring Road Tesco and the canal after complaints were made about rubbish there.

Ian Hawkins, a resident who raised the issue, said: “There is so much rubbish on the road down the side, parallel to the canal, all the way down to the nondescript warehouse behind Tesco.

“Some of it looks like it has been there for years and looks a real mess.”

Hoping to find out who is responsible for keeping the area tidy, the Herald contacted Aylesbury Vale District Council.

The council said it does not own the land and suggested it might belong the Canal and River Trust.

The trust said its responsibility ends just before the area in question.

Tesco said it does not own the land.

The district council has now promised to look into the matter to try and find out who is responsible for it.

If you would like to nominate a grot spot that you think needs highlighting, or are planning to tidy one up to make Aylesbury a better place to live, then please contact the Bucks Herald editor Roger Hawes by emailing roger.hawes@jpress.co.uk

The creation of a Bucks unitary authority will happen in the future, the district council leader has said.

Councillor John Cartwright said an authority combining county and district services is the way to go but it is premature to start discussing its creation now.

Bucks County Council leader Martin Tett said he is more focused on county councils sharing services with each other, rather than uniting district and county.

Their comments come after a number of councillors expressed support for the creation of a unitary authority as a way of saving money.

Mr Cartwright, of Aylesbury Vale District Council, said: “At some time there will be a unitary authority within Buckinghamshire, whether it’s one or more.

“We won’t make any real progress until the Government gives some form of indication that they’re going to favour unitary authorities.”

Mr Tett said joining up district and county powers was not a priority.

He said: “I’m more concerned about working with other county councils. I think you can get bigger savings by having two large organisations doing the same thing working together. I’m not convinced there’s an awful lot of big savings to be had in the short term working with the districts.”

For the squeamish of us it is a horrible thought but one Thame man has been recognised for donating blood 100 times and braving the needle.

Michael Pearman was recognised by NHS Blood and Transplant for his consistent dedication to helping save lives.

He said: “I had prior knowledge about the need for blood as my father was an ambulance driver.

“I have continued giving so many times because of the importance of blood being available for everyone.”

Mr Pearman was joined at the ceremony by Chinnor man David Carey, also 
recognised for his 100th donation and Peter Allen, of Chearsley, who had made 75 donations.

Between the trio they have helped save up to 825 lives and they were recognised at an evening at the Four Pillars Hotel, Oxford.

Mr Carey, who is a retired mechanical engineer, 
said:“I was motivated to 
register as a blood donor as there were blood sessions at my place of work.

“It really is one of the most worthwhile things one can do.”

Each blood donation can potentially save the lives of up to three people so if a donor has given blood 75 times they have potentially helped save the lives of up to 225 patients in local hospitals through donating blood.

Out of the 4% of the eligible population who give blood, only 3% ever manage to reach 75 donations and just 1% reach 100. Anyone wanting to donate for the first time should be aged between 17-65, weighing at least seven stone 12lbs and in general good health. To book an appointment call 0300 123 23 23 or visit www.blood.co.uk

Children at Oakley CofE School were left spellbound by a reading from The Selfish Crocodile author Faustin Charles as part of their book week.

The emphasis of the annual event was on shared reading, with children encouraged to read in groups and with their parents.

A sponsored read has also been taking place to raise money for new books for the school’s library.

A number of Welsh stories were also being read on Friday to mark St David’s Day.

Cooking apprentices are being challenged to sharpen up their kitchen skills and sign up for the ‘The Great Apprentice Bake-Off’.

As part of National Apprenticeship Week from March 11 to 15, apprentices who live or work in Oxfordshire can test their culinary skills in the inaugural baking competition.

The Bake-Off will be judged by a panel of ‘cakes-perts’ who will award points on criteria such as taste and presentation.

A panel of judges have been chosen to oversee the apprentices’ baking skills, including celebrity chef Lotte Duncan, BBC Oxford’s Jo Thoenes and Oxfordshire County Council leader Councillor Ian Hudspeth.

Mr Hudspeth said: “I have years of experience devouring cakes so judging this bake-off will ensure that those many years have not been wasted.

“The bake-off is a great way to kick off a week of exciting events in Oxfordshire to showcase the talent of apprentices and celebrate the contribution they make to our economy.”

The event will also help support Macmillan Cancer Support and HIT Training, which provides training in the hospitality and catering industry.

The bake-off is being held at county hall on March 11 and is open to anyone living or working in Oxfordshire.

For more information contact Kerri Rook at kerri.rook@hittraining.co.uk

A stone table and bench have been installed to enhance community events and commemorate a much loved resident.

Mayor Nigel Champken-Woods visited Conduit Hill Rise, Thame, to view the installation which was supported with £250 from The Co-Op Supermarket
The table and bench was dedicated to the memory of former store manager and well known resident Ken Jones whose widow Gladys still lives locally.

A woman was lucky to escape without serious injuries after being bottled at an Aylesbury pub.

Police were called by the ambulance service at 12.18am on Sunday morning following reports a woman had been hit in the face with a bottle in the New Zealand pub in Buckingham Road.

The 26 year old was taken to Stoke Mandeville Hospital for treatment to a cut to her face and has since been discharged.

Two women, both aged 22, were arrested on suspicion of causing GBH. They have since been released on bail until April 1.

Det Con Vince Higgins, who is investigating the incident, said: “The victim sustained a cut to her face and it was fortunate she was not more seriously injured.

“The pub was busy at the time of the incident and there are a number of witnesses who have not yet come forward. I would urge anyone who was in the pub and witnessed the incident to contact me.”

Anyone with any information should contact Det Con Higgins by calling 101. If you wish to remain anonymous you can contact Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111 or online at crimestoppers-uk.org

Thame’s First Thursday Music Club is set to welcome a dangerous band to its prestigious 10pm slot at its next event.

The Memphis Rattlesnakes have played the club on numerous occasions in the past and will take to the stage again on March 7.

With Paul on vocals and rhythm guitar and Ben playing old school rock ‘n’ roll on the lead guitar, they always get the crowd jumping and moving. The Rattlesnakes will have a guest bass player and percussionist to back them up on the night to ensure that they can reproduce some classic tunes from their back catalogue.

Last month was the club’s third birthday edition and was attended by over 120 people who enjoyed 15 acts. Tickets were absolutely free.

The First Thursday Music Club is Thame’s biggest monthly music event and is held at The Stables at the James Figg. Anyone can play just by signing up at the venue from 7.45pm.

Check out the club on Facebook, The First Thursday Music Club or at www.firstthursdaymusicclub.com where you can find more information including contact numbers and addresses for the organisers.

Aspiring cricketers have gone on tour in India to develop their skills and help needy children.

The trip was organised by the Thame-based MP Sports Academy and involved players from around England.

Eight players travelled from England and the rest of the party was made up by boys from India.

During the tour the group gave free cricket coaching to 300 children and gave away 100 bats.

There was also plenty of match action, with the tour party playing seven times, including five games at the Rajkot International Cricket Stadium where the England side have been in action against India.

Of the seven matches, the tourists won five, including two dramatic victories on the last ball of the game.

Manoj Parmar, the academy’s director, said: “The main aim of the tour was to learn how to play against spin and the mental toughness you need.”

One of the tour members, Andy Harris, said: “I had been on a cricket tour to India before but the MP Academy tour I found much more beneficial and it dramatically improved my game.

“The video analysis session was very useful to help me see the areas I could improve. We tried to work on a couple of key points rather than bombarding me with lots of things to work on. It was also a great chance to experience the Indian culture and their enthusiasm for the game first hand.”

The academy has cricket coaching courses running in July and August. For more information visit www.mpsports.co.uk

A list of demands to mitigate against the impact of HS2, including a new museum, football pitches, Steeple Claydon train station and Waddesdon bypass, has been put forward by Bucks politicians.

The demands were unveiled at a summit in Aylesbury yesterday (Tuesday). It was originally scheduled to take place after the outcome of the judicial review was known, but that is still pending.

In a report strapped, ‘Seeking the best, if it comes to the worst’, Buckinghamshire County Council chairman Martin Tett reaffirmed his resistance to a project which will do significent damage to much of Aylesbury Vale.

He said: “Nevertheless, throughout we have always stated that we want the very best possible outcome for the residents of the county. We have therefore sought to work with HS2 Ltd to ensure that, should the scheme proceed, the very best migitgation is put in place.”

The list of demands are endorsed by Bucks’ county and district councils, the Chilterns Conservation Board, National Trust and National Farmers Union, among others.

Demands include:

WENDOVER

> Extended tunnel from Mantles Wood to Nash Lee Road

> Mitigation of vibration impacts on all listed buildings

> Screening of ventilation shafts

> Preservation of all walking routes in any tunnel gap

AYLESBURY AND STOKE MANDEVILLE

> Provision of wetland habitat to compensate for impacts on Aylesbury Sewage Works local wildlife site

> Work at St Mary’s Church medieval ruins in Stoke Mandeville to include excavation, storage of Christian remains at consecrated local site and a suitable memorial

> Investigation into Roman settlement at Fleet Marston

> Realignment of A4010 Risborough Road north of its current alignment. The revised route ties into Marsh (west) while Marsh Lane east is severed, providing access only. The route continues west of HS2 before crossing close to Risborough rail line crossing. It then ties into Lower Road B4443 between Aylesbury and Stoke Mandeville

> Money towards the improvement of the ancient remains at Quarrendon

> Sensitive realignment of A418 to minimise impacts on residents

> Footpath network to be maintained, providing enhanced links west of Aylesbury and Stoke Mandeville

> Creation of a ‘linear’ park between the HS2 line and the western edge of Aylesbury

> A contribution and endowment for the creation and ongoing upkeep of a museum in Aylesbury housing archaeological finds from digs

> National grid pylons to be buried underground

> Landscape bunding around maintenance/ recovery loop

> Minimal light pollution in dark areas

> Adequate noise protection from 24 hour operation

WADDESDON AND QUAINTON

> Improvement to the A41/ Waddesdon Hill junction and respecting setting of Grand Lodge

> Realignment of A41 to create bypass to the north Waddesdon alongside proposed HS2 route

> Realignment of Station Road at Quainton to ensure it maintains its current alignment and enables access to Bucks Railway Centre

> Create lowland meadow habitat as compensation for loss of land at Grendon, Doddershall Meadows and Finemere Wood Meadows

> Create a green tunnel in this area

> Additional woodland planting on the margins of Sheephouse Wood to compensate land loss there

> Habitat compensation to mitigate impact on rare Bechstein’s bat

> Mature vegetation on north east boundary of Waddesdon Manor to be protected and maintained during construction and operation

> New routes at Fleet Marston to create off-road cycleway between Aylesbury and Waddesdon south of HS2

CALVERT AND STEEPLE CLAYDON

> A net gain in wet grassland in the Calvert area

> Create an alternative nature reserve with visitor access as compensation for impact at Calvert Jubilee BBOWT Nature Reserve

> Mitigation of impact of maintenance depot at Steeple Claydon including a landscape bund, sensitive lighting and noise control

> A new rail station at Steeple Claydon on new east-west route between Aylesbury and Milton Keynes

THE VISION

Extracts from the ‘legacy’ chapter of the document, detailing what Bucks will ideally be like once HS2 is built.

> ‘The Chilterns AONB is protected by a tunnel that streches from the M25 to Wendover’.

> ‘Approaching Stoke Mandeville, the maintenance sidings are effectively screened from view both locally and from the key viewpoints’

> ‘Around Aylesbury, improved road links manage traffic and congestion impacts to secure journey time reliability’

> ‘Archaeological investigations...have yielded important and exciting finds attracting both national media and academic attention. Finds are retained locally with the best examples displayed in a new museum/ visitor centre’

> ‘Residents west of Aylesbury are protected by landscape bunds and revised landforms that offer effective noise and visual protection. New leisure and recreation opportunities are offered by a linear park that maintains connections with the nearby countryside; new or improved games pitches; and a reconfigured golf course and nature reserve. The grounds of Hartwell House have been appropriately preserved and protected...and the hotel continues to support Aylesbury’s economy’

> ‘The landscape close to Fleet Marston and Waddesdon is protected by the realignment of the A41 north of Waddesdon village...also offering traffic relief...as a result visitors spend more time in the village’

> ‘The Railway Centre (in Quainton) attracts many more visitors wishing to experience both old and new, facilitated by a visitor viewing area for the high speed line and links fostered with the National Railway Centre

> The Steeple Claydon halt (railway station) provides a sustainable means of travel for the local population, tourists and employees of the Infrastructure Maintenance Depot’

> ‘The rail ine has helped enhance the standard of living within Buckinghamshire, not least by improvements to the natural and built environment. Opportunity areas along the line benefits from improved amenities and connectivity and are thriving. Local employment opportunities have increased within Buckinghamshire, and local businesses have prospered. Individual villages and towns within Buckinghamshire have grown economically with the standard of living favourable compared to the rest of England’

> Noise impacts from the rail line and other sources do not excessively impact on the everyday lives of both rural and urban residents’

> ‘We demand that HS2 Ltd and the Department for Transport take responsibility for all adverse impacts of the line. Once mitigation and compensation measures are in place, HS2 should not have any significant negative impacts on Buckinghamshire and indeed should show betterment wherever possible’