The winner of the BBC’s ‘The Voice’ singing talent show Andrea Begley is to perform at a special event to mark the lighting of a Paralympic flame in Aylesbury.

Aerial circus performers and disabled actor Ben Owen Jones will join Ms Begley on stage at the Waterside Theatre on March 2.

The day before there will be a flame lighting ceremony at Stoke Mandeville Stadium as part of the torch relay ahead of the Sochi Paralympic Winter Games.

This will be a pilot for how future relays will work before every summer and winter Paralympics.

The Arts Council has awarded a £155,000 grant to Aylesbury Vale District Council to fund the stadium and theatre events.

Councillor Howard Mordue, cabinet member for leisure at AVDC, said: “The Paralympic heritage flame celebrations help recognise the magnificent achievements of Dr Ludwig Guttmann and the pioneers of the Paralympic movement at Stoke Mandeville.

“The funding of this award will enable us to deliver a fitting celebration to mark this historic occasion every two years and continue to inform a global audience of the continuing importance of Stoke Mandeville and Aylesbury to the Paralympic movement.”

The theatre event will tell the story of the birth of the modern Paralympic Games at Stoke Mandeville and feature Paralympic athletes, film, visual arts, live music and performance.

There will be a public ballot for free tickets to the theatre event from late January.

Go to www.buckslegacy.org for the latest information on the event and the ticket ballot.

An engagement ring, an eternity ring and a wedding ring have been stolen in a burglary at a Waddesdon home.

Burglars broke into the Baker Street property by forcing open the rear kitchen window using a tool.

Once inside, they ransacked the house and stole jewellery and an Acer black laptop.

Among the jewellery taken was a gold ruby engagement ring, a gold ruby eternity ring and a gold ruby wedding ring.

The burglary happened between 8.15am and 6.0pm on January 9.

PC John Johnston said: “I believe that the area where this offence took place would have been fairly busy, as there is a school nearby. “I would like to speak to anyone that was in the area between the times of this incident and witnessed any suspicious persons or vehicles.”

Anyone with information should call police on 101 or Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.

It’s a great comfort to me, as the knees creak, the memory fumbles and I find myself making involuntary grunts as I rise from any form of chair, that young people are, to use modern parlance, as thick as mince.

I generalise, of course, but it’s a concern for anyone of advancing years that there is a whole herd of young bucks out there just waiting to put their adolescent antlers to the test and butt me into the shadows.

It’s the way it has always been, as one generation builds on the knowledge of those who went before, combining that with their endless energy and willingness to take risks to get where they want to be.

Well, perhaps. But it all falls apart on that assumption that our next generation is necessarily equipped in any way to hoik me away from the head of the table.

I may be kidding myself and my perspective is skewed by age and cynicism, but for evidence I offer you young people on TV quiz shows.

Not University Challenge, of course, although there are a fair few there who go through an entire programme without uttering a word, and just as many who come up with an answer of such staggering stupidity as to attract the withering scorn of Jeremy Paxman.

Unless, of course, they are an attractive young blonde, but let’s not go there – let’s turn our attention instead to the massed ranks of students who turn up on daytime quiz programmes.

My point of reference here is Pointless, still a peerless format for quiz fans however much they try to muck it up with celebrity sessions.

Not a week goes by without someone who confidently introduces themselves as a proud graduate of such and such from the university of never heard of it, and you’d expect that they wouldn’t have been able to reach adulthood and higher education without knowing a few of the basics.

Not a bit of it. These clueless competitors routinely crash and burn because they seem blissfully unaware of crucial dates in history or the names of the capital cities of our nearest neighbours, and with vocabularies so limited that they struggle to come up with a word ending in ‘ian’ because their brain – there’s one, but it would probably score quite highly – just isn’t stuffed with enough random knowledge.

You may sniff and note that today’s youngsters win hands down when it comes to new technology, and that there’s no point cramming all those little nuggets into your brain when you can check them in seconds on Google.

It’s a fair point, but my reply would be this: If you don’t have a very broad general knowledge, and you volunteer to be seen by millions of people in an arena where a lack of general knowledge is probably going to make you look like a right pillock, isn’t that in itself a definition of being as thick as mince? I rest my case, and my mind rests easy.

A Stoke Mandeville Hospital nurse has admitted making an aggressive sexually explicit threat towards a student.

At a Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC) hearing, Perry Boss admitted making the comments towards a student at the hospital.

Mr Boss also admitted saying to the student, in reference to her practice: “Anyone can stick on a pair of marigolds.”

Both offences took place in June 2010.

However Mr Boss was cleared of four other charges.

These included claims Mr Boss had told the student he had seen her in a pornographic film.

The NMC brought the misconduct charges against Mr Boss, believing his fitness to practice was impaired as a result.

The hearing, which was held in London from January 8 to 10, has been adjourned until February 21, when a sanction decision will be made.

It may be dripping with star names and cinema class, but is there really an appetite in these tough times for a glitzy tale of corporate excess?

Movie legend Martin Scorsese certainly thinks so, and has spent years bringing cherished project The Wolf Of Wall Street to the screen.

This 18-certificate feature is based on the memoirs of a corrupt stockbroker intent on living life to the max.

Leonardo Di Caprio is centre stage as a slick sort who reckons that greed isn’t just good – it’s grrrrreat.

He’s shown the ropes by old hand Matthew McConaugey and then gets his snout in the trough of 1990s Wall Street.

With something like a million dollars a week pouring into his back pocket, he splashes out on booze, drugs, sex, parties and expensive toys. What could possibly go wrong?

The story has been adapted by Boardwalk Empire creator Terence Winter and sees Scorsese and DiCaprio work together for the fifth time.

Handsome undoubtedly, but hardly heartwarming and we’ve seen it all before.

We’ve also seen everything Devil’s Due has to offer – it’s yet another 15-rated would-be fright fest, this one with a gormless pair of young newyweds who find their lives turned upside down by a sinister pregnancy which is the portent of all sorts of unpleasantness.

Who is that weird man staring at their house? What are those mysterious symbols that keep appearing?

As they appear never to have seen a horror film in their young lives, the terrified twosome don’t have a clue, but we do – wobbly ‘home movie’ camerawork, telegraphed tension and a couple of hours wasted if you really insist on sitting through it.

An emergency council meeting is to be held after the Vale’s crucial housing plan was slammed by a government inspector, sparking calls for the politician in charge of the scheme to resign.

Liberal Democrat and Labour leaders at Aylesbury Vale District Council have called for heads to roll and said strategic planning chief, Tory councillor Carole Paternoster, must ‘fall on her sword’.

But Mrs Paternoster this week ruled out quitting her £10,608-per-year cabinet post, claiming ‘no one’ at the council is responsible for the plan’s shortcomings.

The Vale of Aylesbury Plan proposed around 13,850 new homes, most of which have already been approved, and a minimum of 6,000 new jobs, along with all the necessary infrastructure, to be created in the district by 2031.

Inspector Kevin Ward was appointed by the Government to review the strategy and decide whether it should be approved. But in a scathing report published last week he said the level of proposed housing is too low to create the new jobs, while he also criticised the council for not working closely enough with neighbouring authorities.

The plan will now have to be withdrawn, leaving the Vale open to developers looking to take advantage of the lack of a firm housing target, as it will now be harder for major applications to be refused, such as those for Hampden Fields, Fleet Marston and east of Watermead. The Vale’s planning chief, John Byrne, who is paid more than £71,000 annually, has warned a much higher housing target than initially proposed will now have to be set for the district.

Conservative leaders at AVDC have said they followed public opinion when creating the plan and rejected claims they had not worked with neighbouring councils. Mrs Paternoster and AVDC leader Neil Blake said the plan’s failure was largely due to the Government ‘moving the goalposts’ during the process.

But Lib Dem leader, Councillor Steven Lambert, said: “I think Carole Paternoster’s position is untenable and I am shocked that she hasn’t resigned so far.”

Asked about her position, Mrs Paternoster said: “I certainly will not be resigning.

“None of the officers or the politicians have done anything wrong. Nobody has to go.

“What the inspector has said is that we have not achieved the duty to cooperate. That does not mean we have not ticked all the boxes.

“We have not done anything less or more than other councils.”

Should the council come up with a new plan, which could take another two years, it will be the third time it has gone through the process. After a lengthy consultation process, in 2010 the council put forward plans to build 10,000 homes to the east of Aylesbury, following a huge U-turn as it originally favoured building to the south. However, as an inspector delivered his initial verdict on the strategy, the coalition took power and promised to scrap the South East Plan which had forced the council to build 26,000 new homes by 2026.

Lib Dems fear the whole process has cost taxpayers more than £3 million.

An emergency meeting will be held on January 27 to debate a motion put forward by Lib Dems. It calls for Mrs Paternoster to resign and the suspension of chief executive Andrew Grant, who earns more than £119,000 annually from the role, Mr Byrne and the planning manager for forward plans, pending an investigation into the failure.

Mr Lambert said there has been a ‘fundamental management failure led by a flawed political agenda’.

An iPad has been stolen from a Thame home after burglars broke in through an insecure rear door.

The burglary happened in Cheshire Road between 6pm and 10pm on January 10.

If you have seen any suspicious looking people or vehicles in the area or have any information relating to this incident call police on 101.

Alternatively if you have information but wish to remain anonymous, call Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.

The county’s pothole-ridden roads are being ‘mismanaged’, despite £30 million a year being paid to contractors, a damning report has revealed.

Bucks County Council does not have the resources to make sure contractors are doing a good job and much of the work is short-sighted, a select committee report said.

Committee members recommended more long-term planning be introduced and that a probe be launched to make sure taxpayers are getting value for money.

Council leader Martin Tett said he welcomed the ‘first class’ report and that most of the recommendations would be implemented.

Ringway Jacobs has provided highway and transport services for the council since 2009, with the eight-year deal extended until 2019/20.

During this time there have been growing complaints about the state of the county’s roads, although Mr Tett said this has largely been down to several winters of ‘terrible’ weather.

One of the environment, transport and locality services select committee’s main concerns was the lack of checks on the work of the contractor because of cutbacks at the council.

The report said: “We feel that there needs to be a further review to ensure that the council is receiving value for money from the contract.

“We feel that the contractor is struggling to meet efficiency saving targets each year, that there is insufficient evidence that regular 
benchmarking is taking place, and that a lack of client capacity has resulted in 
minimal check and challenge of the contractual obligations.”

Responding to these concerns, Mr Tett said he hopes to be able to employ more people in the transport department to keep an eye on the contractor’s work.

Mr Tett said: “Once we know how much money we are going to have, I have asked Janet Blake (cabinet member for planning and transport) to bring forward proposals for an increase in the number of people on the client team who keep a check on the contract.

“It will mean somewhere else will lose out but we want to put money into this because it’s really important.”

The report also said there needs to be more long-term thinking, with plans currently prepared on a yearly basis.

Liberal Democrat county group leader Avril Davies said there was a ‘complete lack of strategy’ on the roads.

Mrs Davies said: “It absolutely terrifies me. Unless you plan in advance you’re just living hand to mouth. They need to have a long-term strategy on how to manage transport in Bucks.

“They’re not managing that contract properly.”

Mr Tett said proposals are already afoot to introduce more long-term planning.

He said: “The biggest problem is the lack of certainty on funding.

“What I’m doing now is putting in place a clear budget for the next four years. Then we will be able to tell residents that certain roads will be fixed next year or in two years’ time.”

The report also recommended having more politicians on the board overseeing the contract management and changes to how money is allocated across priorities.

Cider-makers have been celebrating after their brews won top prizes at a Haddenham competition.

Blind tasting of a wide variety of styles and flavours was carried out by judges at the second Haddenham cider competition, who agreed that all the brews were of good quality.

First prize and winner of the Wassail Cup was Dave Watkins with his brew ‘HappyL’, made with apples from his garden at Fort End.

Second prize went to Richard Moore with his cider ‘Railway Embankment’, made with apples from near the railway station, while two joint third prizes were awarded to Greg Smith and David Lyons for their offerings ‘The Gables’ and ‘Resilient Rat’ respectively.

Margot Hodson, vicar of Haddenham and leader of the judging panel, said that all the ciders were considerably better than the ‘bland’ industrial ciders and were comparable to good craft ciders you can find in Somerset and Herefordshire.

The event was held at St Mary’s Centre on January 11 as part of the Haddenham in Transition Low Carbon Party.

HS2’s passage through Parliament has been delayed after MPs ruled that a consultation on the line must be extended.

The consultation on the £50bn line failed to comply with parliamentary standing orders because a total of 877 pages were missing from online and memory stick versions of the consultation documents, which consisted of more than 50,000 pages in total.

It had been due to conclude on January 24 but has now been extended by the Commons Standard Orders Committee until February 10.

It means a parliamentary debate is unlikely to take place until late March.

Stop HS2 campaign manager Joe Rukin said: “With the Standing Orders Committee having to be called for the first time in six years and agreeing that Parliamentary Standing Orders have been breached, yet again those in charge of HS2 have been proved to be completely incompetent, only interested in rushing this white elephant through as fast as possible, and like the politicians who support the project, offering excuses which are weaker than ‘the dog ate my homework’.

“A few typos would be excusable, but missing hundreds of pages is gross incompetence, and trying to get away with it is gross arrogance.

“Getting an extension to this consultation is good news, but even with the extra fortnight, it still means that this consultation, on a document over 50,000 pages long, is still the shortest consultation of the six there have been on HS2, which still isn’t fair on anyone wanting to make a reasoned response.

“If this is truly the biggest single engineering project the country has ever seen, why are we not having a proper public inquiry on HS2?”

A spokesman for HS2 Ltd said the committee had confirmed the bill ‘can proceed as planned’.

He said: “We are happy to comply with the committee’s instruction to extend the Environmental Statement consultation period for a couple of weeks, to allow for full and proper consultation on some pages that were missing from the original material.

“HS2 is the most significant infrastructure project the UK has seen in modern times and a project the country cannot do without.”

It was also announced that the Supreme Court will rule on the legality of the government’s environment impact assessment on Wednesday, January 22.

Bucks councillors have this week backed petitioning against HS2 in Parliament.

Councillors at Bucks County Council today unanimously voted to oppose the HS2 hybrid bill at the next stage of the process.

It follows a decision by cabinet members at Aylesbury Vale District Council on Monday to do the same, although they will still have to have a full council vote on the motion.

The resolution means the councils will petition against the bill, essentially the planning application for the £50 billion project, in a bid to get mitigation to reduce the negative impact of the line, which would cut through Aylesbury Vale.

They should also get a chance to present their case in front of select committees in the House of Commons and House of Lords after the second reading of the bill, a date for which is yet to be announced.

County council leader Martin Tett said: “The council’s resolution enables us to continue to oppose HS2, which if it goes ahead will have a truly devastating impact on Buckinghamshire’s environment, towns and economy.

“But we must also work to mitigate its effects as far as possible, should it be built.

“Today, by unanimously passing this motion, we are sending out a clear message to the Government that we are determined to obtain the very best outcome for our county, as well as reassuring our residents that we are fully on their side.”

Talented youngsters have a chance to star on the stage of the Waterside Theatre.

A theatrical production company is holding open auditions in the town for Annie, and the show will take place in June.

Dave Thomson, marketing manager with RARE Productions, said: “Our aim is to give young people between the ages of eight and 21 the opportunity to actually perform in a major musical at a proper theatre, with professional standard staging, sets, costumes, sound and lighting.

“We were attracted to Aylesbury by the superb Waterside theatre and the potential for youth musical theatre in an area where a genuine, high standard opportunity such as we offer is not readily available to the young people.”

There is no need to book for the auditions, just turn up.

All RARE personnel have fully enhanced CRB checks and are fully licenced chaperones.

Auditions are at the Waterside on Monday (January 20) from 5-6.30pm for eight to 12-years; from 6.30-8pm for 13-21-years. And on Saturday January 25 from 2-3.30pm for eight to 12-years; from 3.30-5pm for 13-21-years. And on February 3 at the Mandeville School from 5.30-6.30pm for eight to 12-years and 6.30-7.30pm for 13-21-years.

The oldest barbers in Thame has a new owner for the first time in 30 years.

Ian Lee, 64, began working at Thame Hair on North Road in 1982 before taking over the business in 1984.

He will continue working one day a week but has handed over ownership of the barbers and is looking forward to spending time with his nine-month-old grandson Samuel.

Mr Lee said: “I’m not hanging up my scissors just yet as I will still cut the hair of family and friends.

“But I’ve had a great time, really enjoyed it and some people have been coming in as long as I have been here!”

Mr Lee thanked his wife Marilyn for her support and all of his loyal customers past and present at the barbers, which was established 
in the 1920s.

New owner Juno Newman (pictured), 45, who has worked in Oxford and Burnham, is looking forward to slowly stamping her mark at the barbers which her grandad used.

She said: “I want to keep it very olde-worlde with hot towel shaves and keep it nice and intimate.

“It’s not a chain, it’s an individual experience, with a cobbled pavement outside.

“It’s not just about cutting hair though, it’s about getting to know the customers.

“People want to get used to change but halfway through the year I’ll be looking at a little makeover.

“It’s going to be renamed Sherlock Combs.”

A man was seriously injured after the van he was driving hit a roundabout and flipped onto its side on the A41 early this morning.

The man had to be cut free by firefighters and was taken to Stoke Mandeville Hospital for treatment.

He was driving a white Ford Transit van from Thrifty Rentals when the incident happened at the Aston Clinton roundabout at around 1.50am.

The road was closed until 6.15am while an investigation was carried out and oil and debris was cleared by the Highways Agency.

Traffic was diverted through Aston Clinton while the road was closed.

PC Liz Johnson said: “I would like to hear from anyone who may have witnessed the collision or seen the vehicle being driven from Aylesbury towards Aston Clinton at that time.”

Anyone with information about the incident should call police on 101 and ask for PC Johnson.

Alternatively you can call Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.

A new chairman has been appointed at Bucks Healthcare NHS Trust, which runs Stoke Mandeville Hospital.

Hattie Llewelyn-Davies OBE will take over the role in late March for a two-year term.

She will replace Fred Hucker and be entitled to a remuneration of £37,167 per year.

The chairman sits on the board of directors and is responsible for the overall conduct of the trust, managing the board and appointing and reviewing the performance of the chief executive and other executive directors.

Ms Llewelyn-Davies is currently chairman of Hertfordshire Partnership University NHS Foundation Trust, a mental health and learning disabilities trust which provides services across the eastern region.

She said: “I am very pleased to be joining the trust at a time when real improvements to patient care are being made continuously.

“I am deeply committed to the NHS in Buckinghamshire, where both my children were born and whose services we continue to use.

“There are challenges ahead not only in Buckinghamshire but across the whole NHS as we strive to deliver the best possible care for every patient, but I am excited about working with the board, the staff, patients and our partners to address these.

“I look forward to meeting with staff, patients and the local community and to listen and learn from their experiences.”

Prior to working in the NHS, Ms Llewelyn-Davies was employed in a number of chief executive and senior management roles in the housing and homelessness sector and was awarded an OBE for services to homeless people in 2004.

The trust’s chief executive Anne Eden said: “I am delighted to welcome Hattie to Buckinghamshire Healthcare NHS Trust, who brings a wealth of knowledge and expertise from within the NHS and the public sector.

“I am looking forward to working with Hattie to lead the organisation and to ensure that we are continuously improving quality and offering safe and compassionate care to every patient.”

A nature reserve the size of 40 football pitches is to be created at a large country estate near Aylesbury thanks to money from developers.

Around 720 kilos of wildflower seed, including Common Knapweed, Yellow Rattle, Bird’s-foot Trefoil, Lady’s Bedstraw, Dropwort and Dyer’s Greenweed have been sown and shallow ponds have also been created to provide feeding areas for wading birds such as Curlew.

However, the location of the reserve is to remain secret as the landowner does not want the site identified.

The money has come from the Berryfields Farmland grant scheme, which sees Aylesbury Vale District Council and the Berkshire, Buckinghamshire and Oxfordshire Wildlife Trust (BBOWT) working together to protect wildlife in the first off-setting project of its kind in Bucks.

Grants, funded by developers, are being offered to landowners in the Berryfields, Oving and Waddesdon areas for projects that will help minimise the impact of development by creating spaces for wildlife to thrive.

Councillor Howard Mordue, AVDC cabinet member for leisure, said: “97% of our wildflower meadows have been lost over the last century so this is incredibly significant.

“We are showing just what can be achieved if permissions for large building projects can be negotiated to also benefit wildlife.”

Funding for the first reserve was secured more than 10 years ago, before building work was given the green light.

Cathie Hasler, BBOWT’s community wildlife officer for Bucks, said: “This is a fantastic opportunity to work in partnership with landowners and district authorities at a local level, and deliver practical conservation measures on the ground that will benefit wildlife on a landscape-scale.

“This scheme demonstrates that if it is well managed and properly scrutinised, development can result in significant net gains to biodiversity.”

A construction supremo has been hired by HS2 Ltd to run ‘what will be the biggest infrastructure project in Europe’.

Simon Kirby, who has been made chief executive – construction, joins from Network Rail where he is managing director of infrastructure projects, leading on a £5bn a year investment programme to improve the country’s railways.

It has also been confirmed that the current chief executive, Alison Munro, will continue in that role until September when she will become managing director of development to oversee the passage of the Hybrid Bill through parliament and the development of phase two of the project in the north.

New HS2 chairman, David Higgins, said: “As I start my tenure as chairman of this essential project that will free up much needed capacity on our crowded railways, I am extremely pleased that we have secured Simon to run what will be the biggest infrastructure project in Europe, and one of the biggest in the world.

“Delivering this project in a way which is not just cost effective, but also delivers its benefits to as much of the country as soon as possible, is a huge engineering project, but Simon has proven throughout his career that he is capable of taking on such a unique challenge.

“I fully realise that the skills he brings to the task are much sought after throughout the world and we are delighted he has agreed to take on the role - and that Alison Munro has agreed to continue in her role of over-seeing both the parliamentary process and the development of Phase Two.

“HS2 has the potential to re-balance the UK economy, easing pressure in the South, and opening up the possibility of growth in the North.

“We are fortunate to be able to call on the skills and commitment of both Simon and Alison to make that potential a reality.”

In his 10 years at Network Rail Mr Kirby has overseen landmark schemes such as the transformation of Kings Cross in London, the modernisation of Reading Station, the Thameslink programme and the refurbishment of the Forth River Bridge in Scotland.

Checking your child’s eyesight from a young age is crucial for learning.

Since so much of their learning is visual, unidentified issues with eyesight can have a serious impact on the speed of learning of young children.

Research suggests parents are more likely to make regular trips to the dentist than they are to take a proactive approach to their young child’s eyesight.

Your child is not likely to highlight difficulties with sight, as what they see is what they consider normal.

Does your young child appear comfortable looking through the pages of a book, but they sit with their nose almost touching the screen when watching TV, indicating they may be short-sighted?

Some eye conditions are easily identified such as a squint, but others are less obvious.

Regular eye rubbing, blinking excessively, lack of hand-eye co-ordination or struggling to pick up small objects are things to look out for.

According to optometrists, the best time for your child’s first eye test is in the year before they start school.

Picking up problems early can stop them from getting worse. An example of this is lazy eye where one eye is normal and the other long or short- sighted.

It is hard to spot due to the good eye, but it gets worse and is harder to treat the longer it is left unidentified.

When booking an eye test, ask other parents for recommendations of child-friendly ophthalmic practitioners, ensuring the visit is a pleasant experience.

Once your child is aged 5-7 and can read, asking for a visual skills test in addition to the standard eye test is a good way to evaluate their ability to track across a page, focussing the eyes on a line of text – a fundamental requirement in reading.

Often used if dyslexia is suspected, this test is helpful in monitoring visual skills development.

A pilot scheme to help people living in rural areas get into work has been launched in the Aylesbury Vale.

The ‘pop up jobs club’ scheme has been set up by the Aylesbury Vale Local Children and Young People’s Partnership to give careers advice and support.

The project is supported by county-wide district councils, Bucks County Council, Action4Youth, Bucks Association of Secondary Headteachers and the Schools Liaison Group amongst others.

The aim is to improve access for people living in villages and anyone actively looking for work can attend sessions at seven venues across the 
Vale.

Ann Winsor, who is helping coordinate the clubs, said: “We would like it to be that we are over-run! But equally we may find that there isn’t a need for them.

“We want to give more support to those in rural areas, the people that won’t get so much access.”

Mrs Winsor said there will be a core set of organisations present to give solid career advice on the day and one aim of the club was to help young people find work.

She said: “Once we know their needs, we will find the most appropriate person to take responsibility.

“As with these type of things though and when people are looking for work, it’s a case of use it or lose it.

“We want to be a one stop shop to fit their needs.”

In addition to giving support and suggesting career paths, advisers will also provide financial advice, assist with interview technique, help with CVs and applications and recommend training courses.

Chairman of the partnership board Louise Chatterley said: “These clubs will enable people, especially those in more rural areas, to access a wide array of individualised support to help move their lives forward.”

Sessions are being held between 2pm and 4pm at the following places:

Aylesbury Buckingham Park Community Centre on January 22, Wendover Community Library on January 29, Wing Children’s Centre on February 5, Ivinghoe Children’s Centre on February 13, Waddesdon Children’s Centre on February 25, Haddenham Village Hall on March 4 and Winslow Centre on March 12.

No appointment is needed and those interested can just pitch up on the day.

The utter arrogance of HS2, in their total disregard for the misery being inflicted on so many, was sadly all too apparent at a meeting of local farmers hosted by the NFU to discuss the environmental statement and how best to respond to it.

I have had personal experience of the ignorance and appalling lack of sympathy shown by HS2 employees.

At a consultation meeting in Wendover before Christmas I asked a member of the HS2 team how she could morally justify working for a company that is destroying the lives and livelihoods of so many people.

She laughed in my face.

Judging by the comments expressed at the meeting I am not the only one to have been treated with such disdain.

One farmer told the meeting he was losing 400 acres, but has had no response to his communications, and no visit to his farm despite receiving maps showing the almost utter destruction of his business.

He called it a wipeout, and said maps were being drawn by people in city offices who had no knowledge of the area.

It seems the environmental statement is more concerned about natural habitats rather than farmland.

At the end of the project HS2’s current estimate is to double the amount of habitat they destroy, by taking yet more productive farmland out of production and planting it with trees and balancing ponds to meet their own targets.

As one farmer put it: “They think tree planting is good publicity, but no one cares about the loss of farmland.”