SAMANTHA Cameron has handed a big boost to a charity which is raising funds for specialist cancer equipment at Stoke Mandeville Hospital.

The Prime Minister’s wife has agreed to open up the Chequers gardens to raise money for Scannappeal, which needs £80,000 to secure leading bowel cancer equipment.

Mrs Cameron is ‘keeper of the diary’ at her husband’s countryside home near Wendover. Only one charity in Bucks is allowed access to Chequers per year.

Chequers will be the centre piece of the charity’s open gardens scheme this summer, in which people pay money to gain access to 25 local gardens. It is hoped the scheme will raise £20,000.

Scannappeal’s Gill Whitehead said: “We are very grateful, it’s a great opportunity for us to raise money. It will be great for people to have a look at Chequers – it’s lovely down there.”

Scannappeal, which celebrates its 25th anniversary this year, has already raised £20,000 towards the ‘scope guide’, which makes diagnosis of bowel cancer quicker and less painful.

The Chequers day on June 8 will raise £4,000 from ticket sales as entry costs £20 but numbers are limited to 200.

More than 300 people have already applied for tickets so a ballot is being held. The last day to apply for tickets is May 1 and those who enter must also have bought tickets to another open garden.

See scannappeal.org.uk

DEMOLITION work has started on empty shop units in Aylesbury’s Walton Court Centre.

Bosses at the Vale of Aylesbury Housing Trust, which owns the site, says its £11.35 million revamp of the centre is set to be completed by the summer next year.

A statement from the trust said: “The first phase works has started and will see work being carried out to extend the Healthy Living Centre.

“A number of temporary measures have been put in place to keep the centre open for business including a entry via the car park and a portable building to house the social club.”

Since the start of the year, work on the site has focused on reopening thePost Office, ahead of plans to rehouse it to a new home in the Co-Op later this year.

Solar panels are also being installed, and site surveys are being carried out.

Temporary bin chutes are also being installed.

The plans feature a barbecue area, sitting circle, cycle stands, grass lawns, ornamental shrubs and space set aside for residents to grow their own vegetables.

The design was inspired by Red or Dead fashion designer and design consultant Wayne Hemingway.

VIOLENT crime in the Vale has dropped by more than 25 per cent in 12 months, figures released this week have revealed.

The stats released by Thames Valley Police reveal that between April 2011 and March 2012, there were 1,670 violent crimes committed on people.

But serious acquisitive crime has gone up slightly, rising by 0.3 per cent.

Across the Thames Valley, there were 22,566 fewer crimes in the Thames Valley compared with the same period in 2010/11, equating to a fall of 13.1 per cent.

Chief Constable Sara Thornton said: “Cutting crime is Thames Valley Police’s most important responsibility and I am really pleased that we have cut crime by 13 per cent over the last year.

“We have done this despite reductions in our budget which makes it more impressive. Most important of all, this means that there were over 20,000 fewer victims in Thames Valley last year.”

Thames Valley Police Authority chairman, Khan Juna, said: “The continued reduction in crime across the Thames Valley area over the last year is certainly good news for people living in the Thames Valley area.

“The improvement in our crime figures confirms the ongoing success of our commitment to responding to the priorities of the public, being to cut crimes that are of most concern to the community; to increase the visible presence of the police, and to protect our communities from the most serious harm.”

MORE than 220 district council staff are to be given a pay increase under plans revealed this week.

Next week members at Aylesbury Vale District Council will weigh up plans to spend £81,000 on increasing pay for the lowest-paid employees.

Politicians have been recommended to give the award the thumbs-up ahead of a meeting on Wednesday next week.

A report from the council’s head of people and payroll, Ann Kiceluk, said: “While the trade unions and employee representatives have asked for a further meeting to formally conclude discussions for 2012, the pay negotiating team has committed to recommending to council that an award of £250 (pro-rata for part time staff) be made to the lowest paid staff, that is all staff on Grades 1 and 2.

“This would mean a total of 221 AVDC staff would receive a pay award, that being 43% of staff (based on headcount figures).”

Staff at the top of Grade 2 currently receive a salary of £21,960 each year.

The report said staff had been offered changes to flexi-time arrangements as an alternative to a pay increase.

The report says the pay increase will be added to the council’s ‘salary spine’, making it a permanent increase. It ruled that the move would help the council recruit and retain ‘the very best people’.

No other pay grades are set for a salary increase.

A BID to bring a secondary school back to Winslow has been supported – amid claims that it could prevent the Winslow Centre being sold for housing.

Chiefs from the Department for Education are weighing up plans to set up a free school in the town – with youngsters currently having to travel miles for their education.

The Winslow Centre has been mooted as a possible site for the school, with a group headed by a former Vale headteacher hoping to have the school open in September last year.

This week, a county councillor said opening a school in the Winslow Centre could save it from being sold by Bucks County Council and converted into housing.

As reported in the Herald last week, Winslow’s mayor, Councillor Llew Monger, said there were ‘many unanswered questions’ about the bid, and urged parents to be cautious.

But county councillor David Rowlands, who represents Winslow, has said he favours the plans.

Mr Rowlands, who headed a campaign to bring a secondary school back to Winslow a decade ago, said: “I’m delighted that someone has bitten the bullet and taken the travelling of their kiddies to heart.

“I wouldn’t be surprised if at some stage in the next five to 10 years, the Winslow Centre could be sold for housing.

“But I think the centre is currently under used, and it could be converted into a very good school.

“It would totally revitalise the Winslow Centre.”

Mr Rowlands continued: “I would rather see a secondary school coming back to the Winslow Centre than that whole site being developed for housing.”

A group headed by former Quainton CofE Combined School headteacher Peter Bird has put forward the bid.

If given the go-ahead, the school would be called the Sir Thomas Fremantle School.

The group says more than 400 families have expressed an interest in sending their children to the school.

The team is set to find out in July whether their bid to set up the free school has been accepted.

Free schools were introduced by the coalition government, allowing communities and parents to set up their own schools.

Parents can visit www.sirthomasfremantle.org for information, or email newschoolhere@btinternet.com for answers to specific questions.

A FINAL decision on plans to build a £300million incinerator near Calvert will be reached this week – with planning officers recommending it is approved.

The controversial plant was put on hold by County Hall politicians in February, prompting scathing criticism by applicant Waste Recycling Group (WRG).

The firm branded a decision to defer the bid until the autumn ‘compromised and irrational’, and County Hall was forced to rearrange planning meetings to reach a ruling quicker.

Two day-long meetings are set to be held on Tuesday and Friday to decide on the bid, which prompted a furious response from critics.

A report prepared for the crunch meeting said Quainton Parish Council has put in a last-ditch addition to its objections, stating that Bucks County Council would be taking on a big financial risk.

It has also said that a plant in Rookery Pit, Bedfordshire, has enough capacity to deal with Buckinghamshire’s waste.

If given the go-ahead, WRG will be have to shell out £75,000 towards the management of nearby Lower Greatmoor Farmhouse, and £6,000 per year for protecting Finemerehill House.

The firm will also be told to keep its heavy goods vehicles on A roads and a new access road to the site.

A Bucks County Council report claims that by 2026, it is anticipated that 112,000 tonnes of municipal waste, and 245,000 tonnes of commercial and industrial waste.

In February, councillors deferred a decision, saying the need for the plant had not been proved.

The report, by planning manager Ian Prosser, states: “It is now considered that there is sufficient information for the Development Control Committee to determine the application.”

The meetings will be held at the Green Park Training & Conference Centre in Stablebridge Road, Aston Clinton.

You think you know the story – five teen friends go for a break at a remote cabin in the woods, bad things start to happen.

So what is the secret lurking beneath the stereotypical creepy cabin? And perhaps more importantly, who will survive and what will be left of them?

The Cabin In The Woods begins as pitch perfect horror in the vein of the many ‘teens in peril’ set ups that horror fans know so well.

But because this is being produced by fanboy favourite Joss ‘Firefly’ Whedon and collaborator/director Drew ‘writer of Cloverfield’ Goodard, things soon take a jaw dropping and highly amusing turn which rips the rug from underneath the viewers.

All is very much not what it seems – and in the interests of not wanting to dilute the pure pleasure of seeing and working it all out for yourself I will not explain anything. Just take it from me, you may never watch a reality TV show in quite the same way ever again.

The main cast are obviously having a good time, including Chris ‘Thor’ Hemsworth as alpha male Curt, Jesse Williams as the brainy Holden and a cracking turn from Fran Kranz as dopehead Marty – imagine Shaggy from Scooby Doo, just even more wasted!.

The girls are represented by the slutty blonde Dana (Kristen Connolly) and the stereotypical cute virgin Jules (Anna ‘Yellow Power Ranger’ Hutchison).

These stereotypes make up the quintet whose life expectancy doesn’t look too good – but also on hand are some nefarious corporate types, embodied by Richard Jenkins and Bradley ‘West Wing’ Whitford.

What The Cabin In The Woods does best is balance some serious disturbing gore and horror with some fantastically well observed laugh out loud comedy moments.

It is this knowing interplay between the two that makes the film romp along so well, dragging the audience screaming with equal parts shock and delight in its wake.

Yes, it gets pretty nasty at points and I certainly wouldn’t recommend anyone squeamish or easily disturbed taking a trip in these woods.

But any horror fan looking to have their world shaken up by a game-changing blast of scary endorphin stimulation, this might be the best horror film to hit for years!

Spotting the masses of horror film references throughout is a fun additional bonus.

And the climax is so Cthulhu-inspired and over the top that this is one freak-em-up thrill show you’ll never forget.

I’VE got it in the neck before on this, but I’m prepared to have another go. Thousands of runners are lacing up their trainers and stuffing themselves full of pasta in preparation for this weekend’s London Marathon, and as usual most of them will be completing the course in aid of a nominated charity. Big deal.

Now hear me out, I’m not knocking anyone who puts themselves out for a good cause, but the whole marathon experience just doesn’t make sense.

Let’s do the sums. The average London Marathon runner tots up around £2,000 for charity, which is all well and good.

For the purposes of the calculation I am going to ignore the fact that the charities have to stump up hundreds of pounds to the organisers to secure those all-important slots in the first place.

And let’s also put to one side the investment that any first-time marathon runner will need to consider – a decent pair of running shoes, proper kit, that sort of thing.

Let’s just talk about the time involved. Your first marathon will take you somewhere over four hours, maybe much more.

Four hours hard slog, a £2,000 return for charity – that’s an impressive return in anyone’s language.

But if you’re a first time runner, you have to work your way up to it.

Training runs, gym sessions, careful monitoring of diet – the experts reckon that you’re looking at devoting seven or eight hours a week to getting in shape, over four or five months.

So a worst case scenario means that you’re investing 160 hours, plus the four hours for the run itself.

That’s taken your hourly return down to around £12 an hour.

And you’ll also need to factor in the time it will take you to gather in all those promises of support, and make sure the cash gets paid – online giving services have taken a lot of the hard work out of this side of it, but let’s assume at least another 20 hours.

Add in a good few hours of travel to your chosen proving events – most people tackle a 10km run and a half marathon in the run-up to London. Another 20 hours? OK.

You’re under £10 an hour now, and it’s still dropping.

Even if you live close to the capital, getting into London for the run is going to cost a few quid, and it’s not as if you can reckon on the time of the run itself as your only investment on the day – there are all those hours before and after, energy bars, glucose drinks, whatever else you have to cough up.

It’s not much of a stretch to get the Marathon return down to minimum wage. Most competitors earn far more than that in their day job, and have serious skills to offer charities rather than pointlessly pounding around the pavements of London doing something they’re not very good at. See where I’m coming from?

If you want to make a difference, tot up the time it would take you to prepare for and complete a marathon, and devote all those hours to voluntary work instead.

The opportunities are endless, and it’s work that actually needs doing – which is not something you can say for a self-regarding 26 mile slog around the streets of London.

THE owners of a Thame book shop attended a VIP evening on Tuesday to witness the world premier of The Titanic Requiem by former Bee Gee Robin Gibb.

Brian and Louise Pattinson, of The Book House, were invited to the ‘moving’ event at the at Central Hall, Westminster, which saw the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra perform a selection of Thame star Robin’s tracks from his new album, The Titanic Requiem.

The classical works, created with Robin’s son RJ, was officially released yesterday in memory of those who died on the Titanic to mark the 100th anniversary of the tragedy.

“As Robin is in hospital suffering with cancer, it was such an incredibly moving event,” said Brian, owner of the Thame High Street Shop.

“The orchestra played the Requiem, but when it came to the part where Robin would normally sing, the whole orchestra sat down and his vocals were played from the album.

“There wasn’t a dry eye in the place and when it was finished everyone stood up.

“It’s such a moving piece anyway, being in memory of those on the Titanic.

“But Robin Gibb has been living in Thame for years and years, as has his son RJ.

“They composed the piece together and it’s their first piece of work they’ve done.

“We did a book launch for Robin’s wife some years ago and Robin has been a customer for a number of years, so the family invited us along to the event.

“It was a very, very special and grand event, and we are now selling the album The Titanic Requiem ourselves at The Book House.”

AFTER seeing the complete Swedish film trilogy spawned by Stieg Larsson’s international best-sellers, I feared the material would be too familiar for the Hollywood version of THE GIRL WITH THE DRAGON TATTOO (18: Sony) to be successful.

But my visit to Cineworld to catch David Fincher’s film was certainly worth the effort as the director of stylish thrillers like Se7en, Fight Club and Zodiac managed to make it feel fresh.

And the DVD, available from April 23, has nearly four hours of well-worth-watching extras, including behind-the-scenes footage and interviews.

In the story that just won’t stop, Rooney Mara replaced Noomi Rapace as computer hacker antiheroine Lisbeth Salander and her performance earned her an Oscar nomination – one of five that the film picked up.

Daniel Craig gives a restrained turn as disgraced journalist Mikael Blomkvist, who is hired by wealthy industrialist Henrik Vanger (Christopher Plummer) to investigate the murder of his grand-niece nearly 40 years ago.

As he and Lisbeth get closer to the truth in the remote north of Sweden, they find their own lives in danger as they uncover a complex web of corruption and conspiracy.

Fincher really makes the story his own, concentrating on the themes of sex, sadism and power so common to his work. The screenplay is superb, capturing the essence of the book in a pared-down script as sparse as the beautifully shot frozen landscape.

Despite the occasionally dodgy Scandinavian accents, this is taut, gripping film-making and it certainly won’t be the last we hear of Lisbeth Salander.

> That well-worn film genre, the hostage drama, receives an unintentionally daft addition with TRESPASS (15: Lionsgate).

Nicolas Cage, directed by Joel Schumacher, plays a wheeler-dealer diamond broker, while Nicole Kidman is his wife.

Four masked criminals break into their high-tech home and demand the contents of their safe. At first it seems a straightforward robbery, but the situation forces the couple to examine the secrets they are hiding from each other, while the intruders are also driven to reflect on the events that have set them on this course of action.

Trespass is an over-the-top riot of increasing craziness, with stupid plot twists and pointless flashbacks.

The characters are so cardboard you could make cereal packets from them, yet it’s also entertaining in a silly, turn-your-brain-off sort of way.

> Manchester United legend Eric Cantona has been involved in more than 20 films since his football career ended, the pick of which is the excellent Looking For Eric, in which he played himself.

But he turns detective in the thriller SWITCH (15: Anchor Bay), which certainly doesn’t deserve to be kicked into touch.

A Montreal magazine illustrator (Karine Vanasse) heads to Paris for the summer and her idiot grin as she swans around the city is enough to tell you it’s all going to go horribly wrong.

On her first morning in an apartment that she has taken through a house-swap site, she’s overrun by cops. They discover a headless corpse, her photo in a passport in the actual owner’s name and her fingerprints all over the murder weapon.

A charitable person would describe what ensues as Hitchcockian. If not they might call it laughingly preposterous.

Cantona, as the detective, Damien Forgeat (above right), who gradually comes to believe her, offers a refreshingly ego-free performance. Either that or he finds it hard to break out of monotone.

The shlock factor rises with every passing frame, but at least it’s never boring, though whether it needs quite so many shots of Vanasse’s unclad breasts is open to debate.

> THE TWILIGHT SAGA: BREAKING DAWN - PART 1 (12: EI) is the first half of the two-part conclusion to the romantic fantasy series, with Kristen Stewart and Robert Pattinson.

Peaceful vampire Edward marries his human girlfriend Bella, who is soon pregnant. But the existence of this child has dangerous implications and a pack of werewolves is determined to prevent the birth.

> In MERCENARIES (15: Kaleidoscope), starring Billy Zane, a military coup results in the assassination of the Serbian president.

Eastern Europe is on the brink of collapse and a wanted war criminal raids the US embassy and kidnaps the ambassador and his aide.

The decision is taken to send in a team of mercenaries to carry out a top secret rescue mission.

A BIRD’S nest lodged in a school chimney caused a fire on Monday.

The nest, thought to have been built in the structure at Grendon Underwood Combined School over the Easter break, caught fire when the site manager turned the school’s heating on.

By around 8am, three fire engines were called to the scene but officers declared the chimney safe upon their arrival.

Headteacher at the school, Tim Heaton, said: “The fire was due to a bird’s nest, which must have been built during the Easter break, catching fire in the chimney when the boilers in the east block were switched on.

“The firemen declared the site safe on their arrival, so the children were sent up to the top playground from where they went into class at the normal time.

“Two fire engines remained on site to clear the remains of the nest from the chimney and wait for it to cool down and left about 9.30am.

“All the children remained calm and sensible and so lessons started properly straight after register as normal.

“We will be having bird proof covers fitted to the chimneys to prevent further occurrences.”

Mr Heaton has sent out letters to all parents of children at the school givign an explanation of the morning’s events.

Two crews from Aylesbury and one from Waddesdon attended the scene of the fire.

Firefighters used one reel at the scene, ladder and a thermal imaging camera and gave safety advice.

For fire advice visit www.bucksfire.gov.uk

MORE than 35 drivers were caught speeding in four hours by police.

Between 8am and 9.30am in Ellesborough Road, Princes Risborough, 25 drivers were prosecuted.

A total of 23 fixed penalty notices were issued for speeding and two fixed penalty notices were issued to heavy good vehicles for exceeding a weight limit restriction on the road. The fastest recorded speed was 52 mph – this was despite the driver travelling past two speed indication devices, warning the driver to slow down and obey the 30 mph limit.

Between 11.20am and midday, 11 drivers were prosecuted for speeding in Wycombe Road, also in Princes Risborough. Drivers were issued a £60 endorsable fixed penalty notice adding three penalty points on their driving licence.

The speed operation was carried out as a result of complaints from the community, schools and parish councils regarding potential safety issues, especially for pedestrians.

CCTV footage is being reviewed after Aqua Vale’s parking machines were vandalised – resulting in free parking for all while the pay and display machines are being fixed.

The damage was caused on April 2. A spokesman for Aylesbury Vale District Council said: “The pay and display machines are currently out of order while they await repair by our suppliers. We hope to have the machines up and running as soon as possible. If residents see anyone tampering with pay and display machines please do let police know.”

ARRIVING on the silver screen this week by the tried and trusted route of ‘moderately successful book gets reasonable cast and crew attached’ is Salmon Fishing In The Yemen, which some have unkindly dismissed as Local Hero with sand.

That’s unfair. Local Hero had wit, charm, Burt Lancaster and a great soundtrack. This one has got fish.

Here’s the pitch – Ewan McGregor is a buttoned-up boffin recruited by a megabucks sheikh to make his dream come true. The potty potentate wants to bring fly fishing to the dry deserts of the Middle East, and Ewan has just the right CV to head up the project.

He doesn’t really hook into the romance of the idea until he meets the sandy supremo’s smoking hot English representative (Emily Blunt), and then he starts to warm to the project, and the prospect of turning his dull life around.

Paul Torday’s novel has enough fans to ensure a steady start, and the recent success of The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel shows that there is a market for movies that are aimed at the more mature punter.

A credit for screenwriter Simon Beaufoy, whose biggest hit so far was Slumdog Millionaire but who also penned 127 Hours for Danny Boyle and first hit it big with The Full Monty, should provide reassurance, and calling the shots is Lasse Hallstrom, who has a decent back catalogue of films for grown-ups including The Cider House Rules and Chocolat.

It’s slight, but sweet, and should pick up enough good word of mouth to keep it showing for a few weeks.

> That’s enough for the sweet, let’s get on with the raw meat. In Gone, Amanda Seyfried has to race against time to track down her sister’s abductor.

As it happens, she was kidnapped herself not long ago and she fears that the same nutter has struck again.

But the police think she’s got a screw loose and she has to go it alone.

Seyfried is a welcome surprise in the lead role – looks great, of course, but also does well with a challenging role.

This marks the arrival in Hollywood of much-praised Brazilian filmmaker Heitor Dhalia, and it’s certainly a cut above your standard seat-filler thriller.

> Guy Pearce. What’s he been up to recently? Working steadily, as it happens, and dividing his time between big bucks TV projects in the States and gritty big screen thrillers without a great deal of brain.

Which brings us to Lockout, a slab of sci-fi silliness which is enough to pass an hour or two but no more.

In the future, all the deadliest criminals are slammed up in an orbiting space jail. What could go wrong?

Oh, a VIP’s daughter pops in for a visit – why, pray? – and is promptly seized by the cons and held hostage.

Former government agent Guy, convicted of a crime he didn’t do, is made an offer – set the chick free, come up with plenty of sharp one-liners along the way and kill lots of baddies while you’re at it, and we’ll sort out a pardon. What’s a guy to do?

Watch out for the telltale fingerprints of Luc Besson in the background – that means visually striking sets as well as breathless action throughout.

PUBLIC cash could be slashed from Aylesbury’s County Museum in a bid to save more than £500,000 a year.

On Monday, bosses at Bucks County Council backed plans to hand control of the Church Street museum to a new charitable trust.

Members of County Hall’s cabinet heard the move was a ‘difficult decision’, but leaders were told it should see the museum’s future secured.

The council has said the museum is ‘not sustainable’ in the long term.

Also set to be handed over to the new trust – which has yet to be formed – is the Museum Resource Centre in Halton.

Paula Buck, head of culture and learning, told cabinet members that four potential trustees had been identified, and the search was on to find more.

She said: “It’s not been an easy decision because the figures were close, but it does give us the best opportunity to dip into heritage funding.”

At the moment, the county council ploughs £520,000 a year into running the museums.

In the next three years, it plans to reduce this to £400,000 a year.

The County Museum is owned by Buckinghamshire Archaeological Society, which leases the buildings to Bucks County Council.

County Hall owns the resource centre in Halton.

Councillor Patricia Birchley described the move as a ‘difficult decision’, but said: “We’ve had great support, and there are people who are really keen to make it a success.

“It’s been quite moving how people have been willing to give of their time.”

And she continued: “Not many local authorities have a museum of the calibre that we’re fortunate enough to have in Aylesbury.”

Councillor Peter Cartwright said he was pleased that the council was not being forced to close the museum, stating: “Closing the museum would be a great shame, because our heritage means a lot.”

And Councillor Margaret Aston said: “I think this will help maintain the future of the museum, as we’ll be able to attract funding we haven’t been able to attract.”

The county council considered trust status after work commissioned by the Museum Friends to look at alternative business models, and to see what would be involved in a trust.

THE boss of HS2 is coming to Aylesbury this week to answer questions about her new forums – which campaigners this week dubbed secret meetings that should be open to the press and public.

Closed-door meetings have already taken place for Amersham, Little Missenden, Great Missenden, Wendover, Stoke Mandeville and Aylesbury to discuss ways of minimising the impact of the high speed line.

The Stop HS2 campaign group has encouraged opponents to raise issues in the forums – but called for ‘more transparency’ in the way they are being run.

On Thursday the chief executive of HS2 Ltd, Alison Munro, will speak to 130 representatives of action groups and councils at a special HS2 summit in the Oculus.

It has been organised by the 51m campaign group of 19 councils which oppose HS2 and is designed to help those involved with the forums make the most of them. Aylesbury town councillor Steve Mitchell was one of 25 people invited to the first Aylesbury forum meeting – where no chairman for the group was elected and no date was set for a second meeting.

Mr Mitchell criticised the narrow focus of the forum, saying; “The forum is only meant to be discussing the mitigation in the area’s that it (HS2) is passing through. We can’t for example talk about an intermediate station (near Calvert linking HS2 to East-West rail) which we wanted to do – that has got to be done in a different place.”

Penny Gaines, of Quainton, social media director of Stop HS2, said: “I have heard that in the forum that would cover the Steeple Claydon depot, they didn’t actually invite anyone from Steeple Claydon.”

Ms Gaines has called for the press to be invited to the forums and full minutes of meetings to be taken – to ensure that anyone with ‘relevant local knowledge’ knows about the forums and is able to contribute.

Along the proposed route there are 25 forums. A spokesman for HS2 Ltd confirmed that brief ‘notes and actions’ will be recorded at meetings and made available – and for more information visit www.hs2.org.uk

Lockout

With Titanic 3D sailing strong at the box office, showing no sign of being sunk, console yourself with this sublime piece of absolute hokum. It will win no prizes for craft or originality but as a piece of schlock entertainment it delivers.

Guy Pearce, surely the most extraordinary graduate from the Neighbours stable, may not be the most high profile escapee from Ramsey Street but he has certainly carved a career to savour with performances in the likes of LA Confidential and Mildred Pierce.

This role marks a departure for him, into beefed up, scenery chewing action movie territory, and while I hope it’s not permanent it’s great to see him having fun with it.

He’s in capable hands, as Luc Besson and the producers of Taken have conjured up a slice of sci-fi silliness from the top drawer.

Maggie Grace (Lost) is the girl in need of rescuing again, just like she was in Taken.

This time though, she is the president’s daughter, and she is kidnapped in space, on a space prison to be precise, and Guy, a disgraced traitor, is given a chance for redemption if he can save her.

Cue wisecracks, relentless action, dizzying camerawork and Guy Pearce looking stacked and shooting the breeze. A riot.

Gone

The guilty joy of Lockout is in knowing that the filmmakers understand it’s cheesy and revel in it.

The yang to that ying is this piece of awfulness which takes itself ridiculously seriously, with no real value to justify it.

Amanda Seyfried (Mamma Mia!) is a young woman who believes the disappearance of her sister is down to a serial killer who has returned to plague her family after two years.

Trouble is, no-one in the film believes her and because it’s all so bad and clichéd and pointless, no-one in the audience cares.

Marley

The rise of the cinematic documentary was escalated sharply last year with a clutch of great works, most notably the British masterpiece Senna.

Kevin MacDonald is a filmmaker who made his name with documentaries that changed the landscape of documentary including One Day In September and the mighty Touching The Void.

His new film deals with legendary musician Bob Marley and it never scales the heights of his greatest works because it never gets far beyond the basics.

It’s cool, featuring some great interviews and some amazing footage, but it all feels safe and it never gets very deep into its fascinating subject matter, which is a real shame.

Even so, it’s a good film, and seeing a remarkable talent such as Marley rendered so lovingly is never a negative experience.

A SENIOR politician was told he could be sued ‘for millions of pounds’ if he took part in discussions over a controversial incinerator in Calvert, it has emerged.

On Tuesday, Councillor John Cartwright dramatically pulled out of a Bucks County Council planning meeting to decide the fate of the £200million plant. Following the meeting, which is set to conclude on Friday, Mr Cartwright vented his fury, saying he had been put under unfair pressure.

And a fellow councillor branded it ‘disgraceful’ that Mr Cartwright had been ‘hounded out’ by energy firm WRG, which is behind the plans.

The application had not been set to be decided until the autumn, after politicians put the bid on hold in February.

But after WRG threatened legal action, it was decided to bring the talks forward to two day-long meetings, on Tuesday and Friday this week. WRG claimed Mr Cartwright had breached the code of practice by sitting on the development control committee discussing the bid, having voiced opposition 12 months ago.

Mr Cartwright, who is leader of Aylesbury Vale District Council, told the Herald: “What’s the price for democracy? I was told that if I carried on, I would run a definite risk that I could be taken to court, and I could be fined many millions of pounds. I don’t think it’s at all fair to put a councillor under that kind of pressure. I have a family, why should I have to lay that on the line just to carry out the duties I was elected to do?”

Ward councillor Michael Edmonds, Conservative, who spoke against the application, said: “I’m so cross that my friend and colleague John Cartwright has been hounded out of this committee,

“I think that’s disgraceful. He’s one of the most experienced politicians in Bucks, and WRG are questioning his integrity. I think it’s shameful.”

And he continued: “It would appear that the authority has been put under pressure from the applicant and has caved in.”

As the meeting began, Councillor Mary Baldwin voiced her concerns over whether it should be taking place. She said: “I believe due process has been hijacked. I have no proof, but I believe this is the case. I’m very uncomfortable with what’s gone on.”

A CYCLIST who died after a crash with a car in Terrick has been hailed as a ‘real character’ by his employer.

Mark Alan Camber, 48, died at the scene following the collision on Nash Lee Road at around midnight on Monday.

Mr Camber, a former Mandeville School pupil, had worked at King’s Farm Shop in Terrick as a butcher since 1985 under Garry King.

Mr King described Mr Camber as ‘quiet’ and a ‘good worker’.

“He was a very conscientious employee,” said Mr King.

“Mark always kept himself to himself, and had worked here so long he became part of King’s Farm.

“It will never be quite the same here without him. Everyone knew him – all the customers and staff.

“He was also a real character as, while he was quiet, he had a very dry sense of humour.

“When he did talk, some of the things he’d come out with were hilarious.”

Two men were arrested on suspicion of dangerous driving and another on suspicion of obstructing police.

They have all been bailed until May 24.

You can leave tributes to Mr Camber below.

AN Aylesbury shop has been fined for breaching food hygiene regulations.

Gabriella Mirczak, owner of Fuks Polish Food in Cambridge Street, was given a £700 fine and ordered to pay £1,838 costs by Aylesbury Magistrates Court.

It followed inspections by Aylesbury Vale District Council, which revealed hygiene standards were ‘unacceptable’.

Back in November 2010, environmental health officers found a lack of food safety training, unsatisfactory food safety procedures and inadequate facilities to clean and disinfect food equipment.

In June last year, it was found that the store was still not meeting legal requirements.

Councillor Sir Beville Stanier, cabinet member for environment and health, said the authority was ‘obliged’ to step in.

He said: “We will always look to support our local food businesses and help them to understand their obligation to protect the safety of the foods they sell.

“However, where poor hygiene practices and substandard conditions are found, we are obliged to take enforcement action to safeguard public health.”