A WOMAN from Aylesbury has won a top competition to design a video game for the iPhone.

Catherine Forsyth’s team won the first ever UK competition to set up, make and design their own computer games, held at the Gadget Show Live at Birmingham’s NEC.

The 35 year old is a jeweller by trade but joined a video games training course a year ago after deciding to take a career change.

“I started my jewellery company at the beginning of the recession which was a really silly thing to do in a luxury industry and things didn’t go the way I wanted them to,” she said.

“I woke up and decided I didn’t want to do my work bench and that it was the perfect time to change career and do something which I like doing in my spare time.”

Her team took five months to produce The Warlock of Firetop Mountain: Lost Chapters, based on the Fighting Fantasy game-books.

She designed the 2D elements in the game, such as the health bars, buttons and scrolls, but once she has finished her Train2Game course she will also have 3D animation skills.

She said women were becoming increasingly common in the industry.

“As more women come into playing games you need more women to come up with games that women want to play.”

Catherine said she enjoys strategy games such as Sim City and Civilisation – but she admits she doesn’t yet analyse the way they were put together.

“I should start analysing them better. But games to me are are a way of getting away from general life so I try not to analyse them too much.”

As well as winning a holiday to AquaCity resort in Poprad, Slovakia, Catherine said the real prize was the boost to her CV.

“I could not imagine six months ago that I would be where I am now. I thought I would finish my course and try to get a placement or something like that. It is a massive boost, I have had so much coverage and promotion and met so many industry professionals.”

The Warlock of Firetop Mountain: Lost Chapters will soon be available to download on the App store. A portion of sales proceeds go to the Prince’s Trust.

POLITICAL biopic THE IRON LADY (12: Twentieth Century Fox) treads a road not covered by BBC4’s The Long Walk To Finchley.

The TV drama examined ten years in the young life of future Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher.

But Mamma Mia! director Phyllida Lloyd bravely decided to tackle the whole shebang, portraying Thatcher’s life and career in flashback from the perspective of her later years as she struggles with Alzheimer’s disease.

Meryl Streep, in an Oscar-winning performance, plays her at various stages of adult life and is supported by the reliable Jim Broadbent as the ghost of her late husband Denis.

The film follows her childhood years in the family’s grocer’s shop through to her graduation from Oxford, her early working life and her decision to enter politics.

This could have been a fascinating piece about love in old age, but instead, while dutifully ticking off the Falklands War, the miners, the Brighton bombing and the poll tax, it fails to find any wider motivation.

It lacks the focus of a comparable biopic such as The Queen, although there’s fun to be had playing spot the MPs, including Michael Heseltine (Richard E. Grant) and Geoffrey Howe (Anthony Head), who turned against her before her downfall in 1990.

> Tired-looking spy action franchise Mission: Impossible is rejuvenated for its fourth outing.

Tom Cruise reprises his role as Impossible Mission Force agent Ethan Hunt in MISSION: IMPOSSIBLE - GHOST PROTOCOL (12: Paramount).

Hunt and his crack team are blamed for a botched mission when the Kremlin is bombed by terrorists and the entire IMF is disbanded.

Cut off from all support, they must go rogue to stop an extremist scientist causing a nuclear armageddon.

The story may sound familiar, but the gadgets are more outlandish than ever, the action sequences are amazing (Cruise dangling off the Burj Khalifa tower in Dubai, wearing suction gloves) and the special effects are high-end.

Jeremy Renner is a capable new addition to the IMF and Simon Pegg is promoted to full comedy role in an inventive and tension-laden caper.

> Thriller FURY (18: Revolver) stars Samuel L. Jackson as an ex-convict whose attempts to begin a new life are threatened by his increasing involvement in planning a dangerous heist.

Con artist Foley (Jackson) leaves prison after serving a 20-year sentence determined to go straight, but his relationship with a young woman, Iris, leads him into the company of Ethan, who is intent on stealing a fortune from feared drug kingpin Xavier (Tom Wilkinson).

Ethan is Foley’s dead partner’s son and he threatens to reveal a terrible secret to Iris if he doesn’t take part in one last scam.

The performances are fine and the film is perfectly watchable, yet it’s just so generic that it hardly distinguishes itself from your average straight-to-DVD offering.

> Jackson also turns up, although he’s somewhat more restrained, in MOTHER AND CHILD (15: Verve), a dyed-in-the-wool weepie following the interconnected lives of three women with baby trouble.

Annette Bening is Karen, a 50-year-old healthcare professional still haunted by her decision as a teenage mum to give up her newborn daughter for adoption.

Naomi Watts plays Elizabeth, that daughter, now a high-flying lawyer, while Kerry Washington is Lucy, a childless young wife looking to adopt.

Their stories converge when the death of Karen’s mum prompts her to delve into her past.

Jackson provides sterling support as Elizabeth’s boss and there are tears aplenty before the three plot strands are brought – rather too neatly – together.

But at more than two hours, it’s rather drawn out.

> And here’s Naomi Watts again...this time in DREAM HOUSE (15: Warner), a B-grade movie with A-grade acting talent.

Daniel Craig and Rachel Weisz are also in this daft, haunted-house tale in which they are cast as a married couple, Will and Libby, who relocate with their two daughters from the big city to a dream home in a small town.

Spooky stuff starts happening and Will discovers via neighbour Ann (Watts) that their new abode once played host to a father killing his entire family.

A decent twist to the yarn comes far too early and when you show your hand so soon, what follows has to be pretty special. Here, it simply isn’t.

It’s silly and nonsensical, although a cast of this calibre fighting a losing battle with the material on offer has a certain car-crash watchability about it.

THE winner of this year’s Thame’s Got Talent celebrated her success in style.

Georgina Bishop, 11, of Moreton, was treated to a VIP cookie and milkshake event at the Time Out Café in Thame.

Georgina was the under 11s winner of the 2011 competition after thrilling the celebrity panel of judges with her winning ballads of ‘Maybe’ from Annie and ‘Castle on a Cloud’ from Les Miserables.

Her mum Sue said: “Georgina’s passion is definitely singing and acting, which we witness all day long.

“Winning this special category at last year’s Thame’s Got Talent event has given Georgina even more confidence to follow her dream.”

More than £5,000 has been raised from Thame’s Got Talent since it started in aid of the Florence Nightingale Hospice.

Visit www.fnhospice.org.uk

A HORSE had to be coaxed out of a canal by a team of firefighters and the RSCPA at the weekend.

Six firefighters were called out the Grand Union Canal near Broughton Lane in Aylesbury at around 7.45am on Sunday after the adult chestnut mare had walked down to the canal to try to drink its water.

A spokesman from Bucks Fire and Rescue said: “Because the water level was quite low, the horse had to go right down to the water, but the bank was then too steep for it to get back up.

“We had to hatch a cunning plan with an officer from the RSPCA to get the horse out of the canal, without anyone actually having to get in the water.

“So the RSPCA attached a collar to the horse, and firefighters had to coax the animal along the canal to a part where it was able to climb out.

“Firefighters then removed a section of fencing to allow the horse back into its field and about 12 other horses who were in the paddock, one of which was its offspring, were very pleased to see it return and there was even a group nuzzling session.”

THE Government has been urged to intervene in a battle to build a £200 million incinerator, which was last week given planning permission by County Hall.

Yesterday (Tuesday), Buckingham MP John Bercow revealed he had called on local government minister Eric Pickles to step in.

Mr Bercow, who has been outspoken in his opposition to the Calvert project, described the decision as ‘very bad news’ for the Vale.

On Friday, planning committee members voted by a majority of seven to two to approve the controversial plant.

Construction of the incinerator, which will create 22MW of energy each year, is due to begin later this year, and take three years to complete.

The MP said: “This is very bad news for Aylesbury Vale as a whole and for those in and around the site in particular.

“I remain of the view that a decision of this importance should be called in by the Secretary of State for his consideration and I have written to Eric Pickles in the strongest terms to request that he does just that.”

If the decision is called in, Mr Pickles will have the final say on whether the project goes ahead.

Following Friday’s meeting, the chairman of Bucks County Council’s development control committee said politicians ‘had no choice’ but to approve the scheme.

Energy firm WRG had applied to build the plant in Lower Greatmoor Farm.

It says 40 permanent jobs would be created on the site.

Two day-long meetings last week were marked by controversy, after committee member John Cartwright was forced to pull out following legal advice. He later told councillors the 95m chimney would be a ‘tower of terror’ that would blight the landscape.

> For more, see page 5.

POLICE have cordoned off an area near Bedgrove Park on Wednesday morning after the body of a man was found by a member of the public at The Spinney.

Police are at the scene, off Ambleside, where a man, believed to be in his 20s was found by a footpath at around 6am.

Police have described the incident as an ‘unexplained death’ but say it is ‘not believed to be suspicious’.

The dead man’s next of kin have been informed.

A nearby resident, who did not want to be named, said the neighbourhood had been shaken by the news: “Everyone was saying there had been a murder and there are loads of police.

“It’s all quite scary.”

A MAYOR has called on the county council to rethink its strategy for the Olympic torch relay route due to concerns over public safety.

The procedure put forward for Winslow so far is the enforcement of a ‘rolling road block’, which will see traffic allowed to travel on the opposite side of the road while the torch is carried through the town.

Meanwhile traffic on the same side of the road as the runners carrying the torch will travel behind them.

Mayor of Winslow, Llew Monger, has, however, expressed fears over the arrangements taking place on July 9, stating the event will see more than 1,000 schoolchildren in the town.

He said: “I can see there may be a problem in places like Whitchurch and Winslow when the torch passes through, as we will have a very high concentration of people from the surrounding rural areas.

“What’s more important – public safety or people being a few minutes late on their journeys because they’ve had to take a diversion?

“The headteacher of Winslow Combined has invited all the local school to come and watch the relay with us, and Winslow’s school alone will have 400 people including staff attending.

“The arrangements at the moment will allow northbound traffic to continue through the town – on the opposite side of the road to the torch.

“That means that people standing on the wrong side of the road will have their views obstructed, so will move onto the other side, causing even more congestion.

“Meanwhile, drivers travelling behind the torch bearer will be getting agitated at being held up.

“Some thousands of people should be there on the day – we need a diversion put in place and a road block for an hour to give us a chance to get the children away from the side of the road.”

Aylesbury town council leader, Steven Patrick, said he did not have any major concerns, however, as its officers who have attended appear to be happy with the arrangements. He said: “A lot of people will be involved. But the torch is being brought through Market Square and will continue down the Wendover Road and onto Stoke Mandeville, so with the route being so long, there will not be such a high concentration of people.

“I will, however, be double checking with our officers who have attended all the meetings about the route.”

Rosemary Bryant, of Transport for Buckinghamshire, which is responsible for the road arrangements for the relay, said: “A traffic management plan has to be put in place for the event.

“A road closure is unlikely, however, although no decisions have yet been made.

“Any proposals also have to be approved by all blue light services.”

THE town is set to come to a standstill when Her Royal Highness the Duchess of Cornwall arrives.

THE town is set to come to a standstill when Her Royal Highness the Duchess of Cornwall arrives.

Camilla Parker Bowles will be visiting Thame along with the the RAF Halton Inaugural Freedom Parade on Wednesday, May 2.

On the seventh anniversary of her marriage to The Prince of Wales, the duchess was appointed by the Queen to be a Dame Grand Cross of the Royal Victorian Order for personal services.

For the full story, see this week’s copy of the Thame Gazette.

Marvel Avengers Assemble 3D

The thing that worries, scares and disappoints me the most about this film, apart from that horrid, awful, terrible title (just look at it!) is how visually inspired by Transformers and Michael Bay in general it is.

Joss Whedon is usually such a unique voice in culture, as his recent involvement in The Cabin In The Woods attests, so it’s a shame that visually and aurally this is so derivative.

It’s massive and loud and, sadly, lacking a lot of the fun you’d expect. It’s not a bad film throughout. The banter flows and the chemistry between Mark Ruffalo’s Hulk and Robert Downey Jr’s Iron Man is superb.

The story involves Loki, the villain from the Thor franchise, wreaking havoc on Earth and Nick Fury (Samuel L. Jackson) is tasked with putting together a team of franchise icons to save the day.

In the gang are the superbly realised Iron Man, Hulk and Captain America (Chris Evans), the badly realised Thor (Chris Hemsworth) and the utterly pointless Black Widow (Scarlett Johansson) and Hawkeye (Jeremy Renner), who may work on the comic page but translate really badly and just look out of place in the whole thing, Black Widow in particular.

Some of the action is sublime, some obvious, and the same goes for every aspect of the film. It’s too big, in scale and ambition, to work. Like Spiderman 3 and Iron Man 2, there are too many big characters, none of whom are given enough time to come alive. The result is a fleetingly interesting blockbuster that could and should have been so much more, especially with the talent involved.

Being Elmo

Nothing is going up against Avengers locally. It’s a behemoth for sure, so it gives me a chance to mention a couple of titles playing further afield that are worth venturing out to see.

First up is this beautiful documentary about Kevin Clash, the man who makes Sesame Street’s Elmo one of the most beloved characters in the world.

This is a fantastic look behind the puppetry craft, a celebration of a vanishing, tactile art form that is full of warmth and joy. A perfect antidote to the rampant vacuous celluloid trash that abounds.

Damsels In Distress

All hail the return of Whit Stillman. The brilliant writer/director famed for his magical dialogue and caustic dissections of upper middle class America has been gone a while after The Last Days Of Disco was panned, unfairly.

His return shines a bright, intelligent light across current releases. Starring Greta Gerwig (Greenberg), it tells the story of a trio of girls at college who charge themselves with feminising their college environs by setting up a support group for female students, but their young hormones and insecurities threaten to derail their valiant motives.

Brilliantly written and performed and assuredly delivered, it’s a real joy to see Stillman’s work back where it belongs.

“UP until the last year, I’d sworn I’d go to the grave with this secret, because I didn’t want my parents to find out.”

Sitting in an Aylesbury meeting room, a man abused by cricket club sex predator Leslie Smith cut a forlorn figure as he looked over the pages of witness statements he prepared for police.

Just 16 when Smith first preyed on him in an overnight train to Scotland, the former junior player would be haunted by his experiences for more than two decades, culminating in a breakdown in 2009.

It was a near suicide which prompted him to come forward to the police, forcing him to relive the painful memories he had desperately hoped to forget.

Now aged 43, he recalled: “It got to the point where I thought I was either going to end up killing myself and trying to seek justice from beyond the grave by leaving letters to the police, or I’d have to do it face to face.

“I’m comfortable saying it was life or death, and luckily for me life won.”

The victim, who cannot be identified for legal reasons, was recruited by Smith to join Wendover Cricket Club at the age of 12 after he was spotted playing for his school.

From the age of 13, he was groomed by his coach, regularly being plied with alcohol and shown hardcore pornography at Smith’s home.

He said: “Winter nets and summer matches were just a blur of cider and porn from 1982 to 1985.

“I don’t remember much else of my childhood from that time.”

In 1985, with his parents believing he was on a group trip, the teenager, then 16, was assaulted by Smith on an overnight train to Scotland.

He said: “I think from that moment on I was just so ashamed and felt so dirty.

“That first night as he left my compartment he said: ‘If you tell anyone about this, I’ll kill myself’.

“That’s a lot to hang on a young kid.

“I didn’t feel like I had anyone to turn to. Being abused drives you even further into isolation, and I had a very unhappy two years after that.”

On the surface, Smith was a charming raconteur, regularly seen holding court at the cricket club and in the pubs around Wendover.

His victim said few would ever suspect the depravity bubbling beneath the surface – and for years he feared he would not be believed if he spoke up.

“These people are masters of deception,” he stated.

“He even befriended my parents. They were devastated when I told them last year.

“He has deceived everybody, even to this day there are people that couldn’t possibly believe this of their cricketing mentor.

“But they don’t have to take it from me, he himself pleaded guilty.”

Plagued by years of depression caused by Smith’s ‘warped and twisted’ behaviour, the former junior player said he still feels deep anger towards his tormentor, stating: “To be honest, I’m quite a mild mannered man, I’m not easily angered, but I hope he rots in hell.”

He stated: “I have to live with it every day.

“He perverted my childhood and exposed me to hardcore porn at a very early age.

“I lost my innocence and was deprived of a normal healthy childhood. I’ve been in and out of counselling and therapy for more years than I care to remember.”

The victim said he was pleased with the reaction he got from police, and said he was ‘over the moon’ when the Crown Prosecution Service said it had enough evidence to charge Smith.

“This shows that people should not suffer in silence,” the victim stated.

He was not in court to see Smith sentenced to 18 months behind bars, but was pleased to receive the telephone call from police.

“I’m delighted he’s got a custodial sentence.

“He’s caused me nearly 30 years of hurt and pain and suffering.

“It got to the point where I didn’t care if I lived or died. I was having suicidal thoughts and vivid dreams of ending my life.

“I nearly drowned myself while I was on holiday in Spain, I just didn’t care whether I carried on living or not.”

He said he had thought long and hard about coming forward, but felt it was something he had to do.

“You don’t choose the time that you come forward, it chooses you,” Smith’s victim stated.

“The shame is the thing that kills you, and stops you doing anything about it.

“Not only do you have to admit it to yourself, but you have to start admitting it to other people.

“But the help’s out there, the police were brilliant, and I’ve had some great support from counselling services.

“I’ve got a lot of stored up psychological problems and demons which I need to exorcise, and I’ve only just started that.

“But I think getting a sense of justice has definitely helped.”

And he continued: “I know I’ve still got a long way to go in recovery.

“But there is no need to be ashamed, there is no need to live in fear. Not any more.

“I am a victim no longer. I am a survivor.

“My message to anyone out there who has experienced any sort of abuse is please don’t suffer in silence. You can get expert help.”

Det Sgt Joe Banfield, of the Child Abuse Investigation Unit based in Aylesbury, said: “Thames Valley Police will always carry out a full and thorough investigation when allegations such as this are made, even when the offences were committed some time ago.

“The victim showed great bravery in coming forward and disclosing the abuse he suffered.

“The fact Leslie Smith has admitted two counts of indecent assault at least means the victim will not have to relive his ordeal in court.”

A HEADTEACHER has helped lift his sixth school out of special measures and promised parents and pupils he is there to stay.

The Misbourne School in Great Missenden was given a rating of ‘inadequate’ in several areas by Ofsted in November 2010, but performed well in every category when visited by inspectors last month.

When Robert Preston joined the school in June 2011 it had barely improved since entering special measures, a title given to poorly performing schools.

Since then standards have improved dramatically and Mr Preston says that is down to the hard work of everyone at the school.

But after revitalising five other schools he says he has no plans to move on again.

“I am here for the long haul,” he said.

“I am excited by what we have achieved and what we are going to achieve.

“The future looks bright and I want to make this the school of first choice.

“We don’t just want to be good in every area, but outstanding.”

A WOMAN is in hospital after a horse box became disconnected from the vehicle towing it, and fell on her while she was out walking in Chinnor.

Police were called at 3.06pm yesterday (Sunday) by the ambulance service reporting a collision outside Hempton Field Care Home on Lower Ickneild Way, Chinnor.

A horse box had disconnected from the silver Ford Ranger that was towing it and fallen on a woman in her 60s, who was trapped.

The woman was freed by the fire service and taken to the John Radcliffe Hospital for treatment for various injuries, including a fractured arm and broken ribs. She is today reported as being in a stable condition.

The road was closed until around 6pm to allow investigators to examine the scene. Anyone with any information should contact PC Gary Froud via the 24-hour Police Enquiry Centre on 101.

A NUMBER of Thame Runners represented the town in last Sunday’s London Marathon.

First home was outgoing chairman Andy Byerley, narrowly missing out on dipping under the three hour mark, finishing in 3hrs 4mins.

Nick and his sister Bev Mauger were next in for Thame with times of 3.25 and 3.36 respectively.

Roger Simmonds was 66th overall in the 60+ age group and a credible 3.45. Sharon Houchin completed the Thame list with her 4.39.

Local runners training for the CPM Thame 10km on June 24 are invited to join Thame Runners for a trial night on Mondays or Wednesday (at 7pm) from the Thame Leisure Centre.

THE only child in the Thames Valley with a rare, life threatening lung disease is living life to the full despite being connected to oxygen tubes 24 hours a day.

No one knows how long battling 14 month old Oscar Stone will have to continue the treatment, but it will certainly be for years to come.

But because his condition is not considered life-limiting he is still able to do anything any other toddler can, although he does get a “puffed out” quickly according to his Mum, Kelly, who says he “melts the hearts of everyone he meets”.

After failing to grow as quickly as expected, eating less and tiring quickly, the Aston Clinton toddler began to shows signs of breathing difficulties.

Doctors suspected Oscar might be suffering from bronchiolitis, but following weeks of IV antibiotics, tube feeding and oxygen therapy he was transferred from Stoke Mandeville Hospital to the John Radcliffe in Oxford.

After a lung biopsy was sent to the Great Ormond Street Hospital, he was diagnosed with NeuroEnocrine-cell Hyperplasia of Infancy (NEHI), which causes respiratory distress.

Initial tube feeding helped Oscar with weight gain as he was not strong enough to feed, and despite no longer needing it Kelly has to work hard to keep weight on him, planning high calorie meals and sometimes putting double cream in his feed.

Now Oscar is oxygen dependent, meaning he even has to sleep with the tubes, something which causes concern for Kelly and husband Dan because of the risk of strangling, and it is unclear when his condition might improve.

“He will start by having short breaks off of oxygen and go from there but only when he is ready,” said Kelly.

“At some point it is expected that he will only need oxygen whilst asleep and when poorly.

“He is likely to need it whilst at pre-school and possibly at school too, although we hope by the time he is at school that he will only need it whilst asleep.”

The couple, who also have a six-year-old daughter, Amber, have to be constantly on the lookout because of the risk of infection to Oscar, and he regularly gets ill and has to return to hospital.

“What would be a simple cold for me or you means a trip to the hospital for him,” said Kelly.

Nevertheless, Oscar is as happy as any other child in the Vale.

“He is very determined and really doesn’t let anything stop him,” said Kelly. “We love him so much. He is a pleasure to have.”

Many doctors are unable to identify NEHI as it is so rare, increasing the risk of misdiagnosis, and Kelly even had to tell Oscar’s paediatric doctor about it.

But she praised the work of the children’s team from Stoke Mandeville’s Florence Nightingale Hospice and the Children’s Interstitial and Diffuse Lung Disease (chILD) Lung Foundation, which provides support to families affected by a range of conditions and helps raise awareness.

It has also arranged a three-day retreat for affected families from around the country so they can share experiences and make new friends, which Kelly is looking forward to.

“It can be quite isolating as there is not usually someone to talk about it,” she said. “And it will be nice for Oscar to see other children on oxygen and for his sister to meet other children with conditions.”

The oxygen therapy is used to reverse the effects of NEHI, but there is currently no cure or treatment to aid recovery, only medicines which can help with the effects.

The disease inhibits the lungs’ ability to undergo gas exchange, often causing oxygen deprivation in the blood. The body tries to compensate by using accessory muscles to breath and by breathing faster, causing respiratory distress.

Most children will show signs of the condition when they get their first bug.

You can watch a video of Oscar’s story at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f5HfAF71IKk.

DROUGHT measures may be in place across Buckinghamshire and much of the country, but that will not stop the annual Aylesbury in Bloom competition going ahead, although organisers are expecting fewer entries than usual because of the hosepipe ban.

The free competition is open to all residents, organisations and schools in the Parish of Aylesbury, with various categories to suit all styles of gardening by the young and old.

But the drought measures may mean some keen gardeners struggle to keep their patches looking lively.

Despite this, Aylesbury Town Council says it has no plans to cancel the event and hopes people can use some extra initiative to overcome the ban.

Alan Norchi of Aylesbury Town Council said: “People know there is a housepipe ban in place so just need to use a bit of common sense and plant their gardens accordingly.

“We have advertised Aylesbury in Bloom and are awaiting applicants.

“We think there might be fewer entries than usual because of the difficulties some people will face.”

Mr Norchi advised the use of water butts as one way people could help their garden look lush.

The deadline for entries is at the end of May, with judging taking place in June.

Anyone wishing to enter can either visit the Aylesbury Town Council website and download an application form or call 01296425678.

Britain in Bloom is also set to go ahead after special dispensation was given by Thames Water for hanging baskets and roundabout decorations to be watered.

BUCKS Herald reorter Andrew Kay spoke to HS2 Ltd’s chief executive Alison Munro. These are the answers he was given.

BH: Some critics do not believe that 18,000 people an hour will travel from London to Birmingham. Would you consider having more stops to potentially increase passenger numbers?

AM: The government consulted last year on the key elements of the proposals for HS2 and that set out the Government’s conclusion that there should not be an intermediate station. We did have some responses back through the consultation asking the Government to reconsider that. We did reconsider and came to the same conclusions. We are not expecting to reopen that question now.

BH: If minds have already been made up, it sounds as though the critics who claim these forums are merely ‘box ticking exercises’ are correct.

AM: In terms of the route we did listen to what people said and we have significantly improved the route compared to the consultation route. So for example in the Chilterns we have extended the tunnel, we put in extra green tunnel. So we have done quite a lot already to improve the route. That is evidence that we have actually listened. Going forward what we are now talking about is how we can further refine that route and improve it, looking in more detail that we were able to before.

BH: But there is not much money to fund the mitigation. It sounds like you are saying ‘we will listen and do what we can as long as it doesn’t cost us too much’?

AM: Quite a lot of this will be part of the core design of the railway. Although we have mentioned a pot of £250 million, that’s for things that aren’t really part of the basic design, for example if we had to replace some community facilities. A lot of this can be accommodated through the design as we go forward. For example where we have got the line in cutting we can use the spoil that comes out of those cuttings to landscape other bits of the route.

BH: Is money being wasted by those campaigning against the plans and bringing judicial reviews?

AM: Obviously that is up to them to decide. The Government has made clear that it thinks this should happen. The Government has also indicated that it believes the way it approached its decision was absolutely robust and it will strongly defend any challenges. I think the really important thing is that whether they oppose it or not, we hope they will engage with us.

BH: Isn’t that just a way to help you move the project forward?

AM: They can do both. They can oppose it whilst still engaging with us on if it’s going to happen what is it going to be like – on a without prejudice basis so they get the best possible solution for the local area.

IF you have ever fancied being a Lord of the Manor but thought it was something only available by birthright then your dreams might be about to come true as a Buckinghamshire Lordship goes up for sale.

Offers of around £5,500 are being taken for the Lordship of the Manor of Burbage in Wingrave after it was willed to the Royal College of Surgeons of England by Dame Kathleen Raven.

It is one of a number of Lordships currently on sale from Manorial Auctioneers.

Along with the prestige that comes with being known as Lord or Lady of the Manor, the buyer will be able to use the title on their passport, chequebook and credit cards, as well as being eligible for membership of the Manorial Society of Great Britain.

But buyers beware, for given the current financial state of the country they could well have anyone from political parties to the Chancellor of the Exchequer knocking on their door asking for cash.

“They might get approached by a party to give them some money because if they are known to have the money for a Lordship they might think they’ve got a bit of spare cash,” said Robert Smith of Manorial Auctioneers.

“They might get the Chancellor paying a visit and if not him then one of his stooges.”

The Lordship is being sold privately, so individuals can decide whether or not to go public about their title.

“No-one will have to know about it if you don’t want them to,” said M r Smith. “If you let it be known you have it you might find people wanting you to wield some influence locally, even with things like getting a new road crossing put in.”

There is no land attached to the title, but Mr Smith said people with money to spare might be attracted to the status.

“People are very traditional in this country, especially in more rural areas,” he said. “It is a nice little thing for them to do if they have got everything else.”

A THAME shop which has been in the town for more than 30 years is closing down as a result of the ‘depressed times’.

DIY shop Thame Timber, in Wellington Street, has been forced to close as a result of a lack of trade, according to shop owner Steve Good.

“We’ve been struggling over the last year,” said the 62-year-old father-of-two.

“It’s just a result of a lack of trade, you only have to look at the news to know what’s it’s like out there.

“The overheads are either staying the same or going up, while the footfall just keeps going down.

“It may possibly be a little bit of a problem with Thame, but I think it’s the same wherever you go.

“We’ve been here in Thame for about 30 years – and it’s certainly not been easy having to stand by and watch it all go downhill.

“I’m not sure what direction I will take just yet, I’m just trying to sort out what I’m going to do with the building and all the stock at the moment.

“I may retire, but I’m not really sure at the moment.”

A FLAG was flown at half mast and a minute’s silence observed at Aylesbury Rugby Club for Allan Claude Wallace in recognition of his association with the club which lasted more than half a century.

Mr Wallace passed away from natural causes in April and tributes were paid to him during the club’s match with Tadley.

Paying tribute the current chairman of Aylesbury Rugby Club, Dean Gray, said: “He was one of the longest serving first team captains for six or seven years in the 50s. He was a life member of the club and remained involved with the club for more than 40 years.

“He was a club stalwart, one of the club legends. He was a really nice person and his name carries on. Since I arrived, his name was often mentioned as a great supporter of the club.”

Mr Wallace’s family moved to Aylesbury from London during the Second World War. They were attracted to Aylesbury because it was a small market town where ‘everybody knew one another’. Mr Wallace was grammar school educated and later studied at Wycombe Tech’.

As a keen sportsman and a staunch army cadet, he developed confidence and leadership skills, which stood him in good stead when he joined the Army – moving to bases around the UK and Europe.

Once demobbed, Mr Wallace studied at the London College of Printing before joining his family print business, Frederick Samuels – based in Silver Street and then later Gatehouse Way.

Big changes within the industry meant the company closed in the late 70s and he became MD of Chandler’s Printers in Bexhill in East Sussex.

Over the next 12 years he enjoyed Sussex during the working week, but hurried back to Aylesbury at weekends.

He remained a constant member of the Workers’ Education Association classes to further his love of literature and philosophy – while supporting his ‘constants’ of rugby and squash.

Mr Wallace remains the most captained of players in Aylesbury rugby history – he started playing in the 50s in Baggotts Field. Later the club moved to its current location in Weston Turville where success continued and sons followed fathers on the field and bonds were struck for life. These bonds led to the formation of the NEWTS (New Era Weston Turville Sportsmen) and the society flourished with Mr Wallace as chairman.

Warm and outgoing, when the Florence Nightingale Hospice was being planned and built he helped raise money by attending and chairing meetings and thanking supporters.

Mr Wallace has a daughter and two grandchildren.

A FIRM slammed for its failure to provide adequate home care has now turned things round, says a health watchdog.

Plan Care, contracted by Bucks County Council, was under fire last November when complaints were made from Herald readers about medication, staffing, timings, capability and the firm’s attitude.

The Care Quality Commission (CQC) described the firm’s service as ‘totally unacceptable’ in January.

But six months down the line, the commission has issued a new report, stating the firm has made significant improvements.

There still remain problems, which the watchdog says it has ‘minor concerns’ about, such as the care and welfare of patients, and there remain ‘moderate concerns’ over the firm’s management of medicines.

It still believes people’s health is being affected as a direct result of this.

Head of care at the firm, Julian Hutchings, said: “Plan Care recognises that significant improvements needed to be made to our service.

“We have worked very hard to implement improvements and believe we now have a service which is fit for purpose and compliant with the requirements of the Health and Social Care Act.

“We note the report identifies improvements must continue to be made and identifies some issues around medication.

“We have addressed the issues and believe had CQC visited a couple of weeks later than they did, they would not have identified areas for improvement.

“We would like to invite anyone interested in working in care or who had to leave us, to contact us as we are continuing to recruit staff.”

Patricia Birchley, for health and social care at Bucks County Council, said: “We have seen a huge improvement in Plan Care, although we will continue to monitor it closely.

“I would like to thank the Herald for the interest it has taken in this matter.”