Past Months

March 2008:

A Deadly Date for your Diary!

On Friday 18th April at 7:30 p.m. 'OARS' will present a Murder Mystery Evening at the Buckden Millennium Community Centre. Admission is £15 and includes a complimentary glass of wine and a cheese and pickle supper. There will also be a bar. Tickets from Top Banana or Mary-Anne (812220).

All proceeds from the evening will go towards the St Mary's Church Living Stones Appeal.

Over 60 and looking for somewhere to live?

Buckden is fortunate to have two sets of Almshouses in the village, namely South's Almshouses and the Burberry Homes. If you are interested in living in one of these apartments (or know someone who might be), please click here for further information. (Additional details can be found on the Buckden Parochial Charities' web page.)

Free Advertising on the Buckden Village Website:

Whether you are a local business, society or individual, there is no charge to advertise with the Buckden Village Free Ads Service. This is a complimentary facility that is available for all in the community to use!

An advert on the Free Ads database consists of a text entry of up to 200 characters plus a contact name and telephone number. (If you are a business you can also have a separate link to your own website or webpage for a modest monthly charge.)

Click the 'Free Adverts' button for more information.

February 2008:

St Mary's Fundraisers Grand Auction Sale:

The annual auction in aid of the upkeep of St Mary's Church is to be held at the Buckden Millennium Community Centre on Saturday 9th February at 11:00 a.m.

If you have items that are too good to throw away, please donate them between 9:00 and 10:00 a.m. (Please no books, clothes or shoes.) Viewing is between 10:00 and 11:00 a.m. The auction starts promptly at 11:00 a.m.

This is a fun event and everybody is welcome. Coffee, tea and snacks will be available throughout the sale.

Over 60 and looking for somewhere to live?

Free Advertising on the Buckden Village Website:

Click the 'Free Adverts' button for more information.

January 2008:

A Happy New Year To All

A History of Buckden - Deadline For Copy:

The last date for receiving stories or photographs for the book is 31st January 2008. If you are preparing material for the book, please ensure that the Local History Society is made aware in advance of this date. (Click here here for more information on the book.)

If you would like to order a copy when ready, send an email with your contact details to history@buckden-village.co.uk and we will notify you as soon as it has been published. (However, please note that this may be several months from now.)

Annual Auction - A Date For Your Diary:

The annual auction in aid of the upkeep of St Mary's Church is to be held at the Millennium Community Centre on Saturday 9th February.

Over 60 and looking for somewhere to live?

Free Advertising on the Buckden Village Website:

Click the 'Free Adverts' button for more information.

December 2007:

Buckden 2007 Christmas Lights

and

Christmas Fayre

Sunday 9^th December 3:00-6:00 pm

3:00-6:00 pm - Buckden School

Christmas Market; Father Christmas' Grotto; Children's Stalls; Raffle;
Refreshments; Fairground Rides; Dancing by Stageworks (5:20 pm);
BBQ and Bar (4:30-6:00 pm);

5:00 pm - Outside Buckden School

Carol Singing by Buckden School Choir

The switching on of the Village Christmas Lights

As mentioned several months ago, a new book is to be written on the history of the village. Have you something to contribute? Perhaps a relevant anecdote or photograph? If so, the Local History Society would like to hear from you. Please click here here for more information.

If you would like to order a copy of the book when ready, send an email with your contact details to history@buckden-village.co.uk and we will notify as soon as it has been published. (However, please note that this may be several months from now.)

Come and join in the 'Sounds Spectacular' at St Mary's Church on Saturday 6th October.

There will be various events throughout the day including Jazz, Mozart, poetry, songs from musicals and much, much more.

Starting at 10:00 a.m. the event continues throughout the day finishing with the Grand Finale from 8:00 p.m. to 10:00 p.m.

As mentioned last month and several months ago, a new book is to be written on the history of the village. Have you something to contribute? Perhaps a relevant anecdote or photograph? If so, the Local History Society would like to hear from you. Please click here here for more information.

Don't forget the Buckden Feast Week 2007, which starts with Bingo in the Village Hall at 6:30 p.m. on Sunday 1st July. The Festival Fair is from 1:00 p.m. on Saturday 7th. See the insert in June's Roundabout and the update sheet in this month's Roundabout for more information.

Did you know that The National Blood Service hold regular sessions in the area? They will be in St Neots on Wednesday July 4; St Ives on Tuesday July 17; Huntingdon on Thursday July 19 and Wednesday July 25. (The National Blood service will next be in Buckden on Monday, November 5.)

For more information please visit the National Blood Service's website at www.blood.co.uk and search on 'Buckden, St Neots' under the 'Where to donate' section.

Did you know that The National Blood Service hold regular sessions in Buckden? The next is on the 18th June at the Millennium Community Centre, 13:00 to 15:30 and 16:30 to 19:00.

For more information please visit the National Blood Service's website at www.blood.co.uk and search on 'Buckden, St Neots' under the 'Where to donate' section. (If you cannot make the 18th then there are a number of sessions being held throughout the summer in Huntingdon, St Neots and other nearby locations.)

As mentioned a few months ago, a new book is to be written on the history of the village. Have you something to contribute? Perhaps a relevant anecdote or photograph? If so, the Local History Society would like to hear from you. Please click here here for more information.

Fancy being on television? Then you'll probably be interested in reading this notice recently received from RDF Media, a company that specialises in producing quality television programmes.

The annual auction in aid of the upkeep of St Mary's Church is to be held at the Millennium Community Centre on Saturday 3rd February. For more information please click here.

Are you at all concerned about what is happening to Huntingdonshire? (For example, Hinchingbrooke Hospital.) Then check out this new local site www.preservehuntingdonshire.org.uk.

If you would like to publish a short article on the site about a past or present aspect of Huntingdonshire life, then email the details and we will forward them onto our friends at Preserve Huntingdonshire.

Buckden residents Brian and Pat King have finally reached Australia after their epic overland trek started in April 2006.

With their fellow travelling colleagues they journeyed overland in a converted Belgium tipper lorry through Europe, the Middle East and Asia. They had many adventures en route.

Read an account of Pat and Brian's trip on our travel blog on the Information page

No time to visit the hairdressers? Then give Julie a call at Barnets and Bonnets on 01480 812590 / 07899 845355. Julie will cut your hair anywhere you like, whether it is in your garden, conservatory or living room.

See Barnets and Bonnets' new webpage on the Shopes and Businesses section of the website for more information.

We welcome Clint Thomas-Morgan to the village website. As well as plumbing, Clint is experienced with tiling and small building works. See Clint's webpage for more information. (Under Shops and Businesses.)

Are you at all concerned about what is happening to Huntingdonshire? (For example, Hinchingbrooke Hospital.) Then check out this new local site www.preservehuntingdonshire.org.uk.

Visit Father Christmas in his grotto at the George Hotel between 3pm and 5pm
(Admission 50p)

Christmas is fast approaching and you don't have time to visit the hairdressers? Then give Julie a call at Barnets and Bonnets on 01480 812590 / 07899 845355. Julie will cut your hair anywhere you like, whether it is in your garden, conservatory or living room.

See Barnets and Bonnets' new webpage on the Shopes and Businesses section of the website for more information.

Are you at all concerned about what is happening to Huntingdonshire? (For example, Hinchingbrooke Hospital.) Then check out this new local site www.preservehuntingdonshire.org.uk.

Buckden residents Pat and Brian King have now reached Malaysia on their overland journey to Australia. Follow Pat and Brian's continuing adventures on our travel blog. (See the Information page.)

A new book is to be written on the history of the village. Have you something to contribute? Perhaps a relevant anecdote or photograph? If so, the Local History Society requires details by the end of November 2006. Please click click here here for more information.

Are you at all concerned about what is happening to Huntingdonshire? (For example, Hinchingbrooke Hospital.) Then check out this new local site www.preservehuntingdonshire.org.uk.

Buckden and Little Paxton Surgeries now have a new site that contains a great deal of useful information. See 'Surgery' on the Community page.

Are you at all concerned about what impact the new A14 will have on the village and surrounding area? If so, we urge you to click here and read the "A14 Latest News" published by the Buckden Parish Council.

(If you would like to comment on this document, then either send an e-mail to the council at buckdenclerk@btconnect.com, or complete the feedback form at the foot of this screen (with a subject of A14) and we will forward your comments to the parish council.)

Buckden residents Pat and Brian King are over two-thirds the way through there overland journey to Australia. Follow their continuing adventures on our travel blog. (See the Information page.)

If you us send an e-mail please note that, because of our other work commitments, it may take us several days to respond. However, we do aim to reply to every e-mail we receive. So, if you haven't heard from us in a week or so, please resend your e-mail. Your original (or our reply) may have got lost in the World Wide Web!

Buckden and Little Paxton Surgeries now have a new site that contains a great deal of useful information. See 'Surgery' on the Community page.

Buckden residents Pat and Brian King are over two-thirds the way through there overland journey to Australia. Follow their continuing adventures on our travel blog. (See the Information page.)

The new Programme of Events for 2006-2007 can be found under the 'Societies' section.

The season starts on 6th September with a talk by John Goldsmith, Curator of the Cromwell Museum in Huntingdon. The subject of the talk is 'Cromwell in Statues and Stained Glass'.

Simple Origins is a new local enterprise that specialises in the manufacture of high-quality skin care products made from natural ingredients. Their range includes:

Follow the continuing adventures of Buckden residents Pat and Brian King on our 'travel blog' as they continue their overland journey through the Middle East. This month we've added a number of photographs sent through by Pat and Brian. (See the Information page.)

Welcome to Simple Origins, a new local enterprise that specialises in the manufacture of high-quality skin care products made from natural ingredients. Their range includes:

Follow the continuing adventures of Buckden residents Pat and Brian King on our 'travel blog' as they continue their overland journey through the Middle East. (See the Information page.)

Lost your guide to what's on during the Buckden Village Feast Week? Don't worry, just click here for the Feast Week 2006 programme (pdf format). As always we hope that you will give our village festival your full support!

Welcome to Simple Origins, a new local enterprise that specialises in the manufacture of high-quality skin care products made from natural ingredients. Their range includes:

Interested in making wine or beer? Then go along to one of the Buckden Wine and Beermakers meetings held at the Scout Hut in Lucks Lane on the 4th Thursday of the month, starting at 8 p.m.

Full details of the Buckden Wine and Beermakers Society can be found on their new webpage under 'Societies'.

Follow the continuing adventures of Buckden residents Pat and Brian King as they continue their overland journey to Australia on our 'travel blog' on the Information page

Did you know that Buckden has a thriving wine and beer making society? They would like to expand and are looking for new members. Interested? If so, then go to the Buckden Wine and Beermakers Society's new web page for more information. (Under 'Societies'.)

Buckden residents Pat and Brian King are now almost two months into their overland trip to Australia in a converted Belgium tipper lorry. In that time they have travelled through a number of countries including France, Czechoslovakia, Austria, Hungary, Romania, Bulgaria and Turkey.

Follow their journey and adventures (they've already had quite a few) through our travel blog on the Information page .

This year's feast week starts on Friday 30th June and runs until Saturday 8th July. There is much to do! Click here for a copy of the programme in pdf format (Adobe Acrobat required)

On Saturday 8th April intrepid Buckden residents Pat and Brian King set off on a journey of a lifetime. With others they are travelling overland to Australia in a converted Belgium tipper lorry!

They will be journeying through Europe, the Middle East and Asia over a period of 28 weeks until they reach their destination. No luxury overnight accommodation for Pat and Brian, for most of their trip they will be sleeping in a tent by the lorry!

Follow their journey through our travel blog (travelogue) on the Information page. Pat and Brian will be updating the blog as and when they can find Internet access on their epic trip.

Good Friday Open Air Service: Buckden Joint Churches will be holding an open air service on Good Friday. For more information please click here.

Buckden Pharmacy: The village's new pharmacy opens on the 1st March. Please note that Buckden Surgery patients do not need to wait until the 1st May to obtain their prescriptions from the pharmacy.

Repeat prescriptions - let the pharmacist know your repeat prescription as soon as possible so that your medicine can be ordered and kept in stock.

Murder Mystery Evening: The Living Stones Player will present Murder at Westbury Manor at the Buckden Millennium Community Centre on Friday 3rd March. Admission is £15 and includes a 3-course dinner with coffee. There will also be a bar. To find out more about this fun evening please click here.

The Aragon Singers: Information on Buckden's Aragon Singers and a link to the choral society's website can be found under the 'Societies' section.

Public Auction:The annual auction held at the Millennium Community Centre on Saturday 11th February was a great success and raised in excess of £800 for the upkeep of St Mary's Church.

Public Auction: The annual auction in aid of the upkeep of St Mary's Church is to be held at the Millennium Community Centre on Saturday 11th February. For more information please click here.

Buckden Pharmacy: The village's new pharmacy will be opening on the 1st March. Please note that Buckden Surgery patients do not need to wait until the 1st May to obtain their prescriptions from the pharmacy. (Repeat prescriptions - let the pharmacist know your repeat prescription as soon as possible so that your medicine can be ordered and kept in stock.)

Auction: The annual auction in aid of the upkeep of St Mary's Church is to be held at the Millennium Community Centre on Saturday 11th February. For more information please click here.

How do you turn a Village into a Town? This is the question posed by the Buckden-Village Preservation Group. Click here to find out what they mean. (As you read, note the significance of Tuesday 8th November.)

Buckden's Living Stones Appeal - a date for your diary: The next event for the appeal is a wine tasting evening with cheese on Thursday, 24 November at 7.30 p.m. at Buckden Marina.

Wine expert Shane Fazackerley from Charles Wells will be on hand to explain and describe the wines. Tickets are available from the reception at Buckden Marina. The price is £10.95 which, of course, includes the wine drunk on the night (and the cheese!). Wine ordered on the night will be delivered in time for Christmas.

(The appeal is for funding to build an extension and improve facilities in St Mary's the Parish Church of Buckden.)

Trip to the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden: The WI have a few seats available for their trip to see The Nutcracker at The Royal Opera House Covent Garden on Monday 2nd January 2006. The cost is £35 a person, which includes the coach.

Note that the seats are up high and may have restricted view. (We had the same seats last year and it was fine.)

We will leave the Methodist Hall at 4pm so that we have time for a meal before the 7.30 performance.

Free Web Pages: You may not be aware that if you run a club or society in the village you can advertise for free on the Buckden Village Website. We'll provide you with a free web page that either you can update yourself via your browser or we'll update for you.

Buckden Local History Society: BLHS's Programme of Events for 2005-2006 can be found on their webpage. This month there will be a talk by Gordon Townsend on the 'History of the Fire Service'. Click here for more information.

Knitting Accessories: Exquisite handmade wooden knitting needles and wooden crochet hooks are available from Knitting UK, the latest addition to local businesses that has been added to the site.

If you are interested in knitting, then please visit their website at www.knittinguk.com.

Land investment opportunity - too good to be true? You may have seen land around Buckden being offered for sale as building plots, in particular land at the back of Perry Road / Great North Road. Please be aware that it is highly questionable whether planning permission will ever be granted for these plots - you could end up losing your investment.

Still interested? Then we suggest that you first contact a lawyer before parting with your hard-earned cash.

Bogus 'Charity' Collections: You may recently have received a leaflet entitled 'Clothing Collection' that requests donations of unwanted clothes and other items. Please be aware that the collection is being organised by a commercial company called Kraslava Services Seven Ltd and not a charity as might appear from first sight of the leaflet.

Before you leave out your unwanted items for collection we first suggest that you search for Kraslava Services Seven on Google or a similar search engine. There are some interesting reports on the company, particularly from the BBC.

Following the disaster in London: The Ambulance Service have launched a national In Case of Emergency (ICE) campaign.

The idea is that you store the word " I C E " in your mobile phone address book and against it enter the number of the person you would want to be contacted "In Case of Emergency".

In an emergency situation ambulance and hospital staff will then be able to quickly find out who your next of kin are and be able to contact them. It's so simple that everyone can do it. Please do.

Stirtloe House Gardens: Come and enjoy a family summer afternoon in the garden of Stirtloe House on Sunday July 10th 2pm-5pm. Purchase home made refreshments and enjoy listening to the St Neots Big Band. Entry £2.50 (£1.50 concessions). No charge for accompanied children. .

Buckden Surgery Patients' Association: The BSPA are still in need of volunteer drivers to help patients with transport difficulties attend medical appointments. If you can help, please contact the scheme co-ordinator via the Buckden Surgery. (For more information, please see the BSPA's web page under the 'Community' section.)

A14 UPDATE - VILLAGE MEETING

Buckden Scout Hut Friday evening 10th June 9 p.m.

If you are at all concerned about how the proposed 6-lane motorway will affect the village (click here), then come along to the inaugural meeting of the Buckden A14 Action Group. Find out what you can do to help. A successful campaign will require positive action from Buckden residents. In the meantime, please see the action group's website at www.buckden-a14-actiongroup.org.uk for more information

Music Evening: On Sunday May 22nd there will be a music evening with the New Cambridge Singers at St. Mary's Parish Church, Buckden. Click here for more information. (Proceeds will go towards Buckden's Living Stones Appeal.)

Quilt Exhibition: Make a note in your diary... June 17th to 19th there will be an exhibition of quilts at St. Mary's. Click here for more information. (Proceeds will go towards Buckden's Living Stones Appeal.)

Worker's Educational Association: What is the WEA? If you haven't heard of the Workers Educational Association (or have heard of the organisation but don't know what it does) see the WEA's webpage in the Societies section. The update webpage contains details of the forthcoming series of lectures for the Summer 2005, Autumn 2005 and Spring 2006 terms.

Free Web Pages: You may not be aware that if you run a club or society in the village you can advertise for free on the Buckden Village Website. We'll provided you with a free web page that either you can update yourself via your browser or we'll update for you.

If you us send an e-mail please note that, because of our other work commitments, it may take us several days to respond. However, we do aim to reply to each and every e-mail we receive. So, if you haven't heard from us in a week or so, please resend your e-mail. Your original (or our reply) may have got lost in the World Wide Web!

50p for a bicycle, 50p for two chairs: These were some of the bargains to be had in the recent auction held in The Buckden Millennium Community Centre. The auction was a great success and raised a grand total of £1,097 for the upkeep of St Mary's Parish Church.

Don't miss out on a bargain next year. Make a note in your diary for the second Saturday in February.

Auction: The annual auction in aid of the upkeep of St Mary's Church is to be held at the Millennium Community Centre on Saturday 12th February. Click here for more information.

Ghosts at RAF Alconbury: We recently received an e-mail from a retired police officer who is researching paranormal activities in the area. Apparently, in the past there had been some 'strange goings on' at RAF Alconbury. Please see the 'Letters Page' if you have any information that might help with his research.

Bogus 'Charity' Collections: We've been made aware that, once again, certain commercial organisations are leafleting parts of the village with requests for donations of unwanted clothes and other items. The leaflets give the appearance of having come from a charity. See November 2004 in 'Past Months' (at the foot of this page) for more information.

Bogus 'Charity' Collections: You may recently have received a leaflet entitled 'Third World Clothing Collection' that requests donations of unwanted clothes and other items. Please be aware that the collection is being organised by a commercial company called Lunetex and not a charity as might appear from first sight of the leaflet.

Now we are not saying that you shouldn't leave your unwanted items out for Lunetex to collect if you so wish, but please be aware of their status. (Earlier this year Olonex targeted us in a similar manner. A quick search on Google will result in some interesting facts about the company.)

Almshouse Vacancies: Buckden is fortunate to have two sets of Almshouses in the village, namely South's Almshouses and the Burberry Homes. If you are interested in living in one of these apartments (or know someone who might be), please click here for further information. (Additional details can also be found on the Buckden Parochial Charities' webpage.)

Buckden's Living Stones Appeal - Bible Reading Marathon: The unique marathon reading of the Bible at St Mary's Church proved to be a great success. Over a period of four days and three nights a team of volunteer and guest readers read the entire Bible from cover to cover. Those that could not make it to the church recorded their contributions, which were then played back at the appropriate point in the proceedings.

At the time of writing approximately £12,000 has been collected/pledged, however this figure is likely to increase as tax benefits are reclaimed from the Inland Revenue.

For those that are interested, a scrapbook of the whole event is on display at St Mary's Church.

MJ Fridge Magnets have produced a gift-packaged magnet of St. Mary's Church for the Living Stones Appeal. Click here for more information.

Buckden Bible Reading Marathon: This unique event to raise money for Buckden's Living Stones Appeal is now only days away. The entire bible will be read from end-to-end starting on 9th September and finishing on 12th September. Martin Bell, of television fame, will be reading a section on Saturday 11th. Johnathon Djanogly, our local M.P., will be reading on Friday morning.

We are still looking for more readers. All the necessary information is now in St Mary's Church, which is open during the day. If you are away on holiday or busy, we can arrange to record your reading at a time convenient to you - see this month's Roundabout for more information.

(The Living Stones Appeal is a village project to build Community Rooms with modern facilities in St Mary's - the Parish Church of Buckden. The Community Rooms will benefit the whole community by providing more space and facilities for church and village functions.)

Buckden Local History Society: BLHS's new Programme of Events for 2004-2005 can be found on their webpage. The season starts on Wednesday September 1st with a talk by Nita Luxford on "Gettin' a livin' from The Great Ouse". Click here for more information.

25 Years of the Buckden Roundabout: We congratulate The Buckden Roundabout on reaching its Silver Jubilee this month. (For those of you not resident in the village, The Buckden Roundabout is an informative monthly magazine delivered free to 1250 homes in Buckden and Diddington.)

Housing Need Survey - still not too late! Have you returned Huntingdonshire District Council's housing survey? This was sent out to every address in Buckden several weeks ago with a completion date of mid-July. However, we've been assured that it is still not too late to complete and return the survey, the results of which will be an important consideration in decisions about affordable housing in Buckden. The more responses received, the more accurate the results will be.

Living Stones Appeal: This is a village project to build Community Rooms with modern facilities in St Mary's - the Parish Church of Buckden. The Community Rooms will benefit the whole community by providing more space and facilities for church and village functions. The appeal will be launched next month with a marathon reading of the entire bible over 3 days and nights. Click here for more information.

Housing Need Survey: Huntingdonshire District Council will be writing to every address in Buckden over the next few days to ask residents to complete a housing need survey of the village. The results of the survey will be an important consideration in decisions about affordable housing in Buckden and, of course, the more responses received, the more accurate the results will be. Please take time to complete and return the questionnaire.

Living Stones Appeal: As mentioned last month, this is a new village project to build Community Rooms with modern facilities in St Mary's - the Parish Church of Buckden. The Community Rooms will benefit the whole community by providing more space and facilities for church and village functions. The appeal will be launched in September with a marathon reading of the entire bible over 3 days and nights. Click here for more information.

Living Stones Appeal: This is a new village project to build Community Rooms with modern facilities in St Mary's - the Parish Church of Buckden. The Community Rooms will benefit the whole community by providing more space and facilities for church and village functions. The appeal will be launched in September with a marathon reading of the entire bible over 3 days and nights. Click here for more information.

Bogus 'Charity' Collections: We have all received leaflets from organisations requesting donations of unwanted clothes and other items. The natural assumption is that the requests are from charities, however this isn't always the case. One such organisation that has been leafleting the village recently is a company called Olonex. Now we are not saying that you shouldn't leave your unwanted items out for Olonex to collect if you so wish, but to be aware that they are not a charity. (A quick search on Google will result in some interesting facts about the company.)

Chemist Application: The possibility that a chemist may open in Buckden is causing concern as it could threaten services provided by the village surgery. Click here to read a document on the matter produced by the Buckden Surgery Patients' Association.

An open meeting for all patients of the Buckden Surgery is to be held on Tuesday 11th May. (Note. We've also added a discussion topic on the Village Forum. Have your say!)

Buckden Parochial Charities: Several charities exist in the village to provide immediate relief to residents of Buckden who find themselves in unexpected hardship and to make occasional donations to village organisations providing communal amenities. The charities are managed by a group of trustees that also administer the two sets of Almshouses in Buckden. More information can be found on the Buckden Parochial Charities' webpage. (Under 'Community'.)

Worker's Educational Association: What is the WEA? If you haven't heard of the Workers Educational Association (or have heard of the organisation but don't know what it does) see the WEA's new updated, webpage in the Societies section. The webpage also provides details of the forthcoming season of lectures.

Spring Clean: Thanks to all of you who have provided information to help us to 'Spring Clean' the village website. If there are any areas that still have out-of-date information (e.g. old contact details) please let us know.

If you are interested in finding out more, please click the 'Feedback' button at the foot of the screen and enter 'Free Web Pages' as the subject of the form.

(Note. If you run a business, you can also have web space on the site. We'll make a small charge, which goes towards providing free web pages for the charitable organisations in the village. Some business have found it sufficiently profitable to also advertise on our affiliated website www.big-village.co.uk).

Spring Clean: Ok, we know we are still in the depths of winter, but it won't be too long before spring is here and we'd like to 'Spring Clean' the village website. If you are aware of any out-of-date information, please let us know and we will update the site accordingly. (Thanks to Buckden Neighbourhood Watch and the Playgroup for the updates they provided recently.)

Buckden Cricket Club 2004 Fixture List: The new fixture list for the forthcoming season can be found on Buckden Cricket Club's webpage in the 'Sports' section.

Workers' Educational Association: 'The Twentieth Century Stage Musical' and 'An Introduction to Psychology'. These are two interesting topics that will be covered by the WEA in 2004. For more information please see the Workers' Educational Association's webpage in the 'Societies ' section.

House sellers - advertise your property for free! Until the end of January you can advertise your house for free on Big Village Property. Click here for more information or go to the Property Section on www.big-village.co.uk

Buckden's Christmas Celebrations start in earnest on Sunday 7th December with a Children's Fun Fair in the High Street. The Village Christmas Lights will be switched on at 4:00 p.m. by Richard Furbank, Chairman of the Parish Council.

From 2.30 p.m. to 4.45 p.m. meet Santa in his Grotto at the George Hotel - admission 50p.

www.big-village.co.uk: During 2003, we expanded our concept site for Huntingdonshire www.big-village.co.uk. Some parts of the Buckden Village site are now linked to Big Village, which should give rise to improved facilities in the future. For example, the Events and Local Ads sections share the same database. This means that events and small adverts published on the Buckden Village site will also appear on the Big Village site and so are likely to reach a wider audience.

The team is excited about prospects for both the Buckden Village and Big Village sites in the New Year. Call us on 01480 812868 if you would like more information.

New Schools Section: Following several requests, we've now added a new section dedicated to local schools, that includes Buckden CE Primary School, Hinchingbrooke School, St Peter's School and Kimbolton School.

New Fund for Community Groups: In case you missed it last month.... Local community groups in Cambridgeshire are to get a boost as the borough has been chosen as one of the areas to receive three years funding from the £150 million Local Network Fund for Children and Young People. The Local Network Fund enables local voluntary and community groups to tackle child poverty and provide opportunities for young people. £360,000 is available for Cambridgeshire groups to bid for in this financial year. Click here for more information on the fund.

Properties For Sale / Properties Wanted: Buckden Estates continues to attract great interest, both through its website and its regular advert in The Town Crier (coverage 42,000 houses).

Alternatively, if you are looking for property in the area, please complete the Property Wanted Form and we will add your details to the mailing list.

If you have something that you would like to sell or a service that you'd like to offer, see our Small Ads Service - it's both free and easy to use. (For more information, see the notes at the foot of the 'Local Adverts' web page. So long as you have a valid e-mail address, you could be placing your advert within minutes of registering.)

Remember, you can find out about forthcoming events in the village, and nearby, on the 'Events' page. (If you wish to advertise an event, all you need is a valid e-mail address - there is no charge for the service! See the Events page for more details.)

New Fund for Community Groups: Local community groups in Cambridgeshire are to get a boost as the borough has been chosen as one of the areas to receive three years funding from the £150 million Local Network Fund for Children and Young People. The Local Network Fund enables local voluntary and community groups to tackle child poverty and provide opportunities for young people. £360,000 is available for Cambridgeshire groups to bid for in this financial year. Click here for more information on the fund.

Buckden Surgery Practice Leaflet: The sugery's latest Practice Leaflet can be found on their webpage. (Under the Community Section.)

Link to Buckden School: After many months of preparation and support, from a wide range of people at the school, Buckden School has created it's own website. We are very pleased to include a link top their site. "Welcome Buckden School". Click here for more information.

Friends of Buckden School Minutes: Just while we are trying find them a permanent home on the site please follow the link to the "Minutes from the 9th September Meeting". Click here for more information.

Properties For Sale / Properties Wanted: Buckden Estates continues to attract great interest, both through its website and its regular advert in The Town Crier (coverage 42,000 houses).

Alternatively, if you are looking for property in the area, please complete the Property Wanted Form and we will add your details to the mailing list.

New Houses: A number of new houses are being constructed in an extensive development just off Silver Street. For details of these properties, please refer to the contact information on the Twigden Homes' webpage.

Buckden Local History Society: BLHS's new Programme of Events for 2003-2004 can be found on their webpage. The season starts on Wednesday September 3rd with a talk by Alec Foster on "The History & Development of Mechanical Music". Click here for more information.

Parish Council Newsheets and Newsletters: If you were not already aware, you can find copies of all Buckden Parish Council's monthly newsheets dating from November 1999 on their webpage. ( Click here.)

Properties For Sale / Properties Wanted: Buckden Estates continues to attract great interest, both through its website and its regular advert in The Town Crier (coverage 42,000 houses).

Alternatively, if you are looking for property in the area, please complete the Property Wanted Form and we will add your details to the mailing list.

Children's Nursery: The latest addition to the site is Buckden Day Nursery whose premises are located close to the village's junior school. The nursery has members of staff that are fully qualified to look after children aged from 6 weeks to 5 years. For more information about the nursery please see their webpage under the Shops, Pubs and Businesses section.

Properties For Sale / Properties Wanted: Buckden Estates continues to attract great interest, both through its website and its regular advert in The Town Crier (coverage 42,000 houses).

Alternatively, if you are looking for property in the area, please complete the Property Wanted Form and we will add your details to the mailing list.

Properties For Sale / Properties Wanted: Buckden Estates continues to attract great interest, both through its website and its regular advert in The Town Crier (coverage 42,000 houses).

Alternatively, if you are looking for property in the area, please complete the Property Wanted Form and we will add your details to the mailing list.

Worker's Educational Association: The WEA's webpage now contains details of the topics to be covered in their 2004 season. See the WEA's webpage for more details and for information about registering. (Under 'Societies'.)

Buckden Cricket Club: We've updated the cricket club's fixture list for 2003 and added a link to their new website on the BCC's webpage. (Under 'Sports'.)

Planning Applications Online: Huntingdonshire District Council has recently opened a site that allows the public to view all new planning applications, including the plans themselves. Go to www.huntsdc.gov.uk/publicaccess for more information. (Thanks to Mike Storey for this link.)

Broadband Buckden: As stated last month, high-speed Internet access is coming to Buckden Exchange on 25th June! For those of you who may have missed it, we've reproduced our short Broadband Guide on this new technology: