Described as a verbatim play, it is based on interviews with a number of celebrities who talk about how they have been affected by scandals of their own or others' making. The play runs at Hampstead until Oct 20 (call 020 7722 9301 for details and bookings), before transferring to Plymouth.

A few days later, Bruce (who is president of the Haddenham Museum Trust) shared his passion for the early history of Haddenham and the Pre-Domesday Vale at the U3A monthly meeting, held jointly with Haddenham Village Society.

SCHOOL NEWS. New head teachers have been settling in at the village's two infant schools since the beginning of this term, after their former heads retired at the end of the summer term.

Jane Tyers, at the County First School, moved to this area from Cheshire for her husband's job. Her daughters have also transferred to local schools – one to Haddenham Community Junior School and the other to the Sir Henry Floyd School. For the past six years, Mrs Tyers has been head teacher at a school in Salford, Greater Manchester, where she taught for 13 years in total, and she is finding life in a village school quite a contrast. She has particularly noticed the strong feeling of community and the supportive PTA.

Hazel Hughes, who was already a familiar face at St Mary's School, in her role of the past three years as Learning and Teaching Consultant to Bucks primary schools, has been appointed acting head at the school for 12 months. With her family now grown up and her youngest at university, she decided to go back into teaching and found that she shared the traditional values and caring ethos found at the school.

Mrs Hughes will be looking to combine the traditional view of school life with new opportunities and has already arranged to hold this term's harvest festival at St Mary's Church for the first time. Former pupils and their parents will be interested to know that class teacher Mrs Schaer had a baby girl, Genna Maya, on August 8.

'Race-goers' who attended the recent Ferret Racing Night, organised jointly by the PTAs of the two above schools, had an exciting evening and the parents of the two schools enjoyed this first opportunity to meet socially.

Haddenham Community Junior School head, Sue Roberts, is appealing for information on the anti-social people who seem to have taken to walking their dogs on the school field recently and are leaving mess behind (including right outside some of the classrooms), which could endanger the health of the children. Please call the school on 291829 if you can help.

Former pupils of the school will be sad to learn that Lily, the much loved but elderly giant lop-eared rabbit, had to be put to sleep during the summer holidays after suffering major tooth and skin problems.

CHURCH NEWS. St Mary's Church finally received delivery of its new organ last Wednesday. A temporary, loaned, organ had been in use since the church reopened in June after the major refurbishment of the Millennium Project phase 2. In the wake of reports that the theft of lead and copper from church roofs and of commemorative name plaques is on the increase, church members (and villagers) are asked to report anything suspicious to Thames Valley Police on 08458 505505 or Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.

The Baptist Chapel's own Millennium project - the construction of new toilets (including a disabled loo and baby-changing facilities) - is now nearing completion.

Many people who supported the rebuilding of the Methodist Chapel wall have been asking what is being done about the flaking rendering and progress can now be reported.

English Heritage arranged for Clivedon Conservation Workshop Ltd (an organisation spun off from the National Trust) to apply temporary coating to the bare patches to protect the wall during the coming winter. They have also put patches of different materials on the east wall (on the museum side of the chapel) to see how these withstand the weather in the coming months.

It is planned that the walls will be re-rendered and painted when the weather improves next spring/summer.

PARISH COUNCIL. The counting, collation and distribution to deliverers of the quarterly Haddenham Village News and the Haddenham Health News (produced by Haddenham Medical Centre) will take place on Friday (from about 6pm) in the parish office. If you can spare an hour or so to help with the collating or could call in at about 7pm to collect your bundle for delivery, your help would be gratefully received.

THIS WEEK.
Junior School. There are two meetings at Haddenham Community Junior School (HCJS), Woodways, today (2pm and 7.30pm) for the parents/guardians of Year 2 children looking to start at the school in September 2008.

Coffee Morning. The monthly Veterans' Coffee Morning, for veterans of any conflict, is tomorrow (10am-noon) at 4 White Hart Lane.

BBC Sport. Adults, teenagers and children are welcome at Haddenham Village Society's meeting tomorrow (8pm) at HCJS, when Bafta award winning producer, head of BBC Football and villager Niall Sloane talks on Life at BBC Sport. There will be a free raffle ticket for everyone attending, giving a chance to win a football signed by the Match of the Day team. Entry is free but contributions to the evening's expenses are welcome.

Quiz. Haddenham Cricket Club is holding the second of the quiz evenings in its 'Autumn Test Series', a quiz tour of Haddenham, on Friday (7.30pm) at the Rose and Thistle. Teams of five or less are invited along (you don't have to have attended the first quiz as there are no cumulative scores). Entry is £2.50 per person, on the door, and proceeds will go towards providing youth training at the club.

Autumn Fayre. St Mary's School PTA will be holding its annual Autumn Fayre on Saturday (2-4.30pm) with stalls, games, tombola and refreshments. There will also be face painting and a free puppet show for the children. Entry is £1 for adults and 50p for children aged three and over.

St Mary's Fellowship. Anne Proudley, chaplain to the homeless in Oxford, will be the speaker at the group's meeting on Monday (2.30pm) at St Mary's Centre. Visitors will be welcome.

Medical Centre. Haddenham Medical Centre will be closed next Wednesday for the afternoon (from 12.30pm) for this month's 'Protected Time for Learning' session. Emergency cover is provided during this time.

QUIZ. The fundraisers for the Utugi Street Children Kenya Project are holding another of their popular quiz nights on November 10 and tickets (£8.00, or £5.00 for under-16s, to include a delicious supper) are now available from St. Mary's Centre or by phoning 290990 or 290214 or 290970.