Keys to freedom, November 12 edition

Mrs Josephine Lee, secretary of Age Concern Buckinghamshire happily accepted the keys to a second-hand Sherpa 240 Delux eight seater mini-bus on behalf of Great Missenden Age Concern.

This bus provided transportation for many elderly residents after two years of fundraising in the area.

Army officers in Aylesbury, Oxford, High Wycombe, Banbury and Bletchley raised £3,000 through raffles, sales, shows, fetes and by collecting waste paper to be recycled.

A special mention also went to the 21st and 22nd Brownie Packs of Prebendal Farm, Aylesbury, who donated their Christmas Carol collection to the fund.

Duke at Stoke Hospital, November 26 edition

Prince Phillip, Duke of Edinburgh arrived at the site of the Spinal Injuries Centre at Stoke Mandeville Hospital to lay the foundation stone of the £10million project.

Prince Phillip met with members of the Jimmy Savile Trust and congratulated Mr Savile himself for the part he played in making the centre a reality. At the time only £6million of the £10million needed for the project had been raised but the Prince revealed his 'great faith in Jimmy Savile'.

Mr Savile added: "Because our faith is a fact we thought we would begin building now and pay for it afterwards."

Space Age Santa, December 10 edition

A craft fair held at the Queen's Park Centre was a scientific adventure catapulting Santa into the future through the use of odds-and-ends.
With the help of the Aylesbury Youth Association, based at the centre, one room was transformed into a futuristic module, made up of lighting fittings, discotheque equipment and cardboard and plastic cut-outs, all pieced together by the members the night before.

Unfortunately the space craft nicknamed SLED (Santa's Low Energy Deliverer) would have to be dismantled before long as the room was needed for classes throughout the New Year.

Girls Entertain Senior Citizens, December 24 edition

Students at Aylesbury High School brought Christmas cheer to 150 senior citizens at a party hosted for them at the school.

The girls raised £300 to host the party by car washing, selling cakes, holding competitions, including maggot racing, laying on three course meals and hosting their own version of the television game Blankety Blank.

At the party members of the sixth form hosted an Old Tyme Music Hall as well as a play about St George, a disco routine of Singing in the Rain, the can-can and a performance of My Old Man's a Dustman.
The girls finished the evening with carols played on a full set of handbells.