VANDALS are still busy in Cookham. Even during the seasonal holiday period they struck again at the Alfred Major Recreation Ground in Cookham Rise. Broken glass was left all over the multi-purpose playing field and Clerk to the Cookham Parish Council, David Armstrong, told the BFP on Monday that this type of hooliganism will result in accidents and the possibility that children could be cut by glass. This is not the first time that glass has been littered all over the playing field and broken bottles have been left smashed in the children's play area causing one child to be hurt.

PROBUS Club of Bourne End and Cookham had the company of their ladies at the annual ladies Christmas lunch. This was held at the Flackwell Heath Golf Club where over 80 people had an enjoyable meal. The guests of honour were Lady Betty Chacksfield and Molly Crowther.

A YOUTH worker has been appointed to work with young people at Holy Trinity Church in Cookham. He is Dave Walker who has been working as a full-time youth worker in Eastbourne for four years. He is an artist and a cartoonist and has his own website. Dave hopes to move to Cookham at the beginning of February and it is hoped he will start working in the middle of February, probably with a special commissioning service within the parish eucharist at 9.30am on Sunday, February 24.

BARBARA Walmsley of Cookham is thrilled to have raised a record £12,000 for Oxfam with her sponsored fast before Christmas outside Sainsburys at Maidenhead. This figure also included a coffee morning attended by Sir John Mortimer who gave his services freely.

ON Wednesday a box opening for the Children's Society was held at the Dower House in Cookham organised by Jean Phillips.

THOSE who enjoy a good laugh and some of the magic of the traditional pantomime will enjoy watching The Sleeping Beauty at Pinder Hall in Cookham, today and on Saturday. Tickets are available from Village Toys and Gifts at Station Hill in Cookham or contact Anne Hewitt on 01628 532039.

WHEN the Cookham Ladies Group met yesterday evening at the Cookham Parish Centre members were to see for themselves the creative uses of rubber stamping as demonstrated by Carol Lawrence.

MEMBERSHIP of the Cookham Good Companions Club is dwindling, which is sad. The meetings cannot be held at the Pinder Hall in Cookham, but the first meeting of the New Year will be at the Elizabeth House Day Centre on Thursday, January l7 at 2.30pm when Ivor Sayer will show slides.

AT Cookham Dean Parish Church there will be a Julian Meeting of prayer in the quiet of the parish church at 9.30am on Saturday. This is an ecumenical event to which all are welcome.

THE Fellowship at the parish church meets next Thursday at 2.30pm. The Vicar of Cookham Dean, the Reverend John Copping in the January parish magazine says there were good congregations at midnight mass and at the family communion on Christmas morning. The Christmas Day service seems more popular now than the midnight mass.

ONCE every six years a new church electoral roll has to be prepared. At Cookham Dean Parish Church the compilation of the new roll starts on January 2l and will be completed by March 2. The annual parochial meeting will be in church after evensong on Palm Sunday, March 24. Lesley Fulker is now composing the flower rota for the year at the parish church. If you would like to arrange flowers (one arrangement only to the left of the altar) or sponsor them please contact Lesley at 01628 474779. You can sponsor flowers for a special memory or just to help the rota. The cost involved is about £8 to £10.

ROADS locally are in a better overall condition at present but Dean Lane at Cookham Dean remains in a bad state and requires urgent attention as it is used by parents at Herries School and is a commuter route.

By Judy Baylis