NEWS CALL: The AGM of the Chipping Norton News will be held at the White Hart next Tuesday at 7.30pm. The news team would welcome local people with an interest in the town, to come along to the meeting to support them in their continuing endeavours at providing an informative paper for the community.

D-DAY FOR DUEL USE CENTRE: The final decision on the Duel-use centre will be made next Tuesday. The 4 million National Lottery funding has been agreed in principle, but a final decision is yet to be made. People in the town have been calling for better leisure facilities for a number of years, and it was hoped that the centre would address this imbalance within West Oxfordshire. Plans for the new centre include a 25 metre indoor swimming pool, sports hall, squash courts and new outdoor tennis courts, to be built in the grounds of Chipping Norton school. If the funding is agreed, this will surely be a grand Christmas present for the town.

CHRISTMAS CONCERT: 100 years of music will be celebrated at a concert on December 9, raising money for Highlands Day Centre. The concert will be held at Chipping Norton School and include performances from North Cotswold Recorder Group, Male Voice Choir, the Nortonians and CHAOS. Tickets are priced £5 and available from the Age Concern Shop, Market Street.

CHARITY BAZAAR: On Saturday a Christmas Bazaar will be held at the West Street Doctor's Surgery, to help raise funds for the Lawrence Home Nursing Team. Dr Lawrence, whom the nursing team are named after, worked at the surgery before his death in 1999.

JEWELLERY FROM THE ORIENT: Nepalese silversmith, Bijendra Tamraker will be holding a sale of handmade silver jewellery, paper goods, including lampshades, journals and notepads, and a range of woollen shawls all from Nepal, at Redrobe House, Church Street on the evening of next Wednesday. If you want something unique and different for Christmas drop in between 7-9pm and enjoy the beautiful crafts from the orient.

COFFEE FOR CRISIS: A coffee morning will be held in the Methodist Church Hall on December 13, in aid of Crisis at Christmas. Refreshments are served from 9.30am-11.30am.

HORTICULTURAL MEETING: Mr John Grantham took the chair for the AGM of the Horticultural Association which was held in the town hall on November 15. Bill Turner reported on the years activities and Derek Morrison, the treasurer, reported a loss of over £500, due largely to the cost of the millennium stone. Subscription were raised to £5 per annum and the chairman and offices for the committee were re-elected en-bloc. Concluding the meeting Mr Grantham, on behalf of the town and millennium committee thanked Mr Turner for all the hard work and effort he had put into creating the millennium garden and also for organising the Chipping Norton in Bloom competition which was hoped to become an annual event. It was announced that at the next meeting, Mrs Jenny Copeland would be giving a Christmas Demonstration. A competition for the best had decorated Christmas Card would be held and the usual refreshments served.

CHRISTMAS RAFFLE: On December 9 a special Christmas raffle will be held by the Red Lion in Market Street, to raise money for Katherine House. Tickets are available from the bar now.

RAILWAY WALK: A pre-Christmas ramble in and around Charlbury will be held on Saturday. Led by Cotswold Voluntary Warden's Martin and Lucy Squires, the walk leaves the Railway Station at 10.40am, after the arrival of the 9.55am train from Oxford.

VICTORIAN BAUBLE: A performance of Victorian music will be held at St Nicholas's Church, Chadlington, on December 10. Soprano Kipper Chipperfield, spinet and organ player Richard Miller and flutist Nina Morgan will be amongst the performers, which will include both music and readings. Tickets cost £5 and are available from Chadlington School or on the door. For more information please call Nina Morgan on 676530.

CATS BAZAAR: The local branch of the Cats Protection will be holding a Christmas Bazaar on Saturday in the Town Hall, from 10am to 3pm. Cats Protection goods, Daisy Root Ceramics and home made cakes are just some of the items on offer during the event and you are also invited to come and meet Crocket the cat.

RAILWAY MEETING: The Railway Club will be holding their next meeting next Tuesday in the Methodist Hall, starting at 7.30pm.

POSTCARD TALK: The Postcard Club will meet at the Further Education Centre, Chipping Norton School next Monday at 7.30pm.