DISTRICT NEWS - TRING.

Tring Parish Church. — Services and music for fifth Sunday in Lent (Passion Sunday), March 21.

Holy Eucharist, 8 a.m.; matins, 11 a.m.; Venite and Psalms, Chants as set (Cathedral Psalter); Benedicite, Holloway in K; Benedictus, J. Turle; hymns 96, 111, 528. Evensong. 6.0 p.m. Psalms as set; Magnificat, Turner; Nunc Dimittis, Farrant; anthem, “God so loved the world;" hymn 184; “The Story of the Cross"; voluntary after evensong, “ Lead, kindly light," J. A. Neale. Wednesday, March 24: Evensong. 7; preacher, the Rev. Ernest Lang, D.D., vicar of Mentmore.

A. H. Baker, F.R.C.O., organist and choirmaster.

Missionary Services. — The annual meetings at New Mill in aid of the funds of the Baptist Missionary Society were held on Sunday and Monday. The Rev. Ernest Hemmens, the representative the Society, is connected with the medical auxiliary, and his addressee dealt in a large measure with this side of the Society’s work. The opportunities which are afforded in the hospitals for the spreading of religious knowledge were interestingly described at the service for children on Sunday afternoon.

On Monday night a public meeting was held, at which the Rev. W. W. Heading presided, and Mr. Hemmens was the principal speaker. The missionary anniversary services were interesting and instructive, and the duty of working for the evangelisation of the world was clearly and forcibly brought home to the congregations.

Prizes for Vegetables. — The Daily Mail £1,050 vegetable show to be held in London in September should provide a very good substitute for the many local horticultural shows which have been abandoned this year on account of the war. Mr. Arthur Dye, the popular and practical hon. secretary of the Tring Horticultural Society, was amongst the first to recognise this, and at once wrote to the conductors offering his support to scheme. In publishing Mr. Dye’s letter the Editor spoke of the Tring Society as "the charming and almost perfect Horticultural and Cottage Garden Society which has its centre in Lord Rothschild’s famous Tring Park in Hertfordshire."

Mr. Dye wrote follows:—“As Secretary, I beg to offer you support in your noble and valuable effort re the vegetable show, and shall be only too pleased to watch over any intending exhibitors in this district both in your interests and theirs. I consider your schedule most complete in every way.” There are several of the regular competitors at the Tring Show who should stand very fair chance of competing successfully in Class D, for the best collection of six distinct vegetables, and which is open to artisans and those employing no extra help. The prizes are: 1st. £100; 2nd. £25; 3rd. £20; 4th, £l5; 5th. £10; 6th. £5. The date when entries close will announced in due time. Mr. Arthur Dye, Tring Park Gardens, will be pleased to give any information or advice any cottagers in the district who would wish to compete.

WIGGINTON.

Baptist Chapel. - Wednesday, March 16th was the tenth anniversary of the opening of the Baptist Sunday School. The proceedings of the day commenced with tea for scholars and their friends. A short service was afterwards held, when addresses were delivered by Messrs. J. Bagnall and J. Brooks. An entertainment followed, all the items of which, consisting of recitations and solos, chiefly of a sacred character, were given by the scholars. The prizes gained during the past year were presented by Mr. Bagnall. After the singing of the National Anthem Mr. G. Fulks pronounced the Benediction. The following scholars took part in the entertainment: — Jessie Fulks, Daisy Eggleton, Muriell Rowe, Bessie White. Agnes Eggleton, Willie Dell, Florrie Dell. Kathie Rowe, Dorothy Rowe, George Birch, Lily Dell, Annie Gomme, Bertha Baker, Violet Eggleton, and Ernest Rowe. Miss Brooks also assisted. The Misses Fulks, of Hill Green, and the Misses L. and M. Rowe were chiefly responsible for the preparation of the programme.

THE TROOPS AT AYLESBURY.

Considerable progress has been made by the troops during the week, and the announcement in an evening paper that billeting will end in the middle of April has set householders wondering as to the duration of the stay the East and 10th Yorks and Northumberland Fusiliers in Aylesbury. The troops have been served with their full equipment, and yesterday (Friday) the 62nd Brigade was inspected at Aston Clinton by General Sir Edward Hutton, in command of the 21st Division. The Battalions left Aylesbury in ceremonial parade order they looked very smart in khaki, with belts and frogs, and marched exceedingly well.

AYLESBURY RURAL DISTRICT COUNCIL

Highways Committee. —  It was reported with regard to the road near the Church at Stoke Mandeville. complained of by the Rev. F. J. Winterton, that the special committee had inspected it and found it in a very bad condition. It was an award road, and therefore necessary repairs should be done by the Council. Having regard to the small number of houses served by the road, they did not suggest that any considerable expense should be incurred, but thought it advisable for the Surveyor as soon as possible to make up the entrance to the road and do sufficient work on the other portions by degrees, so make it passable. The question of tenders for road materials was left to a sub-committee. The Surveyor reported repairs to roads at Bishopstone, Lower Buckland. and Weston Turville, and asked for a further 50 tons of slag for the Halton Road. Forty men had been employed, and a cheque for .£140 for wages was required. The report was adopted.

SOLDIERS’ CONCERTS.

A very successful concert, arranged by Mrs. Williams, of Pendley Manor, was given in the Tennis Court, Pendley, on Saturday evening, 13th inst. A popular programme, admirably rendered, was received with great enthusiasm. Amongst those whose services Mrs. Williams secured were Miss Longman. Mr. and Mrs. Curtis, Lieut. Taylor, and Lieut. Wilding.

The second concert arranged by the executive of the Soldiers' Entertainment Fund was given in the Medical Inspection Hall on Tuesday evening. There was a crowded and moat appreciative audience. Colonel W. B. Mullins, the Rev. Kenneth Kirk, C.F., and a number of officers were present. Mr. Kendal Ward brought a company of talented artistes who evidently knew the kind of entertainment that appealed to soldiers. The organiser of the entertainment opened with "John Bull’s Catechism," which was quickly taken up the audience. Mr. Fred Groome’s "I want to meet the Kaiser" went with a "bang," and Mr. Alec Sait-Knight had a good reception. The vivacious Miss Floyd Ariston was a warm favourite with the "boys" from the first. They recalled her again and again, and she sang song after song with the utmost good humour and apparent enjoyment. Dr. Byrd Page, conjurer quite out of the ordinary run, succeeded in completely mystifying his audience by a number of tricks very smartly performed. He amused them, too, by his clever and, at times, mordant patter. Mr. R. St. Quinten Downes was a most efficient accompanist.

Programme 

Popular airs on the  pianoforte, Mr. E. St. Quinten Downes;

Song "John Bull's Catechism", Mr. H. Kendal Ward;

Humorous song, "I want to meet the Kaiser," Mr. Fred Groome;

Song, “Up from Zummerset," Mr. Alec Sait-Knight;

Song, “When Irish eyes are smiling," Miss Floyd Ariston;

Mystery. "Your eyes and his hand," Dr. Byrd Page;

Humorous song. “ Cheery Ho! Lad," Mr. Fred Groome;

Song, “A Dinder courtship," Mr. Alec Sait-Knight;

Comedy, “I’ll take a walk with any one of you," Miss Floyd Ariston.

Artistes engaged by the Soldiers' Entertainment Fund are giving a regular weekly concert at a number of centres where troops are in training, and as there are about 200 artistes on the books of the fund the programme is varied from week to week.

AYLESBURY PETTY SESSIONS

SATURDAY. MARCH 13

Present Mr. R. W. Locke (in the chair), Mr. W. Hazell, Dr. L. H. West, Mr. G. Clark. Mr. T. Thorne, and Major-General Swann.

Insufficient Lights. Private Thos. Mather, Aston Clinton, was summoned for not having the offside lamp of a motor car alight, at Aylesbury, on March 6. Defendant pleaded "not guilty to knowing that one of the lamps was out."

Inspector Kirby, stationed at Aylesbury, stated that Saturday, March 6, he was Temple-street at 9.30 p.m., where he saw defendant driving a motor car without a light on the offside. On his attention being called to the matter defendant remarked, "It must have just gone out. It was alight a short time ago." A large head-lamp was alight on the near side. The car projected 15in. beyond the lamp on the off side, and witness pointed out the danger of that.

Defendant said the lights were lit as he entered the town, and he could not see that the light was out. They were acetylene lamps on the car, and it was the one farthest from the generator which went out.

The Bench dismissed the case payment of the costs. 5s.