UPDATE: View the video of the bonfire here.­

Once again this year you are cordially invited to a themed Bonfire and Firework evening, in the tradition of extravaganzas of previous years. Following our previous Great Fires of The Houses of Parliament, HS2, Pudding Lane, Star Wars Space Ship, Nuclear Power Plant and Nottingham Castle, the same team is proud to present Jurassic Park, complete with smoking Dinosaur, lights and themed Music – a scene the children will love.

For the “Bring a Guy” competition we would welcome effigies of Prehistoric Monsters

We have a huge Firework Display, plus a Bar and BBQ Burgers/ Sausages.

It promises to be another great evening, starting at 5:30 on Saturday 3rd November on Speen Playing Fields. Tickets in advance are now available at Speen Stores (discounted – £18 Family Ticket (2 adults 2 children), £6 Adult, £4 under 16) or
On the Gate, on the Night (£20 Family Ticket, £7 Adult, £5 under 16)

Hope to see you all there – Click Here for the DinoFire poster!.

The picturesque Hampden Arms is situated in the beautiful Chiltern Hills and has been serving high-quality home cooked food since the 1980’s.

Since March 2003 Constantine and Louise Lucas have run this pub – Constantine as Head Chef and Louise as Front of House. Together with their dedicated and continuous team of staff they have continued the tradition of good quality food and have put their own special touches on their menus, particularly with some Greek signature dishes.

With a full a la carte menu, blackboard specials and a lunch snack menu there is something to suit all tastes. There is also a regular quiz night and frequent special events – making good use of the extensive gardens. Not to mention the nearby cricket square!

Louise and Constantine look forward to greeting you with a warm and friendly welcome and hope you enjoy your time and meal at the Hampden Arms.

The Marquee is mainly used for local village events (Fetes, Funday, Festival, etc). It is also occasionally available for hire by villagers of Speen, Hampden and North Dean. The hire income covers repairs and insurance costs, with any surplus being put into a reserve for the Marquee’s eventual replacement.

The Marquee is managed through a small management group and a team of trained (well, enthusiastic!) volunteer erectors  Each hiring requires a team of 8-12  drawn from a pool of about 100 volunteers who were each persuaded in a weak moment to give over their email address.

After several years experience the erections now usually go very smoothly. They also provide much amusement (both for team members and spectators!) and a good opportunity to meet other villagers. To save time and effort a dedicated trailer, motorised stake hammer and a stake puller have been purchased.

The first marquee reached the end of its usable life at the end of the 2008 season. So it was replaced with a new one of the same size and type, made by Weatherills at Thetford, Suffolk. The Grand Opening took place in 2009 when Pastor Andy Gower led a mass blessing by villagers.

The new marquee cost £10,000 including new matting and groundsheets etc. We sold the old on eBay for £1,650, used £8.700 from our hirings reserve, and raised the remainder from a Grand Draw. Nearly all villagers bought tickets for the Draw. 

James Entwisle, Jeremy Symondson, Ashley Cooper and Greg Cook are the current leaders of the erection teams. New volunteers are very welcome.  

Marquee interior 

For information on the Marquee contact John Holmes (01494 488420 or jholmes@nildram.co.uk).

Speen Church of England (VA) School

Many children in the village move to Speen School just before their fifth birthday and stay there from Reception to Year Two (7-year-olds).

Speen School is a Voluntary Aided Infant School and maintains strong links with the combined parish of Lacey Green, Loosley Row and Speen and with the Parish Church of St John’s.

From the age of seven, children from the Speen catchment area fall into the catchment for St John’s CE (VA) Combined School.

Fund Raising Events

The new Speen Marquee will be delivered in May.  

The first erection is planned for Wednesday 3^rd June on the Playing Field. We are hoping for a good turnout of the village ‘volunteer’ erectors, who have done an excellent job over the years, to learn about the different erection method. 

We are then holding a Social and ‘Grand Opening’ for all villagers, including children, on Friday 5^th June from 6.00 pm. You are very welcome.

The marquee will cost £10,000. We make a charge to each hirer. The resulting fund is nearly enough to pay for the new marquee. However, we are £800 short. So we are planning a raffle with excellent prizes to raise the shortfall. Tickets will be sold around the village. The draw will take place on the Opening night. Please give this your support.

Many thanks,

John Holmes

(HW 488420)