I was saddened to hear this week that one of our community correspondants had died.

Val Price was a real village stalwart in Oaksey and devoted years to the place.

I met her a couple of times and she was a nice lady who was immensely proud of her village.

She will be missed, not least by us who will struggle to replace her.

She would have appreciated my favourite story of this week so far, which happened out near Lacock.

A policeman out on patrol in the early hours of the morning spotted a Mondeo with three men heading the oposite way and became suspicious.

He pulled them over and found 71 chickens stuffed in the back. They had been rustled from nearby Folly Farm.

Happily the not so free range chickens were all okay and they were returned to the owner, but not after they had to spend the rest of the night in the dog kennel at Melksham police station.

I just can't help wondering what the rustlers were going to do with 71 hens. That is one hell of a barbecue.

There is a rumour circulating that a lad from Chippenham is about to appear on Big Brother. It is about time, after nine series and more contestants than there were chickens in that Mondeo, that we had someone from our area on the show.

I decided not to run with the story this week for fear of, to continue the poultry theme, being left with egg on our face.

I do hope I'm proved wrong and it turns out to be true though.