MORE than 80 villagers gathered at a ceremony to unveil the new village sign in Speen.

The sign, standing at more than 6ft in height, was revealed last Saturday outside the village shop, Chapel Hill.

Buried under the sign a shield bearing icons of past and present village life is a time capsule containing a full village electoral roll and other articles and objects.

Speen parish councillor Peter Symonds, who designed the shield, explained: "There is quite a strong community spirit in Speen and the sign has gone down well."

The project was organised by the Speen Millennium Committee and Speen Parish Council.

A new book, The Leaves of Time, recording the history of the village, has also been produced by village historians.

Villager John Radford, of Abbotswood Road, Speen, said: "This sign will be a lasting memory of the heritage of this small village on top of the Chilterns."