No Sewer, Street Lights or Pub
During hot summer months a pungent smell invades Preston Capes.
The reason is that the village is not on the council sewerage system. There is no piped sewerage and no main drainage. Most houses have septic tanks.
"The pong in the High Street in summer is often very strong," said Mrs. Farmer.
"There are still about three houses without flush toilets and this includes the Village Hall."
Preston Capes also has no street lighting - a fact which many residents don't mind.
What does disappoint them is the lack of a public house. A long walk to a neighboring village is necessary for a sup of ale, at pubs like The Kings Arms at Farthingstone and the Fleurs De Lys at Woodford Halse.
Preston Capes once had a pub called The Swan but is closed 40 years ago and is now a farmhouse.
"It would be nice to walk out for a quiet drink once in a while, but here you have to do out by car to an outside village," said Mrs. Farmer.
One reason why Preston Capes seems years behind other villages is that it has been classified as a conservation area and there is tight control on house building and development.
"The population has remained very similar as a result, with a total of about 170 people spread through the village and outlying farms," said Mrs. Farmer, who delivers the post to everyone.