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  • Perfect win for Thame cricketers – Four played, four won!

    FIRST XI win thriller in the last over – Last Saturday, July 15, at Buckingham, Thame were put in to bat in tough conditions and were quickly reduced to 18-2. However, a patient 70 from overseas pro Gamindu Kanishka, coupled with yet another 50 from the in-form James Adams held the innings together.

    Gami Kanishka

    Finally, Adam Phippen contributed a quickfire 44 to boost the total to 216-5. In response, Buckingham made a solid start, reaching 42, before skipper Michael Beard made the breakthrough. Hassam Mushtaq (3-72) and Andrew Russell (3-40) continued to pin back the Buckingham run chase with regular wickets. Despite this all three results were still possible going into the final over. With eight wickets down and requiring 17 runs, Buckingham’s Nuwan Jayasena dispatched the first two deliveries for four and six, before the ninth wicket left Thame needing just one wicket from the three remaining deliveries. This came two balls later, with Russell and Rooney combining for a run out to seal victory. Thame now sit fourth in the league and this Saturday will host Amersham.

    A third straight win for the seconds

    Thame second XI welcomed third-placed Witney Mills to Church Meadow but, winning the toss and electing to bat, they failed to gain much momentum. With the exception of runs from Matt Furness (44), Daniel Patey (23) and George Patey (20), fine bowling from Steve Kelly (4-40) and Sam Haselgrove (6-37) limited Thame’s total to a below-par 154. In response, Witney Mills’s chances of winning soon looked poor, thanks to impressive spells from Matt Ridgway (4-30) and Ali Thomas (4-34) that tore through the top order. Despite resistance from Nicholas Anderson-Pierce (52), Witney failed to reach Thame’s total and were dismissed for 125.

    Thame second XI are now fourth in the table and travel to Bletchley where they hope to capitalise on their great form.

    Thirds remain in promotion-hunt with convincing win

    Thame thirds beat Twyford thirds by 68 runs on a windy, overcast day, at Lord Williams’s ground. Thame were asked to bat first and Twyford exploited the tricky conditions, as wickets fell regularly. After 24 overs, Thame were 83 for 5. Guy Holmes made a brisk 21 but it was the lower order that saved the day as wicket-keeper Paddy Harris (25) and man- of- the-match Ian McStay (29), gave the home side a competitive total of 157. In reply, Twyford were pegged back with an excellent opening bowling spell from Pete Tervet (2-22) and John Phippen (0-14 from 7). Thame then took control of the match with James McStay (1-23), Vimal Desai (1-7) and a masterclass in accuracy from Ian McStay (5-17) dismissing Twyford for just 89.

    Thame travel to play Cropedy thirds this Saturday, July 22.

    Furness ton leads Sunday XI to huge win

    Dorchester-on-Thames visited Church Meadow on Sunday, July 16, and chose to bat first. With some big hitting, the visitors posted an impressive 207-6, thanks largely to an opening 83 from Redhead. Thame however, wasted no time in replying, as skipper Matt Furness hit a lightning-fast 109, before retiring in favour of the youngsters. Ben Buckland finished the job with 56 not out, as Thame won by seven wickets in 23 overs.

  • ‘My 25 years in a changing NHS’ by a Thame GP

    DUNCAN Keeley was a GP Partner at The Rycote Practice in Thame, for nearly 25 years before retiring in December of last year. Since then, he has been reflecting on his two and half decades working within a changing NHS, and has agreed to share his thoughts with Thame.Net – and he doesn’t pull any punches!

    Dr Duncan Keeley

    “WHEN I left the Rycote Practice in December I had been working in the NHS for 37 years and working here for nearly 25 years. It’s a strange experience, saying goodbye to people you have looked after for a long time and I am very grateful to my patients. Our patients look after us well here.

    “In 1991 I was a partner in London, but when my wife’s job moved to Aylesbury I needed to find a practice nearby. It has been an enormous privilege to be part of a caring & supportive team that provides, I think, excellent care for patients. Much has changed since 1992. Our health centre buildings have been redeveloped & upgraded three times. Our team of nurses, healthcare assistants & administrators has grown in number, and their expertise and their role in patient care have developed enormously. We have taken on a steadily increasing amount of the outpatient medical care that used to be done in hospitals – and do this work to a high standard.”

    What are the challenges for the NHS & for the practice?

    “Doctors differ in their views on what the major problems are but these are my thoughts. Health care funding in the UK remains low by international standards, and the share of NHS funding going to patient care in general practice has fallen in the last 10 years – while our workload has increased. This is exactly the opposite of what is needed if more care is going to be done closer to home.

    “In 2004 general practitioners lost the duty to organise care for their patients outside normal working hours. Responsibility for this grave mistake was shared between government and the GPs. Things could not have continued as they were, but the change was badly handled & has never been put right. Better investment in out-of-hours urgent primary care is badly needed. Growth in the size of primary care teams & the increase in part time working by doctors has reduced continuity of care. Continuity of care is better for both patients and doctors. Repeatedly, poorly thought out re-organisations of the health service by governments of all political parties have wasted money and energy over and over again. The biggest problem is the foolish notion that the NHS would work better as a patchwork of competing private businesses. This has been far too influential and now threatens the NHS itself. Co-operation is better than competition in the provision of health services.

    “I believe that the Rycote Practice has handled these challenges as well as any practice I know. We have managed to keep the atmosphere of care and mutual support among colleagues that I appreciated so much when I came here. We have an excellent team and growing support from our patient participation group and the wider community. At a time of difficulty in recruitment we continue to attract great people to work with us. We play a major role in training the medical students and GPs of the future.

    “I hope and trust that the Rycote Practice will continue to provide great care for the people of Thame. I hope it will continue to defend the founding principles of the NHS – they need defending. And I hope that a young GP starting out now will in 25 years look back on their career with as much pleasure as I do mine.”

  • Popular music festival reports tickets selling fast.

    IT’S looking like a bumper year for Towersey Festival as the long-running annual music event reports that 85% of the Weekend Tickets have been sold – and the festival is still over a month away!

    Held in Thame, on the Thame Show ground, over the August Bank Holiday festival, August 25-28, the festival this year will feature headline appearances from rejuvenated songstress KT Tunstall, troubadour Newton Faulkner, former Bellowhead frontman Jon Boden, Eliza Carthy and The Wayward Band, the chart-topping Blockheads, and Show Of Hands.

    Joining them are Newcastle folk rock legends Lindisfarne, Ed Sheeran co-writer Foy Vance, and comedian Rob Deering, while The Gary Stewart Band perform their acclaimed tribute to Paul Simon’s seminal Graceland album.

    With the full programme now released, Towersey boasts 12 stages which are set to host over 150 events across four days and nights.

    In addition to experiencing faster selling Weekend Tickets (which cover all four days of the festival), Towersey has also witnessed a 20% increase in Day Ticket sales.

    “We’ve been really bowled over by the speed in which tickets have been flying out this year,” said Towersey Festival Director Joe Heap.

    “We believe it’s down to a combination of elements. These include the strength of our programming across the board – from the big names like KT Tunstall and our extensive range of workshops, to late night dances and popular activities for younger festival-goers – but also our commitment to improving site infrastructure and considering the importance of the entire festival experience.

    “We spend a great deal of time on what many may consider the finer details, from ensuring visitors are welcomed and ease of access, to sourcing local independent breweries for our well-stocked bars and making sure there’s plenty of room on the campsites for everyone. And we’re always trying to improve what we do.”

    One of the UK’s longest-running independent music festivals, Towersey has been a much-loved annual event on the UK’s festival calendar since 1965, regularly attracting 7-10,000 people who enjoy a range of singer-songwriters, acoustic, folk and roots acts, and activities – all in a safe, welcoming environment.

    Towersey Weekend Tickets are just £136 (adult), £115 (conc), Youth (12-17yrs) £99, Child (5-11yrs) £57, with under 5s free. Individual Day Tickets are available from £30 (adult), £21 (youth), £14 (child) and under 5s free. Camping is from £10 (per Adult/ Youth per night), Resident Discounts are available (until Aug 20), and car parking is free.

    Towersey Festival runs from Friday 25 to Monday 28 August 2017 at Thame Showground, Oxfordshire. For more details and tickets see: www.towerseyfestival.com

     

  • New unit on popular Industrial Park, now available

    Advertorial – THE first speculative development for some considerable time has just been completed at Crendon Industrial Park, Long Crendon. It comprises a detached 29,000 sq ft Industrial/Warehouse building in the centre of this very popular estate.

    Reflecting the latest Building Regulations to provide improved energy performance, this includes motor-sensor lighting, gas heating and improved thermal insulation. The eaves height is 8m; there are three electric loading doors and a 50kn/m² floor loading.

    The unit includes a first floor, fully-finished Office content of approximately 2,000 sq ft, a fenced and secure rear Yard, and the benefit of a new electrical sub-station for increased power up to 1000 KVA, if required.

    The well-established estate is ideally-located for access to the M40, and one of the more important facilities that benefits the occupiers is the provision of evening and weekend security.

    More details and information can be obtained via Fields, 7 Buttermarket, Thame, 01844 261121 or www.fieldscommercial.com.

  • Zak storms through tournament but pipped in play-offs

    THE latest junior one-day squash tournament on July 15, at Racquets Fitness Centre proved to be a very exciting tournament. The results were vastly different to the previous tournament where many of the players had been testing out their competitive game for the first time.

    Zak Young, one of the Racquets Academy players, struggled to compete in the tournament earlier in the year but a determined effort of improvement over the last few months proved how much a player can change in a short time.

    All the players showed great enthusiasm for the game, supporting other Racquets players despite them being the competition! This all comes down to the great spirit we have at Racquets.

    The majority of the juniors were all very closely matched so we had one grade of 16 players. Each player played with determination and fantastic competitive spirit.

    Zak Young, age 10, who joined the academy as one of the original five back in December 2016, showed just how far he has come. The other children in the academy all had previous racket skills so Zak started at a disadvantage. Not to be deterred he worked hard to learn the game of squash and did so with enthusiasm and listened carefully to his coaches. This was Zak’s second tournament and he played like he had never played before. His first match was a hard one when his competitor got distressed throughout the game, Zak stayed composed and focused and allowed his competitor to calm down in between serves.

    Zak won all of his games in his group and was gracious with every win showing the true colours of good sportsmanship. Zak’s coach, Sue Martin Downhill, said: “I am incredibly proud of just how far Zak has come in eight months and I am delighted to see how the free coaching Zak has received through the academy has paid off. Zak is a very good example of why we offer children a chance in the academy.”

    Zak’s mum Zoe said: “I am incredibly proud of Zak and how hard he has worked at learning squash as he didn’t find it easy at the beginning. It has been wonderful to see the passion Zak shows for squash and his temperament towards the other players was exceptional, he was one point away from being joint first; it was a nerve wracking final to say the least!”

    Through some very long games, the outcome of this tournament was first place to Joe Johnson, second place, Zak Young and third place Alex Glover, all of whom are Racquets Academy players.

    New to the academy, Richard Wheeler, Andrew Worby and Alex Bozon, all showed tremendous courage in playing against some hard competition and kept their cool under pressure too. Really great sportsmanship!

    Laszlo Garson, from Abingdon, was the youngest player in the tournament at age seven. His competition was notable because he was playing against much older and physically stronger players. Throughout the matches of the tournament we could all see his composure, confidence and skill improving. He will be a force to be reckoned with within the next six months.

    The top grade of the tournament was a demonstration of quality coaching and keenness. The winner and runner-up were the same age as the grade below but have been playing for a few years now. Alex Smith, age 10 from Abingdon, won with style, closely followed in second place by Ambrose Garson age 11, also from Abingdon, who played incredibly well.

    We look forward to seeing the changing standards of all the players over the course of the next few Racquets one-day squash tournaments.

    For more information about playing squash, whether from a young age or starting later in life, contact Sue or Simon at Racquets Fitness Centre on 01844 261754.

    SOURCE: Contributed by Zoe Young.

  • BBC stars heading for Thame’s TAL festival

    THE award-winning presenter, broadcaster and journalist Jeremy Vine will be visiting the Thame Arts and Literature Festival (TAL) this year to entertain visitors to the festival with a presentation about his book What I Learnt, described as ‘The insider’s account of today’s BBC.”

    Jeremy Vane and Dame Jenni Murray

    Due to his very heavy schedule, Jeremy has made time to visit Thame on Wednesday, October 11, at 7pm – a day earlier than the festival’s published start. “We’re thrilled,” said Yvonne as Maxwell, Founder of TAL. “We know his talk will make a great opening event to our eighth annual TAL Festival.”

    Jeremy Vine is best known for his own BBC Radio 2 programme and as the host of TV’s quiz show, Eggheads, plus, of course, his infamous Strictly Come Dancing moves and election specials.

    ‘There aint nothin like a Dame’ as the song goes and another exciting event and guaranteed sell-out, will be Dame Jenni Murray, journalist, author and broadcaster, best known for presenting BBC Radio 4’s Woman’s Hour since 1987. She’ll be in conversation about her latest book, A History of Britain in 21 Women, A Personal Selection.

    As it says on TAL’s latest News letter, ‘If you add into the mix other well-known names coming to Thame, such as Charles Spencer, Mike Read, DJ and all-round expert in pop music, and actor Ray Brooks, this year’s TAL Festival looks like shaping up to be another wonderful occasion.’

    From journalists and playwrights to art historians, biographers, actors and crime writers, with so many interesting speakers and inspiring events are on offer this year, promising a real treat whatever your age.

    Tickets go on sale from August 1, so make a note of your favourite events now by checking the TAL Festival programme 2017 on the website HERE – and get ready to book!

  • First XI fall to five-wicket defeat at home to Datchet

    AFTER winning the toss and batting, Thame Town Cricket Club’s firsts were immediately in trouble against the spin of Datchet’s Chris Peploe on Saturday, July 8. An excellent partnership between Richie Straughan (30) and Jimmy Adams 54, steadied the ship, but Thame never really got going and were eventually dismissed for 157 with one ball of their allotted 58 overs to spare.

    James Adams

    Peploe bowled from one end throughout the innings, finishing with figures of 7-48. In reply, Thame’s bowlers created chances but it was not to be their day. Steven Naylor held the Datchet innings together with 54 and the visitors ultimately chased the target down for the loss of 5 wickets with 15 overs to spare. Thame travelled to Buckingham this Saturday looking to bounce back. (Report to come)

    Back-to-back wins for the second XI

    THAME seconds have made it 2-from-2 so far in July, with a hard-fought 58-run victory away against Stokenchurch last weekend (July 8/9). Batting first, Thame’s score of 241 all out was anchored by skipper Matt Furness (76), ably supported by Dan Patey (58) and Christian Warwick (46). In reply, Stokenchurch got off to a flyer with an opening stand of 82 in 12 overs, putting Thame’s total under pressure.

    However, once Latif was dismissed by Ali Thomas, Thame’s bowlers slowly gained the upper hand. With tw0 more wickets for Thomas, and one for Ben Warwick, the introduction of Chris Penny then literally swung the game Thame’s way. A deadly spell of 6 for 36 ripped through the middle and lower order, to give Thame an excellent win against the division’s second-placed team. They faced Witney Mills at home last Saturday. (Report to come)

    Thirds battle to draw against Kimble seconds

    PUT in to bat, Kimble got off to a flying start, putting on 88-0 off 15 overs, thanks to T. Skeggs (49) and A. Singh (34). Jamie Wiles (1-18) and James McStay (2 -23) were the pick of the bowlers and restored some control.

    However, powerful hitting by Tizzard (102*) then made Thame wilt on a hot, sunny day as Kimble reached 279-4. In reply, Thame started well with skipper Vimal Desai (26) and Joe Phippen (12) taking them to 45 after 11 overs, but a mini-collapse reduced them to 54 for 4 after 13 overs. Ian Chappell (59), James McStay (32) and Matt Anderson (27) ensured that Thame posted a respectable drawing score of 183-7 at the close. Thame are now fifth in the table and next play Twyford thirds, who sit in third position.

    Thame lose by just eight runs in T20 vs Horspath

    ON Thursday, July 6, Thame travelled to Horspath in the Bernard Tollett T20 Cup. At the halfway point of the innings, Horspath were on course for over 200, with Tom Cosford blasting 83 of 34 balls, but Hassam Mushtaq (2-15) and Mike Higgs (2-19) limited the hosts to 157 all out. Thame’s chase fell just eight runs short, following Callum Russell’s 43 from 29 balls. Andy Russell’s two sixes in a row at the end made for an exciting finish, but it was to no avail. Thame hosted Oxford Downs on Thursday, July 13t. Report to follow.

    Thame Under-11s win their Oxfordshire League pool

    LAST Sunday, July 9, Thame Under-11s finished their regular league season in style, with a 98-run win over Tiddington, at home, thereby topping pool two, ahead of Horspath, Aston Rowant, MP Academy, Oxford and Tiddington. They amassed 140 for 1 in 20 overs with Daniel Laws, Zac Harris, Monty Muncaster and Theo Ransby all retiring on at least 25. In reply, Tiddington were skittled for 42, with Will Beerling taking three wickets and Matthew Cayley a rare hat-trick ! They travelled to Great Tew on Sunday, 16, for the County Finals day. Report to follow.

  • Death of popular butcher

    THE funeral of popular local butcher, Chris Wren, took place yesterday, Thursday, July 13, at Ludgershall church.

    The late Chris Wren, with his ‘Service with a smile’ award in May 2016

    Chris, who lived at Brill and ran the butcher’s shop in Buttermarket, Thame, was officially recognised for his good-natured service and helpfulness, when he was voted for by the public, to receive the ‘Service with a Smile’ award at last May’s Thame Town Awards, held at the Barns Centre.

    Chris’s death came at the end of an 11 year battle with cancer.

  • New £100 K funding scheme for community projects

    A new, £100k match funding scheme for community projects has been launched in South Oxfordshire and Vale of White Horse.

    GLL, the UK’s largest charitable social enterprise, in partnership with crowd funding organisation Spacehive, has launched the GLL Community Foundation in the two districts.

    The Foundation will provide grant funding and practical ‘in kind’ support with a value of up to £5,000 per individual project, to a wide range of community schemes. These could include creating or renovating public spaces such as parks or gardens, running sports tournaments or supporting cultural or community events.

    As well as the Foundation’s financial contributions, GLL staff are available to offer practical support and consultancy, while crowd funder, Spacehive, provides a platform for local schemes to build support and fundraise from within their own community. A successful pilot scheme took part in 2016, seeing the GLL Community Foundation help six projects, raising £64,300 worth of cash and in kind support from 547 individual backers.

    Chris Symons, Director of Business Development at GLL said: “We’re delighted to be launching the GLL Community Foundation in South Oxfordshire and Vale of White Horse. We’re calling on local clubs, schools, charities and social enterprises that are looking to make positive change within the community, to consider the crowd funding model we have created. Not only will they have access to match funding of up to £5,000 and practical ‘in kind’ support, they will also have the chance to engage with and seek support from local residents via Spacehive’s crowd funding platform.

    Chris Gourlay, Founder and CEO at Spacehive added: “This exciting partnership represents the powerful effect of what can be achieved through the collaboration of communities, councils and companies. GLL are working closely with local communities to create a ‘place for everyone’ and through meaningful engagement with the people who live in the area have done just that.”

    Any organisations in South Oxfordshire and Vale of White Horse interested in learning more about the GLL Community Foundation and how it may be able to support their project should email: communityfoundation@gll.org

  • Thame’s Mayor recalls ‘One of the most enjoyable days I have ever experienced’

    FOLLOWING the stunning success of the first Thame Town music Festival on Saturday (July 8), for the Mayor of Thame, Cllr Tom Wyse, like so many others who were there, the event has been his main topic of conversation ever since.

    Today, Cllr Wyse told Thame.Net how he came to be involved in helping to organise the festival and what its success has meant to him personally:

    “Jonnie Littler proposed the idea of a music festival at a council meeting on Octobr 25, 2016. I volunteered to become a council representative for the festival, never dreaming that I would be elected as Thame Mayor and that I would have the honour to open the first festival.

    “I have lived in Thame all my life and the music festival is one of the most enjoyable days I have ever experienced.”

    “All the hard work at many meetings of the organising committee provided a great music event for many Thame people. I look forward to next years event and once again a big ‘thank you’ to all the volunteers who made it possible.”

    FULL festival report here: https://www.thame.net/archives/28299