ONE person had to be released from their car with cutting equipment earlier today, following a two-car collision in Oxford Road, Thame, near the junction with Cuttlebrook Gardens.
The scene of the collision shortly before the emergency services arrived around 11.30am today – Thanks to Barry Yates for the image
Neighbours described a very loud noise ‘like a bomb going off’ before rushing out to find out what had happened.
The Emergency services were quickly on the scene, shortly after a nurse a few cars behind the incident came to the aid of those affected, and the road was closed.
It is not known at this time how serious the casualty’s injuries are or whether they were taken to hospital.
IN response to Wednesday’s report about concerns for the future of Thame Community Hospital, Amelia Williamson, Head of Communications for Buckinghamshire Healthcare NHS Trust told Thame.Net : “We would like to reassure people that there are no plans to close Thame Hospital. On the contrary, we want to expand and provide more care closer to people’s homes.
“Over the last year we have been working with our partners, staff and the public to discuss and develop a vision for ‘community hubs’ – exploring how we can bring together health, care and the voluntary sector to support people to manage their health and wellbeing.
“These discussions are still ongoing and we are committed to continuing to involve our communities and create hubs that will best meet the needs of local people.”
When pressed further to answer specific questions arising out of Dr Ken Burch’s expressed concerns, i.e. Is it intended to close all the beds at Thame Hospital? Is a pilot scheme to be carried out and what exactly is to be piloted?, Ms Williamson said:
“We are in the process of finalising plans so are not in a position to respond to your specific questions at this time. We will be happy to clarify next steps as soon as we are in a position to do so.”
M40 southbound between J8A and J8 | Southbound | Road Works – 26-01-2017 03:20 PM GMT
Status : Pending. Lane Closures : Lanes 2 and 3 will be closed. Schedule : From 22:00 on 26 January 2017 to 06:00 on 27 January 2017. Location : The M40 southbound between junctions J8A and J7 . Lanes Closed : There will be two of three lanes closed. Reason : Roadworks are planned.
SUPPORTERS of Thame’s Community Hospital are pleading with the local NHS Trust for more transparency and more public consultation about plans to close beds and run a pilot scheme for alternative uses of the building.
Thame Hospital – Image Copyright Thame.Net
Retired GP, Ken Burch, President of the Hospital’s League of Friends, told Thame.Net: “We have just learned that Buckinghamshire Healthcare NHS Trust is about to enter into staff consultations on a pilot project for Thame Community Hospital. This pilot consists of closing the few remaining beds in the Hospital, retaining some of the current day care services and possibly trying out new, unspecified services.
“Because it is structured as a pilot study, or trial, the Trust does not believe that it has to put the proposals out to general public consultation. We fear that this could be the first step in the closure of Thame Community Hospital by stealth, and urge the Trust to clarify its proposals and disseminate their details more widely.”
It is common knowledge that the current eight beds at the hospital are being used mainly to relieve ‘bed blocking’ at Stoke Mandeville, Tring, Wycombe, Winslow and other places and not seen as serving the local community.
Buckinghamshire Healthcare NHS Trust were approached for a response but were unable to comment at short notice. A spokesperson for the Trust however, did say that it had held several engagement sessions with local people about the future of the services it has responsibility for, including proposed Community Hubs. She asked that attention be drawn to the Trust’s website: LINK HERE
ADAM Coaker, 35, of Peppard Road, Emmer Green, was sentenced on Tuesday, December 6, and Graham Aitken, 53, of Southcote Lane, Reading, was sentenced last Thursday (19/1) in connection with these offences. Both men appeared at Oxford Crown Court.
Adam Coaker
The sentencings were in connection with a burglary at a commercial car garage on Lupton Road and a theft from a car in which a registration plate was stolen on Grenville Road, both in Thame, on 17 December 2015.
Both men were located and arrested by Reading Local CID on the morning of the offences. They were later charged on December 18, 2015, and were convicted on November 16, 2016.
Coaker pleaded guilty at the beginning of the trial and Aitken was later found guilty by a jury at the same court.
Coaker was sentenced to 21 months in prison for the burglary offence and four months in prison for the theft from a vehicle, to run concurrently. Aitken was sentenced to 21 months imprisonment, suspended for two years.
Investigating officer PC David Simpkins, formally of South and Vale Local CID, said: “The crimes committed by both men took place just before Christmas, when the victims should have been enjoying the festive period, not having to deal with the repercussions of these offences.
“Hopefully this sentence sends out a message that burglary and theft offences are taken seriously by Thames Valley Police, and our officers will conduct thorough investigations to ensure every effort is made to bring offenders to justice.”
FOLLOWING the tragic death of four year-old Barnaby Cork in December, a JustGiving fund set up by his father Stefan, in support of the air ambulance, has raised over £27,000.
To support this fundraising effort, Thame resident, Max Davie, supported by Cornerstone Baptist Church, is holding a Pop Up Board Game Café, on Sunday, February 5, at John Hampden School, Thame, in the Vernon Hall, between 3 – 6pm.
“It costs £10,000 every time the air ambulance takes off in an emergency,” said Max, “and this is all funded by charitable giving and fundraisers. We want to support this wonderful cause to ensure that the Air Ambulance can continue to provide emergency help whenever needed.”
Thames Valley Air Ambulance operates 365 days a year saving lives but doesn’t receive any Government or lottery funding. It costs £2.2 million pounds a year to keep in the air and this is only possible through charitable giving, pubic sponsorship and fund raising events.
The Pop up Board Game Café is suitable for all ages, and will offer a perfect opportunity for friends and family to crowd around a table in a battle of wits, or simply to have some fun. In recent years board games have seen a renaissance, with thousands of titles released each year. There will be plenty of choice of games to play from the more traditional like Jenga and Buckaroo, to the less well known such as Ticket to Ride, Small World and Settlers of Catan. Game Waiters will be on hand to help with setting up and playing less familiar games.
Refreshments and a sandwich tea will be available and there will be a raffle for some great board games.
“It’s amazing how the community has come together to support this fantastic cause”, said Max. “John Hampden school has allowed us the use of their hall without charge, and raffle prizes have been donated by Thirsty Meeples Board game café, Osprey Games and Oxford Games Company, which means that every penny given can be donated to the Thames Valley Air Ambulance.”
Four-year-old Barnaby Cork was fatally injured in a collision with a car in Thame on Saturday, December 10, outside Thame Leisure Centre.
THAME Cinema 4 All, have received approval to show the Beatles documentary, Eight Days a Week, on February 5 (subject to very strict Copyright constraints to the publicity images used and the film’s synopsis. So, here goes:
“In 1962 four young men – John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison and Ringo Starr – came together to form the 20th century musical phenomenon known as ‘The Beatles’. The band stormed Europe in 1963 and, in 1964, they conquered America.
“Their groundbreaking world tours changed global youth culture forever and, arguably, invented mass entertainment as we know it today. All the while, the group were composing and recording a series of extraordinarily successful singles and albums. However, the relentless pressure of such unprecedented fame (which in 1966 became uncontrollable turmoil) led to the decision to stop touring.
“In the ensuing years, The Beatles were then free to focus on a series of albums that changed the face of recorded music. Master storyteller and Oscar winner, Ron Howard, explores this incredible journey in his own unique way: How did The Beatles do this? How did they cope with all the fame and pressure? How did they not only survive, but go on to revolutionise popular music?
“With original interviews, footage, staggering live performances, and the intimate study of character that Ron Howard is known for, he puts us right inside this extraordinary adventure, answering the question everyone always wants to know: What was it like to be there?”
FOLLOWING the withdrawal of a planning application for a care home on parkland at The Elms, off Thame Upper High Street, improved recreation facilities at Elms Park itself next door, have been put on-hold.
View of The main house at The Elms from Elms Park, Thame
In a report to town councillors, the Town Clerk, Graham Hunt, stated: “The Elms Park Improvement project is now on hold until there is more clarity on available funding. A large part of the funds are dependent on a section 106 contribution from the development (Ed. Developer, Rectory Homes) of the adjacent site at The Elms. Planning permission remains for the original application for 37 dwellings.
“The subsequent planning application for Extra Care housing at The Elms has been withdrawn.
“The work by the Open Spaces Working Group on the Elms Improvement Project has now been concluded. There have been various suggestions (and agreements) that the Working Group should now turn its attention to more general litter, dog fouling and bye law issues. An initial meeting to commence that work will be arranged in due course.”
You can read the back-story to the proposed Elms Park development and associated proposals for the public park next door, HERE
The Town Clerk’s report will be discussed tonight (January 24) at Thame Town Council’s Community, Leisure and Recreation committee’s meeting at the town hall, at 6.30pm.
SINGER-Songwriter, Nikki Loy, a popular and regular performer at Thame’s First Thursday Music Club, has talking about her terror at being the victim of a drive-by shooting.
Singer-songwriter, Nikki Loy
Writing on her website, Nikki wrote: “Luna Van Blanc (my van) and I were the victims of a drive by shooting! Sounds mad doesn’t it! Hard to believe but it happened.
“On Friday night (January 20), I pulled over beside Swanbourne Lake in Arundel to make some dinner and put away my laundry. I’d been stopped there for about two hours when I heard a car with a loud exhaust race by, and a BIG bang. I jumped out of my skin, it was so unexpected. Then a sound I remember from the break in last tour – Falling glass. My van was hit. I wondered what the hell happened. Nervously I investigated and discovered my kitchen window, the biggest and most expensive was shattered. Something from the passing car had broken it. As it was too high to be a ricocheted stone I had to presume foul play.
“I won’t lie – that properly scared me! So with heart pounding I jumped in the driver’s seat and started the engine. I spun Luna round to search the spot expecting to find a beer bottle or the like, there’s a pub just down the end of that dead end street. But there was nothing, no sign of any kind of projectile. I didn’t dare get out incase they came back and I wasn’t going to stay, so I drove on… I didn’t stop until I found a safe place near a friend. I was totally unequipped to board up the broken window in the middle of the night – I’d run out of everything. In the end a Jennifer Hamley handbag box and a lot of sellotape did the trick. It was not a fun job. It was -3 degrees out and a big hole in my camper was really the last thing I needed – that, wrecked travel plans for the week, and expensive repairs!
“The van also looked like I’d been burgled. Before I drive I usually go through a ‘tack down’ ritual where I basically put away everything that will move in transit. I was so freaked out and in such a hurry to get out of there that I didn’t tack down. What a mess to clear up! And with glass splinters in my fingers. By 1:30am I just about had everything sorted and managed to settle down and sleep.
“The next morning when I inspected the damage properly, I noticed the hole in the glass was perfectly round… And the insulation mat was also pierced. My CSI mind told me this was a bullet hole. So I searched through all the broken glass until I found a pellet. A horrible moment of realisation – I had been intentionally targeted. Someone in the car that passed me had wound down the window, taken aim and fired at my van on purpose!!!!! No accidental damage – It was willful intent! I was absolutely furious! That person had no idea what was the other side of that window or who they were harming. I could been a burly bloke or a pair of dainty old ladies on a retirement trip?! And they were very lucky I wasn’t standing by my cooker with the blind up or they would have hit me too!
The gun pellet that smashed Nikki Loy’s van window
“Before you ask, yes, I did report it to the police but disappointingly they closed the case immediately because I couldn’t give them any leads! Folks, I can’t leave it at that because… when I posted about my experience on the internet I found out other people had experienced similar incidents on the same road!
“I understand why the Police closed the case. I saw nothing; they have nothing to go on but I feel it is important for the whole community local to Arundel to whom tourism is so important, to know that some people are driving around at night blindly shooting into vehicles! Okay it’s only an air gun… but it’s a lot of damage, and a lot of hassle and money to fix and more importantly – It’s only a matter of time before someone is seriously injured. “As you know I love visiting Arundel; it’s a beautiful town but I am now scared to go back there until these people have been stopped. If you are local. I’m sure Sussex police would love to hear from anyone who knows anything about these incidents.
“Anyway, I am safe; I am warm’. Once again I have learned from my own poor choices that made me vulnerable… And I am telling the media because I want those little ******s stopped!
“Just gotta recover my brave before I go off on tour with Sam Bailey!”
THE Headteacher of a Thame school has expressed his frustration and alarm over the Government’s education funding cuts and its lack of transparency.
David Wybron
David Wybron, who is Headteacher at Lord Williams’s School has said in a statement today that he is not alone in expressing his frustration and alarm over funding cuts.
“The proposed new ‘fair funding’ formula takes money away from schools like Lord Williams’s and preserves higher funding for schools in traditionally higher funded authorities, he stated. “For example, students in high funded areas will still be funded at circa £6,000 per head whereas for students in Thame it will be around £4,000 and this is before deprivation factors draw down more funding but not for Lord Williams’s. “We cannot just keep absorbing cuts without there being an impact on the service we provide. We were hopeful that the government’s commitment to fair funding for schools in 2018 would lead to a significant increase in our funding. Not only has the introduction been delayed until 2019, but we have a proposed reduction in our funding from 2019. How can that be?”
Mr Wybron’s statement goes on to say that Oxfordshire schools are in the lowest funded 40 authorities and that the government has decided to put extra resources into the lowest 10 authorities. “The government has also decided that higher funded authorities can lose no more than 3% of funding,” he explained. “The situation is particularly worrying because we are already feeling the effects of reduced funding. The government persists in saying that the Schools’ Budget has not been cut but the Schools’ Budget does not include Sixth Form funding and a range of support staff grants. Also, because of an increase in student numbers nationally, the amount to be distributed is less.
“Lord Williams’s is an outstanding school and our vision is to be outstanding in everything we do, including the quality of resources for all students. We budget carefully and spend diminishing funding wisely. We have absorbed a reduction in Sixth Form funding of circa £250,000 over the last four years and education support grants have been reduced significantly over this period. The government encouraged and continues to encourage schools to set up as academies with money moving directly into schools from local authorities in order to provide the services the local authority used to provide. The government plans to remove that funding completely by 2017/18.”
On-going effects of cuts
“Having anticipated a significant increase in funding for 2018/19 because of the much anticipated new funding formula, we are now having to plan for significant budget cuts over the next four years. We are also facing increased staffing costs with increasing national insurance and pension contributions. The school’s finances are in a good position but our reserves will not cover such a rate of reduction of funding by 2018/19.
“The National Audit Committee estimates that schools will face real terms cuts of around 8% over the next three years, which for this school amounts to around £800,000. The recent announcement from the prime minister on mental health issues for schools is particularly puzzling given that this school, along with many others, has been dealing with this challenge for the last 10 years. Funding to support students and their families with an increasing range of mental health issues has been reduced hugely. There is currently a 20 week waiting time for an appointment with CAMHS (Children and Adult Mental Health Service) and support services for some of our most vulnerable students, for example students with autism, have been removed.
“The previous government administration spoke about ‘The Big Society’ stepping in to help with support services. Oxfordshire County Council decided that the needs of our vulnerable children and their families could be best served from a hub in Didcot! The present government has explicitly stated that there will not be any extra funding to address shortfalls in the service. Schools will continue to be the front line in terms of support and will be asked to do what is almost impossible.”
Lack of transparency
Mr Wybron made the following appeal to the Government:
* Present an accurate picture of school funding to the public
* Recognise the difficulties schools face in terms of the educational and social demands
placed upon them and increase funding
* Change policy and not divert extra funding to set up new grammar schools
He concluded: “Support from our parent body will be vital as we respond to theses challenges. We are not afraid of hard work but the challenges are great. Requesting politicians to be honest about the situation would at least be a step in the right direction but I am not holding my breath!”
It is not known at this time how serious the casualty’s injuries are or whether they were taken to hospital.
