BUDDY Holly and The Crickets will be brought back to life, as they looked and sounded in 1958 when they first toured the UK, at Thame’s Players Theatre, when Spencer J and the Copy-Cat Crickets will create the feel of a Rock ‘n’ Roll concert, straight from the ‘fifties.
The band will take you back to the age when a young Texan first played his heart out to screaming crowds in theatres and concert halls across Great Britain. At every performance, audiences clap, cheer and sing along. They dance, yell for encores and ask for photographs. And at the end of every show, the question is always: “When are you coming back?”
Song choices are based on Buddy Holly’s late-fifties performances. Besides legendary hits like Peggy Sue, That’ll Be The Day, Oh Boy and Heartbeat, other gems from his catalogue are also featured, as well as hits by the other Kings of Rock ‘n’ Roll, all of which Buddy actually performed with at live shows (La Bamba, Blue Suede Shoes, Rip It Up, Shake Rattle & Roll).
In terms of energy, originality and ability to connect with an audience, Spencer, JJ, Gerry and Spencer succeed in re-creating The Crickets’ special brand of “feel-good fifties fun”. And whenever they are on stage, fans everywhere agree that, once again, Buddy Holly lives!
Sunday, April 3, at 7.45pm – Thame Players Theatre, Nelson Street, Thame.
THAME swimmers, Ben and Josh Williams, fore-went any chocolate treats this Easter, instead competing at the closed Level One, Long Course Welsh Nationals swimming meet in Swansea from Friday through to Easter Monday.
Ben and Josh (left) Williams
Both boys put in some truly inspiring swims, competing against the Welsh British Nationals Elite squad and holding their heads up high with their achievements.
In summary, Ben competed in two finals (200 Back & 50 Back) and PB’d in five races, took a number of the Open Club records and achieved a goal of going under 58 seconds for his long course 100 Free.
Josh PB’d in nine races, went through to six finals (200 Back, 200 Free, 100 Back, 100 Free, 50 Back & 50 Fly), gained two further Regional Accepted times (200 Free, 100 Free), a Regional Consideration time for 400 Free and to top it all off, a Bronze medal for his 200 Back … meaning Josh is now part of the elite Thame Swimming Club Nationals medal club.
Both boys ended the Nationals weekend on a high with both of them swimming sub 30 for the first time in their 50 Fly (29.58 for Ben and 29.64 for Josh)!
A young brother and sister from Thame, Oliver and Emily Coulcher-Porter, aged 10 and 8, will be representing Oxfordshire in Regional and UK Under 11s, Squash inter-county tournaments as Number One boy and girl next month.
Emily and Oliver Coulcher-Porter
The two junior Squash players started their squash career at Racquets in Thame, under the watchful eye of coach, Sue Martin-Downhill.
Still loyal to their club, they have gained further skills from another of the club’s coaches, Will John.
Sue said that the children are delighted that their hard work is paying off.
“Emily, ranked 21 in the UK, is the second youngest girl ranked in the UK rankings, she explained. “She is very excited to wear the Oxfordshire colours for the first time. Oliver ranked 20 in the UK rankings is determined to beat some of his rivals in preparation for the GB championships in the Summer.”
Their mother, Jane, said: “I am so proud of Oliver and Emily’s achievements and their dedication, and I’m very grateful to everyone who has supported them.”
THAME’S Carnival is one of the biggest and most popular events in the town’s calendar and as such, it takes a band of willing, resourceful volunteers to make it a success. Such a big event needs lots of people to help with a variety of tasks – some small and some large.
If you would like to help the community on this family fun day, contact the Carnival team at thamecarnival@gmail.com. If you have any questions about the roles – how much time involved, what skills are required etc, the team is there to talk to you.
1. Road closure marshalls (needed from 11am through to 1pm on 11th June).
2. Parade organiser (small amount of work before the day and then ensure the floats leave Station Yard and Elms Park in the right order)
3. Street Party street table manager (we need someone from your street to arrange for the residents of your street to congregate and socialise on your street’s Street Party table ! ) work required for this : put your hand up that you want a table / area for your street – then leaflet drop (we can provide the leaflets) your street to invite them to the Carnival Street Party.
If anyone would like to meet to discuss any of these or any aspects of the event, contact suedownhill@gmail.com or call her on 07860 328880
A THAME man has been sent to prison for 16 months, after going on the rampage in a Thame pub, during which he punched a woman in the head and assaulted several other people who attempted to protect the woman.
Peter Butler
Peter William Butler, aged 61, of Glenham Road, Thame, pleaded guilty to three charges of Actual Bodily Harm (ABH), and two counts of common assault. A count of Witness Intimidation was dropped at court.
Butler pleaded guilty at Oxford Crown Court on February 22, and was sentenced yesterday, Wednesday (23/3). He was also ordered to pay over £1,500 in damages
At around 12.45am on January 24, Butler walked into the Swan Hotel, Thame, and walked up to a woman in her forties who was known to him, and punched her in the head multiple times. He also punched a 51-year-old man and a 25-year-old woman, who are both staff at the pub.
Butler then attempted to hit the man with a bottle. He then pursued the woman in her forties, pushing her into the men’s toilet, where CCTV footage captured him assaulting her. During the attack, he also assaulted another 25 year-old man, and another 51-year-old man, who were also staff at the pub, as they tried to protect the woman and eject Butler from the premises.
The woman in her forties received bruising, to her face neck and arms and a head injury.
Butler was arrested on January 24, and charged the next day.
Investigating Officer, PC Aaron Walker based at Thame police station, said: “This was a terrifying incident in which the woman was viciously assaulted by Butler.
“Butler was completely out of control attacking anyone who tried to stop his assault on this defenceless woman.”
“I would hope that the victim is able to move on from this assault which has left her deeply affected.”
“I would also like to thank the others who were assaulted for their bravery in trying to protect the victim from the sustained attack by Butler.”
Peter Butler, who was born in South London, and has lived in the Thame area for over 30 years, described himself as ‘a serial entrepreneur’ and is well known in the town with his mobile coffee franchise van, often seen at local festivals and events. Last May, he stood for election as both a town and a district councillor for UKIP but was not elected.
SOUTH Oxfordshire District Council is updating its Strategic Housing Land Availability Assessment (SHLAA) and is inviting landowners to submit potential development sites for them to consider for its emerging Local Plan 2031. The new plan will also allocate employment land and land for gypsy and traveller pitches.
The timetable for the emerging Local Plan 2031 is to consult on preferred options in June 2016, and have a submission version published by the end of 2016. As the updated SHLAA will also include land for employment uses it will be referred to as a Housing and Employment Land Availability Assessment (HELAA).
Anyone who knows of a new site within South Oxfordshire’s boundary that they think could be developed for housing, employment uses or for gypsy or traveller use in the period up to 2031, and which is not currently included within previous land availability assessments, is invited to contact the council.
Sites that are included in the existing SHLAA, last updated in 2013, and sites that have been submitted since then do not need to be resubmitted as they will be included in the updated assessment. But any additional or new information about a site that has already been submitted can be notified to the council.
If you would like to submit a new site for consideration it must be:
• Located in South Oxfordshire District Council’s administrative boundary (see map)
• Able to accommodate five or more dwellings; one gypsy or traveller pitch; or 0.25ha (500sqm) of land for employment use
• Submitted using the Call for Sites Form
• Accompanied with an appropriately scaled OS map showing the boundaries of the site
Anyone with a site to be considered should email planning.policy@southoxon.gov.uk or post to Planning Policy, South Oxfordshire District Council, 135 Eastern Avenue, Milton Park, OX14 4SB
This call for sites will close at 5pm on 29 April 2016 so make sure your submission reaches SODC by this deadline to be considered in the updated HELAA.
THAMES Valley Police is appealing for witnesses following a second burglary at businesses premises in Thame, last week. SEE LINK
Between 5.30pm on Thursday (17/3) and 8.30am on Friday (18/3), The Print Shop in Swan Walk was broken into. Offenders forced open the front door to gain entry and stole a cash register and laptop computer were stolen.
Between 6pm the previous evening, Wednesday (16/3) and 8.37am on Thursday (17/3), an Estate Agents in Upper High Street was broken into. Offenders smashed a rear window to gain entry.
Anyone with any information relating to these incidents, please call PC Dale Rogers at Thame police station via the 24 hour non-emergency telephone number 101.
FOLLOWING Thame’s ‘Rising Star’ accolade in the ‘Great British High Street’ Awards recently, the Thame4Business working group met recently to decide where to use the £1,000 prize money to benefit the town centre.
Neil Dudgeon, who plays Insp Barnaby in Midsomer Murders, with the ‘Causton’ locations map that includes Thame
The favourite suggestions up for discussion were:
1. An interactive AV touch screen ‘What’s happening in Thame’ device outside Town Hall
Although something that would cost more than £1k, it was thought worth progressing, especially as it could be a project that the district council might look favourably on as it would contribute to helping visitors and tourists to find information 24/7, particularly when the TIC was closed in the evenings and at the weekend. Team member, Helen Johns explained: “Because it will take time to get this moving, we didn’t choose this as our recipient. I am, however, investigating the technology / software with Box Technologies (at the suggestion of Sylo Associates who put forward this suggestion) to arrive at a ball park estimate, and then submit the idea to SODC for grant funding.”
2. Pop-up wine bar or restaurant
This is also being explored, looking at empty premises or ‘shared use’ of café space which could become a wine bar at night time. Because the finance on this looked complicated and possibly long drawn-out to achieve the objective, this project wasn’t chosen either for this particular spend.
3. Midsomer red plaques and a workshop to kickstart Midsomer promotion in Thame
The team felt that the Midsomer Murders plaques was the choice that would be least complex to put into action, most visible in terms of red plaques, and would generate PR and news coverage too, and at the same time generate footfall and income for the town. It was proposed that £500 go into red plaques (about £50 per each of 11 identified venues, to incentivise them to make up the balance to £125, and £500 to go towards the Thame workshop.
An excited Helen added: “We’d like to progress this ASAP. The timing is good as we are just coming into the main tourist season. To get this moving will hopefully achieve interest as well as spend in Thame over the summer months.”
Any businesses interested in sponsoring a red plaque, can contact Helen via helen.johns39@gmail.com for more information.
THE B4445 Aylesbury Road, Thame, northbound approach to A418 roundabout is closed until 25/03/2016 midnight. Access only.
Numerous cars reported ignoring the signage yesterday (Sunday) and having to turn around, with some actually trying to go through the one-way area by the roundabout.
AS District Councils in the area jointly begin to commission a study into the future of local government, Councillor Matthew Barber, Leader of Vale of White Horse District Council, has called on Oxfordshire County Council to: “…co-operate with the work being undertaken and not to waste the public’s money duplicating the study.”
Cllr Matthew Barber
The District Councils are currently selecting a leading company of experts to look at all the options for change, including creating four unitary councils representing people from the Cotswolds to South Northants, including Oxford City. Seven different councils have come together to commission the study jointly. They are South Oxfordshire DC, Cherwell DC, Vale of the White Horse, Oxford City Council and West Oxfordshire District Council.
In a statement today, Councillor Barber, who said he was speaking on behalf of all the District Councils, said: “Everyone knows that the County Council is having extreme budget difficulties, leading to cuts in services that people value. Two tier local government is broken in our view and we want to look at all the options for unitary councils.”
The study will look at the likely impact of four different alternatives – four, three, two or a single Oxfordshire unitary council covering Oxfordshire, the Cotswolds and South Northants. The proposed unitary authorities are:
Southern Oxfordshire Unitary Authority, replacing Vale of White Horse and South Oxfordshire District Councils Oxford City Unitary Authority, replacing Oxford City Council West Oxfordshire (Cotswold) Unitary Authority, replacing West Oxfordshire District Council and Cotswold District Council Cherwell (South Northants) Unitary Authority, replacing Cherwell District Council and South Northamptonshire Council
which, it is proposed, would work in partnership with the NHS and Local Enterprise Group. (See previous news story)
Councillor Barber added: “We have included the options that the County Council have publically stated they want to look at. It’s time for them to co-operate with the work being undertaken on the future of local government. The public will not forgive them if they duplicate the work at this late stage.
“The train is moving out of the station and it’s time to stop shouting from the side-lines and get on board,” he added.
Oxfordshire County Council would prefer one, large unitary authority claiming it would be more efficient and less costly. It has published its own ‘Vision for Oxfordshire‘ It has been reported elsewhere (BBC News) that Oxfordshire County Council leader, Ian Hudspeth, has said: “Once again the districts are putting headlines ahead of joint working.
“We have written to the districts twice asking them to discuss terms of reference for a joint study, with the public also given a chance to comment.
“They made it clear they weren’t prepared to do that.”
The Government will make the final decision about any devolution plan after public consultation.
South Oxfordshire District Council, which includes elected councillors for Thame, and Vale of White Horse DC, already share some back-office services to save money.
