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Category: Thame news

  • Rugby: Chinnor glide into top spot

    IT was always going to be a tough test for Chinnor on the road at Barnstaple, as the Barum boys boast an impressive home record this season.

    Chinnor started the game in business-like fashion with Chinnor dominating the opening period of the game sending the Barum scrum backwards, and the backline finding gaps in the Barum defence. It was only seven minutes in when Harry Mosely drove over to score Chinnor’s opening try which Jonny Bentley converted. Chinnor maintained their pressure and Kieran Goss sliced through some weak defending to dive in at the corner to make it 0-12 . Scoring at a point a minute it was an impressive start.

    Barum then began to find their stride and utilised the full width of the field to try and stretch Chinnor’s defence. There was great ball retention by the large Barum pack who went through a number of short phases and eventually inched over the Chinnor (LINE?) with Jarrad Hayler scoring near the posts.

    The response from the Chinnor was immediate with a period of sustained pressure in the Barum 22. Persistent offending resulted in a yellow card for Petheridge and Mike McDonald took advantage to snipe over for a try on his first start on the season at Scrum Half, giving Chinnor a 7-17 lead on 21 minutes.

    Then the pendulum swung and for the second game on the trot, Chinnor began to be on a different wavelength to the officials with a number of decisions going against the visitors and George Oliver seeing yellow (possibly mistaken identity) for a perceived misdemeanour. Barum slotted the penalty. The Barum forwards kept play simple and effective and with the ability for Chinnor to compete removed, for fear of another yellow, the Devon boys went over shortly before half time to even up the scores with a converted try. With a few seconds left on the clock, Barum were awarded yet another penalty but the kick came off the upright to leave it all square at the break 17-17.

    Chinnor started the second half the brighter exerting some control over the game. Alex Bradley galloped in on 43 minutes to put the Oxfordshire side back in front and Jonny Bentley’s successful conversion made it 17-24. Just eight minutes later Jamel Hamilton capped an excellent performance by dotting down on 55 minutes to give Chinnor a two score margin 17-29.
    The Barum side, spurred on by their vociferous following, refused to lie down and took the game to the visitors with wave after wave of forward barrages .Their scrumhalf finally scampered over the line on 60 mins to reduce the deficit to 24-29.

    Chinnor showed good game management under pressure for the final quarter, frustrating the Barum attack and retaining possession well when in the Barum half, and were rewarded with a penalty in front of the Barum post just outside the 22 which was then made 10 metres simpler through back chat. Bentley duly obliged and gave Chinnor a 24-32 lead which was robustly defended to see out the game. With seconds on the clock, Barum were given a penalty in the Chinnor 22 and took the penalty despite the possible serious foul play against a Chinnor player (which the video footage will possibly verify), to secure a losing bonus point with the last kick of the game. Full Time, 27-32.

    Already ecstatic with another hard won five points on the road, the news of Chinnor’s neighbours Henley inflicting a first defeat of the season on Taunton, made the long trip home a lively one! Chinnor are now the only unbeaten side in National 2 South, but face another potential banana skin next week when new boys, Wimbledon, visit Kingsey Road.

    SOURCE: Contributed

  • Take the Thame Customer Survey

    THAME Town Council is undertaking a survey of town centre visitors over the month of November, to better understand why people visit the town, what people perceive as its strengths and what areas people feel need to be improved in relation to keeping the town vibrant.

    Thame town hall – Image Mark Recchia

    The council would really appreciate as much input as possible – it should only take 10 minutes to complete. The results of the survey will be published and used to direct time and resources over the coming year.

    The survey can be completed by following this link: https://www.surveymonkey.co.uk/r/NKQ5L7B

  • Breaking news: Chemist broken into

    Thames Valley Police is investigating a burglary at Boots, High Street, Thame.

    The incident took place today (4/11) between 4.30am and 6.40am and an investigation into the offence is underway.

  • Police tackling ‘boy racers’ in Thame

    THAMES Valley Police’s Thame Neighbourhood team have been highly visible around the town, aiming to deter anti-social behaviour in the town (ASB), particularly around cars being used up and down the streets in an anti-social manner, and have issued several section 59 warnings to offenders.

    Section 59 of the Road Traffic Act allows an officer to seize and remove a vehicle, which he or she believes is being driven inconsiderately or carelessly and causing, or is likely to cause, alarm, distress or annoyance to members of the public. The police cannot seize a vehicle under this provision without first warning the driver that the vehicle will be seized if the driving persists.

    These powers are increasingly being used by the police to clamp down on so-called ‘boy racers’. One boy racer in South Wales had his car seized after being issued two Section 59 notices in 28 hours, for driving dangerously in the same spot on two occasions. On June 25, 2017, an Audi R8 was seized having been spotted ‘racing up and down’ the Uxbridge Road in West London.

    If a vehicle is seized, the owner will have to pay a sum to get their vehicle back, plus an amount for every day their vehicle is in storage. The amount payable depends on the size and weight of the vehicle, but the owner of a standard road car will have to pay £150 plus £20 a day for every day their vehicle is in storage.

    The Thame neighbourhood team state in their latest news that (ASB) is still a high priority and that they have also issued Ccceptable Behaviour Contracts to prevent further offences. The team urges members of the public to phone 101 if they witness any anti-social behaviour in the town.

    You can read the whole of the latest crime update for Thame HERE:  It includes crime prevention advise now that the days are drawing in, advise for a safe Bonfire Night, information about their collecting food donations from local shops and businesses as well as local residents, so that they can create a gift bag for the elderly residents who are part of the Thame/Chinnor/Wheatly VERA group. VERA stands for Vulnerable and/or Elderly Residents Actions.

    The next Have your say’ meetings in Thame are:
    PCSO Diane Jackson, Thame – Wednesday, November 22, 2-3pm, Thame Co-Op.
    PCSO James Hopkin, Thame – Friday, November 17, 4-5pm, Costa Coffee, Thame.

  • It’s Panto season in Thame

    IT’s almost Pantomime time and Thame Players are planning this season’s production, Cinderella, a universally appealing story. With the pantomime addition of a faithful friend called Buttons, a fairy godmother, the traditional Pantomime Dames as the ugly sisters, a pantomime horse and singing and dancing, the festive fun is complete!

     

    This year’s pantomime was written by Ben Crocker who comes from a theatrical family and is the son of actor and pantomime script writer, John Crocker. He saw his first pantomime at the age of three and has been hooked ever since!

    Tickets: £9 (£8 concessions) Dates:
    Friday, December 1, at 7:45pm
    Saturday 2nd & Sunday 3rd at 2pm & 5.30pm
    Wednesday 6th to Friday 8th at 7:45pm
    Saturday 9th & Sunday 10th at 2pm & 5.30pm

  • Thame fair trolls should apologise, suggests councillor

    NEWS that the September fair, which has been held in the town centre for generations, would not go ahead after all caused a social media storm, with harsh words being exchanged between fair supporters and those against the fair being held at all in the town centre. A town council officer even received threats of violence.

    Thame Fair – Image copyright of Sonja Francis

    According to a report discussed at last week’s Community, Leisure and Recreation Committee meeting at Thame Town Countil, representatives of the Showmen’s Guild later apologised ‘for the unjustified criticism of the Town Council via social media and their miscommunication within their organisation, which had resulted in the cancellation of the September fair’. This apology was publicly repeated on social media on the evening of Friday, September 22, 2017.

    ‘Members of the community should apologise’

    Councillors called the social media response from both the Guild and some members of the community ‘appalling’ and ‘deplorable’ with one councillor, Cllr Mike Dyer, stating: “The Showmen have apologised but members of the community who bad-mouthed the council and spread misinformation, have not!”

    An agreement was reached that the October Charter Fair would go ahead, which it did, and the Showmen involved have apparently reported that they are very satisfied with the turn-out for the fair, particularly on the Saturday.

    ‘Amalgamate the two fairs’

    There was much discussion about one suggestion from Cllr Peter Lambert, that the two fairs should be amalgamated into one, as he felt the current situation meant that the town ‘is disrupted twice’. But other councillors were of the opinion that the two fairs were different, with the Charter fair offering smaller rides for younger children, whereas the bigger rides at the September fair attracted an older audience, and anyway, pointed out Cllr Nigel Champken Woods,  the two fairs are operated by two different groups of Showmen. “I think we would have all sorts of problems with social media if we suggested that,” he added.

    ‘We should not be bullied by social media’

    Cllr Mary Stiles said: “We should not allow ourselves to be bullied by social media and make a decision but I don’t think it is a good idea. The fair is disruptive but it is traditional and is something people look forward to.”

    Council left out of pocket

    As a result of the recent debacle over Thame’s annual, September fair, between The Showmen’s Guild and Thame Town Council, the council has stated that it now has a £1,600 hole in its budget.

    The costs incurred by the town council were for security arrangements, first aid provision, street cleaning arrangements and the issuing of resident parking permits, all of which they paid upfront for on the expectation that a new three-year agreement up for renewal, would be signed by the Guild in time for the fair to go ahead. It was not, as the Showmen’s Guild decided that the terms of the new agreement were not acceptable to them.

    Though discussions are underway, no agreement between Thame Town Council and the Showmen’s Guild has yet been signed but councillors say they are optimistic that the September fair will go ahead in September 2018.

    You can read the full town council report discussed by the CLR committee HERE

  • Life for Thame’s small businesses – then and now

    THIS month’s Late Breakfast Thame meeting will be next Thursday,  November 9, at The Spread Eagle Hotel, when the guest presenter will be Greg Lovett, of Fizz Accounting.

    The first Late Breakfast Thame was nine years (and one month) ago. How has life changed for small businesses since then, and how might it change in the next nine years? Greg will discuss.

    Thame is a dynamic town in Oxfordshire that has a lively business community. This meeting is an opportunity to meet some of these businesses in an informal networking atmosphere.

  • Your chance to switch on Thame’s Christmas lights!

    CHRISTMAS is fast approaching and the Town Council will once again be launching a treasure trail around the town centre for the young and young-at-heart, throughout November.

     

     

    In the lead up to Christmas Lights Switch-On on Friday, December 1, 24 Snowflakes have been hidden in shop windows around Cornmarket, Upper High Street, North Street, Buttermarket, Swan Walk, Greyhound Walk and High Street. You can start hunting high and low from Wednesday, November 1. All of the Snowflakes are numbered you can also use #SnowflakeSearch on social media for clues.

    The first entry out of the hat with all the correct answers will get the chance to push the plunger on the town’s Christmas lights, plus there are prizes for the runners up. To enter the competition download an entry form from www.thametowncouncil.gov.uk/christmas or pick one up from the Town Hall Information Centre, write down all the shops which have one of our numbered snowflakes in their window and return your entry form to the Town Hall Information Centre by 4pm on Thursday, November 30.

    More information about this year’s Christmas Lights Switch-On event is available at www.thametowncouncil.gov.uk/christmas

  • Warning after binned batteries cause fire in recycling trucks

    RESIDENTS in South Oxfordshire and the Vale of White Horse have been urged not to put batteries or other items which could cause a fire in their waste or recycling wheelie bin.

    Last week two small fires started in rubbish while it was being transported in waste and recycling trucks. “Both were potentially very dangerous incidents to the crews, other road users and pedestrians”, said an SODC spokesperson. “They also caused delays to collections and could have resulted in significant damage.”

    The fires were caused by items residents had put in their bins, most likely to have been standard lithium-ion batteries – like the ones found in most mobile phones.

    The advise is that batteries should be put in a clear plastic bag and left on top of the green recycling bin, while small electrical items (that may also contain batteries), can be put out in a carrier bag alongside the grey refuse bin for separate collection.

     

  • Thame’s ‘Big Draw’ 2017

    THE fruits of the work of local school children as part of the tenth, Big Drawing Event, can be seen at Thame Museum on Saturday, October 28, 11am – 4pm.

    “Our theme this year is the Phoenix Trail,” explained Christine Taq, of Sparksartists who run this annual event. “School children from Lord Williams’s School, St Andrews School, Chinnor and Cuddington, and Dinton Cof E School, drew bicycles used on the trail and imagined new sculptures. Recorded journeys also form part of Sparksartists’ latest exhibition on show at this event.

    “On Saturday itself,  we are inviting all ages to drop in to Thame Museum to add birds to a moving landscape, courtesy of a Crankie moving image machine. Guests sign in by adding their mark to our ‘Remember When’ shared sketchbook, extending a cut-out photograph.”

    Sparksartists was formed in 2001 by a group individual visual artists who have a common commitment to the group’s work,  to collaborate and share ideas and experiences with the community.