A member of The Thame & District Day Centre was today treated to a presentation and celebration after reaching her 100th birthday, on Sunday, October 8.
Violet Bottom (centre) with Thame Day Committee Member, Claudia Baker and the Mayor of Thame, Cllr Tom Wyse
Claire Brandish, Violet’s daughter, wrote the following profile of her mother’s life:
“Violet was born in Leeds on October 8, 1917, and is the last remaining of ten children.They were a very close family although they didn’t have a lot of money as her father was a coal miner. Mum worked as a dressmaker all her working life, other than during the war, when she became a welder building tanks. She made beautiful wedding dresses for lots of her family and friends, including mine, and was still dressmaking well into her 80s.
“Mum moved to Thame with my husband, children and I when she was 70, and has lived with us ever since. My father had passed away four years earlier. Mum joined St Mary’s church and the U3A Which helped her to make lots of friends in Thame. She still attends a balance exercise class in Aylesbury which she loves and has recently joined The Thame and District Day Centre, which she really enjoys. The staff are wonderful and she takes part in lots of activities, has a nice lunch and her nails painted by Victoria. It’s good for us all to know that she has somewhere to go to socialise and enjoy herself.
“Mum had a party on her birthday with family and friends and she particularly enjoyed receiving a card from the Queen!“
Violet herself told Thame.Net that she and her husband ran a wet fish shop in Leeds in their younger days, and was presented with a framed photograph of the shop by the staff at the Day Centre and a bouquet of flowers. She put her long life down to leading a quiet life – including lots of reading, not being a drinker or a smoker but keeping active.
AFTER a disappointing result the previous weekend, Chinnor Ladies Football Club had a point to prove against Launton Ladies in the Thames Valley Division One fixture last weekend.
Chinnor started the game early, with Becky Hill and Chloe Chapman returning to their home club after a year out due to traveling and university commitments. Captain, Nat Le Manquais, made it 1-0 as she danced around the opposition defense, and slotting it beyond the stretching goalkeeper. Nat could have made it 2-0 minutes later, however by the time she took a strike, she had runn out of steam and the ball bobbled to the keepers hands.
At half time, Chinnor came out faster, and attacked against the tiring Launton, with Kate Bradshaw lobbing the Launton keeper from the edge of the box. Becky Hill made it a third with a marauding run into the box, while Katie Thorp rediscovering her striking abilities by exploiting the offside-trap, ended up-one-on one with the keeper. Credit to Launton, they kept on plugging away and Chinnor lost their clean sheet, with a deflection coming straight from a corner. Chinnor’s Keeper, Katie Wales, kept the team in the game with a point blank shot and somehow tipping the ball over the bar.
Chinnor Ladies are helping and supporting the rebuilding of the girls junior club. The juniors train from 6.15pm on Wednesdays for an hour. Further information about Girls and Ladies football in the Chinnor area can be found here :- https://www.facebook.com/ChinnorLadiesFc/
A THAME lifeguard and swimming instructor has been sentenced by oxford Magistrates court, after pleading guilty to being in possession of indecent images of a minor.
Kieran Evans, who worked at Thame Leisure Centre, was told he would be placed on the Sex Offenders register for five years, and was given 150 hours of community service. He was also ordered to complete a sex Offender Treatment Programme, his Mobile phone and laptop ordered to be destroyed, and he was ordered to pay court costs. He was sentenced on Friday, October 6.
THAME Market Traders are inviting everyone to come and join them for some spooky activities at Thame’s Tuesday Charter Market with two frighteningly fun events!
On Tuesday, October 24, and Tuesday, October 31, head down to the market to guess the weight of the pumpkin, and during half-term week on October 24, children aged 10 and under can enter the ‘best spooky drawing’ competition, with the winner announced on Halloween itself.
The prize will be a hamper of goodies generously donated by our market traders. Stay up to date and join the events on the ‘Thame Market Traders’ Facebook page at www.facebook.com/ThameMarketTraders
THE Headteacher of Lord Williams’s School in Thame, David Wybron, has accused Thame’s MP John Howell, of giving a false impression of the financial situation in our schools.
John Howell canvassing in Thame
In response to an article published in John Howell’s name in a local paper, on September 29, MP Welcomes new funding for schools, Mr Wybron sent the following response to the paper, a response which to date has not been published:
“It may seem surprising for parents/carers to read John Howell’s article in the Thame Gazette last week, appearing as it did, less than a week after the launch of our School Fund Appeal. I am concerned that a false impression was given of the actual state of school funding.
“Whilst an increase in funding is welcome it falls well short of the amount we need to cover our present and future running costs. A 3.4% increase in 2018/2019 does not cover the 8% real terms cut in funding by 2019. The actual picture is as follows:
Per pupil funding has not increased since 2012.
Since 2009 we have had to deal with a 17% reduction in our Sixth Form funding. That is approximately £250,000 (when government sources speak of “The Schools’ Budget” this does not include Sixth Form funding).
The money transferred from the Local Authority to this academy, to run services hitherto run by the Local Authority, has been removed completely since September 2017.
From April 2016 the school’s National Insurance contributions increased by 33% from 10.4% to 13.8%, adding approximately £150,000 to our staffing costs.
Teachers’ pension costs are expected to rise in 2019, potentially adding £135,000 to staffing costs.
The ending of the pay cap for public sector workers is likely to make the funding situation worse by 2018/19. For example, a 1% salary increase for staff in 2018/19 would add approximately £100,000 to our costs.
‘Be more transparent’
“Whilst we soldier on,” continued Mr Wybron, “I would urge our politicians to be more transparent about what the ac
tual situation is like. Cuts in funding affect all aspects of our work. An example of this is the situation regarding access to specialist provision for some of our most vulnerable students. There is severe underfunding of specialist provision in Oxfordshire and schools throughout the Local Authority, including Lord Williams’s, are having to ‘patch’ up provision themselves, at significant extra cost.
David Wybron
‘Write to your MP’
“I would urge parents/carers and Thame residents to speak up for local schools and to write to local MPs. It makes it very difficult for schools to plan for the future with any confidence. In the case of any pay award next year, it is vital that it is fully funded by government. If it isn’t, then the good news mentioned in John’s article, counts for very little.”
A YOUNG man from Thame, who has himself experience of depression, is organising a ‘Mental Wellbeing Meet-up’ in Thame.
Dominic Stanway Williams
Dominic Stanway Williams explained: “There is nothing currently to support people who are struggling with Mental Health issues in Thame, and I’m really keen to get something up and nrunning and reach out to as many in the local area as possible.”
The first meet-up is this Tuesday, October 10, at 7:30pm, in the upstairs function room of the Cross Keys pub in Thame. More information can be found on the Facebook page: http://bit.ly/2xU7ihE
THE Mayor of Thame, Tom Wyse, would like a festive image of St Mary’s Church on the front of his charity Christmas cards this year, and is inviting the community of Thame to send in their photographs.
If you have captured St Mary’s Church in the snow, or perhaps at a particularly festive moment, please send your photo(s) to: rosie.collins@thametowncouncil.gov.uk.
You would be credited on the cards, which will be sold in Thame Information Centre in the lead up to Christmas, with all monies raised going to the Mayor’s charities – the Red Kite Family Centre and Thame & District Day Centre.
THE TAL Festival next week is to play its part in cementing the twinning between Thame and the beautiful Romanian town and mountain resort, Sinaia, also known as the ‘Pearl of the Carpathians’.
Dan Manea, Romanian award-winning architect, author of ‘Sinaia – Land of the Elites’ will cover the origins, destiny and development of the mountain town at Thame’s Barns Centre’s Small Hall on Sunday, October 15, at 1:30 pm.
The audience will hear the extraordinary story of the settlement that gradually became Romania’s summer capital, one of the favourite destinations of the elites, a famous stop-over for the Orient Express and with the most historical monuments per capita in Romania built over a period of 150 years of history. The talk is likely to inspire the audience not only to visit Sinaia for its outstanding natural beauty and beautiful buildings like Peles Castle, but also to discover the history which marked the place.
Dan Manea, former President of the Rotary Club of Sinaia, is connected to a number of local community fundraising projects like “Donate one penny for Caraiman” aimed to restore the 92 ft Heroes Cross on Caraiman Peak, built at 7,500 ft altitude in 1928, to commemorate Romanian soldiers fallen during the First World War. The monument was recognised as the tallest summit cross in the world by Guinness World Records in 2014.
TAL Festival organisers have generously waived the entry fee to Dan Manea’s talk. The event was planned with support from Thame-Sinaia Friendship Association and Sinaia-based ASPE Cultural Association.
SINCE 1974, parishes haven’t had a share of the business rates to spend – most of their income comes from the residents in a town via the precept. But larger parishes in particular still do a lot to support businesses, as they understand how much it helps the vitality and vibrancy of the community.
Thame Market Town Co-ordinator, Becky Reid
Thame Town Council certainly believes this and in late 2016, in addition to what they already do, they decided to employ a Market Town Coordinator to enable even more to be achieved.
The Late Breakfast – Monthly networking
Becky Reid will be attending the next Late Breakfast meeting in Thame to talk about her role, some new opportunities about to be launched for businesses in Thame, and how businesses can get involved to shape the future of Thame’s economic development.
For more information and to register: Visit – The Late Breakfast website HERE
THE organisers of the Thame Food Festival report that the move to the Thame Show Ground, and the festival’s new, two-day format, have proved to be a ‘winning formula’.
Alice Middleton’s winning cake
Thousands of visitors travelled to the showground over the weekend of September 30 – October 1, to sample the wares of 180 stalls, and to watch demonstrations from celebrity chefs, including Raymond Blanc, and stars of the TV Bake Off programme. The overall winner of The Great Thame Bake was Alice Middleton, from Thame, who was presented with a Magimix, the festival’s main sponsor, by Jane Devonshire. The attractions included a pop-up pub and restaurant, Gin garden and specialist dog treat stalls for the four legged show visitors, with demonstrations and fun Dog Shows by locally based, national charity the Hearing Dogs for the Deaf.
Why the move?
Though many people took to social media to say how much they had enjoyed the festival and welcomed the move, not everyone was so up-beat. Just as many people said that they missed the buzz and atmosphere of the festival when it was held in the town centre, and others resented having to pay the £5 entrance fee for each of the two days. The festival organisers had given as the main reason for the change of venue, that the crowded atmosphere in the town centre as the festival has grown over the years, was uncomfortable for many visitors and even dangerous for some. Also, the cost of running the festival meant that it was no longer viable as a free event, it was explained.
Lotte Duncan
‘So pround’
Lotte Duncan, Patron and organiser of this year’s food festival, said: ““It was so fabulous to see all the hard work of everyone come to fruition. And as part of British Food Fortnight, I am so proud that yet again alongside our main sponsors and feature stalls, we have given the opportunity for small artisan producers to showcase the wonderful diverse and delicious range of foods inspired from around the world; but produced here in Britain.”
Does the festival benefit the town?
Sonja Francis, a founder-member of the original Thame Food Festival, commented: “I’m glad for Lotte and her hard-working team that they felt that the festival move was a success for them, and I’m pleased that so many people enjoyed their visit. I’m sure it was all jolly nice, spacious and exciting. But my personal disappointment at the move is that the festival no longer benefits the town itself, which was it’s original intention.
“Unfortunately, over the last few years, the food festival grew away from it’s original raison d’etre which was to promote Thame’s food and drink offer and to support small food producers etc within a 30 mile radius of the town. As such the stalls and visitors were manageable and those that came were interested in supporting small and local producers.
Room for a ‘fringe’ ?
Joe from Deli @ No.5, offers cheese, cake and beer to the hard-working band, Swervy World, who entertained shoppers on the Thame Food Trail
I hope that next year’s Thame Food Trail (a toe in the ‘fringe water’ this year, organised by 21st Century Thame) will be expanded so that more businesses in the town benefit too. Some food and drink establishments have already indicated to me that they want to do more in the town next year. Most cannot afford to transfer their businesses to the show ground, especially for two days.
“The food festival now is a different beast – I’m not saying less good, but very different from its origins. I’m sure there’s room for both the main festival and a fringe event linking the town once again to the festival, if there is sufficient interest among the town centre food and drink operators. Time will tell.”
“Mum had a party on her birthday with family and friends and she particularly enjoyed receiving a card from the Queen!“
