BOTH teams on Saturday (September 10), knew the importance of the game ahead of them to set up the season, so the degree of intensity at the start of the match was to be expected.
Photographer: Aaron Bayliss
It was Henley who applied the early pressure, with Chinnor endeavouring to play some expansive rugby to clear their lines. They were playing against the wind so this was a sensible approach.
The game opened up when Bentley made a clever break before putting in a well-judged chip ahead for Phil Chesters to win the chase to the touch down after just two minutes, but Bentley failed with the conversion.
Play then became a little frenetic before Henley replied with a penalty from some 35 metres by Connor Murphy. This was swiftly followed by a powerful surge from the Henley pack resulting in Harry Burn scoring with Murphy adding the extras. A trademark Kieran Goss try under the posts put Chinnor back in front. Chinnor were now looking quite potent with ball in hand resulting in Henry Lamont scoring with his first touch of the ball after replacing the injured Phil Chesters. After a lull in proceedings another delightful move saw Orisi Nawaqaliva touch down under the posts on the stroke of half time, with Bentley adding the extras. This gave Chinnor a half time lead of 26 – 13.
The second half began with Chinnor opting to kick for goal with Bentley slotting over two penalties. Jamel Hamilton then made his mark by setting up Will Bordill to once again go under the posts for Chinnor. Interchanges then become commonplace with Henley beginning to become dominant up front. It was no surprise when towards the end of the game the referee awarded Henley a penalty try following a succession of infringements by the Chinnor scrum.
This was hard fought game played in a good spirit with maybe the score not totally reflecting the flow of the game as Henley had territorial domination. Chinnor’s scrum half, Greg Goodfellow, was Man of the Match producing several darting runs turning defence into attack.
Peter Davies, the Henley coach commented: “Enjoyed the day. The game was played in a good spirit. The difference between the sides was at half back. We left three scores on the paddock. Chinnor line breaks were clinical.”
Matt Williams said: “With the ball in hand we looked dangerous. Our defence was top drawer.”
Next week (September 16) Chinnor are away to London Irish Wild Geese.
TO celebrate the opening of the new Elizabethan Wall Paintings Exhibition, Thame Museum is presenting a concert of Elizabethan music played by the amazing and very talented Oxford Waits. Come and see this wonderful group bring the music of the Elizabethan period to life in their own unique style.
The Concert is on Saturday, September 16, at St. Mary’s Church, Thame, starting at 8pm. Tickets are FREE and are available from Thame Museum during opening hours this week, Tuesday. Wednesday and Saturday,
10am-4pm, or reserve by telephone: 01844 212801 or email publicity@thamemuseum.org
The new permanent exhibition of Elizabethan Wall Paintings has been made possible thanks to funding from the Heritage Lottery Fund. Through exciting, new interactive digital displays, visitors learn the history behind the Wall Paintings; including where they were discovered, who their owner was likely to have been and even hear the sort of music being played by the musicians shown in them.
Led by volunteers, Yvonne Maxwell and Lindsey Weimers, the project has taken three years to design and develop. This included a series of workshops to help us find the best way to portray the significance of the paintings. “We hope that the completed installation will not only excite visitors but also provide a new perspective on the social and economic developments of the Elizabethan period in Thame”.
This concert marks the completion of the project and is also a fitting celebration for the tenth anniversary of the official opening of Thame Museum.
THE Showmens Guild of Great Britain have informed the Town Council today, Friday September 8, that the town council’s invitation to enter into a new four year Agreement has been rejected by their members.
Nick White’s winning photograph of Thame Fair at night
In a statement, the Thame Town Council said: “The Town Council is disappointed to inform residents, businesses and visitors that the September Fair will therefore not be taking place this year.
“Over the past two years fees have not been increased by the Town Council, however with the operational costs rising to assist with event safety the modest increase of less than £1,000 is fully justified in meeting the operational costs incurred by the Town Council and equates to an increase per stall holder of just £4 per day of the fair.
“Associated road closures for the September Fair will be lifted within the town centre between Thursday 21 and Saturday 23 September 2017.
CHINNOR residents have overwhelmingly endorsed its Neighbourhood Plan, after yesterday’s referendum (07/08/17).
The results show that 95.5% of those who took part in the referendum voted ‘Yes’. In figures, 1742 voted yes, 77 voted No, three votes were unmarked and the turnout was 36.4% of those eligible to vote.
Marius Ciortan, one of the Steering Group members, said: “The village has spoken! This is an outstanding result following two and a half years of hard work by a group local volunteers in the Chinnor Neighbourhood Plan Steering Group, a sub-committee of the Chinnor Parish Council.”
LAST Sunday afternoon, September 3, found Chinnor Ladies football team play host to New London Lionesses, at the Community Stadium – and left feeling hungry for more!
Lionesses started proactively and were relentless in their attack, as Chinnor played into the wind and ‘up hill’. Lionesses didn’t have it all their own way, with Chinnor stringing a number of attacks together, but for the majority of the game, were on the back foot. Changes were made to protect the damage, but it was an eye opening experience for Chinnor on where the team and club could be, with the correct direction.
Chinnor looked better in the second half, but failed to defend effectively against Lionesses’ 22. Chinnor Manager, Gemma Clark, remarked: “We were beaten by a team who were fast, athletic and technically better than us. But it makes us all the more hungry and determined to make it a success at Chinnor.
“The 12-0 defeat is disappointing, but the ladies came off the pitch smiling and loved the experience. We have Woodstock in the league next Sunday, we’re all looking forward to that.”
Chinnor Ladies have been helping Chinnor Youth in rebuilding the girls teams in the area. The Girls train from 6.15pm to 7.30 on Wednesdays evenings at White Fields. All ages and abilities are welcome. Coaches are fully qualified and CRB checked.
If you’re interested, you can contact Katie Wales (Chinnor Development Officer) at katie.d.wales@gmail.com
MIKE Jennings, of Jennings Business Mentors, is the guest speaker at this month’s Late Breakfast business networking event, at The Spread Eagle, Thame, on Thursday, September 14.
Mike will be asking the question: Is Mentoring for Me and/or my Business? He says that people often confuse mentoring with advice giving, coaching or even counselling but its none of these things. In Thursday’s presentation, Mike will explain how mentoring works and how it is different to many of the other support tools generally available. He will go on to cover the benefits of mentoring both for a business and for an individual. And finally he will describe the unique approach Jennings Business Mentors takes and some of the success stories from their mentees.
This will be an interactive presentation with lots of opportunities to ask questions.
RESIDENTS of Chinnor are today voting on the Chinnor Neighbourhood Plan. The polling station will be open at Chinnor Village Hall until 10 pm.
Chinnor residents have their say at a public consultation on Chinnor Neighbourhood plan earlier in the process
The referendum is being held to decide on the question :
“Do you want South Oxfordshire District Council to use the Neighbourhood Plan for Chinnor to help it decide planning applications in the neighbourhood area?”
A THAME man who caught the running bug after taking part in the Thame 10K, has now set his sights on the Oxford Half Marathon, to raise funds the hospice that cared for his late mother who died shortly afterwards.
Dan Cross, 35, told Thame.Net: “I’m doing the event on behalf of Sobell House Hospice who recently provided end-of-life care for my mum who had – like me – lived in Thame all her life. Obviously I am keen to raise as much money for them as possible.
“I only started running at the start of this year. I caught the competitive bug after doing the Thame 10k back in June, and unfortunately mum passed away shortly afterwards. I was eager to give something back to Sobell House after all they have provided for our family, and doing the Oxford Half Marathon on their behalf seemed like a logical thing to enter… at the time!
“I have been following a 10-week training plan and hope to finish the race in under 1hr 40mins.
HISTORY was made at Church Meadow on Saturday (02/09) when the final league day of the cricket season saw Thame Town Cricket Club beat local rivals, Aston Rowant by 19 runs, and win promotion to the Home Counties Premier League, Division One, for the first time !
Thame Town Cricket Club’s first XI after winning promotion on Saturday
TTCC’s second team secured a top-half finish in Division Four, but the thirds narrowly missed out on promotion from Division Nine. Here are the full match reports:
AFTER winning the toss and batting, Thame struggled to build any momentum. Callum Russell held the innings together with an excellent 62, but his dismissal sparked a late flurry of wickets to leave Thame tottering on the brink at 139-9. Enter another Russell, brother Andy, who in combination with Will Rooney (12) played intelligently to pick away at an increasingly-frustrated visiting attack. Andy finished with 26 not out as Thame’s final pair added 45 crucial runs, Thame finishing on 184-9, with Rowant’s bowling points guaranteeing them this year’s title.
When Thame bowled, despite another excellent spell with the new ball from Mike Higgs, dismissing Jewell and McDougall, Rowant moved comfortably to 75-2. However, Thame again showed their spirit to take 4 quick wickets to swing the game back at 79-6. Only a win would do for them and the tension was evident. Higgs returned to remove the dangerous Condon (55), but a partnership of 40 between Morrick and Bethell put the game back in the balance.
Hassam Mushtaq, as so often, provided the breakthrough, dismissing Bethell to reduce Rowant to 145-8. Morrick was then superbly run out by skipper Beard and, fittingly, it was overseas star Gamindu Kanishka – finishing as the top run scorer in the league – who dismissed the final Rowant batsman to spark jubilant scenes at Church Meadow.
Rowant were all out for 165, meaning Thame joins them in the Home Counties Premier League Division One next season, for the first time in the club’s history.
Neilson ton in vain as seconds are defeated
THAME second XI faced local rivals Dinton. Losing the toss and batting, James Neilson (104) anchored Thame’s innings with an excellent, mature knock. Apart from Neilson, however, only Matt Furness (23) and Alaistair Thomas (21*) contributed much to the total. Thame nevertheless reached 223, which they felt they could defend. In response, however, Thame struggled to dismiss Dinton’s top order, with Ur Rehman (52) and Lloyd (52) edging Dinton towards their target. The introduction of Matt Ridgway (5-64) threatened to swing the game, but big hitting from Shahid (38*) helped Dinton home on the final ball of the game.
Despite this loss, Thame second XI finished fifth, a top-half finish in just their first season in Cherwell League Division Four.
Third XI fall short at the last hurdle
THAME thirds went into their final league game with the possibility of promotion to Division Eight of the Cherwell League but, in the end, it was not to be. Asked to bat on a difficult wicket by visitors Oxford Downs thirds, they lost wickets regularly, with only Justin Avery (52) really coping with the conditions, albeit well supported by James McStay (25*) and Guy Holmes (22). When Oxford Downs batted, now chasing Thame’s 163, they looked in control throughout, despite giving a number of chances, with four batsmen making 30 or more, as they cruised to 163 for 4 in just 29 overs.
Oxford Downs can now look forward to Division Eight cricket next year, leaving Thame thirds to lick their wounds before planning an even more determined campaign in 2018.
With the league season now over, Thame now turns its full attention to fundraising to raise the last tranche of money needed to start building their new clubhouse. Thame residents can help the club over the line by making a donation at:
THE Browning Version of one of Terence Rattigan’s best-known plays, with its subtext worthy of Pinter and pathos befitting a Greek tragedy.
L to R, Chris Jackson (Frank Hunter), Jayesh Turvey (John Taplow), Adam Hurst (Andrew Crocker-Harris)
Since it was first performed in 1948, the play has achieved huge success, including two film versions and at least four TV adaptations. For their next production, Thame Players are staging a new production, opening on Tuesday, September 12, at the Players Theatre in Nelson Street, Thame.
The Browning Version is set on the last day of a classics master’s final term at an English boys’ school. Andrew Crocker-Harris (or ‘The Crock’ as he’s nicknamed) is academically brilliant but rather stuffy and inflexible as a person. He started his job with high hopes and great ambitions 18 years earlier, but he’s not popular and is generally disliked. Now poor health is forcing him to retire. His wife is altogether different as a character, vivacious and popular – and not just with the students. What does the future hold for this couple and will they face it together or apart? The play exposes a sad and poignant, yet ultimately inspiring and restorative, tale of love and longing.
Phil Byrom, director of this production for Thame Players, recalled: “When I first came across The Browning Version, I was captivated by Rattigan’s understanding of people with their complex relationships and motivations. The characters are beautifully wrought studies of humanity, painted in vivid hues that draw us into the drama, making their turmoil almost tangible. I believe Rattigan belongs in the first rank of playwrights who tell us so much about human nature, particularly the nature of love, rendering his plays timeless – irrespective of the era in which they’re set.”
Rattigan’s hit comedies and dramas include Flare Path, The Winslow Boy, The Deep Blue Sea and Separate Tables, plus many film scripts. By the early 1950s, Rattigan was Britain’s most successful playwright, both critically and financially.
“Since his death in 1977, Rattigan’s reputation has continued to rise,” continued Phil, “and today, with his penetrating understanding of the joy and the pain of love and the need to be needed, he is widely regarded as the English Chekhov.”
The Browning Version at the Players Theatre
Performances at The Players Theatre, Nelson Street, Thame OX9 2DP run from Tuesday 12th until Saturday 16th September inclusive, at 7.45pm each evening. Tickets cost £9, concessions £8, and are available from Spear Travels, Greyhound Walk, Thame, telephone 01844 217228 or online from www.thameplayers.co.uk
Biographical Note on Phil Byrom
Phil first took to the stage at school. He subsequently joined an amateur club, directing productions including Priestley’s An Inspector Calls and Wilde’s The Importance of Being Earnest. This is Phil’s directorial debut for Thame Players, but he has acted in previous Thame Players shows including Yes, Prime Minister, Journey’s End and Macbeth. In directingThe Browning Version, which is driven by the actors in terms of characterisation and relationships, Phil brings his acting experience to bear on his role as director. Above all, Phil loves to tell a good story and hopes everyone will enjoy the show.
Biographical Note on Terence Rattigan
Rattigan experienced his first success with First Episode in 1933, which enjoyed a rapid transfer to the West End. During the next two years Rattigan wrote six plays, but none were produced. In November 1936 a comedy, French without Tears, became an unexpected smash hit, running for over 1000 performances and turning its author and little-known cast – including Rex Harrison and Trevor Howard – into stars. When war came, Rattigan wrote hit comedies and dramas while off-duty in RAF Coastal Command. They include Flare Path The Winslow Boy, The Browning Version, The Deep Blue Sea, Separate Tables, plus many film scripts. By the early 1950s, Rattigan was Britain’s most successful playwright, both critically and financially. With the arrival of a younger generation of actors and writers in the 50s, Rattigan’s fortunes changed. Out of favour with the critics, Rattigan devoted much of the rest of his life to writing highly paid film scripts, but also wrote three of his finest plays, Man and Boy, In Praise of Love, and Cause Célèbre .
Thame Players is a registered charity run entirely by volunteers offering a varied range of productions all year round, from serious theatre to comedy and pantomime, including their own productions, visiting shows, and film screenings by Thame Cinema 4 All. For more information about Thame Players and how to join as a member or a friend, call 07938 857291 or visit www.thameplayers.co.uk
SOURCE: Contributed
For more forthcoming shows at The Players Theatre, visit our EVENTS PAGE
