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Category: Thame news

  • Day of fun and music-making in Towersey

    COMMUNITY choir, Towersey Village Voices, presented a day of workshop singing with Paul Sartin, half of Belshazzar’s Feast, followed by an evening concert when Paul was joined by Paul Hutchinson for Belshazzar’s first ever appearance in the intimate setting of Towersey Memorial Hall.

    Members of Village Voices and other singers from the wider area were taught three songs, and in the evening a packed audience was treated to a mixture of humour and brilliant music-making by the Pauls, leaving everyone clamouring for more.

    A raffle was held in aid of Village Voices’ chosen charity for the year, Rosie’s Rainbow Fund, which provides music therapy for sick children in local hospitals, and in various community settings for children with special needs, as well as offering support to parents.

  • Swimming squad shines at Watford Regional qualifiers

    A squad of swimmers from Thame Swimming Club ventured to Watford for the annual Regional Qualifier meet over the weekend of March 18-19, and came home with delighted with a string of Personal Bests and wins.

    “Those swimming on the Saturday were lucky enough to enjoy a lie-in as the meet didn’t start until 1pm so the swimmers were lively and raring to go once the event got underway,” said club spokesperson Michele Block. “Sadly this wasn’t the case for those swimming on Sunday with another more usual early start!” Here’s Michele’s full report:

    Team Thame enjoyed a great weekend of racing against a very competitive field from much larger clubs, with all the team’s swimmers coming home with at least one PB and most with multiple PBs, which was a fantastic result!

    Outstanding moments from the weekend are highlighted below:

    * An awesome opening swim for Murray Wakefield, knocking 14 secs of his 400 Free, having only just set his ‘old’ PB at Counties in February!
    * In the 200 IM, the Group 3 girls – Tabitha, Maya and Flora all got impressive PBs with an eye on trying to move up a lane in training (a very canny
    lane ordering system introduced by Simon Haarburger!)
    * Josh Williams went a fantastic sub 2 minutes for the first time in his 200 Free, which ranks him top of the South East Region and 13th in the whole
    of Great Britain in this distance for his age group. Wow – what a phenomenal achievement; well done Josh! Josh also takes the top place in the SE
    Region for his 400m Free PB of 4.15.74.
    * George Pearson, our sole Group 1 swimmer on Saturday, knocked an amazing 5 seconds off his 50 Fly (also getting PBS in 100 Fly and 200 Fly – no
    guessing his favourite stroke!)
    * Joshua Greig powered to a PB of 29.56 in his 50 Free, his first sub-30 second time at this event – fabulous!
    * Oscar North picked up four Regional Consideration Times for 400 Free, 50 Fly and 200 Free and 100 Free – great work Oscar.
    * Katelin Phillips for an outstanding 400 Free swim, knocking a whopping 25 seconds off her previous PB, way to go! Katelin also went sub 40 for the
    first time on her 50 Fly with a time of 38.81.
    * Maya Camp for fabulously swimming sub 3 minutes for the first time in her 200 Backstroke (2.54.21) – awesome swimming Maya.

    Our Club was congratulated by some of the Watford Marshals for having such a lovely, polite and punctual squad of swimmers – so thank you to you all for being so fabulous!

    Thanks to Paul Williams, Emma Camp, Rachel Humphreys and Emma Day for officiating and to our ever supportive coaches Ian Blyth and Iain Phillips for all their encouragement. It was a rare outing for Michele Block as Team Manager (usually officiating!), helped by our new recruit, Damian Wakefield – we had a great time – thanks to all the swimmers there who threw themselves into cheering and supporting each other – what a Team!

  • Squash fun for ladies at Thame Festival

    HEAD squash coach at Racquet Fitness Centre in Thame, Sue Martin Downhill, is determined to spread the word that squash is a great game for ladies. “For mums they just need someone to look after the kids!” She says.

    And to prove it, last Sunday, March 12, Racquets held a Ladies Squash Festival – an opportunity for ladies of all ages to visit the club, try out the game and socialise with other ladies who have already discovered that squash is great exercise and fun. Coach, Roger Ridler was on hand to help any ladies who had never been on the court before.

    Sue Martin Downhaill (R) with her band of happy squash-playing ladies

    “Roger’s gentle approach allows ladies to conquer the fear of walking on the court for the first time,” explained Sue. “Using a bright orange, bouncy ball he helped a few learn how to hit the ball and to serve and after only a short while all the ladies were able to play the game. Some ladies on the court for the first time were able to progress from the orange to the blue and then onto the symbolic ‘single yellow dot’ squash ball. Everyone learns at their own pace and there are other ladies looking for games with other ladies who are at the same stage of learning.

    “We find that many ladies are afraid that they might make a fool of themselves on court. After only a few minutes on court though they realise that there are plenty of others in the same boat and I find that everyone laughing at the strange things we do when faced with an oncoming ball is the best way to rid ourselves of the fear; just get in there and give it a go.”

    While the ladies were playing squash, the club ran a Creation Station workshop for the kids and a crèche for the very little ones. So the mums could bring their kids along and know that they were in good hands and enjoying themselves too.

    Mary Frew, whose husband has played regularly for years but has only just taken up the game, said: “I had a brilliant time at the ladies squash festival. It was a great mix of friendly games and drills to keep us all sharp. The best thing was the amazing atmosphere and laughter. It was great to spend my birthday today with some of the fantastic ladies that I have made friends with through group coaching at Racquets, and to be joined by other friends trying the game for the first time or remembering it after 15 years away from squash. The kids all loved it too. Thank you Sue and Simon for organising!”

    Denise Caley only had one hour to play because of mother duties but still managed to get plenty of squash in. Denise has only been playing for two weeks but said; “The kids didn’t want to leave and neither did I. Thanks indeed for organising this brilliant event.”

    Sue concluded that Racquets were grateful to England Squash and South Oxfordshire District Council for the #SquashGirlsCan funding which allowed the club to offer so much on the day.

  • Arrest at Haddenham station after guard assaulted

    PASSENGERS travelling on Chiltern Railways at around 5pm yesterday, were surprised to find their train halted at Haddenham and Thame parkway, and the train boarded by police officers.

    A 23 year-old man, who had assaulted the guard in one of the carriages, was then tackled by several officers and arrested .

    A statement by British Transport Police stated: “We were called to Haddenham and Thame Parkway station shortly after 5pm on Saturday, 18 March, following reports of an assault on a train guard.

    “Our officers attended and a 23 year-old man was arrested at the scene on suspicion of ABH and is currently in custody awaiting interview.”

    Reports in the media on-line about the man being in possession of a knife, and trying to enter the driver’s cab, have not been confirmed by the police.

  • ‘Cheers’ to a successful fundraising evening

    AN impressive £600 was raised at the Mayor’s ‘Bubbles, Boards and Creams’ evening held in The Stables at The James Figg last Thursday (9 March).

    The charity event was in support of the Mayor of Thame, Linda Emery’s charities, The Red Kite Children’s Centre and Thame Youth Café.

    Frazer Sutherland, from Peach Pubs, hosted the event. He said: “It was great being able to work with Linda on this event, and we are delighted to have helped to raise money for The Red Kite Children’s Centre and Thame Youth Café. Plenty of bubbles were consumed and a fantastic evening was had by all!”

    The event was sponsored by Liberty Wines, Boutinot Wines and Jude’s Ice Cream.

  • Thame pool to get new £353,000 changing area

    SWIMMERS at Thame Leisure Centre are to benefit from a major upgrade to the changing area with new cubicles, improved changing and shower areas and better lighting.

    South Oxfordshire District Council is investing £353,000 in the new facilities which will also include new bench seating, new lockers, toilets, dryers, and new ceilings with LED lighting.

    Work on the changing area is expected to start on Monday, April 3, and will take around 14 weeks to complete. During this time the swimming pool and all other facilities will remain open with a temporary changing area available pool side.

    Cllr Anna Badcock, Cabinet Member for Leisure at South Oxfordshire District Council, said: “The refurbished area will provide a much better environment for people at Thame Leisure Centre before and after they swim. This investment is part of our ongoing commitment to provide the best leisure facilities for all our residents across South Oxfordshire.”

  • ‘Let’s all work together on Thame’s Travel Plan’

    FOLLOWING the first public meeting to talk about the progress of Thame’s Transport Plan Working Group (TPWG), Thame’s Town Clerk is now asking for help from the community to plan the future of travel and transport around the town.

    In a message aimed at those who attended the meeting on February 28, but with a wider message for everyone, the Town Clerk, Graham Hunt wrote: “Thank you for your continued interest in the work of the Transport Plan Working Group (TPWG). For those of you who were able to attend the first meeting of the TPWG, thank you all for your specific contributions on the night. For the benefit of those newly involved, we attach the Thame Travel Plan – discussion paper June 16  (as prepared as input to the Green Living Plan by the RSA Thame Group). This, along with various other inputs, provided some of the basis for the four proposed frameworks for the TPWG to work within (Walking & Cycling, Traffic Management, Public Transport and Parking provision).

    “The meeting on Tuesday (28/02) confirmed again the complexity of what we are trying to achieve and in particular the significant overlap with the good work already underway by the RSA Thame Group as they draft the transport aspects of the Green Living Plan (Ed. A project that forms part of the Thame Neighbourood Plan), working with the Green Living Plan Working Group (GLPWG).

    Deciding and co-ordinating responsibilities

    “The TPWG Terms of Reference (LINK HERE) confirms the need to ensure basic responsibilities are allocated between the various Working Groups. As we drill down, there will be some aspects that the RSA Thame Group take forward, with or without TPWG support, as an integral part of the Green Living Plan. Others will be more of a collaborative effort and in other cases there will be items that the TPWG moves forward on its own. Whatever, it is essential that we establish agreement of which group is responsible for what as we progress.

    “In the same way that our Market Town Co-Ordinator, Becky Reid, has taken on the chairmanship of the Town Centre Working Group (TCWG), Graeme Markland, our Neighbourhood Plan Continuity Officer, will now take over from the interim Chairman, Cllr Bob Austin, in taking a lead on the TPWG and ensuring relevant co-ordination (in agreement with TPWG members) and allocation of responsibilities. Some will also overlap with the work of the TCWG and he will work with Becky on those. Graeme already has regular meetings with the RSA Thame Group and is involved in the GLPWG which will also help.

    Volunteers & comments needed to help take the next step

    “The next step is to seek all of your further input into the four TPWG frameworks. Are they the right set? How will they work together? Is there anything that needs adding to them? We would welcome any written comments, so that they can be refined further. There was some progress in establishing separate leaders (on behalf of the TPWG aspects) for each of the four frameworks – if anyone else wishes to volunteer to have a greater lead role then that would be appreciated too. If you don’t have time for that, then it would be good to at least know which of the four frameworks you would most like to be involved in – it could be one, two, three or all four of them. Can everyone please just spend up to 15 minutes over the next week or so to reply in some way…[I have set replies to go to Graeme by default as he will be co-ordinating from now on].

    Money is there – help Thame to spend it wisely!

    “There were 47 attendees at the first meeting. That was amazing. Other towns are jealous of the way that so many people want to get involved to find ways of making our town even better than it is. I know that by working together (and also engaging even more with the District and County Councils in this area) we will make Thame a better place, with the appropriate infrastructure to support all its residents, workers and visitors. There is significant funding we can call on – let’s get it spent wisely, based on all our inputs.”

  • Thame Players win sponsorship for new projection equipment

    THAME Players’ productions are about to get a whole lot more exciting and streamlined, after a local developer has agreed to make a major contribution to the purchase of state-of-the-art stage projection equipment.

    A scene from Thame Players’ recent production of Peter Pan, with one of Robert Duncan’s images back-projected

    Haddenham-based developers, Rectory Homes, are to make this investment as part of their three-year sponsorship of Thame Players, the amateur theatre group and registered charity which has been staging productions in Thame for over 70 years.

    Pat Shepherd is Chairman of Thame Players. She explained: “The new back-screen projection equipment will be used to achieve rapid special effects and scene changes which would otherwise be impossible without entailing multiple laborious set changes, adding a professional touch that will bring excitement and special magic to future productions, from plays to pantomimes.

    “By sponsoring Thame Players, Rectory are also contributing to arts and entertainment provision in Thame,” she added.

    Rectory Homes’ sponsorship of Thame Players, currently in its second year, consists of two strands; one related to creative development, the other to capital improvements of the former church hall, which is over 100 years old and was converted into a theatre by Thame Players nearly 40 years ago. This year, Rectory’s contribution is not only enabling Thame Players to achieve special effects through the new stage projection equipment, but also helping them fund musical direction and choreography for their forthcoming production of Honk, the award-winning musical based on the Hans Christian Andersen story The Ugly Duckling.

    Simon Vickers, founder and chief executive of Rectory Homes, said: “We are delighted to be supporting Thame Players, a gem of an asset to the town of Thame. We take community support very seriously.”

    Pat Shephard concluded: “Rectory Homes have already supported us with sponsorship of two open-air Shakespeare productions, Much Ado About Nothing (2014) and Macbeth (2016), as well as contributing to the funding of other productions and celebrity appearances we would otherwise not be able to afford. Their generous sponsorship over three years is very much appreciated and we look forward to continuing to work with them on our creative programme and building and technical projects. Rectory’s support, advice and encouragement is tremendously valued by all of us at Thame Players.”

  • Over 60s can swim for a whole month for just £5

    PEOPLE aged 60 and over, living in rural areas across southern Oxfordshire can claim a month’s swimming sessions for just £5.

    GO Active Gold is offering vouchers to use at district council leisure centres from April 1, to May 31. Residents can sign up for the offer by visiting www.getoxfordshireactive.org/go-active-gold or by calling 01235 422240. To claim this offer you must register by Saturday, April 1.

    The leisure centres where the offer can be used are:
    Abbey Sports Centre, Berinsfield
    Didcot Wave
    Faringdon Leisure Centre
    Henley Leisure Centre
    Thame Leisure Centre
    Wantage Leisure Centre
    White Horse Leisure and Tennis Centre, Abingdon
    Please note – this offer is not available to existing ‘Better’ members.

    Cllr Anna Badcock, Cabinet Member for Leisure at South Oxfordshire District Council, said: “Since launching in 2016 GO Active Gold has helped over a thousand people get more active across southern Oxfordshire. The £5 swimming offer is another example of the significant benefits it is bringing to people in our rural communities.”

    GO Active Gold is a Sport England funded, three year project that aims to increase health and well-being amongst people aged 60 and over living in rural areas across South Oxfordshire and Vale of White Horse.

  • Rats found in food storage area of Thame restaurant

    An Indian restaurant has been temporarily stopped from using a food storage area and cellar after Environmental Health Officers found evidence of rat activity.

    The Star and Garter restaurant in Thame

    Officers from South Oxfordshire District Council visited The Star and Garter, in Wellington St, Thame, on Thursday, March 9, to carry out an unannounced routine food hygiene inspection. During the inspection the officers found rat droppings and clear damage to the structure of the rear storage area and cellar.

    To prevent the restaurant using the storage area and cellar until the problem had been resolved, and sufficient measures taken to prevent it from happening in the future, the officers served a Hygiene Emergency Prohibition Notice.

    The Environmental Health Officers visited the premises again on Monday, March 13, and were satisfied that the business had taken steps to remove the risk to the public by carrying out necessary improvements. As a result, they issued a certificate allowing the restaurant to operate as normal.

    On Tuesday, March 14, Oxford Magistrates’ endorsed the decision to issue the prohibition notice, agreeing that there had been an imminent risk to peoples’ health. The Star and Garter was also ordered to pay the council’s £1,443 costs.

    South Oxfordshire District Council continues to work with the business to help it improve its compliance with food safety and hygiene requirements.

    Cllr Tony Harbour, Cabinet Member for Food and Safety at South Oxfordshire District Council, said: “Food premises have an obligation to ensure they protect against potential pest problems. If they fail to do this they could put customers’ health at risk and we would have no alternative but to take immediate action.”

    SOURCE: Press release from South Oxfordshire District Council