FOLLOWING TV appearances in the local news and thousands of nominations from kebab lovers far and wide, Thame’s kebab van has reached the fifth British Kebab Awards (2017) shortlist.
The Kebab van, which has been a fixture in Thame since 1988, most evenings in Upper High Street, is run by the ebullient Rusel Atalay with his twin sons, who with their big welcome and banter have served the hungry people of Thame for many years. They were originally nominated by Thame resident and food blogger, Dominic Stanway-Williams, who has been leading the campaign to have have Thame’s local kebab van crowned Best British Kebab 2017.
The winners will be revealed on the night of the British Kebab Awards which will take place at Westminster Park Plaza Hotel on February 26, 2017.
To read which other kebab vans the Ataleys are up against, and the shortlists in the other categories, visit the British Kebab Awards website LINK HERE
THAMES Valley Fire Control Service received a call at 12.10pm today, Friday, February 10, to a road traffic collision involving a car that had crashed in to a ditch on Thame Park Road between Thame and Postcombe.
Fire crews were immediately sent from Oxfordshire County Council Fire & Rescue Service and Buckinghamshire & Milton Keynes Fire and Rescue Service, from Thame, Haddenham and Aylesbury fire stations.
Firefighters were quickly on the scene and provided first aid treatment to the driver and stabilised the vehicle. Ambulance and police also attended the scene and took the female driver to hospital.
Watch Manger Andy Ford said: “On arrival we found a car off the road in the ditch, firefighters immediately checked the female driver and stabilised the car. The injuries sustained could have been far worse if the driver had not been wearing her seat belt. She was very fortunate to have not collided with other cars coming the other way.
“We have attended a number of road traffic collisions in the area this year already. I would urge drivers to slow down and take the road conditions into account at this time of year, especially now the weather is turning colder and roads maybe icy in places.”
AS well as half-term events for kids (click HERE for details), Racquets Fitness Centre and Squash Academy has a very full programme of tournements for all ages and ability coming up in the next three months:
JUNIOR One-Day Squash Tournament – Saturday, March 11 – Another fun one-day squash tournament. For the competitive it’s a practice for the sanctioned event a few weeks later. For everyone else a fun but competitive afternoon playing others of the same standard. Enter on the noticeboard at the club. http://www.racquets-fitness-centre.com/
Ladies’ Squash Festival – Sunday, March 12,
A Sunday afternoon where the ladies who play and the ladies who’d like to give squash a go, get some coaching and playing while the kids are occupied with a creche and craft workshop. Speak to Sue Martin Downhill at Racquets for more information.
Racquets Bronze Sanctioned Junior Open – Saturday and Sunday, March 18 & 19
Enter now by linking HERE – speak to Sue or Simon if you are new to squash.
Squash Doubles Tournament – Saturday and Sunday, April 22 & 23
Enter now HERE – all standards welcome – speak to Sue or Simon if unsure
Oxfordshire Squash Graded Tournament – Saturday and Sunday, May20 & 21
Another date for your diaries, keep an eye open for when sign ups are open – a tournament designed for all standards
CHINNOR Parish Council has submitted its draft Neighbourhood Plan to South Oxfordshire District Council. People now have until 4.30pm on Tuesday, March 21, 2017, to submit their comments on the draft plan before it is checked by an independent examiner.
To view the draft Neighbourhood plan and supporting documents, and to submit comments, please visit www.southoxon.gov.uk/chinnor.
Hard copies are available in Chinnor at the parish council office, the library, Village Centre, village hall and Wee Bookshop and Café.
THAME residents are being offered an opportunity to raise questions about local crime issues, and about the future of Thame hospital.
Representatives of Buckinghamshire Healthcare NHS Trust will be present at Thame Town Council’s meeting on February 14, to answer questions on the future of Thame Community Hospital and the development of community hubs. Members of the community police team will be on hand to answer any querries about local crime issues.
The meeting will begin at 6.30pm, in the council chamber, upstairs at Thame town hall.
THAME Town Council is not happy about a plan to demolish 69 Park Street and erect three houses, fearing danger to other vehicles and pedestrians when exiting into the road, near the school.
It has recommended refusal of the plan, citing Over development, Dangerous access onto the highway and Loss of retail units and employment. The building is currently occupied by J R Car Parts.
Cllr Nichola Dixon told fellow councillors at a meeting of TTC’s Planning and Environment Committee on January 31: “We should be increasing retail at that end of the town, what with all the new houses up there. It seems that the priority is to knock everything down and build what makes the most money for developers. We must make a stand to SODC and tell them that this plan should go to its Planning committee for a decision and not left to officers to decide.”
NB The Highways officer at Oxfordshire County Council has stipulated certain conditions to be placed upon any planning permission. see LINK The full planning application and associated documents can be read HERE and comments submitted.
YOUNG Fencers from Thame Duellists Fencing Club had their first taste of international competition at the CEP Challenge tournament in Paris at the weekend, January 29.
Hal Seed
The well-established Paris event regularly attracts huge fields of junior fencers from all over the world and this year was no exception, with fencers from every continent present. What was new was the presence of Hal Seed and Darcy Herring Johnson of Thame Duellists Fencing Club in the Boys’ and Girls’ Under-14 events respectively, getting their first taste of international competition.
Darcy Herring Johnson
The competition, run over two demanding days of fencing, was intense and neither Hal nor Darcy was able to progress beyond the first day’s fencing, with Hal one of seven British fencers to be eliminated from the Boys’ under 14 event on the first day, and Darcy one of five British competitors to face the same fate in the Girls’ event. Both Hal, 12, and Darcy, 11, were younger than many of their opponents in the Under-14 event.
James Evans in action
However, both picked up a victory over the course of the day’s fencing, and both will have been buoyed by having qualified for the British Youth Championships at the Southern Regional qualifying event the previous weekend. At the qualifying tournament Hal matched his sixth place finish in the Boys’ Under-12 event last year with the same result in the Under-14s this year, while Darcy, who also fences for Oxford Fencing Club, finished seventh in the Girls’ Under-12s and booked her own place at the national championships, which take place at the beginning of May in Sheffield. Also representing Thame at the regional event was James Evans (14), who finished fourteenth in the Boy’s Under-16 event in his first competition.
There was better news from Paris for fencers from the region, with Heloise Hardie of Oxford being the best placed British fencer in the Girls’ under 17 event, finishing 44th after two gruelling days of competition.
BUSINESSES in South Oxfordshire are being invited to register for the South and Vale Business Breakfast on Tuesday, February 21, and hear how a local start-up grew to become the world’s largest jet tender manufacturer.
Business Breakfast
This free event includes a light breakfast followed by presentations about issues affecting businesses and a question and answer session. The Key note speaker will be Mathew Hornsby, Sales Director and co-founder of yacht and powerboat specialists, Williams Jet Tenders, based in Berinsfield. Mathew will be sharing the story of how Williams Jet Tenders went from a local start-up business to the world’s largest jet tender manufacturer building over 700 boats a year.
Following the Brexit vote of 2016, Garry Young, Senior Advisor at the Bank of England, will be sharing his thoughts on business uncertainty and economic prospects and what it means for local businesses.
The Business Breakfast takes place on Tuesday, February 21, from 7.30am at the De Vere Oxford Thames Hotel, Henley Rd, Sandford on Thames, OX4 4GX.
Cllr Robert Simister, Cabinet Member for Economic Development at South Oxfordshire District Council, said: “It would be great to see as many businesses as possible join us for the Business Breakfast. This will be a fantastic opportunity to hear about and discuss what’s happening in the local area and hear directly from the Bank of England about what Brexit could mean for local businesses.”
THAMES Valley Police is appealing for the public’s help in locating a man missing from Crowell, near Thame.
Mark Robinson
Mark Robinson, aged 53, from Crowell was last seen on Thursday, January 26, at around 7am in Chinnor Road, Crowell.
He is white, 5ft 10ins, of medium build, and balding grey hair. He was possibly last seen wearing a suit and a grey over coat with a black leather shoulder bag.
Mark is thought to have access to a grey Mazda 3.
PC Matthew French, from Thame Police station, said: “We are increasingly concerned for his welfare and anyone who has seen Mark, a vehicle matching the description, or knows of his whereabouts is asked to call 101.”
UK Power Networks has apologised, after part of Thame experienced it’s fourth power cut in a week, last night (February 7), explaining that it was caused by faulty equipment.
Residents in part of the OX9 3 area of Thame were without power from mid-evening yesterday until 7.45 am this morning. Twice during that period the power came back on again for a time but then went off again.
A spokesperson said: “UK Power Networks would like to apologise to approximately 270 customers in Thame who have experienced a number of power cuts over the last two days.
“These were caused by a series of faults on electrical equipment. However the network has been repaired and the customers were all back on supply by 7.45am today.
“We understand how difficult it is to be without power and apologise again for the inconvenience caused.”
Some electricity customers affected by the power cuts may be entitled to compensation: DETAILS HERE
The winners will be revealed on the night of the British Kebab Awards which will take place at Westminster Park Plaza Hotel on February 26, 2017.
