THAME Concert Band will be outside Thame Town Hall on Christmas Eve from 6pm-7pm playing carols.
This is the 12th year running that TCB has supported this event which has become quite a family tradition for many in the town, and everyone is invited to join them for a Community Christmas carols sing-along. Carol Sheets will be available, although those with phones, tablets etc can access carols on: www.thameconcertband.org.uk/links.htm
Hot mulled wine, minced pies and a selection of sweets will be served by the friends of Barley Hill Church.
FOLLOWING the tragic death of a 4 year-old boy, knocked down by a car in Thame, Stefan Cork, the boy’s father, has raised thousands of pounds in tribute to his son.
Barnaby Cork died last Saturday (December 10), shortly after the incident, despite the efforts of air ambulance and other paramedics who were quickly on the scene, in the car park outside Thame Leisure Centre. On his JustGiving page, Stefan says: “Our precious Barnaby was our world, our everything. He was taken from us at such a tender age; we are so so heartbroken to say goodbye before any of us are ready.
Barnaby Cork’s dad, Stefan
“We would give anything to have Barnaby back in the safe and loving arms of our family.
“We were so lucky to have such amazing doctors at hand in an instant. Ella and I will forever be indebted for the speed, skill and courage of all these great people on the scene fighting with Barnaby, including the Thames Valley Air Ambulance.
“Only this summer we were raising money for the air ambulance and never for one second thought that we would be calling on them in our own moment of need .”
In just a few days, Stefan’s page has raised over £16,000 to support the Thames Valley Air Ambulance which many people don’t realise depends on charitable contributions to be able to carry out its work.
To find out more about Stefan’s cause and to contribute to the Barnaby Cork JustGiving page, LINK HERE
RED Kite Radio, the new radio station for Thame, Haddenham and the surrounding villages, has moved a step closer to launch after being awarded two grants. The cash from the Haddenham Beer Festivals Trust and The Rothschild Foundation, based at Waddesdon Manor, means that the station is now even closer to hitting the airwaves in late Spring 2017…But it still needs more cash.
Welcoming the awards, Chairman of Red Kite Radio, Mark Chapple said: “We’re over the moon with this grant funding which puts us in a stronger position as we move closer to our launch in Spring 2017. We’ve been lucky enough to receive funding from the Haddenham Beer Festivals Trust and the Rothschild Foundation to the tune of nearly £7000. Much of this money will be used for essential transmission equipment and work to build and renovate our studio at the Haddenham Garden Centre. I’d like to thank both organisations for their kind generosity.”
The Haddenham Beer Festivals Trust operates two beers festivals in Haddenham, including the recent Winterfest. So far it has raised over £220,000 for good causes in our community.
Founder Mark Zeall at the microphone of Summerfest Radio
Chaired by Lord Rothschild himself, the Rothschild Foundation supports Waddesdon Manor and gives grants to a variety of charitable initiatives including local good causes situated close to the 19th century property.
The radio station urgently needs to raise a further £3000 to get on air in 2017.
“As a not-for-profit radio station licensed by Ofcom, we will be completely funded through grants, donations and the sale of advertising and sponsorship to local businesses and traders,” explained Mark. “Very soon we’ll be in a position to release a number of founder sponsorship packages at a heavily discounted rate to local businesses. The money raised will help us plug the gap and fund essential fees like music copyright (PRS & PPL). We’re asking local businesses to register now on our new website www.redkiteradio.com
“Local people who’d like to donate money or office equipment can also get in touch via the website.”
Red Kite Radio, based at the Haddenham Garden Centre, will provide hyper-local programming for Thame, Haddenham and the surrounding villages on 107.2fm. Staffed primarily by volunteers, it will follow the successful Summerfest Radio broadcasts in support of the Haddenham beer festival – Summerfest.
2016 has been ‘a hell of a year’ for Haze. They’ve released two EPs, played at Truck Festival and been featured as Nightshift Magazine’s ‘Band Of The Month’.
On Thursday, the band will be supported by Milk and Father Demo.
EX BBC Weatherman, Bill Giles OBE, who lives in the Thame area, has been recalling fond memories of his old friend and fellow weather forecaster, Ian McCaskill who died yesterday aged 78.
Memories of the late Ian McCaskill & fellow BBC Weather forecaster Bill Giles (image courtesy of the BBC)
Speaking to Thame.Net, Bill, who is President of Thame Bowls Club, recalled: “Ian was a breath of fresh air when he joined my weather team in the late 1970s. He quickly developed his own style, a rather bumbling, cheerful man whom everyone adored whether they could understand what he said or not.
“He showed us all how to engage with our viewers (up to 15,000,000 at peak times) with his opening one-liners and cheerful ‘Hello’. He could fall asleep at the drop of a hat and frequently did during my staff meetings which were often held late in the evening, only to wake up and complain that I hadn’t covered a particular topic!
“His driving skills, or lack of, were well known and coming down from a high floor level at the BBC car park late one evening, he mistook the level he was on and crashed his car into a pillar, writing it off.
“Although it is many years now when we both retired I will miss him and all he brought to our world-beating weather team.”
AFTER winning ‘Rising Star’ status in last year’s Great British High Street Awards, Thame’s star has shone even more brightly since becoming a finalist in it’s category in this year’s competition.
Helen Johns (left) & sonja Francis collected Thame’s Finalist’s certificate on behalf of the town
Despite losing to a very worthy Champion, Hebden Bridge in this afternoon’s glittering awards ceremony, Thame’s entry was highly praised by the judges for it’s collaboration between the town and district councils, its businesses and the community at large, and for it’s innovative use of the prize money from last year’s award, to promote the town’s Midsomer Murders connection to attract visitors.
In reply to a tweet by @Thame4business, who spear-headed Thame’s social media campaign on behalf of 21st Century Thame and Thame’s entry, @theGBHighSt tweeted: “In our view every finalist is a winner! 900+ applications and you made top 3 in category!”
Thame’s achievement
Summing up Thame’s achievement on facebook, Thame business woman, Kathryn Lock, who runs The Practice therapy centre, commented: “All the hard work and publicity might not have resulted in a ‘win’ but it certainly raised the profile of Thame and resulted in a stronger and more positive community.”
The winner
Champion Small Market Town, Hebden Bridge received £5,000 and presented with a trophy by High Streets Minister, Andrew Percy, at the ceremony at Lancaster House in London earlier today (December 12). In addition to winning their category, Hebden Bridge was awarded a special new prize of People’s Choice for receiving a record breaking 40,000 votes – the most ever cast for a place in the history of the competition.
‘Enthusiasm and ambition’
The three shortlisted ‘small market town’ high streets, including Thame’s, were visited by judges from Holland & Barrett and The Department for Communities and Local Government, whose marks accounted for 50 per cent of the overall score.
Andy Torrance, Chief Operating Officer at Holland & Barrett said: “What struck me in this category was the enthusiasm of the individuals and businesses who make these small towns the cultural and business hubs they are.
“They may be small, but they have big ambitions, and coming from a business which began in Nuneaton but is now present on high streets up and down the country, we know how important it is to think big when it comes to your goals.
“Hebden Bridge is a worthy winner, and one with a lot to teach the rest of us about the importance of enthusiasm and innovation within the community.”
Thame’s MP, John Howell did not attend today’s event, but sent the following message: “I’m away on business this week but looked out for the final results today. I was so sorry to see that you were pipped to the post by Hebden Bridge.
“I’m sure you are all disappointed after so much effort but I hope you will also be pleased with getting to the final. That in itself was a great achievement and I am sure that all the fantastic work will not go unrewarded in terms of value added to the town and community.
“One of the things I took from the day with the judges was the huge sense of working together that existed amongst you all. This can’t be quantified but makes the whole greater than the sum of the parts. I am sure this will reap its own reward.
“Please pass on my commiserations on the final result to all but above all I hope that you will still be able to celebrate what you have achieved together.”
You can watch a recording of the live Periscope streaming of the event HERE
** The full list of winners:
Overall winner ‘Champion of Champions, was Blackburn.
City Location Winner – The Cathedral Quarter, Derby
Runners up – Castle Arcade District, Norwich and Broadmead, Bristol Town Centre Winner – Blackburn
Runners up – Hemel Hempstead and Banbury, Oxfordshire Large Market Town Winner – Bridgnorth
Runners up – Hinckley and Market Harborough, Leicestershire Small Market Town Winner – Hebden Bridge
Runners up – Chipping Norton and Thame, Oxfordshire Coastal Community Winner – Falmouth
Runners up – Sea View Street, Cleethorpes and Prestatyn, Wales Local Centre Winner – Hoole, Chester
Runners up – Claygate, Surrey and The Pantiles, Tunbridge Wells Village Winner – Pateley Bridge
Runners up – Kirkby Lonsdale, Cumbria and Langport, Somerset London Winner – Myddelton Road, Haringey
Runners up – Romford and Waterloo Rising Star Winner – Stockton
Runners up – Leominster and Dornoch, Scottish Highlands
The competition
The Great British High Street competition is run by the Department for Communities and Local Government and sponsored by British Land, the Post Office, Holland and Barrett, Boots UK, Google UK, Marks & Spencer, Wilko, Revo and Ellandi.
The Google Digital Garage on Tour is a workshop which includes sessions for businesses on finding and keeping customers online and the chance to have one-to-one consultations with Google specialists to chat through their businesses digital needs.
The overall winner received £10,000; category winners received £5,000 and runners up received £500 each.
The final result across all categories followed an online public vote and expert judges’ assessments, each counting for 50 per cent.
THAME Market Trader, Chris Hurdman, has spoken about the ‘great honour’ he felt to be part of a trio of finalists in this afternoon’s Great British High Street Awards ceremony in London.
Chris Hurdman, in the opulent surroundings of Lancaster House in London, with his Finalist’s certificate
Although disappointed not to be the overall eventual winner in his category, Market Retailer Champion, Chris said afterwards: ” I was of course absolutely gutted to not have won the Market Champion award. I have to take solace from being both nominated by the people of Thame and being the only market trader at the awards. It was a great honour to represent market trading and I will carry on working with the community to help keep Thame’s market and high street one of the finest in the country.”
But Chris, known locally for his cheerfulness and ‘can-do’ attitude, is not a man to stay down for long, adding later: “I must admit to feeling a little deflated. Never mind; the normal Chris will be back in play (at Thame’s Tuesday market) at 05:30 tomorrow morning!”
The Great British High Street judges awarded Nicola Martin, Tameside Markets, with the Market Retail Champion Award, and Beverley Milner-Simonds, of Burnham on Sea was Chris Hurdman’s fellow runner-up.
A full list of the Great British High Street winners, in all categories can be found HERE
THE family of four-year-old Barnaby Cork, who was fatally injured in a collison with a car in Thame on Saturday (December 10), have issued the following statement:
“We’re truly devastated at the loss of our precious Barnaby and we’re absolutely heartbroken that he’s gone to heaven before he was ready.
“There’s no words that can even begin to describe the sadness we’re experiencing now that Barnaby isn’t with us. He was our world.
“We are so very, very lucky to have such close and strong family as well as such great friends and neighbours and your support means everything to us.
“We know that the people of Thame have us in their thoughts and prayers and this gives us strength when we need it the most.
“We would like to thank you all for your support and for respecting our privacy at this time.”
Barnaby died after colliding with a car in the car park of Thame Leisure Centre, despite the efforts of the emergency services.
Thames Valley Police is appealing for witnesses to come forward after a fatal collision on the M40, in which an unidentified white man, believed to be in his 20s, was killed.
Police officers were called at 8pm yesterday evening (10/12) to a report that multiple vehicles had collided with a pedestrian on the M40 northbound between High Wycombe and Loudwater.
Investigating officer Sgt Dominic Mahon of Roads policing based at Amersham police station said: “We would like to appeal to anyone who was driving on either the north or southbound carriageways of the M40 between Junctions six and two at around 8pm to contact police.
“We are still in the process of identifying the victim. He is a white man, believed to be Polish, aged approximately in his twenties. He was wearing a black jacket, dark jeans and white canvas trainers.
“Anyone who recognises the victim from this description or who has information about this incident is asked to contact us on 101 quoting reference number 1467 (10/12).
“If you don’t want to speak directly to police you can contact the independent charity Crimestoppers (opens new window) anonymously on 0800 555 111. No personal details are taken, information is not traced or recorded and you will not go to court.”
THAMES Valley Police is appealing for witnesses in connection with the tragic death of a four-year-old child in Thame on Saturday (10/12).
The child, a pedestrian, was involved in a collision with a car at around 10.25 am yesterday, outside Thame Leisure Centre, Oxford Road, Thame. The driver stopped at the scene.
Police officers and other emergency services attended the scene but the child sadly died on the way to hospital. His next of kin has been informed.
Senior Investigating officer Sgt Jack Hawkins of Roads Policing based at Abingdon police station, said: “We are investigating the fatal collision and appealing for witnesses. Please can anyone with information which could assist enquiries contact police.
“The family of the deceased are being supported by specially trained family liaison officers at this very difficult time.”
Anyone with information about the incident should contact the 24-hour Thames Valley Police enquiry centre on 101.
If you don’t want to speak directly to police you can contact the independent charity Crimestoppers (opens new window) anonymously on 0800 555 111. No personal details are taken, information is not traced or recorded and you will not go to court.
Hot mulled wine, minced pies and a selection of sweets will be served by the friends of Barley Hill Church.
