SOUTH Oxfordshire District Council has commissioned a survey relating to the Thame Livestock Market, and Thame4Business is asking that all retailers in Thame complete the survey, which will help SODC to consider the future of the site.
“If you would print it, complete it and then drop it into Racquets Fitness Centre, behind the Cattle Market, or send it, that would be much appreciated. Alternatively, you could complete it and email it direct to vicky.phillips@bidwells.co.uk
HAPPY Healthy Conflict – is it possible? This is the title of a presentation to be give by from Melanie Greene of Inspire Transformation, at November’s Late Breakfast business networking event.
Melanie’s view is that some level of conflict is inevitable in life, whether it is due to differences of opinion, personality clashes or lack of rapport. However, ‘does it always have to be destructive?’ She askes. Is there a way of managing conflict which can make it a positive and constructive process?
Melanie Greene is an Occupational Psychologist who works as a coach and trainer in a wide variety of businesses, specialising in communication issues in the workplace. She is writing her second book titled: Happy Healthy Conflict, and will share some of her ideas with Late Breakfast guests during her interactive talk.
THIS year’s Service of Remembrance in Thame will take place this Sunday, November 9, at Thame Memorial Gardens in Upper High Street.
The procession, which will include Town Councillors, members of the Royal British Legion and other community groups, will assemble outside the town hall at 10.30am and proceed to the War Memorial. Following the service everyone is invited to Christchurch for refreshments.
A copy of the Order of Service is available from the Information Centre at the town hall and will be distributed at the Memorial Gardens on the morning of the service.
LOCAL children from Beavers and Rainbows have been busy this week, helping to plant patches of poppies along the Phoenix Trail, in Thame.
The project, led by the Town Council in collaboration with Sustrans, is one of the town’s many events to mark the centenary of World War I. The area that has been planted is along the old railway line, including the site of the old Thame Station from where the young men of Thame and the surrounding villages, who had enlisted for the military, would have left to go and fight in the war.
The red poppy was adopted as a symbol for the terrible loss of life on the battlefields of the First World War, inspired by the words of the poem ‘In Flanders Field’ by Canadian Lieutenant Colonel, John McCrae:
“In Flanders Field the poppies grow, Between the crosses, row on row…”
The poppies that the children have planted are expected to flower next summer. The Council has thanked everyone who took part in the planting and Taplins for providing a rotavator to help with the digging.
COMMENTING on the Competition and Market Authority’s (CMA) decision to launch a market investigation of the small business banking sector, David Knowles Leak, FSB Thames Valley Regional Chairman said: “The CMA is right to put business banking under the microscope. As the CMA’s initial report showed, the market has a number of unwelcome features. It remains worryingly concentrated, with just four banks controlling 85 per cent of business current accounts, with low levels of switching between providers compounded by a lack of price transparency.
“There are a range of structural issues that have long been identified that potentially restrict competition and choice for small firms seeking much needed finance and other banking services. While we recognise there are some initiatives in place to address some of these issues, this is the opportunity to resolve any outstanding issues once and for all, and put in place the conditions for a thriving, dynamic banking sector fit for the 21st century.”
NB The FSB is the UK’s leading business organisation with around 200,000 members. It exists to protect and promote the interests of the UK’s Real-Life Entrepreneurs who run their own business. More information is available at www.fsb.org.uk and follow on twitter @fsb_policy
Chair Thames Valley Federation of Small Business, David Knowles Leak
SOUTH Central Ambulance Service NHS Foundation Trust (SCAS) is encouraging cyclists and motorcyclists to be ‘autumn aware’ by wearing the right Personal Protection Equipment (PPE).
The autumn weather can lead to dangerous riding conditions with low sun, wet leaves, poor visibility and deep surface water on the road. The dark mornings and evenings make commuting particularly hazardous.
Cyclists and motorcyclists should always wear the right protective gear when riding including wearing high visibility clothing. A study in New Zealand showed that motorcyclists who wore a fluorescent jacket and a white helmet were 37 per cent less likely to be killed in a road accident.
Mark Ainsworth-Smith, Pre-hospital care practitioner for SCAS, explains: “We want everyone to be safe on the roads this autumn. Wearing the correct clothing can greatly reduce your chance of a collision and also prevent serious injuries. Wearing high visibility clothing is essential to make other road users aware of your presence in bad weather, poor light and at night time. Riders should adjust their speed to changing road conditions and should be particularly careful in the event of snow or ice. “
Mike concluded: “My bike will be staying warm in the garage if we get any icy conditions this year!”
THAME United secured their fifth consecutive league victory on Tuesday ( in 04/11) in their Uhlsport Hellenic League Premier Division match, defeating Holyport 2-1 in what was a scrappy encounter, at the ASM Stadium.
Both teams came in to the game in good form, but for the majority of the match neither side were able to find any rhythm or pattern to their play. The early exchanges saw Holyport pressing forward but the first chance came to United on seven minutes when Shaun Coker in the Holyport goal did well to block a goal-bound shot from Stacey Field. Ten minutes later it was the visitors who edged in front when a cross field ball was intercepted and played through to Andy Vine on the wide left, who then placed his effort beyond Cockerill in the Thame goal.
Image courtesy of Holyport.co.uk
United looked for a quick response, which duly arrived on 24 minutes when a cross from the left was met by the head of Dan Jones whose effort came back off the post, with Ellis Hercules on hand to push the ball in to the roof of the net. For the remainder of the half there was little goal mouth action, with Calvin Evans going closest for United with a drive from the edge of the box.
The second half followed the pattern of the first half, albeit a mix-up in the Thame defence on 62 minutes, when a ball come back off the post and cleared to safety, prior to which Jamie West saw his lobbed effort land on the roof of the net for Holyport.
United, themselves, continued to press and were eventually rewarded with the winning goal on 78 minutes. A Field effort was parried by Coker with Dan Jones was on-hand to stab the ball home from close range. The remainder of the match saw little goalmouth action and United held on to take the three points, a win that pushes them up to fifth in the table.
THE Bucksum Salads team, David Newman and his Partner Tracy Russell from Long Crendon, were once again in the limelight this week, this time at the Oxfordshire Restaurant Award 2014, winning the ‘Best Producer’ award.
Winner of last years’ 2013 Observer Food Monthly ‘Best Local Farmer Award’, a delighted David said: “It’s good to be recognised for the hard work we put into supplying the best produce; we didn’t even know that we had been nominated until we were invited along!”
People often ask the couple how many staff they have at their farm and are amazed when they reply that the business is run on 20 acres of land rented from David’s parents and that the team consists of just the two of them, with a little help from their children in the school holidays.
Now in it’s fourth year, the Oxfordshire Restaurant Awards were held at a glittering reception in the Oxford Town Hall on Tuesday, November 4, where City of Oxford College students had not only designed the Awards but prepared and served the food.
Local Pub, the James Figg in Thame, was also nominated in the Best Traditional Pub category.
REACTING to a far-reaching ruling from the UK Employment Appeal Tribunal (EAT), David Knowles Leak, FSB’s Thames Valley Regional Chairman said: “Today’s ruling leaves many questions unanswered. It has the potential to be very damaging to small businesses, presenting a real risk of small firms being forced to close down if faced by retrospective claims.
Image courtesy of personeltoday.com
“Clearly it would be desperately unjust to expect businesses to pay retrospective compensation for how they calculated holiday pay when they were fully compliant with the law as it was understood at the time.
“The FSB (Federation of Small Businesses) has been appointed to a Government task force to examine this issue and will be fighting hard for small businesses to be insulated from the uncertainty and legal risks this ruling brings.”
A recent survey of FSB members found that a third of small businesses with employees (31 per cent) paid staff for voluntary overtime. One in 10 (11 per cent) of small firms with staff also offered some form of commission.”
Thame4Business Co-ordinator, Sue Martin Downhill asks: “If you are Thame retailer, please take a few minutes to download the pdf at http://www.racquets-fitness-centre.com/wp-content/uploads/manual/Economic%20Benefit%20Survey-%20Local%20Businesses.pdf
“If you would print it, complete it and then drop it into Racquets Fitness Centre, behind the Cattle Market, or send it, that would be much appreciated. Alternatively, you could complete it and email it direct to vicky.phillips@bidwells.co.uk
