MY mum, Rose Swift, of Chapel cottage, Towersey, passed away on the 12th of October. We have had so many kind and sympathetic cards and messages from her friends and neighbours in Towersey. We are reminded how lucky we are to live here.
Cherry nurse.
BERNARD Meltonville, a regular member of the Towersey Wednesday Coffee Morning Club, passed away on October 22, 2014, after a long illness bravely borne.
THAME based Chinnor RFC, with a bright first half, held on in the second half to record a 23-19 victory over Cambridge on Saturday (October 25).
Chinnor, benefitting from a strong wind, began the half with two quick penalty goals from Ed Keohane to go 6-0 ahead on 12 minutes. Chinnor, now well in charge, scored two quick tries through their forwards – the first from a rolling maul by Tibbbats and the second after some aggressive picking and driving by Alfie To’oala. Keohane’s conversion of the second put Chinnor ahead 18-0 on 23 minutes. A lovely piece of interplay wide on the left saw debutant Toby Salmon go over in the corner for Chinnor to put them 23-0 ahead at half time.
The second half was a complete reversal of the first with Cambridge scoring all the points and Chinnor none – much to do with the strength of the wind allied to apparent reduced energy levels.
Straight from the kick off, Cambridge put in at a scrum on the Chinnor 22. Liebenberg, Cambridge’s most influential player, darted down the blind side and a few passes and missed tackles later, Cambridge, through James Ayrton, scored under the posts. Boshoff’s conversion put the match score at 23-7. Cambridge, a different side from the first half, continued to push Chinnor and Liebenberg went over on 62 minutes to bring Cambridge closer at 23-12. The turning point in the match came in the 72nd minute when Chinnor received yellow cards for both Nutt and Cambareri. Cambridge upped the pace and scored a try from full back James Stokes on the 77th minute. Boshoff’s conversion put the visitors just 4 points behind at 23-19. Chinnor held on grimly for the final whistle and the victory, earned in the first half and well defended in the second.
Teams:
Chinnor: Martin Nutt, Robbie Martey, Jack Hayes, Junior Fatialofa, Reuben Haile, Ed Keohane, Frank Jones, Joe Pickett, Jamie Townsend, Guido Cambareri, Ben Manning, Toby Salmon Andy Tibbatts, Ryan Long, Alfie To’oala
Interchanges: Simone Carloni, Dave McKee, Nick Harrison, Reece Boughton, Sam Angell
Scorers:
Chinnor
Tries (time): Tibbatts (16), To’oala (22), Salmon (35)
Conversions (time): Keohane (23)
Penalty Goals (time): Keohane (8,12)
Drop goals (time):
Cambridge:
Tries: Ayrton (41), Liebenberg (62), Stokes (77)
Conversions: (time): Boshoff (42,78)
Referee: Rob Warburton
Attendance: 211
Half time score: 23-0
Full time score: 23-19
Star man: Ryan Long (Chinnor)
SOURCE: Contributed by Bill O’Donnell
IN an action-packed second half, United scored a 97th minute penalty to take all three points against fifth placed Highworth Town on Saturday (25/10). The final score was Thame United 3, Highworth Town 2, in this UHLSPORT Hellenic League Previer Division.
There was little indication of what was to come in the second half when the highlight of the first half was referee Ed Turner taking a tumble over the halfway-line flag.
It all changed, however, early in the second half when United failed to clear a Highworth corner and the ball was played back in to the box for Callum Parson to score from close range. It was nearly two five minutes later when T.J.Bohane could only side-foot wide from six yards. The visitors were made to rue the miss on 70 minutes. Dan West was fouled 25 yards from goal and Dan Jones stepped-up to curl a delightful free-kick in to the top corner giving Stevens in the Highworth goal no chance.
By now it was end-to-end with both sides going for the three points. United edged in front on 84 minutes when substitute Shannon Jesson was grounded in the penalty area, but managed to swivel and poke the ball beyond Stevens. Highworth pushed forward in search of an equaliser which duly arrived in the 90th minute when, following a cross in to the box, the ball fell to Sam Wadeih, whose headed effort found its way in to the back of the net despite United having a number of players on the line.
With the referee indicating 10 minutes of injury time, the momentum was with the visitors as they went in search of the three points. However, in the 97th minute, a long ball from keeper Cockerill found Dan West, who beat his marker before picking out captain Adam Morris with a square ball in to the box but, just as he was about to strike the ball, he was caught by a Highworth defender. Whilst the referee did not give a decision, after consulting his assistant, a penalty was awarded. West confidently finished and United held out to take three points, and maintain their sixth placed position.
United:
Cockerill, Evans, Hall, Hercules, Muholland, Lynch, Jones, Morris, Davis (Jesson), West, Ricketts
SOURCE: Contributed by Jake Collinge
NICK Baker, from a local farming family, ploughed his way through to win the Racquets Junior, One-Day Squash Tournament which took place on Saturday, October 18.
Twenty youngsters – who had been playing squash for for between just one month to a few years – turned out for the tournament to raise their competitive edge so that they can prepare for competing in the Oxfordshire county squads.
There were two grades – a 16 draw of players who are now playing the game of squash to a high level and will be vying for positions in the County squads over the coming year. Nick Baker won, beating Molly Woods in the final. Leo Hayden won the Plate, beating Max Bridges. In both these matches, the age gap and strength difference proved to be the deciding factors.
In the Junior Beginners’ grade Ned Richards won his very first tournament. This grade was especially significant to the game as it involved three girls who are new squash.
Sue Martin-Downhill, one of the coaches at Racquets, said: ‘The keenness of the kids this weekend was brilliant. They all played the game in fantastic spirit and there were plenty of very close matches helping them gain experience of coping in competitive environments.”
Squash is becoming so popular locally that Racquets now has coaching sessions almost every day of the week. But Sue would love to hear from others who would like a taster of the game she loves so much. Give her a call at the club on 01844 261754 if you would like to get involved in this great indoor sport.
A family of reindeer to pet, a miniature railway to chug up the High Street on and an extended lantern parade will all be part of Thame’s Christmas event 2015, which this year will be extended into the following Sunday, with a three kilometer Santa Dash organised by the Florence Nightingale Hospice and Thame Lions.
The lantern parade for children, which was a huge success last year, will be even bigger and brighter this year with parents, grandparents and members of the Thame & District Day Centre being encouraged to be involved.
Friday, December 5, 2014, is the date for your diary for the big Christmas lights switch-on and stage event, and Sunday, December 7, 10am in the town centre, for the Santa Dash. Anyone can register at www.fnhospice.org.uk to take part to run, jog, or walk the buggy-friendly 3K route .
The theme for the event will be ‘Santa Convention’ and all the visitors and those taking part on the Friday night and the Santa Dash, are being encouraged to wear Santa hats and costumes. The reindeer will be housed in a 12ft pen in the High Street and although the public won’t be able to enter the pen, they will be able to stroke the deer through the picket fencing.
Once again there will be a ‘town trail’ around various shops in the town to spot a hidden object and shop owners are being encouraged to stay open late. Businesses not within the road closure area will be given the opportunity by the town council to have a free stall nearer the action.
The stage events will start at 6pm and last for around 60 minutes, with several local groups including Thame Players, Stagecoach Thame, the Romey Louise Dance Academy, Thame Youth Theatre, the Pauline Quirke Academy, Thame Chamber Choir as well as the primary schools taking part. The winner of the Christmas Trail will be presented with their prize, as will the winner of the competition to name the theme of next year’s Thame Carnival who will win an exciting toy from Wally’s Toy Shop in Thame, and three months Junior Gold Membership to Racquets, Thame.
TOP-CLASS butchers from Oxfordshire are battling to bag honours in the Q Guild Smithfield Awards, their annual high profile product evaluation competition.
A total of 479 products from 54 Q butchers nationwide, virtually half of the national membership, have been entered for this year’s sizzling showcase.
There are eight product categories – sausages, burgers, ready to eat meat and roasts, bacon and cured products, pies and bakery – both hot and cold – kitchen ready products, and ready meals, a new addition this year to reflect the great variety of products offered by Guild members.
M Newitt & Sons, of Thame, is well represented with nine products – Oxfordshire Sausage, Gloucestershire Sausage, Green Back Bacon, Smoked Back Bacon, Long Crendon Black Bacon, Long Crendon Black Streaky Bacon, Steak, Ale & Stilton Pie, Steak Pie and Chicken & Ham Pie.
All entrants will be hoping to pick-up gold awards, all of which will qualify for standalone top-rated diamond awards given to individual product category winners, along with EBLEX awards for the best English beef and lamb products, BPEX awards for the best English pork and bacon products, plus Quality Meat Scotland awards for the best Scotch beef and lamb products.
In addition, an overall Smithfield Awards supreme champion will emerge – and earn the bragging rights that go with this ultimate accolade!
Judging by panels of food and meat industry enthusiasts has now taken place and awards will be announced and presented at the Butchers Hall in Smithfield, London, on Thursday, November 13, by Matthew Fort, food and drink editor at the Guardian for over a decade, author of several award-winning books on food, and expert judge on the popular TV series, The Great British Menu.
Product innovation is a key activity in the Q Guild, whose 110 members across Britain are at the elite end of the retail butchery sector.
Q Guild national chairman, West Yorkshire butcher Brindon Addy, said: “The Smithfield Awards are a true and stringent test of the vast variety of products hand-crafted by our members nationwide, who represent the cream of Great British butchery.
“They have an opportunity to win some of the meat industry’s most prized accolades and this year is one of the biggest entries we have had for quite some time.”
SOURCE: Press release
THAMES Valley Police has confirmed that one of the prisoners who absconded from Spring Hill Prison near Aylesbury at the weekend, has been found.
Lewis Hoare and Kenneth Simmonds walked out of Spring Hill Open Prison at about 1pm on Sunday (26/10). Hoare handed himself in to British Transport Police at South Ruislip Station at approximately 11pm last night (27/10).
Simmonds is still being hunted by police. He is 43-years-old, medium build, with blue eyes, short brown hair, clean shaven, with a small scar under his left eye, a scar above his right eyebrow, a tattoo of a panther on his left forearm and a tattoo of a panther’s head on his right arm forearm.
FOR the second time in a week United scored in the first minute of their match against Newbury on October 18, to put them on the way to a comfortable win at Newbury and another three points. The final score was Newbury 0, Thame United 4.
Captain Adam Morris slid the ball through to Luke Ricketts who out-paced his marker before slamming a shot from 20 yards against the under-side of the bar and in to the back of the net. Shortly after, full back Dan Jones nearly extended the lead when his shot from an acute angle came back off the post. At this stage, the home side had rarely threatened, but Josh Cockerill was called in to action on 12 minutes to save comfortable.
The second goal arrived on 20 minutes when Andy Gledhill did well to win a corner that led to an Adam Morris cross which was powerfully met by the head of Ellis Hercules, who directed the ball beyond the grasp of Gee in the Newbury goal and in to the top corner. It was no less than Thame deserved and, whilst there was little meaningful action for the remainder of the half, Ricketts went close on 38 minutes, heading over from a Gledhill cross.
The match was over within 15 minutes of the second half as United scored two more goals. First, on 56 minutes, Morris floated a free kick in to the box where Ellis Hercules knocked the ball back across goal for substitute Adam Hazell to hit a left-foot volley on the half-turn that flew in to the far corner of the goal. Then, on 58 minutes, Ricketts went on a trademark run down the Thame left before delivering a low cross that evaded Gledhill, but Dan West was on hand at the far post to steer the ball home. As with the first half, the remainder of the game lacked significant action, with Newbury having the majority of the possession, but with Thame looking the more likely to extend their lead on the break.
The win, which maintains the unbeaten away start to the season in all competitions, sees United move up to sixth in the league.
United:
Cockerill, Evans, Jones, Hercules, Muholland (Coverley), Lynch, Connelly (Hazell), Morrise, Gledhill (Jesson), West, Ricketts.
SOURCE: Contributed by Jake Collinge.
THAMES Valley Police is appealing for information regarding the whereabouts of two men who have absconded from prison.
Lewis Hoare (pictured) and Kenneth Simmonds walked out of Spring Hill Open Prison near Aylesbury at about 1pm yesterday (26/10).
Police believe that they left the prison together.
Hoare is 27-years-old, slim, with blue eyes, short brown hair, clean shaven, with a mole on his right cheek, protruding ears and a tattoo with the word ‘Pompy’ across his knuckles.
Kenneth SimmondsSimmonds is 43-years-old, of medium build, with blue eyes, short brown hair, clean shaven, with a small scar under his left eye, a scar above his right eyebrow, a tattoo of a panther on his left forearm and a tattoo of a panther’s head on his right arm forearm.
Senior investigating officer, Detective Inspector Joe Banfield said: “Thames Valley Police is working closely with the Prison Service to try and locate Hoare and Simmonds, who walked out of Spring Hill Open Prison at about 1pm yesterday.
“If any member of the public sees either Hoare or Simmonds do not approach them, instead call 999.
“Further, if you are reading this and have any information whatsoever about either Hoare’s or Simmond’s whereabouts then please call police via 101.
“If you don’t feel comfortable speak directly to the police then you can contact the independent charity Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111 or online at www.crimestoppers-uk.org. No personal details are taken, information is not traced or recorded and you will not go to court.”
ALTHOUGH Thame Carnival 2015 may be several months away, the committee organising the event, under the Co-ordination of Sue Martin Downhill, is already thinking ahead of ways of making it bigger and better in 2015, and is running a competition to find a great theme for next year’s carnival – with great prizes!
The committee has already contacted many local schools about the competition to find the best suggestion for Carnival 2015. So, every school is being asked to put a Carnival box in a prominent position, may be in the school’s Reception area, or may be on each teacher’s desk, for the children to put their suggestions into. The Carnival committee will supply the boxes and the forms for the children to fill out with their name, age, class and suggested theme title.
A prize will be awarded to the child whose theme is chosen, and presented to them on the stage at the Big Christmas Lights Switch On event in Thame, on December 5th, 2014, by the celebrity guest.
The Suggestion boxes will be collected after the cut-off date for the competition, on November 30th. A suggestion form can be downloaded here: 2015 Theme Competition form (1)
Sue Martin Downhill, who is co-ordinating the carnival once again, said: “We know that schools are very busy places but we hope that they would like to be involved in this great, fun event which helps brings the community of Thame and the surrounding area together, and raises much-needed funds for local charities.”
More information about the Carnival, and how schools – or anyone who would like to help – can get involved, is available from Sue Martin Downhill via: suedownhill@gmail.com.
A member of the Carnival committee is available to visit schools and talk to the children in assembly for instance, about the event and the competition.