THAME Fair will be arriving in town and setting up in the High Street and Upper High Street, on Wednesday, September 17, and staying until early Sunday, September 21.
Road closure and bus diversions will be in force during this period (details to follow). Residents and businesses that will be affected by the closure are advised to obtain a parking permit from the Information Centre at Thame Town Hall.
FOLLOWING the revelation that the Thames Valley area has been identified as a ‘dog-theft hot spot’ recently, with 64 dogs reported stolen in 2013, Thames Valley Police has said that it carried out an operation yesterday, August 28, in West Berkshire and recovered two dogs.
One of the dogs, a Cocker Spaniel, was identified as Pepsi, who went missing from Goring on August 14. She was found safe and well and has been reunited with her owners.
The second dog, a Greyhound cross Saluki bitch, fours-years-old, with scars on her upper left leg, was not chipped and is yet to be identified (See picture)
The operation follows the theft of four dogs from a kennel in Blewbury, near Didcot on August 26. Three of the dogs were found in West Berkshire by dog wardens, the fourth dog is still missing.
The police say that a gold Range Rover was seen to enter Blewbury Riding School, on Bessels Way in Blewbury, just before the four dogs were stolen.
If you have any information relating to this message, please contact PC Carrick from Abingdon police station via the Thames Valley Police Enquiry Centre on 101.
If you don’t want to speak directly to the police, you can contact Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.
SOURCE: Thame Valley Police – Press release
ED. Ruby, a Spaniel that went missing, was found in February last year by police after several weeks, and returned to her rightful owners. See LINK Also, there were unconfirmed reports a few months ago, that in the Long Crendon, Oakley and Worminghall area, males were approaching people when they were out walking their dogs and trying to steal them. It was also alleged (according to http://www.dogwatchalert.com/ ) that this has happened in Wallingford and Aston Rowant.
A planning application for two new industrial units on land at Cotmore Well Farm, just outside Thame, has been approved by South Oxfordshire District Council.
With 80 jobs expected to be created over the next five years, it is anticipated that the two units, which will be occupied by two companies currently based in Long Crendon, will help sustain the local economy.
Construction is scheduled to begin in the next few months, and the buildings occupied by the Spring of 2015.
THIS autumn, Racquets Fitness Centre in Thame, is holding a corporate Racketball tournament and wants Thame businesses to get involved and enter three racketball players to represent each team.
All standards, from newcomer to skilled players are welcome to get involved as, as well as prizes for first place, there will be prizes for ‘Best effort’ and ‘Most entertaining’. The cost to enter will be £15 per player, which includes a light lunch and equipment, and prior to the event, Raquets is offering one month’s club membership for £35 pp, which will include a 40 minute coaching session with one of its team, to prepare for the event; AND this price includes Bar Bites and your first drink at the bar.
There’s only room for 10 teams in the Tournament, which will take place on Friday, October 24, from 3 pm, so contact Martin King at Raquets on 07990074366 or Sue Martin Downhill on 07860328880 if your business would like to take part in this fun event.
DESPITE a soggy Bank Holiday Monday, both local people and visitors from far and wide turned out in their thousands over the three-days of what was the 50th Towersey Festival.
The festival, which started out from a need to renovate Towersey village hall on 1965, is now able to support a number of local projects. Musical events have taken place in several venues every year in large marquees in the surrounding playingfields, the village hall itself, in the church and in the local pub, The Three Horseshoes, where the sing-around in the barn has became an institution.
Throughout its 50 years, the festival has remained truly family-friendly with music, dance, poetry, street entertainment, film, story-telling, craft workshops, and safe and secure camping facilities, attracting people of all walks of life and ages who have brought colour, enthusiasm and their spending power to Towersey and Thame itself.
This year’s Towersey Festival celebrated its half-century and, particularly during a party for those who have been involved in many special ways, brought together artists and organisers and their families and friends to share some special moments (like that of a now retired Towersey Morris member, of Joe Heap, grandson of festival founder, Dennis Manners, delivering newspapers as a lad, in the village on his uni-cycle) – and of course a big, celebration cake! The cake was cut by Joan Gleeson, aged 91, the last surviving member of the founding committee in 1965.
The whole bank holiday saw around an estimated 8,000 people enjoy the likes of multi-award winning singer-song writer, Richard Thompson, the ever-green festival patron, Roy Bailey, local girl Megan Henwood, Thame First Music Club’s very own popular,The August List and The Ian English Boodlum band with their unique, ‘sherry trifle’ of a mix of off-beat songs and comedy. Some of the other ‘big hitters’ included Whapweasel, Rusty Shackle (back for a second time in two years) and the charismatic and thrilling Seth Lakeman.
It’s hard to imagine quite how Towersey Festival will evolve in the next decades but the recently announced move to the Thame Show Ground, which itself could be changing in the not so far distant future if a proposed move there by Thame Cattle Market goes ahead, is seen by the organisers as a positive development. Thame Show Ground offers scope for a bit more room, better and safer access, better parking facilities, improved crowd control and more involvement with the people of Thame, without losing the Towersey heritage, the involvement of the village and the unique atmoshphere of its catch-phrase, adopted from a comment by a visitor, ‘another lovelier world.’
So let’s all raise a leather or pewter tankard of real ale of cider to Steve and Joe Heap and their dedicated crew of organisers, and to future generations, to the next 50 years of the Towersey Festival.
AHEAD of Crendon Corinthians Youth Football Club starting their training for the 2014/15 season on Saturday, September 6, the club coaches are recruiting new players for all of their age groups and squads. The U9 squad, for Year four boys and girls, has been growing steadily over the past couple of years and their manager, Neil Yates from Thame, is keen to bring as many children into this team sport as possible.
“We have a lovely family ethic at the Crendon Corinthians and we pride ourselves on how we approach the game both on and off the pitch,” Neil explained. “We play attractive, flowing football and concentrate on playing the game fairly with respect for each-other, the opposition and officials.”
Crendon Corinthians U9 squad won the Fair Play Champions trophy for the second year running at Thame’s Festival of Football back in July, and are looking forward to another solid season in the Blue division of the South Bucks Mini Soccer Conference. “Winning the main trophy at the Festival of Football tournament for the second time in succession was a fantastic achievement and capped off a great season for us last year,” continued Neil. “The kids really deserved the recognition as they showed real character in adhering to the FA’s Fair Play rules throughout the campaign. Our goal is to provide a fun, safe and enjoyable environment for the children to learn football in – with a promise to develop every child’s technical, physical and social skills – and we are successfully delivering on that promise with members of the squad now being picked up by local soccer academies.
“For players who are interested in joining us, Crendon is a FA Charter Standard club. Our coaches are qualified FA badge holders and also parents who understand the needs of kids.”
The U9 subscription fees for this season are £70, including match shirt, training top, tournament entry fees and access to astro pitches in cold weather. Neil is offering free tasters of his Saturday morning training sessions (10:15 to 11:30) at Long Crendon School, for new and experienced players. Get in touch via email (yates_neil@hotmail.com), the club website ccfc.long-crendon.com/ or Twitter @crendoncorinthiansyfc
THAME Youth Theatre is about to begin a new term, returning after their successful summer project, Aladdin Jr, and are looking for potential new members. If you are aged between 7 – 18 years-old and interested in performing then TYT could be the group for you.
This summer saw 53 members take on the unbelievable challenge of putting on a musical in just five days and then perform it twice to a paying audience.
“It always astounds me how we manage to put a show on in five days but we some how do it every year,” said Tom Mackriell, TYT’s Youth Arts Development Manager. “Every member was really committed to what was such an exciting and energetic performance, and each child came out with an experience that will last a life time. We had members from the age of six right up to 17 years-old take part and each was given a lot to remember and learn, and they all took on the challenge and produced a great show.
“Next term we will be presenting six shows with our seniors and our dance members, taking on the challenge of performing pieces based on War, in recognition of the 100 years since the start of WW1. We are looking for members aged 7 – 10 years and 14 ½ – 18. So if you arew interested in taking part in Thame Youth Theatre, then please contact us at admin@thameyouththeatre.co.uk or telephone Tom on 07805 88 58 46.”
ROAD TREATMENT WORKS continue tonight (27/08) at A418 Oxford Rd, Aylesbury under a road closure 7pm-6am for five more nights.
Also, Wednesday 27th August – Thursday 28th August: Thame Road, Oakley- These are daytime surface dressing works being carried out utilising a combination of stop and go and convoy working.
THAME United maintained their 100% away record on Bank Holiday Monday (25/08), with a deserved 2-0 victory at Ardley United.
With Adam Morris and Dan Jones sidelined due to injuries picked-up against Reading Town on Saturday, manager Mark West brought in Calvin Evans on the right hand side, with Matt Hall moving in to midfield.
The opening period saw Ardley, playing down the pronounced slope, with the majority of possession but rarely threatening Cockerill in the Thame goal. Indeed, the first chance of the half fell to Conor McDonagh in the fourth minute who picked-up a back pass only to see his effort pushed around the post for a corner by Ardley keeper, Jack Harding. Former Thame player, Jon Gardner then had an effort saved by Cockerill before United took the lead in the 38th minute. A cross field ball from Dan West towards the edge of the box caused indecision between Harding and right back Darren Beckett, allowing Luke Ricketts to nip in and head the ball in to the back of the net. Ricketts nearly doubled the lead three minutes later when, after a run from the halfway line, his shot across goal was saved by Harding. The last action of the half saw Joe Eyre head over for Ardley from six yards out.
The first chance of the second half fell to United on 51 minutes as McDonagh made space on the left only to see his shot from a narrow angle parried by the keeper. Five minutes later and an effort from Ollie Lynch sailed over the bar from 20 yards, before, on 59 minutes, Dan West forced Harding to make another save. The second goal eventually arrived on 74 minutes when West pounced on a defensive error after a corner, and his cross was hit in to the roof of the net by Matt Hall.
For the remainder of the game Ardley pressed forward with United content to hit the opposition on the break. For all their possession, however, Ardley were unable to trouble Cockerill and United held on for their third away win of the season, and a welcome six points over the Bank Holiday period.
Hellenic League Premier Division- Ardley United 0 Thame United 2
United: Cockerill, Willett, P Pykett, Hercules, Burrows, Lynch, Evans, Hall (Hurley), McDonagh (Gledhill), West, Ricketts.
THAME United secured their first home league win of the season on Saturday (23/8), when they deservedly picked-up three points against Reading Town.
After a quiet opening twenty minutes, United had the first effort on goal when Danny Jones cut in from the right and curled an effort from 20 yards that the keeper did well to push around the post. From the resultant corner, Conor McDonagh was unlucky to see his flicked effort go wide. Two minutes later and it was the visitors turn to apply some pressure to the home goal, with a Jos Millar effort clearing the bar.
Chances then came and went for Jones, McDonagh and Dan West before the deadlock was broken on 38 minutes. A through ball from left back Matt Hall put Jones in on goal and he confidently beat Eggleton in the Reading goal to give United a 1-0 half-time lead.
The visitors came out strongly in the second half and found an equaliser on 55 minutes when, after winning possession on the halfway line, the ball was fed through to striker Carl Davies who placed his shot wide of Josh Cockerill from 12 yards. Both sides then pushed for a winner, with Luke Ricketts on the left increasingly causing the visitors defence problems with his pace. The second goal for United arrived on 71 minutes when a clever pass from West put Jones through on goal, and he placed the ball in the bottom corner from 18 yards. Whilst United then had opportunities to extend their lead through Ricketts and McDonagh, they were thankful to Ellis Hercules for a last ditch tackle in the final few minutes that went some way to securing the three points.
Hellenic League Premier Division – Thame United 2 Reading Town 1
United: Cockerill, P Pykett, Hall, Hercules, Burrows (Willett), Lynch, Jones, (Evans) Morris (Gledhill), McDonagh, West, Ricketts.