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Category: Thame news

  • Hawes vs Cassidy XI Memorial Cricket Match

     BACK in January, Thame.Net carried a tribute to outstanding, local sporting legend, Ray Hawes, who died in the United States, where he had moved to, and about a tribute cricket match to be played in his memory, this summer.

    The late Ray Hawes who will be celebrated in a Memorial cricket match in June
    The late Ray Hawes

    The cricket match took place at the end of June, at Thame Town Cricket Club, watched by over 100 of Ray’s old friends, and the Hawes family have written to Barry Yates, who helped organise the match, thanking everyone who helped arrange it – a match also intended as a tribute to another well-known sportsman and friend of Ray’s, Nigel Cassidy.

    The letter and match report from family members –  Ray’s son Geoff played, together with his nephews Mike White, Steve & Simon Cooley. Nigel’s son Darren captained the opposition. Ray’s widow, Maureen had flown in from USA with her son and grandchildren. Two of  Ray’s three daughters and their children there  too:

    “The Hawes family would like to thank Thame Cricket Club, everyone that helped arrange this cricket match and all those who came out to watch this memorial game to remember two great sportsman, Ray Hawes and Nigel Cassidy. A special thanks to Steve Cooley, Darren Cassidy, Mike Beaumont and Barry Yates.

    “This was a great day. With many family and friends showing up at the Thame cricket ground, many of whom had not seen one another in years. Thanks to Richard Pineo (long time family friend) for a fine tea time speech.

    L to R - Geoff Hawes, Mike Beaumont, Steve Cooley and Mervyn Ramsey
    L to R – Geoff Hawes, Mike Beaumont, Steve Cooley and Mervyn Ramsey

    “It was fitting that this game was played in the town Ray Hawes started his cricketing career. Ray attended Lord Williams’s Grammar School breaking many cricketing records in Thame. He was married to Maureen King in Thame Church in 1958 (the Kings are a prominent Thame family. Maureen’s Father, Harold King, was a former Thame Mayor) and they remained married for 55 years and so, with the church in the background, it was an emotional return to this cricket ground. We all missed seeing the face of John Wrench behind the bar (Godfather to Geoff Hawes). The Wrench family, have done so much for Thame Cricket Club over the years.

    “Peter Beard, Long time friend of Ray and former First Team Captain of Thame C C, told us that he would pick Ray up in Crendon as he was too young to drive at the time. Ray started as a middle order batsmen and fast bowler. Pete promoted Dad to open the batting with him in 1960. They opened the batting together for seven years, scored many runs and Pete talked of an unbelievable understanding they shared. He went on to tell us the same story that many people in future years found out, that Ray Hawes was not only an outstanding cricketer, but a true sportsman. Cricket to Ray was not just a game but a place to build life lasting friendships.

    “This first memorial game was played on June 29th, 2014, and was won by the Cassidy XI thanks largely to a fine unbeaten 139 by Robbie Eason, with support from his brother Will Eason with 58 not out. Many of us remember their Granddad, who was the headmaster at Long Crendon Primary School for many years and their Father, Max Eason, who worked for Hawes Farm Buildings at Brill. Congratulations Robbie on a Ray Hawes-like winning innings.

    “The Hawes XI batted first and started in fine style with a Century from Mike Beaumont, and 91 from Russell Hayes (both Mike & Russell played with Ray at Aylesbury for years).

    “The Hawes XI captained by Steve Cooley (Cousin of Simon Cooley and former Aylesbury First Team Captain, who took over the captaincy from Ray). Steve declared on 254, but this proved to be not enough, although the batting effort of the Cassidy XI, was helped in part by some interesting fielding by an aged Hawes XI!

    “This was a great day with many people showing up to watch a close game of cricket played in a fantastic sporting spirit. Thanks again to all involved in this event.
    We hope this will develop into an annual match to celebrate and remember the extraordinary lives of Ray Hawes and Nigel Cassidy.
    The Hawes family.”

  • Police seek information about get-away car after collision

    THAMES Valley Police is appealing for witnesses after a road traffic collision involving a car and a motorbike near Longwick, on Thursday, July 17.

    police-large (400x267)At around 10.43pm on that date, a Honda CBR 100 motorbike was travelling towards Longwick and a Honda Civic car was travelling towards Princes Risborough, when the motorbike crossed into the opposite carriageway and was in collision with the car.

    The two occupants of the motorbike then left the scene in either a Punto or Corsa. The driver of the car was not injured.

    The motorcycle riders were described as both being white men between 30 and 35 years-old. The first man was around 6ft tall and spoke with a local accent. He was wearing grey tracksuit bottoms and a dark jacket. The second man was of of slim build.

    Investigating officer, PC Jeremy Davies from Amersham police station, said: “We are looking to identify anyone who may have seen the Honda CBR motorcycle prior to the collision.

    “If anyone has information about the car the two riders got into after the collision, please contact police.”

    If you have any information please contact PC Davies via the Thames Valley Police Enquiry Centre on 101.

    If you don’t want to speak directly to the police you can contact the independent charity Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111 or online at Crimestoppers-uk.org (opens new window). No personal details are taken, information is not traced or recorded and you will not go to court.

  • Oxfordshire landmark tumbles to dust

    At 5 o’clock this morning, three of the landmark cooling towers of  Didcot Power Station came tumbling to Earth.

    The moment the Didcot cooling towers began to crumble to the ground. Image courtesy of Glen Harfield
    The moment the Didcot cooling towers began to crumble to the ground. Image courtesy of Glen Harfield

    Despite the antisocial time, many spectators came to Wittenham Clumps, just outside Didcot to witness the moment. From the top of the Clumps, an unrivalled view of the towers was visible across the countryside and hundreds of  people had come out to view the spectacle. The diversity of the crowd – groups of young people, families and amateur photographers – gave the feel of a real community event. Some had pitched tents; others were armed with picnic hampers or long lensed cameras on tripods. A few even enjoyed glasses of champagne after the towers came down. 

    The demolition was given the scheduled time of between 3 and 5am. People began to arrive at around midnight, and kept coming into the early hours of the morning.
    Despite rumours of an air raid siren and a countdown to alert people to the imminent explosion, it occurred without warning to those on the Clumps, as the sun was rising over Oxfordshire. The controlled explosions brought down the structures in a matter of seconds. The towers first collapsed in on themselves, and were then reduced to a large dust cloud. It was followed by a rumbling explosion, heard a couple of moments after the explosion itself. Within a minute, it was all over.

    The Oxfordshire sky-line, of which the silhouette of the Didcot power station chimneys had been so much a recognisable part, is now changed forever. 

    Video link: http://vimeo.com/101831928 – Courtesy of Newbury Astro Society @newburyastro

  • Summer holiday football courses

    FIVE Weeks of Summer Holiday Courses now available at Meadow View Park, Thame. Book early to avoid disappointment

    summer_holiday_courses (250x350)FUN PACKED ENTERTAINMENT From JUST £12.50 PER DAY FOR UNDER 6 -12 YEARS  – Come and join in the fun at Meadow View Park! Five Summer Holiday Weeks
    From July 28th to August 1st, August 4th to August 8th August 11th to 15th , August 18th to 22nd and August 26th to 29th. 

    Kick-Off is at 9.00am to 3.00pm – Weekly discounts and SAVE £30 with our Special Offer if you book 3 weeks.

    CALL 01844 214401 NOW or download a form from the website: http://www.pitchero.com/clubs/thameunited/news/summer-holiday-courses-at-mvp-1245171.html

  • ‘No more extra homes’ says town council

    THAME Town Council is to make is very clear to the local planning authority (SODC) that the town has already been allocated ‘its fair share’ of new homes for the future and will not take any more.

    Image courtesy of http://www.nihe.gov.uk/
    Image courtesy of http://www.nihe.gov.uk/

    The decision to make Thame Town Council’s feelings known was made at Tuesday’s council meeting, when the SODC’s preferred options for building 5,900 more homes in the district, as part of the Consultation around the Local Plan 2031, were discussed. Thame has already been allocated 775 new houses in the Core Strategy and has accounted for these in the Thame Neighbourhood Plan. South Oxfordshire District Council has been told to find these additional homes following a recently published, government commissioned report, known as SHMAR (Strategic Housing Market Assessment Report) which concluded that the need for new homes in the district will be greater than originally estimated. (Read more HERE )  The report specifically identifies a need for 965 additional affordable homes per year in South Oxfordshire, throughout the period, 2011-2031.

    The various options for providing the extra homes, laid out in the Consultation, can be seen HERE (though the public consultation ended on July 23)

    The town council agreed to register its doubts about the validity of the way the new numbers were arrived at (a view shared by others, including CPRE – See LINK, to ask that so-called ‘Windfall sites’ – that is those not planned for but which come forward for planning permission during the period eg ‘in-fill’ on private land etc – be included as part of any of the options adopted, and that any developments should be sustainable in regard to jobs, communications and infrastructure.

    In a statement today the town council has said that its preferred options are that additional housing should be dispersed among the smaller towns and villages or to be integrated into the ‘Science Vale’ located near Didcot and Abingdon.

    WHAT THOSE AT THE MEETING SAID:

    Cllr Vaughan Humphries: “It would make sense to start from scratch with a new settlement and a by-pass around Watlington.” (Option D – North of Benson, towards Thame)

    Cllr Peter Lambert: “What are the chances that SHMAR will be thrown out? Everything keeps changing! How are we supposed to keep up?”

    Jake Collinge, the town council’s Planning Consultant: “Councillors have to decide whether the proposals could deliver more infrastructure and affordable homes for Thame or whether the town has had enough.”

    Cllr David Dodds: “The whole thing is absolutely wrong! The inexorable growth in the South East needs to be addressed nationally. We cannot keep growing, and growing in this rural area. What happens after 2031? I am afraid we will become ‘Greater Oxfordshire.  Also, these houses are being planned for, but are not being built. It is a nonsense!”

    Cllr Mike Dyer: “We know we have the community behind us.”

    Cllr Vaughan Humphries: “At what point does saturation mean that a market town ceases to be a market town?”

     

     

     

  • Tour of Britain – Rolling road closures warning

    THE Tour of Britain, one of the most important international cycle races, will be passing through several towns and villages close to Thame, including Chinnor and Princes Risborough during the Tour of Britain international bike race.

    Sir Bradley Wiggins, winner of The Tour of Britain 2013 - Image of sportinglife.com
    Sir Bradley Wiggins, winner of The Tour of Britain 2013 – Image of sportinglife.com

    Local authorities are warning of  Rolling road closures on the day, September 12, that will affect traffic through various parts of Buckinghamshire and Oxfordshire, including Chinnor and Princes Risborough., during the race.

    Rolling road closures will take place between 13:30 hours and 15:00 hours, during Stage six of the race, from Bath to Hemel Hempstead, on the day.  The effect of the Order will be to temporarily close lengths of roads and junctions on a rolling basis under police motorcycle supervision and escort, to allow mass cyclists safe passage through the towns and villages affected.

    Full details of the roads affected and the Temporary Order can be read on Buckinghamshire County County’s website here: http://www.brvh.co.uk/announcements/tourofbritain-cyclerace-roadclosures-12thseptember

    Full details of the route are on the Tour of Britain website http://www.tourofbritain.co.uk/stages/stage6/index.php#.U9FgWfldWuI and an overall map of the route can be seen here: http://www.tourofbritain.co.uk/files/documents/Stage6_Overview.pdf

  • Chinnor BUZZ quiz funds new life-saver

    THE provision of life-saving defibrillators that can be used by the public, is growing and growing and a fourth has been installed in Chinnor thanks to the fundraising efforts of Chinnor BUZZ, an independent group of local businesses.

    More than £2,000 was raised from a quiz night organised by the group, just enough to pay for the purchase and installation of the new defibrillator, as well as a pager for use by the local First Responders. The defibrillator has been installed outside the Wheatsheaf pub in Chinnor.

    Chinnor now has four defibrillators located strategically around the village. These modern defibrillators are very easy to use and provide spoken instructions to guide anyone through the process of using them to try to restart the heart of a casualty who has suggered cardiac arrest. A training day for residents was also held to help make them feel at ease using the equipment.

    Fiona Mantle, a Community First Responder and a Chinnor Parish Councillor, said: “I’d like to thank Chinnor BUZZ for their fundraising efforts. Chinnor is now very well equipped in terms of defibrillators, which provide a very useful addition to the existing Community First Responders Team. I’m sure the defibrillators will help save lives over the coming years.”

  • Horses lead to safety as barn burns at North Weston

    FIRECREWS, including some from Thame are still dealing with aftermath of a barn fire at North Weston, just outside Thame, which brought the A418 to a stand-still yesterday because of the smoke, and caused the road to be closed for several hours so that hoses could be laid across the road.

    The still smouldering barn at North Weston today
    The still smouldering barn at North Weston today

    The Oxfordshire Fire and Rescue Service was called at 17:21 to the fire at Abbey Farm, North Weston, close to the London Mayor, Boris Johnson’s rural pied-à-terre, after an off-duty Firefighter from Slade Fire Station in Oxford, spotted the smoke. Four fire appliances and a water carrier attended and although the fire is now under control, fire crews are still at the scene damping down the fire which involved hay, farm machinery and plant, as well as 20 tonnes of manure to the rear of the building. One fire crew will remain on the scene overnight.

    Station Manager, Marcus Reay, said: ”The owners of the building were very quick in removing a mechanical digger from the barn, evacuating horses and leading them to safety from the nearby stables.”

    He added: “Oxfordshire Fire and Rescue Service have been busy over the past week with countryside fires including other barn fires, a combine harvester and a field fire. The sunny weather over the past few weeks has made the grass and edges of fields very dry so I would ask the public and those who work on farms or in the countryside to take extra care. Of course if you see a fire in the countryside, report it to the Fire and Rescue Service immediately by calling 999. More information is available on our 365alive website.”

    Fire Safety in the countryside – follow these tips to reduce the chance of a wildfire in the countryside:

    · Extinguish cigarettes properly and don’t throw the cigarette end on the ground never throw cigarette ends out of car windows.

    · Avoid using open fires in the countryside or having bonfires near buildings or crops.

    · Don’t leave bottles or glass in woodland – sunlight shining through glass can start fires – take them home and or put them in a waste or recycling bin.

    · Only use barbecues in a suitable and safe area, never leave them unattended and make sure it is fully extinguished and cold before disposing of the contents

    · Don’t attempt to tackle fires that can’t be put out with a bucket of water or an extinguisher – leave the area as quickly as possible.

  • Last chance for Squash Camp

    LAST chance to join Raquets’ Squash Camp tomorrow! Meet new friends at Racquets fitness centre, North Street, Thame. All ages and abilities welcome. Play games, learn skills and get fit.

    squaSH (400x381)Lunch is included  – Equipment provided – Reduced rates for members! From 10am till 3pm.  Only have a few spaces left so contact racquets ASAP – email info: @Racquets-fitness-centre.com

  • Invitation from Thame’s newest choir!

    THE newly-formed THAME POP CHOIR has successfully completed its first term and is looking for even more members to swell its sound.

    Thame Pop Choir
    Thame Pop Choir

    The choir was formed in April of this year, with an attendance of 24 on the first evening, rising to 36 by the end of term. Musical director Ian English said: “I’m delighted with the response – we have made excellent progress in just 10 weeks, and with a choir of this size the melodies and harmonies are already sounding very strong.”

    The choir meets weekly on Tuesdays (in term-time) at 7.30pm at the Guide HQ, Southern Road, Thame OX9 2EP. Previous choir/singing experience is not necessary, music-reading is not required and there are no auditions – just a desire to sing and have fun! The cost is £5 a session.

    Further details and term dates can be found on the choir’s website www.thamepopchoir.org.uk. If you would like to be added to the mailing list you can use the ‘contact’ page on the website. There is also a ‘Thame Pop Choir’ Facebook page. If you would like more information from Ian, give hime a call on:  01844 261171.

    New members are always welcome, and the first ‘taster’ evening is free. The autumn term commences on Tuesday, September 16. As the website says:

    “Singing is fun, therapeutic too; it is good for your soul, reduces stress and lifts your spirits!”