Category: Thame news

FOLLOWING the recent launch of its second ‘Keep Trade Local Challenge’ in May with the Speaker of the House, the Rt Hon John Bercow MP, the FSB (Federation of Small Businesses) is once again challenging  shoppers across the region.

The challenge asks people to use their local businesses and then visit the website to enter the amount spent, to be in with a chance to win £250.

Robyn Bourne, Thames Valley Development Manager for the FSB, said: “Since opening the competition on the June 20,  Thames Valley residents have already entered over £14,000 of local independent business spends. When considering that for every £1 spent with a local business it puts £1.76 back into the local economy, this is money well invested!

“The competition has the backing of the majority of the regions’ 21 MPs and also many local councils, all who are keen to get behind the challenge and encourage people to ‘keep trade local’.  To enter people need to visit www.fsb.org.uk/thamesvalley where they can also sign up to receive a free cotton shopping bag or one of very special KTL Stress Cows (#ktlcows)  which people are using to take photos of where they have been using local businesses and tweeting about their experiences.

“The FSB recognises that small businesses are the heart of the local community; they generate wealth, employment and opportunity. But with people working longer hours and the growth of convenience, one-stop-shopping and the internet, these places are at risk. By challenging people to use independent businesses and shops the FSB hopes to encourage people use what is on their door step and make the most of the smaller businesses in the community.”

NB The cute litte mini cows for your customers to use to take a picture of their purchase and tweet it, are now available from Sonja Francis at Thame.Net, Jordans Courtyard, 8 Upper High Street, Thame, or just email editor@thame.net and one can be delivered to you!

A first edition copy of the novel Birdsong has been donated to the Oxfam Bookshop in Thame, and the author, Sebastian Faulks has signed the book and added a unique inscription exclusively for the shop, which is to be sold by auction to raise money for the charity.

The shop in Cornmarket is dedicating its window display from Thursday, July 17,  for three weeks commemorate the 100th anniversary of the outbreak of the First World War. With history, literature and poetry featured, the auction of the book will be the centrepiece of the display.

Bookshop Manager Dick Jennens said: “We are thrilled that Mr Faulks took the time to sign and inscribe this book for Oxfam.  His inscription reads: ‘To commemorate the centenary of the outbreak of the First World War – and all that was lost.’

 “The shop expects there to be lots of interest and we will be running a sealed bid auction to try to raise the most amount for Oxfam’s work.”

The sealed bid auction opens at 9.30am on Saturday,  July 19,  and closes at 12 noon on Saturday, August 2.  A reserve of £500 has been placed on the book.  The winning bid will be announced at 11am on Monday, August 4,  the 100th anniversary of the outbreak of the First World War.

Dick continued:  “People in and around Thame have been so generous and we have a magnificent range of books about the First World War for the event. Oxfam is responding to help refugees of many conflicts at the moment, including Syria and South Sudan, and we hope that the first edition raises much needed funds for them.

“The book and the commemorative display has evoked memories for some of the shop’s volunteers, whose family members fought and survived the war. For two volunteers, their Grandfathers were captured and spent the war in Prisoner of War camps. One had to walk home from Belgium when the armistice was declared.

The grandfather of one of the younger volunteers served in the Royal Marines in battleships of the Grand Fleet and later was deployed to North Russia in July, 1919, in the North Russia Expeditionary Force. His military career was varied and included service on the staff of the Director of Combined Operations before and after D-Day.”

Anyone making a sealed bid for the book, needs to write their name, address and telephone number onto a sheet of paper, together with the value of the bid and either take it into the bookshop before 12 noon on Saturday, August 2, or post to: SEALED BID AUCTION, c/o Dick Jennens, Oxfam Bookshop, 9b Cornmarket, Thame, OX9 3DX.  Sealed bids can also be sent via email to:  oxfamshopf3715@oxfam.org.uk marking the subject line ‘Birdsong Bid’.

MORE details of plans for the town’s Thame Remembers project to commemorate the First World War have been revealed, including a search for relatives of those named on local war memorials, and an illuminated ‘living’ memorial of photographs of their living relatives.

So far only one family member of those whose names are engraved on the Thame war memorials, has come forward. Soon, all 189 names of Thame men who lost their lives in conflicts will be available on the website, www.thameremembers.org and the idea is that relatives will be given the first option to place one of the specially made crosses on their predecesor’s grave, where ever in the world that may be, whether it’s France, Belgium, the UK, Greece, Italy, Egypt, India, Iraq, Singapore, or Tanzania, as well as ocean graves where crews went down with their ships. Eventually, volunteers who are travelling abroad will be needed to take a cross and place it on an identified war grave and take a photograph for the records.

In the meantime, the names of those listed on the Thame Memorial and details about where this lived and died, are listed on the website: http://www.roll-of-honour.com/Oxfordshire/Thame.html Anyone who is related to any man listed can contact the Thame Remembers group via the website: http://www.thameremembers.org/contact/

THAME’S Neighbourhood Policing team have busy throughout the past month with such issues as town centre parking, a spate of tool thieving from the backs of vans and helping with ways to protect property. Here’s an excerpt from PCSO Jackie Madden’s monthly report:

Traffic issues

There has been a steady increase in reports of parking issues in Thame Town Centre. As members of the public are breaching parking restrictions, the neighbourhood team will be taking specific enforcement action against offending vehicles. With the assistance of CCTV and working closely with Thame Town Council, any breaches will be monitored and recorded.

Theft from vehicles

There has been a series of reports of tools being stolen from commercial vehicles, in particular vans, including the theft of a caravan in Spriggs Alley, Chinnor. Please ensure that all tools and valuables are removed from vehicles overnight and that the vehicle is secure when left unattended during the day. The neighbourhood team has been distributing crime reduction advice to all van owners in the affected areas.

Operation Magpie has been deployed this month, in response to reports of thefts from motor vehicles parked in our beauty spot car parks. The affected areas are Christmas Common – Cowleaze, Aston Rowant Nature Reserve and Hill Top car park, Watlington. The teams regularly check the car parks and they check each vehicle for items of value left on display. If appropriate, the owner of the vehicle will then receive a follow up letter offering crime reduction advice. Please ensure that your vehicle is locked, and that you remove any items on view, before you leave it parked.

Burglary Dwelling

The neighbourhood team has been promoting products called SmartWater and CREMARK as part of our crime reduction advice in relation to protecting your property against being burgled. Please contact the team via: ThameWatlingtonChinnorNHPT@thamesvalley.pnn.police.uk for further information and to arrange a demonstration.

Burglary non-Dwelling

There have been a number of break-ins to sheds across the area. Power tools and gardening equipment have been targeted along with domestic heating fuel. If you require any crime reduction advice please contact the team for further information.

You can read the full report on the Thame sector here: http://www.thamesvalley.police.uk/yournh/yournh-tvp-pol-area/yournh-tvp-pol-area-soxon-vowh/pub-pg-nh-upds-N380?id=285404

THE  historic community project, Thame Remembers is officially launched today with an invition to local people to help lay crosses of remembrance around the world at the graves of 190 men from Thame who have died in conflicts in the last 120 years.

A team of volunteer researchers has spent four months tracking down details of the Thame men who died in the First and Second World Wars, the Boer War and Korea, painstakingly identifying where they were killed or laid to rest. A few are buried in St Mary’s Churchyard in Thame and many more in France and Belgium.  The remainder ended their days in far-flung locations, including Greece, Italy, Egypt, Iraq, India, New Zealand and Tanzania. Some died at sea. The project aims not only to formally record the histories of these men but also to involve the community in a unique act of commemoration.

Project co-ordinator Mike Dyer said: “We are appealing to anyone with an appropriate connection to the men or the town to help us lay a Thame Remembers cross on the grave of each serviceman and to formally record the moment. Whether they are a relative who would like to join a planned trip to the battlefields of France or Belgium, or a resident who happens to be going abroad on business or holiday, the project would love to hear from anyone inspired to take part.”

Volunteers will be given a special Thame Remembers two-bar cross for each ceremony. This is a recognised representation of the Holy Cross which the people of the town chose as its emblem in the early years of the Second World War.

A project website – thameremembers.org – provides full details of how to get involved and will record the cross-laying campaign as it develops. The team has also produced a special promotional video, shot in Thame, which re-creates a soldier’s departure from home and experience of war. The video can also be seen on the website.

Thame Remembers was the brainchild of David Bretherton, a local councillor and former RAF engineer who was instrumental in creating Thame Museum. He said: “We wanted to mark the 1914 anniversary with something which would involve the community directly in honouring these men and leave a lasting legacy of research and commemoration. I am confident the people of Thame will rise to the challenge.”

Mike Dyer added: “We have already found some striking human stories. Many are tales of tragic heroism, but occasionally there is a happy ending. For instance, one man whose death is marked on a memorial turns out to have survived to live a full life. We don’t know why his name appears there.”

On August 3, the centenary of the eve of the outbreak of war, the project is hosting a special public event – ‘100 Years On, Thame Remembers’. It will promote the project to the community and feature the first cross-laying at St Mary’s Church, displays of munitions and research into WW1 tunnels, and a vigil at the church.

A poignant film to commemorate the 400 men from Thame who fought in the First World War, and those who died, has been made by Thame Museum in conjunction with Thame Town Council.

The film was directed by Ian Stark, and the crew and cast include town councillors, and the ex Mayor of Thame, Peter Lambert was behind the camera for some of the scenes.

Many of the world war artifacts in the film were provided by Ian Jones, a local collector of military items, who also plays the part of a French farmer in the film.

The film is all part of a year of commemorations under the title of Thame Remembers, which includes an exhibition at the museum which runs until August 20. The film and the website:  www.thameremembers.org will be going live next Tuesday, July 8, 2014.

THE PROJECT

The aims of the project, Thame Remembers, is to research all the names on Thame War Memorials to discover more about their lives, to indentify the location of their grave or memorial and place a “Thame Remembers!” cross on each resting place, wherever in the world that may be.

The project wants to bring home to the people of the town how many people have lost their lives and how
important it is that we never forget what they have done for our country.

MORE about ‘Thame Remembers