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  • Christmas shopping in Thame

    WHY jump into the car and leave town for Christmas shopping when here in Thame we have so many wonderful, independent shops of our own? Shops where good old-fashioned service and knowledge about the providence of products is paramount – and, bonus – there’s loads of FREE parking.  Let Thame.Net guide and inspire you to find the ideal festive gift for everyone locally.                                                                                                                                                                              Quick links

    Get everyone fit for Christmas 
    Powders & potions
    Retro Chic for Christmas 
    Gift ideas galore!
    Media & technology for everyone
    Sweet delights
    Chocolate Unlimited
    Christmas Style
    Christmas flowers

    THERE’s always someone who’s particularly difficult to buy for at Christmas, but in Thame’s Buttermarket where we begin our Yuletide trail, is the lovely little emporium of cosmetics, fragrance and beauty products, POWDER, where Karen, the proprietor will help you create your own gift box of their favourites products, including gift boxes of Miller Harris, Caudalie and Dr Hauschka.

                              

    For the younger person, suggests Karen, how about a pampering soak in a Bomb Cosmetic bath with a selection of their gorgeous bath products, or again, make up your own gift box with their ‘Keep Calm and have a Bath’ boxes. Alternatively, bring them a ray of sunshine with the ‘Happiness Kit’ by Love & Toast .

                                            
                                                                                              Cracking duos of Nail Colour

     

    POWDER also has some great little stocking fillers and ideas for ‘Secret Santa’ gifts to suit most ladies, from compact mirrors, soaps and nail polish.

    But POWDER is not just about the ladies. For the gentlemen, there’s a selection of men’s fragrances, grooming and bath/shower products, including Blue Beards Revenge,  Scaramouche & Fandango.

              

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    RETRO CHIC FOR CHRISTMAS

    STROLLING back along Buttermarket, towards North Street, is picturesque Montesson Square, by the old Thame Market House. Near by, tucked away to the right of the historic Swan pub, is the courtyard shopping area, Swan Walk (Don’t forget to pat Doris the cow, currently ‘stabled’ at Thame.net’s Jordans Courtyard, as you pass). Recently opened at No. 6 Swan Walk, is Camilla Fraser’s THE LOVELY SHOP, a purveyor of loveliness indeed!  Here you’ll discover handmade, homemade, ethical and just plain funky clothes and accessories. So, what are Camilla’s hot tips for a perfect pressy for lovely ladies?  Christmas is of course party time and we all need something special to wear whether we’re the host or a guest. And ‘because we’re worth it’, we deserve to treat ourselves too!

    The Regina Floral Velvet Doll Dress, £75, by the gorgeous, retro clothing company, Collectif, is a beautifully flattering style with sweetheart neckline, capped sleeves and a flared skirt. Camilla says: “It looks fab on it’s own or for that extra ‘wow’, team it with one of my long petticoats, available in sizes 8 to 18 subject to availability.

                                                  

    “For lovely, little ladies I’d like to recommend the Purbeck Kelp Dress by organic children’s clothes company, Kite Kids. An unusual dress in Purple & green, it looks beautiful with colourful tights and is just right for Christmas parties! It’s available in sizes 3-12 months at £27, and 12 months – 3 years at £29. There’s also a tunic version for older kids in the same colourway available in sizes 3-7 years, at £24 and for 7-11 years, £26, subject to availability.” 

     And for the very new little people why not treat them to a stripy Baby Vest from organic & fair trade children’s clothes company Little Green Radicals for their first Christmas. This vest features Horatio Hound applique & is made from the softest cotton, it also comes in a pink stripe for pink babies and is available in sizes 0-3 to 9-12 months. £18. All these lovely items are available to view on THE LOVELY SHOP’S website www.lovelyandlovely.co.uk

     

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    CHRISTMAS GIFTS GALORE

     JUST opposite The Lovely Shop is ELLA JANE GIFTS which, since opening in Swan Walk just nine months ago, has proved a very popular destination for Thame’s visitors and locals as a source of something special for the perfect gift. It’s certainly worth a visit and Alison Cooper, the helpful proprietor, will give you personal service with a smile to help you choose a perfect Christmas gift for almost anyone – she loves a challenge!

             

    This compact little shop beautifully presents a fantastic variety of gorgeous quality furniture, a collection of wonderful toys, scarves, jewellery, leather bags and unique gifts of top quality at fantastic prices.

    Both THE LOVELY SHOP and ELLA JANE GIFTS are members of the Thame Loyalty Scheme by the way, so some extra discounts and goodies for Loyalty Card holders. 

     

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    MEDIA AND TECHNOLOGY FOR EVERYONE

    ALSO part of the Swan Walk shopping community is the long-established, THAME AV Audio Visual, run by Steve Algar. Here, as well as flat screen TVs (which could be tricky to wrap!) Steve has some very affordable tablets, as well as some great Christmas present ideas for music lovers of all ages. With Vinyl making a big comeback, what better time of year to dig out your old records and play them on your new turntable?  “Starting at £150, these turntables would be ideal for a ‘him’ or a ‘her’,” suggests Steve.”

                  

    The use of mobile tablet computers, or just ‘tablets’, is growing and growing, and they are surely going to be the big ‘must have’ gift request this Christmas, and While some of the big names are still leading the way in terms of app selection, a number of competitors have risen to the challenge by offering great features and hardware for less money. THAME AV has been quick to realise this trend and the 9 inch, GoClever Android Tablet, complete with a case and a Keyboard, at £165, would ‘fit the bill’ for mums, dads, brothers, sisters – in fact anyone – who wants to access the internet or social media like Facebook and Twitter, suggests Steve, and they can even be used to control many of their other wi fi products.

              

     With the increasing availability of more and more digital radio stations to chose from, being able to carry your radio around the house to keep you entertained while getting ready for work or cleaning the house, a portable radio is a most acceptable addition to today’s listening experience. THAME AV has a wide selection of both the latest Digital and Analogue radios from Roberts and Pure, starting at just £20.

                        

    “Something for everyone and a present that any relative will love and cherish,” suggests Steve, adding: “And, all these products come with boxes and internal protection.” A really important, practical point to bear in mind I always think, when it comes to choosing gifts.
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    SWEET DELIGHTS

    SPECIAL chocolate and confectionery is as much a part of Christmas as crackers and turkey, and in Thame we have a sweet lover’s dream of a shop, a proper sweet shop, the likes of which would have been found in every town and village a generation ago, before supermarkets and multipacks.

     SWEET SURRENDER in Cornmarket has a staggering selection of handmade, Belgian chocolate and traditional sweets, as well as sugar free, dairy free and gluten free confectionery. Here you can buy liquorice in over 40 varieties including salted and root liquorice, individual bags of your favourite liquorice all-sorts, or as a special present for a real liqurice lover, a whole jarful!

                           

    Amy Fleming, the proprietor, will make up a gift box of any amount of chocolates selected from the huge range, including the most popular, salted coconut, champagne truffles and orange peel. Or, if it’s the old-fashioned, favourite sweets your mum, aunty, uncle, granny, grandad or other relative or friend would love as a treat, Amy will make you up a traditional mini-jar to suit all budgets. Take the 360 degree tour of SWEET SURRENDER
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    GET FIT FOR CHRISTMAS

    CHRISTMAS shopping can be tiring. Traipsing round shop after shop trying to find that perfect gift for each and every one of your family and friends, apart from all the food shopping and preparation for the big day. RACQUETS FITNESS CENTRE, in North Street, Thame, (behind the Cattle Market) is a friendly, family run health and fitness club which can help you in more ways than you might at first think.

    It is the place in Thame to get yourself fit before all the festivities – build up your stamina and strength before you go out for that long haul shopping visit.

    Splash out on a couple of personal training sessions for yourself then think about everyone else.  

    “For everyone else we can help with the presents too!” says Squash Coach, Simon Martin, who helps run his family’s business. “For kids – encourage them to get active and give them a place of their own to go to ! A silver junior membership of RACQUETS is just £50 – they can book their own squash court and bring their friends down to play.”

    For stocking fillers for the kids, RACQUETS offers lots of ideas, from rackets grips, squash and racketball balls to a child-size squash racket.

     

    FOR everyone else – yes, why not? Encourage them to get active too. “It’s the kindest present of all,””suggests Simon’s wife, Sue. “.. and it’s what they’ll need straight after eating their way through chocolate logs and turkey with all the trimmings!”  Although RACQUETS can offer presents of personal training sessions and memberships, from December 1, they will have, waiting at reception, vouchers for varying amounts which can be redeemed against any of the goods and services available at the Centre. 

    So, if you’re looking for something special, RACQUETS FITNESS CENTRE would love you to drop in and have a chat with either Simon or Martin King, who can work out with you an appropriate present for your loved one. Take the RACQUETS 360 degree tour
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    CHOCOLATE UNLIMITED

     DEFINITELY a destination for chocolate lovers, whatever the time of year, is RUMSEY’S, a cafe and Chocolaterie, headed up by  Head chef and Master Chocolatier, Nigel Rumsey and his wife Mary; a great place to take a rest from the Christmas shopping and enjoy a cup of real hot chocolate and a spot of lunch

     

    A must have as a present or to share at Christmas – their 500g selection of Nigel Rumsey’s favourite chocolates; call in watch them being made!

    RUMSEY’S is nothing short of ‘chocolate heaven’ and offers a wide selection of Christmas chocolate  gifts for any chocoholic!  Take the 360 degree tour of RUMSEY’S, Thame
                 

    Santa’s Solution  

     Whether you call him Father Christmas or Santa he’s delicious either way – a great idea for Christmas Stockings and table decorations. There are loads of different chocolate figurines to choose from at RUMSEY’S

     Something for everyone 

    Dark, Milk or White Chocolate – Chocolate dipped Honeycomb or Chocolate Buttons – great for a Christmas treat

     

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    STYLE AT CHRISTMAS

    THAME is fortunate in having a variety of women’s clothes shops to suit most tastes, and among these, at the top of the High Street, is ISABELLA’S CLOSET, run by Marie Crawley, who with a background in interior and personal styling, prides herself on sourcing new and innovative design labels and unique styles on trend at very affordable prices. Marie has made the following suggestions  that should help make any woman’s  Christmas special:  

                        

     

     

    Left: This beautiful gold and black body con dress is from the Paper Dolls range which is perfect for the party season

    Right: A beautiful gold and black body con dress from Isabella’s Closet’s Paper Dolls range, which is perfect for the party season

               

    		                                               

     

    These two are from Isabella’s Closet’s Italian range; ideal for Christmas Day – very stylish and easy to wear. The jewellery featured with the dresses is part of a stunning collection of Accessories that Marie has to chose from. Isabella’s Closet gift tokens are available all the year round!

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    CHRISTMAS FLOWERS

     FRESH flower bouquets make a wonderful gift or bring a touch of natural beauty into your home at Christmas. At BIZZIE LIZZIE in the Upper High Street (close to the Swan pub), Katie Virdi, her mum Billie and their team of experienced and creative florists, offer a stunning range of festive floral designs to chose from and will deliver within a 10 mile radius of Thame.

                                                                                        

    To see the full range of BIZZIE LIZZIE’s Christmas flower bouquets and baskets, visit their website or take a 360 degree tour of their beautiful shop here.      back to top

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    SO, there you are. To  help you find just the right present for anyone, whether it’s for the husband who has everything, a teenage boy or girl, mum and dad, or a best friend of either sex, we’ve combed the shops of Thame, and in consultation with the proprietors, have come up with, what we hope, is a very useful list of suggestions which we hope will entice you to explore our own, wonderful independent shops and discover just what our own high street has to offer – and to help our vibrant little town’s local economy. 

    Thame Loyalty Card member or not, November is a good time to subscribe to the Thame Loyalty Card newsletter. If you sign up during the month of November, you’ll be entered into a draw to win £50 in vouchers to spend in Loyalty card participating businesses during December. Go to: www.thameloyalty.co.uk, scroll to the bottom and click on ‘Sign up to our email newsletter’. LINK HERE

    FINAL THOUGHT- For every £1 spent with a local business, 83p goes back into the community’s economy. I guess therefore it’s in all of our interests to TRY THAME FIRST and buy where we can in our own high street, and particularly, to support the many, wonderful independents that Thame is known for.

                                     A very merry Christmas and a happy new year !                                                                                                                                                                              back to top

     

     

     

  • ‘Del Boy’ lends his support to ‘Florrie’s’ hospice makeover

    SIR David Jason OBE, best known for his role as Del Boy in the popular sit-com, Only Fools and Horses, has lent his support to the Florence Nightingale Day Hospice ‘makeover’ appeal in its Silver Jubilee year.

    David Jason OBE

    As part of the Florence Nightingale Hospice 25th Anniversary year, Sir David Jason OBE is making a special appeal to the local community to help raise over £20,000 – vital funds needed to help refurbish its Day Hospice service.

    Sir David, who has penned a personal appeal letter to officially launch the campaign on Monday, November, 25, is encouraging supporters of the Hospice to ‘dig deep’ and help fund the Day Hospice ‘makeover’, which will include new furniture, tables, chairs, cushions, fittings, curtains, flooring and general maintenance. Currently, the Day Hospice, which is open from Monday-Friday, 10 am -3 pm, sees around 40-60 patients from across Aylesbury Vale and surrounding areas (including Thame) each week.

    In his appeal letter Sir David said: “Florence Nightingale Hospice is a very special place – I think we all know someone who has been touched by the first-class care provided by the wonderful team of staff and volunteers here. With this in mind, I would like to encourage you to spare a few pennies to help raise funds to refurbish Day Hospice and further enhance the lives of patients and their families.”

    “Our Day Hospice provides a vital service in which physical, emotional and spiritual symptoms are addressed in a warm, friendly, fun environment by the Day Hospice team,” said Senior Day Hospice nurse, Jenny Spencer-Jones. “A makeover will give the patients a brighter, fresher and more comfortable environment; enhancing and adding to the lovely ambience of the Day Hospice, a home from home, where patients can relax and be comfortable and most of all enjoy coming to.”

    If you would like to help support the Day Hospice appeal please visit www.fnhospice.org.uk and click on the ‘Donate’ button or visit the dedicated fundraising page at www.make-a-donation.org. Donations can also be sent in the post addressed to Florence Nightingale Hospice Charity, Unit 4 Aylesbury Business Centre, Chamberlain Road, Aylesbury, HP19 8DY or, simply pop your donation in to the Florence Nightingale Hospice marked ‘Day Hospice Appeal’.

    Florence Nightingale Hospice Charity (FNHC) fully funds the Day Hospice service at a cost of over £100,000 each year. Each patient appointment costs £135 per visit. FNHC relies heavily on its volunteer drivers, to bring patients to and from Day Hospice, which runs every week. In fact 29 drivers drove 27,582 miles last year to bring patients to the Hospice: “Having volunteer drivers, means that patients can attend the Day Hospice for the specialist support they need,” added Judy Plater, Volunteer Services Assistant.

    www.fnhospice.org.uk     Facebook:  Twitter: @fnhospice #florencenightingalehospice

  • Council responds to Elms Field development criticism

    THAME Town Council has responded to criticism about how the proposed housing development on Elms Field, was included in the Thame Neighbourhood Plan. (See LINK)

    Concept plan produced by Nash Partnership for the land owner planning to develope land for housing land at The Elms, Thame

     In a statement today in response to a request for comment, made to the Town Clerk, Helen Stewart, she said: “The Neighbourhood Plan, which includes an allocation of up to 45 homes within the perimeter of The Elms was thoroughly tested, as were all the sites, through the development of the Neighbourhood Planning and the Independent Examiner’s scrutiny of all the data collected during that process.

    “All the sites identified within the Neighbourhood Plan will still have to go through South Oxfordshire District Council’s planning process. Any correspondence in connection with these will be considered during that process.

    “The Town Council has no further comment to make and will consider each application as it comes forward.”

  • Developer welcomes new Thame homes planning consent

    FOLLOWING yesterday’s historic planning decision, a ‘first’ for Neighbourhood Planning, the developer of the proposed housing site has welcomed the decision and has vowed to work with the community on the detailed planning of Site D.

    The outline proposal includes 175 homes, a community orchard, considerable public open space, including a children’s play area, and allotments on the majority of what is known as Site D: land West of Thame Park Road.

    Jon Allen, Development Manager at Commercial Estates Group, said: “We are delighted that members of SODC’s planning committee voted unanimously in favour of granting permission for this application. CEG has been working with the residents and representatives of Thame for over three years and the feedback received has genuinely had a big influence on the application which was submitted.

    “CEG has been proud to support Thame’s Neighbourhood Plan from the outset – and throughout – and the decision at planning committee demonstrates that developers and communities can work very effectively together to deliver new homes which meet local aspirations.”

    Site D is allocated in the Thame Town Plan for a total of 205 houses, of which CEG’s application included 175 homes. It was the first application on an allocated site to receive a resolution to grant planning consent, following the Thame Town Plan being supported by 76% of voters at a referendum in May and its subsequent adoption by SODC.

    Jon Allen continued: “The application was in outline so we will now start to look at the site in further detail. Our aim is to continue the positive working relationship we have built up with the people of Thame and to deliver the high-quality development which local residents are looking for.”

     

  • Opposition growing to Thame housing development

    A petition of signatures from people opposed to houses being built on land adjacent to Elms Park in Thame, is growing, and the man leading the opposition has now written to English Heritage, and copied the letter to all Town and District Councillors. He now wants to inform the general public and to invite them to add their names to the petition by emailing their support to:  elmspetition@hotmail.co.uk 

    The Elms field where the proposed housing development will be, as seen from the air

    The man behind the campaign is Peter Webb, who lives in Thame. His letter reads:

    ” ‘Dear Councillor,
     The Elms Petition Group would like you to be aware of the substantial opposition which exists in regard to housing development in Elms Field, Thame. Please be aware that, during the Thame Plan consultation process, 82% of people who responded on the subject of building in Elms Field were against the idea. Why did the Plan Group ignore this?
     
    “We should make you aware also that the Thame Mayor is being served notice under the Freedom of Information Act, to respond to requests for information relating to un-minuted meetings, agendas and participants etc. relating to the unneeded inclusion of Elms Field as a site for development within the Thame Plan. The following letter, sent to English Heritage yesterday is self explanatory.’
     
    “Dear Mr. Peats,

    This letter is from the 500, so far, residents of Thame who have signed a petition against development on Elms Field.

    Your email of the 31st July to one of our number, states that you were informed by the developer’s then agent, the Nash partnership, that the land to the East was in different ownership in the early 19th century. This is surely not so and we find it surprising that you have not asked for a copy of the 1826 document which, we have told you, shows the house and all the 13-odd acre field in the ownership of a Paul Blackall.

    You have also been advised that we have a complete record of ownership, from then up to the present day, and the only change that occurred was the gifting of some 3 acres, by Leonard Purser, to Thame, to create a Town Park.

    And yet you don’t want to review this data? Neither are you willing to insist that the Nash partnership send you a copy of the material they presented to you in the presence of the (then) South Oxfordshire District Council Conservation Officer, Jamie Preston.

    It is quite unacceptable that Nash can resist giving you a copy of the material they presented to you, on the basis that they no longer work for the developer who now owns The Elms. You should have obtained a copy for your records at the time you met with Nash but are surely entitled to insist that you be given a copy now. The current lack of a relationship between Nash and the developer is completely immaterial.

    The fact is, your letter of the 25th October 2012, to the Thame Town Clerk assessed The Elms and the field as a valuable survivor of the mini estates that were common in small towns like Thame in the 19th century. The field has long been, and still is, a green lung in the centre of Thame. Is it not the job of English Heritage to preserve such green space? your letter is quite specific in emphasising that the field area both to the South and to the East are important to the setting of the Elms and you record that SODC Conservation took action in 2006 to extend the Conservation Area to include the Field and Park. You repeat their statement that the Park and Field together represent an “Important open space” in Thame.

    Your letter was quite firm in finding the development proposal “deeply damaging”. So what has changed and why are you unwilling to examine whether there is evidence of manipulation in this whole affair?

    It should be pointed out also that the setting of The Poplars, also a listed building and until the Toovey sale in 1928 in the same ownership as The Elms, is adversely affected by the proposed development of the Eastern part of the field. Surely ownership of the field is not relevant to that fact.

    You should be made aware also that the meeting you and Jamie Preston attended, where, due to suspect information provided by Nash, you accepted the possibility of building 35 houses, has no minutes to record who said what. The Town Clerk refuses to explain this lack. Who was present? The developer? Who else? Why is this, so far as we know, the only meeting held with a developer?

    Then, why did the Town Council later call a second meeting, where they upped the number of house to a maximum of 45? Who arranged that meeting? Why are the minutes so lacking in content? Why was one Councillor who said he was against any development in Elms field told (by whom is not recorded) “That is not a Council matter”. Also why does the Town Clerk now claim that it wasn’t a Council meeting , when the so-called minutes are clearly headed “Meeting of the Thame Town Council”?

    Why was the site being considered at all? There was no need for it since the potential housing sites suggested to the Town Council by SODC were more that adequate to accommodate the 775 houses allocated to Thame. Each of those sites had developers associated and awaiting a decision by the Council as to how the houses would be allocated. Did any of those developers attend meetings with the Plan Group to push their sites? We think not.

    It doesn’t directly concern your opinion of the importance of retaining Elms field as an open space, either as a pasture, as it has traditionally been or in some other suitable form but, as background, you might be interested to know that the Town Clerk went into print to tell citizens that there would be no point in voting “No” to the town plan because 775 houses were going to be built anyway. So, no point voting at all. Which many didn’t. The point is that the 775 was not the issue. Where to build was the issue and the “Yes for Thame Campaign” leaflet makes no mention at all of where the Councillors had decided buildings would go. So people had no idea what they were voting for. That same leaflet is inaccurate and misleading in several other ways, which are not the subject of this letter.

    In conclusion, You are asked, by a rather substantial number of citizens, to re-examine your position. Were you misled and should you reinstate the opinions contained in your letter to the Town Clerk?

    A copy of this letter is being sent to all Town and SODC Councillors, SODC Planning, and to the press. Thame Councillors should ask themselves whether they have been unduly influenced by interested parties and also how they have come to accept the idea of 44 houses jockeying to get to and from the Elms Field site via Nelson Street and Southern Road, when they turned down the idea of 7 houses on the Old Dairy site, due to the fact that those same two streets are severely congested.”

    Signed, The Elms Petition Group

    Anyone who wishees to join the petition against The Elms development, can do so by emailing a list of petitioners (over 18s) together with a house address to elmspetition@hotmail.co.uk. For people who do not have access to the web, they can drop a note of their support, with names and address, in an envelope adressed to Elms Petition, at Petcare in the Cornmarket, Thame.

    Addresses outside OX9 will be listed within the petitioner list as “Friends of Thame”

    LINKS to previous news items on this topic: https://www.thame.net/?p=7949
                                                                                           https://www.thame.net/?p=7950

     

     

  • History made as first ever housing application for a Neighbourhood Plan approved

    AN historic decision, likely to affect all future Neighbourhood planning, was taken last night when the first ever major outline planning application, as part of a Neighbourhood Plan, was passed by South Oxfordshire District Council in respect of Thame’s Neighbourhood Plan.

    The district council’s planning committee, after much discussion and debate, voted unanimously to pass outline planning consent for 175 houses to be build on part of what is known as Site D in the Neighbourhood Plan, to the South of Thame. Two other planning applications on that site which will bring it to a total of 205 dwellings, but in separate ownership, are yet to go before the planners.

    Some misgivings had been expressed to planning officers, regarding air quality in Park Street, Thame, as a result of perceived increased traffic generation from the development, and noise from adjacent industrial uses of nearby barns. These were however, addressed by the planning officer. Also a resident was concerned about possible light pollution from street lighting, which apparently has since been removed from the plan.

    Another resident was concerned about the impact on their amenity of access to Cuttlebrook.

    Mr James Castle, spoke to the committee questioning the calculations for increased traffic along Park Street, to which Cllr Mike Welply responded with information that a new junction is currently being planned to divert non through traffic along the by pass.

    There was some disagreement between Thame Town Council, represented by the Clerk, Helen Stewart and Cllr Mike Welply, about the disignation of part of the surrounding farm land to the West of the site, as Public Access open space. The landowner wants the right to keep it free from the public because it is used for sheep and at certain times of the year, for lamb rearing.

    The whole of the planning meeting meeting can be viewed as a Webcast HERE – The Thame application begins at 00:27:38

  • Burning car closes Thame roundabout

    THE Aylesbury Road roundabout in Thame had to be completely closed to traffic last night, when a car caught fire, causing considerable congestion in the surrounding roads for around two hours.

    A Fire Engine from Thame attended the incident at 8.20 last night, where it found the car ablaze in the middle of the road on the roundabout. Andy Ford, Watch Manager at Thame fire station, said: “Due to the location, we had to close the roundabout completely whilst Fire crews in Breathing apparatus extinguished the fire. The driver had got out of the car and suffered no injuries and once the fire was extinguished we were able to winch the car to the side to allow the roundabout to be re- opened.’
    The car was in a dangerous location so the we had to close the roundabout to ensure the safety of Fire fighters and other road users. It remained closed for about an hour, which did cause a great deal of congestion in the area, and was reopened as soon as it was safe to do so.

  • Thame Food Festival thanks parking volunteers

    AS well as bringing thousands of visitors to Thame on the day, the Thame Food Festival, as a Not-for-profit Community Interest Company (CIC), helps raise funds for local good causes and last night (Tuesday), local charities were presented with a total of £2,370 raised through the event’s parking and the tombola stall.

    Lotte Duncan (left), Ken Bruce and Harriet Hieat-Smith from Thomley Activity Centre, in Worminghall, nr Thame

    The festival parking, including the red, double-decker bus, Park and Ride scheme operating for the first time, was manned by volunteers from Thame Lions, Thame Rotary, Thame Boys Football and the Cornerstones church. The local charitable organisations which accepted cheques last night included Thomley Hall (£500), which BBC radio presenter, Ken Bruce, accepted on its behalf with Harriet Hieat-Smith, from food festival Director, Lotte Duncan. Ken’s son is a regular attendee at Thomley’s activities days.

    Roger Blackburn of Thame Lions Club accepted a cheque for £550 from the Deputy Mayor, Jeannette Matelot Green, which Roger explained would go towards a trip to the panto for Thame SAFARI, and some to supporting Thame Young Carers. Jeannette herself, as this year’s President, then accepted a cheque for £550 on behalf of Thame Rotary which will be divided between SAFARI,  Sharing Life Trust, the Thame and District Day Centre and Thame players.

    Robert Ellis of Thame Lions presented a cheque for £100 to Carlo Abreu and Frank Thompson of the Thame Football Partnership as a donation for Thame Boys who assisted with the parking at Southern Road Rec. during the festival. Robert Ellis of Cornerstones Church presented a cheque of £150 to church members,John Bancroft and Michael Bradley and then John handed the cheque on to Steve Eyre and Phil Stratton as a donation to the Thame Food Bank.

    The Thame Food Bank also benefited from the Tombola held during the food festival, when a cheque for £520 was presented by Jeannette Matelot Green (current President of Thame Rotary) and Roger Blackburn, to Steve and Phil.

    John Hulett gave an illustrated presentation about the valuable work of the Thame Food Bank, and Phil Stratton and Steve Eyre, explained the work of the Sharing Life Trust, including the newly launched Thame Community Bank.

    Lotte Duncan thanked all the volunteers for their vital and stirling work in co-ordinating and managing the festival parking, and emphasised to everyone that the Thame Food Festival is run by volunteers as a CIC, and that none of the Directors take any money out of the festival, the only paid employee being the Administrator, Alison Isherwood.

    The Mayor of Thame, Peter Lambert, now a successful publican and brewer in Thame, brought the evening’s presentations to a conclusion with a moving reflection on how a food parcel from his parents had brought much-needed help to him, his wife Trudi and their children, six and a half years previously when he lost his pub business, his lively-hood and the family’s home.

  • Wax On Wax Off for Men’s charity

    MEADOW View Park, the home of Thame United, was the venue last Saturday (09/11), for a charity fundraising event organised by the Thame Jazzercise group, all proceeds of which went to the male cancer charity MCAC.

    Frank Thompson (left), General Manager at Meadow View Park, Bob Vincent (centre) and Frank Millar (right),  all volunteered to be waxed for charity on Saturday morning.

    Not only did they raise money on-line, but tickets were sold to watch the event. The ladies watching the procedures showed no sympathy when it came to the pain being inflicted – in fact they all seemed to be enjoying it far too much !!

    Over £1,500 was raised on the day for the charity.  Jazzercise instructor, Sue Morris, said: ” The guys were fantastic and were such good sports. Every penny raised makes such a difference and this takes our total fundraising figure over the past six years to over £78,000.”

    For information about Jazzercise classes at Meadow View Park and other venues contact, Sue Morris on 07752 448026

  • Thame’s own Community Bank is open for business

    WITH the success of the Thame Food Bank, which has handed out 300 food packs in the first few months since its launch, came the awareness among its organisers, the Thame Alliance Group (TAG) that the problem of debt is a part of the lives of some residents in the town.

    Phil Stratton (TAG), Mayor of Thame, Peter Lambert and Steve Eyre (TAG)

    As an alternative to the somewhat notorious ‘Payday loan’ companies, which can trap borrowers into more and more debt with ever growing interest rates, TAG decided to set up a fair, safe, ethical and affordable alternative. Yesterday, the Mayor of Thame, Peter Lambert, helped launch the Thame Community Bank, at the Town Hall, where the bank will be based.

    Information about the Thame Community Bank and how it works can be found HERE and on the website: www.thamecommunity bank.org So, how can local people and businesses get involved?

    1. Become an ethical saver yourself
    2. Promote the bank to other people and businesses
    3. If you run a large business, become a Corporate Member and involve your employees by ‘payroll deduction’
    4. Help build the ‘Loan Guarantee Fund’ to help the bank absorb the inevitable but small proportion of ‘bad
    loans (around 9%) and for emergency funds for people in crisis

    The Thame Community Bank is a branch of The Swan Credit Union, a not-for-profit financial cooperative with members belonging to the Milton Keynes Credit Union and Aylesbury Vale Credit Union.