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Category: Thame news

  • 05/09/13 Man admits steeling alcohol from Thame store

    A man from Chinnor, who admitted stealing 24 cans of Strongbow cider to the value of £31.74, from BP Express in Park Street, Thame, has been fined by Oxford Magistrates. 

    Lee Wallis, 37, of Station Road, Chinnor, admitted stealing the alcohol on August 10, and was fined £165. He was also ordered to pay £5.29 compensation a £20 victims’ surcharge as well as £85 costs. 

    He also admitted possessing cannabis, a class B drug, in Abingdon Police Station on August 10, for which he was fined an additional £165.

    SOURCE: The Oxford Mail

  • 03/09/13 Credit cards stolen in Cromwell Avenue break-in

     

    BETWEEN midnight and 7am on August 30, a property in Cromwell Avenue, Thame was broken into. Offender/s gained entry via a large ground floor window which was insecure. Jewellery making kit, tobacco and a wallet containing various credit cards, were the items stolen. 

    If you have seen any suspicious looking people or vehicles in the area or have any information relating to this message, please ring the 24 hour non-emergency telephone number 101. 

    Alternatively if you have information but wish to remain anonymous, please call Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111 or online @ crimestoppers-uk.org. No personal details are taken, information is not traced or recorded and you will not go to court.

    SOURCE; Thame Valley Police – Alert

  • 30/08/13 Fire Service strike action -‘Major incident cover’ assurance from local service

     

    OXFORDSHIRE’S Fire and Rescue Service has reassured the public that plans are in place to cope with potential strike action.

    The Fire Brigades Union’s (FBU) call for a strike comes after national negotiations on pay and pension reform failed to reach an agreement.

    As part of contingency planning, Oxfordshire Fire and Rescue Service had been trying to get an agreement locally, based on a national protocol signed up to by the Trades Union Congress (TUC) with the government in 1979, which allows workers to carry on doing life and business-saving activities during strike action. 

    However, to date, the FBU locally have refused to sign up to such a protocol. However, an agreement has been reached between Oxfordshire Fire and Rescue Service and the union to provide major incident cover for emergencies that require eight fire appliances or more and respond to any national emergencies during any potential strike action.

    Cllr Rodney Rose, Deputy Leader of Oxfordshire County Council, has expressed frustration at the union’s decision to ballot firefighters in support of a strike. He said: “It is a real disappointment that we haven’t been able to agree a way forward. I hope that this dispute can be resolved quickly and firefighters can get back to what they want and the public expects, which is to protect the community. At least here in Oxfordshire there has been strong forward planning to mitigate negative impacts of strike action.”

    Arrangements in place

    Oxfordshire County Council’s Fire and Rescue Service has also arranged for emergency cover to be provided by Securitas, who have been specifically trained to support the fire and rescue service, and will include the provision of three fully crewed appliances for the duration of any period of industrial action. This is in addition to the cover already provided by the use of staff that are not engaged in industrial action. 

    Control room staff will not be affected by any potential industrial action and will continue as normal.

    It is thought Oxfordshire is the only part of the UK outside London that has such an arrangement. Chief Fire Officer David Etheridge said: “Oxfordshire residents should be reassured that we have been planning for some time to develop strong resilience arrangements, which provides me with the confidence to give the assurance that while this will not be our usual response standards that levels of fire cover will be in place for those who have to dial 999 during any strike.”

  • 29/08/13 Thinking about the Green Deal?

     

    LOOKING for ways to cut your energy bills and thinking about the Green Deal? What do you need to know? Useful information and advice from Thame CAB (Citizens Advice Bureau):-

    The Green Deal is a new Government scheme to help with energy saving improvements to your home such as loft insulation, double glazing and solar panels. The scheme lets you make these improvements without having to pay up-front. Instead, you take out a loan which is repaid through the savings on your energy bills. Like any credit arrangement, the Green Deal is a serious financial commitment, so you need to think carefully about whether it’s right for you.

    The loan is attached to properties, not people, so if you move house then repayments will pass to the next owner or tenant. You’ll have to let them know that loan is attached to the property before they agree to buy.

    The scheme is designed so that savings always outstrip repayments. But this isn’t a guarantee, so taking out a Green Deal loan may mean that your bills increase. If you’re on an electricity meter repayments will be taken off your credit in small amounts several times a day, so you may find that your credit is used up faster.

    If you decide to go ahead, the first step is an assessment of your home, which you often have to pay for. Green Deal assessors and providers must be officially accredited. Check by looking at the register gdorb.decc.gov.uk/consumersearch.

    If you decide to go ahead after your assessment, there is a seven-day cooling off period . If you change your mind during the cooling off period, you won’t have to pay a cancellation fee, although you are likely to have to pay some of the assessment cost if work has been carried out before you cancel. Green Deal loans are covered by the Consumer Credit Act, which gives you important rights. If you have a complaint, you should contact your provider. If they can’t sort out your problem, you can contact the Energy or Financial Services Ombudsman.

    If you can’t save money through the Green Deal, you may be able to get extra financial help under the Energy Company Obligation (ECO) for energy saving improvements to your home, including solid wall insulation and cavity wall insulation.

    Get free, confidential, independent advice from your local Citizens Advice Bureau. See www.adviceguide.org.uk or your local phone book for contact details. Your nearest CAB is in the Market Square, Thame 
    Adviceline: 08444 111 444 or 03 00 33 00 650 (Mobile)

    Also get advice about the Green Deal, the Energy Company Obligation and other ways to get help to save energy in your home from the Energy Savings Advice Service on 0300 123 1234.

  • 29/08/13 Thame Twinning Chair pays tribute to Arthur Staggs

     

    THE Chair of the Thame & District Twinning Association, and friend to Arthur Staggs, who has died at the age of 100 years, has today paid tribute to the late Honorary Citizen of Thame.

    Jeannette Matelot Green, herself like Arthur was, half French, is also a former Mayor of Thame and the current Deputy Mayor. She said: 

    “Lieutenant Arthur Staggs will be remembered with awe and admiration for his brave record fighting with the Resistance. He was a great asset to the twinning association.

    “Our French friends from Montesson loved to talk to Arthur and felt honoured to meet someone with a Legion d’Honneur. Arthur would say that, yes, he was English, but his heart was French. Arthur loved to converse in French at every opportunity, speaking to sixth form students at Aylesbury Grammar or helping French conversation classes. 

    “He used his Gallic charm to win over all the ladies he met. He will be so sadly missed, but remembered as a hero who lived for a hundred years.”

    PHOTO: The late Arthur Staggs, proudly wearing his Legion d’Honneur, when he attended a meeting of Thame Rotary back in January.

  • Posted 29/08/13 Thame September fair road closure

    A Temporary Road Closure and Traffic Regulation Order will be in force from 4pm on Wednesday, September 18, until 12 noon on Saturday, September 22. This will restrict the entry of vehicles into Thame and parking will not be allowed on the highway, including pavements. 

    The following roads will be affected:

    High Street, North Street, Upper High Street, Rooks Lane, Nelson Street.

    Access will only be permitted by means of a permit which will be available to:

    – Residents who can prove that there is
    unrestricted off-road parking within the grounds
    of their property.
    – Businesses having off-street parking who confirm
    that all vehicles will be on private property at
    all times.

    An application for a permit should be made at the Information Centre at Thame Town Hall as soon as possible – please have a note of your vehicle registration number with you.

  • 29/08/13 Replacement bridge installed at Cuttlebrook

     

    VOLUNTEERS working at the Cuttle Brook Nature Reserve in Thame have been working to complete a new bridge to replace the old, worn-out bridge, offerimg improved disabled access with easier ramps and better turning space. 

    Dave Watkins, the designer of the new bridge, said, “This has been a huge achievement for the Volunteers, with hundreds of hours of work going into it. Since it was first put in place in 1995, the old bridge was always well used, but it had got very ‘tired’ and was too small for mobility scooters, so an upgrade was needed. 

    “It’s taken a couple of years to get to this stage but it is very satisfying to see such an impressive replacement spanning the brook.”

    The bridge has been designed with, and built by the volunteers and funded by Grundon Waste Management Ltd through the Landfill Communities Fund, obtained through the Trust for Oxfordshire’s Environment (TOE2) organisation and Thame Town Council, with practical help from the Council’s maintenance team. 

    Cuttle Brook Conservation volunteers are a group of local residents who meet once a month to care for and maintain the Nature Reserve. They carry out hands-on tasks such as mowing paths, building and maintaining boardwalks, creating seats, laying hedges, protecting reed beds, tree planting, pollarding, pond digging and improving access for all. Further details and more photos of the new bridge can be found on the Cuttlebrook Facebook page:

    https://www.facebook.com/CuttleBrook?ref=ts 

  • 28/08/13 War time spy & Honorary Citizen of Thame dies aged 100

     

    A THAME man who worked as a secret agent in German occupied France during World War II, has died, after a long and distinguished life.

    Arthur Albert George Staggs, was born in 1912 in London but after his mother died when he was two years old, his father, who had joined the Royal Engineers in 1914 and was fighting in France, met and married a French woman who spoke no English. Arthur spent a year in France and attended an Ecole Maternelle becoming bilingual, a skill that was to save his life during interrogation by the Gestapo.

    As a member of SOE during the war, Arthur underwent wireless training at Thame Park Radio School. After his very eventful and action-packed war, Arthur returned to England where he met and married Elizabeth Wickson and settled in Thame. Their daughter Anne was born in 1945. (Read more about Arthur’s remarkable and colourful life HERE)

    Arthur was presented with his award as an Honorary Citizen of Thame in 2010, by Tim Stevenson, the then Lord Lieutenant of Oxfordshire, during a special party held at Meadowcroft care home in Thame, where Arthur spent his last years. 

    In May last year (2012), he was presented to HRH Camilla, the Duchess of Cornwall, when she accepted the Freedom of Entry to the town on behalf of RAF Halton.

    Arthur was one of the great characters of Thame, regularly asking to be wheeled down to the town centre to meet the traders whenever a French market came to town, and was often the guest of honour at social occasions organised by the Thame and District Twinning Association, when guests from Thame’s twin town, Montesson, near Paris, were over for the weekend.

    A statement from the town council reads: “Arthur will be greatly missed. Our sincere condolences go out to his family, friends and all those who knew him. 

    “Although a time of sadness, we hope that the thoughts and memories of this outstanding individual and member of our community will bring comfort to all.”

    Arthur enjoyed writing poetry and the following poem was used by Arthur as a code when contacting London or receiving messages:

    For You Alone 

    However busy I may be
    Whenever we’re apart
    There’s still a shine of memory
    Deep down within my heart
    Where I preserve your image dear
    Forever to remain
    And thoughts of you bring constant cheer
    Until we meet again

  • 28/08/13 Thame volunteer in national Charity Retail Association Awards

     

    MARK Thorne from Thame has been highly commended in the Young Volunteer of the Year award at this year’s national Charity Retail Association Awards.

    Mark started volunteering with the Helen & Douglas House shop in Thame over five years ago. Shop Manager, Debbie Sharp, who nominated Mark for this prestigious award, said: “Mark was a very pleasant young man, although rather shy and with no retail training, but that didn’t stop him ‘diving in’ and picking up all the skills needed to be an excellent team member. Mark has gained two NVQS while volunteering at our shop in Thame. His attention to detail has earned him credit with the management, and he is a joy to have around.”

    After the training and earning his NVQs with Helen & Douglas House, Mark went on to successfully apply for a job with the Co-op in Thame, which involves handling money and using the till, and sometimes running their in-store café. 

    Mark still volunteers in the Helen & Douglas House shop on his days off. The award came as a surprise for the 23 year old, because he had no idea that he had even been nominated until being presented with the certificate by Debbie.

    Debbie added: “We would be hard pushed to manage without his smile, his funny jokes, and his willingness to help everyone around him. He has also helped many new volunteers settle into our Thame shop because of his vast knowledge of what we do here.”

    If you are interested in volunteering, you can pop into the shop in Upper High Street, Thame, and speak to Debbie Sharp, or email: fundraising@helenanddouglas.org.uk

  • 22/08/13 Dip in GSCE results ‘in turbulent times’

     

    STAFF and parents of Lord Williams’s GCSE students were congratulating them on their achievements this morning and acknowledging the hard work that had produced many pleasing results. However, there was a dip in results this year, with 55% of students achieving five or more GCSE passes at A*-C grades, including English and Mathematics. Last year’s figure was 75%.

    Headteacher, David Wybron, commented: “I want to acknowledge the wide range of achievements of our students. We are in very turbulent times in terms of examination results and year on year we are dealing with puzzling results. The dip in results is not a surprise, however unwelcome, because we were aware of late changes in grade boundaries in some subjects which mean that some students have been awarded lower grades than their marks would have earned them last year. 

    “In one core subject the pass mark for a C grade has moved by 6½% on last year. We will know more once we receive the results of remarks.”

    The following students gained at least seven passes at grade A* or A (eight less than last year):

    Elijah Andrews, Jimmy Austin, Ruairi Baker, Jessica Baldwin, Jasmine Bernard, Olly Bevan, Rebecca Brightling, Alyssa Brown, Lina Budde-Manning, Ella Burgess, Jess Burman, Conor Champion, Laura Cooper-Smith, Rebecca Daly, Daniel Hambly, Dominic Kelsey, Emily Keogh, Josie King, Miriam Malein, Charlotte Mann, Michelle Poalses, Emma Ralphs, Josie Richards, Charlotte Rogers, Eleanor Shearwood, Ewan Sheen, Hannah Smith, Mary Walters, Brendan Ward, Benjamin Warwick, James Wooster.

    THE NATIONAL PICTURE (from Sky News)

    The proportion of GCSEs awarded at least a C grade has suffered its biggest fall in the exam’s 25-year history.

    For the second year in a row, the number of pupils given an A*-C grade has dropped – down 1.3% on last year to 68.1%.

    The number of A* grades awarded was also lower, falling 0.5% on last year from 7.3 to 6.8%, according to official figures.

    The figures show that the overall A*-G pass rate also fell slightly this year, to 98.8% compared to 99% last year.

    In contrast to last week’s A-level results, girls are still outperforming boys at GCSE and achieved better results at A*-C across every subject.