Category: Thame news

A SPANIEL that went missing while she was being clipped in Great Haseley, near Thame, back in November, has been returned to her rightful owner after being discovered in Bedfordshire!

It transpired that Ruby, whose owner lives in Little Milton, had apparently escaped from a Travellers’ camp in Bedfordshire yesterday and ran in front of a police car. She was picked up by officers and her true ownership discovered when her micro chip was scanned at a rescue centre.

A family of Travellers tried to claim Ruby, saying that they had bought her from another Traveller. A police investigation is under way, following a spate of dog thefts.

THAME Town council is gearing up for a great weekend of events to celebrate the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee over the first weekend in June, which is a public holiday.

At a planning meeting on Tuesday (21/02)for anyone who wanted to be involved, the Mayor, David Bretherton, asked if the town centre shops and businesses would play their part in getting into the spirit of things, by decorating their windows with a relevant theme.

Chair of Thame4Business, Sonja Francis, said: “A suitable prize will be offered by Thame4Business, and presented by the Mayor, for the winning window. I do hope the town centre businesses will rise to the occasion and make the high street even more attractive to both visitors and the locals.

“Let’s take this opportunity to really ‘big up’ Thame’s shopping offer and celebrate in style!”

Events planned in the town for that weekend include a Beacon in the Upper High Street, The Big Jubilee quiz on the Saturday night, mass Sunday lunch, bring and share picnic in Elms park, The Big Sing – also in Elms park, all culminating in fireworks at Elms Park.

ALL council tax rates for services provided by South Oxfordshire District Council will go down this April, if the 2012/13 budget is approved next week.

Last Monday (13 February) cabinet voted in favour of approving the budget which includes reducing the district council tax by 2.5 per cent. This means that, if it is approved by council on Friday, February 23, those living in an average ?Band D? property will pay

THE Mayor of Thame has announced that the pancake races, due be run tomorrow in aid of The Scouts and Citizens Advice Bureau, have been cancelled.

The Mayor, David Bretherton, said today: “It is unfortunate that we have had to cancel this event due to the terrible weather forecast and the total lack of support from the public.

“I would like to thank all the traders who offered help and support.”

POLICE officers from the neighbourhood policing team in Chinnor have reasssured the reassured the community this afternoon that they are following up every line of enquiry after graffiti was sprayed onto paths, walls and fences in Chinnor.

Insp Martin Ford, said: ?There are officers from the neighbourhood team, in the area speaking to residents and carrying out their investigations, after graffiti was sprayed in red paint on the road and walls of houses in Oakley Road between 5am and 6am on Wednesday (15/2).

?At this stage we believe this to be a targeted attack aimed at specific individuals and we would like the community to know that we are doing all that we can to find who is responsible but it is important now for residents to stick together and let us know any information they have about who has done this.?

If you have any information at all about who has done this, please contact PC Mick Goodenough of Thame police station via the 24-hour Thames Valley Police Enquiry Line 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.

PHOTO: Inspector Martin Ford

[M 14/02/021] THIS is a Community Message from Thames Valley Police: Theft of registration plates and fuel in Thame – There has been theft of registration plates and fuel from vehicles in Thame.

Registration plates have been stolen from vehicles at the following locations:

Between 8th and 9th February – Vane Road and The Maltings, High Street, Thame.

10th February – Priest End, Thame.

Between 3rd and 7th February – Priest End, Thame.

Offender(s) are using some of these stolen plates to fix to other vehicles, which are then used to fill up with fuel from petrol stations and leave without paying.

Diesel has been stolen from a business premises in Dormer Road, Thame between 10th and 13th February. Offender(s) smashed a fuel cap on a lorry and stole half a tank of diesel.

If you require any crime prevention advice or would like to obtain tamper proof fixing screws for vehicle registration plates, please contact your Crime Reduction Advisor Malcolm Wills on 01491 821519.

If you have any information relating to this message, please call the police on the new national single non-emergency telephone number 101 and state you are responding to a Ringmaster message, or call 999 for crime in progress. Please report anyone acting suspiciously in or around vehicles to the police as soon as possible.

Alternatively if you have information but wish to remain anonymous, please call Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.

Message Ends.
SOURCE: Thames Valley Police

IMAGE: Courtesy of epworthbells.co.uk

THAME’S Cattlemarket Action Group, (CMAG) has welcomed the news that Thame Town Council has invited its members to share in the process of assessing the need and viability of a much needed community building for the people of Thame.


As part of the development of Thame?s Neighbourhood Plan, Thame Town Council intends to employ a consultant to carry out this work, and it wants to include CMAG in the assessment.



A ?hub? for Thame


CMAG states: “Our vision is that this badly needed building should be a ?hub? in Thame and serve as a modern, flexible assembly rooms where many different sized groups can meet. It should include space for small groups to meet and have capacity for a large performance space. It should serve the needs of all age groups and look to the future of Thame.


“Since CMAG was formed in 2003, we have been in touch with many groups that meet, or would like to meet, in Thame and some which have sadly been lost to the town since the closure of the old football club building in Windmill Road.”


What do other local groups think?


However, CMAG wanst to ensure that every group has a voice in the consultation before the process moves forward, and believe that there must be some groups that they are not aware of.


So, if you belong to a group that has not been contacted by CMAG or maybe a know of a group/class/event that is looking for a venue, CMAG would like to hear from you by the end of March.


Read more about CMAG on the group’s website: LINK 
If you want to get in touch: e-mail: thamecmag.yahoo.co.uk or write to: 39 North Street, Thame OX9 3BJ.

IMAGE: A concept plan of just one possibility for the ground floor of a Thame Community facility. Copyright: CMAG

ONE DAY LESS FOR THAME FAIR?

THE opening of Thame fair, traditionally on the third Thursday in September, could this year be postponed until the Friday.

Since the date of the Thame Show moved to July, the fair has been practically ‘dead’ on Thursdays, according to the town council.

A few complaints from local businesses about the effect on them in the current economic climate, of the fair, have been received by the town council, so they would be happy not to lose a trading day.

CHRISTMAS

THIS year’s Big Thame Christmas event (sorry to mention it in February!) will NOT be held on the traditional first Friday in the month in December, because the town council feel that the 7th is too far into the month which would put the businesses of Thame at a disadvantage.

The Christmas lights will therefore be officially switched on during the evening of Friday, November 30, 2012.

THAME COWS

21st Century Thame is hopeful that the much loved plastic cows occasionally seen in the High Street, will soon be joined by a few more ‘grazing’ in various places around the town, used to promote events like the Food Festival, the Literary Festival, the Carnival, the annual Duck race etc.

The final touches just need to be made to an application for funding and for planning approval where necessary.

THAME CARNIVAL

THE date for this year’s carnival is Saturday, June 16. The theme is to be ‘Disco Fever’

SKATE PARK

REPAIRS and restoration of Thame Skate Park is progressing, with the town council currently looking at quotes for the work.

QUEEN’S JUBILEE CELEBRATIONS

PLANS for June’s celebrations of the Queen’s 60 years on the throne, are moving ahead and so far include, a Festival quiz on June 2, a Big Sunday Lunch at 2pm and a Big Sing. On the Monday evening, a beacon will be lit at 9pm (probably on the church) and street parties will be encouraged on the Monday and the Tuesday of the Bank Holiday.

A MEETING FOR LOCAL GROUPS and anyone who want to be involved, is being held on February 21, at 7pm (venue to be announced).

THE INFORMATION CENTRE

THE Information Centre at Thame Town Hall is to close on Thursdays (its quietest day) from March 1, to save money.

FOLLOWING a request from a councillor that Thame Town Council seeks ways of funding a youth worker to replace the one lost during the county council’s money saving cuts last year, the Mayor of Thame, David Bretherton, has said that the town council cannot do anything as it is ‘confused’ about what OCC is planning to do about youth provision.

Cllr Mary Stiles had raised the issue at an earlier meeting of the Culture, Leisure and Recreation committee, where she said she was concerned that there seemed to be more vulnerable young people out on the street since the closure of the youth club.

After CLR members had been told by the Clerk that she had been looking into various options, Cllr Adam Buckland said: “It must be a priority to reinstate the council’s Youth Working Group, because councillors don’t know what’s going on.”

Answering questions at Tuesday’s town council meeting, County Cllr David Wilmshurst said that Chinnor is running its own youth club two nights a week with funding from The Chill Out Fund.

“You need to identify what you need and then we can get an officer out to support you,” he said.

The Clerk said that TTC’s officer responsible for setting up a meeting of the Youth Working Group was away until Monday but hoped a suitable date could soon be arranged.

Currently, Thame is part of a ‘Youth Hub’ administered from Didcot.

IMAGE: Courtesy of www.karmacurrency.com.au