Category: Thame news

TWO paintings by local artist, Alan Kidd, have been selected for purchase by the House of Lords’ Art Committee.

The two paintings, ‘Farm near Cuddington’ (Watercolour and Water-soluble Pencil)and ‘Borrage from Bledlow Ridge’ (Acrylic on board), will be included in the House of Lords collection for display at Millbank House in London.

A delighted Alan told ThameNews.Net: “The first time I heard about being considered was when I was contacted by Trisha Woodcock from The Obsidian Art Gallery in Stoke Mandeville who she asked me to submit five or six paintings of local landscapes for the Lords Art Committee to consider. These had to be unframed and wrapped in cellophane.

“I feel very honoured and pleased to think my pictures have such a prestigious home and may be seen by men and women who are leaders of our country!”

Alan currently has 14 of his original watercolours in the new wing at Stoke Mandeville Hospital and has has two commissioned watercolour paintings in the Aylesbury Vale District Council offices.

There is more information about Alan and his work here

AN 18 month old baby with a chronic lung condition who has just spent his second Christmas in Intensive care, has been refused a vital vaccination on the NHS because the local health authority says he is too young.

Friends and family of Alfie Hackett, who was born prematurely, are helping to raise the

THE sad death of a young man who was well known as one of the town’s great characters, has rocked Thame today.

Window cleaner, fund-raiser and someone who always wanted to help, Ben Guest died at home yesterday evening (04/01) after suffering a seizure in the bath.

Ben was the brother of Jason Guest who runs Pet Care in Cornmarket, Thame, and the son of Terry Guest, a familiar figure at Thame’s Tuesday market, with his antique and curio stall.

Pete Lambert, the landlord of the Cross Keys pub in Thame, where Ben was a regular, told ThameNews.Net this afternoon: “There was not a harmful bone in that little body. All Ben lived for was to please people. He was always planning charity events, and had great plans to hold a truck pull up the High Street to raise funds for Help For Heroes.

“The first day we arrived in Thame to take over the pub, Ben was there introducing us to everyone and telling us who was who in the town. His smiley face will be sorely missed by so many in the town.”

Local fire officer, Andy Ford, spoke of how Ben always wanted to join the Fire Service but was prevented for medical reasons. “But he was always there helping us out at Thame Show and other events. He had a heart of gold.”

RIP Ben. PHOTO: Courtesy of Peter Lambert

THE Mayor of Thame was joined by an enthusiastic crowd of local people, for a New Year’s day walk to raise funds for his chosen charity.

Twenty eight people, some experienced walkers from the Thame and Wheatley Ramblers group, and others just along to blow the festive cob webs from their heads, followed a circular seven mile route from Thame to North Weston, on through Moreton and back to The James Figg pub for hot soup afterwards.

Despite some of the route taking them along some very muddy footpaths that challenged some of the walkers to remain upright, the atmosphere was jolly and the rain of the previous day held off until the walk was over.

As well as the Mayor himself, David Bretherton, the walkers included Thame Town Cllr Mary Stiles and members of 21st Century Thame’s Environment working group who help organise the walk with Racquets fitness Centre.

Funds raised from participation in the walk will be donated to the Mayor’s chosen charities.

WITH over 250 letters submitted from neighbours and representations from others concerned with plans for a new Thame cattle market, the detailed plans have now been approved by the district council.

The go-ahead for the move from the existing cattle market in North Street to the new site on Thame Show Ground however is not at all a certainty in the near future, as it will depend on Sainsbury’s getting planning permission to build a super store on the existing site.

If Sainsbury’s was to be granted planning permission, uncertain because it goes against current planning policy for the Cattlemarket site, the supermarket giant will buy the remainder of the lease from the Cattlemarket owners thus releasing funds for the market to move to the new site.

Several provisos have been stipulated by SODC regarding drainage, site access and landscaping. The full details of the plans and the detailed planning permission can be viewed HERE

NB The current ‘Local Plan’ states that redevelopment of the cattle market site should be a ?mixed use? development and excludes food supermarkets.

The Local Plan will eventually be replaced by The Core Strategy currently in Draft form and being reviewed by a Planning Inspector. This states on page 79: “The study recommends the site (Thame Cattlemarket) should be developed as mixed use. It did not identify a need for a large food store and we would not support such a
proposal on this site.”

Sainsbury’s submission is that a large supermarket would bring benefits to the town. See LINK

A STATEMENT by the Chief of a charity representing small and Market towns throughout the UK, has today issued a request to the government, very relevant to the future of Thame.

The chief of Action for Market Towns (AMT) which represents areas where 20% of the population live, today reacted to a new analysis from property analysts CBRE showing that supermarkets are planning to open enough new stores in the years ahead to cover 500 football pitches – with more than 80% of the new space in out-of-town developments.

Chris Wade, Chief Executive of Action for Market Towns, said: “Continued out-of-town growth is probably the biggest threat to those still healthy high streets in our small towns. The Government-commissioned Portas Review called an explicit presumption in favour of town centre development.

“Action for Market Towns urges Housing Minister Grant Shapps, with his newly appointed responsibility for reviving town centres, to put this town centre presumption right at the top of his resolutions for 2012 in responding to the Portas Review.”

WHAT DO YOU THINK? The question is, does the Cattlemarket site in Thame count as an ‘out-of-town’ site and, will a new superstore on the site enhance the town centre or help to destroy it?
Contact: editor@thame.net with your views.

[MF 22/12/008] This is a Community Message from Thames Valley Police: HAVE YOUR SAY MEETINGS – The following Have Your Say Meetings are being held in your Neighbourhood:

Sunday 1 January, at the Co-Op Cafe, High Street, Thame, between midday and 2pm.

Tuesday 10 January, at the Co-Op Cafe, High Street, Thame, between 3:30pm and 5:30pm.

Thursday 19 January, at the Co-Op Cafe, High Street, Thame, between 2pm and 4pm.

Please come along, this is your opportunity to speak with your Neighbourhood Officers to discuss any local issues of concern you may have. If you are unable to attend but wish to speak with your Neighbourhood Officers, please call 101.

THE manager of the Oxfam Book Shop in Thame has thanked local people for helping exceed the amount collected by the shop for its Bore Hole water appeal.

Dick Jennens told ThameNews.Net: “We collected the full amount of

THE Day Centre in Thame which has been facing an uncertain future for the past few months, celebrated Christmas in style today, with special guest, the Mayor of Thame, David Bretherton and his wife Margaret.

Friends, supporters, centre staff and volunteers put their worries behind them today when they celebrated Christmas together at The Oxfordshire, near Thame.

Due mainly to the hard work of the Centre’s manager, Gillian Coleman, who has lead fund-raising throughout the year organising quizzes, cake sales and the like, the 80+ guests were able to enjoy a top class, three-course Christmas dinner and entertainment provided by the Banjovi Revival Band.

Brenda Prosser, Chair of the Thame and District Day Centre Trustees, Welcomed the Mayor and his Mayoress before thanking Gill Coleman, the volunteers and drivers who transport members from outlying villages and the town, for offering their time.

“Thame is a caring town,” she said, “and more and more we have come to rely on it for supporting us. The ‘Friends’ of the day centre now find ourselves in between two bureaucratic organisations, the Bucks Hospital Trust PCT and Oxfordshire County Council. For the past 25 years, we have relied on grants for our survival but these days we have to work in a different way, seeking out funding and negotiating for it.

“At the moment, we are anxiously waiting to hear what we will be getting next year in the way of funds but I am optimistic. We are all in this together and I remain hopeful that one way or another the Thame & District Day Centre will continue to flourish.”

NB to read about the history of the Day Centre’s fight for survival over the last two or three years, click here: https://www.thame.net/results.asp?search=Day+Centre&goButton=go

THE Consultants acting for Sainsburys recently invited local people to see their latest plans for a proposed superstore on the Cattlemarket site in North Street, Thame.

Sainsbury?s now says that it has issued a brochure on its plans to over 14,500 households in Thame and the surrounding area and that nearly two thousand households and businesses responded to an earlier consultation on the principle of the scheme.

The latest plans, say Sainsbury’s, are a response to comments received and a planning application is now being submitted to the District Council.

The feedback from the consultation earlier this year included a wide range of views and issues including; the need for community uses, the need for additional car parking, traffic, the character of Thame and the relationship with the town centre.

(See Letter To The Editor for a response to the latest plans from CMAG the Cattle Market Action Group) and http://sainsburys-thame.co.uk/index.html for full details of Sainsbury’s proposals.

http://sainsburys-thame.co.uk/index.html