Category: Thame news

THE Reverend Alan Garratt and his congregation have been commended by the Chief Constable for their voluntary support and service to bereaved families and the wider community in the aftermath of fatal collisions.

The Thame contingent were with more than 20 Thames Valley Police officers and police staff from a wide range of departments, to have their hard work and dedication recognised by Chief Constable Sara Thornton at a ceremony on Thursday (15/12) at Drayton Park Golf Club.

The commendation referred to a special memorial service held at St Mary’s, Thame, for the last five years where the emergency services come together with members of the public who have lost loved ones, to remember those that have died on the region?s roads, or in road collisions elsewhere.

Police officers, fire and rescue workers, paramedics, ambulance technicians and hospital staff lead readings and prayers from different religions during the service and family members are invited to take part in an act of commemoration during the service.

PHOTO: The Rev. Alan Garratt of the Church of St Mary The Virgin, Thame

A MESSAGE from Judith Merry of Team v Food Poverty Campaign: MANY people think that food poverty is only a problem in third world countries but one in four families in the UK suffer from food poverty. This means that around four million people in the UK do not have access to a decent meal on a regular occasion, this is why we are making action now and would like you to be a part of it.

Come along to the Thame Town Hall on Saturday, December 17, and donate your non-perishable food. Team v Food Poverty Campaign is looking to collect at least 500 non-perishable food items to be donated to two local Oxford Food Poverty Chairities; Oxford CEF (Community Emergency Foodbank) & The Gatehouse, two charities that provide food for the homeless and families that need that extra bit of support when times are tough.

We are looking for in particular;
Bovril;Branston Pickle; Biscuits; Bottle Sauces; Cereal; Coffee; Chocolate Spread; Drinking Chocolate; Fruit Juice; Honey; Jam; Milk: UHT/powered milk; Peanut butter; Puddings; Sugar; Tea; Tinned Meat; Tinned Vegetables; Tinned Fruit; Tuna.

So far the Thame Football Club, Waitrose, Co-op and John Bercow have agreed to support me but of course I need all the help I can get.

So pop by and drop a donation off and you’ll get a mince pie and a drink, along with some festive spirit.

If you can’t make it then, you can use the the donation boxes at Thame Waitrose, Thame Co-op and the Thame Football Club. Or just get in contact with me.
Any support you can give would be most appreciatiated!

Judith Merry.

On: 10:00 Sat 17th Dec 2011
Until: 17:00 Sat 17th Dec 2011

Phone number: 07515145633
Contact email: Judith.Merry@vinspired.com
Website: http://vinspired.com/teamv

OXFORDSHIRE COMMUNITY VOLUNTEER ASSOCIATION’s Volunteer centre is inundated every year with queries about volunteering opportunities over Christmas and New Year. The charity would love to help everyone find a place for a couple of days, it says, but the fact is charities really need help all year, even if people can spare just a couple of hours a week. So instead, here are OCVA’s 12 days of Christmas ideas of other ways to spread your festive spirit?

1. Have a clear out before the January sales. Donate clothes and other items to a charity shop, as many are really struggling for items to sell. It?s best to take them directly to the shop (during opening hours ? never just leave outside) rather than leaving it to door to door bag collections.

2. Organise a fundraising event for your favourite cause. Why not get sponsored to dress up as a fairy or Santa? Or maybe get your office to donate to charity rather than ?Secret Santa? gifts. Maybe donate an item to Gatehouse’s homeless appeal.

3. Buy your Christmas cards at charity shops or through their online shops. Take a look at Card Aid where 100% of profits go to charity ? shops at St Michael at the North Gate City Church, Cornmarket Street, Oxford, or Jaffe and Neale Bookshop, Middle Row, Chipping Norton.

4. Buy Christmas presents from charity shops or their online shops. Many do a range of new products and some do Fair Trade items.

5. Go to a local charity fundraising event – see OCVA’s events calendar for ideas including concerts, Christmas tree festivals and handmade gift sales.

6. Get to know your neighbours, particularly if they are elderly, disabled or on their own. Pop around with a mince pie ? you may find you can help them out.

7. Donate unwanted Christmas gifts to a charity shop or put them on an online auction with a percentage donated to charity.

8. Recycle your Christmas tree, cards and wrapping paper. You could even up-cycle your festive wrap into gift tags and homemade cards for next year.

9. Explore the idea of a regular donation to charity. Try text giving, setting up a direct debit, or going through a fundraising website each time you shop online.

10. Get involved in your community in the New Year ? join the residents’ association or a community group.

11. Donate some or all of your Winter Fuel Payment to the Surviving Winter Appeal and help people living in fuel poverty in Oxfordshire.

12. Make a New Year?s Resolution to look at the do-it website to see if there is a regular or one-off volunteering role you can take on. As well as helping people in need, volunteering will develop your skills, get you out meeting people, and will make you feel good!

About OCVA www.ocva.org.uk

OCVA is the main umbrella body for the Oxfordshire voluntary and community sector. We provide advice, information and training, act as advocates and representatives, and build partnerships.

Volunteer Centre Oxfordshire provides services to members of the community in Oxford city, South Oxfordshire & the Vale to enable them to access information on volunteering locally. We also provide support for volunteer involving organisations directly and through the wider work of OCVA. We work in partnership with Volunteer LinkUp West Oxfordshire and Cherwell CVS & Volunteer Bureau to deliver services across the county.

SOURCE: Press release

THE Thame Rotary Club’s Senior Citizens? Christmas Tea was hosted by Thame?s John Hampden Primary School this year, and what a very special event it was too!

About 75 senior citizens from the Thame area listened with delight to the children singing Christmas carols and playing instruments. Tyrell Gillman, Community and Vocational Chairman at the Thame Rotary Club, said: ?The school?s children and staff did an outstanding job presenting a most wonderful show!?

Members of the Rotary Club of Thame provided transport for most the senior citizens, between their homes and the school and ladies from the Thame Inner Wheel Club prepared all the food which was served to the guests by the school children.

Some of the conversations among the young and the ?not-so-young? were a delight to listen to, particularly as quite a few of the senior citizens had, in their time, been pupils at the school.

RESIDENTS in South Oxfordshire and the Vale of White Horse are being encouraged to sign up to receive their council tax bill by email to help save money, and those who do so will be entered in a draw to have their entire 2012/13 council tax paid for them.

It costs more than

THE latest beer available at Thame’s micro brewery, based at The Cross Keys pub, is the result of a collaborative brew with a new micro brewery set up in Long Crendon, and the Windsor and Eton Brewery.

The XT Brewing Company is based in an old, converted sheep shed at near by Notley Farm near Long Crendon, Bucks. The custom built, all British built brew house was built over the summer of 2011 and produced its first beer in November. The brewery was created by Russ and Gareth to produce a range of eXTremely tasty beers with a modern twist. All the beers are brewed by them using very traditional methods but on the most up to date equipment.

Russ told ThameNews.Net: “We produce a range of beers for pubs and direct sales to the public. One of our new beers was a recent winner of the ?best in festival? prize at Aylesbury. Our beers are available from pubs in the local area including the Cross Keys in Thame and the Eight Bells in Long Crendon.”

Look out for the XT Brewing company’s very orange, distinctive and colourful pump labels!

THAME’S older folk, including ex Mayor Cynthia Haynes (1962), were brought from all corners of the parish this afternoon for a Christmas treat provided by the town council.

The Mayor, David Bretherton, his Deputy, Nigel Champken Woods, Councillors and members of the Council’s Maintenance team, waited on their guests with glasses of Sherry or wine, cups of tea and a spectacular selection of cakes all made by councillors, staff and their friends and families. Particularly eye-catching was the iced Christmas, celebration cake made by Jenny Walker of A Piece of Cake, in Thame.

Also on hand to replenish the guests’ plates was off-duty today, PCSO Diane Jackson. Car Park Attendant, Des Salmon officiated over the very popular Bingo session.

Cllr Jeannette Matelot Green played the electronic keyboard for a very jolly sing-along, which included old favourites such as Rudolph the red nosed reindeer, All I want for Christmas is my two front teeth, and some traditional Christmas carols lead by an ad hoc choir of helpers, the Mayor, councillors, PCSO Diane Jackson and a local journalist!

“What a lovely Afternoon,” said Cotmore Gardens resident, Betty Martin. “Its so nice to get out of the house, come here and and to see old friends. I’ve never been waited on by a Mayor before. I feel quite special!”

All the guests left with a present from ‘Father Christmas’ AKA Cllr Don Butler, a piece of Christmas cake and many a cheery ‘merry Christmas’ to each other and their hosts.

DUE to a misunderstanding about Cllr Mary Stiles’s contribution to the the town council debate on the Precept, the third paragraph has been amended.

THE town council intends to raise its precept (the part of the Community Charge paid to the town council to carry out services) by 4.01% this year. That means that the Community charge for a Band D house in Thame will increase by

FOLK of all ages flocked to Thame town centre on Friday, December 2, for the switching on of the Christmas lights, officially launching the festive season in Thame.

Hundred of people poured in to the town to purchase from the many stalls selling gifts and food and drink, including produce from the visiting French market and a stall from Thame’s twin town, Montesson. At around 6pm, the entertainment began with an electrifying performance by the winner of Thame’s Got Talent, Boogaloo.

Deputy Mayor, Councillor Nigel-Champken Woods, who turned on the lights with guest star Gillian Wright, was enthusiastic in his praise:

?An excellent evening,? he said; ?Cold, but dry. It was great to see so many people attending and the atmosphere was fantastic. Gillian Wright was delightful and happy to sign autographs for anybody who asked. Ultimate Elton?s performance was great ? as
were the primary schools. The community singing received strong support from the Thame Concert Band and Thame Chamber Choir and Thame Players had us all laughing.

?Everyone entered into the Christmas spirit, including the French Market traders and the visitors from our twin town of Montesson. The whole event was such fun, with something for everyone, young and old ? the ski slope, Santa?s Grotto and the skating rink.

?And of course there was every type of food and drink, including the mulled wine and the odd mince pie!
The Town Council would also like to express its thanks to the Air Cadets, who did a sterling job of looking after the guest entertainers and helping them to negotiate the crowds to reach the stage.”

The Christmas lights drew a great cheer from the crowd as they twinkled and sparkled into life, and a burst of fireworks brought the evening’s fun to a dramatic finale.

PHOTO: Copyright Emma Loundes, ThameTV

A THAME Councillor is unhappy about the town council’s choice of recipient for its first Freedom of the Town award.

District Cllr Ann Midwinter has spoken of her ‘disbelief’ at Thame Town Council choosing RAF Halton to receive the Freedom of the Town status, and the council’s intention to spend up to