Category: Thame news

THIS is a Community Message from Thames Valley Police: SWITCH ON TO TURN OFF THE BURGLARD -Homeowners in South Oxfordshire and the Vale of White Horse are being urged to become ‘enlightened’ to help beat the burglars this winter.

The South and Vale Community Safety Partnership have joined forces with Thames Valley Crimestoppers to launch a month-long campaign aimed at reducing the number of burglaries in the districts.

The initiative provides the pubic with clear and simple messages on how to help deter burglars, as well as informing them about a safe and anonymous means of passing on information about who is breaking into local homes.

One of the easiest ways to deter would-be thieves is to make sure your home looks occupied by leaving a light on while you are out during the hours of darkness. The partnership has 15 light packs containing timer switches and timers for bulbs worth

FAMILIAR local face, choreographer and dancer, Scott Cole, older brother of BBC 1?s Strictly Come Dancing?s Brendan Cole, is the latest name to lend a helping hand in support of this year?s Thame?s Got Talent event, taking place on Sunday (Nov 20) at the Spread Eagle Hotel, Thame.

Along with Scott, celebrity chef and owner of Lotte?s Kitchen in Chinnor, Lotte Duncan, will also be taking part as a judge at this year?s event. She said: ?I am delighted to be involved and am excited about seeing what local talent Thame has to offer. I hope everyone enjoys the experience, and knowing you are doing it in aid of a worthy local cause, will make a big difference.?

The judging panel also includes Mayor of Thame, Cllr David Bretherton, Sonja Francis, Editor of Thamenews.net, Lindsey Fealey of Florence Nightingale Hospice Charity and Mark Green, Manager of Brothers Hair Salon, who previously appeared alongside Peter Andre in his Here2Help ITV2 show, in support of the Thame Carnival. Matthew Cundy, Owner of Kismet Jewellers, Thame, will once again be hosting the event.

The audience get to vote too!

Michele Pethers, event supporter and owner of Crash Records, said: ?The excitement is really hotting up now. Seats are still available, and this year we have introduced a special audience vote, with a winning prize, so you can really feel like you are taking part in the event.?

She added: ?I would like to say a huge thank you to all the local companies who have kindly supported the event, and to all the judges, who have kindly given up their time on Sunday to help out. It really means a lot to everyone involved ? we hope you all enjoy it!?

The latest acts signed up include dance troupes, a gymnast, a young drummer, singers, bands and duos? all hoping to follow in the footsteps of last year?s winner 16-year-old Rowan Carter, who will open the event on Sunday.

Prizes up for grabs include a day in a recording session with Black Frog recording studios, a cash prize of

FOUR generations of the people of Thame gathered in and around the Memorial on Sunday to remember all those who lost their lives in both World Wars and conflicts since.

The Deputy Mayor or Thame welcomed all those assembled on a bright, warm morning before the opening words given by Rev Garratt. The poignant strains of a lone trumpeter playing The Last Post impeccably, drifted in the air as the crowd stood silently, accept for the occasional words a couple of very young children finding the silence strange and baffling, yet a timely reminder of what those who died gave the ultimate sacrifice for.

All the uniformed organisation of Thame were represented, including the police, the fire brigade, St John’s Ambulance, ATC, Scouts, Brownies and Beavers, who all laid wreaths on the steps of the War Memorial.

Wreaths were also laid on behalf of the local schools and the local authorities, and a special one in commemoration of both the English and the French who were lost, was laid on behalf of Thame and District Twinning Association by Jeannette Matelot Green, the group’s Chair.

The ceremony over, the parade marched back to the Upper High Street Car Park where they were dismissed, and welcome refreshments were enjoyed at Christchurch.

THAME Remembrance Service will held on Sunday, November 11. Marching groups will assemble in the car park in front of the town hall and parade to the War Memorial in Upper High Street. The programme for the event is:

10.40 am Assemble in car park at Town Hall and
parade to War Memorial
10.55 am Welcome by Mayor and Opening words by Rev
Garratt
10.57 am Last Post
10.58am Exhortation
11.00 am Silence
11.02 am Kohima Epitaph Words

Laying of Wreaths
Reveille
Prayers followed by:
The Lord?s Prayer (All say together)
Blessing
Parade marches back to the Upper High Street Car Park
Parade dismissed
Refreshments are available at Christchurch ? everyone is welcome.

A THAME man has pleaded guilty to six counts of sexual activity with a child over an eight month period.

Chris Govier, 61, of Cotmore Close, Thame, appeared at Oxford Crown Court yesterday and was told by Judge Anthony King that a prison sentence was inevitable.

The offences took place between July 2010 and March this year against his victim, a teenage girl.

Govier, who had been convicted for violence and handling stolen goods in his past, was remanded in custody until sentencing because of concerns that he may abscond. In the early stages of the investigation into the offences, he and his wife had retired and sold their house and planned to leave Thame in the Winnebago they bought.

Govier will return to the court on December 2, for sentencing.

SOURCE: The Oxford Mail

EAST ENDERS actress, Gillian Wright, will be helping to launch Christmas in Thame this year when she officially turns on the town’s Christmas lights.

Gillian plays Jean Slater in East Enders and will be taking part in the Big Thame Christmas Event on Friday, December 2, in the High Street in front of the town hall. She’ll be accompanied by other members of the cast of Dick Whittington, this year’s panto at the Aylesbury Waterside Theatre, in which she co-stars with actor, musician and TV presenter, Jonathon Wilkes.

THAME GOES ALPINE!

This year’s event promises to be even bigger and better with an ice rink in the car park area again, and for the first time, a Ski slope will help create a winter wonderland atmosphere.

As well as the usual stalls and charity stands, the French market will be in town from the day before (Thursday, December 1)until the Saturday, December 3.

Thame’s twin town of Montesson will also be visiting for the weekend once again, selling French wines, conserves, cheese etc and their ever popular tasty crepes.

The stage event will include a Childrens’ choir made up from all three primary schools, accompanied by the Thame Concert Band, a performance by the winner of Thame’s Got Talent, Community singing, a Christmas address by Rev Paddy Harris and, one of the stars of Music in the Park, Elton John tribute band, Ultimate Elton will be performing.

The event will begin at 6pm with the Mayor, David Bretherton’s Welcome and finish at around 7.30pm. The Town Crier and a surprise visitor, with the initials FC, will also be making frequent appearances throughout the evening.

The Compere for the evening will be Paddy Harris, from Cornerstones, who many will remember as the compare for Music In the Park back in May.

A second drop-in weekend of exhibitions and discussion groups are planned for next weekend, as part of the Thame Community Plan consultation.

The dates are Friday, November 18, between 11am and 8pm, and on Saturday, November 19, between 10am and 6pm.

Those who went to the previous events on October 7, 8 and 9, were able to feed into the process the key issues that concerned them and shared a wide range of ideas for the future of the town.

“Now is the time to think about what the ideas from the first community planning event could mean in reality,” says the town council.

As before, the drop in will involve a variety of different things to do and will include:

* A summary of the key points from the first drop in
and what needs to be achieved.

* A vision for the future of Thame.

* A number of options showing how Thame could grow in
the future.

* Detailed ideas about issues such as housing design.

* Exhibition material, with Tibbalds Consultancy’s team
and Councillors on hand to answer any questions.

* Informal 30 minute discussion groups throughout the
day.

The Town Council says that it particularly wants to make sure that young people feel welcome and to take be part of the consultation and has organised an event with pupils at Lord Williams?s School on November 16.

More details on the Town Council website, Facebook and Twitter;
http://www.facebook.com/thametown#!/ThameTownPlan

Twitter: @ThameTownPlan or use the hashtag #ThameTownPlan.

A THAME man has been convicted of driving without due care and attention in Cornmarket, Thame.

Julian Barker, 41, of Van Diemans Road, Thame, was fined

A THAME hair salon has raised over

THE planning inspector currently looking at where thousands of new homes will be built across the district, including a minimum of 775 for Thame, has been taking evidence from the various Thame protagonists.

As part of his ‘Examination for Soundness’ of the district council’s Core Strategy for future development to 2026, representatives from several of Thame’s Residents Associations, prospective developers and landowners waiting to see if the final decision will make them multi-millionaires, spoke at last Wednesday’s session.

The three options that the Inspector will have to eventually decide between are whether Site F, previously the pig farm opposite Lord Williams’s school in Oxford Road will take 600 new homes, whether the same number will be built on site D, part of the greenfield site between Thame Park Road Cuttlebrook, or, Thame Town Council’s and some residents’ groups preferred option, the houses spread around a number of smaller sites.

The arguments generally continued along previous lines, concerns over inadequate control of flooding on Site F, increased traffic to and from the site to the town centre, traffic congestion, the relative effects on the Landscape of sites D and F, whether or not sufficient infrastructure can be made available from each option and the relative effects on community cohesiveness, the town’s economy and age demographic.

Further details about the Examination to date, future hearings and all documents relating to it, can be viewed on South Oxfordshire District Council’s website http://www.southoxon.gov.uk/services-and-advice/planning-and-building/planning-policy/core-strategy/core-strategy-examination