Category: Thame news

PLEASE support Rotary Club of Thame’s local charity collection in front of Waitrose, Thame, on Saturday, December 18, on behalf of Thame & District Day Centre, Thame Young Carers, Citizens Advice Bureau, Safari and Other Local Charities.

See details on www.thame.rotaryweb.org

NOTE: Christmas gifts made by the Thame Wombles (Safari) are currently on sale in the Information Centre in Thame Town Hall. Seasonal goodies such as soaps, knitted articles and children?s sweets are individually priced and the money raised will go towards paying wages to the Wombles (adults with learning difficulties).

THIS was the message to the Thame and District Day Centre at its annual Christmas party held this afternoon at The Oxfordshire, near Thame.

After thanking the staff and the volunteers for all their work througout the year, Brenda Prosser, Chair of Centre’s Trustees, also thanked those who had made donations which pay for activities to make a visit to the centre a special day.

WHAT ABOUT THE FUTURE?

Turning to the sustainability of the Day Centre, which has seemed very precarious over the last few months, Brenda went on: “Things are changing,” she said: ?and we will now have to stand on our own two feet, and we will survive!

?Our contract and grant has been through Social Services who have been very supportive. But things are changing,? she said. ?This time last year we didn?t know whether we would still have our accommodation nor indeed whether the hospital would still be there. Now we have been assured that we are part of the plans for the hospital but we still do not know what is happening with Oxfordshire and funding. We won?t have the same level of grant, and so need to think about where we will get funding from. We are going to apply to the Lottery Fund but so are a lot of other charities who need money. No longer can we rely on the ?Lady Bountifuls? of the past but we do have to say to ?The Big Society? that we need some money!”

A STRESSFUL TIME AHEAD

?It is going to be a very stressful time, and Thame has always been generous,” she continued. “But we will only get through it if we have the support of the community. The Day Centre has been here for 25 years and I am sure it will endure.?

SERIOUS STUFF OVER, LET’S CELEBRATE!

The Christmas lunch and the speeches over, Day Centre members, staff, volunteers and guests were entertained by The Gang Busters, who stirred the singing and dancing spirit of young and old alike to join in enthusiastically to numbers from the fifties and sixties, including ?Rocking around the Christmas Tree,? ‘Apache,’ Beatles? songs and ?It?s a Wonderful World.?

?Daisy, Daisy? and war-time songs it seems, are not what gets this generation of Thame?s senior citizens animated. As was clear from an almost unanimous chorus of ?Oggie, Oggie, Oggie!? getting out of your home and socialising with others at great places like the Thame and District Day Centre, is what keeps our older folks from deteriorating and improves the quality of their lives beyond measurement by accountants.

On one front, the Day Centre has received good news. Its rent to the Buckinghamshire Hospitals Trust, will be just over

DOZENS of large brightly-painted rhino sculptures will be a feature visitor attraction for Oxfordshire in 2011. Local company, About the Place Ltd, is working in partnership with Wild in Art – the UK leader in mass participation public art events and related community and education activities – to bring the project to Oxfordshire and give it a new twist.

Called Woa! Rhino, the project aims to create a high profile visitor trail, drive footfall to towns, tourism and hospitality venues, offer a valuable marketing opportunity to business, link local artists, companies and schools, and raise money for charity. There?s more at www.woa-rhino.org.uk and you can follow the project on twitter @woa_rhino

The rhino sculptures, created by Wild in Art?s Creative Director Chris Wilkinson, are 1.6m long, 1.5m tall and weigh in at 40kg. Through countywide network, OTCN, businesses and organisations are being invited to boost their profile and strengthen community links by sponsoring a rhino. Local artists have the opportunity to submit designs for sponsors to consider. A trail is created to encourage people to get around the county to see the different rhinos in place. And after eight weeks on show, the rhinos are collected together and auctioned off, for the benefit of one local and one animal charity. Primary schools can participate by adopting a mini rhino which they get to paint and send out in public. These are then returned to their school owners at the end of the event.

Cities like Liverpool, Norwich and Chester have run similar events but Woa! Rhino is the first to draw the trail into a county setting. Wild in Art?s Charlie Langhorne says: ?We are delighted to be working with the Woa! Rhino team on this exciting initiative. Our previous events, while raising a lot of smiles, also contribute significantly to the local economy.

“Participants and partners of our previous events have seen increases in footfall by anything up to 26% while turnover increased by 14%. We are very much looking forward to working with all partners and stakeholders to ensure that Woa! Rhino is a huge success.?

Oliver O?Dell, founder of About the Place Ltd, says: ?Our county has so much to offer that we wanted to take the trail beyond any one particular city, town or attraction. This means more opportunities to play a part than would normally be the case, and a bigger, more inclusive project.?

The Woa! Rhino team is working with the new destination management organisation, Visit Oxfordshire, to tie in with its work on promoting the county as a visitor attraction. Shadow Visit Oxfordshire Chairman and CEO of Blenheim Palace, John Hoy, says: ?This is an exciting project for Oxfordshire going into 2011 and one that has proven to be highly successful in other locations. Anything which drives visitor business around the county should be both applauded and embraced; and Visit Oxfordshire will look forward to working with the Woa! Rhino team to ensure its success.?

Two charities, Tusk Trust (www.tusk.org) and ROSY, Respite Nursing for Oxfordshire?s Sick Youngsters (www.rosy.org.uk), will be beneficiaries of the end-of-project auction. ROSY founder, Lady Rotherwick, says: ?ROSY are delighted to be involved with Woa! Rhino. It is a great initiative that brings joy to all who see the rhinos, interest and education to participating schools, much-needed funds to charities like ROSY, and increased footfall to all those places where the rhinos are sited.?

Cotswold Wildlife Park owner, Reggie Heyworth, a patron of the trust says: ?Tusk Trust is providing crucial support to rhino conservation projects in Africa, such as funding ranger patrols in Namibia, Kenya and Tanzania for the protection of threatened black rhino populations. There has been a serious surge in rhino poaching during 2009 and 2010, so this initiative could not come at a better time to raise awareness of the plight of rhinos and funds for their future.?

Oxfordshire Artweeks is closely involved with the project as the skill of artists is such a critical part of the success of the trail. Executive Director, Esther Browning, says: ?Oxfordshire has wealth of creative talent and it is great to see businesses supporting accessible art in their own communities, associating their brand with the quality and originality of local artists. The rhino trail will provide an exciting safari through the county?s historic market towns, introducing many new people to the contemporary artists and craftspeople working in Oxfordshire, and benefitting both the county?s traders and artists.?

Pictured: Members of the team behind Woa! Rhino Oxfordshire: Esther Browning (Oxfordshire Artweeks), Oliver O?Dell (About the Place), Iain Nicholson (OTCN), Lady Rotherwick (Cornbury Park & ROSY), Charlie Langhorne (Wild in Art), Susi Golding (Visit Oxfordshire)

Two separate crashes on the M40 this morning, caused delays and tailbacks between junction six for Lewknor and junction seven for Thame.

The two incidents happened within 100 metres of each other and with only minutes between them, just before 7am this morning, 13/12/10.

The first collision involved a black Volkswagen Passatt and a grey Toyota Prius and was shortly followed by the second crash involviing a silver Vauxhall Astra and a second vehicle not yet identified by police.

No one was injured in either accident, but the road was closed completely for about 15 minutes whilst debris was removed from the carriageway.

OXFORDSHIRE Fire and Rescue Service has released its specially adapted 12 days of Christmas safety tips for people to follow to ensure they are safe over the festive period.

Christmas is a special time for celebration, but the season comes with extra hazards in the home and on the roads. There is far more potential for a fire due to candles being lit, decorative lights being used and extra cooking in the home.

The safety tips coincide with the release of a short government film LINK which shows a Christmas tree fire destroying a living room in under a minute. The ‘Fire Kills’ campaign warns people to turn off tree lights and not to overload plug sockets.

Follow the 12 days of Christmas safety tips:

1. Make sure you have a working smoke alarm. Test your smoke alarm weekly and never remove the batteries to power presents!

2. Don?t drink and drive. You are more likely to cause a serious road accident or even die, than a driver who hasn?t been drinking

3. Never leave cooking unattended and avoid cooking whilst drunk. The majority of fires start in the in the kitchen so this is a high risk area. Always turn off kitchen appliances when you have finished cooking.

4. Never leave candles unattended. Keep decorations, card and wrapping paper away from candles, fires, lights and heaters.

5. Make sure your switch off fairy lights and unplug them before you go to bed or leave the house. Check your Christmas tree lights carry the British Safety Standard sign.

6. Don?t over load sockets. Make sure there is only one plug per socket. Always turn off plugs when they are not in use, except those that are designed to be left on, like freezers.

7. Take care around open fire places. Always use a British Standard fire guard and make sure embers are under control and properly put out before you go to bed or leave the house

8. Make sure cigarettes are put out properly and never smoke in bed, Put it out, right out.

9. Have an escape plan and make sure your family and visitors know how to escape in an emergency.
10. Always use an RCD (residual current device) on outdoor electrical equipment. This safety device can save lives by instantly switching off the power if there is a fault and can be found in any DIY store.

11. Check on elderly relatives and neighbours this Christmas to make sure they are safe at this time of year.
12. Always wear a seat belt and don?t speed it is better to be late than dead on time.

Don’t drink and drive

Stuart Garner, Risk Reduction Manager at Oxfordshire County Council’s Fire and Rescue Service, said: “This is the season to be socialising and partying. If you are out drinking, remove the question of driving from the equation – it?s not worth the risk. Book a taxi, catch the bus or train, walk home, stay overnight or, if you?re in a group, have a designated driver.

“Give your keys to someone you can trust. It’s easy to think you’re perfectly able to drive safely when you’re not, remove the temptation before it’s there.

“Most people are not aware how long it takes for alcohol to leave the system. You can still be over the drink drive limit the morning after, even if you feel fine. Drinking coffee, sleeping, or having a shower will not work. Time is the only way to get alcohol out of your system. Never drive if there?s even a slim chance you are still ?under the influence.’”

Judith Heathcoat, Oxfordshire County Council’s Cabinet Member for Safer and Stronger Communities, said: “Christmas is such a lovely time of year and we all enjoy festive celebrations, but it’s really important to remember to put your safety first. The 12 days of Christmas safety tips are very straight forward and easy to follow. With a greater risk of fires in the homes, and accidents on the road during the winter months, it is more important than ever to follow these guidelines.”

For more fire and road safety advice visit www.365alive.co.uk

THAMES Valley Police is continuing to investigate what caused a coach to overturn on a slip road of the M40 in Oxfordshire yesterday evening (11/12).

The Oxford Tube coach was travelling northbound and had turned off the motorway at junction 7 when it overturned at the top of the slip road at about 10.55pm.

The double decker coach, which was travelling from London to Oxford, was about half full at the time, with 35 passengers and the driver.

A number of passengers and the driver were taken to the John Radcliffe hospital. Five people remain in hospital this morning (12/12) with serious injuries, although none are believed to be life threatening.

The exit slip at junction 7 was closed, as well as the A329 in both directions either side of the M40. The coach is in the process of being recovered from the motorway.

Although the cause of the incident remains under investigation, officers do not believe that any other vehicle was involved.

Anyone who witnessed the incident is asked to contact Three Mile Cross roads policing unit via the 24-hour Police Enquiry Centre on 0845 8 505 505.

SOURCE: Press release

A STATEMENT released today, throws more light on the coach crash at junction 7 for Thame, of the M40, late last night.

A police spokesman is reported to have said that it was investigating whether the coach took a different exit off the motorway. The Oxford Tube normally leaves at junction eight.

The statement from Oxfordshire Fire and Rescue reads:

“On arrival crews were met with a scene where an ?Oxford Tube? double decker coach that had been in collision with the safety barrier on the south bound exit at junction 7.

The coach had struck the barrier and rolled over, ending up half way down a steep embankment. Our priority was to stabilise the coach to prevent it sliding any further as there were still people on the coach. Crews secured the coach using winching equipment giving us a stable work platform.

Incident Commander John Nixon said there were approximately 35 people on the coach and a priority list was drawn up between South Central Ambulance and Oxfordshire Fire and Rescue.

One person was medically trapped at the rear of the coach and crews took a considerable time to free them due to the difficulty in both access and the entrapment. Another passenger was thrown from the coach and received severe injuries and ended up entangled in the shrubbery down the embankment. They were taken to safety using a basket stretcher.

At that stage South Central Ambulance Service declared this a Major Incident. My understanding is that there were 35 passengers on the coach who were all triaged at the scene. I believe17 passengers were treated at the John Radcliffe Hospital with varying types of injury.

Fire Crews remained on scene until the coach could be partially lifted using heavy lifting equipment to allow us to check underneath the vehicle and confirm no further casualties were involved.

Fire and Rescue Services were on scene until approximately 03:30 AM. Fire fighters from Watlington, Wheatley, Didcot and Kidlington attended the incident (approx 20).

Group Manager John Nixon said ?I would like to praise my fellow colleagues in both South Central Ambulance Service and Thames Valley Police in the way the situation was resolved using both professionalism and close inter working liaisons?.

Press state prepared by John Nixon 12 December 2010

PHOTO and report: Mail on line website:
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1337929/17-injured-coach-flips-overturns-leaving-motorway-Oxfordshire.html?ito=feeds-newsxml

Coach crash – M40 – further update/amendment – Thames Valley Police have confirmed that a total of 34 people (33 passengers and one driver) were on board the double decker coach which overturned on a slip road of the M40 motorway in Oxfordshire yesterday evening (11/12), not 35 as previously stated. The force has apologised for any inconvenience caused.

The coach is still in the process of being recovered. One lane of the junction 7 slip road is expected to remain closed for the rest of the day and into tomorrow (13/12).

The coach driver has not yet been spoken to and the investigation continues.

SENIOR CITIZENS from Thame and Moreton enjoyed some Christmas cheer this afternoon, courtesy of the Mayor or Thame, Adam Buckland.

The Mayor’s guests were waited on by members of Thame Guides, town councillors, PCSOs, Diane Jackson and Lucy Thorn, and entertained by the High Sheriff of Oxfordshire and professional singer, Marie-Jane Barnett singing with Ian English, and Cllr Jeannette Matelot Green also lead the singing of carols and played the piano.

The special guests included Thame’s MP John Howell and Cllr Angie Patterson, from South Oxfordshire District Council.

“I’ve been coming here since the Mayors’ parties started in 2002,” said one of the guests, who lives in Fairfax Road, Thame. “It is one of the highlights of my Christmas. Its so nice to get out of the house and to meet old friends as well as people I havn’t met before. Everyone has been so kind, especially the young people.”

PHOTO: Cllr David Laver shows Hazel, from Swan Walk, the Christmas cake before it was cut up and shared around. Cllr Beatrice Dobie, who helped organise the party, looks on.

DURING the Thame Christmas event, Matthew Cundy, owner of Kismet Jewellers, Thame, was presented with a cheque for over