THE Speaker of the House of Commons, John Bercow MP, is coming to Haddenham on Friday, February 12, as the guest speaker of Haddenham U3A.
He will speak about “The History and Role of the Speaker of the House of Commons” at the Community Junior School hall.
Non-members are welcome and there?s no charge. The Junior School choir, led by Mrs Alison Green, will be performing at 10.30am for 15 minutes and this will be followed by Mr Bercow?s talk.
photo: Courtesy of http://en.wikipedia.org
OXFORDSHIRE County Council has today voted to cut millions from its budget over the next five years.
Hundreds of council jobs are under threat, says the union, Unison, which is considering balloting its member for strike action.
Oxfordshire county councillors have, however, given assurances that front-line services will not be cut despite the need to save
IF you missed yesterday’s BBC Oxford news item about the iThame application, developed with the collaboration of ThameNews.Net, you can view again on the internet.
Follow the link: http://news.bbc.co.uk/local/oxford/hi/people_and_places/default.stm
PHOTO: Courtesey of BBC Oxford
PLANS for a housing development in Thame by a consortium of developers, is to be the subject of a public exhibition.
As part of the Oxfordshire Core Strategy that identifies areas of growth in South Oxfordshire up to 2026, Thame must provide up to 850 new homes during that period.
Communications consultants working on behalf developers keen to build on the eastern side of Thame, site A on the map, state in a letter that has been delivered to almost every home in the town: “The proposals represent a unique chance to improve the existing eastern areas of Thame, making them more connected to the rest of the town, whilst providing the sustainable growth and extra housing that Thame must accommodate.
“The scheme has been drawn up for East Thame in co-operation with local landowners and is deliverable. A new focus for the eastern part of the town will be provided through a small local centre and open green spaces for the community. There is also the potential to provide land for much needed community facilities, to meet the existing need of Thame and benefit the town as a whole.”
The exhibition is planned for Saturday, February 13, 2010, between 2pm and 8pm at Thame town hall.
South Oxfordshire District Council’s preferred option is site D on the map, but not all Thame residents are happy about the district council’s proposal for the bulk of this housing to be built on this, the southern side of Thame, and have formed an action group.
Thame Town Council’s preferred option is site C on the map.
Site Bii on the map has been ruled out by SODC since it was discovered that the area is a Hazard Zone and would not be suitable for development.
More information, maps and consultation documents regarding the Oxfordshire Core Strategy 2026 as it pertains to Thame, is available on SODC’s website at:
A 13 year-old boy from Chinnor was taken to hospital on Saturday (30/01/10)with burns to his hands and legs when a garage he was in was destroyed by fire.
Oxfordshire County County Council Fire and Rescue Service were called to the fire at Hedgerley, Chinnor, at 4pm. The Garage and parts of the house were severely damaged. The Fire started in the garage of the semi detached property and completely destroyed the garage and caused damage to the rooms above and the roof.
Crews form Thame, Watlington and Oxford attended the incident, supported by the Specialist Rescue Unit from Kiddlington with specialist equipment to monitor the temperature of the Gas Cylinder.
Fear of Gas cylinder exploding
Station Officer at Thame fire station, Andy Ford, Said: “We were faced on arrival with a developed fire in the garage and already spreading the first floor. The Fire fighters had to deal with the additional hazards of an LPG cylinder in the fire and also the mains gas and electricity supplies damaged due the intensity of the fire.
“our main concern due the cylinder being involved, was to ensure everyone was out of the properties and the area evacuated in case of an explosion. We were also faced with the mains gas supply leaking into the garage and also the mains electric cable arcing due to the supply meters in the garage being damaged by the fire. Our main priority was to make the garage safe before we could commit Fire-fighters with breathing apparatus into the building to limit the damage to the rest of the house.”
Support for the family
Due to the damage to the house, the Red Cross Incident support unit attended to assist the family with the aftermath of the fire. They provide advice, warm clothing and help and support in such areas as contacting Insurances, and finding alternative accommodation following a Fire.
The fire is believed to have started when an aerosol was knocked over and leaking gas was ignited by the LPG gas fire in the garage keeping it warm.
Lucky escape
Two boys in the garage at the time had a very lucky escape, when the father was able to bend open the garage door and let them out.
“They were very lucky to get out as they would not have survived if they had been stuck in the garage for much longer,” added Andy Ford.
“Fire spreads very quickly and this highlights how dangerous keeping flammables such as aerosols near to a heat source can be. We strongly recommend keeping aerosols and flammable liquids stored in a safe place or cabinet and away from any heat sources.
“The fire was extinguished quickly by the attending fire crews but they had to remain in attendance for some hours until the Gas and Electric supplies had been cut off. This made the building safe and allowed Fire Fighters to clear the garage and ensure the fire was completely out.”
THE BBC have today been in Thame filming for a news feature on the new iThame application for the iPhone.
A film crew toured the town, starting at the town hall and then on to the musuem where the iThame developers, Andy McDonald and Simon Ralphs, explained that the application will include the town Heritage Trail.
Some of the local business leaders whose businesses have supported the iThame development, like Frazer Sutherland, Manager of The Thatch and Tom Newitt, were also interviewed.
Watch BBC news bulletins from Oxford at 3.30pm, 6.30pm and 10.30pm this evening.
PHOTO: The Thatch pub, Thame, one of the founding businesses of the iThame application for the iPhone.
THE swine flu vaccination programme for children has begun in the Buckinghamshire PCT area, including Thame
All children over six months and under five years of age are now being offered the vaccine to protect them from swine flu and its possible complications.
Thousands of frontline healthcare workers and patients in at risk groups accross the county have already received the vaccine. Pre-school children have been identified by the Department of Health as the next priority for vaccination as figures show that they are a higher risk of hospitalisation compared to other age groups.
Acting Public Health Consultant, Dr Karthik Paranthaman, said: ?It is important for parents to get young children vaccinated, even if they are healthy, to protect against future waves of the virus. Evidence shows that pre-school children seem to be particularly vulnerable to severe illness as a result of swine flu, so having the vaccination is the best way to protect them from possible complications.?
GPs will be contacting parents over the coming weeks to invite their children to have the vaccine.
A young Thame man, who recovered from life-threatening injuries in a fatal car crash, has vowed to pay back the
THE diggers and archeologists have moved on to the site of the new Thame football stadium, at Church Farm, Thame.
The investigation is necessary as part of the pre-site investigations before building work begins on the news facility, planned for the middle of February.
Full details and plans are available on the Thame Football Partnership’s website:
THAMES Valley Police is appealing for information after two houses were burgled in Thame, and handbags taken.
Between 12.30am on Thursday (28/1) and 4.30pm on Friday (29/1), thieves gained access to a property in Nelson Street and stole a handbag.
A handbag was also stolen from a property in Essex Road,Thame, when it was burgled between 9.15pm on Wednesday (27/1) and 8.15am on Thursday (28/1).
Det Con Emma McGrath, investigating the incidents, said: ?There are no signs of forced entry to either premise, but we have had reports that there has been a man in the area acting suspiciously and offering window cleaning.
?I am appealing to anyone who may have seen this man or any suspicious activity in the area to contact the police.?
Anyone with any information about either of these incidents is asked to contact Det Con McGrath at Didcot police station via 0845 8 505 505, or if you don?t want to talk to the police or give your name, call the Crimestoppers charity on 0800 555 111.
Image: for illustrative purposes only