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Category: Thame news

  • CCTV helps catch Thame thieves

    THAME’S sharped-eyed traffic warden, together with local police officers and the town’s CCTV, all contributed to the arrest of thieves within minutes of their crime recently.
    Last Tuesday, October 7, a vehicle was seen acting suspiciously at the Sainsbury’s Local store, in Park Street Thame, by Thame’s Traffic Warden, Peggy Long OBE. Shortly afterwards, staff at the store reported that three boxes of wine had been stolen. Peggy was able to radio a description of the car to the police who tracked it using CCTV to the town centre, where it was parked outside the Co-op store whilst a man went inside.
    Officers from Thame police station were able to block the vehicle’s progress as it set off up the High Street, and arrest the two occupants for the wine theft.

    The following morning, one man was found guilty of driving whilst disqualified, by Oxford Magistrates, and his son jailed for theft.

  • Ford over the falls

    AS part of the Emergency Response team, Search and rescue ERT-SAR group based in Henley, six of the team, including Thame Station Officer, Andy Ford, went to Canada this month to train with a Canadian rescue organisation.
    Andy told ThameNews.net all about it:
    “We were there to train in High Angle Rope and SwiftWater rescue, and qualify as Instructors so that we can pass on these skills on our return to the UK. The trip was highlighted with visits to some of the specialist units in the Canadian Police, Fire and Medical organisations. The highlight of the trip was a day with the Niagara Falls High Angle River Rescue Team who really looked after us.
    “We were taken on a helicopter ride over the area and then on the usual trips along the river on The Maid of the Mist. To finish off were given the opportunity to Abseil down the side of the Horse shoe Falls!!
    “We were taken to a viewing area on the top of the falls where the Police had cordoned off the area and set-up. We ‘kitted up’ and climbed over the railings and abseiled down to the rocks below! It was amazing to get a real close-up view of the falls. you could see the underside of the thousands of gallons of water pouring over the edge.I couldn’t resist stopping halfway down and videoing the waterfall from such an unusual viewpoint!
    !At the bottom we had to clamber up the rocks and climb back over the railings of the bottom public viewing area and catch the lift back to the top for another go. It was quite surreal standing by the lift in our gear, all-be-it a little damp, being looked at if we were mad by the visitors to the falls in their plastic shower coats.
    “It was real experience one that wont be forgotten for a long time.”

    The training will prove vital in the role of the team, which included As part of the Emergency Response team Search and rescue ERT-SAR group based in Henley, 6 of our team Andy Ford, Merv Redfern, Will Selley, Michael Eddie, Anna Todd and ERT Chief Gary Foo, went to Canada this month to train with a Canadian rescue organisation. We were there to train in High Angle Rope and SwiftWater rescue, and qualify as Instructors so we can pass on these skills on our return to the UK. The trip was highlighted with visits to some of the specialist units in the Canadian Police, Fire and Medical organisations. The highlight of the trip was a day with the Niagara Falls High Angle River Rescue Team who really looked after us. We were taken on a helicopter ride over the area and then on the usual trips along the river and on the Maid of the Mist but to finish off were given the opportunity to Abseil down the side of the Horse shoe Falls!!! We were taken to a viewing area on the top of the falls where the Police had cordoned off and area and setup. We kitted up and climbed over the railings and abseiled down to the rocks below!. It was amazing to get a real close-up view of the falls. you could see the underside of the thousands of gallons of water pouring over the edge. I could not resist stopping halfway down and videoing the waterfall from such an unusual viewpoint! At the bottom we had to clamber up the rocks and climb back over the railings of the bottom public viewing area and catch the lift back to the top for another go. It was quite surreal standing by the lift in our gear, all be it a little damp, being looked as if we were mad by the visitors to the falls in their plastic shower coats. It was real experience one that wont be forgotten for a long time.”

    Andy added: “The training will prove vital in the role of the team on future UK or international rescue deployments and enhances what we are able to do.”

    More information can be found on the website www.ert-sar.org.uk.

    Photo: Thame Fire officer, Andy Ford, prepares to abseil down Horse shoe falls, in Canada.

  • District council promises front line services not affected by bank crisis

    FOLLOWING the news yesterday that South Oxfordshire District Council is among the casualities of the international banking crisis, the council today said the folling:
    “South Oxfordshire District Council, as well as many other councils in Oxfordshire and elsewhere, invests a proportion of its money in reputable banks and building societies across the world in order to earn interest to help pay for better facilities and services in the long run. Unfortunately

  • Thame tax payers’ money in failed Icelandic bank

    AS council leaders call on the Treasury to guarantee their deposits in crashed, Icelandic banks, it was revealed today that local councils in Oxfordshire are affected.
    Apparently, Oxfordshire County Council has

  • School children enjoy ‘great British grub’

    ROAST beef with Yorkshire pudding and English trifle were both on the lunch menu as primary schools across Oxfordshire celebrated British Food Fortnight.
    Now in its seventh year, British Food Fortnight is an established date on the school calendar and is used by hundreds of schools as an opportunity to teach children about the pleasures of eating quality, fresh, seasonal and regionally distinct food.

    This year?s event was wholeheartedly supported by Food with Thought, Oxfordshire County Council?s school catering service, who developed special menus to celebrate traditional food from around Britain. Over 80 per cent of Oxfordshire?s primary schools took part in the event and they all saw their school lunch numbers increase on these days – some schools even doubled their usual lunch numbers.

    Sue Edridge, Food with Thought?s Service Development Manager said, ?With a growing emphasis on food and cooking in the school curriculum, this event is the ideal opportunity to showcase the healthy, local food featured on our lunch menus. We are moving towards increasing the amount of local meat and seasonal fruit and veg that we buy for our schools, so it is really encouraging to see how much the children enjoyed their lunch on these days.?

    Councillor Michael Waine, Oxfordshire County Council?s Cabinet Member for Schools Improvement said, ?It is great to see so many children enjoying the pleasures of British food. Schools have an important part to play in promoting healthy eating and events like British Food Fortnight are a great way to reinforce this message.?

  • Cycle training group benefits from Police lost property

    HADDENHAM Cycle training will benefit from a donation from Thames Valley Police, from funds gained from the sale of lost property items.
    Forty youth organisations will soon be

  • Action on knife crime

    THAMES Valley Police has been granted extra money to help in the fight against knife crime.
    one of ten forces from England and Wales to be chosen to receive support from the Home Office, Thames Valley will be focusing on using the

  • October Gardening News Letter from Jane Follis

    IT seems summer has finally arrived and it is the end of September!!
    Better late than never as they say. At least the last two weekends have been dry and it has been possible to get out into the garden to begin tidying up. Jim and Rosie were home for the weekend and we actually
    managed to eat outside. A rare treat?
    Don?t be fooled by this sudden clement weather. October can produce the first frosts and towards the end of the month it is wise to protect any tender plants either by lifting and storing or covering in horticultural fleece. It is also the month for bulb planting. Mine are on order for any of you who asked for them. Delivery will hopefully be mid to end of the
    month.
    It is also the month for harvesting fruit and jam making. My raspberries are still producing a plentiful crop but they never get further than a bowlin the kitchen ? it seems sacrilegious to boil them up.
    I have been collecting seeds from my perennials. What I really need is space for a huge polytunnel and then I could produce all my own stock. One of my dreams for the future perhaps?
    A good clean up of flower borders can be done now, but most can be left until spring. It is good to leave it so that birds and other wildlife can find
    shelter and sustenance over the winter. However, if you have persistent weeds, like bindweed, try and tackle them now. Remember to burn them rather than put them on the compost heap.
    I shall be tidying up the vegetable plot this weekend. I still have plenty growing and some good specimens waiting to be picked. My order for next year went in earlier this week and as usual there are plenty of grand ideas. Let?s just pray the weather gives more incentive next year? I still recommend Marshalls ? www.marshalls-seeds.co.uk and
    www.seedsofitaly.com as great suppliers of unusual varieties.
    The summer has been spent doing a lot of thinking about where I am and where I want to be? It has thrown up all sorts of ideas not least to introduce a new company name. Jim and I shall be working on this
    together ? his first challenge will be to get around the Latin names of plants and come up with some very clever connection. Watch this space.

    Remember to look at The Garden Boutique Website ?
    www.gardenboutique.co.uk. Quote the promotional code JF268 and you will be entitled to a discount.

    RECIPE
    Elderflower Jelly
    We had this at a restaurant recently and it was completely yummy. Here is my version.

    4 Gelatine leaves
    500ml of Elderflower Cordial
    75g Castor sugar
    125g of mixed berries
    Immerse the gelatine leaves, one at a time, into a shallow bowl of cold water and leave for a minute or two until soft. I used concentrated Elderflower cordial and diluted it until I was happy with the taste. Bring 100ml of the elderflower cordial to the boil and add the sugar. Stir until dissolved. Drain and squeeze the gelatine leaves, then add the hot
    elderflower cordial. Stir until melted. Remove from the head and add the rest of the elderflower. Put the pan of jelly somewhere to cool, but do not let is set.
    Divide half the berries among four individual moulds. Pour in HALF of the cooled jelly.
    Chill for an hour or so to set, then top up with the rest of the berries and unset jelly. This ensures the berries stay suspended and don?t float to the top. Return to the fridge to set.
    I used a combination of blueberries, raspberries and red currants.
    To serve. Dip into boiling water for a couple of seconds to help release the jelly. Turn on plates and serve. They look really professional and go really well with a simple Lemon Possett or just cream.

    SEASONAL TIPS
    This is a good month to divide perennials, although keep an eye on the weather ? we might just have a warm Indian summer, which means continued watering.
    Give the lawn an autumn feed. Ideally, it is best to aerate before doing this. Use a feed which is high in phosphate and low in nitrogen. This will strengthen the roots to withstand frosts and wet. This is a good
    month to lay new turf. Regularly, rake fallen leaves.
    With the damp summer we have had I have noticed a few plants are suffering from powdery mildew. It is best to cut off all the affected foliage and dispose of it.
    Continue to plant bulbs. Do remember to plant them twice the depth of the bulb, otherwise they may come up ?blind?, i.e. with no blooms.
    Lift and store dahlias to protect them through the winter. When the first frost has blackened the leaves, cut the stems right back and lift the tubers. Dry them off and then store in a peat-free compost.
    Take cuttings of fuchsias and perlargoniums and store in a cold frame and out of direct sunlight.

    VEGETABLE & FRUIT GARDEN
    Lift maincrop potatoes for storage by the end of October.
    Carrots, Swedes, turnips and parsnips can be left in the ground. The colder weather really improves the flavour of parsnips.
    Pick maturing fruit and vegetables frequently.
    Apply grease or grease bands to apple trees to trap crawling insects.
    Use cloches to cover any salad crops sown in late July and August. This will help to prolong the harvesting.
    In late October sow broad beans and extra-hardy pea varieties.
    Order new soft fruit and top fruit as soon as possible. I recommend www.agroforestry.co.uk. They have a really good range of all fruits and
    are very reasonably priced. Most of the stock is sent out either root-balled or bare rooted starting in November.
    Put apples and pears into store. Pick the fruit during a cool part of the day and don?t store any that is damaged. Wrap each fruit individually to
    avoid any disease spreading.
    Lift and divide old rhubarb crowns.
    Outdoor figs. Remove green unripe fruits as they are unlikely to be of any use. However, be careful not to touch the embryo fruits ? about the size of a pea as these will produce next year?s crop.
    For more detailed information on what to do in the garden in July, visit: www.rhs.org.uk/advice/calandar.asp.

    GREENHOUSE
    Depending on the weather, the shading can be removed progressively.
    Check the condition of greenhouse heaters and service them in plenty of time before the weather changes. Pay particular attention to thermostats.
    Check gutters and downpipes and unblock if necessary.
    Conservatory/greenhouse plants benefit from being moved outside during the summer, but if tender bring them in at night.

    POINTS OF INTEREST

    FEED THE BIRDS
    October is the perfect time to start feeding the birds for the winter. The RSPB have a ?Feed the Birds Day? on 18th October. www.rspb.org.uk (01767 680551).

    BEWARE
    It has been reported that a lot of farmyard manure has been contaminated by an agricultural weedkiller called aminopyralid. It has been temporarily suspended while investigations take place, but stocks
    of the manure are still likely to be for sale.

    BBOWT
    I have a great friend, Maggie Piggott, who works at the Berks, Bucks & Oxon Wildlife Trust as the Community Wildlife Officer for Bucks. She is
    an expert on wildlife gardening. BBOWT has a Wildlife Information Service which takes over 700 calls per year. The service is open on a Monday ? 01865 788307. There are over 38 fact sheets available. For a
    list please visit ? www.bbowt.org.uk. Maggie will send me an article each month which I am happy to forward on to anyone.

    This month she is covering ?How to make a wildflower meadow?

    PLACES TO VISIT
    Petersham Nurseries
    Richmond, Surrey.

    The nursery has launched its own Home Grown Range of unusual vegetable plants. An interesting place to visit in any event.
    Lunch is very good, although I feel at rather inflated prices.
    It is essential to book.
    www.petershamnurseries.com. 020 8940 5230

    Painswick Rococo Garden, Cotswolds 20th October ? 2nd
    November – Learn the art of pressing apples, tips on growing your own and unusual varieties of historic fruit and vegetables.
    www.rococogarden.co.uk 01452 813204

    Sulgrave Manor, Oxon, 11 th ? 12th October, 10.30 to 5.00pm.
    See over 350 varieties of apple.
    www.sulgravemanor.org.uk 01295 760205

    EVENTS
    BEST OF BRITISH FORTNIGHT
    To celebrate the best of British. Events throughout the country 20th September to 6th October
    www.britishfoodfortnight.co.uk

    A TASTE OF AUTUMN, RHS Wisley, 17th-20th October
    www.rhs.org.uk/gardenevents

    GRAND DESIGNS LIVE
    10-12th October NEC ? Birmingham
    Tel: 0871 2305586

    The RHS have created an Event Finder online. Visit
    www.rhs.org.uk/rhseventfinder for details.

  • High visibility burglars captured after chase

    THE Police are appealing for witnesses after a burglary at a house in London Road, Milton Common, on Wednesday (1/10).

    At around 5pm, two men, wearing high visibility jackets with black and purple rucksacks, were seen by a member of the public going into the back garden of the house. They broke in and stole items including a laptop, some perfume and some jewellery.

    The member of public went to confront the men who then ran away from the house. He and two other passers-by chased the men and alerted a police officer who was in the area.

    PC Ross Duff, investigating the incident, said: “Both of the thieves were arrested nearby and we have managed to recover some of the stolen property which had been dumped during the pursuit.
    “I would like to appeal to anyone who might have seen these men in the area before or after the burglary to contact me.”

    Anyone with information about the incident is asked to contact PC Duff 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 Crimestoppers charity on 0800 555 111.

  • Thame store’s ‘grand’ day for Dogs for the Disabled

    THAME’s Co-OP store contributed over