Category: More News

MEMBERS of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community recently presented the Chairman of South Oxfordshire District Council, Ann Midwinter, with a cheque for her chosen charity, Royal British Legion Women’s Section.

The cheque for £500 was gratefully received and Councillor Midwinter, who is District Councillor for Thame South Ward, expressed her gratitude. She said: “It was fantastic to learn about their faith and the excellent work they have done in engaging local communities and helping others. I’m sure that the Royal British Legion Women’s Section will put the donation to excellent use.”

The money was raised part of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community’s annual charity walk in June this year. As they were celebrating their centenary year, they aimed to help at least 100 national and local charities.

For more information about the community, visit their website at http://www.loveforallhatredfornone.org/

SOURCE: Press release

THIS year’s Service of Remembrance in Thame will take place this Sunday, November 9, at Thame Memorial Gardens in Upper High Street.

The procession, which will include Town Councillors, members of the Royal British Legion and other community groups, will assemble outside the town hall at 10.30am and proceed to the War Memorial. Following the service everyone is invited to Christchurch for refreshments.

A copy of the Order of Service is available from the Information Centre at the town hall and will be distributed at the Memorial Gardens on the morning of the service.

LOCAL children from Beavers and Rainbows have been busy this week, helping to plant patches of poppies along the Phoenix Trail, in Thame.

The project, led by the Town Council in collaboration with Sustrans, is one of the town’s many events to mark the centenary of World War I. The area that has been planted is along the old railway line, including the site of the old Thame Station from where the young men of  Thame and the surrounding villages, who had enlisted for the military, would have left to go and fight in the war.

The red poppy was adopted as a symbol for the terrible loss of life on the battlefields of the First World War, inspired by the words of the poem ‘In Flanders Field’ by Canadian Lieutenant Colonel, John McCrae:

“In Flanders Field the poppies grow, Between the crosses, row on row…”

The poppies that the children have planted are expected to flower next summer. The Council has thanked everyone who took part in the planting and Taplins for providing a rotavator to help with the digging.

SOUTH Central Ambulance Service NHS Foundation Trust (SCAS) is encouraging cyclists and motorcyclists to be ‘autumn aware’ by wearing the right Personal Protection Equipment (PPE).

The autumn weather can lead to dangerous riding conditions with low sun, wet leaves, poor visibility and deep surface water on the road. The dark mornings and evenings make commuting particularly hazardous.

Cyclists and motorcyclists should always wear the right protective gear when riding including wearing high visibility clothing. A study in New Zealand showed that motorcyclists who wore a fluorescent jacket and a white helmet were 37 per cent less likely to be killed in a road accident.

Mark Ainsworth-Smith, Pre-hospital care practitioner for SCAS, explains: “We want everyone to be safe on the roads this autumn. Wearing the correct clothing can greatly reduce your chance of a collision and also prevent serious injuries. Wearing high visibility clothing is essential to make other road users aware of your presence in bad weather, poor light and at night time. Riders should adjust their speed to changing road conditions and should be particularly careful in the event of snow or ice. “

Mike concluded: “My bike will be staying warm in the garage if we get any icy conditions this year!”

THE Bucksum Salads team, David Newman and his Partner Tracy Russell from Long Crendon, were once again in the limelight this week, this time at the Oxfordshire Restaurant Award 2014, winning the ‘Best Producer’ award.

Winner of last years’ 2013 Observer Food Monthly ‘Best Local Farmer Award’, a delighted David said: “It’s good to be recognised for the hard work we put into supplying the best produce; we didn’t even know that we had been nominated until we were invited along!”

People often ask the couple how many staff they have at their farm and are amazed when they reply that the business is run on 20 acres of land rented from David’s parents and that the team consists of just the two of them, with a little help from their children in the school holidays.

Now in it’s fourth year, the Oxfordshire Restaurant Awards were held at a glittering reception in the Oxford Town Hall on Tuesday, November 4, where City of Oxford College students had not only designed the Awards but prepared and served the food.

Local Pub, the James Figg in Thame, was also nominated in the Best Traditional Pub category.

A man who was believed to be missing in Chinnor, Oxfordshire, has been found safe and well.

Dipash Kumar Kamath, aged 34, was found in West Drayton.

Thames Valley Police have thanked the public and the press for their help.

THE Big Draw event in Thame, themed this year around ‘It’s Our World’, has once again proved very popular with Thame’s budding artists and print makers.

Two workshops were held at Lord Williams’s school, called ‘Pigeons and Postcards’ run by SparksArtists, Jackie Nichols and Christine Tacq, working with Barley Hill, year six pupils and Lord Williams’s pupils from year seven, as well as pupils from year six at St Joseph’s school who worked with year eights and 12, from Lord Williams’s.

On Monday, October 27, a pigeon fancier from Wantage came with nine racing pigeons to Thame, and the children were able to study and draw them. Later in the week, groups of children produced prints based on the blasted and twisted trees they looked at on WW1 landscape pictures. They also made postcard-size prints inspired after dressing up in clothes similar to those they saw on War propaganda posters at Thame Museum. Some of the childrens’ work can be seen in the window of Mobalpa Kitchens, just behind Thame town hall and at Thame Museum.

This Saturday, tomorrow, November 1, the Big Draw continues at Haddenham library as ‘The Bug Draw’. It’s free for all ages to attend. Just turn up from 10.30 to 1pm, for some fun drawing activities with beautiful butterflies etc from Tring museum, hosted by SparksArtists.

THAMES Valley Police is appealing for the public’s help in tracing a missing man in Oxfordshire. Dipash Kumar Kamath, aged 34, is believed to be in the Chinnor area of Oxfordshire.

Thames Valley Police received a report that he was missing at 5.41am this morning (30/10).

There is currently no other description.

If you see Dipash or have any information on his whereabouts, please contact Thames Valley Police on 101, quoting URN 120 of 30/10.

A family of reindeer to pet, a miniature railway to chug up the High Street on and an extended lantern parade will all be part of Thame’s Christmas event 2015, which this year will be extended into the following Sunday, with a three kilometer Santa Dash organised by the Florence Nightingale Hospice and Thame Lions.

The lantern parade for children, which was a huge success last year, will be even bigger and brighter this year with parents, grandparents and members of the Thame & District Day Centre being encouraged to be involved.

Friday, December 5, 2014, is the date for your diary for the big Christmas lights switch-on and stage event, and Sunday, December 7, 10am in the town centre, for the Santa Dash. Anyone can register at www.fnhospice.org.uk  to take part to run, jog, or walk the buggy-friendly 3K route .

The theme for the event will be ‘Santa Convention’ and all the visitors and those taking part on the Friday night and the Santa Dash, are being encouraged to wear Santa hats and costumes. The reindeer will be housed in a 12ft pen in the High Street and although the public won’t be able to enter the pen, they will be able to stroke the deer through the picket fencing.

Once again there will be a ‘town trail’ around various shops in the town to spot a hidden object and shop owners are being encouraged to stay open late. Businesses not within the road closure area will be given the opportunity by the town council to have a free stall nearer the action.

The stage events will start at 6pm and last for around 60 minutes, with several local groups including Thame Players, Stagecoach Thame, the Romey Louise Dance Academy, Thame Youth Theatre, the Pauline Quirke Academy, Thame Chamber Choir as well as the primary schools taking part. The winner of the Christmas Trail will be presented with their prize, as will the winner of the competition to name the theme of next year’s Thame Carnival who will win an exciting toy from Wally’s Toy Shop in Thame, and three months Junior Gold Membership to Racquets, Thame.

THAMES Valley Police is appealing for information regarding the whereabouts of two men who have absconded from prison.

Lewis Hoare (pictured) and Kenneth Simmonds walked out of Spring Hill Open Prison near Aylesbury at about 1pm yesterday (26/10).

Police believe that they left the prison together.

Hoare is 27-years-old, slim, with blue eyes, short brown hair, clean shaven, with a mole on his right cheek, protruding ears and a tattoo with the word ‘Pompy’ across his knuckles.

Kenneth SimmondsSimmonds is 43-years-old, of medium build, with blue eyes, short brown hair, clean shaven, with a small scar under his left eye, a scar above his right eyebrow, a tattoo of a panther on his left forearm and a tattoo of a panther’s head on his right arm forearm.

Senior investigating officer, Detective Inspector Joe Banfield said: “Thames Valley Police is working closely with the Prison Service to try and locate Hoare and Simmonds, who walked out of Spring Hill Open Prison at about 1pm yesterday.

“If any member of the public sees either Hoare or Simmonds do not approach them, instead call 999.

“Further, if you are reading this and have any information whatsoever about either Hoare’s or Simmond’s whereabouts then please call police via 101.

“If you don’t feel comfortable speak directly to the police then you can contact the independent charity Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111 or online at www.crimestoppers-uk.org. No personal details are taken, information is not traced or recorded and you will not go to court.”