Category: More News

  • War, woods, winter fuel bills & more – news round-up

    THAME is beginning to think about how it will commemorate the centeniary of the outbreak of World War One next year, 2014.

    Thame station how it would have looked before it was demolished. Image courtesy of Dave Wragg (flickr)

    Thame museum is planning a special exhibition, probably some time in May, which will include personal accounts written in letters etc of local people’s experience of the war. The British Legion’s plans include the possibility of an event of commemoration down at the old Thame Railway Station platform, some of which still remains on the Phoenix Trail. It was from here that local men would have left to fight in the war in 1914.

    THAME Museum has been feeling the effects of rising energy bills, and has announced that it will be closing for the winter, in an effort to save money. The Museum Trust has reported that it has been experiencing problems with its heating system and that utiliy bills have been higher than expected.

    THAME’S Millenium Wood, called Ham Wood, is named after the book ‘ Farmer Giles of Ham’, the only one of Tolkein’s books to have been set in a real place, Thame. Since it was planted in March, 2000, the wood has been managed by The Woodland Trust but it is now to be handed back the community and Thame Town Council has agreed to take it on and to maintain it.
    There is lots of interesting information about Ham Wood, here

    RESIDENTS of the labrynth that is the network of paths around and from Lea Park to the rest of the town, know just how difficult it can be to find your way around, and how it is often easier to jump into the car to go in to town until you learn the walking and cycling routes

    The 21st Century Thame Partnership’s Environment group is working with the town council on a project to improve cycle paths and footpath signage around Lea Park and other areas, as part of the Neighbourhood plan, to help tackle these problems. This work will include assessing the requirements from the developers of Site D, to improve paths and other linkages around the town. At the same time, 21st Thame is re-evaluating the Thame Walking and Cycling Map ready for updating and reprinting.

    LIGHTING in Elms Park, Thame, is now at the ordering stage and it is hoped that it will be installed during March/April, 2014.

    BECAUSE so much of its time and staff resources is taken up with community events like the Christmas event and the Thame Carnival, Thame Town Council wants to take more of a back seat in the future and wants to encourage local people to take on the managing of these events.

    It has therefore decided that it will begin the process of working with local people and organisations to move toward them taking on responsibility for community events, perhaps with grants from the town council, and that it will review the options early in 2015.

  • Defence Service Medal awarded to Thame councillor

    A New Zealand-born Thame Town Councillor has been awarded the New Zealand Defence Service Medal in honour of his service in Her Majesty’s Forces since 1996.

    Born in Lower Hutt, New Zealand, Vaughan Humphries was a cadet from a young age and went on to enlist as a Bandsman in the Seventh Wellington Hawke’s Bay Battalion, Royal New Zealand Infantry Regiment where he trained as an infantry soldier. In 1999 he transferred to the New Zealand Intelligence Corps and retrained as an intelligence soldier working at Land Command, Trentham Camp. Despite requesting an attachment to a British unit when Vaughan moved to the UK, he was unable to continue his military career and received an honourable discharge in 2002.

    The New Zealand Defence Service Medal was instituted in April 2011 to recognise proven military service since September 1945. Such a medal would normally have been presented by the New Zealand equivalent of the British Legion, however, due to Vaughan’s current residence in the UK, this opportunity was not available to him. Instead, the Town Mayor, Cllr Peter Lambert, had the honour of presenting Vaughan with his esteemed award at a Full Council meeting on Tuesday, December 17.

  • Town Council challenged over ‘Living Wage’

    THAME Town Council has been challenged over whether it pays its employees a Living Wage, and whether it uses suppliers that pay their staff a Living Wage.

    The flower beds in Thame’s Memorial Gardens, maintained by Thame Town Council’s team of maintenance men

    Cllr Mary Stiles asked the question at tonight’s meeting of the full town council. The Town Clerk, Helen Stewart, replied that she did not know what the figure was for the current Living Wage and that it had never been considered before. She proposed to find out and report back to the council.

    According to The Living Wage Foundation, a Living Wage outside London is £7.65 per hour.

  • Christmas shopping tips from Thame CAB

    FOLLOW these tips from Thame Citizens Advice Bureau, to make your Christmas buying and returning easier.

    Making it easier to take gifts back after Christmas

    WHEN you’re buying a gift, it’s useful to ask the retailer to give you a gift receipt – something in writing which shows it’s a gift. This will make it easier for the person who gets the gift to return or exchange it, rather than you having to take it back. But if you buy something using your credit or debit card you’ll need to take it back yourself if the gift’s returned, for any refund to go on your card.

    The retailer doesn’t have to take unused goods back by law, but they do for a limited time after the purchase if they have a returns policy. They might also allow returns as a gesture of goodwill. It’s helpful to keep the receipt or online order details to give to the person who’ll be returning the gift.

    If you buy online just before Christmas, you have a legal right to cancel within a seven day cooling-off period. Some companies give you 14 days. This also applies if you buy over the phone or by mail order. Check the terms and conditions before you order to see how long you have to change your mind.

    Shopping online

    If you buy a present online, give yourself plenty of time, just in case there are delivery problems. Read the small print so you know whether the gift can be returned later on if it’s unwanted, and check expected delivery dates.

    Make sure you buy from a reputable online company and that you buy from a secure site. Check the web address begins with ‘https://’. The ‘s’ stands for ‘secure’.

    Delivery problems

    Gifts ordered online, over the phone or by mail order must be delivered within 30 days, unless you agree a different delivery date with the retailer. If a present isn’t delivered on time you can cancel the order or agree another delivery date.

    If your gift doesn’t arrive or arrives late, you may be able to claim compensation, but you’ll need to read the small print first – if the terms and conditions say that delivery dates are estimated or may vary, you may not be able to.

    To claim compensation, write a letter of complaint to the retailer and ask them to compensate you. Tell them why you think you should be compensated and provide proof of your losses.

    If the gift is lost during delivery, the retailer is responsible. If they can’t find your goods, you can ask for a refund or replacement.

    For more information visit the Citizens Advice website www.adviceguide.org.uk

    Adviceline: 08444 111 444
    03 00 33 00 650 (Mobile)

    Your nearest Citizens Advice Bureau is in the Market Square, Thame

  • Hats off to Ethan!

    THE winner of the Christmas Top Hat Trail competition, sponsored by Thame Town Council, was a young man who only recently came to live in the area with his parents, who thought the trail would be a good way for him to learn his way around the town.

     

     

    Ethan Sexton with with Father Christmas (Image Courtesy of Nick White Photography)

    Ethan Sexton, aged 8, recently moved to Chinnor with his family from Cornwall, to be closer to his grandmother who lives in Thame.  Ethan attends St Andrews School, Chinnor, and was presented with his prize – Thame Players’ tickets and vouchers for Wally’s Toy Shop – by ‘Father Christmas’ on the stage at last Friday’s Dickensian Evening and Christmas lights switching on event.

    Ethan’s grandma, Hazel and dad, Rob, said the whole family is very proud of Ethan and that he persevered when he struggled to find the final two Top Hats. In fact, as the Mayor of Thame, Peter Lambert said, when he announced Ethan as the winner, he was the only person who entered, to find all the top hats!

  • Community Christmas in a box

    A THAME project is aiming to help those in our community who are going to find Christmas a real struggle, by asking shoppers to by an extra food item to contribute to a special Christmas box .

    John Hulett, a Trustee of the Sharing Life Trust which is leading the project, explained: “Whilst our Foodbank continues to provide emergency food parcels for those who really need them, we are aware that there are many in our community who have very limited funds and will be unable to afford the extras and treats that we all like to enjoy over the festive season.

    ” ‘The Community Christmas in a Box’ project will provide a set of special Christmas foods and treats for individuals, couples and families who probably wouldn’t be able to afford to buy them. We are very grateful to Waitrose, Sainsbury’s and Thame Service Station for their practical and financial support. Just over 80 individuals and families have been nominated by our partner agencies to receive a Christmas Box.”

    John has a table just inside the door of Sainsbury’s in the High Street today, where shoppers can chose from a variety of goods, listed on cards, which will help make someones’s Christmas special.

  • Paintings and parkin raise funds for Thame Rotary charities

    THAME charities are £1800 better off this week following the Thame Rotary Art Show which took place at the Thame Barns Centre over the weekend November 29  to December 1. 

     The event was run by Thame Rotary Club members, family and friends. Delicious home made cakes prepared by Inner Wheel and Rotary Clubs members were also available for sale.
     
    Jeannette Matelot Green, President of the Rotary Club of Thame said: “The Thame Rotary Art Show was a double success this year. From the moment Lotte Duncan opened the show at the Preview until the doors closed on Sunday, the Barns Centre was busy with art lovers. We managed to raise over £1800 for Rotary charities whilst putting on an excellent exhibition of mainly local artists. We are now looking forward to next year’s show.”
     
    The Rotary Club of Thame opens its doors to community minded people who enjoy helping running events like this and having fun at the same time. To send a request to become member of the Thame Rotary Club, visit:  www.thame.rotaryweb.org
     
    Notes:
    Rotary International in Great Britain and Ireland, part of Rotary International has 1,845 clubs and more than 55,000 members.
    Rotary International was funded in 1905 in Chicago and is now the largest international service organisation with 1.2 million professional men and women as members. There are 33,000 clubs in 200 countries and geographical areas. Rotary Clubs are open to men and women who are business, professional and community leaders who want to use their experience for the benefit of others. Rotary initiates local and global projects to promote world understanding and peace and improve conditions for people of all ages and cultures.
  • Thame school ready for medical emergency

    LORD Williams’s School in Thame is now ready to respond should anyone on the premises suffer a cardiac arrest.

    Image courtesy of physical-sports.co.uk

    The school has recently purchased two defibrillators. One is located at Upper School on the Oxford Road, and the other is located at Lower School in Towersey Road.  Both are by the main reception areas.

    Thame Barns Centre is also one of the growing number of establishments around the town to acquire defibrillators, and a group formed there, called ‘Staying Alive’ will be hosting a Valentines Party Night in aid of Defibrillators in Thame,  on Saturday, February 15 , 2014. 

  • Thame hospital patients take ‘The family and friends’ test

    THE Trust responsible for providing care services at Thame Community Hospital, wants to find out what patients think of the care they receive there and whether they would recommend the hospital to family and friends.

    In a statement this week, Buckinghamshire Healthcare NHS Trust said: “The Family and Friends Test is currently being used in wards of acute hospitals and A&E departments. Community hospitals will be required to use the FFT test from 2014.  However Buckinghamshire Healthcare NHS Trust is already starting to collect this data so that we can better understand how satisfied patients are with the care they receive. In September all those that responded at Thame hospital said they were ‘extremely likely’ or ‘likely’ to recommend the service to a family member or friend if they required similar treatment. In October, 7 out of the 8 people who responded said they would recommend the service. There are a small number of inpatients who are treated at Thame hospital and therefore the size of the group surveyed is very low.

    “This month we have also introduced patient experience tracker devices in Thame hospital so that patients can give real time feedback about their care. Patients can also submit feedback, good or bad, through our website or they can contact the Patient Advice Liaison service. Contact details can be found on our website.”

  • Police alert: Burglary and theft from vehicles – Thame

    ON Monday, December 9th, between 9.20am and 8pm, a property in Chinnor Road, Thame, was broken into. Offender(s) have smashed a rear kitchen window to gain entry and stolen a hand held Microsoft tablet.

    Between 7pm on Sunday, December 8th and 10am on Monday, December 9th, a vehicle in Cromwell Avenue was broken into. Offender(s) have damaged a lock and stolen a leaf blower and a hedge trimmer.

    Between Friday, 6th and Monday 9th December, a vehicle in Pelham Road, Thame was broken into. Offender(s) have damaged a lock and stolen a cordless drill.

    If you have seen any suspicious looking people or vehicles in the area or have any information relating to this message please call the police on 101.

    Alternatively if you have information but wish to remain anonymous, please call Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111 or online @ crimestoppers-uk.org. No personal details are taken, information is not traced or recorded and you will not go to court.