MEADOW View Park, the home of Thame United, was the venue last Saturday (09/11), for a charity fundraising event organised by the Thame Jazzercise group, all proceeds of which went to the male cancer charity MCAC.
Frank Thompson (left), General Manager at Meadow View Park, Bob Vincent (centre) and Frank Millar (right), all volunteered to be waxed for charity on Saturday morning.
Not only did they raise money on-line, but tickets were sold to watch the event. The ladies watching the procedures showed no sympathy when it came to the pain being inflicted – in fact they all seemed to be enjoying it far too much !!
Over £1,500 was raised on the day for the charity. Jazzercise instructor, Sue Morris, said: ” The guys were fantastic and were such good sports. Every penny raised makes such a difference and this takes our total fundraising figure over the past six years to over £78,000.”
For information about Jazzercise classes at Meadow View Park and other venues contact, Sue Morris on 07752 448026
IT is with great sadness that friends and family have reported the death of Ray Hawes, aged 75, formerly of Long Crendon, near Thame, on Sunday, November 3, after a long battle with cancer. He died peacefully at home in Mt Pleasant, Charleston, South Carolina, USA.
The late Ray Hawes photographed during a trip to Australia
Ray was an outstanding local sportsman, one of the best of his generation. He was a very talented cricketer and golfer and also played table tennis and squash. Moreover, he was a charismatic, generous person, who touched many peoples’ lives.
Ray was born in Aylesbury and spent his childhood and early married life in Long Crendon. He went to Lord Williams’ grammar school in Thame, leaving after the fifth form to work with his father, Willis, at Crendon Concrete, afterwards forming Hawes Farm Buildings. He moved to Grendon Underwood in 1980 and then to Devon for several years before moving to the USA. He first resided in New Hampshire before settling in Charleston, South Carolina, where he established his businesses.
On the cricket field Ray opened the batting firstly at Thame CC, where he set records of scoring 1,000 runs in consecutive seasons in the 1960s. He captained the club before moving to Aylesbury CC after which he then played county cricket for Bucks. He became the first Aylesbury batsman for 20 years to score 1,000 runs and went on to captain the club for many seasons in the 1970s. He also played for SOA (South Oxon Amateurs)and later for Devon over 50s. It is believed he achieved the remarkable feat of scoring 100 centuries over his career.
Ray was also a single figure handicap golfer. He was a member of Oxford City (Southfield) and Buckingham golf clubs. He was a founder member of Five Star Events, an Oxfordshire organisation running golf events for local charities and was its President in 2009/10.
Whilst in the USA, Ray went on to patent a number of inventions. In 2000 he set up Rapid Deployable Systems Inc, which marketed his structures that enables bridges, such as the Bay bridge in San Francisco and the one in Detroit linking the US and Canada, to be enclosed for repairs or maintenance. He then obtained the contracts for the US Navy fleets in Norfolk, Virginia and Seattle to enclose their aircraft carriers. He was recognized by the US government for his innovative work which resulted in him having dual American/British citizenship.
Most recently he invented the framework for a category five hurricane proof house, made from aluminium. The house was the first of its kind and engineered to withstand winds speeds of up to 157 mph as well as earthquakes up to eight on the Richter scale. These houses are built by one of Ray’s companies, Cat Five Houses of Charleston.
Ray is survived by his wife of 55 years, Maureen (nee King) who was born in Thame, sisters Daphne, Margaret and Sylvia, his four children-Nina, Julia, Angela and Geoff, and nine grandchildren.
Ray will be sorely missed. His funeral will take place on Thursday, November 14, in Mt Pleasant. His family intend to hold a memorial service in England in due course.
HUNDREDS of people of all ages gathered in glorious autumn sunshine at the War Memorial in Thame yesteday (Sunday 10/11), to remember those who lost their lives in war.
After a welcome by the Mayor of Thame, Peter Lambert, and prayers and eulogy from local clergy, representatives from the armed services, the police, the fire service, the various local councils, youth groups, Community Groups and Forces cadets, processed with great dignity and reverence to the steps of the War Memorial one at a time. Here they laid wreaths of the red poppies that have come to symbolise the blood shed and the memory of all the dead of all wars since the First World War.
Old soldiers and those returned from recent conflicts, including Afghanistan, bowed their heads thoughfully, as their medals and badges, so carefully cleaned for the occassion, glistened in the sunshine as brightly no doubt, as their memories of fallen friends and relatives.
Conspicuous by his absence this year, was Arthur Staggs, the war time spy, who lived out his post war years in Thame until his death this year at the age of 100 years. Arthurs poem, For You Alone, probably sums up the spirit of the occasion for most of the people who collected together yesterday for this shared contemplation of loss:
For You Alone
However busy I may be Whenever we’re apart There’s still a shine of memory Deep down within my heart Where I preserve your image dear Forever to remain And thoughts of you bring constant cheer Until we meet again
A young couple were very lucky to escape with minor injuries last night, when their car left the road and rolled over on the Chinnor Road between Thame and the Towersey turn.
This was the view of Thame Station Officer, Andy Ford, this morning, speaking after the town’s Remembrance Service.
“The car seems to have left the road after a slight bend, hit a fence, bounced back into the road, rolled over and landed on its roof,” he said. “Several pieces of the fence were impaled in the car.
“I cannot help but repeat the same message put out after the spate of local road traffic incidents lately, that at this time of the year, the road are very slippery and drivers must adjust their driving speed accordingly.
“This couple were very lucky to escape serious injury and possibly worse.”
THE monthly Thame Neighbourhood Policing update for November, has just been published by Thames Valley Police and includes information about Anti-social behaviour (ASB) in the town, revving cars, thefts from vehicles, burglaries and stolen bikes among other things.
Thames Valley Police’s Thame Neighbourhood Policing team
To read the full report from the the Thame Neighbourhood Policing Team, which includes some good news as well as some not so good, visit the Thames Valley Police website: HERE
FIRE crews form Thame and Wheatley along with Specialist Rescue crews from Kidlington Fire Station, have attended three serious Road Traffic Collisions near Thame in the last week.
On the October 27, at 11 pm a car left the road on the A329 between Milton Common and Thame, leaving its male occupant seriously hurt after being thrown from his car after colliding with a tree. He was treated by Fire and Rescue crews working alongside the ambulance service at the scene before being taken to hospital.
On Sunday, November 3, at 9:40 pm, two vehicles collided and left the motorway near junction 8a of the M40. Two male occupants of a van were treated at the scene and taken to hospital by Ambulance.
Today (06/11) at 3:40 pm, two cars collided on the A329 near Great Milton. One person who was seriously hurt had to be cut free from his car by the Fire And Rescue Service using hydraulic cutting equipment working alongside the Ambulance service. A woman from the second car was also taken to hospital with a broken wrist.
Watch Manager Andy Ford from Thame fire station said: ‘The people injured in these collisions suffered serious injuries and it’s very fortunate that their outcomes were not worse. We would remind all drivers that with the dark nights and wet weather, road conditions can be slippery. Please take extra care and drive according to the conditions.”
Visit www.365alive.co.uk for road safety advice. If you have a road safety question you can call the free phone community safety helpline on 08000 325 999 or email: community.safety@oxfordshire.gov.uk
THAMES Valley Police is appealing for the public’s help in tracing a missing man from Chinnor. James Brooke, aged 22, was last seen in the village at 9am on Monday morning (4/11).
James Brooke, from Chinnor, who has been missing since Monday, November 4th, 2013
He has not been seen since and officers are becoming increasingly concerned for his welfare.
James is white, 5ft 7ins to 5ft 10ins, and has spiky hair and a clean shaven face. When he was last seen, he was wearing ripped jeans, a bulky jacket with orange inside, a red and black lumberjack-style shirt and old trainers. He was carrying a blue sports bag with ‘Admiral’ written on the side.
Anyone with information on his whereabouts is asked to contact Thames Valley Police on 101, quoting URN 915 of 4/11.
THIS year’s Thame Service of Remembrance will take place, as usual, at the Thame Memorial Gardens in the Upper High Street, on Sunday, November 10.
Remembrance Day Service, Thame 2012 – Image courtesy of thameconcertband.org.uk
The procession, which will include Town Councillors, members of the Royal British Legion and other community groups, and will assemble outside the Town Hall at 10.30am and proceed to the War Memorial.
Following the service everyone is warmly invited to Christchurch for refreshments.
A copy of the Order of Service can be downloaded from the Town Council website at www.thametowncouncil.gov.uk. Copies are also available at the Information Centre and will be distributed at the memorial gardens on the morning of the service.
On the following day, November 11, at 11 am, the Mayor, Cllr Peter Lambert, has invited everyone to join him as he leads a two minute silence outside the Town Hall.
TO add to the four burglaries reported in Thame since the clocks went back on October 27, there have been two more reported on Lea Park, both involving damaging locks to doors. Between Tuesday, October 29, and Friday, November 1, a property in Stafford Way was burgled. The offender(s) gained entry by damaging the lock to the rear door and stole jewellery.
Protect your home and property
The second burglary, between Monday, October 28, and Friday, November 1, was at a property in Ludlow Drive, Thame. was burgled. Again, the offender(s) have gained entry by damaging the lock to the rear/side door and on this occassion, stolen silver and gold items.
Please be extra vigilant. 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.
