Category: More News

ONCE again, flowers planted in public places around Thame have been mindlessly vandalised over night.

All the flowers in the circular Millennium Planter in the High Street have been ripped out or pulled apart, leaving nothing but empty soil and a lone cherry tree.

In a statement today, the town council said: “This follows on from the two laurel thefts in Elms Park earlier in the month and the theft of flowers from the planter on Towersey Road.

“The Council and its Maintenance Team takes pride in making the town look its best for both residents and visitors and takes great care in maintaining all the beds and floral standards around the town. We have received numerous compliments regarding the standard of our floral arrangements and so it is a great shame to have them destroyed in this fashion.

“However, the Maintenance Team will be replanting the flowers shortly to keep up the high standard. We ask for your help in protecting these blooms by staying vigilant and reporting any relevant information or suspicious behaviour to the Town Hall on 01844 212833 or Thames Valley Police on 101.”

LAST weekend (July 5-7) Thame Showground was taken over by over 4,000 thousand young people involved in Scouting across Oxfordshire, to take part in hundreds of adventurous activities, make contact with Scouts from across the world, and to celebrate Scouting.

Themed as ‘One World,’ this year’s County Camp welcomed Beavers, Cubs, Scouts, Explorers, and armies of adult volunteers for a weekend of non-stop activities and world-class entertainment. Using technology to speak with Scouts all around the world, many young people were able to make new friends from across the globe.

Thame’s MP, John Howell, went along to see what they were up to.

“I?m really pleased that I was able to get along,” said John. “It was wonderful to see so many young people engaged in a range of positive activities and clearly thoroughly enjoying themselves. It was great too to see so many adult volunteers willing to give up their time to encourage and support the young people. My congratulations and thanks to everyone.”

PHOTO: A group of hot but happy Thame Beavers, Courtesy of Andrew Marshman
Full video of young people being interviewed by ITV news HERE

A fantastic range of activities for disabled children, their families and friends are on offer at Thomley Activity Centre, near Thame, this summer.

Activities include Aqua Zorbing; an Owl workshop; The Bubbleman and much more! For our full holiday planner please visit: http://thomleyactivitycentre.org/newsletters/june-2013/

All children without a disability can still come and see us on various days! Every Monday and Friday is a Community Day throughout summer and the 13th/27th August are pre school days. These are for children of all abilities.

Booking is essential, please email: bookings@thomleyhall.org to reserve your places now!

IT’S all change at the top for Thame Rotararians who have welcomed Town Councillor and ex Mayor, Jeannette Matelot Green, as its President for the coming year.

Speaking for Thame Rotary, Marius Ciortan said: “Jeannette has been a Rotarian for almost four years and her commitment to the club has earned the respect of fellow members who were only too pleased to vote her in as their new president in the 2013-2014 Rotary year at the Spread Eagle, Thame, on July 3.

Jeannette said: ?I am looking forward to my year as president of our club. We have some two major fundraising events in the calendar ? the Thame Swimathon on October 13, and the Thame Art Show the weekend of November 30. We are supporting four local charities: SAFARI, Sharing Life Trust, Thame Day Centre and Thame Players.

“For our international charity, we are hoping to set up a project with APAE, a group of vulnerable adults in Brazil.

?We are joining the Thame Lions in supporting the Thame Food Festival this year and will continue with our usual programme of practical work in the community including the Stroke Awareness Day, collecting Tools for Self Reliance and joining the Town Council to organize the Christmas Party for our senior residents.?

Marius added: “We also have a varied and exciting social calendar and we would love to hear from anyone interested in joining us to help make a real difference to our community.

“To find out more about the Rotary Club of Thame, or to find out how to join, please visit: www.thame.rotaryweb.org or ring/text us on 07764 85 49 49

AFTER a year of absence last year, 2012, the Oxfordshire County & Thame Show will be back on Saturday, July 13, and the new Committee is hoping that this summer is a good one after last year?s washout.

Demonstrations and displays throughout the day in the Countryside arena will range from the new Pig Agility and Horse Whisperer displays to Falconry, Sheepdogs with Ducks, Terrier Racing and Gun dogs. The arena will be surrounded by a superb selection of countrymen demonstrating their skills such as hedge laying, stone walling, broom making, a blacksmith and more.

The Main Ring will host two top class show jumping competitions including the Oxfordshire Area Trial and there will be the galloping ponies of the Scurry Driving as well as the Lamb National sheep race. There will be the regular cattle parade, classic cars, agricultural display and the parade of hounds. The Band this year is the 1066 Pipes and Drums (Hastings) who will be performing twice. Around the showground there will be the usual competitions for cattle, sheep, horses and donkeys along with displays of rabbits, birds, and alpacas. For the first time this year, there will be a fun dog to which visitors can bring their dogs along and enter on the day.

The Thame Show will also feature for the first time, a Food and Drink Village where food retailers and local producers will be selling a wide range of food and beers. A separate Food Hall will again be selling foods and drinks to sample and the Home and Garden marquee, formerly the Domestic tent, will have a number of new classes to suit everyone.

THAME’S Neighbourhood Plan is expected to become part of the Development Plan for South Oxfordshire after next Thursday, when by the district council’s Cabinet considers whether or not to recommend its acceptance to the Council.

The Neighbourhood Plan was developed by Thame Town Council with the local community and submitted to the district council. The submitted version of the plan was publicised and comments were invited from the public and stakeholders. The consultation period closed on 24 January 2013.

The district council then appointed independent Examiner Nigel McGurk, to review whether the plan met the basic conditions required by legislation and whether the plan should proceed to referendum.

The Examiner concluded that, subject to the modifications proposed in his report, the plan met the ?basic conditions? set out in paragraph 8(2) of Schedule 4B of the Town and Country Planning Act 1990, was compatible with EU obligations and the Convention rights and complied with relevant provision made by or under Section 38A and B of the Planning and Compulsory Purchase Act 2004, and that it should proceed to a Referendum.

A referendum was held on May 2, 2013, when 76.47 per cent of those who voted were in favour of the plan.

?LAST CHANCE? CALL TO ENTER FLORENCE NIGHTINGALE HOSPICE GEMSTONE MIDNIGHT WALK??plus details of route – Help the Florence Nightingale Hospice Charity (FNHC)
reach 750 walkers ? is the message from as the Midnight Walk draws ever closer, with 660 ladies (increasing by the day!) already signed up to take on the popular walking challenge, taking place on Saturday, July 13, from start-point Aylesbury College.

The event, now in its fourth year, is the Charity?s biggest fundraising event of the year and to date has helped to raise over

WELL, if donations are a measure it?s 50 Shades of Grey. During the past few months almost a hundred copies of the risqu

THE Berks, Bucks & Oxon Wildlife Trust has launched an appeal to buy Meadow Farm, a precious remnant of an ancient landscape, brimming with colourful wild flowers and unusual wildlife.

Giles Strother, reserves manager at the Wildlife Trust, said: ?At a time when much of the countryside is under threat from development and intensive farming, there are fewer places where wildlife can survive. It is absolutely vital that we buy and save Meadow Farm. There are only 1,500 hectares of wildflower meadows like this on floodplains across the whole of the UK.

?Not only will we be able to conserve these irreplaceable wildlife habitats, but we will be able to share Meadow Farm with local communities and schoolchildren who may have never seen landscape like this.?

The Wildlife Trust is hoping to raise

THAME’S Girl Guides are going strong, but they need a few more adults to keep it that way. They would love to hear from anyone who would like to be involved in the unit meetings. No experience is necessary, just bags of enthusiasm and there’s plenty of training available if you want it!

Recruitment evening: Tuesday, June 25, 2013
Time: 3-6pm
Location: Girlguiding Headquarters, Southern Road, Thame

There are also many ways to be involved without attending the meetings, which are just as important – shopping, accounts, administration, transport, catering, fundraising, preparing materials for activities etc. “It is incredibly rewarding and fun,” says Thame’s top Guider, Mrs Kathryn Shorter. You can contact her via: klshorter80@gmail.com.

More information here: www.girlguiding.org.uk