THE bring and buy bike sale at the recent Swap Shop run by 21st Century Thame, proved a great success with dozens of unwanted bikes changing hands.
Here the Mayor of Thame, David Bretherton, is helping out after launching the new Cycle rides around Thame leaflet.
YOUNG college engineering students Samuel Murphy and Antony Shelton are celebrating after winning prestigious Oxfordshire Young Engineer High Sheriff?s Awards 2011. Samuel has been named Oxfordshire Young Engineer of the Year. Antony, from Thame, won the Most Outstanding Progress Award.
The awards recognise the achievements of 14-16 year old students enrolled with Oxford & Cherwell Valley College in either an Engineering Young Apprenticeship or on the new Motorsport Young Apprenticeship course. They were presented by The High Sheriff of Oxfordshire, Mrs Penelope Glen, at an evening celebration hosted by Bicester-based engine and machinery supplier E.P. Barrus Ltd, www.barrus.co.uk.
Samuel, from St Gregory the Great School, Cowley and Antony, from Lord Williams?s, Thame are both studying one day a week for engineering qualifications at Oxford & Cherwell Valley College. They headed a strong field of sixty 14-16 year old OCVC engineering students who study either at its Oxford or Bicester campuses.
The High Sheriff said: ?This is the third annual Oxfordshire Young Engineer High Sheriff?s Award, originally the initiative of Mr Richard Dick, a former High Sheriff of Oxfordshire, Oxford & Cherwell Valley College and the Oxfordshire Education Authority. I was delighted to present this year?s award and to support our young engineers of the future who are entering into a profession that has struggled with its appeal in recent years.?
E. P. Barrus Ltd is the leading manufacturer of custom-built engines for the RNLI, the MoD and numerous emergency services organisations. Chairman of E. P. Barrus Ltd, Mr Robert Glen, sais: ?We were proud to host the Oxfordshire Young Engineer High Sheriff?s Award this year. As a company dependent on a continuing high level of engineering skills, it is important that we support and encourage youngsters to take up a career in engineering. Over the years, Barrus has offered work experience placements to many young engineering students with a large proportion going on to join the company on a permanent basis.?
OCVC Head of Engineering, Andy Thomas, says: ?We are responding to an increasingly urgent need for the UK to motivate young people in engineering. We recognise that much has to be done to encourage students to develop skills that are vital to our economic development, and support a vast range of industries including manufacturing, science and the utilities. These awards help us to do that.?
A young Thame woman will be amongst the hundreds taking part in this year’s Race for Life in Oxford on June 26, inspired by her mum’s recovery from caner.
Lorna Shepherd will run 5k to raise money for Cancer Research UK. Lorna said: “This is a charity particularly close to me, as my Mum has been fighting cancer since 2007, and is currently well thanks to the treatment she received. All the money raised by Race for Life helps towards saving lives.
“Last year I managed to raise a total of over
ACCORDING to research revealed this week by Santander, two million young homeowners feel that they are stuck in their property and are unlikely to be able to move into a bigger home within the next two years. Known as ?middle- movers,? many of these homeowners are keen to buy a bigger home to accommodate growing families or to enjoy more space, but are finding it difficult to sell their existing property.
Oxfordshire housebuilder David Wilson Homes may have just the answer for middle-movers who are looking to upsize into a spacious new home in Thame quickly, thanks to its unique Part-Exchange programme. Part-Exchange allows those looking to upsize to sell their property directly to the housebuilder and move into a brand new David Wilson home in as little as four weeks.
Paul Moran, Sales Director for David Wilson Homes Southern comments: “Part-Exchange has always been a popular scheme to help make moving house easy, however as more homeowners now find themselves in a situation where they cannot move, the scheme has really never been so popular. It couldn?t be easier, based on a fair valuation we can buy your property allowing you to move into one of our new and more spacious homes.”
As well as speeding up the process of buying a property, Part-Exchange also means that unexpected chain-breaks are less likely to occur and removes some of the stress associated with buying and selling a property. Additionally it also reduces the costs that home sellers face when marketing a property
Paul continues: ?David Wilson Homes will buy your property directly from you and we will sell it through our team of trained professionals. Our direct approach means that chains are less likely to break and what?s more you can even stay in your property until your new one is ready to move into. I would advise any middle-movers looking to upsize into a bigger home to get in touch with us now. We have a superb collection of bright and spacious family homes available in Thame that could help you make your next move.?
Available at its Windmill Place development in the Thame, David Wilson Homes currently has range of two, three and four-bedroom properties. Property prices range from just
WHAT makes us happy? Amidst the stresses of modern life, more and more of us are yearning for a source of real wellbeing and worth. Might we find this in our local community?
FOR those of you that missed Transition Towns’ screening of Economics of Happiness in April, there is another chance to see it on Friday 20th May at 7.30.
Transition High Wycombe, Friends of the Earth and The Wycombe Environment Centre are screening it at the Bucks New Uni Gateway Theatre. Address: BNU Gateway Building, High Wycombe Campus, Queen Alexandra Rd, High Wycombe, HP11 2JZ.
Steve Barker MP will be in attendance and will join in a discussion afterwards.
This film is not to be missed – incisive and realistic but positive about what we can and must do.
THE WELL-KNOWN ex Manager of the Unwins Wine shop in Thame, is about to set out on an epic journey with two friends to circumnavigate the coastline of Great Britain by moped, on behalf of the Charity, Keeping A Breast.
Roger Clayson was manager of the wine shop, now called Wittall’s, for 20 years before he retired. He and his wife, Louise became involved in the charity after their friend Claire sadly lost both of her breasts due to a cancer related condition.
Loise told Thamenews.net: “Keeping A Breast where a great support to her and her husband David, and we would like to do something back to say ‘thank you’ and raise funds to help others.
FAT BLOKE ON A BIKE PRIJECT BRITAIN 25th June to 16th July 2011
History
David Fletcher conceived the Fat Bloke On A Moped Projects due to a personal experience of his wife?s diagnosis of a breast cancer related illness. In February 2010 pre-cancerous cells were found after a biopsy of a routine breast operation on his wife and if left untreated put her chances of contracting breast cancer into a ?very high risk? category. His wife Claire, aged 38, went on to have a double mastectomy after only 3 months from the original diagnosis. Happily she has been given the all clear after having 95% of her breast tissue removed and is now on her way to recovery.
Fat Bloke On A Moped is about raising money and awareness for the charity Keeping Abreast to purchase a tattoo machine used in breast reconstruction. After breast reconstruction, the nipples can be surgically recreated and the tattoo machine creates the skin colouration to complete the process. Currently there is one machine serving Norfolk. Our aim is to raise funds to purchase these machines where they are needed up and down the country, starting with King?s Lynn Queen Elizabeth Hospital and to help Keeping Abreast become a national charity so women all over Britain can benefit.
The concept for Project Britain is to circumnavigate mainland Britain via the coast roads on a moped/scooter, raising awareness and funds.
Still on ?L? plates!
The starting point is David & Claire?s home village of Southery which nicely sits below The Wash on the West Norfolk border, just off the A10. David, 41, along with two friends, Kevin, 18, on another scooter and Roger, 65, driving a support vehicle, will set off on Saturday June 25th 2011 in an anticlockwise direction around Britain, allowing three weeks for the trip. It is hoped that other moped, scooter and motorbike riders will join in on parts of the journey, raising awareness for the cause as well as funds.
In September 2010, the Fat Bloke On A Moped team organised Project Norfolk, a days ride circumnavigating the border of Norfolk open to all riders. The entire project raised
TITAN, the largest police horse in the UK, has arrived at The Horse Trust, Speen, where he will spend at least six month for respite care.
Titan, a 18.3hh Shire-cross, weighs over a tonne, making him the largest police horse in the UK. He has been working for Thames Valley Police for the last nine years carrying out vital police work across the Thames Valley area,as well as further afield, helping police forces that do not have a mounted division such as Hampshire, Sussex and Bedfordshire Police.
16-year old Titan has gone to The Horse Trust for respite as he suffers from intermittent lameness caused by a condition called ringbone. If his
condition does not improve after six months, he will be given lifetime sanctuary at The Horse Trust.
PC Tim Pollock, who has ridden Titan for the last six years, said he is one of the force’s best horses.
“Titan is one of our top horses – he is very loyal and brave in all situations,” said PC Pollock. “People are always astounded by his size and often come up to say ‘hello.’ Despite his large size, he is remarkably
agile and incredibly sure-footed. It was like he was made to be a police horse!
“I was sad to see Titan leaving to go to The Horse Trust,” continued PC Pollock. “We’ve been through a lot together over the last six years and have always looked after each other,”
Titan has been involved in a wide variety of police work during his time with the Thames Valley Police including the following:
? Crowd control at football matches for numerous teams including Reading, MK Dons, Wycombe Wanderers, Portsmouth, Southampton and Luton Town. He is regularly used for crowd control for local derbies and also for major events such as the 2004 FA Cup final between Manchester United and Millwall at the Millennium Stadium in Cardiff.
? Providing a police escort to heads of state visiting the Queen at Windsor Castle, including President Bush and Jacques Chirac.
? Providing a police escort for the Queen at Royal Ascot
? Crowd control at the Labour Party Conference and Gay Pride march in Brighton
? Crowd control at recent student tuition fees demonstrations in Wycombe and Oxford
? Night club patrols at various town centres including Oxford, Aylesbury and Reading
? Crowd control at concerts at the Milton Keynes Bowl, including Take That and Oasis
? Crowd control at English Defence League demos, including demos at Luton, Brighton and Cardiff
On Wednesday (18/05), Titan made the 35-mile journey from the Thames Valley Police stables at Witan Gate, Milton Keynes to The Horse Trust’s sanctuary in Speen, Buckinghamshire.
According to Shirley Abbott, Yard Manager at The Horse Trust, the journey and new surroundings didn’t phase Titan. “Titan settled in straight away in a paddock at The Horse Trust. All the staff have already fallen in love with him as he’s such a handsome and impressive
chap,” said Shirley.
Titan will remain in quarantine for a few days, but will then be reunited with his former Thames Valley Police horse friends Iceni and Dexter, who retired to The Horse Trust three and five years ago respectively.
The Horse Trust depends on the support of the public to look after retired working horses such as Titan. It costs the charity an average of
THE Chilterns Conservation Board, based near Thame, says it is alarmed to discover that there could be over one million lorry journeys on local roads to remove the spoil excavated from tunnels and cuttings in the Chilterns during the building of the proposed high speed railway.
The Board says: “HS2 Ltd published a figure of 680,000 cubic metres of spoil to be excavated from the Chilterns, but local anti-HS2 groups have discovered the true figure is more like 12 million cubic metres – an error of nearly 18 times.”
Steve Rodrick, Chief Officer of the Chilterns Conservation Board said: ?You can imagine our alarm when this colossal error was unearthed. This could mean a lorry journey on local roads every 26 seconds every working hour every working day for 5 years. That will create immense misery for local communities and motorists. The noise and dust will be truly awful.?
The Board is especially alarmed, it says, that HS2 Ltd could have made such a basic mistake. “It completely undermines the confidence we should have in information published by the Government. It begs the question, What else have they got wrong??
The high speed railway will require a twin bored tunnel of 9.6 kilometres from near the M25 in the Colne Valley to just north of Old Amersham. There will be a shorter tunnel to the east of Little Missenden. There will also be nearly eight kilometres of deep cuttings before it emerges on an embankment and viaduct to cross the Misbourne Valley south of Wendover.
The Board claims that the big difference in figures is due to a number of major errors:
? HS2 Ltd mistakenly based their calculations on a single bored tunnel between the Colne Valley (M25) and Amersham (9.6 kms long). In fact it is a twin bored tunnel.
? HS2 Ltd failed to include the spoil excavated from cuttings.
? HS2 Ltd failed to take into account the bulking up of spoil once excavated, which increases the volume of chalk and clay by up to 1.8 times.
According to Steve Rodrick: ?This is yet another nail in the coffin of claims that high speed rail is a green form of travel. It will cause immense damage to the countryside of England, actually increase carbon emissions and literally concrete over several thousand acres of farmland.?
According to the Chilterns Conservation Board, HS2 Ltd hasn?t provided any information on where they plan to dump such a massive quantity of waste material.
PHOTO: Part of the Chilterns through which HighSpeed2 rail link will pass. For more maps and images visit:
http://www.chilternsaonb.org/hs2/impactonchilterns.html
Sat 14th Spring Fair. Haddenham Puddleducks Pre-school has its annual Spring Fair (1-3pm) in Banks Park. Among the attractions will be a real fire engine and tractor to climb in, bouncy castle, kids? craft and fun-time tables, face-painting and tattoos. In addition, there are stalls, tombola, raffle, home-made cakes and refreshments.
Sat 14th Quiz. A quiz, with Sue Young as quiz master, will be held in aid of Haddenham Youth Football Club (7.30 for 8pm) at Haddenham Village Hall. Tickets (
OVER 90 sporty children took part in Sunday?s spectacular Florrie?s Scootathlon at the Stoke Mandeville Stadium ? the first event of its kind for the Florence Nightingale Hospice Charity (FNHC), helping to raise much-needed funds for the Charity?s children?s Hospice at Home team, Florrie?s.
Children aged 4-11 took part in races throughout the day ? nine in total, which saw younger entrants scootering, cycling and running around the Stoke Mandeville Stadium course, while older entrants cycled and ran.
Great fun was had by all with every child receiving a special Florrie?s T-shirt and medal for taking part on the day, plus ALLF (Always Look & Listen First) Cycle Aylesbury and event mascot, handed out balloons.
Commenting on the day, Karen Shardlow, Development & Events Manager at FNHC said: ?What a fantastic day! We would like to thank everyone who turned up to help and support this event including all the wonderful entrants, our marshals and volunteers. Everyone has enjoyed the day and we are really looking forward to coming back again next year.?
It is hoped the event will raise over