Author: Sonja Francis

THAMES Valley Police is appealing for witnesses following a burglary and theft of two vehicles in Thame.

Between 1.10am and 8.00am on Thursday (30/6) offenders forced a rear window to gain entry to a property in Sycamore Drive.

Once inside offenders stole a laptop computer, kindle, cash and two sets of keys before stealing two vehicles from the driveway, a grey Audi A5 saloon and a grey Landrover Discovery.

The Landrover was found abandoned in Kidlington and the Audi was found at the back of a hotel in Woodstock. Both vehicles have been recovered.

If you have any information relating to this message please call the Police via the 24 hour non-emergency telephone number 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.

A group of people living in Thame have come together to help meet the needs of the thousands of displaced people in Europe.

Bread and Roses for Refugees – Thame, was formed in February this year by five friends, Sarah Weston, Lisa Meaney, Helen Flitton, Tias Von Oudheusden and Adam Weston and is growing steadily. The group organises small local events to support charities working directly with refugees.

The group has already held a ticketed kitchen disco, in aid of the Flying Seagull Project, a charity working to restore a sense of childhood to children in the camps, by simply helping them to smile, relax and play.

A collection the group held at Greyhound Walk, Thame in April was a resounding success. The generous people of Thame donated over two thousand eight hundred personal hygiene items in one afternoon. All of the items have now been delivered to the charity CALaid and sent directly to those in need in the refugee camps. Calaid is working with NGO’s in camps in Turkey, the borders of Syria as well as in France

The latest event will be held at John Hampden School Summer Fete on Saturday, July 9. The group will be encouraging people to donate 50p to buy a school exercise book which will be sent to makeshift schools within refugee camps in Greece and Turkey via the charity CALaid. People donating will have the opportunity to write a short message of support in the front page of their exercise book and bring comfort to the child who will receive it.

Helen Flitton, a member of Bread and Roses, explained: “We aim to bring together the people of Thame to support charities and organisations which meet the practical needs of refugees (the Bread) – food, warmth, clothing, medical needs and homes and to support charities and organisations which meet other essential human needs of refugees – play, fun, community, art and beauty – (the Roses).”

It is intended that the event will highlight how important education is as a stabalising factor to children effected by crisis. More information about the charity distributing the books will be given at the event.

New members are always welcome. If you would like to know more or get involved, contact:  breadandrosesforrefugeesthame@gmail.com or visit the facebook page :
LINK HERE

AN application for a supermarket on the edge of Thame, is to be considered by the district council’s planning committee on July 13.

The Planning Officer’s recommendation to the committee is to refuse planning permission to Tesco.

The proposal has split Thame’s community, many of whom, including Thame Town Council, fear that such a development would threaten the viability of shops of Thame’s town centre. Others have said that the town needs an additional supermarket to increase choice and to cater for the town’s pending growth due to several new homes being built in the town during the next 20 years.

You can read the Officer’s full report on South Oxfordshire District Council’s website: LINK HERE and the agenda HERE

THE beautiful gardens of Hill House in Shabbington will be open to visitors as part of the National Gardens Scheme (NGS) next Sunday, July 3, and it is likely to be the last chance the public will have to peer behind its walls.

Created over 24 years around the 18th/19th century vicarage, the acre of garden is assimilated into nine compartments including a stunning parterre, orchard, pool garden, perennial and herb gardena and herbaceous border. There is a one and a half acre field walk with wonderful views of the adjoining countryside, and the 11th century church.

The important history of the house and its former occupants is explored in the book ‘Shabbington, A Thousand Years of Village History’ by Richard Mayou, which will be available on the day and also from the Book House in Thame. An exhibition of village photographs will be on display in the church where home-made cream teas will be served along with children’s activities, bell-ringing demonstrations, and the chance to pull the ropes yourself.

Since 1927, the National Gardens Scheme has raised more than £45 million for nursing and caring charities. The Hill House garden made its very successful debut last year and this is the only chance for the public to view it again before the current owner moves on. It will be open between 2pm and 5pm, and costs £4 to enter for adults, for children it’s free.

Hill House can be found next to the church in Mill Lane, Shabbington, HP18 9HQ. More details and photographs can be found at www.ngs.org.uk

THE Rotary Club of Thame has exprssed its gratitude to the communities of Thame and its neighbouring villages for their support with fundraising during the 2015-2016 Rotary year, at an event at the Spread Eagle Hotel on Wednesday, June 22.

With President, Peter Hook at the helm, the amount donated achieved over £10,000, through public support of events such as the Rotary club’s annual Thame Swimathon in February and an evening with Highly decorated Royal Navy Reservist, Michelle Ping in April.

Medical Detection Dogs, Friends of Thame CAB, Chilterns MS Centre, Thame & District Day Centre, Royal British Legion and The Stroke Association are among the charities that have benefited from Rotary donations in the past 12 months.

Linda Emery, Mayor of Thame and former Thame Rotary President also attended the event.

Marius Ciortan, spokesman for the Rotary Club of Thame, said: “It was a great evening, as the representatives of the supported charities shared with us the way the donations will be spent.”

Hannah Asquith from Chilterns MS Centre, wrote to the club: “Your donation will help us continue to provide support and treatment to 330 people with multiple sclerosis, every week.”

Daniel Bates of Stroke Association said: “We would like to thank all Thame Rotarians who were involved in running events on Know Your Blood Pressure Day and raising awareness of the link between high blood pressure and stroke.”

Sandra Davison, Chair at Friends of Thame & District Citizens Advice Bureau, wrote to the club to thank it for their donation and added: “Advice and information on every conceivable subject continue to be sought by members of the community, in particular those concerning employment, debt, housing and relationship difficulties. The donation from Rotary will enable advisers to attend specialist training courses and help to maintain and update IT equipment within Thame bureau.”

Thame Rotarians busily continued their work in the local community last weekend June (June 25-26)with more volunteering, cooking barbecue food at Barley Hill School Fundraising Fete on Saturday, and stewarding Thame’s 10k race on Sunday.

Marius concluded: “To continue and to expand our fundraising and volunteering activities in the months and years to come, we are looking for even more support from the local community. We would welcome new members from Thame, Chinnor, Long Crendon and neighbouring villages who can join our world of fun, fellowship and fundraising. To express your interest to join our vibrant club, please visit www.thame.rotary1090.org or like us on www.facebook.com/thamerotary “

‘IF more people in this world made and ate cake, there really would be less trouble and war. Surely politicians wouldn’t make so many silly decisions if they had a nice Victoria Sponge in front of them. It really is the answer to Happiness and World Peace!’ So, says Lotte Duncan, Patron of the Thame Food Festival 2016.

The second Big Thame Bake is now open for entries, and Thame Food Festival wants as many aspiring bakers as possible to rise to the occasion for local good causes.

There’s a category for every baking age and skill level and, not only are there some fabulous prizes to be won but also the chance to meet some of the biggest names in the world of baking, including Great British Bake Off’s Miranda Gore-Browne, Chetna Makan and Richard Burr. Bread making legend Richard Bertinet, will be coming all the way from Bath to judge the Big Thame Bake alongside Belmond Le Manoir aux Quat’Saisons’ Benoit Blin, Adam Johnson and Mark Peregrine.

Natalie Coleman will be looking after the children’s category and ‘chocolate man extraordinaire’ Will Torrent will judge the chocolate cakes!

Lotte Duncan is especially kean for local businesses to take part too: “From pubs to estate agents – hairdressers to florists – we want to see just how competitive you really are,” she said.

You can explore the various categories on the Thame Food Festival website. All of the money raised will be split between a donation to the Thame Food Bank and to help ensure that Thame Food Festival can continue running for another year.

“Your cake really will make a difference,” concluded Lotte. For inspiration and cake photographs from last year, click HERE

THAME’S award-winning Neighbourhood Plan, feted by government and The Royal Town Planning Institute (RTPI), and promoted as being ‘enshrined in local planning policy’ and ‘with the force of law behind it’, is now likely to have to be reviewed to include 600 more new homes – on top of the 770 catered for in the Neighbourhood Plan.

South Oxfordshire District Council has commenced a public consultation on its latest Local Plan which will set out plans for new development across the district to 2032.

Thame Town Council remains opposed to the additional 600 new homes which it believes will threaten the viability of Thame’s facilities such as education, medical provision and recreation facilties, and turn Thame into what one town councillor called a ‘conurbation’ rather than a Market Town.

‘No evidence’ that further growth is needed

The town council had previously challenged the draft local plan, back in March 2015, when one councillor declared: “… there is no evidence that further growth is necessary to maintain vibrancy and, indeed, such may well harm the built heritage, character and structure of the town.”

In its draft plan, SODC states: “If a review of the neighbourhood plan does not adequately progress with allocating sites (and has therefore at least been submitted to the Council) within 12 months of adoption of this local plan 2032, planning applications for housing in Thame will be supported…” Or as one town councillor put it at last night’s Thame TC Neighbourhood Plan Continuity Committee: “We are being threatened with allowing developers a free-for-all.” (Read the complete Draft Plan HERE – chapter 10 relevant to Thame)

‘Flood the foyer’ urges councillors

A public consultation meeting is to be hosted by SODC on Saturday, July 2, in the committee room at Thame Town Hall, and the Continuity Committee is urging all Thame residents against any change to Thame’s new housing numbers to ‘flood the foyer of the Town Hall’ on Saturday (11am) and support the town council in it’s objection to ‘dumping more houses on us!’.