INTERNATIONAL opera singer, Adrian Thompson, who regularly performs in Thame, has recently explained why he thinks the UK should stay in the European Union.
Adrian Thompson
Adrian, who lives in Chinnor, is quoted in the latest newsletter from the Thame and Chinnor Labour Party as describing himself as a Europhile whose work as an opera singer is a good example of how so much of what we do, relies on us being part of Europe. Adrian regularly travels, without any visa restrictions, to Europe to perform, says the newsletter editorial, and many of his students are from Europe adding to the local economy.
“Attempting to bring students or performers in from the US is a much more complicated and fruitless affair requiring a one-for-one transfer,” continues the article. “For Adrian, accepting that the EU is far from perfect, staying in Europe is a cultural and human decision not just a financial one. He hopes the UK can strive for change from a position of strength within the EU.”
You can read the full Thame and Chinnor Labour Party News letter on the group’s facebook page: LINK & The views of Thame’s MP, John Howell, HERE
What is YOUR experience of living and working in the EU? Email YOUR views in no more than 150 words to: editor@thame.net
MASTERCHEF Champion, lovely Natalie Coleman, will be at the Book House, Thame, on Saturaday to launch this year’s Children’s Competition, as part of the Thame Food Festival, on September 24.
Master Chef winner, Natalie Coleman with young Thame cooks at the Thame Food Festival 2015
Natalie will be at the book shop at 3.30 pm. Read more about Natalie and this year’s food festival here: LINK
IT’S that time of the year again when, the morning after Thame Carnival, Thame & District Round Table takes to the river and stages its annual duck race.
The ducks are tipped into the river Thame ready to race. Image – Nick White 2014
The race is a giant floating lottery, with around 2,000 individually numbered rubber ducks literally dumped into the river from the bridge on the Old Long Crendon Road, ably assisted by the Thame crew of Oxfordshire Fire and Rescue and their high pressure hoses when possible.
If you’ve bought a ticket with a number that matches one of the first three ducks over the line, you win a prize, paid in John Lewis vouchers. All other proceeds from the ticket sales are donated to local causes.
On hand to make sure things don’t go smoothly is Captain Ducky, despite the best efforts of the volunteers of Thame Round Table! No one knows what contraption he will create to disrupt the flow of ducks this year but, it’s a safe bet it won’t make it to mess up the finish line…
This year’s duck race takes place on Sunday, June 12. The race starts on the old town bridge, which is accessed from the bottom of Priest End, behind St Mary’s church.
Gates open at 10.30am and the race will start at around 11.00am.
Tickets always sell well, so you may need to be ‘quack’ off the mark if you don’t want to miss out! Tickets are on sale at Thame Carnival, which is held the day before the race. There will also be some tickets on sale at the start line on the morning of the race, although in previous years the event has been known to sell out on the day, so it’s best to buy your tickets in advance if you can.
AN 81 year-old man from Thame is planning a 12,000 ft Tandem sky dive with the Red Devils display team, to raise funds to save Thame’s threatened Children’s Centre.
Errol Bateman training for his sky dive at AirFix, Milton Keynes
Thame Rotary Club’s President Elect, Erroll Bateman, will be making his daring dive with the Red Devils at Old Sarum, near Salisbury, in early July 2016, and he hopes that residents from the Thame area will show their support and go along and watch on the day. Errol has been preparing intensively for the past couple of months for his sky dive, and his training has included fitness sessions at Racquets in Thame, and a simulated sky dive at AirKix in Milton Keynes.
Erroll said: “If you feel strongly, as I do, about this worthy, local cause, please do visit the Thame Rotary My Donate page dedicated to my sky dive, and make a contribution. The site will be open until September 1, 2016 long after the jump!”
The Red Kite Children’s Centre, currently located at the old library site in Nelson Street, is one of the Rotary Club’s 2016-17 chosen charities, for which Erroll has already raised £850. However, much more is needed. The centre, which is currently managed by Action for Children, is threatened with closure because of Oxfordshire County Council funding cuts, though efforts are being made locally to seek alternative funding, possibly so that it can be managed locally (See related LINK). Red Kite provides parenting programmes, stay and play sessions, family health services, plus much needed help and other services for young parents and guardians.
Erroll described their work as ‘absolutely essential to the wider community in and around Thame, as well as Chinnor and neighbouring villages’.
This is not Erroll’s first fund raising challenge. In 2006, he with other fellow Rotarians climbed UK’s “Three Peaks” in less than 24 hours, raising over £7,000 for Sight Savers International.
To show your support for Errol and the Red Kite Children’s Centre, and make a donation, folow the LINK
THAME Swimming Club recently achieved its most successful South East Region Swimming championships with a record number of six swimmers competing in a record number of 21 swims.
The ASA South East Region Championships, held in Portsmouth for the 15 plus age group, saw Jo Hewett achieve a Personal Best (PB) in five of her six events and win five medals in the multi-class disability category: two Gold (100 Breast; 200 Free) and three Bronze (100 Free; 50 Free & 100 Back).
Marcus Birmingham PB’d in all four of his events: 200 Free; 100 Breast; came eighth in the 200 Breast Final and took a huge 34 seconds off his 400 IM time.
Harry Block, competing as a first time regional swimmer in the 50 Fly, and came 14th out of 28 swimmers.
The 14 and Under Squad later competed over two weekends in May in Crawley. Lucy Block, who was the club’s youngest ever Regional swimmer, competed well in the 50 Back.
Elizabeth Humphreys also had a fine swim in four events, 50 Free; 100 Free; 50 Back and 200 Free.
Josh Williams swam in 10 events, PB’ing in seven of them and coming seventh in the 200 Free Final and ninth (first reserve) in five further races, 100 Fly; 200 Back; 100 Back; 50 Fly and 50 Back. In his 10th and the final boys race of the Regionals, the 400 Free, Josh managed to take five seconds off his previous Personal Best.
ARRIVA The Shires, which operates the 280 bus route between Aylesbury and Oxford, via Wheatley, Thame and Haddenham, has announced a revised timetable from June 6, due to long-term roadwords planned in Oxford.
Visit the website LINK HERE for more information and the full, revised timetable.
SOUTH Oxfordshire and the Vale of White Horse District Councils have launched an improved, online service for affordable housing.
The Homechoice service now has an Enhanced Housing Options feature, which offers personalised advice to help people find a home or employment.
Just by entering a few personal details, it gives residents a tailored action plan with specific steps for them to follow to make sure they get the best possible housing and employment options suited to their personal circumstances.
Homechoice enables residents to join the housing register and lets them see what’s available and place bids on appropriate properties.
Councillor Elizabeth Gillespie, cabinet member for housing at South Oxfordshire District Council, said: “Providing a few basic details about their housing situation and income, residents will have immediate access to tailored and personalised results and advice. The service is quick and convenient ensuring that our residents receive appropriate advice on both their housing and employment options.”
THE travelling Thame food fan, who set off around the world last year to see if he could find a kebab to beat the offering of the popular Atalay’s mobile kebab van, has decided to settle down for a while.
Dominic Stanway Williams has now decided to settle down in Vietnam, and in his latest blog, describes the food and fun that he has experienced since his last blog.
You can read about Dominic’s chef job on a tropical island in the south of Cambodia, riding a motorbike around the Philipines, the Western diet and obesity and his joy at being able to eat a traditional, English dinner on Christmas day.
So grab a cup of tea or coffee – or a glass of something exotic, and settle down and drift off on a warm and wondrous wander with Dominic. Web link:
FOUR ponies caused havoc in and around Thame by-pass last night, when they escaped from their field through a broken fence.
The ponies safely home in their stable after their adventure!
It was reported that the animals were able to escape through the fence after a car drove down the bank and hit the fence, damaging it. Several local people reported seeing the ponies running around near the Thame Football ground and Skatepark, and Roundhead Drive.
The police attended the scene and Lacey Emptage, who was involved in recapturing the ponies, posted on Facebook to concerned friends: “Can’t believe he (the driver) just walked away. The horses and the public where so lucky. Could of ended very nasty. The horses don’t have a mark on them.”
THAME Town Cricket Club’s 1st XI welcomed Cookham Dean to Church Meadow last Saturday (May 28) and were in the field after losing the toss. Will Rooney and Sam Lachlan set the tone with the new ball, but some strong hitting throughout the innings saw the visitors keep the scoreboard ticking over.
Matt McDonald
A flurry of wickets then put Thame in charge but, in a game that ebbed and flowed throughout, the Cookham Dean tail wagged to reach a competitive 215. In reply, Thame lost key wickets at regular intervals in a stuttering chase. Overseas player Matt McDonald held the innings together with a well made 50 but when he fell, Thame were in trouble. Some late heroics from youngsters Dan Patey and Adam Phippen saw the total within reach, but ultimately it was too little too late as Thame fell just five runs short.
The ‘firsts’ travel to local rivals Aston Rowant this Saturday, June 4.
Second XI remain unbeaten
THAME ‘seconds’ travelled to play Kingston Bagpuize and were asked to bat on a good-looking track. This seemed to be a strange decision as Richard Carr (57) and Andy Jinman (21) put on an opening stand of 86 off just 18 overs. With both openers gone in quick succession however, the Thame innings stumbled to 137 for 7, and it was only a resolute 41 from Liam Evans that enabled Thame to make an aggressive declaration at 200 for 9 off 47 overs. That gave Kingston Bagpuize 53 overs to reach their target and at 100 for 1, with Toby Ricks (51) and Marco Cecchini (44) going well, the home side looked comfortable.
It was the introduction of Ali Thomas (16.3-2-54-4), the return of Ian McStay (17-0-47-5) and a catch by Evan Davies on the boundary that changed the game. The hosts gamely continued to go for the win, as wickets fell regularly, but their innings came to an abrupt end with two wickets in Thomas’s final over. Still unbeaten and heading Division five of the Cherwell League, Thame ‘seconds’ entertain Leighton Buzzard ‘seconds’ on Saturday, June 4.
Third XI fightback to beat Dinton
THAME ‘thirds’ beat Buckingham Town fourth XI by 49 runs at home, and remain undefeated in the league this season. Thame were struggling at 42-5 after 14 overs, but Matt Swain weighed in with a patient 33, and John Phippen ended with 18 not out as they recovered to make a still-disappointing total of 114 all out after 34 overs.
After the tea interval, Nicholas Fuller’s opening blitz of 3 for 20 set the fightback in motion, followed by Vimal Desai, who picked up two wickets and by Scott Chappell’s exceptional performance, including four wickets, two catches and a run out to leave Buckingham all out for 65. Thame ‘thirds’ entertain Dinton ‘thirrds this Saturday, June 4.
