Author: Sonja Francis

WHILST the future of the England’s place in the European Union is becoming a national talking point, the union between Thame and its twin town of Montesson in France, continues to grow and strengthen. Friends from Thame’s twin town of Montesson, near France, have been visiting the town for 14 years, hosted by Thame families, and last weekend proved to be one of the most memorable.

Inspired by last September’s arrival in Montesson, by members of the Haddenham Hillbillies Cycle Club who had cycled from Thame, four Montessonaise did the ride in the other direction, arriving in Thame on Friday evening, May 8, shortly after a coach load of their fellow townsfolk. Despite encountering the fiercest winds for many months, causing one of them to actually be blown off her bike- twice, they made it to Marlow on the fourth day, Friday, where they were met by a contingent of Haddeham Hillbillies and friends, and High Wycombe Cycle Club, and escorted over the Chilterns into Thame.

At a welcoming reception at Thame town hall, they were congratulated by Linda Emery, Chair of Thame and District Twinning Association, and later, the Mayor of Thame, Jeannette Matelot Green, and presented with a souvenir, framed certificate of their epic achievement, by Justin Shardlow of the Haddenham Hillbillies.

On Saturday, the French visitors were treated to a visit to the magnificent National Trust property and school, Stowe House and gardens, where they enjoyed a tour of the house with a French-speaking guide and explored the vast and magical gardens, created as ‘an earthly paradise’ with lakeside walks, bridges and temples. On Sunday, the Thame hosts and French visitors came together to share a communal champagne reception and lunch at The Three Horse Shoes pub in Towersey, before setting off back home via the Channel Tunnel.

Spokesperson for Thame Twinning, Julie Fitzsimons, was delighted with the way the work of her hard-working committee had paid off. She reported: “The Montessonais could scarcely have recovered from their return trip when they flooded my inbox with cheery emails, bursting with thanks for the lovely weekend and for the very warm welcome we gave them.

“This year’s group included several people who were visiting England (let alone Thame!) for the first time, and they were particularly touched by our generous hospitality.

“On behalf of the entire Twinning Committee I would like to thank all those who were able to be involved this year – the 14th year (!) of receiving guests from Montesson. We can take heart from this annual coming together of friends, both old and new. The notion of twinning might be considered an old-fashioned one, but making and maintaining links in this way is becoming increasingly important when the wider trend seems to be towards division and fragmentation.”

Plans are already being made to celebrate the 15th anniversary of the Thame-Montesson ‘jumelage’, with another adventure – a walk from London to Thame next May, involving members and friends of both twinning associations.

HAVE you got unwanted tools in the back of the shed, the garage or in the loft? Why not ‘dig them out’ and take them along to the Rotary Club of Thame’s, annual collection, coming soon? The Rotary Club of Thame is asking the public to check their sheds and lofts and bring their old tools to the main car park of Thame, near the Market House in Montesson Square, on Saturday morning, May 30, between 10am and 1 pm.

Every year the Rotary Club of Thame runs a collection point for unwanted tools. These are then taken to ‘Tools for Self Reliance’ at Netley Marsh near Southampton, a charity which refurbishes them and sends them to NGO’s in Africa. The NGOs then distribute them FREE to men and women who use them to obtain work.

Rotarian Erroll Bateman said: “The Rotary Club of Thame would like to encourage everyone to check their garages and lofts and bring their unwanted items to us, to give the craftsmen in Africa a chance to put their skills to good use for the benefit of their community, as we believe it is a worthy cause.”

Items which can be collected include sewing machines, tools used for plumbing, carpentry, metalworking, building, bicycle repair, shoe repair and car repair. Unfortunately, no garden tools can be accepted. Here is the full list:

• Good quality Singer round-bobbin hand machines – because spare parts are easily available in the UK and all over Africa for these old but solidly-built machines
• Electric sewing machines. These need to be in good working order and be capable of zig-zag stitching and embroidery. A foot controller and instruction manual, though preferable, are not essential
• Plumbing tools – especially heavy duty floor-standing pipe benders
• Arc welders (240V, stick type) plus accessories
• Carpentry tools – especially large carpenters vices, metal jack planes, tri-planes and drawknives
• Building tools, especially builders squares and corner trowels
• Engineering and metalworking tools – especially HSS twist drills, metric taps & dies and hand-operated bench grinders
• Bicycle repair tools – especially spoke spanners
• Shoe repair tools – especially skiving knives
• Auto-mechanics tools – especially heavy duty foot-pumps, tyre pressure gauges and piston ring compressors
• Electrical repair tools – especially multi-meters and de-soldering equipment
• Industrial/professional quality power tools – especially heavy duty drills and bench grinders
• Blacksmiths tools – especially anvils and leg vices
• Overlocker sewing machines

These collected items will be taken to the very well equipped TFSR depot at Netley Marsh where they will be refurbished by a group of retired engineers, before being packed into containers for shipment to African countries. From the port of arrival they are taken by members of the organisation to villages to help the people become more self-reliant.

For more information visit thame.rotary1090.org or facebook.com/thamerotary

JUST as the news of another earthquake in Nepal had hit the headlines, the Oxfam Bookshop in Thame, which has been taking donations since the first quake struck on April 25, has announced that so far the people of Thame have donated £3,000 to its Nepal Appeal.

The Assistant Manager of the Thame Oxfam Book Shop in the Cornmarket, Marianne Parslow, said: “We are delighted with the response from the people of Thame and thank them for their generosity.”

Marianne added that the shop is currently in need of more volunteers, of all ages, to help out in the shop over this very busy time. Contact Dick Jennings of Marianne Parslow on 01844 214645, if you would like to find out more about volunteering for a few hours a week.

The news from Thame’s namesake in Nepal, which was so badly affected by the first earthquake, is that there have been no further casualities but that any progress made in the last few days in rebuilding the houses, has been put back by the shocks felt in the village today. Everyone is still very nervous and sleeping under tarpaulins or in tents.

To find out how you can directly help the people of Thame in Nepal, visit the ‘Thame to Thame’ facebook page LINK. Donation details are there, and lots of photographs and news from the village and the surrounding area.

THAMES Valley Police is appealing for witnesses following a burglary (non-dwelling) in Thame.

Between Saturday (09/05) and Monday (11/05) offender(s) forced access to a garage at a property in Chowns close. An attempt was made to steal a vehicle by pushing it out of the garage, but was unsuccessful. Nothing was stolen.

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 any 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 TOP hospitality group has chosen Raquets Fitness Centre in Thame, to launch its first title sponsorship of a national, corporate sporting event.

Asian hospitality group, Meritus Hotels & Resorts’ Meritus Squash UK Invitational 2015, will bring together its key representatives, business partners, and corporate clients in the region for a series of on -and off -court activities aimed at promoting greater interest in the sport of Squash, and excellent opportunities for networking and camaraderie amongst the participants.

Meritus Squash UK Invitational 2015 commences in July, this year, with monthly qualifying play-offs held in various squash venues across the United Kingdom, culminating in the final match and championship award, scheduled for November, at Racquets Squash Club in Thame.

In the lead-up to the finals, world-ranked British squash players such as Alison Waters and Will John will be lending their support through exhibition matches and guest appearances, alongside other top-seeded squash athletes.  The event will also benefit Cancer Research UK, the cancer research and awareness charity for the prevention, diagnosis and treatment of cancer.

“This sporting event presents a unique opportunity for us at Meritus to add value to the business activities of our customers in the UK by offering them a platform for meaningful interactions,” said Guy Fotherby, Director of Marketing and Business Development UK, for Meritus Hotels & Resorts.

“At the same time,” he added, “we are pleased to contribute towards raising the profile of the sport whilst also elevating awareness for the Meritus brand in this market.”

For more information about Meritus Hotels & Resorts, visit their website: LINK and to find out more about Racquets Fitness Centre and Squash Club, visit their website: LINK

FOLLOWING last Friday’s epic count for the election for 36 seats at South Oxfordshire District Council, the dominance of the Conservative party has increased, with 33 wins for them, just one for the Labour party and one for the Chair of SODC’s Scrutiny committee, Liberal Democrat, David Turner.

The Henley Residents party had one member elected.

Representing Thame,  David Dodds (both a Town Councillor and SODC Cabinet Member for Waste, Parks and Thame) was re-elected to the district council.  Thame Town Councillor, Nigel Champken-Woods, as well as former Lib Dem, and until this latest election, an Independent Thame Town Councillor, Jeannette Matelot Green (both former Mayors of Thame), were both elected for the first time, representing the Conservative party.

The make-up of the previous district council administration, which consisted of 48 seats before the recent boundary changes, was Conservative 32,  Labour 4,  Lib Dem 4 and Independent/Other parties, 8.

FOLLOWING  a letter from Thame to the people of our town’s namesake, severely damaged by the recent earthquake in Nepal, a reply has been received from Dr Kami Temba Sherpa, on behalf of residents of Thame, Nepal. The letter reads as follows:

Dear Mr Hunt and Town Councillors, We the residents of Thame village are very touched to receive a letter from our namesake town in England in this difficult time.

Thame is a traditional Sherpa village located in the Everest Region. It is located in off-the tourist route receiving only few tourists. The majority of the people of Thame are still largely dependent on subsistence farming, yak herding and seasonal mountaineering.

Thame village (upper Thame and lower Thame) are the two most impacted villages in the Everest Region affected by the massive earthquake struck on April 25 2015.  Two people have lost their lives and nine people were badly injured. There are approximately 100 houses in Thame. All the houses have either been badly damaged or collapsed. The traditional houses with slate roof (more than 80% of the houses in Thame) were completely flattened, whereas the remaining houses with corrugated galvanized iron roof have been severely damaged requiring major reconstruction.

We have a lower secondary school in our village constructed by the Himalayan Trust. All the facilities of the school with around 70 students enrollment have also been severely damaged. Currently, the classes are being conducted outside in open space under temporary tents. The Thame health clinic supported by Kunde Hospital that serves the residents of Thame and surrounding villages is also badly damaged.

There are a few organizations, which have been providing immediate relief support in our village, but our main concern is to rebuild our community in the long run. The residents of Thame are currently in needs of support for rebuilding the community including rebuilding individual houses, school facilities, health clinic, community centre and cultural monuments. We would really appreciate if Thame town in England can support us in rebuilding our community.

On behalf of the residents of Thame, I,  Kami Temba Sherpa would like to thank you for your genuine concern and willingness to support our community. I am a resident of Thame and currently serving as a medical doctor at Kunde Hospital.

We are looking forward to work together to link the two communities of Thame-Thame.

You can read the original letter sent on behalf of Thame (Oxon) by the Town Clerk, Graham Hunt, HERE

AFTER today’s tense, four and a half hour-long count at Thame town hall today, the long wait for prospective town councillors is over.

The winning candidates and the number of votes polled for each are as follows:

BRETHERTON David – Liberal Democrat 1000
BUTLER Don – Conservative 1596
CHAMPKEN-WOODS Nigel – Conservative 1371
COWELL Paul – Independent 854
DIXON Nichola – Conservative 1390
DYER Mike – Conservative 1309
STILES Mary – Labour  984
WYSE Tom- Independent 1090

Thame South

AUSTIN Bob – Independent 1218
DEACOCK Mike – Conservative 1523
DODDS David – Conservative 1858
EMERY Linda – Independent 1004
FICKLING Helena – Independent 1111
JONES Catherine – Independent 1127
LAMBERT Peter – Independent 1195
MIDWINTER Ann – Independent 1498