Thame.net

Author: Sonja Francis

  • Emergency road closure tomorrow – Kingston Hill

    LOCATION: Northern end of Kinston Hill and junction with the B4009High Street, Kingston Blount – Aston Rowant Parish.

    REASON: to facilitate urgent repairs to a telegraph pole and reconnection of telecommunication services

    DURATION: Starting 10am Thursday 5th February 2015 – for two hours

    Road Sign

     

     

    (Traffic Regulation Notices cover a maximum of 5 consecutive days.)

    ACCESS: limited access will be maintained for emergency service vehicles and for frontages within the closed section of road, subject to the progress of the works

    SUGGESTED ALTERNATIVE ROUTE:
    Via Kinston Hill, A40 Aston Hill, B4009 Chinnor Road and vice versa

  • Chinnor Road to be closed for five days

    TEMPORARY Road Closure – B4009 Chinnor Road, Aston Rowant Parish, from 75 meters east of junction with Aston Rowant Road.

    REASON: to facilitate installation of new culvert under the B4009

    DURATION: Starting on Monday, February 16, 2015. (Traffic Regulation Notices cover a maximum of 5 consecutive days.)

    ACCESS: limited access will be maintained for emergency services and for frontages within the closed section of the road, subject to the progress of the works.

    Road SignThe anticipated completion date is Friday, February 20, 2015.

    SUGGESTED ALTERNATIVE ROUTE: Via South West on B4009, North West on A40 London Road, Postcombe, North East on B4012 Thame Park Road towards Thame, East on B4012, Wenman Road, South East on B4445 Thame Road, towards Chinnor, B4009 Station Road, Oakley Road, Crowell Rod, Chinnor Road, Kingston Blount, Aston Rowant and vice versa.

  • Thame Travel company changes hands

    THAME’S independent Travel business owner, Bryony Hordern, has retired after fifty years in the travel industry, and has sold the business, Tickets Anywhere, to Spear Travels.

    Bryony Horndern, who hands over the reins of Tickets Anywhere, after 33 years
    Bryony Horndern, who hands over the reins of Tickets Anywhere, after 33 years

    Bryony set up Tickets Anywhere 33 years ago, and by handing the business on, will make it the tenth in Spear Travel’s portfolio.

    All four staff at the Greyhound Walk shop are being retained by the new ownership and the shop has been rebranded as Spear Travels.

  • Cake shop wants to get Thame baking

    THE popular cake-baking supplies shop in Thame, A Piece of Cake, will be celebrating its thirtieth anniversary in May, and is inviting everyone to bake a cake and enter its baking competition.

    Jenny walker (left) and Norma Laver, of A Piece of Cake
    Jenny walker (left) and Norma Laver, of A Piece of Cake

    Joint owners of A Piece of Cake, Norma Laver and Jenny Walker, explained: “The competition is open to anyone of any age; professional and hobby baker alike. There will be three children’s sections, by age, so please get your kids to have a go! There are no rules. Choose what you would like to do.

    seans_choice_crendon_beds“There will be no schedules to abide by. We just need entrants to let us know the amount of space they will need.”

    Entry forms are available at the A Piece of Cake shop in Upper High Street, Thame, or by email via: sales@sugaricing.com. Otherwise an entry form and full details can be downloaded from A Piece of Cake’s website www.sugaricing.com

  • And we’re off! General election canvassing begins in Thame

    IT looks as though canvassing for the General Election in May, is getting underway already in Thame, with the town’s MP, John Howell, spotted door-stepping around some parts of Thame.

    Howell_canvassing2015 (397x400)

    At this stage in the run up to the elections, it is known that those standing against the imcumbant will include Sam Juthani, the Parliamentary Labour Candidate. 

    seans_choice_crendon_bedsMark Stevenson will be the Prospective Green Party candidate for Henley in the general election on May 7, 2015,  and the Liberal Democrat  Candidate will be Susan Cooper, whose formal adoption meeting is on Friday, February 13. Susan lives in Ewelme, Wallingford.

  • It’s all white in Thame!

    THAME awoke to a blanket of snow this morning, which meant a two-hour drive to Aylesbury and even longer for bus passengers to Oxford, but for two-year-old Lily Hinton from Thame, it was her first experience of the fun of building a snowman.

    snowman_Feb03_2015 (399x400)

    By mid-day, temperatures had risen though and much of the snow had melted away, and the sun was shining by 2pm. Although temperatures are due to drop in the early hours of Wednesday morning, no more snow is forecast for Thame, according the BBC website.

  • Should Nelson Street be made one-way?

    FOLLOWING comments from some local residents, Thame Town Council has asked the County Council (OCC) to propose making part of Nelson Street, Thame, one-way.

    nelson_st_one-way (400x246)

     The  town council has reported on its website: “We have received  several comments from concerned residents about vehicles mounting the pavement in order to avoid oncoming traffic, sometimes narrowly missing pedestrians. The proposed traffic regulation aims to combat this and improve traffic flow around this area of the town.”

    The town council has asked that objections to the proposal, specifying the grounds on which they are made, should be sent in writing to Traffic Regulation Team, Director for Environment and Economy, Speedwell House, Oxford, OX1 1NE no later than Friday, February 13. 

    seans_choice_crendon_bedsFurther details of the proposal can be viewed on request at the Town Hall Information Centre.

    Increased traffic problems in Nelson Street has been one of the concerns of The Elms Petition Group whose supporters are against a proposed housing development on land at The Elms, in Upper High Street, Thame, and others.

     

     

  • Fears for future road safety after Thame child hit by car

    A THAME resident has hit out against potential dangers for road users created by the Thame Neighbour Plan, after a school child was hit by a car in Thame this morning.

    school_signPark Street resident, Richard Jeffries, said: “This morning a child was apparently hit by a car *which failed to stop* at the John Hampden School crossing (*Ed. This has not yet been confirmed by Thames Valley Police*).  I have personally witnessed other near misses when cars failed to stop for red lights. The situation is exacerbated by the low morning sun directly in the eyes of drivers leaving Thame. When Thame had a traffic warden she used to stand at the crossing to give some further enforcement as she appreciated the danger.

    “Park Street is a dangerous road, and will be rendered even more so with the increased loading of traffic as a direct result of the ill-thought out Thame Neighbourhood Plan. The traffic safety issues along Park Street have long been raised and ignored by local councillors, yet Ludsden Grove, which is a ‘no through’ road leading to Barley Hill School, already has a 20MPH speed restriction and better signage (than Park Street).

    How could this be? “

    seans_choice_crendon_beds

     

    The ambulance service has confirmed that a child was treated at the scene of a collision between a pedestrian and a vehicle, in Park Street, Thame, but fortunately, did not require to be taken to hospital.

  • Thame to host National Junior tournament this weekend

    YOUNG squash players from all over the country will be battling for National Junior ranking points this weekend (January 31/Feb 1) when Racquets, Thame, hosts the Racquets Junior Open tournament – an England Squash sanctioned event for juniors aged from 9 to 16 years-old.

    15 year-old Nick Harbour
    15 year-old Nick Harbour

    Racquets’ Squash Academy coach, Sue Martin Downhill, said: “This weekend Racquets junior, Ollie Coulcher-Porter, age 9, and Nationally ranked 99 in the Under 11s, will compete in the Mixed Under 11s against girls and boys who are likely to have been playing since they were 4 or 5 years of age and have a year or two of experience in national ranking tournaments. We are sure that he will do himself and Thame proud.

    “In the Under 15s Nick Harbour (UK #46) will be looking to take the top spot as he is seeded Number 2. His matches against his arch nemesis, Marcus Tranter (UK #25), have been close recently with the results going either way. This weekend will be quite a showdown.

    “Ben Hedger (UK #63) is seeded 3/4 in the Under 17s. Ben is playing well again after a recent injury and will be hoping that it won’t recur under the strain. He has the capacity to do very well but he will meet the Number One in the semi-final, Todd Bennett, who is ranked #34 in the National Under 17s rankings – a full 29 places above him.

    “We wish all our players the best of luck,” said Sue, “and if anyone would like to come down and watch, the rounds will be played throughout Saturday from 10am. Some of the finals will be on Saturday evening from around 5pm and on Sunday.”

  • Fancy a garden tour and lunch at la Manoir?

    A real treat lies in store this summer at Belmond Le Manoir aux Quat’Saisons, Raymond Blanc’s stunning Oxfordshire country house hotel at Great Milton. On Wednesday, July 1,  the legendary two Michelin star restaurant is laying on a special lunch and summer garden tour for visitors to this year’s Thame Food Festival, offering a truly unforgettable day out.

    manoir (400x267)

    What’s more, as avid supporters of the festival, Raymond Blanc and his team from Le Manoir are arranging this fabulous day at an exclusive price, making it an unmissable opportunity to spoil a foodie friend or loved one or simply yourself!

    Snap up your place today and you’ll enjoy a superb behind the scenes visit to one of the country’s most luxurious hotels. You’ll arrive at Le Manoir at 10.30am where delicious home-made biscuits and coffee will await you, before heading off in small groups for the garden tour. With the expert gardeners by your side, you’ll walk through the inspiring two acre plot, taking in all its impressive features.

    Admire the tranquil Japanese tea garden created by landscape designer Robert Ketchell; the beautiful English water garden which is fed by natural springs and was founded by the monks who lived in the property in the 16th century; and finally La Vallée de Champignons, the unique mushroom valley. Inspect the immaculate vegetable and herb gardens which supply the chefs with over 90 different varieties of freshly grown organic vegetables and 70 types of herbs, and the colourful flower and herbaceous beds in the main garden, in all their summer glory.

    Soon it will be time for lunch in the elegant setting of La Belle Époque private dining room. Here you’ll enjoy a superb four course lunch created especially for you by the skilled chefs in Raymond Blanc’s kitchen, using some of the amazing seasonal produce you’ll have seen growing in the garden. Each course will be matched with selected wines and afterwards coffee will be served while you sit back and relax in the glamorous surroundings of this intimate room. Take your time to soak up the atmosphere before you leave having had a wonderful experience.
    Click on the link below to be one of the lucky few to experience this event:

    http://www.thamefoodfestival.co.uk/garden-tour-and-lunch-at-le-manoir/