Burglaries and Burglary (non dwelling) – Thame area
On Thursday 5th December between 11am and 9.40pm a property in Elm Close, Tetsworth, Thame was broken into. Offender(s) forced entry and stole items including a laptop and jewellery.
ON Thursday 5th December between 10am and 7.30pm a property in Rectory Road, Great Haseley, Thame was broken into. Offender(s) have forced entry to a window and stole silverware.
Between 5pm on Wednesday 4th and 11.05am on Thursday 5th December a shed in High Street, Chinnor was broken into. Offender(s) have forced entry and stole two chainsaws.
Please be extra vigilant. 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 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.
THE achievements of talented young people in South Oxfordshire, including those of a young swimmer from Thame, were recognised at a special ceremony on Wednesday (04/12).
Young Achiever, Grace Gilmore receiving the Simon Burnett Competition Trophy 2012 at the Spread Eagle Hotel.- Image Courtesy of Thame Swimming Club
In all, 27 people between the ages of 11 and 18 were each awarded with certificates and a cheque for up to £250 to mark their accomplishments in art, sport and citizenship.
Grace Gilmore, a very successful member of Thame Swimming Club, received the Sport Award for achievements in swimming. Grace’s swimming has already earned her the Simon Burnett Competition Trophy 2012, for the Most Competitive Swimmer, by her club. This is awarded to the swimmer with the most points from races at all galas between January and December, and was presented to her at the club’s recent presentation evening at the Spread Eagle, Thame, by GB Olympic swimmer, Simon Burnett’s Mother, Melanie.
The Young Achievers Presentation event which took place at Benson Parish Hall, and was hosted by the Chairman and Vice-Chairman of South Oxfordshire District Council, Dorothy Brown and Ann Midwinter, and was part of the Young Achievers Scheme which recognises young achievers in the fields of arts, sports and citizenship.
Also among the 25 young people given awards on the night were Ben Smith, of Tiddington, Charley Noble, of Great Milton and Ellie Noble, also from Great Milton – each of them earning a Sport Award for Achievements in Cricket.
Last Friday I attended the Public Consultation on the imminent planning application for development of The Elms parkland but my fears for its future remain.
Proposal for development of land at The Elms for housing
I witnessed heated exchanges between the public and the developer’s planning team (Barton Willmore); hardly surprising as nobody I have met approves of the development of the Elms, other than those who stand to gain financially or suffer loss of reputation for having persuaded Thame to adopt a Town Plan with The Elms Development woven into it. I was surprised by the abrasive manner of the Barton Willmore team, given the invitation to a public consultation, and their brief was clearly not to listen to public concerns, but rather to dismiss them as unfounded.
The event was lacking in detail with no information packs for the public to take away. Conceptual designs were unclear and scales of buildings were misleading (even the architect admitted this). The proposed new public footpath through the Thame Memorial Garden area had been removed from the display drawings but remained on the plans submitted with a Barton Wilmore/Rectory Homes report released in the Gazette on the same day.
Back in the spring of this year we were told that by voting for the Thame Town Plan we would be ensuring that we had a say in the future housing development of Thame. One has to ask is this being borne out? Do any Thame constituents want 44, or for that matter any, houses on The Elms parkland? Meanwhile the Town Plan continues to win planning awards and Thame Councillors pat themselves on their backs. It is ironic that an article was published on page 22 of the Gazette last week entitled “Another award for Thame’s popular plan”. After accepting the award Cllr Dyer apparently said “that it was further recognition of Thame’s leading role in planning, despite the Council (Thame Town Council) having little to no previous experience in the area”. This is rather worrying as the developer’s planning consultants, Barton Willmore, told me that the design of the proposed dwellings had been heavily influenced by Thame Town Councillors (and notably apparently not the Conservation Area Advisory Committee, English Heritage, SODC Planning Conservation, Thame Historical Society, the Neighbourhood Police Team or John Hampden School).
Certainly the integrity of the Town Plan is to be tested by the Elms planning application, which Barton Wilmore said will be submitted after Christmas. Do the people of Thame really want to lose valuable green space within the town to yet more infill overdevelopment? The developer is claiming that they will enhance Elms Park, when in reality they will be hijacking it to compensate the overdevelopment of their own site. The proposals include the moving of the multi-use games area, which is considered undesirable next to the prestigious development; excluding social housing, which will apparently be traded off for an investment in the Angus Fire site; and landscaping of the Elms Park, which is an innovative cover for disposing of excavated construction spoil at the cost of destroying the mediaeval ridge and furrow land archaeology which is still clearly visible in Elms Park.
Support can be lodged at elmspetition@hotmail.co.uk or leave your name and address at Petcare. Richard Jeffries Thame
MEMBERS of Thame’s Twinning Association are back in England after a successful visit to Thame’s French twin town, Montesson, for the annual Christmas market, having raised welcome funds from selling English tea, cakes and marmalade, and Christmas crackers!
Vic Watson from Thame & District Twinning Association is visited by two elven friends of ‘Père Noël’ during the Montesson Christmas Market
The team of Thame twinners who travelled to Montesson, Nigel Champken Woods, his wife Alison, Julie Fitzsimmon and Vic Watson, made a profit of almost £300 which will contribute to welcoming a Montesson party of residents to Thame next May, 2014.
Nigel commented: “It was hard work, but in the end we practically sold out of everything. Unfortunately we had to disappoint our first customer who asked for shortbread biscuits which we were unable to take over this year, something that’s usually a big seller at the Montesson market. It was very cold but as usual great fun!”
Find out more about The Thame and District Twinning Association by visiting its website HERE
DOG owners who exercise their pets in the Cuttlebrook Nature Reserve are being asked to be more considerate, following an increase in dogs fouling the footpaths and disturbing the wild life.
Cuttlebrook volunteers during the recent BBC Oxford broadcast from the reserve
The Management committee are considering putting up more signs aimed at reminding dog owners of their responsibilities. Next year is the 21st anniversary of the reserve and there will be a special exhibition at Thame Museum sometime in the new year. Find out more about Cuttlebrook Nature Reserve on Facebook HERE
A Have Your Say meeting is being held on Wednesday December 11, at the Co-Op Cafe, High Street, Thame, between 10am and 11am.
Please come along, this is your opportunity to speak with your neighbourhood officers to discuss any local issues of concern you may have. If you are unable to attend but wish to speak with your neighbourhood officers, please call 101.
WITH cycling becoming more and more popular in Thame, a new cycle club has sprung up. Thame Cycling Club has been formed by Alasdair MacVarish of Cromwell Avenue Thame.
SINCE the publication of this item, the Manager of the Oxfam Bookshop has clarified the details of the wrapping service. Shop volunteers will wrap items purchased in the shop, using the customer’s Gift Wrap if they so choose and bring it with them, otherwise they can sell customers a roll of the shop’s own wrapping paper.
“If the customer does not wish to buy a full roll,” says Dick Jennens, ” we can use ours but we would encourage them to empty their pockets and purses into the donations tin.”
SINCE the launch of the Philippines appeal, over 100 local people have made the journey into the Oxfam Bookshop in Thame and donated generously to this appeal. But as the Manager, Dick Jennens says: “The bad news is still happening!
A Syrian child refugee struggling to keep warm (Courtsey of UNHCR)
While we in Thame are looking forward to beginning the Christmas festivities on Friday with our fun, Dickensian Christmas, Oxfam has launched its Syria Christmas Appeal, “Twelve Days of Giving” with the aim of raising £1 million.
Dick explains: “With winter approaching the plight of the Syria refugees is bleak. The children face a dire Christmas this winter. So far Oxfam have helped 250,000 people but we plan to help 650,000 refugees in Syria, Jordan and Lebanon over the winter season.
“The volunteers of the Oxfam bookshop in Thame have set a target of raising £1,500 during the twelve days of this appeal. The volunteers are planning to hold a ‘Have Your Purchases Gift-wrapped for Christmas’ on Tuesday, December 17, in exchange for a donation to this appeal. They provide the paper and ribbon is necessary.
“Please help and donate to the Oxfam Christmas Appeal.”
WHAT better way to walk off some of the over indulgence of the Christmas festivities, than to join this year’s Mayor’s New Year’s Day Walk around Thame?
The Cross Keys, Thame, where the Mayor’s New Year’s Day walk will finish
The walk will take in St. Mary’s Church, Thame Leisure Centre, Phoenix Trail, Chinnor Road and finish at The Cross Keys pub for a light lunch.
Lunch on offer: Chilli con carne with rice – £5. All proceeds go to the Mayor’s two charities, Safari and Thame Players.
Please contact Andy Gunn Tel: 01844 214295: or email: andygunn41@yahoo.co.uk to advise of your participating and for further information, and to let the organisers, 21st Century Thame’s Environment group, know of your dietary requirements.
Date: January 1, 2014. Walk to start: 11 am at Thame Town Hall.
CHINNOR RFC’s motto of the day was clearly “defence wins matches” as they squeezed the life out of London Irish Wild Geese to record an away victory of 27-16, on Saturday (30/11).
Chinnor Captain, Liam Gilbert
From the kick-off, Wild Geese attacked vigorously and were rewarded with two quick penalty goals from Oscar Thomas to go 6-0 ahead on the sixth minute. With almost their first use of ball in the opposition half, Chinnor, through Frank Jones, exploited some pace out on the right. Quick hands from Liam Gilbert put Marston 15m from the line with three defenders to beat. A drop of the hips and some hard running saw Marston dot down for Chinnor’s opening try. Millett’s conversion put the visitors ahead 7-6 ahead with nine minutes on the clock.
Three minutes later, Thomas for the Wild Geese slotted his third penalty goal to put the home side 9-7 ahead. Chinnor’s Daniel Barnes was forced to leave the field after a lengthy delay suffering the effects of receiving his second, late armless tackle. Keohane, for the Wild Geese, kept his backs moving across the park in an effort to find a hole in the Chinnor defence. With the match being played almost exclusively in the Chinnor half for long periods, the Oxfordshire boys managed another breakout and were rewarded with a penalty which Millett dispatched to put Chinnor ahead 10-9 on 22 minutes. Rapid handling from Chinnor, on another breakout from one side of the field to the other, saw Harrison take the ball at top pace from behind his back, control it and touch down in the corner to put Chinnor 15-10 ahead on the 27th minute. Millett added the extras for a 17-9 lead.
After a further 10 minutes defending on their 22, Chinnor again broke out and, with fluidity and high skill, worked the blindside to allow Fielding to ghost through for a try under the posts. Millett converted to put the visitors 24-9, a score they defended until the half-time whistle.
The second half started with a Wild Geese attack in the Chinnor corner. After about 10 minutes of scrums and lineouts, Chinnor managed to clear their lines. It did not last long as Wild Geese took play back again to the same corner. With the Irish pack starting to gain ascendancy in the scrum, it only seemed a matter of time before a pushover try was awarded to the home side. Chinnor, however, repulsed everything thrown at them and managed once again to clear their lines. 19 minutes of play was concentrated five metres from the Chinnor line and Wild Geese’s only reward was one lineout, which they lost. It could not have been any more frustrating for the home side.
Chinnor then had the cheek to break out from their 22m citadel to gain three points, courtesy of a penalty goal from Millett on the 65th minute. Wild Geese came right back and again and laid siege to the Chinnor line. With play now well into overtime, Keohane eventually broke the Chinnor line to score under the posts. Converting his own try with a quickly taken drop conversion, Keohane closed the deficit to 27-16. Chinnor defended the last few seconds and slumped to their knees when the final whistle sounded, exhausted from their extraordinary defensive effort.
London Irish Wild Geese did not play like a team perilously close to relegation. They attacked freely and moved the ball well but were unlucky to come up against a side who knew how to defend. The Geese had a number of opportunities out wide but the Chinnor scramble defence was always up to the task.
In the first half, Chinnor defended comfortably and attacked with skill and pace to score their 3 tries – playing some of their best rugby of the season. Their defensive resoluteness and physical strength in the second half was a thing of wonder, given the relentless pressure from the home side.
Nick Harrison had a storming game in the first half and the whole team, impressively led by Liam Gilbert, was immense in the second half. However, new boy Jamie Townsend gave a man of the match performance – tackling fiercely, throwing accurately and, most of all, carrying the ball with power and purpose.
Chinnor: George Blewitt, Joe Marston, Matthew Goode, Dan Barnes, Leo Fielding, Will Millett, Frank Jones, Nathaniel Titchard-Jones, Jamie Townsend, Joe Winpenny, Tom Mowbray, Andrew Tibbats, Adam Hastings, Nick Harrison, Liam Gilbert (c) Replacements: Tom Whelan, Ian Stock, Andrew Smith, Sam Angell, Ricky Hopwood
