ON Wednesday, November 13, between 12.45 am and 7.10am, a vehicle was stolen from Cuttle Brook Gardens, Thame. The offender(s) stole a grey BMW 325, partial registration PN58 *** from a driveway.
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 Aylesbury Road roundabout in Thame had to be completely closed to traffic last night, when a car caught fire, causing considerable congestion in the surrounding roads for around two hours.
A Fire Engine from Thame attended the incident at 8.20 last night, where it found the car ablaze in the middle of the road on the roundabout. Andy Ford, Watch Manager at Thame fire station, said: “Due to the location, we had to close the roundabout completely whilst Fire crews in Breathing apparatus extinguished the fire. The driver had got out of the car and suffered no injuries and once the fire was extinguished we were able to winch the car to the side to allow the roundabout to be re- opened.’ The car was in a dangerous location so the we had to close the roundabout to ensure the safety of Fire fighters and other road users. It remained closed for about an hour, which did cause a great deal of congestion in the area, and was reopened as soon as it was safe to do so.
SPREAD the word to all Thame’s over 70s! Places are now being reserved for the annual Thame Christmas Tea Party, inviting them to celebrate the festive season with friends, old and new.
The party is being organised jointly by Thame Rotary, Thame Football Partnership and Thame Town Council.
Savouries, cakes and drinks will be served at the Thame Football Club, Meadow View Park on Friday, December 13, from 1.30 pm-4 pm and entertainment will be provided by the Mayor, Cllr Peter Lambert, who will lead a sing-a-long, and pupils from John Hampden School will be singing carols.
Transport to and from the venue is available should any guests require it and should be booked at the time of booking a place at the party. Seats must be reserved by contacting Rosie Collins at the Information Centre at the town hall, either in person or by phone on 01844 212833, or email rosie.collins@thametowncouncil.gov.uk
AS well as bringing thousands of visitors to Thame on the day, the Thame Food Festival, as a Not-for-profit Community Interest Company (CIC), helps raise funds for local good causes and last night (Tuesday), local charities were presented with a total of £2,370 raised through the event’s parking and the tombola stall.
Lotte Duncan (left), Ken Bruce and Harriet Hieat-Smith from Thomley Activity Centre, in Worminghall, nr Thame
The festival parking, including the red, double-decker bus, Park and Ride scheme operating for the first time, was manned by volunteers from Thame Lions, Thame Rotary, Thame Boys Football and the Cornerstones church. The local charitable organisations which accepted cheques last night included Thomley Hall (£500), which BBC radio presenter, Ken Bruce, accepted on its behalf with Harriet Hieat-Smith, from food festival Director, Lotte Duncan. Ken’s son is a regular attendee at Thomley’s activities days.
Roger Blackburn of Thame Lions Club accepted a cheque for £550 from the Deputy Mayor, Jeannette Matelot Green, which Roger explained would go towards a trip to the panto for Thame SAFARI, and some to supporting Thame Young Carers. Jeannette herself, as this year’s President, then accepted a cheque for £550 on behalf of Thame Rotary which will be divided between SAFARI, Sharing Life Trust, the Thame and District Day Centre and Thame players.
Robert Ellis of Thame Lions presented a cheque for £100 to Carlo Abreu and Frank Thompson of the Thame Football Partnership as a donation for Thame Boys who assisted with the parking at Southern Road Rec. during the festival. Robert Ellis of Cornerstones Church presented a cheque of £150 to church members,John Bancroft and Michael Bradley and then John handed the cheque on to Steve Eyre and Phil Stratton as a donation to the Thame Food Bank.
The Thame Food Bank also benefited from the Tombola held during the food festival, when a cheque for £520 was presented by Jeannette Matelot Green (current President of Thame Rotary) and Roger Blackburn, to Steve and Phil.
John Hulett gave an illustrated presentation about the valuable work of the Thame Food Bank, and Phil Stratton and Steve Eyre, explained the work of the Sharing Life Trust, including the newly launched Thame Community Bank.
Lotte Duncan thanked all the volunteers for their vital and stirling work in co-ordinating and managing the festival parking, and emphasised to everyone that the Thame Food Festival is run by volunteers as a CIC, and that none of the Directors take any money out of the festival, the only paid employee being the Administrator, Alison Isherwood.
The Mayor of Thame, Peter Lambert, now a successful publican and brewer in Thame, brought the evening’s presentations to a conclusion with a moving reflection on how a food parcel from his parents had brought much-needed help to him, his wife Trudi and their children, six and a half years previously when he lost his pub business, his lively-hood and the family’s home.
FANS of that classic combo of beer and bangers will be as happy as pigs in clover at The James Figg in Thame tonight, when the pub stages not one but two of its most popular events in one night.
The popular James Figg Pub in Cornmarket, Thame
Firstly, the friendly free-house will be giving regulars and new faces alike the chance to come along and meet some of the brewers who craft the real ales and award-winning lagers that go down so well in its bar, and try their wares.
They’ll get to taste some of the great new local brews that will be making an appearance on the pumps this season, including those created by master brewers at The Vale Brewery Company in Brill, The XT Brewing Company in Long Crendon, The Hook Norton Brewery from the Oxfordshire village of the same name, The Purity Brewing Company a little further away in Great Alne, Warwickshire, and Sharp’s Cornish Pilsner, which won the title of World’s Best Lager in 2013.
On top of supping, they’ll also get the chance to take part in ‘Ale Idol Live’, where they get to vote on which beer is their favourite from all of these great brewers. After doing a tasting of all the beers, they’ll get to cast their vote on which brew they like the best from each brewer, and that beer will go on the pump at The James Figg’s for the rest of November and all of December.
Then, because all of this will be hungry work, everyone will be able to tuck into some serious tucker laid on by the pub. Landlord Thomas Goldsmith – Goldie – will be handing round some tasty sausages and other meaty snacks, to wash down the refreshing beers.
Beers at the James Figg pub in Cornmarket, Thame
“We love a great pint and a great sausage and don’t think you can beat the combination of a great British banger and a beer,” says Goldie. “So we thought we’d do our bit to celebrate this great British tradition and serve up big helpings of both on a special night we’re organising at the pub.
“We thought we’d make it hands-on and have some fun, so are asking people to come along and vote for their favourite brews from some cracking brewers. If you fancy having a go, and seeing your favourite beer behind the bar for the rest of the year why not join us? Come along and make your vote count while you have a great night out!”
‘Ale Idol Live’ starts at 7pm TONIGHT. No need to book but turn up on time if you want a front row seat. The James Figg is at 21 Cornmarket, Thame, Oxon, OX9 2BL. Tel: 01844 260 166. www.thejamesfiggthame.co.uk
MEADOW View Park, the home of Thame United, was the venue last Saturday (09/11), for a charity fundraising event organised by the Thame Jazzercise group, all proceeds of which went to the male cancer charity MCAC.
Frank Thompson (left), General Manager at Meadow View Park, Bob Vincent (centre) and Frank Millar (right), all volunteered to be waxed for charity on Saturday morning.
Not only did they raise money on-line, but tickets were sold to watch the event. The ladies watching the procedures showed no sympathy when it came to the pain being inflicted – in fact they all seemed to be enjoying it far too much !!
Over £1,500 was raised on the day for the charity. Jazzercise instructor, Sue Morris, said: ” The guys were fantastic and were such good sports. Every penny raised makes such a difference and this takes our total fundraising figure over the past six years to over £78,000.”
For information about Jazzercise classes at Meadow View Park and other venues contact, Sue Morris on 07752 448026
WITH the success of the Thame Food Bank, which has handed out 300 food packs in the first few months since its launch, came the awareness among its organisers, the Thame Alliance Group (TAG) that the problem of debt is a part of the lives of some residents in the town.
Phil Stratton (TAG), Mayor of Thame, Peter Lambert and Steve Eyre (TAG)
As an alternative to the somewhat notorious ‘Payday loan’ companies, which can trap borrowers into more and more debt with ever growing interest rates, TAG decided to set up a fair, safe, ethical and affordable alternative. Yesterday, the Mayor of Thame, Peter Lambert, helped launch the Thame Community Bank, at the Town Hall, where the bank will be based.
Information about the Thame Community Bank and how it works can be found HERE and on the website: www.thamecommunity bank.org So, how can local people and businesses get involved?
1. Become an ethical saver yourself 2. Promote the bank to other people and businesses 3. If you run a large business, become a Corporate Member and involve your employees by ‘payroll deduction’ 4. Help build the ‘Loan Guarantee Fund’ to help the bank absorb the inevitable but small proportion of ‘bad loans (around 9%) and for emergency funds for people in crisis
The Thame Community Bank is a branch of The Swan Credit Union, a not-for-profit financial cooperative with members belonging to the Milton Keynes Credit Union and Aylesbury Vale Credit Union.
IT is with great sadness that friends and family have reported the death of Ray Hawes, aged 75, formerly of Long Crendon, near Thame, on Sunday, November 3, after a long battle with cancer. He died peacefully at home in Mt Pleasant, Charleston, South Carolina, USA.
The late Ray Hawes photographed during a trip to Australia
Ray was an outstanding local sportsman, one of the best of his generation. He was a very talented cricketer and golfer and also played table tennis and squash. Moreover, he was a charismatic, generous person, who touched many peoples’ lives.
Ray was born in Aylesbury and spent his childhood and early married life in Long Crendon. He went to Lord Williams’ grammar school in Thame, leaving after the fifth form to work with his father, Willis, at Crendon Concrete, afterwards forming Hawes Farm Buildings. He moved to Grendon Underwood in 1980 and then to Devon for several years before moving to the USA. He first resided in New Hampshire before settling in Charleston, South Carolina, where he established his businesses.
On the cricket field Ray opened the batting firstly at Thame CC, where he set records of scoring 1,000 runs in consecutive seasons in the 1960s. He captained the club before moving to Aylesbury CC after which he then played county cricket for Bucks. He became the first Aylesbury batsman for 20 years to score 1,000 runs and went on to captain the club for many seasons in the 1970s. He also played for SOA (South Oxon Amateurs)and later for Devon over 50s. It is believed he achieved the remarkable feat of scoring 100 centuries over his career.
Ray was also a single figure handicap golfer. He was a member of Oxford City (Southfield) and Buckingham golf clubs. He was a founder member of Five Star Events, an Oxfordshire organisation running golf events for local charities and was its President in 2009/10.
Whilst in the USA, Ray went on to patent a number of inventions. In 2000 he set up Rapid Deployable Systems Inc, which marketed his structures that enables bridges, such as the Bay bridge in San Francisco and the one in Detroit linking the US and Canada, to be enclosed for repairs or maintenance. He then obtained the contracts for the US Navy fleets in Norfolk, Virginia and Seattle to enclose their aircraft carriers. He was recognized by the US government for his innovative work which resulted in him having dual American/British citizenship.
Most recently he invented the framework for a category five hurricane proof house, made from aluminium. The house was the first of its kind and engineered to withstand winds speeds of up to 157 mph as well as earthquakes up to eight on the Richter scale. These houses are built by one of Ray’s companies, Cat Five Houses of Charleston.
Ray is survived by his wife of 55 years, Maureen (nee King) who was born in Thame, sisters Daphne, Margaret and Sylvia, his four children-Nina, Julia, Angela and Geoff, and nine grandchildren.
Ray will be sorely missed. His funeral will take place on Thursday, November 14, in Mt Pleasant. His family intend to hold a memorial service in England in due course.
ONCE again, there are to be FREE Christmas parking days throughout South Oxfordshire in the run up to Christmas, including in Thame.
The annual free parking tradition is provided by South Oxfordshire District Council in December to encourage people to shop locally for their Christmas presents.
The move also helps to boost the local town centre economy, with specific free parking days being agreed with the individual town councils depending on which day would best suit local traders.
At times when free Christmas parking is available people do not have to display a parking ticket.
Cllr Judith Nimmo-Smith, cabinet member for economic development and parking at South Oxfordshire District Council, said: “We are delighted to again be offering free parking on selected days in the run up to Christmas. Hopefully residents will respond by supporting their local traders and making the most of the wonderful choice of potential presents that can be found throughout the district.”
Drivers will be able to park for free in South Oxfordshire District Council car parks as follows:
Thame – all day on Saturdays 7, 14, and 21 December Didcot – from midday onwards on Tuesdays 3, 10, 17 and 24 December Goring – all day on Saturdays 7, 14, and 21 December Henley – all day on Saturdays 7, 14, and 21 December Wallingford – from midday onwards on Thursdays 5, 12 and 19 December.
HUNDREDS of people of all ages gathered in glorious autumn sunshine at the War Memorial in Thame yesteday (Sunday 10/11), to remember those who lost their lives in war.
After a welcome by the Mayor of Thame, Peter Lambert, and prayers and eulogy from local clergy, representatives from the armed services, the police, the fire service, the various local councils, youth groups, Community Groups and Forces cadets, processed with great dignity and reverence to the steps of the War Memorial one at a time. Here they laid wreaths of the red poppies that have come to symbolise the blood shed and the memory of all the dead of all wars since the First World War.
Old soldiers and those returned from recent conflicts, including Afghanistan, bowed their heads thoughfully, as their medals and badges, so carefully cleaned for the occassion, glistened in the sunshine as brightly no doubt, as their memories of fallen friends and relatives.
Conspicuous by his absence this year, was Arthur Staggs, the war time spy, who lived out his post war years in Thame until his death this year at the age of 100 years. Arthurs poem, For You Alone, probably sums up the spirit of the occasion for most of the people who collected together yesterday for this shared contemplation of loss:
For You Alone
However busy I may be Whenever we’re apart There’s still a shine of memory Deep down within my heart Where I preserve your image dear Forever to remain And thoughts of you bring constant cheer Until we meet again
