CHILTERN Railways has announced that it will trial running trains to London on Boxing Day for the first time.
67010 powers through Haddenham & Thame Parkway station in a cloud of blown snow back in January 2013; Photo courtesy of Geoff Plumb
Traditionally train companies are closed on Boxing Day so the move is good news for passengers who would otherwise have been unable to travel.
Trains will run from 08 00 hrs to 20 00 hrs with the first train northbound from London to Bicester North at 08 15 hrs and the last to Princes Risborough at 18 45 hrs. Southbound, the first train will run from High Wycombe to London at 08 29 hrs and the last will run from Bicester North to Marylebone at 18 57 hrs.
THE next First Thursday Music Club (FTMC) Open Mic night is on Thursday, November 7, at the James Figg in Thame, and includes one of the hottest bands in the area, SinFiction, in its 10 o’ clock spot. Having recently released their debut album “Led by Verses”, and through their regular gigging, they are attracting a large and rapidly increasing number of followers.
SinFiction will headline at Thame’s First Thursday Music Club on November 7
The band boasts a diverse range of musical influences which include classic rock, dance and heavy metal, bring a natural flair for rhythm and melody to SinFiction’s song writing.
On stage, this combines with acoustic guitars, driving beats and soaring harmonic vocals to create a truly unique sound, resulting in the kind of catchy, memorable rock songs you think you’ve known all your life. “We have a traditional focus on song writing where melody is the most important aspect. Because of this even the more edgy tunes appeal to a wide range of people,” said Danny Brook, the drummer with SinFiction.
Round up some friends, get along, and have a great night out. Anyone can play just by signing up at the venue from 7.45pm. The music starts at 8.15pm.
Check out the club on Facebook “The First Thursday Music Club” or at: www.firstthursdaymusicclub.com where you can find more info’ including contact numbers and addresses for the organisers
Due to unforeseen circumstances, it has been decided, with regret to postpone until the Spring of 2014 the ‘Evening with Chinnor Silver Band’, in aid of Thame and District Day Centre. Originally, this was planned to be held at St. Mary’s, Thame, on Saturday November 2.
Chinnor Silver Band
Those who have bought tickets already may, if they wish, retain them for the Spring Concert or refunds will also be available from where the tickets were purchased.
THAME’S Christmas celebrations this year will see the town’s first lantern parade as part of Thame’s commemoration to the 170th anniversary of Dickens’ ‘A Christmas Carol’. Dickensian London is coming to the streets of Thame on December 6, 2013, from 3.30 pm, and the children of Barley Hill, John Hampden and St Joseph’s Primary Schools will parade around the town centre with their individually made lanterns creating no doubt a truly spectacular sight .
Ice-skating ring, Christmas, Thame 2012
There will be a host of local and regional artists and makers selling original gifts, perfect for filling those stockings as well as numerous food stalls selling everything from traditional Christmas puds to speciality sausages. To keep out the winter chill, mulled wine, hot chocolate and hog roast sandwiches will be for sale.
Everyone is encouraged to dress up in the Dickensian theme and as well top hats and flat caps, dancing shoes will be highly recommended as the band, Ska Souls, late of Music In The Park, will be entertaining the crowds, adding to the party mood. There will also be carols from the local school children, appearances from Thame Players and Stagecoach Theatre School, plus music from the Thame Concert Band and the Thame Chamber Choir.
To get the Christmas spirit flowing, a Top Hat Trail for children and families will run from November 15, tempting them to try and spot all 28 Dickens Top Hats that will be hidden in the windows of the local shops along High Street, Cornmarket, Butter Market, Swan Walk, Greyhound Walk, Upper High Street and North Street.
More details of Thame’s Dickensian Christmas coming soon.
Chinnor RFC’s first team, troubled by injuries and absences, did just enough to squeeze home against a competitive Bishop’s Stortford side 29-27, on Saturday (26/10)
Image courtesy of .pitchero.com/clubs/bishopsstortfordrfc/
Chinnor went into the lead in the third minute after a Millett penalty goal but then suffered a blitz from the visitors from Hertfordshire who scored two tries in two minutes.
Nice interplay from Stortford down the tramlines allied to woeful tackling, saw Cattell score Stortford’s first try. A quick tap from a midfield penalty for a Chinnor offside allowed Mahoney to skip through an absent defence and lay on the second try for Hankin. Walker’s conversion put Stortford 12-3 ahead with just six minutes played.
Three minutes later a scrum penalty awarded to Chinnor was converted by Millett to pull the score back to 6-12. Having weathered the initial storm, Chinnor came back into the match on the 21st minute when a simple passing movement at pace saw George Blewitt in at the corner. Five minutes later, a punishing scrum from Chinnor saw Frank Jones, dart inside his defender and slip the ball to Hastings who crashed over for Chinnor’s second try. Millett’s conversion put the home side ahead 18-12. The third try came courtesy of Corpe who jinked through the Stortford defence to increase the lead to 23-12.
As the half came to a close, Fielding, for Chinnor, was yellow carded and Walker’s penalty goal for Stortford closed the half at 23-15 to Chinnor.
Just two minutes into the second half, Stortford caught Chinnor on the hop when Hankin touched down for his second try of the day to put the visitors just three points behind at 23-20. Millett soothed the crowd’s worries with a penalty goal on the 52nd minute to increase Chinnor’s lead to 26-20.
Stortford then upped the pressure and Chinnor had to endure a ten minute period when Stortford charged at the line continuously. Despite the number of penalties awarded against them, Chinnor held firm and cleared their lines. Stortford came back and, with an apparent knock-on in midfield causing several Chinnor players to stop, Bird went over for a try near the posts and Walker’s conversion put the visitors 27-26 ahead with 13 minutes left to play. Chinnor did not panic and moved the game upfield where a penalty, awarded wide out on the right-hand side in the 74th minute, was converted, with no mean skill by Millett in the fierce wind, to put the home side back in front 29-27. Stortford were not finished but the Oxfordshire boys managed to hold the score and secure a two point victory although outscored four tries to three by their visitors.
Chinnor managed some periods of skilful play but, for most of the match, seemed disorganised and out of sorts. Their period of three tries midway through the first half did much to seal the victory as did Millett’s kicking in very windy conditions. However, for the rest of the match, they were hassled and hurried by competitive Stortford side. Bishop’s Stortford, to their credit, never gave up and will feel irritated that their efforts did not earn them victory. Hastings, for Chinnor, had a fine all-round match with some bullocking runs – doing much to ease the pressure from the Hertfordshire lads.
Chinnor team: Ricky Hopwood, Tristan Corpe, Leo Fielding, Will Millett, George Blewitt, James Cathcart, Frank Jones (c), Joe Winpenny, Ed Vickers, Andy Berry, Sam Blewitt, Andrew Smith, Andy Tibbatts, Nick Harrison, Adam Hastings
Replacements: Tom Whelan, Nathaniel Titchard-Jones, Tom Mowbray, Joe Marston, Sam Angell
THAMES Valley Police is appealing for witnesses following a burglary in Cromwell Avenue, Thame.
Between 4.15pm and 11pm on Saturday (26/10) offenders climbed over a fence into a rear garden. They subsequently climbed on to a flat roof they then forced entry to a bedroom window.
Once inside the offenders carried out an untidy search of the property and stole jewellery.
If you have any information please contact PC Claire Ashton from Didcot police station via the Thames Valley Police Enquiry Centre on 101.
If you don’t want to speak directly to the police you can contact the independent charity Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111 or online at www.crimestoppers-uk.org No personal details are taken, information is not traced or recorded and you will not go to court.
THAMES Valley Police is appealing for witnesses to a serious injury road traffic collision in Thame.
Police Accident sign near the scene of the incident
A single-vehicle collision occurred at about 11pm on Sunday (27/10) on the A329, Rycote Lane, close to the Oxfordshire Golf Club. A blue Skoda Fabia left the road, went through a hedge and collided with two trees.
The driver, a 30-year-old man who was the sole occupant of the vehicle, sustained serious leg injuries.
He was taken to the John Radcliffe Hospital in Oxford where he remains in a stable condition.
Officers are appealing for witnesses to the collision or anyone with any information to contact PC Martin Mann, of the Roads Policing Joint Operations Unit at Abingdon, via the Thames Valley Police Enquiry Centre on 101.
If you don’t want to speak directly to the police you can contact the independent charity Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111 or online at www.crimestoppers-uk.org . No personal details are taken, information is not traced or recorded and you will not go to court.
THAME residents in the Cromwell Road area particularly, are being asked to keep a watch out for suspicious people or vehicles following a burglary on Saturday, October 26, between 4.15 pm and 11 pm at a property in Cromwell Avenue, Thame.
It is not known at this time how entry was gained to the property, the offender(s) havimg stolen jewellery and watches.
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.
FIVE young men from Thame, all pupils of Lord Williams’s school, arrived back in town today, after a road-trip of a very different kind.
Olly Ross, Aiden North, Will Green, Harry King and Zak Rostami (Not necessarily in that order!)
The group reached the town hall at around midday, to be welcomed by the Mayor of Thame, Peter Lambert, after a three day trip from Trafalgar Square to Thame, on skateboards and BMX bikes to raise funds towards the renovation of the local Skatepark.
Though wet and tired from their epic trip of over 50 miles in three days, the lads took the time to pose for pictures and to chat with well-wishers, before pedalling and scooting off home for a well-earned shower. They recalled how yesterday, they had passed the night trying to sleep through the biggest storm the country has seen for over a decade, in a hay barn in Princes Risborough.
The evening before had been the lowest point of the whole trip, when the lads had picked their way in the closing dusk, along badly surfaced lanes, near Denham, in order to get across to the other side of the M40 motorway. But the highlight of the whole trip, they all agreed, was the amazing, adrenalin-fuelled ride down the long hill in Princes Risborough.
There was hardly time though for one of the lads, Olly Ross, to rest because he was due to be interviewed by BBC Radio Oxford about their achievement, later this afternoon. Well-wishers on social media have showered the lads with congratulations all day, and Thame Round Table even issued an invitation on twitter for the lads to join ‘Santa’ on the Round Table’s annual Sleigh ride around Thame, to help with the fund-raising for the Skatepark.
The Thame Skatepark is well-used by hundreds of local young people of all ages, and this half-term week will see many of them gathering together to support and teach each other to skateboard, a facility that will no longer be safe soon for them to do so, unless enough money is raised to compliment a grant promised by Thame Town Council for a replacement.
DESPTE Thame avoiding the worst of the high wind speeds forecast for the Southern half of England overnight, gusting winds early this morning were sufficient to bring down trees in the area and disrupt travel during the Monday morning commute.
Traffic reduced to one lane early this morning when this tree came down on the A418 outside Thame. Picture courtesy of Ben Stock
All Chiltern Railways ground to a halt at one point as a total of 18 trees came down across the network. Trains are running again but delays and disruptions are still likely as the system struggles to get back to normal. More information HERE
Road transport in and out of Thame was severely affected as trees and large boughs came down in several places, including at Scotsgrove and near the Service Station by the Aylesbury roundabout out of Thame.
Arriva bus services were disrupted, including the 280 service between Aylesbury and Oxford.
Residents of Moreton, Chinnor and Risborough all had power cuts, though Moreton came back on by around 9 am.
