Author: Sonja Francis

OXFORDSHIRE’S Fire and Rescue Service has reassured the public that plans are in place to cope with potential strike action.

The Fire Brigades Union’s (FBU) call for a strike comes after national negotiations on pay and pension reform failed to reach an agreement.

As part of contingency planning, Oxfordshire Fire and Rescue Service had been trying to get an agreement locally, based on a national protocol signed up to by the Trades Union Congress (TUC) with the government in 1979, which allows workers to carry on doing life and business-saving activities during strike action. 

However, to date, the FBU locally have refused to sign up to such a protocol. However, an agreement has been reached between Oxfordshire Fire and Rescue Service and the union to provide major incident cover for emergencies that require eight fire appliances or more and respond to any national emergencies during any potential strike action.

Cllr Rodney Rose, Deputy Leader of Oxfordshire County Council, has expressed frustration at the union’s decision to ballot firefighters in support of a strike. He said: “It is a real disappointment that we haven’t been able to agree a way forward. I hope that this dispute can be resolved quickly and firefighters can get back to what they want and the public expects, which is to protect the community. At least here in Oxfordshire there has been strong forward planning to mitigate negative impacts of strike action.”

Arrangements in place

Oxfordshire County Council’s Fire and Rescue Service has also arranged for emergency cover to be provided by Securitas, who have been specifically trained to support the fire and rescue service, and will include the provision of three fully crewed appliances for the duration of any period of industrial action. This is in addition to the cover already provided by the use of staff that are not engaged in industrial action. 

Control room staff will not be affected by any potential industrial action and will continue as normal.

It is thought Oxfordshire is the only part of the UK outside London that has such an arrangement. Chief Fire Officer David Etheridge said: “Oxfordshire residents should be reassured that we have been planning for some time to develop strong resilience arrangements, which provides me with the confidence to give the assurance that while this will not be our usual response standards that levels of fire cover will be in place for those who have to dial 999 during any strike.”

THE Chair of the Thame & District Twinning Association, and friend to Arthur Staggs, who has died at the age of 100 years, has today paid tribute to the late Honorary Citizen of Thame.

Jeannette Matelot Green, herself like Arthur was, half French, is also a former Mayor of Thame and the current Deputy Mayor. She said: 

“Lieutenant Arthur Staggs will be remembered with awe and admiration for his brave record fighting with the Resistance. He was a great asset to the twinning association.

“Our French friends from Montesson loved to talk to Arthur and felt honoured to meet someone with a Legion d’Honneur. Arthur would say that, yes, he was English, but his heart was French. Arthur loved to converse in French at every opportunity, speaking to sixth form students at Aylesbury Grammar or helping French conversation classes. 

“He used his Gallic charm to win over all the ladies he met. He will be so sadly missed, but remembered as a hero who lived for a hundred years.”

PHOTO: The late Arthur Staggs, proudly wearing his Legion d’Honneur, when he attended a meeting of Thame Rotary back in January.

VOLUNTEERS working at the Cuttle Brook Nature Reserve in Thame have been working to complete a new bridge to replace the old, worn-out bridge, offerimg improved disabled access with easier ramps and better turning space. 

Dave Watkins, the designer of the new bridge, said, “This has been a huge achievement for the Volunteers, with hundreds of hours of work going into it. Since it was first put in place in 1995, the old bridge was always well used, but it had got very ‘tired’ and was too small for mobility scooters, so an upgrade was needed. 

“It’s taken a couple of years to get to this stage but it is very satisfying to see such an impressive replacement spanning the brook.”

The bridge has been designed with, and built by the volunteers and funded by Grundon Waste Management Ltd through the Landfill Communities Fund, obtained through the Trust for Oxfordshire’s Environment (TOE2) organisation and Thame Town Council, with practical help from the Council’s maintenance team. 

Cuttle Brook Conservation volunteers are a group of local residents who meet once a month to care for and maintain the Nature Reserve. They carry out hands-on tasks such as mowing paths, building and maintaining boardwalks, creating seats, laying hedges, protecting reed beds, tree planting, pollarding, pond digging and improving access for all. Further details and more photos of the new bridge can be found on the Cuttlebrook Facebook page:

https://www.facebook.com/CuttleBrook?ref=ts 

A THAME man who worked as a secret agent in German occupied France during World War II, has died, after a long and distinguished life.

Arthur Albert George Staggs, was born in 1912 in London but after his mother died when he was two years old, his father, who had joined the Royal Engineers in 1914 and was fighting in France, met and married a French woman who spoke no English. Arthur spent a year in France and attended an Ecole Maternelle becoming bilingual, a skill that was to save his life during interrogation by the Gestapo.

As a member of SOE during the war, Arthur underwent wireless training at Thame Park Radio School. After his very eventful and action-packed war, Arthur returned to England where he met and married Elizabeth Wickson and settled in Thame. Their daughter Anne was born in 1945. (Read more about Arthur’s remarkable and colourful life HERE)

Arthur was presented with his award as an Honorary Citizen of Thame in 2010, by Tim Stevenson, the then Lord Lieutenant of Oxfordshire, during a special party held at Meadowcroft care home in Thame, where Arthur spent his last years. 

In May last year (2012), he was presented to HRH Camilla, the Duchess of Cornwall, when she accepted the Freedom of Entry to the town on behalf of RAF Halton.

Arthur was one of the great characters of Thame, regularly asking to be wheeled down to the town centre to meet the traders whenever a French market came to town, and was often the guest of honour at social occasions organised by the Thame and District Twinning Association, when guests from Thame’s twin town, Montesson, near Paris, were over for the weekend.

A statement from the town council reads: “Arthur will be greatly missed. Our sincere condolences go out to his family, friends and all those who knew him. 

“Although a time of sadness, we hope that the thoughts and memories of this outstanding individual and member of our community will bring comfort to all.”

Arthur enjoyed writing poetry and the following poem was used by Arthur as a code when contacting London or receiving messages:

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