Thame.net

Author: Sonja Francis

  • 03/07/13….Join police in 24 hr burglary tweetathon

    THAMES Valley Police is hosting a 24-hour burglary tweetathon today, (3/7) and tomorrow (4/7) as part of its summer burglary campaign.

    The Force will be tweeting about the burglaries reported to its control rooms between 8pm today and 8pm tomorrow, as well as the work being undertaken across the Force to tackle burglary and support victims of burglary.

    Burglary has fallen 20 per cent across the Thames Valley Police area, compared with figures for 2011/2012. This is 1,751 fewer victims of burglaries for the year ending March 31, 2013.

    Oxfordshire 227 fewer victims
    Berkshire 1,131 fewer victims
    Buckinghamshire 393 fewer victims

    For the first two months (Apr/May) of this financial year (2013/2014) compared with last year there has been a further 14 per cent reduction in burglary, which is a further 156 fewer victims. This is the lowest recorded for seven years.

    Working together with colleagues in the Control Rooms and Enquiries Department, Crime Reduction, and officers from across the Force, there will be heightened activity on Thames Valley Police?s Twitter accounts surrounding burglaries on Wednesday and Thursday.

    The purpose of the tweetathon is to provide the public with useful information on how they can lessen their chances of becoming a victim of burglary and to inform them of the work the police are doing to ensure that burglary is further reduced across the area.

    During the summer months, we all like to spend time in our gardens making the most of the warm weather, but it?s all too easy to forget that you may have windows and doors open at the front of the house, making it easy for a burglar to gain access to your home and your belongings.

    Assistant Chief Constable (ACC) John Campbell, said: ?Thankfully burglaries continue to fall across the Thames Valley, however preventing and solving burglaries still remains a priority for the Force.

    ?During the tweetathon, Thames Valley police will be releasing information to inform the community and educate the public about burglaries as they are reported to us.

    ?The Force actively uses social media to engage with our communities. By using social media in this way, I hope the Force is able to continue building relations with the whole of the Thames Valley community. We hope the public will find our approach an interesting and informative experience and will gain useful crime reduction advice.?

    Police Crime Commissioner, Anthony Stansfeld said: ?I highlighted reducing burglary as one of my key priorities and I am delighted that the number of burglaries in the Thames Valley continues to fall.

    ?The tweetathon is a great opportunity to share some important crime prevention advice as well as inform communities about the work being done by Thames Valley Police to ensure that burglary continues to reduce.?

    ACC Campbell and PCC Anthony Stansfeld will be conducting a live web chat from 12pm on Thursday (4/7), to take part follow us on Twitter.

    For crime reduction advice take a look at our summer burglary page on our website.

    Members of the public can get involved by re-tweeting our tweets or using the hash tag #TVP_burglary, follow us and get involved @ThamesVP

    SOURCE: Contributed

  • 03/07/13….Last call to enter Gemstone Midnight Walk

    ?LAST CHANCE? CALL TO ENTER FLORENCE NIGHTINGALE HOSPICE GEMSTONE MIDNIGHT WALK??plus details of route – Help the Florence Nightingale Hospice Charity (FNHC)
    reach 750 walkers ? is the message from as the Midnight Walk draws ever closer, with 660 ladies (increasing by the day!) already signed up to take on the popular walking challenge, taking place on Saturday, July 13, from start-point Aylesbury College.

    The event, now in its fourth year, is the Charity?s biggest fundraising event of the year and to date has helped to raise over

  • 03/07/13….Ever fancied treading the boards? Thame Players wants you!

    THAME Players is a vibrant theatre group with over 200 Members and Friends, founded over 60 years ago and presenting a wide variety of quality productions ever since: from Shakespeare to pantomime, musicals to high drama.

    The Players run five productions a year. Have you ever wanted to tread the boards or work backstage? Perhaps you feel more inclined to come and help ?front of house? selling programmes, checking tickets, assisting on the bar and generally helping our patrons enjoy their visit to the theatre ? in which case call Tony Long 07938 857291 or e-mail thameplayers@aol.com

  • 03/07/13…..Women can swim for just

    WOMEN throughout South Oxfordshire have the opportunity swim for just

  • 02/07/13…Chinnor RFC to play London Welsh

    AS part of its fiftieth anniversary celebrations, Chinnor RFC, which is based in Thame, will be playing a pre-season match against The London Welsh.

    The contest, on Saturday, August 17, will be a real test as this ex premier league club is to remain in Oxford based at the Kassam Stadium and will be looking to win the Championship league and return to the Premier league ASAP.

    Chinnor’s pre season training starts soon for the senior sides with Craig Chalmers, ex Scotland and British Lion, now heading the coaching team at Chinnor RFC.

    There will be two other pre season friendlies in preparation of the start of the leagues. These are:

    August 10th – Coventry away ko 3.00pm
    August 24th- Tonbridge Juddians home ko 3.00pm

  • 02/07/13…..Watches, television and jewellery stolen in burglary

    THAMES Valley Police is appealing for witnesses after a burglary at a house in Wheatley.

    Between 12am on Saturday 22 June and 12am on Sunday 23 June, offenders gained access into a property in Kelham Hall Drive by kicking in the rear door leading to the lounge.

    Once inside, the offenders searched the house and stole three men?s watches, a 42ins flat screen television, an Apple iPod, a Kindle, a Nokia mobile phone, jewellery and the key to a Vauxhall Vectra. The car was not stolen.

    Police are appealing for anybody who has information about this incident or the stolen property to come forward.

    Anyone with information should call the Thames Valley Police 24-hour non-emergency single number 101 and ask to speak to PC Claire Ashton, Didcot Local CID at Didcot police station.

    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 crimestoppers-uk.org (opens new window).

    No personal details are taken, information is not traced or recorded and you will not go to court.

  • 02/07/13.. CORRECTION: Get set, go! for Thame 10K

    FOLLOWING amended information, the first Corporate team was Limping Sprys and not CPM as previously reported

    HUNDREDS of supporters, family and friends turned out on Sunday to cheer on the 1000 entries for this year’s Thame 10K race.

    So many runners wanted to take part in this annual event, that entrance had to be closed as early as May, and those who were quick off the mark at submitting their applications set off at 9.30am on the dot, from Thame Leisure Centre, following the Phoenix Trail.

    Although the day started a little bit on the cool side, it soon warmed up and once again it turned out to be a lovely hot day for the run!

    Claire Novak of Thame Runners, said: “Exactly 813 runners finished with chip times but here were some late stragglers who came in after they stopped the chip timing. There were several withdrawals due to injuries.

    “Thame Runners expect to allocate between 2.5-3k to several local charities which will take place around September time.”

    James Bolton from Woodstock Harriers was the fastest senior male (32.32)and Jane Ovington (38.08)of Marshall Milton Keynes was the first Senior female.

    Jack Hobbs was the the fastest Thame resident over the line with a time of 37:09 and the first Corporate team was CPM, the sponsors of the event.

    Supergran Team of around 25 members of an extended Asian-origin family living in Oxford raised

  • 01/07/13..PBs a plenty for Thame swimmers

    THAME Swimming Club was in action at the Bletchley 25m pool for the City of Milton Keynes (CMK) L3 Gala over the weekend (June 22/23) coming home with no less than 106 Personal Best times.

    Head Coach Ian Blyth was supported by coach Rob Briars and Team Managers Tony Collins and Andrew Newton to get the squad into action. The squad put in a strong performance overall putting in 127 swims to turning it those 106 PBs.

    Grace Gilmore put in some great swims in the Girls 13/14 years age group: 1st 400m Freestyle in 4.46.20, 2nd 200m Freestyle and 3rd 400m IM as well as making it to the 100m Freestyle final and achieving a fifth place, going home with a ull fset ? Gold, Silver and Bronze!

    Lydia Devitt also took Gold with a 1st in the Girls’ 13/14 years age group 100m, back in 1.12.21. Whilst Hannah Hawken in the 15 years and over age group, made the 100m Freestyle final, achieving a fofth place in 1.04.62. Also in the 100m Freestyle final was Girls Squad Captain and soon to be coach, Rachel Newton achieving eighth place in 1.06.90.

    The boys had a cracking weekend and there were several new members of the sub-30 club for 50m freestyle as well as some great PBs. Nacho Mendi in the 13/14 age group made the 100m Freestyle final and walked away with a Silver medal for his second place in 59.31. Boys Squad Captain, James Goetz was back in action for the first time since the ‘counties’, due to illness and A-Level exams. To his surprise he PB?d in the 50m Free, 100m Free and 50m Breaststroke and made the final for the 100m Freestyle in the 15 yrs and over age group taking sixth place in 1.01.51. His old training buddy, Dominic Holmes, took fifth place in 1.01.00. Elliott Riley Brown shot off in the 400m Freestyle putting in a huge PB.

    Head Coach Ian Blyth nominated the sub-30 club as his best swims of the gala, so congratulations go to:

    Ines Devitt 2nd 50m Freestyle 29.83

    James Newton 50m Freestyle 29.93

    Ben Williams 50m Freestyle 28.96

    Ian Goetz expressed his thanks to the Thame volunteers and officials whose work enabled the squad to have such a great weekend. He also thanked Steve Price, Sol Devitt, Conny Gilmore, Mark Simms and Brian Pridmore for officiating.

    Thame Swimming Club’s squad was also back in action over the weekend of June 29/30 at the Hillingdon Gala. Report to follow.

    SOURCE: Contributed

  • 01/07/13….Charity in spadefuls from Thame pub

    A deputy pub manager from Thame has landed herself the first seat on a plane to Kenya next year to take part in the life-changing experience of planting a forest in a week, on a new conservancy project on the northern boundary of the Serengeti-Mara ecosystem.

    Serena Toh, who works at The Thatch in Thame, lined up against a group of other hopefuls to compete for one of just 11 places on a volunteer trip to the region next year. The challenge came from the company behind The Thatch, North Aston based Peach Pubs, who have set up a new charity initiative The Peach Foundation to raise money for two causes close to Peach?s heart, the communities its pubs are based in and the future sustainability of the planet.

    Peach has always supported local and sustainable projects through The Thatch, for example by fundraising for Barley Hill Primary School to buy a greenhouse for the children to grow fresh fruit and vegetables; the pub donates 25p from every Caesar salad it sells to support healthy schools campaigns in the area.

    This year it has created a foundation to help small organisations further from home in their bid to leave the world better than they found it, a cause Peach also champions. The first stage is to give financial and practical support to the Enonkishu Conservancy in Masai Mara, Kenya, to create a sustainable mix of tourism, forestry and Masai traditional farming to help preserve one of Africa?s increasingly fragile ecosystems.

    Manpower ? or in this case spade-power – is a key part of this; Serena will be helping to plant 10,000 trees in the space of a week when she goes to Kenya in January, as she explains.

    ?I was put forward by my boss, Frazer Sutherland, to take part in this challenge. To earn it, I took part in a mastermind-style competition where I and my team mates answered quick-fire questions on our menu and our regulars ? what their names are, what they do, what they like to eat and drink, that sort of thing. We had to show we were heroes of hospitality.

    ?I was very surprised to win ? though I think my five years at the pub helped ? and I?m really excited to be visiting a part of the world I?ve never been to before,? she says. ?Finding out about the conservancy has really opened my eyes to what?s going on there, and how important it is to do what we can to help. This might be a small step from a small group of us, but I?ll be able to tell people in the pub about it and hopefully open their eyes too.

    ?It?ll be a great experience to be part of, and I can?t wait to swap my day job of working in a pub to helping people on the other side of the world. Though I?ll have to get practising with the digging to get a bit fitter ? Frazer?s promised me a pink spade!? she adds.

    The company will be nominating 10 other ?Peach Heroes? from its pubs over the coming months, who have done something exceptional in their work or gone the extra mile in some way, to join Serena when she flies to Kenya in January. As well as planting the forest, the team of volunteers will take part in activities that promote sustainable farming, forestry and tourism in this part of Africa.

    SOURCE: Contributed

  • 01/07/13…So, what have the people of Thame been reading?

    WELL, if donations are a measure it?s 50 Shades of Grey. During the past few months almost a hundred copies of the risqu