JACK Shrimpton and Tim Fields play live in the Racquets Lounge this Saturday, March 9.
If you love live music you’ll Love Jack and Tim. They’re both local and well known about town. They filled the bar on Christmas eve and they hope to do the same again on Saturday – From 7pm till Late.
The event is free to members and guests, so get it booked in the diary and get set for a night of musical entertainment.
SATURDAY, March 9, 7.30pm, St Mary?s Church, Thame. Thame Chamber Choir’s concert – The Greatest Genius? Britten? Byrd? Parry? Elgar? Thame Chamber Choir presents the case for each and the audience chooses the winner and thereby their encore!
Tickets
LORD Williams?s Festival Chorus (LWFC) is performing a stunning programme of choral music by Brahms and Rutter next Saturday, March 16.Thame?s biggest community choir has gained a name for itself as an unauditioned choir which stages concerts to an extraordinary standard ? often with some surprises for the audience on the way.
Choir Chair, Claire Humphries, said: ?We benefit considerably from the profile of our conductor, John Gibbons, and our relationship with the superb Ealing Symphony Orchestra. We often find surprise stella performers on stage with us, like Nicola Benedetti and winners of the BBC Young Musician of the Year! The famous tenor, Adrian Thompson, is so supportive as our president, and Howard Goodall is our Patron. So few amateur choirs have the chance to put on such high-profile concerts with such prestigious soloists.
“Of course during rehearsals, it?s all just fun, and singing the most wonderful music together. Many members say to me that Monday night is the highlight of their week!”
On Saturday 16, LWFC will be performing two sublime pieces by Brahms. Noenia (?Nanie?), or ?Song of Mourning?, and the deeply moving Schicksalslied (?Song of Destiny?). In contrast, the programme also includes the rousing ?Gloria? by John Rutter, who is one of the most loved contemporary choral music composers, and ?The Lake?, from Barry Seaman?s new opera, ?Mirabai?.
Tickets, which are selling fast, cost £13 (£10) are available from Cargo in Thame, from Mrs R Scott-Smith Tel. 01844 344083, or from the web sites:www.lordwilliamsfestivalchorus.org.uk and www.wegottickets.com/event/202401 (search under Beauty and Drama).
CHINNOR RFC seconds completed a season treble over local rivals, Henley, on Saturday. In another closely contested encounter, Chinnor came out on top 20-14.
Having beaten Henley at home in the league and then in the Oxfordshire Senior Cup, we knew this was going to be a tough challenge at Dry Leas.
The game started with a bang as Tristan Corpe ghosted through the Henley midfield defence to score a great try under the posts after only two minutes. The try was then converted by Alex Stephenson. Chinnor had the better of the opening exchanges but with seven minutes on the clock, Henley reduced the deficit to 7-3 with a penalty. This was to be a recurring pattern in the game with a penalty count stacked heavily against Chinnor. The referee’s interpretation at the breakdown left Chinnor players and official baffled.
With defences on top, it took until the 16th minute for the next score with Alex Stephenson converting a penalty from out wide, to make the score 10-3.
Henley then responded in the 26th minute with a well worked try scored in the left hand corner. A missed conversion left the score at 10-8 to Chinnor.
A string of penalties against Chinnor followed. With 25 minutes gone the penalty count was already 12-2 against Chinnor. However, the Henley Fly Half was having an off day with the boot and it was Chinnor who extended the lead through a penalty conversion in the 31st minute by Stephenson.
With a minute left of the half, Ed Rixon was yellow carded and Henley reduced the half time score to 13-11.
Henley started the stronger in the second half and deservedly took the lead, albeit for the first and last time in the game, with a penalty that gave them a 14-13 lead.
However, once restored to 15 men, Chinnor showed some real class. From a ruck in midfield, forwards and backs combined in flowing movements, leading to a great run and offload from Ian Stock to Corpe. His pace enabled him to rip through Henley’s backline defence and after standing up the fullback, he popped a pass inside for Max Williams to score. This was converted by Stephenson to put Chinnor ahead 20-14, a lead they never surrendered despite the continuing penalty count and a further yellow card for Ed Vickers.
Once again Chinnor showed true determination to win with great displays by Hastings, Vickers and Rixon. However, Man of the Match goes to Tristan Corpe (pictured) for his all round display.
SOUTH Oxfordshire?s market towns continue to perform better than most when it comes to the number of shops open along the main high streets, with more than 94 per cent of units currently occupied.
The annual South Oxfordshire retail vacancy survey took place in January across Thame, Henley and Wallingford, with all three towns well below the national average when it comes to the number of empty premises.
In Thame nine out of a total of 183 shops were empty (4.9 per cent), however just one of these is registered as having retail space (as opposed to being more suitable for office space for accountants or solicitors). While this is a positive, SODC who carried out the survey, say that it has raised ‘a slight concern’ about the lack of available retail space in the town centre, a key factor in attracting new business.
Thankfully the turnover of shops in the local area has meant that twelve new outlets have opened and independent traders continue to try out new initiatives to encourage greater footfall and repeat visits.
In Henley, 12 out of the 281 available units (or 4.2 per cent) in the town centre were empty, an improvement from a year ago when 17 properties were unoccupied, and significantly below the national vacancy average which lies around 13.5 per cent. The town has also seen 15 new businesses open in the past year.
In Wallingford the number of empty units was still below the national average, however 15 out of the town?s 140 premises lay empty in January (10.71 per cent, up from 6.4 per cent last year) with one or two larger units notably bare. Five shops have moved premises in the town, while three new retailers opened for business in the last year.
Cllr Judith Nimmo-Smith, Cabinet Member of Economic Development, Property and Technical Services, said: ?By attracting a whole host of unique independent shops, South Oxfordshire?s market towns continue to do significantly better than many other areas around the country when it comes to making sure that we fill empty units.
?By working closely with local traders, partnerships, town councils and landlords on initiatives such as shop wrapping and pop-up shops we continue to provide the support that our towns and traders need to keep up our vibrant high streets.?
Any retailer, business person or entrepreneur who is interested in finding new premises in South Oxfordshire should contact: economic.development@southandvale.gov.uk
AFTER months of consultations and negotiations, a referendum will take place in Thame, on May 2, to decide if the town will adopt a document that will affect local planning decisions.
It is one of the first Neighbourhood Plans to reach this stage in the country having been given the green light by an independent examiner.
In December last year, South Oxfordshire District Council appointed Nigel McGurk to assess the plan. During this process, the examiner held a local hearing which was the first of its kind in the country.
Mr McGurk has now issued his report in which he confirmed the plan is in line with European and national guidance, conforms to South Oxfordshire’s planning policies and contributes to the objective of sustainable development.
In the report, Mr McGurk stated that ‘the Thame Neighbourhood Plan, having undergone an exemplary consultation process, sets out a clear and deliverable vision for the neighbourhood area’. He added: “I am delighted to recommend to South Oxfordshire District Council that, subject to the minor modifications proposed, the Thame Neighbourhood Plan should proceed to a Referendum.”
Cllr Angie Paterson, cabinet member for planning at South Oxfordshire District Council, said: “We join the examiner in congratulating Thame Town Council on this huge achievement. To be among the first in the country to reach this stage is an impressive feat. They’ve done a magnificent job and we would very much like to see this plan agreed and adopted. This is for the residents of Thame to decide and I hope the whole community will turn out to cast their votes.”
Cllr Nigel Champken-Woods Mayor of Thame Town Council, said: “We are absolutely delighted that Mr McGurk has given our plan the green light to go to referendum. We have worked extremely hard with the people of Thame to ensure the plan is sound as confirmed by the examiner and will benefit the town.”
Neighbourhood Planning was brought in as part of the Localism Act 2011. It allows communities to establish policies to shape future developments in their local areas. It will complement the policies in the district council?s Core Strategy which was adopted in December last year.
If the district council accepts the recommendations made by the examiner, every registered voter within the parish of Thame will be asked the following question at a referendum on 02 May 2013: “Do you want South Oxfordshire District Council to use the neighbourhood plan for Thame to help it decide planning applications in the neighbourhood area?”
Should most voters vote in support of the plan, the district council will bring it into force. It then carries legal weight in planning decisions.
You can access the full Examiner’s report HERE
LORD Williams?s Festival Chorus (LWFC) is performing a stunning programme of choral music by Brahms and Rutter next Saturday, March 16.
Thame?s biggest community choir has gained a name for itself as an unauditioned choir which stages concerts to an extraordinary standard ? often with some surprises for the audience on the way.
Choir Chair, Claire Humphries, said: ?We benefit considerably from the profile of our conductor, John Gibbons, and our relationship with the superb Ealing Symphony Orchestra. We often find surprise stella performers on stage with us, like Nicola Benedetti and winners of the BBC Young Musician of the Year! The famous tenor, Adrian Thompson, is so supportive as our president, and Howard Goodall is our Patron. So few amateur choirs have the chance to put on such high-profile concerts with such prestigious soloists.
“Of course during rehearsals, it?s all just fun, and singing the most wonderful music together. Many members say to me that Monday night is the highlight of their week!”
On Saturday 16, LWFC will be performing two sublime pieces by Brahms. Noenia (?Nanie?), or ?Song of Mourning?, and the deeply moving Schicksalslied (?Song of Destiny?). In contrast, the programme also includes the rousing ?Gloria? by John Rutter, who is one of the most loved contemporary choral music composers, and ?The Lake?, from Barry Seaman?s new opera, ?Mirabai?.
Tickets, which are selling fast, cost
HERE is the latest Thame neighbourhood update from Police Community Support Officer (PCSO) Jacky Madden. The Thame Sector covers the neighbourhoods of Thame, Chinnor and Watlington.
Anti-social Behaviour (ASB)
We have had reports that some young people are door knocking in Thame and this is causing alarm and distress. If the offenders are identified they will be dealt with accordingly. There has also been an increased amount of graffiti in the Thame area. Please call the police non-emergency number 101 if you have any information.
We have also had reports of groups of young people gathering in the Towersey Social Club car park late at night. It seems there is a lot of noise in the form of shouting and revving vehicle engines and this is disturbing local residents. This location will be patrolled and suitable action taken if appropriate.
Traffic Issues
Further patrols to monitor vehicles parking in restricted areas of Watlington town centre continue. PCSOs have advised the Parish Council to refresh the double yellow lines so that they can be pro-actively enforced in the area. Warning letters are being issued to educate some offenders.
There have been reports of vehicles speeding out of Thame Town Centre. This will be monitored as it is a concern due to road traffic and community safety.
Good News
Thame Road, Chinnor has been regularly monitored with regards to the parking concerns outside the local shops. We are pleased to report that after local engagement with the shop owners and residents, alternative parking has been found and has eased parking congestion in this location.
Offenders Brought to Justice
16 offenders were brought to justice in February for a variety of offences including public order, shoplifting, criminal damage, theft and drug possession.
The full monthly report can be read HERE
Remember, you can follow the Community team on Facebook, Twitter and YouTube and there is also the option to subscribe to Thames Valley Police RSS feeds from our website – www.thamesvalley.police.uk.
AGE UK Oxfordshire have started up fun activity groups for people aged over 50, including an Art Appreciation Course and Singing for Fun.
So, if you’re over 50, why not go along to draw and paint under instruction in a relaxed and sociable environment? It costs
NFU South East has invested in four county advisers to work with its farmer and grower members ? including an adviser covering Berkshire, Buckinghamshire and Oxfordshire.
The new County Adviser for the NFU in Berks, Bucks and Oxon is Nerys Wright. She said: ?This is an exciting new role within the NFU which will allow me to work much more closely with our members in the three counties. I am also keen to forge stronger relationships with the relevant organisations that have an impact on our members? businesses.?
Nerys Wright grew up on a Welsh beef and sheep farm and graduated in Animal Science from The University of Nottingham. She then went to work as a consultant for ADAS staying for more than six years, before joining the NFU. She is based in the centre of the three counties at Milton Common, near Thame in Oxfordshire. You can follow Nerys Wright on Twitter @ neryswright
The recruitment of county advisers by the NFU this winter follows a decision last year by the NFU?s Governing Council to make a significant investment of