Author: Sonja Francis

AS it’s a public holiday, there will not be a Tuesday market in Thame on January 1st.

The market will resume on the following Tuesday, January 8, 2013.

THAMENEWS.NET wishes all our visitors, advertisers and supporters a very merry Christmas and a happy new year, and a huge ‘thank you’ for all your contributions to another great year for Thame!

We’re taking a Christmas break from today but to let us know about any important news that we should share with the rest of the community.

Look out for the re-launch of a spanking new website in January, our 10th birthday!!

CONTACT: editor@thamenews.net or call: 07792 487 030

THAME Town Council is to join neighbouring towns in lobbying the district council to sort out parking enforcement, claiming that since Thame lost its Traffic Warden, parking issues are having an adverse effect on the economic well-being of the town. The market traders have recently complained to the council about particular problems on Tuesdays.

After new laws in 2008 when on-street parking was ?decriminilised? and the eventual forced retirement of Thame?s Traffic Warden, Peggy Long, on-street parking on double yellow lines throughout Thame has been abused. Some local authorities like Oxford City, put parking enforcement in the hands of Private companies (Civil Parking Enforcement or CPE) but South Oxfordshire District Council did not ?take up the baton? in Thame, Didcot, nor Henley after decrimilisation and it therefore became the responsibility of the police.

Speaking at a town council meeting on Tuesday (18/12), Cllr Jeannette Matelot, who lives above a shop in the town centre, said: ?I would only support CPE if we look at residents? parking for those who live in the town centre. When is something going to be done? We want people to live in town centres to keep them vibrant, but we are not looked after.?

Peggy Long used to apparently use her discretion about ticketing local residents who had nowhere to park in the town centre, but it is feared that a private company would act like ?mini martinets? as Cllr Helena Fickling expressed it, and penalise people if they were only a minute or two over the time.

Cllr Mike Welply said: ?I am disappointed. The police assured us that PCSOs would enforce on-street parking.?

Cllr Mike Dyer wanted to explore the feasibility of the town council working with the district council and take responsibility for on-road parking as well as the car parks which it, the town council, currently oversees.

Councillors agreed that a letter would be sent to SODC explaining the concerns about parking issues in the town, and pushing for the introduction of Civil Parking Enforcement (CPE) in Thame.

Thame’s Inspector Mark Harling told ThameNews.Net: “We are aware of the concerns over parking in Thame.
Thame is similar to other towns in respect that parking can be an issue at times.

“The PCSOs with the local neighbourhood team have a wide range of duties including preventing crime, searching for missing people and dealing with vulnerable individuals.

“We have the parking situation in the PCSOs’ patrol plans but are happy to receive feedback as and when specific problems occur.

“We are grateful for this information and will be doing what we can to address the problem.”

Almost 900,000 people in England have been infected with Norovirus this winter – almost twice as many as were infected by mid-December last year. This winter is the worst start to the Norovirus season on record with more than 5,000 NHS workers reportedly calling in sick every day with the bug.

Seasonal Flu and Norovirus are putting hospital A&E departments and the local ambulance under pressure at what is traditionally their busiest time of the year.

Here is some important advice from the local ambulance service on what patients suffering from seasonal flu or Norovirus should do to get the right treatment:

South Central Ambulance Service NHS Foundation Trust (SCAS) is urging patients in Oxfordshire who think they may have Norovirus (the winter vomiting bug), or flu to contact their local pharmacy, or to telephone 111 for advice on self care.

Patients living in Milton Keynes, Buckinghamshire, Berkshire or Hampshire who think they may have Norovirus (the winter vomiting bug) should contact their local pharmacy, or telephone NHS Direct on 0845 4647.

Norovirus is highly infectious. It is vital that anyone who is feeling unwell with gastrointestinal symptoms, vomiting and or diarrhoea, should NOT dial 999 (unless they are suffering a life threatening medical emergency), visit hospitals or their GP because this
increases the risk of spreading the infection to patients and vital NHS staff. However, if symptoms persist for more than three or four days, or those affected already have a serious illness, then it is advised that medical attention is sought, through contacting your GP.

Phil Convery, SCAS Infection Control Lead, said:
“Winter is traditionally the busiest time for your ambulance service. As such, we are urging patients with flu or Norovirus NOT to call 999 (unless they are suffering a life-threatening medical emergency) so that valuable resources remain available to respond to genuinely life threatening medical emergencies over the Christmas and New Year period.”

Particular attention to good hygiene measures should be observed during outbreaks of Norovirus. It is very important to wash your hands with soap and water particularly after contact with someone who is ill and after using the toilet, especially if you are suffering
from symptoms.

Thorough cleaning of hard surfaces with detergent followed by disinfection with a bleach solution, paying particular attention to the toilet and toilet area and cleaning up vomit and the surrounding area quickly will help to reduce environmental contamination. This can
reduce the risk of infection in others coming into contact with these surfaces later on. Care must be taken when using bleach by following the manufacturer’s instructions carefully to avoid injury when using such chemicals. Soft furnishings and materials should be washed following the manufacturer’s instructions.

Phil Convery continued: “If you are otherwise fit and healthy, there is usually no need to see a doctor if you have flu-like symptoms. The best remedy is to rest at home, keep warm and drink plenty of
water to avoid dehydration. You can take paracetamol or ibuprofen to lower a high temperature and relieve aches.”

You should see a doctor if you have flu-like symptoms and you:
? are 65 or over
? are pregnant
? have a long-term medical condition such as diabetes, heart disease, lung disease, kidney or neurological disease
? have a weakened immune system
This is because flu can be more serious for you, and your doctor may want to prescribe antiviral medication.

You can stop yourself catching flu in the first place or spreading it to others by being careful with your hygiene. Always wash your hands regularly with soap and water and:

? regularly clean surfaces such as your keyboard, telephone and door handles to get rid of germs
? use tissues to cover your mouth and nose when you cough or sneeze
? put used tissues in a bin as soon as possible

FIRST the good news. Apparently Thame?s pub landlords are among the most law-abiding in South Oxfordshire when it comes to serving under-age drinkers. As opposed to Didcot which had the worst figures for under-age drinking, a recent Operation carried out in licensed premises throughout the area, resulted in no incidents recorded for Thame. However, the nose of a so-called ?sniffer? dog did lead to a caution for one male and one pending possible prosecution for a class ?A? drug.

THAME Town Council has turned down a request from the new Thame Show Committee, to subsidise concessionary tickets for children resident in the town because it ?cannot give financial support to any organisation that is run on a ?for profit? basis.?

THE council is to write to Chiltern Railways expressing its concern for residents who use Thame and Haddenham Parkway station, who have been ?severely disadvantaged? following changes to the timetable. Since the timetable was changed on December 9, complaints about overcrowding and the removal of some early morning trains, have been voiced on social network sites. Bucks County Cllrs and representatives of Risborough train users groups have already met with rail chiefs to voice their annoyance.

THE co-option of a new Thame Town Councillor, brought about by the resignation of Adam Buckland, may be delayed until February, after some sitting town councillors said they were confused about the eligibility criteria of the candidates. The Town Clerk will be seeking clarification and reporting back to councillors at their next meeting on February 5, 2013. Applications must be in by tomorrow, December 21. To date, no applications have officially been submitted. Anyone who would like to apply can find information here: THAME TOWN COUNCIL

THE old Thame Town Hall Turret clock mechanism, pendulum weight bar and weights are to be donated to Thame Museum.

SINGERS of all ages were in fine voice last Friday (14/12) when a Senior Citizens? Christmas Tea was held at Thame Football Club.

Almost 100 senior citizens first listened to the choir of St Joseph?s Primary School, Thame, and then joined in singing the seasonal songs with the words projected onto a large screen.

This year’s annual party was jointly organised by the Rotary and Inner Wheel Clubs of Thame in collaboration with the Mayor of Thame and the town council.

Tyrell Gillman, Community and Vocational Chairman at the Rotary Club, said: ?The school children, staff and parents did an outstanding job leading a most wonderful show.”

Tyrell added: ?The generosity of the three Thame supermarkets who provided most of the food, made it possible for the members from the Rotary, Inner Wheel, Thame Town Council and other local volunteers to prepare and serve a veritable feast. A big ‘thank you’ must go out to everyone involved.

“Conversations between the young and the ?not-so-young? were a delight to eavesdrop on, as quite a few of the ?not-so-young? had, in their time, been pupils at the school.”

For more information about volunteer and membership opportunities with the Rotary Club of Thame, visit: www.thame.rotaryweb.org/