Thame.net

Author: Sonja Francis

  • MP welcomes future strategy for Thame’s growth

    THAME’s MP, John Howell, has welcomed the news that an independent Planning Inspector has approved a plan which will provide the blueprint for the district’s growth over the next 15 years. 

    South Oxfordshire District Council’s ‘Core Strategy’ sets out how many new homes should be built and where, and where employment sites will be created in Thame, Henley and Wallingford, by 2027. It has been developed over a four-year period with extensive community involvement and technical assessments of the proposed sites – but not without controversies on the way.

    Thame Town Council, at one point in the consultation process, questioned the legality of the Core Strategy. READ MORE

    South Oxfordshire District Council itself was involved in a spat with the inspector over the fact that he would not allow it to include ‘windfall’ sites in its allocation of new housing. READ MORE

    Recently the core strategy underwent a public examination where the planning inspector heard evidence from local councils, residents and other interested groups and individuals.

    John Howell said of the Inspector’s approval of the Core Strategy: ?This gives the boost to those wishing to complete their Neighbourhood Plans that many have been looking for. It represents another Council which has brought forward a successful Core Strategy to ensure that the sustainable development of the area can be planned rather than left to chance.

    ?I offer my congratulations to the Council for this result. It is a good result which reflects the hard work which has been put in to the Plan. I am sure Thame will now want to deliver a positive vote in the referendum on its Neighbourhood Plan. I am sure too that Henley will want to assess how the 400 houses can best be accommodated.?

    BACKGROUND ARTICLES REGARDING THE CORE STRATEGY: LINK

    BACKGROUND ARTICLES REGARDING THE THAME COMMUNITY PLAN

     

  • 11/09/12……Emergency First Aid at Work course

    WHERE? Thame Barns Centre – WHEN? 9.30am-4.30pm. WHO’S is aimed at? Individuals required by their employers to undertake responsibility for first aid arrangements in areas where there is not a requirement for a qualified first aider e.g. lower risk environments such as offices.

    Learning Hours: 6 hours – Cost:

  • 11/09/12…The comedy of family life at Thame Players Theatre

    Thame Players present: BORN IN THE GARDENS by Peter Nichols, at The Players Theatre, Nelson Street, Thame
    at 7.45pm from Tuesday September 11, to Saturday, September 15.

    The latest production by Thame Players at their theatre in Nelson Street, Thame is ‘Born in the Gardens’ by Bristol born playwright, Peter Nichols. The play is a comedy play about a dysfunctional family and was written in 1979. It was first staged in the Bristol Old Vic as part of its 200th anniversary. The cast for the premiere included Beryl Reid, Peter Bowles, Barry Foster and Jennie Linden. The production transferred to the Gielgud Theatre in London where it played for nine months.

    The play is about a family coming together for a short period after father has died, and the immediate after-effects of the bereavement they have experienced. The title of the play comes from a sign in the Polar Bear enclosure in Bristol Zoological gardens which referred to a polar bear called Misha. In the play the polar bear is replaced by a gorilla!

    The Thame Players production marks the directorial debut of Brian Holt. A member of Thame Players for nearly 30 years, Brian has hitherto concentrated on acting, most recently appearing as Father Jack in Dancing at Lughnasa earlier this year. Brian comments: ?Peter Nichols? play celebrates eccentricity; it examines family life and questions progress. It is tragic, hilarious and vicious, full of the era?s bigotry and casual racism.?

    The play runs from Tuesday, September 11, to Saturday, September 15, at 7.45pm each evening. Tickets cost

  • 11/09/12…..New categories announced for Thame’s Got Talent

    NEW categories for prizes are to be added for next February’s Thame’s Got Talent competition. Put the date in your diary – it’s Sunday, February 10, 2013. The venue will once again be the Spread Eagle Hotel, Cornmarket, Thame.

    The organisers say that they have added the new categories “As a result of the variety and quality of acts!”

    The new categories for 2013 will be:

    * Overall Winner
    * 2nd Prize
    * Best Band
    * Best under 15′s Category
    * Best over 35′s Category
    * Best School Act

    Register your Act now by going to the Thame’s Got Talent website: http://www.thamesgottalent.co.uk/

    PHOTO; Boogaloo, by Frank Millar

  • 11/09/12…More funding available for Thame projects

    BUSINESSES, community groups and other local organisations in Thame have another chance to apply for funding to boost the town?s image and economic vitality.

    South Oxfordshire District Council will award the best proposals with a share of the Thame economic development fund, of which

  • 11/09/12……Try bonanza for Chinnor RFC seconds

    MATCH REPORT – The Shield – Division 2N – Chinnor 90 vs 10 Thurrock; CHINNOR seconds, playing in the Zoo Shield Division 2 North, welcomed Thurrock RFC to Kingsey for the first league game of the season.

    This was the first time Thurrock and Chinnor had met after Thurrock?s promotion to the division this year. With Chinnor RFC first team being promoted to National 2 South this season, the club have managed to attract a healthy number of new players. This showed in the team selected, with five new players in an already very strong second team. The side always welcomed two forwards, Evan Sawyer and Jack Horward, and three back line players, Neil and Paul Davies and ‘grease lightning’ Leo Fielding. Many of this team will compete for first team places in an already strong outfit – a great problem for the club to have!

    On a very hot afternoon, in at least 28 degrees, the game started with the home side forwards dominating and getting the first points on the board with a try by Adam Hastings. The game then settled down with both teams attacking and defending and trying to settle and gel as a team. Thurrock added the next points shortly afterwards with a penalty. It then took twenty minutes for Chinnor to get their second try, scored by Trevor Powell, taking the lead to 10 points to three. Chinnor then started to string the phases together with forward and backs working well together and in the space of fifteen minutes, ran in three tries by Leo Fielding, Neil Davies and Tristan Corpe, two of which were converted by Will Millett. By this point, the lead increased to 31 points to three. Just on half time, Thurrock cut the lead with a converted try of their own and the half finished 31 points to 10 and Chinnor with a try bonus point.

    Thurrock was disadvantaged with only one player on the bench, whilst Chinnor sported four, and so it proved to be a very long second half for Thurrock. Chinnor then ran in another nine tries; Huw Morgan two, Sam Angell two, with Leo Fielding, Adam Hastings, Evan Sawyer, Tristan Corpe and Trevor Powell each scoring seconds tries. The successful boot of Sam Angell made seven conversions. The final score was 90 points to 10.

    Carol Bradbrook-Taylor, Chinnor RFC’s Honoury Secretary, said: “This was an outstanding performance by the team with some great individual performances as well. The game was watched by the full first team, as well as an encouraging crowd who were full of praise for second team, and for the depth of talent that we have in our squad this year.”

    As ‘the seconds’ were playing their game, other home fixtures were going on simultaneously.

    Chinnor ‘thirds’ played Windsor ‘seconds’, establishing a good lead. However, Windsor later took over the game beating Chinnor by only one point.

    Chinnor Oxen (Vets) battle to beat Aylesbury thirds, 27 – 5.

    Carol concluded: “All three games were very entertaining, showing the depth of senior rugby at Chinnor by being able to put out five teams involving over 130 senior players, as well as a proper route from Junior to Senior rugby from the 17 ? 21 year olds.”

    If you fancy pulling out your boots and having a run around, all are welcome to the Senior training sessions held every Tuesday and Thursday evening from 19.30.

    Next Saturday?s Fixtures (15/09):

    1sts Bournemouth away National League 2 South
    2nds Redingensians Home The Shield – Division 2N
    3rds Redingensians away BBO Division 1
    4ths Gosford All Blacks 2s BBO North

    SOURCE: Contributed

  • 10/09/12….Benefits battling mum tells MP ‘You didn’t listen’

    A THAME mum, battling the authorities to get suitable housing and benefits for her disabled husband, is not satisfied with her MP’s response to her pleas for help.

    When Tamsyn Wood publicly criticised John Howell MP for being ‘uncaring’ about her desperate plight to get practical and financial help for her disabled husband and young family, he responded denying the charge and “putting the record straight.” (See a href=”https://www.thame.net/readmore.asp?Content_ID=7899&”target=”_blank”>LINK)

    However, Mrs Wood continues to contradict her MP’s version of events and has today both personally and publicly countered his response.

    In an email sent last night to John Howell, and copied to ThameNews.Net for publication, Mrs Wood said:

    Dear Mr Howell,

    I gratefully received your personal response, something I did not get the first time I wrote to you. It is a shame that it took BBC news coverage to prompt this.

    You spoke in your response to Thame News.net of ?setting the record straight?. As this was your goal, I am pleased also to have that opportunity.

    Back in April when I did indeed contact you, my email explained in-depth the situation my family found itself in. I also, yes, asked for financial and possible housing routes for help on this front also.

    I still do not have the latter of these issues resolved, and have only had one of the cut off benefits re-instated after quite some work on my part, whilst juggling visiting my husband in hospital and four children?s needs.

    In my email to you I also expressly said that, and I quote from my original email:

    ?I have been in touch with a representative from the South Oxfordshire District council housing association who is trying to find suitable accommodation for our family?s needs (ceiling hoist, wheelchair access, four bedrooms, disabled bathroom, ramps) and as private rental (housing benefit) has a maximum limit of

  • 10/09/12…Thame beat newly promoted Highmoor

    MATCH REPORT – League match – 08/09/12 – Highmoor Ibis 1, Thame United 3. THAME UNITED returned from Reading on Saturday with three points, having defeated Highmoor Ibis 1-3. It was the first time the two clubs have met as Highmoor are recently promoted, having finished runners up in Division One, East last season. The game was played on a hot afternoon in Palmer Park Stadium, on a large pitch surrounded by both an athletics and a cycling track. Thame were without several first team regulars including goalkeeper Lee Farrow but his stand in, Josh Cockrell, had a good game.

    Thame took the lead in the sixth minute, when after a foul on Luke Ricketts, Meredith Mitchell met a low Dan West free kick with a left footed six-yard strike into the corner of the goal. The home side had a good chance to equalise a few minutes later when a striker rounded the advancing keeper, leaving the goal undefended, but he inexplicably missed the target. United increased their lead on 34 minutes when a pass from newcomer Charlie Conner found Stuart Barr on the edge on the area in enough space to pick his spot and hit a strong shot into the corner. The home side went down to ten men just before the break when a midfield player was dismissed for a second bookable offence.

    Highmore scored shortly after the restart when a defensive slip allowed striker Devontae Romeo to fire home from 15 yards, giving Cockrell no chance. Spurred on by the goal, the home side pressurised the Thame goal for a while and Cockrell was busy. United?s third came with 25 minutes remaining when West hit a great free kick into the box and Ellis Hercules did well to head home from eight yards. Both managers brought on subs and midfielder Darren Peverill, recently signed from Chinnor, replaced Barr ?up front?, but the remainder of the game was uneventful as both sides tired in the heat.

    Thame United: Cockrell, Willett, Hall, Meredith, Hercules, Hayes, Connelly, West, Barr (Peverill), Conner (N Rhodes), Ricketts.

    SOURCE: Contributed by Bob Dixon.

    NEXT SATURDAY, September 15, Thame United are at home in the second qualifying round of the F A Vase when they meet Buckingham Athletic at ASM Stadium.

  • 10/09/12…Coming soon to the Thame Players Theatre – Dear Liar

    DEAR LIAR by Jerome Kilty – Coming soon to The Players Theatre, Nelson Street Thame – Sunday, September 23, at 7.45pm. Tickets

  • 10/09/12…..Brand new extra care facility for Thame’s elderly

    THAME’S MP, John Howell, has officially opened South Oxfordshire?s first Extra Care development for older people at Corbetts Way in Thame.

    Soha Housing Ltd has developed the scheme on the former ground of Thame United Football Club to provide 40 flats for rent and shared ownership purchase.

    Steve Lynch, Director of Property and Development at Soha said: “Extra Care promotes independent living for older people with care needs. Each self-contained apartment is designed to meet the needs of older people and to allow them to remain independent for as long as possible. Care is available on-site for 24 hours a day by our care providers Housing21 and this ensures residents? care needs can be met in an appropriate and flexible way.

    “Residents say that they like the programme of activities around the communal facilities and gardens here and they especially like that they can take part as much or as little as they like. Soha strongly believes that Extra Care Housing offers a far better option for older people than other more institutionalised forms of care provision. Soha is looking forward to developing its next Extra Care scheme in Goring.?

    John Howell said, “Thame Extra Care scheme is excellent because it provides its own community without any sense of it being isolated from the wider neighbourhood and all the town has to offer.”

    Resident Clive Sherwin (pictured with his dog Benny) said, ?This scheme has given my life back. I have a beautiful apartment that is so well designed it has given me independence – even though I am in a wheelchair.?

    For further information, please contact Liz Roberts, Resident Involvement and Marketing Department, Soha Housing Ltd. Tel: 01235 515 900 or email: lizroberts@soha.co.uk.