MANY of us enjoy the annual Towersey Festival, but as we revel in the wonderful music and party atmosphere, how many of us realise how much the festival puts back into the community?
Now in its 48th year, Towersey Festival, which always takes place over the August Bank Holiday weekend, has long been supporting the local economy through sheer visitor numbers but it does more than just attract a crowd.
Over the last 10 years alone, Towersey Festival raised over
GREAT Haseley resident, Lucy Edwards, is set to swap her 9-5 job for life in the Jungle next Summer. After battling though a tough selection process, Lucy has been selected to project manage a three month expedition for the youth and sustainable development charity, Raleigh International.
Lucy has been set a fund raising target of nearly
ON Friday (03/08) around 2:00am, a property in North Street, Thame, was burgled. It is believed entry was gained via a lounge window. Property stolen included watches a mobile phone and a camera.
On Saturday (04/08) between midnight and 9:00am, a property in Wellington Street, was burgled. Offender(s) gained entry via a back door and stole laptop computers, an MP3 player, cash and debit cards. A tent, camping equipment and a Specialized “Springtail” mountain bike in matt grey were also stolen.
Residents are advised to check their home security. Please click on the link below to obtain simple and cost-effective steps to improve your home security:
“http://www.thamesvalley.police.uk/crprev/crprev-home.htm
If you have seen any suspicious looking people or vehicles in the area, or have any information relating to this message, please call the police on the new national single non-emergency telephone number 101 and state you are responding to a Community message.
Alternatively if you have information but wish to remain anonymous, please call Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111 or online @ crimestoppers-uk.org. No personal details are taken, information is not traced or recorded and you will not go to court.
THE THAME and District Day Centre said farewell to a very special lady this week, when the Trustees appointed a new chairman, following the retirement of Mrs Brenda Prosser, who was one of its founding organisers 25 years ago.
Throughout that time, the Centre has met at Thame Community Hospital in Park Street and Brenda has led her team through the various changes in health and social care and raising money to meet threatened shortfalls in funding following reorganisation of budgets at county council level.
At their August meeting, the Trustees paid tribute to Brenda’s devoted service since 1986 ad welcomed her successor, Thame resident Tyrell Gillman.
He takes on the new appointment with a great deal experience of Thame and its people, as he is a member of Thame Rotary Club and, as its Community and Vocational Chairman, has had much experience of working with and for the town?s senior citizens, especially with Christmas celebrations.
The centre has a manager, Gill Coleman and a deputy, Stephanie Johnson, who are assisted by a loyal band of volunteers, some who help at the Centre and others who act as drivers, providing the members with transport to and from the Centre, which meets on Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Fridays.
PHOTO: Brenda Prosser enjoying the Thame Day Centre’s regular Christmas celebration at The Oxfordshire Golf Club last year.
THE burly men of the village of Ickford in Buckinghamshire, took a dunking in front of hundreds of people of Friday, after a tug-of-war lasting over seven minutes against their Oxfordshire rivals from Tiddington.
This was the second year in row, of the two villages’ 60 annual battles across the River Thame, in which Tiddington have been the victors.
Ickford however, won the Junior’s contest, so future Tiddington ‘pullers’ had better watch out, and the Ickford ladies and veterans also won their contests.
The tug-of-war tradition apparently started as a challenge between two farmers back in the 1950s and has taken place every year since.
The current score is Ickford, 32 wins against Tiddington’s 28.
RUMSEY’S Chocolates, with shops in Upper High Street, Thame and in Wendover, have won five 2012 Gold Star Great Taste Awards for their delicious hand-made chocolates. The sumptuous, crunchy, Chocolate Coated Macadamia won a much coveted Two-Star Gold Great Taste Award, whilst one-star Gold Great Taste Awards were awarded to the Hazelnut Rock, Praline Cocoa, Mexican Vanilla and Simply Plain Organic chocolates.
?Can you believe it?? asked Master Chocolatier Nigel Rumsey. ?This is fantastic news and such a great endorsement of everything I have tried to achieve here. We are ?over the moon?!?
Fellow Director, Mary Rumsey, is looking forward to displaying the Gold Great Taste Award logos on the products after receiving the awards, which are judged by a panel of 350 of the nation?s most discerning and knowledgeable food experts over a 45 day period. To achieve Gold in Great Taste is a very significant achievement for any food or drink producer. This year a total of 8,807 different food and drink products were entered.
“The Chocolate Coated Macadamia is a sublime cluster of roasted macadamia nuts in sumptuous milk chocolate that creates a taste explosion in the mouth!” reads the mouth-watering description of Rumsey’s winning chocs. “Hazelnut Rock is full of lovely subtle nut flavours in a milk chocolate coating, Praline Cocoa is a dark chocolate with just the right cake feel and crunchiness and with overtones that sit on the tongue like a fine wine, Mexican Vanilla is a creamy rich soft centre hidden in a luscious mysterious dark chocolate exterior and Simply Plain Organic maybe simple but plain in taste it isn?t!” Gulp !
Nigel Rumsey has been creating an exquisite range of hand-made chocolates since 1991. Starting from a small catering unit at the back of his house, his simple aim has been to produce top quality products from the finest ingredients. His 30 years experience as a Patissier provided the inspiration he needed to become a chocolatier of distinction. Wherever possible, Rumsey?s Chocolates use sustainably sourced cocoa and products with local provenance including cream from Lacey?s Dairy in Bourne End, Buckinghamshire.
The Great Taste Awards, organised by the Guild of Fine Food, are now in their 19th year and going from strength to strength. Their judging standards are the most rigorous in the UK and they only endorse products of the highest quality. Judges this year included Masterchef winner and restaurateur Mat Follas, restaurant critic and Masterchef judge Charles Campion, food writers Lucas Hollweg and Xanthe Clay and over 300 food buyers from leading food halls, delicatessens and farm shops, including Harrods, Selfridges and Fortnum & Mason.
To find out more about Rumsey?s Chocolates please see the website www.rumseys.co.uk Follow on Twitter @rumseyschoc and on facebook.com/rumseyschocolates
HOLIDAY COTTAGE – Last minute drop out : We have Harbour Cottage, in Coverack, Cornwall, booked for two weeks from the 18th August to 1st September. We are duty bound to pay for it even though we now cant go! It?s
TAKE the family to Aston Rowant National Nature Reserve, near Stokenchurch on Saturday 4th August between 11am and 4pm to discover more about the wildlife and countryside of the Chilterns.
?Go Wild in the Chilterns!? is organised by the Chilterns Conservation Board and Natural England. This family event with lots of interactive displays and activities for all ages, takes place in the field opposite Cowleaze Wood Car Park on the Christmas Common Road.
Animal lovers can get up close and personal with live owls, reptiles and amphibians and even microscopic mini-beasts.
Feeling creative? Why not get involved with building wildlife habitats, making creatures from clay and natural materials and helping to construct a giant willow head for this year?s Oxford Wicker Man? Visitors can also enjoy displays of traditional crafts like bodging, chair making, straw plaiting and hedge laying and have a go at some of them.
There will be guided walks throughout the day including wildflower rambles at 12 noon and 2pm, sensory Earth Walks at 12.30pm and 2.30pm and trips to discover ants, the reserve?s tiniest farmers at 1pm and 3pm.
The event costs
RACQUETS Fitness Centre, Thame, presents an Olympic Karaoke Disco, with DJ Lee Richardson.
POSTPONED FROM July 27 – Bear On A Bicycle