Thame.net

Author: Sonja Francis

  • 11/05/12….Have you seen this man?

    THAMES Valley Police is appealing for the public?s help in tracing a wanted man.

    Richard Hunt, aged 29, and originally from the Swindon area, is a day release prisoner from HMP Springhill.

    He was working at a charity shop in Headington yesterday (9/5) when he allegedly assaulted a woman who was working with him. She suffered cuts to her hands in the incident.

    Hunt left the shop and failed to return to HMP Springhill. He has not been seen since.

    The incident happened at approximately 10.50am.

    Det Insp Steve Raffield, said: ?Hunt was serving a five-and-a-half year sentence for robbery.

    ?Clearly in light of this incident on Wednesday we regard him to be dangerous and I would urge the public not to approach him.

    ?If anyone sees him or knows where he is they should contact police urgently.?

    Anyone with any information about Hunt?s whereabouts should contact police via 101. If you see him you should contact police urgently on 999.

    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.

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

    SOURCE; Press release

  • 10/05/12…..Join Jonathan Dimbleby at Thame’s Arts & Literary Festival 2012

    AFTER the excitement of Michael Rosen, Sophie Dahl, Claire Tomalin and all the other authors who took part in Thame’s Art and Literary festival last year, planning is now well under way for Festival 2012.

    TAL Festival Director, Yvonne Maxwell, is sure that this year’s festival will be at least as good! “We and everyone who came last year wondered whether this year could possibly match it. Imagine our delight to be able to welcome Jonathan Dimbleby and no less than three Royal Shakespeare Actors, as well as the amazing Comedy trio (two who hail from Thame) The Boom Jennies – AND it?s only May!

    Add in a heady mix of music – classic and rock, dance, poetry and art, and Festival 2012 is rapidly becoming an unmissable event for October.

    Keep an eye on the https://twitter.com/#!/tal_festival

    PHOTO: Comic trio, The Boom Jennies – recently back from the Edinburgh Fringe Festival

  • 10/05/12… Thame Food Festival launches in style

    A WINDOW in the weather that has dogged much of the country for almost a month, revealed itself just in time yesterday, for the launch of what will this year be the fifth Thame Food Festival.

    The rain stayed away just long enough for the guests of the Coffee Morning and Garden Tour at Raymond Blanc’s Le Manoir aux Quat?Saisons, at Milton Common, near Thame.

    Raymond Blanc himself delighted guests when he made a personal appearance to welcome them, oozing his unique passion, verve and expertise for food and for Le Manoir itself, which he has personally steered and influenced in every detail since 1982. As Ambassador of Thame Food Festival 2012, which he will be attending on September 29, Raymond was keen to support the event, providing the refreshments and garden tour at no cost to the festival, and to share his passion with the guests who had each paid for the privilege.

    The visit had begun with a warm welcome speech from Director and General Manager, Philip Newman-Hall in the fabulous La Belle Epoque private dining room, during coffee, tea and biscuits, before an hour-long, inspiring tour of the gardens in the capable and informative hands of the gardening team. The visitors saw a variety of garden settings, all inspired by Raymond’s travels, including a Malayan garden, a foraging garden where wild garlic and a variety of edible fungi were being encouraged to grow, a Japanese garden – including a beautiful full size Tea House – and Raymond’s current pride and joy, a newly planted orchard.

    At the end of the tour everyone was given a goodie bag as a souvenir of their visit, full of gifts from Le Manoir aux Quat?Saisons and other sponsors and supporters including McCormick Schwarz TM, Aga and What?s Cooking of Thame.

    With 50 guests (including the winner of the Bucks Herald and Thame Gazette competition for two tickets) able to enjoy this idyllic morning, the proceeds from ticket sales will go towards this year?s Thame Food Festival.

    Sally Dorling, one of the festival organisers, said: “This was the perfect setting in which to launch Thame?s annual celebration of fine food and drink from the region, and we were so lucky that the rain even managed to stay away so that the visitors weren?t drenched!”

    www.thamefoodfestival.co.uk

    PHOTO: By Imaging Essence – the beautiful lemon cake, made from a recipe used by Raymond Blanc for 20 years, served to the guests.

  • 10/05/12…Are you a swimmer? Join the Rotary Swimathon

    THE Rotary Club of Thame is seeking participants for its first Rotary Swimathon, to raise money for the Air Ambulance and other local charities.

    The Swimathon will take place at Thame Leisure Centre on Sunday, October 7, 2012, between 10am and 3pm, and is a fund-raiser for the Thame & District Day Centre, Chiltern and Thames Valley Air Ambulance, Hearing Dogs for Deaf People and other local charities.

    Marius Ciortan, Chair of the Rotary Swimathon Steering Group, said: “The event is possible due to the generosity of several local businesses. ALR Systems, ASM Auto Recycling, Nexus, Park Street Dental Clinic, Racquets Fitness Centre and Vale Life Magazine will cover the cost of hiring the pool, whilst PSG Trophies will cover the cost of producing the medals.

    ?We are looking for teams of up to six swimmers. Each team is given a lane of the pool and will swim for 55 minutes ? with only one team member swimming at a time.

    ?On average this means that each swimmer does about 10-20 lengths during the 55 minutes, but there is no need for each team member to swim the same number of lengths.

    ?Teams will seek sponsorship for taking part in the Rotary Swimathon by raising a lump sum or based on the team?s total number of lengths swum – which can be up to 100 lengths or more.

    ?The benefits are for everyone, as local charities get money to help with their important work and the swimmers have lots of fun trying to swim as many lengths as they can. At the end all participants will get a Rotary Swimathon medal.?

    Marius added: ?Everyone over the age of eight can take part: Families, Friends, Churches, Charities, Businesses, Public Sector Workers, Shops, Scouts & Guides, Cubs & Brownies, Swimming Clubs, Health Clubs, Schools, Colleges etc.?

    The teams should apply now as the slots are allocated on a first-come first-served basis. Team entry and sponsorship forms can be downloaded from: www.thame.rotaryweb.org or by ringing Rotarian Peter Hook on 07836 651174 or e-mail: peterghook@hotmail.com

  • 09/05/12….Take scam letters and emails to your library

    PEOPLE in Oxfordshire are being asked to take any scam letters or emails they receive to their local library during May, as part of a new initiative to help put a stop to scammers.

    The initiative is part of a Scams Awareness campaign being run by Oxfordshire County Council?s Trading Standards Services. They explained: “The scams consist of misleading emails and letters making false promises of huge bogus lottery wins or other high value prizes, and always insist on payment to the sender before any winnings can be claimed.”

    Turn them in and turn the tide

    Richard Webb, Acting Head of Oxfordshire County Council?s Trading Standards Service, said: ?Scammers often target the elderly or the vulnerable, who can find themselves on the receiving end of wave after wave of letters. In some cases, people are being sent up to 600 misleading letters a month from across the world. Those that fall victim to the mailings can send off hundreds of pounds a month over many years and despite the riches promised in each letter, they never win a penny.

    ?These scam mailings are an absolute menace and the message is, ?turn them in and turn the tide.? The mailings received in this year?s ?scamnesty? will be analysed and the information shared with partner enforcement agencies in the UK and abroad. This will help to build a picture of what is going on and crackdown on the senders and their networks.?

    Hand in scam mail

    If you want to hand in any suspicious letters or emails you can do so at Thame library until Thursday, May 31.

    Councillor Judith Heathcoat, Oxfordshire County Council?s Cabinet Member for Safer and Stronger Communities, said: ?I urge anyone who has received scam mail to visit your local library and report it. This kind of information can really help the team at Trading Standards to put a stop to these people who try to con the residents of Oxfordshire out of their hard earned money, and help to protect everyone in our community, particularly the elderly and the vulnerable. If you, or anyone else you know, has fallen victim to these letters and are sending these people money, please call the Citizens Advice Consumer Service.?

    This initiative is part of a national campaign. For further information or advice please contact the Citizens Advice Consumer Service on 08454 04 05 06 in the first instance.

    IMAGE: Courtesy of Devon County Council

  • 09/05/12….’Des.res’ in totem pole available in Chinnor

    CHILDREN from the local Community of Chinnor, gathered at Mill Lane Schoolin the village, to celebrate their
    hard work in making their very own Wildlife Totem Pole. Now they just have to wait for local wildlife to take up residence!

    Late last year, pupils from the school’s Time Out Holiday Club worked together to create the Totem using clay. Now standing in the school?s wildlife area called Gruff Land, the clay Totem Pole is decorated with animals and plants that can be found in the area.

    Not just a piece of art!

    The children worked hard to add nest holes, and nooks and crannies for local wildlife to inhabit. James Ort, manager at The Phoenix Studio, Towersey, worked with the students to make the Totem. ?We have some clay totems at the Studio,” he said. “One of which had a family of blue tits nesting at the top. It got me thinking that it would be great for the children to copy this. The project not only taught them how to work with clay but also about ecosystems and the niches that animals inhabit. It was also great fun!?

    Mill Lane?s Totem has a rather magnificent Red Kite at the top of it, made by Finley March, who explained what he got out of being involved: ?I enjoyed making the clay models. The reason I chose a red kite was because you can see them everywhere in Chinnor. One day I’d like to visit the Phoenix studio and make another model with clay.”

  • 09/05/12….Thame teachers forge links with Romanian schools

    TWO Thame primary school teachers have described how they had their ‘breath taken away’ by the beauty of the Alpine town of Sinaia in Romanian, from where they have just returned.

    Sue Boyle of Barley Hill School, and Rachel Butler of John Hampden School, visited Sinaia last week (April 30 ? May 5) as part of an exchange initiated by the Thame-Sinaia Friendship Association (TSFA) with the support of the Sinaia Town Hall.

    Rachel Butler recalled their first impressions: ?Sue and I enjoyed six wonderful days in the beautiful Romanian town of Sinaia. We were made to feel welcome and the beauty of the alpine town was breath-taking.

    ?While there we discussed with our English-teacher hosts ways of linking our schools, Barley Hill and John Hampden, with George Enescu, the larger primary school in the town of Sinaia. Such links will provide opportunities for all the children to make contact with, and learn about, a school in a different country and to get an insight into the life the children there lead.”

    Rachel added: ?We met the Mayor of Sinaia, Vlad Oprea, and discussed the future of the link between Sinaia and Thame. We hope our work with the school in Sinaia will continue for many years. In July we expect our hosts to come to Thame, and look forward to proudly showing them our beautiful town and returning the generous hospitality we received on our trip to Romania.?

    Marius Ciortan, TSFA?s Secretary added: ?We are delighted that one of our first twinning projects with Sinaia is now a reality and it opens opportunities for the youngest citizens of Thame to forge friendships with pupils in Sinaia. We are looking forward to hearing from other individuals who wish to join TSFA and bring their own ideas of people exchanges between the two towns.?

    For more information about TSFA (Thame-Sinaia Friendship Association) please contact Marius Ciortan on 07764 85 49 49 or e?mail: marius.ciortan@btinternet.com

  • 08/05/12…..Police warning after handbags stolen – Chinnor

    THIS is a Community Message from Thames Valley Police. Subject: Burglary ? Oakley Road, Chinnor

    ON Monday 7th May, between 02:00hrs and 04:15hrs, a property in Oakley Road, Chinnor was burgled. Offender(s) gained entry via an insecure side door whilst the aggrieved were in the garden summer house. Three handbags were stolen from a kitchen table.

    Residents are advised to secure their property and not leave any valuables in view of doors or windows when going out or when leaving their property unattended for short periods of time. Secure any access points to the side or rear of your property to stop any unexpected visitors gaining entry.

    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.

  • 08/05/12.. Pedestrian seriously injured in Shirburn

    THAMES Valley Police is appealing for witnesses following a serious injury collision in Shirburn, Oxfordshire.

    At about 9.30pm on Saturday (5/5), a green Peugeot 806 was in collision with a pedestrian on the B4009 Watlington Road.

    The pedestrian, a woman in her early forties, was taken to the John Radcliffe Hospital with serious injuries. She is currently in a critical condition.

    Investigating officer PC Matthew Hunt, based at the Joint Roads Policing Unit in Abingdon, is appealing for witnesses to the collision to come forward, as well as anyone who saw a woman walking along the B4009 during the evening.

    If you can help, please call PC Hunt via the 24-hour Police Enquiry Centre on 101.

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

    SOURCE: Press release

  • 08/05/12….Passenger killed in M40 crash

    THAMES Valley Police is appealing for information after a fatal road traffic collision on the M40, early on Saturday morning (5/5).

    Officers were called to the scene of the collision on the soundbound carriageway between junctions 8 and 9 shortly before 5am this morning after reports that white Mercedes people carrier-style taxi had crashed through the central reservation into the northbound carriageway.

    The vehicle, which is believed to have travelled from the High Wycombe area, was carrying six passengers and a driver. All the occupants of the vehicle were men.

    One of the passengers was pronounced dead at the scene and three other passengers have been taken to the John Radcliffe Hospital with serious injuries. One of these is believed to be life threatening.

    Sgt Bryan Smith from the Roads Policing Team based at Bicester said: ?Because of the nature of the accident, the M40 has been closed in both directions between junction 8 at Thame and junction 9 at Bicester.

    ?We anticipate that the road will be closed for a number of hours to allow for an investigation of the collision to take place and full clear-up operation to happen.

    ?I would advise all motorists to avoid the road and find alternative routes as the road closure is expected to be in place for several hours.

    ?I would also appeal for anyone who was travelling along the M40 around the time the collision was reported to us, who may have witnessed this incident, to come forward and speak with us about what they saw.?

    Anyone with information should contact Sgt Smith via the 24-hour Thames Valley Police Enquiry Line on 101. Alternatively, you can contact the Crimestoppers charity anonymously on 0800 555 111.

    STATUS; Press release