Thame.net

Author: Sonja Francis

  • 23/01/12…Thame settle for a draw against Wantage

    MATCH REPORT – THAME UNITED 1, WANTAGE TOWN 1. Contributed by Jake collinge; WITH Thame Boys Under 10?s beating their Wantage counterparts 3-0 in a pre-match fixture on the main ASM Stadium pitch, Thame were hoping to make it a United double but, in the end, will be pleased to have come away from the game with a draw.

    In blustery conditions, United played with the wind in the first half and immediately had the Wantage defence on the back foot. In the opening 15 minutes Thame had three good chances to take the lead, the best falling to Luke Ricketts who was unable to hit the target from the edge of the box. However, Wantage gradually came back in to the game and, on 31 minutes, won a free kick on the edge of the Thame box. Tom Malton, the Wantage skipper, hitting a curling shot around the wall that keeper Nick Bennion could only parry to the feet of former Thame striker, Danny Keen, who calmly finished from close range to give the visitors the lead. Thame endeavoured to get back in to the game before half time, with the best chance falling to Ben Connelly whose side foot from 8 yards went just the wrong side of the post.

    United came out in the second half in determined fashion and, whilst they were now also battling the elements, again put Wantage under pressure. The best chance in the early stages of the half fell to Alex Stewart whose half volley on 55 minutes again went the wrong side of the post. Ten minutes later and the same player saw a header go just wide. With Wantage looking dangerous on the break, it looked as though Thame would fail to find the equaliser that perhaps they deserved. With 15 minutes to play, Mark West brought on Adam Rhodes and Josh Green, reverting to three at the back in a bid for the equaliser. Finally it arrived in the 86th minute when, after a goalmouth scramble, Adam Rhodes poked the ball home to the relief of most of the crowd. Wantage centre back, Tom Rowe, was then sent from the field of play for arguing with the officials over the equaliser and, with the clock ticking down, United forced a couple of corners from one of which Mitchell Meredith went close to grabbing a winner. As it was, United settled for a draw and travel to Shrivenham next weekend.

    Thame United: Bennion, Willett, Hall (Green), Meredith, N Rhodes, Keeble (A Rhodes), Connelly, Hayes, Rogers, Stewart, Ricketts.

    Thame United Reserves continued their good form and moved up to second in Division 2 East with a comfortable 6-1 away win at Finchampstead.

  • 23/01/12….Distraction burglar who preyed on the vunerable jailed

    A prolific distraction burglar who targeted hundreds of vulnerable elderly people has been sent to prison for nine years.

    William Vinson, 59, of Cotswold Terrace, Chipping Norton, Oxfordshire, committed more than 100 distraction burglaries, many of them in the Thame area, including Chinnor, Brill, Haddenham, Worminghall, Cuddington, as well as Thame itself.

    Sentencing him on Friday at Oxford Crown Court, Judge Anthony King said he recognised the distress caused to his victims, many of whom have since died.

    At a previous hearing in December last year, Recorder Andrew McCooey, had told Vinson: ?You are a vile, despicable person preying on these vulnerable victims. Goodness knows what untold damage you have done to these people.?

    Detective Ch/Insp Paul Hayles from Oxfordshire?s Force Crime unit said: ?This type of crime is something that we are particularly focussed on, due to the effect it can have on raising the fear of crime in vulnerable communities.

    ?A joint operation was formed with a team of detectives which ensured that every opportunity for evidence regarding offences of this type was explored.?

    The operation to catch Vinson was named Operation Strident, led by CID officers from Thames Valley Police, in partnership with Wiltshire Police and Operation Liberal, a national police unit which co-ordinates the investigation of distraction burglaries.

    They were assisted by support from neighbouring forces in the region. Detective Inspector Mark Johns, who co-ordinated the investigation, said: ?The type of crime carried out by William Vinson is utterly contemptible and among the most upsetting for victims to come to terms with.

    ?He targeted the most vulnerable people in society, pretending to be a new friendly neighbour or a workman from one of the utility services in order to gain their trust.

    ?Once he had done so, he stole cash and valuables, destroying lives and causing distress and misery in order to benefit himself.

    ?Some of the victims have since died and others will never live independently again as a result of what he did to them.

    ?I am pleased that the sentence reflects the distress caused to his victims and I hope this goes some way to bringing them a sense of justice.?

    Det Sgt Craig Burchall, who also worked on the case, said: ?It was notable that there were a large number of foiled burglaries where the victim refused to open the door or phoned a friendly neighbour or close relative when Vinson called.

    ?Even the threat of a neighbour coming round was sometimes enough to scare this man off. By their very nature, many distraction burglars are cowards and do not want to be confronted by anyone other than the weak and vulnerable. If you live near someone who you think could be a target for distraction burglars, please give them your number and let them call you if they are in doubt.

    ?And for everyone, the message is simple; if you are not sure, don?t open the door.?

    A full list of towns and villages in Buckinghamshire, Berkshire and Oxfordshire where Vinson committed his crimes is available below:

    East Hagbourne, Didcot

    Sutton Courteney

    Drayton, Abingdon

    Radley, Abingdon

    Steventon, Abingdon

    Harwell, Didcot

    Drayton, Abingdon

    Grove, Wantage

    Faringdon

    Shrivenham

    Chinnor

    Benson, Wallingford

    Berinsfield, Wallingford

    Benson, Wallingford

    Sonning Common

    Thame

    Brill, Aylesbury

    Marsh Gibbon, Bicester

    Haddenham, Aylesbury

    Adstock

    Cublington, Leighton Buzzard, Bucks

    Hardwick, Aylesbury

    Longville, Milton Keynes

    Winslow, Buckingham

    Worminghall, Aylesbury

    Nash, Milton Keynes

    Cuddington, Thame

    Nash, Milton Keynes

    Brill, Aylesbury

    Highfield Bicester

    Fringford Bicester

    Emberton Olney

    Hampstead Norreys, Thatcham

    Wickham, Newbury

    Upper Basildon, Reading

    Yattendon.

    Southmoor, Abingdon

    Hanslope, Milton Keynes

  • 23/01/12…Market towns told to be ‘bold, proud and loud’

    MARKET towns have been challenged to ‘big up’ their achievements as Britain?s top award for town community projects opens for entries.

    
Action for Market Towns, the national charity representing market and small towns across the UK, has today launched its 2012 Award Scheme with a challenge to towns and villages to be “bold, proud, and loud” about what they have achieved.

    The 2012 Action for Market Towns National Awards have become a recognised quality mark for best practice. At a critical time for town centres and high streets, the awards offer recognition for the innovation and creative ideas which many small towns are using to survive and to thrive – ideas which could be implemented to help the recovery of other towns, villages and high streets.

    2012 sees the Award scheme – now in its 8th year – extended to cover Scotland for the first time.

    Chris Wade, Chief Executive of Action for Market Towns, said:

    ?We are really excited to launch the 2012 Action for Market Towns Awards, which for the first time cover the whole of Britain. Last year’s record entries showed that austere times can bring out the best amongst the self-reliant communities and businesses in Britain’s small towns. We look forward to receiving even more imaginative and sustainable entries this year.?

    Judges will rate entries in categories including Environment and Culture, Social and Community, Business and Economy, and Partnership and Strategic Working.

    Previous Award winners range from projects improving towns’ physical environment to the creation of business and community hubs, from a social enterprise helping disabled people into employment to a project to bring high-speed wi-fi to a small town.

    Sponsored by CCLA and The Big Lottery Fund, the Awards give towns and villages an invaluable opportunity for national recognition and coverage of their achievements and their ideas

    Full details including entry criteria and instructions are available at http://towns.org.uk/market-town-awards/market-town-awards-2012/

  • 23/01/12….Last chance to have your say on Thame’s future

    THE final opportunity for local people to have their say on South Oxfordshire?s Core Strategy, which includes how Thame will develop in the next few years, is now close.

    The inspector appointed to examine the strategy has published his conclusions on changes to the strategy and these are available to view at: LINK

    The council is now producing a list of the changes along with a version of the Core Strategy showing the changes. This will be advertised from February 3, to March 16, 2012, at LINK Copies will also be available to view at South Oxfordshire District Council’s offices, libraries and one-stop shops to enable local residents and other interested parties to have their say.

    This follows the draft conclusions note that the inspector published on November 30, 2011, following the hearings held earlier in that month, and the additional sustainability appraisal work carried out in December by the council on the inspector’s instruction, to test some matters raised in his conclusions.

    This is expected to be the final opportunity for local people to give their views to the inspector on the Core Strategy before his final report is published. All comments received will be passed to the inspector for his consideration.

    It is estimated that the Core Strategy will be adopted in early May 2012. However, if the Inspector decides to arrange one or more additional hearing sessions to allow further discussion on any matters raised, this may result in a slight delay to the adoption date.

  • 20/01/12….SOLD ! Signed Conan Doyle book discovered in a box

    THE Manager of the Oxfam Book Shop in Thame said this morning that the day had “a nice warm feeling” to it, after a customer walked into the shop and purchased a signed copy of a book by Conan Doyle.

    As reported on ThameNews.Net on Wednesday (18/01) LINK the signed copy of ‘White Company’ was found with others in the series in a box of donated volumes.

    The same customer bought one of the other remaining titles and an on-line buyer purchaser, a single title.

    PHOTO: The Manager of the Oxfam Book shop in Thame

  • 20/01/12….Arrests after lorry fuel tanks syphoned off in lay-by

    [M 20/01/036] THIS is a Community Message from Thames Valley Police: Arrests made for vehicle crime – On Thursday, January 19, during the early hours of the morning, patrolling officers spotted a suspicious vehicle parked between two lorries on the A418 near to the M40, J8a services. (Wheatley)

    Upon investigation they found a 4 x 4 vehicle containing fuel siphoning equipment and noticed that both fuel tanks on the lorries had been tampered with. The 4 x 4 was unattended and persons had made off into undergrowth, this was followed by another vehicle making off from an adjacent lay-by.

    The vehicle was traced to a nearby location where two males were arrested for offences, including theft of a motor vehicle, theft of number plates and two incidents of vehicle interference. The males have been interviewed and bailed pending further enquiries.

    Message Ends.

  • 20/01/12….Thame helps celebrate market towns projects

    REPRESENTATIVES from Thame’s town partnership celebrated the shared success of the Oxfordshire Small Rural Towns programme on Tuesday, which included the Thame Loyalty Card scheme, the Blue Plaques project and the shop fronts improvement scheme.

    The event was hosted by ORCC (Oxfordshire Rutal Community Council)which supported the programme, and held at Carterton community Centre which itself was an OSRT project.

    Sonja Francis, currently the Chair of the Economic working group (Thame4Business) of the 21st Century Thame Partnership, said: “It was very interesting to review what has been achieved by Thame and the other three South Oxfordshire market towns in the programme, and to discuss what we have learned from the experience.

    “The Thame contingent, Alison Isherwood (Market Town Co-ordinator), Town Cllrs Helena Fickling and Mary Stiles, and myself, came away feeling very proud of what Thame had achieved.

    “All four towns are now looking for possible funding streams and support from their local authorities to help enhance the prospects of our market towns into the future.”

    The invited delegates included the volunteers from each market town who had seen the projects through to fruition and the Town Clerks of Wallingford, Faringdon and Carterton who had helped steer their towns through the process.

    PHOTO: L to R: Alison Isherwood, Caroline Wood (SODC), Mary Stiles, Sue Scott (ORCC), Valerie Carter (SEEDA)and Helena Fickling

  • 20/01/12… Young Achievers awards go to Thame swimmers

    THAME Swimming Club Girls’ Squad Captain, Georgia Cahill and Boys’ Squad Vice Captain James Goetz, were officially recognised at the South Oxfordshire District Council (SODC) Young Achievers awards in Benson yesterday.

    The awards are given annually by SODC to young achievers in the county who volunteer, or are talented in sport or the arts. In all, 42 young people were given their awards this year including Georgia and Jamie. In sporting terms, the award is given to those competing at county level or higher and who want to strive to compete at an even higher level. The awards were presented by Councillor Felix Bloomfield, Chairman of the Council.

    Both Jamie and Georgia have competed at the Oxfordshire & North Buckinghamshire (ONB) County Championships in both 2010 and 2011 and hope to be competing there again in 2012. Georgia has qualified for ASA South East Regional events in 2010 and 2011. Jamie is also coaching for Thame SC, working with Group 1 and 2 on a Friday evening to help he younger swimmers in the club develop, and to work towards his Duke Of Edinburgh Gold Award.

    Well done to both and good luck to all Thame Swimmers for the 2012 ONB County Championships in February & March 2012!

  • 19/01/12….What’s going on in Haddenham?

    Mon 23rd HADDENHAM PARISH COUNCIL An application has been made to AVDC to demolish existing outbuildings at the Red Lion pub, Church End, and to build 3 dwellings. Plans can be seen at the parish office, which is open on Tuesday and Thursday mornings, and they will be discussed at January?s Planning committee meeting on Monday (23) at 7.30pm in the Walter Rose Room.

    Events

    Sat 21st Line Dance. The Pondarosa Line Dance group has its next social dance evening on Saturday (8-11pm) in the Village Hall. Entry is

  • 19/01/12….An easier way to contribute to little Alfie’s Fundraiser

    FOR any of you that have kindly said that you would like to make a money donation on-line to Alfie Hacket’s Fundraiser, the best way to do it is via the following link: LINK

    On the left handside under the photo is a Donate button which goes via paypal. We’re unable to set up a Just Giving page as this is a one off event and cannot be registered as a charity at present. Thanks for your support.

    Alfie’s Friends and family

    LINK here to read why Alfie needs your support.