Thame.net

Author: Sonja Francis

  • 15/11/11…..Tourism event inspires local businesses

    REPRESENTATIVES from businesses related to the visitor economy across South Oxfordshire and the Vale of White Horse came together this week to get some inspirational handy hints on how they can attract more visitors.

    More than 65 people came along to the event at Millets Farm Centre, Frilford, on Wednesday 9 November to hear presentations on attracting business, media interest and funding.

    The two hour session kicked off with a talk from television and radio presenter Wesley Smith looking at how businesses could get media attention, including why an event would receive coverage and what reporters were looking for.

    Sarah Osborne from TEAM Tourism Consulting, Paul Bellchambers from The Late Chef, and Yvonne Maxwell, organiser of Thame Arts and Literary Festival, then guided the guests through the benefits of holding events, from small-scale wine tasting to full-scale town events, looking at the immediate impact and the potential lasting opportunities.

    Funding was the next topic of conversation as Kate Forrest from the Southern Oxfordshire LEADER Programme provided details about how businesses could apply for funding to expand their operations.

    The event concluded with Sarah Osbourne (TEAM) and Susie Hunt (Waterperry Gardens) talking about how businesses could use the local area to their advantage to get more from people who visit attractions in southern Oxfordshire.

    Some comments from delegates who attended the event:
    ?Truly inspirational, really enjoyed it.? – Catherine Watsham, CAW Marketing.
    ?Wesley was very enlightening. All the speakers were good.? – Richard Marfell, Carswell Gym.
    ?Very informative, lots of common sense.? – Susan Carter, Royal County of Berkshire Show.

    The free event was organised by the South Oxfordshire and Vale of White Horse District Councils.

    Cllr Elaine Ware, cabinet member for economic development for the Vale, said: ?By holding events like this we are able to work with businesses to attract more people to the area and help the local economy thrive. This is especially important in the current economic climate when attracting more people can make a massive difference to the whole area.?

    Cllr Judith Nimmo-Smith, cabinet member for economic development for South Oxfordshire, said: ?Many of those who attended the event expressed how impressed they were with the advice on offer, and hopefully they will be able to go away and use it to help their businesses develop which will have a knock on effect locally.?

    SOURCE: Press release

  • 15/11/11….Thame to Brighton – on an exercise bike !

    DENTAL Accountancy and Business Consultants, DBS in Thame, will be raising money for Children in Need with a charity bike ride with a difference.

    Their team of fundraisers are aiming to cycle the 98 miles from their office in Station Yard, Thame, to Brighton on an exercise bike!

    This Friday (18 November) DBS will station an exercise bike in their office and each participating member of the team will have time slots on a rota to cover the 98 miles over the day.

    The bike also clocks the number of calories burnt, so once you have donated you can guess the total calories used up by the team. The closest guess will win a bottle of champagne.

    The event will be streamed live on DBS’s website so donor will be able to log on at anytime during the day to see which member of the team is cycling and how much effort they are putting in.

    The team will include: Penny Levett, Nick Stewart, Penny Bowen, Kelly Webster, Nathan Poole, Peter Lambert and
    Darren Nicholson.

    Visit: http://www.dbs.org.uk/news/

  • 15/11/11…. Clash of the Titans at Chinnor RFC this weekend

    IT’S the Clash of the Titans this weekend when Chinnor RFC play Bournemouth on Saturday (Nov 19), both unbeaten and sitting at the top of the National League three, South West division.

    This promises to be a very interesting match and will shape the second half of the season and lead up to influencing who will gain promotion by being top of the league. The runners up will be in a play off with a team from the South East Division.

    Saturday’s confrontation will be the toughest test for both teams who are both vying for promotion to National League 2. It could be said that Chinnor have a slightly easier second part of the season as more games will be played at home, and the long distance travel to Barnstaple, Exmouth and Newton Abbot now done and dusted.

    This will be a game really worth watching so get on down to Rectory Pavilion on Kingsey Road for the 2.30 pm kick off. Good food & beer guaranteed. Chinnor 3rds will be playing at home against Marlow 2nds. The 2nds are away to Westcombe Park and 4th s at Thatcham.

    Chinnor RFC Youth side continues to grow

    The Youth side of the club is expanding fast. There are now some 260 minis and 200 Junior players, possibly the largest in the County and surrounding area.

    Last weekend has seen yet more success at all levels for Chinnor RFC. The Minis (U7-U12s) played an away fixture at Bicester RFC. At 11am, Remembrance Sunday was observed with the 450 players forming two circles for the two minutes silence.

    The strength of the Junior Section now is such that some age groups have a large enough squad to turn out twp teams. Critically for the continued success of the club are the U17s and the Colts. The club now has enough players to field a full U17s team as well as a Colts squad.

    “This is the key age group the RFU wants to see playing and remaining in rugby,” said Carol Bradbrook-Taylor, the club’s Honoury Secretary.

    “The club has been fortunate to have a coaching squad highlighted with guest appearances from first Team players, to take the boys to a high enough standard to move seamlessly into the senior teams. Chinnor now fields four senior sides on a Saturday, and from these come the County?s Veterans champions (over 35s).

    “Currently, the 3rds and 4ths play in leagues which contain mostly 2nds and 3rds, and do well enough to remain mid table,” explained Carol. “It is these teams in which the young men start to move into senior rugby, mentored by the players and player coaches in these teams. When the young players are considered mature enough and capable of holding their own, they move into the 2nds and 1sts. Chinnor is proud to boast that most of these teams are made of up home grown local talent.”

    Chinnor First Team is currently unbeaten this season, winning all 10 games to date. They are second in the league to Bournemouth who have also had an unbeaten run but with greater points difference, beating Bridgewater Albion 107 ? 0 last Saturday!

  • 15/11/11..’Strictly’s’ Brendan’s bro joins judges of Thame’s talent

    FAMILIAR local face, choreographer and dancer, Scott Cole, older brother of BBC 1?s Strictly Come Dancing?s Brendan Cole, is the latest name to lend a helping hand in support of this year?s Thame?s Got Talent event, taking place on Sunday (Nov 20) at the Spread Eagle Hotel, Thame.

    Along with Scott, celebrity chef and owner of Lotte?s Kitchen in Chinnor, Lotte Duncan, will also be taking part as a judge at this year?s event. She said: ?I am delighted to be involved and am excited about seeing what local talent Thame has to offer. I hope everyone enjoys the experience, and knowing you are doing it in aid of a worthy local cause, will make a big difference.?

    The judging panel also includes Mayor of Thame, Cllr David Bretherton, Sonja Francis, Editor of Thamenews.net, Lindsey Fealey of Florence Nightingale Hospice Charity and Mark Green, Manager of Brothers Hair Salon, who previously appeared alongside Peter Andre in his Here2Help ITV2 show, in support of the Thame Carnival. Matthew Cundy, Owner of Kismet Jewellers, Thame, will once again be hosting the event.

    The audience get to vote too!

    Michele Pethers, event supporter and owner of Crash Records, said: ?The excitement is really hotting up now. Seats are still available, and this year we have introduced a special audience vote, with a winning prize, so you can really feel like you are taking part in the event.?

    She added: ?I would like to say a huge thank you to all the local companies who have kindly supported the event, and to all the judges, who have kindly given up their time on Sunday to help out. It really means a lot to everyone involved ? we hope you all enjoy it!?

    The latest acts signed up include dance troupes, a gymnast, a young drummer, singers, bands and duos? all hoping to follow in the footsteps of last year?s winner 16-year-old Rowan Carter, who will open the event on Sunday.

    Prizes up for grabs include a day in a recording session with Black Frog recording studios, a cash prize of

  • 14/11/11……New ‘greener’ retailing concept comes to Thame

    LOCAL producers and artisans from the Thame and Chilterns area will soon be able to sell their products through an innovative, new retail outlet opening in the town.

    The shop is to be called FROM and will be opening in Cornmarket, Thame, next to the Spread Eagle Hotel, on November 19. Its founders, Steve Stretton and Marcus Hardman, are aiming for: ” A contemporary store for locals to be proud of… a year-round celebration of local creative talent.

    “Only the best products will be stocked, sourced within a 20-mile radius of the town,” explained Steve and Marcus who share a passion for beautiful products locally made, like digital prints of Thame, created by Thame sister artists, Kim and Sam Osborne, through to jams and chutney from Haddenham.

    FROM is borne of a fusion of the marketing experience and retail expertise of its two founders. Steve, founding partner at creative agency archibald ingall stretton, has won awards across every discipline from advertising to sales promotion. Marcus is former Senior Vice President of Global business development at DKNY and has spent the past 25 years developing retail bands in new markets worldwide from Azerbaijan to Canada (and every country in between).

    FROM’s staff, and the products themselves, will impart the story behind the goods, the contributors, the history and the heritage. The Cornmarket store will be the first FROM outlet. Championing a greener way to shop, and knowing that the quality of British talent extends beyond the Thame area, they hope to eventually grow into other market towns. And maybe even sell online – of course with a website designed by local talent.

    Along with a carbon footprint much smaller than an average store, FROM will also express its philanthropic nature by donating a percentage of the profits to local education to find and champion new talent.

    With his background knowledge, Steve says that he understands that many people are fed up with buying products created by people that they have no relationship with.

    He commented: ?It is so important to support local suppliers and craftsmen, particularly in these strained economic times. And, what has been particularly rewarding is seeing the standard of talent in our area.

    “Not only are we doing the right thing ethically, we?re finding that we really will have a shop full of lovely things.? Marcus added: ?Throughout life I have studiously tried to avoid becoming a fashionista, and I am failing miserably: I still get disproportionally excited by finding new brands and designers. Inevitably for me, discovering such talent in the Chilterns area by visiting local people at their farms, homes and factories was an amazing experience ? and one that I am looking forward to introducing to a wider audience through FROM.”

    PHOTO: Kim and Sam Osborne

  • 14/11/11……Thame remembers…

    FOUR generations of the people of Thame gathered in and around the Memorial on Sunday to remember all those who lost their lives in both World Wars and conflicts since.

    The Deputy Mayor or Thame welcomed all those assembled on a bright, warm morning before the opening words given by Rev Garratt. The poignant strains of a lone trumpeter playing The Last Post impeccably, drifted in the air as the crowd stood silently, accept for the occasional words a couple of very young children finding the silence strange and baffling, yet a timely reminder of what those who died gave the ultimate sacrifice for.

    All the uniformed organisation of Thame were represented, including the police, the fire brigade, St John’s Ambulance, ATC, Scouts, Brownies and Beavers, who all laid wreaths on the steps of the War Memorial.

    Wreaths were also laid on behalf of the local schools and the local authorities, and a special one in commemoration of both the English and the French who were lost, was laid on behalf of Thame and District Twinning Association by Jeannette Matelot Green, the group’s Chair.

    The ceremony over, the parade marched back to the Upper High Street Car Park where they were dismissed, and welcome refreshments were enjoyed at Christchurch.

  • 14/11/11…..Young Thame footballers on their way to Wembley

    THAME Boys Under sevens are on their way to Wembley after winning a McDonalds Coaching Masterclass.

    The trip to Wembley Stadium on Sunday, November 20, is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for the lads to be coached by, and work alongside footballing Legends of the game and an opportunity to train on the pitch’s hallowed turf.

    The boys will also have the opportunity of a group photo with the likes of Sir Geoff Hurst, Gareth Southgate, Pat Jennings, Martin Keown and Andrew Cole.

    Eric Harrison, McDonalds’ Head of Coaching will be running the event and having brought through
    the Manchester United Class of ’92 (Giggs, Beckham, Scholes and the Neville brothers), there is no doubting his coaching skills.

    Patrick Convoy, who entered the competition, was delighted to have one the session for the squad and said: ?Just being at the home of English Football will be great for the kids and we hope that they have a fantastic day out.”

    The Under sevens are managed by Ravi Rao and assisted by Austin Naylor and Patrick Convoy.

    The management team at the Thame Football Partnership have said that they hope this fantastic experience will help to develop the boys’ skills and enable a continued improvement for the rest of this season.

  • 13/11/11…..Thame Remembrance Service

    THAME Remembrance Service will held on Sunday, November 11. Marching groups will assemble in the car park in front of the town hall and parade to the War Memorial in Upper High Street. The programme for the event is:

    10.40 am Assemble in car park at Town Hall and
    parade to War Memorial
    10.55 am Welcome by Mayor and Opening words by Rev
    Garratt
    10.57 am Last Post
    10.58am Exhortation
    11.00 am Silence
    11.02 am Kohima Epitaph Words

    Laying of Wreaths
    Reveille
    Prayers followed by:
    The Lord?s Prayer (All say together)
    Blessing
    Parade marches back to the Upper High Street Car Park
    Parade dismissed
    Refreshments are available at Christchurch ? everyone is welcome.

  • 11/11/2011….Thame man admits sex offence against a child

    A THAME man has pleaded guilty to six counts of sexual activity with a child over an eight month period.

    Chris Govier, 61, of Cotmore Close, Thame, appeared at Oxford Crown Court yesterday and was told by Judge Anthony King that a prison sentence was inevitable.

    The offences took place between July 2010 and March this year against his victim, a teenage girl.

    Govier, who had been convicted for violence and handling stolen goods in his past, was remanded in custody until sentencing because of concerns that he may abscond. In the early stages of the investigation into the offences, he and his wife had retired and sold their house and planned to leave Thame in the Winnebago they bought.

    Govier will return to the court on December 2, for sentencing.

    SOURCE: The Oxford Mail

  • 11/11/11….East Enders star to light up Thame!

    EAST ENDERS actress, Gillian Wright, will be helping to launch Christmas in Thame this year when she officially turns on the town’s Christmas lights.

    Gillian plays Jean Slater in East Enders and will be taking part in the Big Thame Christmas Event on Friday, December 2, in the High Street in front of the town hall. She’ll be accompanied by other members of the cast of Dick Whittington, this year’s panto at the Aylesbury Waterside Theatre, in which she co-stars with actor, musician and TV presenter, Jonathon Wilkes.

    THAME GOES ALPINE!

    This year’s event promises to be even bigger and better with an ice rink in the car park area again, and for the first time, a Ski slope will help create a winter wonderland atmosphere.

    As well as the usual stalls and charity stands, the French market will be in town from the day before (Thursday, December 1)until the Saturday, December 3.

    Thame’s twin town of Montesson will also be visiting for the weekend once again, selling French wines, conserves, cheese etc and their ever popular tasty crepes.

    The stage event will include a Childrens’ choir made up from all three primary schools, accompanied by the Thame Concert Band, a performance by the winner of Thame’s Got Talent, Community singing, a Christmas address by Rev Paddy Harris and, one of the stars of Music in the Park, Elton John tribute band, Ultimate Elton will be performing.

    The event will begin at 6pm with the Mayor, David Bretherton’s Welcome and finish at around 7.30pm. The Town Crier and a surprise visitor, with the initials FC, will also be making frequent appearances throughout the evening.

    The Compere for the evening will be Paddy Harris, from Cornerstones, who many will remember as the compare for Music In the Park back in May.