OXFORDSHIRE Association for Young People (OAYP), Oxfordshire?s principal charity supporting the county?s volunteer-run youth clubs, is set to create 21 new volunteer-run youth clubs in communities across the county.
The funding for OAYP?s Community Link-Up project totals
ONE of the leading amateur golf competitions to take place in the UK will be hosted by The Oxfordshire, near Thame, in five days time – and the public are invited to go along and watch this great competition.
After hundreds of Match play duels over five months of gruelling, competitive regional brackets in England, Ireland, Scotland and Wales – The Four Nations successful finalists are ready to represent their country and attempt to win the title of Champion Golf Nation of the Year, on September 26 to 28, 2011.
This leading amateur competition is due to be broadcast on Sky Sports.
Further information on the event available at:
www.fournationsgolfchallenge.co.uk and
www.theoxfordshire.com
The two day competition is open to the public, so whether you are a golf-lover or new to golf, this thrilling Four Nations final is not to be missed!
MATCH REPORT (Contributed) – Saturday 17/09/11 – FA Cup – First Qualifying Round – Thame United 2, Brackley Town 0:
BRACKLEY Town are near the top of the Premier Division of the Evostik Southern League, which is TWO leagues higher in the football pyramid than Thame United. This therefore was the non-league equivalent of Wycombe Wanderers playing a top Premier League side. Against the odds however Thame United defeated them 2-0 at The ASM Stadium on Saturday in front of a crowd of 217 spectators. It was a hugely entertaining game in which Thame were forced to defend for lengthy periods but the younger, less experienced, United team played above their normal level and as a result they will be in Monday?s FA Cup draw.
The visitors dominated the first 15 minutes with Thame keeper Nick Bennion forced into action after three minutes, making a good save from a Brackley shot. Two minutes later Brackley hit the crossbar from a header as they pressurised the home goal. After the initial onslaught Thame recovered and started to create chances of their own and Alex Stuart was unlucky to see his lobbed shot fly just wide with the visiting keeper beaten. Towards the end of the first half it seemed that Thame were capable of not only containing the visitors but creating chances of their own as both Aaron Rogers and Alex Stewart went close.
Brackley came out for the second half determined to break the deadlock as they again put the home goal under siege. They hit both uprights during a frantic 10 minutes in which the United defence excelled itself. Thame recovered, and on 56 minutes a free kick from Thame substitute Matt Hall hit the Brackley post. The home side?s first goal come on 64 minutes when Stewart met a Hall cross with a goal bound shot which was blocked at point blank range by Brackley defender Chris Willmott?s arm. The referee, perhaps harshly, pointed to the penalty spot. Mitchell Meredith comfortably converted the resultant spot kick, sending the visiting keeper the wrong way.
The rest of the game was end-to-end stuff with the visitors again having more possession and Thame playing inspired defensive football. A goal bound header, from a corner, was cleared off the Thame goal line and United man of the match, Bennion made some outstanding saves. The home team increased their lead with a bizarre goal in the 90th minute. Following a Thame attack the visiting keeper collected the ball but his kick was intercepted by the alert Rogers, the ball hitting him on the chest and allowing him to dribble it over the goal line. The Thame team ran the length of the pitch to congratulate him. Two minutes later the final whistle blew on an outstanding performance by the Thame team which both they, and their supporters, will remember for many years.
Thame United: Bennion, Willett, Meredith, N Rhodes, Brown (Steadman), Hayes, Connelly, West, Stewart (MacDonald), Rogers, Ricketts (Hall).
PHOTO: Man of the match, Goalie, Nick Bennion
TICKETS are now available – and selling fast, for this year’s Thame Arts and Literature Festival (TAL)taking place over the weekend of October 14-16.
Follow ticket the LINK for full details of events, guests and ticket details. Something for everyone at this year’s event including Dickens, cookery, Wilfred Owen, travel, gardening, motoring, war,football, cars, crafts, walking, poetry, genealogy, children?s authors, art, orchestras, quartets, plays, choirs, and much more..
NATIONAL League 3; South West – Saturday 17th September 2011 – Bridgwater 3, Chinnor 50 – Match Report (Contributed)
ON a pleasant but showery day, Chinnor’s long trip to North Somerset was rewarded with a 50-3 victory against Bridgwater and Albion to leave them lying second in the league table.
With skipper Joe Winpenny unavailable due to work commitments, Liam Gilbert took over the captaincy and Ian Stock stepped up to fill the front row vacancy. The backs were unchanged but with the addition of new boy Henry Colver on the bench.
The match started awkwardly for Chinnor when the ball was dropped straight from the kick-off and retrieved by the home side. Chinnor was then penalised at the ruck to give Bridgwater a 3-0 lead from the boot of Sam Osborne. James Cathcart evened up the score for Chinnor on the 10th minute with a well struck penalty goal – the start of an impressive afternoon’s kicking for the Chinnor fly half.
On the 13th minute, Mark Chase flew through the defence to cross the line but lost the ball in the act of grounding it. From the resulting scrum, the Chinnor pack redeemed the situation by shunting their opposition off the ball to allow Sam Stoop to scoot in for Chinnor’s opening try, improved by Cathcart.
A few minutes later, Gilbert, in imperious form throughout, touched down for a pushover try from opposition scrum ball after Goode was held up short of the line. With Cathcart’s conversion Chinnor were now 17-3 ahead. From the restart, Bridgwater regained the ball and set to attacking the Chinnor line. They were unlucky when the ball was adjudged held up over the line after a good passage of play. Chinnor’s next score came in the 24th minute when Gilbert stole lineout ball and set up a midfield ruck. Gathering the ball, Stoop grubber kicked the ball before Corpe to nimbly tapped the ball straight to the supporting Stock who sprinted over for a classy try. Cathcart once again improved the score to give Chinnor a 24-3 lead at half-time.
Straight from the restart kick, Gilbert gathered the ball and ripped through the centre of the defence to set the supporting Mark Chase up for an easy try, once again converted by Cathcart. The Chinnor lead was now 31-3.
Good work from the pack allowed Chinnor’s impressive emergency scrum-half, Frank Jones, to score his debut try for the club – with Cathcart providing the inevitable to give Chinnor a 38-3 lead on the 52nd minute. Chinnor then brought on all their replacements and the Bridgwater side, unfazed by the score, continued to attack at every opportunity. Chinnor then had a 10 minute defence work out resisting the home side’s valiant attempts to score. It was not until the 72nd minute that Chinnor troubled the scorers again when Gilbert touched down to cap a fine all-round performance. Cathcart did the usual for 45-3. The last score of the day came from a sweet passing movement across the backs leaving Seymour with an awkward run in. His well-judged chip and scorching pace allowed him to regather the ball and touch down near the posts. Unbelievably, Cathcart missed the kick. A few minutes later, the whistle blew for full-time to give Chinnor a 50-3 victory.
Although a comprehensive victory, Chinnor were not in top gear throughout. Bridgwater, with injuries and absences, were forced to field several Colts in their side. Perhaps overwhelmed at times, they could not be faulted for endeavour and energy and played with their heads held high at all times. Their attitude and the experience they will gain will forge them into respectable opponents in the forthcoming months.
For Chinnor, the pack had a dominant afternoon and the backs moved speedily at times. New boy Henry Colver came on for the injured Goode and looked to the manor born. Cathcart had an impressive day with the boot but Gilbert caught the eye with everything he did and gave a scintillating performance.
Scorers:
Chinnor: Stoop T; Gilbert 2T; Stock T; Chase T; Jones T; Seymour T; Cathcart 6C, PG
Bridgwater & Albion: Osborne PG
Chinnor team:
Chase, Seymour, Goode (Colver 45), Stoop, Corpe, Cathcart, Jones, Stock (Pickett 71), Tattersall, Pickett (Whelan 52), Jackman (Devine 52), Smith, Gilbert (c), Hastings, Mowbray (Devine 72)
Replacements: Whelan, Devine, Jones
FILM critic, Mark Kermode, was at the Oxford Playhouse last week, for the screening of William Batty’s classic film, The Ninth Configuration, and to talk about what he sees as, what’s wrong with cinema today.
Friend and supporter of ThameNews.Net, Nicholas Newman, who runs The Oxford Prospect website, was there and reviewed the event:
Mark?s performance, last night (13 September 2011) at the Oxford Playhouse was what you expect from an accomplished and professional performer. It is clear he really loves his work. He certainly has a passion for film. It is not surprising this film critic is a popular guest for BBC Five Live and the Culture Show. Mark certainly provides value for money.
Yesterday, he was in Oxford to show one of his favourite films The Ninth Configuration, followed by a talk about his passion for the film together with a debate he led on what is wrong with modern movies and the decline of the cinema. This was all part of his nationwide book tour to promote his new book The Good, The Bad and The Multiplex.
As for the film, it is certainly thought provoking; in a sense, it is based on the idea of putting a lunatic in charge of a military asylum to cure the inmates that are suffering from battle fatigue and stress. The film is set in a Dracula like castle; action hero Stacy Keach, cast as the new mysterious psychiatrist, plays the leading role. What becomes clear is that the inmates and the staff are playing a theological game of cat and mouse whilst madness rages all around them. The film raises many issues about the existence of god, good versus evil and sin. It is a very dark and entertaining film, which I will certainly recommend my friends to see. Something I have not done this year from seeing such Hollywood blockbusters as Harry Potter, Transformers and Pirates of the Caribbean.
However, Mark?s opinion about the film and the decline of modern movies and local multiplexes was fascinating. He said today it is very unlikely that such an intelligent film as The Ninth Configuration would be made today. There is a common belief in Hollywood that successful films must be designed for the brain dead. Yet, this year?s $1bn grossing Inception proved them wrong. It was relatively cheap to make, and at the same time a very thought provoking and challenging film. It is clear from what Mark says a film fails in terms of poor box office results, not because it receives a poor review from some critic, but because it was a poor film that failed to entertain and satisfy the needs of the paying customer. So it is unfair for the makers of Pearl Harbour to blame critics like Mark when such a film does badly at the cinema.
However, what I did find surprising was that the popularity amongst filmmakers for 3-D was ending. He mentioned several major film producers that indicated that they would not be making new 3-D from next year. Mark observed that the popularity of 3-D came in roughly forty-year cycles. Ticket sales had indicated most people want to view films in traditional 2-D.
Lastly, Mark made some valuable points about how poorly we cinemagoers are treated, despite the exorbitant ticket prices we pay when we go to the local multiplex. He commented on the lack of customer care and concern about getting the film set up right for projecting. Today, going to the cinema is more like going to the pub than going to see a performance.
Image source: http://www.oxfordplayhouse.com/
Mark Kermode (born 2 July 1963) is an English film critic and a member of the British Academy of Film and Television Arts. He contributes to Sight and Sound magazine, The Observer newspaper and BBC Radio 5 Live, where he presents Kermode and Mayo’s Film Reviews with Simon Mayo on Friday afternoons.He also co-presents the BBC Two arts programme The Culture Show and discusses other branches of the arts for the BBC Two programme Newsnight Review. Kermode writes and presents a film-related video blog for the BBC and is a patron of the Phoenix Cinema in North London.
INVITATION from Thame Cinema 4 All – Saturday, September 24 – Mid August Lunch; Italy 2008, 75 minutes, U certificate; Directed by Gianni Di Gregorio, Starring Alfonso Santagata, Gianni di Gregorio, Grazia Cesarini Sforza, Maria Cali, Maria Calli, Marina Cacciotti, Valeria de Franciscis.
Di Gregorio?s second feature as writer/director, Salt of the Earth, is currently on general release so this is an opportunity to relish his first film (which couldn?t be further from his acclaimed screenplay for modern day Cosa-Nostra drama Gomorrah). Chosen to complement Thame?s Food Festival, Mid August Lunch chronicles a weekend in the life of Gianni, a slightly down on his luck, slightly shambolic bachelor of late middle age, who lives with his formidable nonagenarian mother Valeria.
It is a scorching holiday weekend in Rome?s Trastevere district, a weekend on which most Romans head off to the coast. The apartment Caretaker, Luigi, is responsible for an elderly mother and, in lieu of unpaid utility bills, he persuades Gianni to take in an extra old lady for the weekend. A consultation with his doctor, who has to leave Mamma unattended while on a night shift, leaves Gianni with yet another aged guest. What ensues is a quietly meandering, often very funny, frequently poignant chronicle of a couple of days of cooking and eating, as the hapless Gianni struggles to contain his wayward, mischievous, stubborn, occasionally vicious, always exacting guests. This task he accomplishes with good humour and without resentment, helped by quantities of Chablis and a crafty cigarette here and there.
The film celebrates the quiet daily rituals of food preparation with cooking serving as a motif through out, in which the women reflect on their lives and their marriages, express their individual identities, and ultimately let their hair down. It is staggeringly rare to find a film that pays due attention to older people as individuals and given our own culture?s frankly shameful approach to the challenges of our ageing generation, the respect and sensitivity of Mid August Lunch is all the more striking. It treats its subjects with the dignity they deserve, heightened by a naturalism that makes it feel almost like a documentary at times ? in fact, the women are all untrained actors; one is the director?s aunt, another a friend, two others scouted in a care home. And its playfulness reflects each woman?s fierce reluctance to acquiesce to graceful ageing. Delicious.
Other films forthcoming are:
October 1st: Submarine (very funny, delightful coming of age indie comedy set in damp South Wales)
October 22nd: Senna (I know, I know, but trust us – it’s not a formula one film, just as Looking for Eric was not a football film…by all accounts a gripping edge of your seat documentary)
November 5th: Potiche (two of French cinema’s most iconic stars – Depardieu and Catherine Deneuve – in high camp pseudo 70’s farce with great charm and a sharp feminist edge).
HAVE your say on the future of front counter services at your local police station.
M 13/09/019]
This is a Community Message from Thames Valley Police.
Thames Valley Police is inviting the public to have their say as part of a review of front counter services across the Force.
We would like to invite people to take part in the consultation process by completing the electronic survey LINK or contacting us by email counterserviceschangeproject@thamesvalley.pnn.police.uk
Full details regarding the rationale behind the review can be found on LINK
EX-LORD Williams’s student Alex Saunders and two university friends, Doug Brown and Mat Park, recently undertook the John O’Groats to Land’s End challenge to raise money for three charities close to their hearts – Alzheimer’s Research UK, Cancer Research and The Downs Syndrome Association.
They successfully completed the ride unsupported in 11 days, covering 1,016 miles. Alex said that the hardest part of the trip was cycling over the Highlands whilst picking up five punctures in one day. Despite the tough going, they stuck to their schedule, typically covering 100 miles a day. They arrived in Land’s End to a warm welcome from friends and family where they all watched the sun set and reflected on their achievement over some well earned pints!
“We are all so happy to have completed the challenge,” said Alex, “and the money raised for the charities has made it even more special.”
Alex chose Alzheimer’s Research UK in memory of his Grandad and to help his Granny, who were both diagnosed with the disease as he was growing up. Mat chose cancer research in memory of his late grandmother while Doug chose The Downs Syndrome Association as his brother was born with the condition.
The current total stands at
THAME schools are being reminded to sign up this new term (September, 2011) for a charity world record breaking attempt for the most people signing and singing simultaneously.
SignHealth, the national healthcare charity for Deaf people, is inviting schools from Thame to register now for the event, which takes place on February 8, 2012.
Steve Powell, Chief Executive at SignHealth, said: ?Earlier this year 94,489 children took part in our sign2sing 2011 event, including pupils from Thame, and smashed the Guinness World Records?. The previous record was 13,418.
?On February 8, 2012, we are once again inviting schoolchildren to take part in the world record attempt for the most people signing and singing a song at the same time.
?News of the event is spreading rapidly and there are already more than 300 schools registered. We need a lot more schools if we are going to smash our current record and involve around 150,000 youngsters, so we are urging schools to get in touch now.?
The event is designed to raise awareness of deafness and the work of SignHealth, as well as acting as a fundraiser for the charity through sponsorship from businesses and a suggested donation of