Thame.net

Author: Sonja Francis

  • 15/09/11…Follow Thame-born Pro squash player in new blog

    A young professional sportsman who grew up in the Thame, has recently launched a blog to keep friends, family and supporters up-to-date with his life as a professional squash player.

    Will John, 19, has been a professional squash player since July 2010. He trains in St Albans mostly but learned and developed his game at Racquets Fitness Centre, Thame.

    Will says in the introduction to his blog: “I train with the Squash Prospects Elite Player Programme with my coach John Milton who has previously coached five top ten PSA world ranked players. Squash has given me so much and I have met so many great people and had many great times. It allows me to see the world whilst doing what I love most. And I am just at the beginning.”

    Follow Will’s blog here:
    http://willjohnsquash.blogspot.com/2011/09/travel-day-1-london-to-belo-horizonte.html

  • 15/09/11…Latest Planning considerations from Thame Town Council

    PLANNING Applications Considered by Thame Town Council?s Planning Committee on Tuesday 13 September, 2011:

    8937
    P11/E1378/LDP
    1 FAIRFAX CLOSE
    Lawful development certificate for single & two storey rear extension to provide improved living accommodation.
    RECOMMEND APPROVAL

    8938
    P11/E1414
    11 CHESTNUT AVENUE
    Front and rear single storey extensions to an existing bungalow incorporating the footprint of two existing garages/out buildings.
    RECOMMEND APPROVAL

    8939
    P11/E1344/LB
    THE ELMS BARN, 32 UPPER HIGH STREET
    Detached garage and store with room in roof. Removal of part of stone wall.
    RECOMMEND APPROVAL

    8940
    P11/E1343
    THE ELMS BARN, 32 UPPER HIGH STREET
    Detached garage and store with room in roof. Removal of part of stone wall.

    RECOMMEND APPROVAL
    8941
    P11/E1435
    RED COTTAGE, THAME PARK ROAD
    Demolition of two storey 2 bed dwelling and erection of two storey 3 bed dwelling.
    RECOMMEND APPROVAL
    Comment: The Committee considered the elevations to be
    disappointing and unimaginative.

  • 15/09/11….Thame’s MP to be barrow boy for the day!

    WELL, not quite, but Thame?s MP, John Howell, is so impressed by what he has heard about Thame?s Tuesday market that he is coming to see it for himself.

    Next Tuesday, September 20, John will be getting an early start at the market, joining the traders at 6.30am as they set up their stalls for another healthy day of business at Thame?s weekly market. He will be meeting with traders and discussing with them any issues of concern they may have and see what help he can offer.

    Traders will be discussing matters such as raising the pension age, the success of the free bus passes for the over 60s and other challenges that face market traders.

    John’s visit follows the market?s recent, very successful Community Open Day held on August 16, which attracted many visitors, not just to purchase the excellent goods on sale, but bringing their children to have fun on the slides and stalls and to see the magicians and visiting entertainers.

    The Market is held weekly in the Upper High Street car park and is a bustling and colourful affair accommodating approximately 42 traders. A wide variety of merchandise is available including fruit and vegetables, fresh fish, local meat, eggs, olives and cheese, ladies, gents and children?s clothes, underwear, books, pictures, toys, linen, household goods, vacuum cleaners, plants, handbags and luggage, pet foods, garden ornaments, hats, footwear, cards, china, videos and CDs, confectionery, bric-a-brac and the very popular WI produce stall.

    On the second Tuesday of each month the Farmers? Market joins the weekly traders. It’s made up of farmers and small businesses selling home-grown and local products.

  • 14/09/11…Biggest game of the season coming up for Thame Utd

    THAME United is preparing for its biggest game of the season at The ASM Stadium this Saturday (17/09) when Southern Premier League side Brackley Town are the visitors in the first Qualifying round of the FA Cup.

    Thame’s Assistant Manager, Frank Thompson, is looking forward to the game. “It will be a real test for our players against a team that are two leagues above us and have made a good start to the season,” he said. Brackley currently lie in sixth place in the league but have lost their last two games.

    “We will certainly be underdogs for the game,” added Frank, “but we’re confident that we can give a good account of ourselves and hopefully with a good home crowd supporting us, we’ll be making sure that we don’t make things comfortable for the visitors.”

    United have progressed to this round following wins against Sandhurst Town and Newport Pagnell Town respectively, and also gained a good 4-1 victory in the FA Vase last Saturday against Staines, with Alex Stewart scoring a hat-trick.

    “The pressure’s all on them – they’re expected to beat us, but Thame are playing some good football at the moment and as they say, football is a funny old game and the FA Cup can certainly produce some upsets!”

    The game also throws up some interesting re-unions with ex Thame player Jefferson Louis now at Brackey, able to show off the ASM pitch to his previous side, following ex Brackley’s, Paul Kuhn, now Thame’s new groundsman’s recent win as the FA Groundsman of the Year for the Southern League!

    It should be a entertaining afternoon with Thame Boys U12’s providing ball boys for the game and a half time display. Hopefully Thame will be in the draw for the next round on Monday.

    The match kicks off at 3pm, Admission is

  • 14/09/11…..Thame’s MP plans epic visit to 80 villages

    THAME’S MP, John Howell, is shortly setting out on a programme of visits to 80 villages in the constituency. The aim is to reach the smaller communities which do not generally get the opportunity to talk to their MP.

    The Henley constituency, which includes Thame, currently covers between 260 and 270 square miles and stretches between the edge of Reading and the edge of Bicester and most of the population lives in small and medium-sized villages.

    Since becoming MP, John has regularly undertaken formal engagements in over 70 villages and in the constituency?s two towns ? Henley and Thame. The aim of the current programme of visits is to give those who live in smaller communities the chance to have their say on their own doorstep. The programme of visits is in addition to the regular surgeries he holds around the constituency and other formal engagements.

    John said: ?This programme of visits gives me the chance of making sure I pick up and understand the concerns of as many people as possible across the constituency. Given the pace of the schedule I will only be able to make a relatively brief stop in each village but it will give local residents the chance to raise concerns or simply say hello. We will make sure that everything is in place to follow up on points raised.?

    John’s programme of visits will take place over a two week period beginning on September 19.

    The full time table of his visits can be viewed here:
    http://www.johnhowellmp.com/downloads/tour-schedule.pdf

    PHOTO: John Howell inspects one of the new shopping guides installed recently as part of 21st Century Thame’s SEEDA projects, last Friday when he visited Thame

  • 13/09/11…..Chair of Governors of Thame school dies in her sleep

    THE sad news this morning is of the sudden death of the Chair of Governors of Lord Williams’s school in Thame.

    Headteacher, David Wybron, said: “We received some very sad news yesterday morning that Ann Mayou, our Chair of Governors had died in her sleep. Ann was a quite brilliant Chair of Governors and when she spoke to staff on Monday we could all see how supportive and professional she was in her role as leader of the Governing Body.

    “Ann had been a headteacher and she knew about schools, teachers and how young people work. Her wisdom and calmness were always evident and to spend time with her was always a pleasure. She struck the balance perfectly of asking the right questions whilst being our closest friend and champion. She had a lovely, warm personality.

    “She will be deeply missed and our thoughts are now very much with Richard and her family at this very sad time.”

  • 13/09/11….Thame ladies bully-off season with a win

    THE ladies of Thame Hockey Club began the new hockey season with a comfortable win over Sonning Fours on Saturday, in a pre season friendly.

    Thame ladies had great success last year with a much deserved promotion to division four and have continued this momentum with Saturday’s 4-0 win.

    The team had a great mix of expertise with Bridie Williamson holding the defence solid and Sarah Sawrey-Cookson exploiting the right wing to produce two fantastic goals, beating the opposition and the keeper both times.

    The centre midfielder, Jenny Alexander, did a good job of holding possession and distributing to the forwards. In the first half, Thame found it difficult to turn all the good possession into goals but the coach, Ben Bennett, made some changes and brought on Rosie Corby who was instrumental in setting up the third goal.

    A late appearance by Lizzie Greenwood-Hughes added a much needed spark to a fatigued, when she set up Emma Cunningham with a late goal to take Thame to 4-0.

    Thame Hockey Club runs two ladies and two mens team and have a thriving junior section. They are always happy to welcome new players from all levels of experience.

    For more information visit www.thamehockey.co.uk

    SOURCE: Contributed

  • 13/09/11….BBC news broadcaster opens new art studio

    OVER 200 people descended on the village of Towersey, near Thame, on Saturday, to witness the BBC?s Fiona Bruce open The Phoenix Studio?s brand new, custom built art studio.

    Fiona, also familiar from The Antiques Road Show and other BBC programmes, lives at near by Sydenham.

    Visit The Phoenix Studio’s website: http://phoenixstudio.co.uk

  • 13/09/11….Young Thame entrepreneur cooking up a business

    A Teenager from Thame is one of three would-be entrepreneurs taking their first steps towards creating their own business, and urging others to join them.

    Rosie Burr, 17, is among the first students signing up to study for a pioneering qualification in Enterprise and Entrepreneurship at Oxford & Cherwell Valley College, as part of the high profile Peter Jones Enterprise Academy.

    Rosie, who studied for A-Levels at Lord Williams?s School in Thame, came up with the idea for her business after two stints of work experience at Raymond Blanc?s famous Le Manoir aux Quat?Saisons.

    She told ThameNews.Net: “It occurred to me that there is a gap in the market for healthy cakes. What I would like to do is to take classic cake recipes and make them healthier. Ideally I would like to get one of my cakes into a local supermarket.”

    Rosie explained: “Once you’ve got your business plan you have to pitch your idea. Its a bit like Dragon’s Den! Up to

  • 12/09/11……Thame’s MP signs up for his Loyalty Card

    THAME’S MP John Howell, showed his support for the town’s retailers on Friday, when he signed up for his very own Loyalty Card.

    The Loyalty Card Scheme, which gives card holders all sorts of discounts and special offers when they spend in one of the 38 local retailers in the scheme, was just one of the 21st Century Thame projects John learned about on a tour of the town.

    John told ThameNews.Net: “I come into Thame every weekend to do my shopping. I will be taking my Loyalty card with me and using it!

    “I really enjoyed being shown the work of the partnership, especially the Shop Fronts Improvement scheme. Thame is a wonderful town and we must do all we can to keep it that way.”

    See LINK for more information about the 21st Century Thame SEEDA projects.

    See Thame Loyalty card for information about how you can get your Loyalty Card.

    PHOTO: John Howell MP shows off his Loyalty Card.