Thame.net

Author: Sonja Francis

  • 19/05/11…..Alarm in the Chilterns over unaccounted for spoil from HS2

    THE Chilterns Conservation Board, based near Thame, says it is alarmed to discover that there could be over one million lorry journeys on local roads to remove the spoil excavated from tunnels and cuttings in the Chilterns during the building of the proposed high speed railway.

    The Board says: “HS2 Ltd published a figure of 680,000 cubic metres of spoil to be excavated from the Chilterns, but local anti-HS2 groups have discovered the true figure is more like 12 million cubic metres – an error of nearly 18 times.”

    Steve Rodrick, Chief Officer of the Chilterns Conservation Board said: ?You can imagine our alarm when this colossal error was unearthed. This could mean a lorry journey on local roads every 26 seconds every working hour every working day for 5 years. That will create immense misery for local communities and motorists. The noise and dust will be truly awful.?

    The Board is especially alarmed, it says, that HS2 Ltd could have made such a basic mistake. “It completely undermines the confidence we should have in information published by the Government. It begs the question, What else have they got wrong??

    The high speed railway will require a twin bored tunnel of 9.6 kilometres from near the M25 in the Colne Valley to just north of Old Amersham. There will be a shorter tunnel to the east of Little Missenden. There will also be nearly eight kilometres of deep cuttings before it emerges on an embankment and viaduct to cross the Misbourne Valley south of Wendover.

    The Board claims that the big difference in figures is due to a number of major errors:

    ? HS2 Ltd mistakenly based their calculations on a single bored tunnel between the Colne Valley (M25) and Amersham (9.6 kms long). In fact it is a twin bored tunnel.

    ? HS2 Ltd failed to include the spoil excavated from cuttings.

    ? HS2 Ltd failed to take into account the bulking up of spoil once excavated, which increases the volume of chalk and clay by up to 1.8 times.

    According to Steve Rodrick: ?This is yet another nail in the coffin of claims that high speed rail is a green form of travel. It will cause immense damage to the countryside of England, actually increase carbon emissions and literally concrete over several thousand acres of farmland.?

    According to the Chilterns Conservation Board, HS2 Ltd hasn?t provided any information on where they plan to dump such a massive quantity of waste material.

    PHOTO: Part of the Chilterns through which HighSpeed2 rail link will pass. For more maps and images visit:
    http://www.chilternsaonb.org/hs2/impactonchilterns.html

  • 18/05/11…. Ditch the Workout, Join the Party!

    ZUMBA Classes -An effective, easy-to-follow, Latin-inspired, calorie-burning dance fitness workout will help you to party your way to fitness! Open to all fitness levels and abilities, come along and give Zumba a go.

    Starting Wednesday 18th May 6:30pm – 7:30pm. For more information contact Rachel Swift on 07973 540248

  • 18/05/11……Thame Fencer rounds off season at British Championships

    ARRAN Strutt (14) of Thame Duellists Fencing Club, rounded off his first competitive season with an appearance at the British Youth Championships in Sheffield last weekend, having qualified with a fifth place finish in the Southern Region qualifying event for the under-14 age group.

    The Competition, held at the prestigious English Institute of Sport venue in Sheffield, was a learning experience for Arran in what was only his third competitive outing outside of club matches, and a ‘first’ at national level.

    Arran had a difficult seeding round and showed strength of character to pick up two wins from his final three fights having been beaten in his first three. But two wins from six bouts meant a tough draw going into the knockout phase of the competition and he was knocked out by Wilson of London 15-8, leaving Arran with a final result of 48th overall. But the fight was closer than the scoreline suggests and it leaves Arran with a clear understanding of what he has to do to improve at this level, as well as the knowledge that a better result next year is within his grasp.

    Club Chair, James Kingston, said: ?The thing that impressed me was that Arran?s fencing improved over the course of the day. A first appearance at National level is all about learning what it takes to succeed against more demanding opposition ? many of whom will have years of experience at this level – and he certainly did that. Making it into the top fifty in the country at your first attempt is good going.?

    The result whets the club?s appetite for next season, when Arran will be joined by team mates including Bucks, Berks & Oxon bronze medallist Daniel Kovacs and others, in the quest to improve on this season?s results.

    Thame Duellists Fencing Club welcomes new members, both adults and juniors. Anyone interested should call Club Chairman James Kingston on 07947 049511.

  • 18/05/11…..Thame Music in the Park exceeds all expectations

    THAME’S Music in the Park exceeded all expectations in terms of visitor numbers, enjoyment, money raised, and even weather!

    “Feedback from visitors and local residents has been fantastically positive,” said Steve Gunn, one the organising team, today. “Indeed, in the weeks since the event, it has not been uncommon for the organisers to be stopped in the street to be congratulated for putting on a ‘well-organised, thoroughly enjoyable day’. The Music in the Park Facebook site has also been inundated with positive comments.” LINK

    Steve continued: “The organisers had hoped to get 1,000 people. As it turned out, over the course of the whole day, more than 1800 people went to enjoy the varied and excellent music, as well as the other attractions. In excess of

  • 18/05/11…..Pole dancing, DJ tents & attractions galore at Thame Carnival (June 18)

    ONLY a month to go to Thame’s next community extravaganza, the Carnival and grand fete on SATURDAY, JUNE 18, 2011- PARADE STARTS AT 12;00 NOON THOUGH THE TOWN /FETE AT RECREATION GROUND (THE SOUTH POLE) SOUTHERN ROAD FROM 1PM.

    The theme, in case you haven’t heard, the theme is Mardi Grass so its not too late to add YOUR group, club or business to the great line up of floats and walking entrants for the parade which will be lead by a samba band.

    At the grand fete there’ll be bands, displays, fun fair, stalls, crafts, food stalls of all kinds, dog show, DJ tent, bars, stilt walkers, climbing wall, Bouncy castle, Classic Car display, face painting, gymnastic display, Martial Arts display, Tug-of-War, Tombola, raffle, Pole dancing, and a quiz!

  • 17/05/11……UPDATE: Appeal for missing Haddenham man

    NIGEL has been found safe and well and is no longer on the Missing Persons’ Register.

    THAMES Valley Police is appealing for the public?s help in tracing a man missing from Haddenham. Nigel Adams, aged 52, was last seen at his home address in The Gables, Haddenham, just before 12pm today (13/5). He is believed to be in a silver VW Polo, registration AP54 SDU.

    Nigel is white, 6ft, stocky build, with short blond hair. He was wearing dark jeans and a black shirt when last seen.

    Insp Scott Messenger, from Aylesbury police station, said: ?We are very concerned for Nigel?s welfare and need to trace him as soon as possible. We believe he is still in the Buckinghamshire area, so I would urge residents to reports any sightings of Nigel, or the silver VW Polo he is driving, to contact police.?

    Anyone who sees Nigel or has any information about his whereabouts should contact Thames Valley Police via the 24-hour Police Enquiry Centre on 0845 8 505 505, quoting URN 649 13/5. If you don?t want to speak to police or leave your name, call the charity Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.

  • 17/05/11…..Returning officer from outside to review ‘shambolic’ election

    UPDATED: 17:55 See Letter to editor from Thame Cllr Mary Stiles on this subject: LINK

    FOLLOWING criticism and a vote of No Confidence in South Oxfordshire’s Returning Officer, he has announced that an outside authority’s RO will be brought in to conduct a review into what went wrong.

    SODC’s Chief Executive and Returning Officer, David Buckle, was criticised from several quarters for errors, omissions and the mishandling of May 5’s local elections and AV referendum, including a Vote of No Confidence by Thame Town Council.

    Some residents were turned away from the polling booths on May 5, and there were problems with postal votes being sent out late and to the wrong addresses. Other errors included sending out inadequately sized, pre-paid envolopes for the return of postal and proxy votes.

    Chief Executive of South Oxfordshire District Council and Returning Officer David Buckle says a thorough review will be carried out.

    He has been reported (by Mix ’96) as having written to the political leaders at both SODC and Thame Town Council to tell them of a review into the way the referendum was conducted and the 96 separate elections that took place on Thursday, May 5, across South and Vale: “.. to see what improvements we could have made.”

    He has promised to bring in an experienced returning officer from elsewhere to carry out it out, which is likely to take a number of weeks.

    David Buckle then says that he intends to publish the results and present them to each council’s scrutiny committee, and that until that is complete he does not intend to make any further statement.

    He has however, thanked all the people involved in the election this year, the election team, the polling staff and vote counters for all the effort they put in on May 5 and 6.

    Photo: David Buckle

  • 17/05/11….Thame’s Mayor takes the Challenge for Foster Care Fortnight

    THAME’S newly elected Mayor, Cllr Dave Bretherton, joined the Meet the Mayors challenge for Foster Care Fortnight today, when he met PACT, Parents and Children Together.

    Mayors across the Thames Valley are being invited to show their support for fostering by family charity, Parents And Children Together as part of Foster Care Fortnight, which runs from May 16. PACT has set itself a challenge to meet all the mayors across Berkshire, Buckinghamshire and Oxfordshire.

    Each mayor will be presented with a ‘I support PACT fostering’ medal.

    PACT Family recruitment officer, Philip Cook, met the Mayor of Thame, Cllr David Bretherton, today at the town hall.

    PACT is an independent adoption and fostering agency in London and the Thames Valley and is celebrating its 100th birthday throughout 2011.

    Philip Cook said: ?There is a need for more carers in this area. PACT is a specialist in permanent fostering and would like to hear from families who would consider providing a home to a child in care.

    ?Anyone who is thinking about it but not sure if it is for them should at least enquire as they might be surprised what they discover.?

    Foster Care Fortnight is a national awareness campaign run by the Fostering Network. Find out more at www.fostering.net

    As well as its work in fostering and adoption, PACT also supports vulnerable families in the area through its 23 community projects. Its centenary celebrations include a ball at Blenheim Palace on June 13, a celebrity cricket match at Sonning on July 10 and a Carnival in Abingdon on August 22.

    See LINK for these and other events.

  • 17/05/11…’Not enough officers’ at the count says Thame Cllr

    DEAR EDITOR, I refer to your article re the problems on the day of the count for the local elections. I am one of the Thame Town Councillors who signed Councillor Dyer’s motion, as it is right that the Returning Officer should be held to account, but there are further points that I would like to make.

    It was obvious to anyone attending the count that everyone working there was doing the very best s/he could, but the problem was that there were just not enough officers for the amount of work.

    The ruling group on SODC pride themselves on saving money and many posts have been cut in the joint work with the Vale of White Horse Council. Therefore the buck stops with SODC’s Cabinet, who make decisions and not the officer employed by them.

    It was very annoying and tiring that the count on 6th May took so long, but it was not a matter on the same scale of importance as housing or benefits issues for example.

    Can the SODC Councillors, who are members of the ruling group, assure local people that there are enough officers to deal with matters such as these as quickly as is needed by residents in the SODC area?

    Councillor Mary Stiles
    Thame Town Council (North Ward)

  • 17/05/11…Thame Skies ? Latest Exhibition at Thame Museum

    THAME Skies, the latest exhibition at Thame Museum, from today, May 17, is a stunning collection of spectacular skyscapes taken by a Thame photographer.

    The collection of more than twenty large format photographs includes dramatic clouds, rainbows and ice halos through to a lunar eclipse, comet Hale-Bopp, and the Aurora Borealis. Named ?Asperatus? after the latest new classification of cloud formation, nearly all the images were taken in the local countryside around Thame.

    Nick White, the photographer and a Thame resident, has been fascinated with astronomy and meteorology from an early age and catches both day and night skies in breath-taking splendour, but doesn?t only have his head in the clouds. Nick pursued a full career in medical photography at the John Radcliffe Hospital before going freelance five years ago, has his own photography, design, and print business in Oxford, and has also worked for the National Trust Picture Library.

    The Asperatus exhibition, recently shown to great acclaim at Art Jericho in Oxford, includes short explanations of the phenomena, giving an insight into the ever changing nature of the skies above Thame.

    The exhibition opens at Thame Museum from 17 May and will run through to late June.

    Entry to the Museum and the ?Thame Skies exhibition? is free. The Museum is open Tuesday, Wednesday, Saturday 10.00am ? 4pm, and Sunday 12-4pm
    Contact Thame Museum at:publicity@thamemuseum.org

    Website: LINK

    PHOTO:
    The Asperatus cloud formation was proposed in 2009 as a new classification. The name is derived from the Latin, meaning to roughen or alginate. It has been described as resembling a choppy sea from below. (photographed from Thame, Oxfordshire).