Thame.net

Author: Sonja Francis

  • 19/04/11…..Bluebells spectacular this Easter

    THE famous Chiltern bluebells are just starting to come out and by Easter there should be carpets of blue in our woods. What better excuse to get out and enjoy our glorious local countryside!

    The recent warm weather means that the bluebells are flowering slightly earlier than normal. In the next few days many local woods will turn into a sea of blue, one of the most famous spectacles in the Chilterns Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty.

    Some of the best bluebell woods in the Chilterns are:

    ? Wendover Woods, near Wendover
    ? Adams Wood, near Lane End
    ? Bradenham Woods, near High Wycombe
    ? Ashridge Estate, near Berkhamsted
    ? Cowleaze Woods, near Watlington
    ? Ipsden Heath, near Henley-on-Thames

    There are also lots of wildlife and heritage events taking place in our local countryside this Easter to keep the whole family entertained. Easter egg trails, woodland safaris, guided walks, country fairs and working windmills are just a few of the fun things happening in the Chilterns over the next two bank holiday weekends.

    It?s a fantastic time of year to make the most of our beautiful local countryside and enjoy all the signs of spring. You can find lots of information on local events plus the best places to see bluebells in the Chilterns at www.chilternsaonb.org

  • 19/04/11…….Better Biking Fun

    AS the weather changes for the better, the Phoenix Trail seems to be getting busier and busier with families out cycling, soaking up the sun and getting some of that vital vitamin D. To improve you or your familie’s biking experience this summer why not get in touch with Haddenham Cycle Training?

    The scheme was started five years ago by a small group of volunteers teaching Biking Basics in Haddenham. They now have a monthly Bike Club, varying training levels for different age groups and instructor training.

    The team of seven instructors delivers cycle training within Oxfordhsire, Buckinghamshire and other surrounding counties. They focus on schools, training groups, families or individuals and are an Accredited Bikeability Scheme Provider.

    On the first Saturday of every month they run a Bike Club with an exciting programme made to appeal to young cyclists of all abilities and experience. Activities include great local cycle rides, mountain biking, BMX cycling, bike maintenance, try-a-bike with different bikes such as folding bikes, unicycles, ordinary and racing trikes, tandems, racing bikes, recumbent bikes and games and competitions. You do not have to live in Haddenham to be a part of the club.

    If you are interested in becoming an instructor, HCT have been granted Instructor Training Organisation status by the Department of Transport. They are one of only 18 ITO’s in the UK accredited to deliver Bikeability Instructor Training.

    This new status recognises the fact that HCT has been assessed by the government and can deliver instructor training in line with the national standards.

    The scheme is a non-profit organisation and use any surplus to improve the cycling facilities at Haddenham’s schools and within the community. They are always interested in more volunteers especially dads or granddads as they are primarily a group of working mums at present.

    For more information on dates, training courses and bookings visit www.haddenhamcycletraining.org

  • 18/04/11…..Sparkling Chinnor wrap up league season in style

    MATCH REPORT courtesy of Dave Winpenny: THE sun was shining to mark the end of the season game against Newton Abbot on Saturday, April 16. Many of the Chinnor faithful were feeling the effects of a long season after attending the previous evenings Sportsman?s? Dinner where they listened to the wise words of Dean Richards and sampled the fine food and wine until the early hours. So an exciting game was needed to bring the league season to a close.

    On the first game of the season Chinnor visited Newton Abbot full of expectation and were frustrated to come away with a draw against this newly promoted side. The season has shown that Newton Abbot were well worth their draw and this game was one which both teams wanted to win as the victory would mean either 4th or 5th position in the final league table for the winning side.

    Chinnor started positively with strong forward movements that drove Newton Abbot back towards their line. After 6 minutes the pressure showed after a series of rucks and mauls produced good ball for the backs to attempt to pierce the Newton Abbot defence. One such move allowed Huw Morgan to go over in the far corner for the first try of the game. The conversion by James Cathcart was successful as he continued to show how dangerous he is within 50 metres of the posts.

    The game then entered a period of pressure from Newton Abbot where they pushed Chinnor back to their line, but on every journey into Chinnor territory the Newton Abbot handling let them down and Chinnor were able to relieve the pressure.

    Two penalties by Cathcart and 1 from Alex Jeffrey Newton Abbot?s scrum half were the only points scored in the rest of the first half. Half time score 13 ? 3.

    The second half started and looked like it was going to be a dour affair with neither side really showing any ability to break down the defences of their opponents. Both sets of supporters were becoming increasingly frustrated with the antics of both sets of players at the breakdown as many of these seemed to be missed by the officials. Unfortunately for Chinnor the referee decided to act and put Nick Harrison into the bin for 10 minutes.

    With one player off the field, Chinnor were under pressure and Newton Abbot started to camp out in the Chinnor 22. As Newton Abbot put better phases of play together they finally got their reward as they tied up the Chinnor players to create an overlap for the Newton Abbot winger Jake Monnington to go over in the corner. The try was not converted. 13 ? 8.

    Changes were made in the Chinnor team with Ian Stock replacing Joe Pickett and Mark Chase replacing Sam Angell. These changes made a major change to the direction of the game within minutes. Mark Chase? direct running causes all sorts of chaos in the Newton Abbot defence and suddenly Chinnor were on the front foot.

    In a period of 22 minutes, Chinnor scored 4 tries with sparkling running lines and powerful pressure from backs and forwards. Ed Vickers scored a try after a period of dominating scrum performance from the Chinnor pack that was now clearly in the ascendency. Toby Prescott moving to the wing with Ricky Hopwood at scrum half gave Chinnor another dimension and Prescott was rewarded with a try after some sparkling runs by Goode and Chase. Two more tries came on 72 and 76 minutes as the Chinnor pack totally overwhelmed the Newton Abbot scrum and were able to deliver great ball that resulted in tries for Richie Williams and Ricky Hopwood. Cathcart of course, converted all 4 tries.

    The Chinnor faithful enjoyed the sun recovering (slowly) from the excesses of the night before and after last week?s game against champions elect Hartpury, it was the perfect riposte to cement forth position in the final league table and set up the team for the Oxfordshire Cup Final on Easter Sunday.

  • 18/04/11….Inspector has ‘initial soundness concerns’ about Core Strategy

    THE Planning Inspector appointed to conduct an examination into the proposed Core Strategy for development of South Oxfordshire up to 2027, has voiced concerns about its soundness.

    The Inspector, Mr Roy Foster, has therefore arranged to hold an Exploratory Meeting/Pre-Hearing Meeting on May 17, with South Oxfordshire District Council, to discuss his concerns, before the first session of the examination, due on July 12.

    Mr Foster’s concerns about the soundness of the proposed Core Stategy put forward by SODC (and challenged by Thame Town Council and others)include:

    * questioning SODC’s assertion that the South East Plan (SEP) has been revoked and that the Core Strategy has been based on assumptions about the Localism Bill

    * his wish for clarification as to why the proposed housing numbers for Didcot need to be taken out of the numbers put forward by the SEP

    * the point that consideration needs to be given to the possibility that in the future, if, as some believe likely, the City of Oxford outgrows its capacity for growth within its boundaries and therefore requires an amount of related development to take place in its neighbouring authorities

    * clarification about which forecast figures have influenced figures for future growth

    * clarification about the definition of ‘windfall sites’ and their inclusion or not in proposals for the first ten years of the CS

    * clarification about matters around the ‘proportional growth’ allocation to the three towns of the ‘non’ Didcot homes

    * questions around the timing of new Building regulations to do with Zero Carbon building, that have yet to be defined nationally

    With particular reference to Thame, the Inspector asks:

    “Chapter 11 (of the Core Strategy) : Thame ? (A) Does the CS make justified and effective proposals for the town which appropriately serve its own particular needs and opportunities in terms of housing, employment, retailing, transport and other infrastructure? (B) Is the identified strategic site ?justified? (ie founded on a robust and credible evidence base and the most appropriate when considered against the reasonable alternatives), and it is deliverable within the expected timetable? (C) If Chapter 11 is unsound, what appropriate changes would make it so and, if such changes were introduced, what would be the implications in terms of consultation and Sustainability Appraisal?

    LINK HERE to read the whole of the Inspector’s initial soundness concerns/questions, to be discussed at the pre-meeting hearing.

    Go to http://www.southoxon.gov.uk:80/services-and-advice/planning-and-building/planning-policy/core-strategy/core-strategy-examination for more information about the meeting and the hearing, and to see all relevant documentation.

  • 15/04/11……Latest Thame planning applications

    THE following are the Planning Applications to be considered by Thame Town Council?s Planning Committee on Tuesday, April 19.

    8870
    P11/E0355 THE ELMS BARN, 32 UPPER HIGH STREET
    Barn conversion to form residential dwelling.
    Amendment No 1 shows internal alterations, as advised by the Conservation Officer. TTC recommended approval on the original application in March 2011.

    8871
    P11/E0356/LB THE ELMS BARN, 32 UPPER HIGH STREET
    Barn conversion to form residential dwelling.
    Amendment No 1shows internal alterations, as advised by the Conservation Officer. TTC recommended approval on the original application in March 2011.

    8877
    P11/E0284 LEYS FARM, MORETON
    Two-storey rear extension, single-storey side extension, single-storey porch and roof alterations. As amended by drawing number B12 10 02b and letter
    received from the Agent dated 28 March 2011.
    Amendment No. 1 shows the rear ridge height matching the front ridge height, as discussed with SODC.

    8878
    P11/E0500 1 PICKENFIELD
    Proposed single storey rear extension.

    8879
    P11/E0518 32 CROFT ROAD
    Proposed conservatory at rear.

    8880
    P11/E0446 YOUENS DRIVE
    Change of use from Public Open Space to residential gardens.

    8881
    P11/E0471 54 QUEENS ROAD
    Erection of two storey rear extension to provide new kitchen and additional bedroom with ensuite facilities.

  • 15/04/11……Are you educating your disabled child at home?

    IF you are educating your disabled child at home, why not learn together with other families at Thomley Activity Centre near Thame?

    For varying reasons many families with a disabled child have found it difficult to find the right school for their child and have chosen to home educate. For some families this is their first choice, whilst for others it is their only choice.

    On Wednesday, April 27, in Worminghall, Thomley Activity Centre will be holding its first activity day to support families who are home educating disabled children and siblings. This will be the first of many fortnightly home education days at Thomley, the aim of which are to provide a safe, understanding and sociable environment in which disabled children can enjoy their learning experience together with peers.

    ?Jay is home educated and we would love to come along to an event for home schooling families – we are fairly new to home education so meeting other parents and children would be great,? says Sian Turnbull.

    Thomley staff will support children to participate in a variety of activities for children of all ages and abilities. The ethos of the day will evolve and develop according to popular demand within the group and may include creative and sensory activities, cooking and life skills, interactive social games, early vocational skills, sports and outdoor adventure. The variety of activities will be enhanced by Thomley?s brand new facility designed specifically for disabled teenagers which offers a social den, mini gym, kitchen and life skills area and hobbies room.

    Thomley home education days will also provide an invaluable support network to parents, enabling them to share experiences and build confidence in issues of home education, disability issues or parenting as a whole. Emma Rissen who is home educating her son said: ?My son has now not accessed full time school since September and I have no outside help, despite it all being promised to me. It would be useful to have someone other than me help for a day, and help Paul with some school work I haven’t had to invent for him to do! It will also be helpful to meet other parents who may be having similar problems.”

    Thanks to recent funding from Aiming High for Disabled Children and South Oxfordshire District Council, Thomley also has a new spacious and fully compliant ?Changing Place? which offers a hoist accessible toilet and changing area meaning that home schooled children with widely varying needs can access all facilities at the centre.

    For all home education enquiries or bookings, contact 01844 338380 or email bookings@thomleyhall.org

    BACKGROUND

    Thomley Activity Centre is a recreational facility which supports disabled children, their families, friends and schools. The Centre is a lifeline to over 3,000 different children who travel from 20 different counties merely to access a facility which understands and meets the needs of their children. ?It is so hard to find somewhere that isn?t judgmental, where you can have the freedom to get on and do whatever is appropriate. It?s a shame there aren?t more places and people like yourselves? ? Parent

    In a perfect world, disabled children should have the choice to play and learn in the same places as their friends, yet in reality this is not the case. Thomley Activity Centre is the only fully accessible facility of its kind within a 35 mile radius and received 5,745 visits from over 885 different children last year.

    Thomley?s fully enclosed 7-acre rural site gives disabled children rare opportunity to enjoy space, freedom, safety and choice. Thomley is currently open 5 days per week throughout the year and enables children to learn through freely exploring a 1km cycle track, outdoor play and music equipment, play rooms and a soft play area, reading area, art and craft, IT and music activities. Thomley holds community days when any child within the community is welcome, with aim to encourage understanding & social integration with disabled peers.

    Thomley Activity Centre was established in 2002 by parents of children with autism. These parents found that their children were excluded from other play-schemes due to unavailability of appropriate activities and facilities, as well as their child?s considered inappropriate behaviour. These parents also observed the need to cater for the siblings of disabled children as they are often disadvantaged by the fact that attention is focused on the disabled child. In response to their own experiences, they were eager to lessen the feeling of isolation in the challenges of bringing up disabled children.

    Thomley Activity Centre was therefore established to achieve the following outcomes:
    o To increase the self esteem, health, confidence and social skills of disabled children and their siblings through accessible play and recreation.
    o To provide parents with an opportunity to meet others who have disabled children, to lessen their isolation and to increase their ability to support their children through play.
    o To help the community gain understanding and acceptance of disability issues so they can include disabled children within their own community activities.

    Thomley?s first home education day will be held from 10am to 3.30pm on Wednesday, April 27. All visitors will need to book in advance.

    For further information, contact Claire Acworth on 01844 338380 or claire@thomleyhall.org

  • 15/04/11….Campaigners seek High Court ruling on advertising on roundabouts

    CPRE, the Campaign to Protect Rural England, has asked the High Court to rule on South Oxfordshire District Council?s claim that it can ignore its own policies to protect the countryside.

    The Oxfordshire Branch of the Campaign to Protect Rural England (CPRE) says that it is challenging South Oxfordshire District Council?s (SODC) claim that it is entitled to: “… flout its own planning policies when it is in its own interest to do so.”

    ?SODC acknowledged they were breaching their own policies, but they went ahead anyway,? said Michael Tyce, Chairman of CPRE Thame District. ?If the Council thinks it is OK for them to flout the policies to protect our rural environment, then it leaves those who care for the countryside no option but to take them to the courts.?

    BACKGROUND

    The campaign group says that: “In 2006 South Oxfordshire District Council, without any consultation, erected commercial advertising signs on its roundabouts in the countryside, in flagrant contradiction of its own policies prohibiting advertising in our rural area in general, and particularly to protect the Green Belt, AONB and Conservation Areas. They deliberately evaded seeking the permissions they knew all along were required.

    “Even after the Council had admitted that it should have applied for advertising consent, it took them five years to do so, during all of which time they left the advertisements unlawfully in place. Only late last year did the Council decide to comply with the planning controls which it is entrusted to enforce.

    “Even though the advertising was accepted to be in flagrant contravention of the Council?s own policies to keep South Oxfordshire ?advertising free?, the Councillors then went ahead and granted themselves permission.

    “Apart from being contrary to its polices, this was also in clear defiance of ?localism?, as thirteen of the fourteen affected parishes eventually consulted by the Council had joined CPRE in opposition to the scheme.”

    Michael Tyce continued: ?Threatened by CPRE with legal action, the Council?s defence was that it considered itself under no obligation to conform to its own policies, explicit though they are, when it suited it.

    “Not only are the signs damaging to the rural setting of South Oxfordshire, which had up until then been an ?advertising-free? area, and a deliberate distraction to motorists and therefore a traffic hazard, but it is surely unacceptable that policies we rely on our Councillors to uphold should simply be flouted at will in this way when it suits them.?

    CPRE has now asked the High Court for a Judicial Review of the Councillor?s actions.

    Michael Tyce concluded: ?We are confident that the Court will quash the planning consents. Even if, however, the Court finds that there is some technical loophole which allows Councillors to contravene their own Council?s policies, it is surely a betrayal of voters that they should have done so. If they can cast aside a core policy for the protection of the countryside in such a cavalier manner, which policies can they be relied on to uphold?

    “We should all stop to think, as we cast our votes in South Oxfordshire next month, how much our present Councillors can be trusted to uphold their own policies to protect our environment and amenity.?

  • 14/04/11……Allottments, festivals,keeping fit & posers for councillors – The Annual Town Meeting

    CONSIDERING the number of controversial projects and plans that have stirred local emotions in Thame over the past year, surprisingly Thame town hall was only half full for Tuesday?s Annual Town Meeting. Maybe it was something to do with a certain football match that was being televised on the same night. Anyway, those that missed the meeting, for whatever reason, missed an interesting and lively event with a definite sporty theme, but one which also revealed the occassional problem area in the town. (More of that further on)

    Around 50 Thame residents joined town, district and their county councillor on Tuesday, (April 12) for an update on what the town council has been doing on their behalf, and to pose questions and comments of their own.

    The Mayor of Thame, Adam Buckland, welcomed everyone and kicked the evening off with a short video looking back on his Mayoral year and announced that at his Mayor?s Ball the previous week at the new football stadium, he had raised

  • 14/04/11……Another ‘first’ for Thame as Blue plaques unveiled

    THE first Blue plaque in Oxfordshire, to commemorate the residence of a musician, was one of four unveiled today in Thame.

    Dignitaries, friends and family members of those commemorated, and members of the 21st Century Thame partnership which promoted the project, toured the town to witness the unveiling of Blue Plaques to Henry Boddington, founder of the Manchester Brewer, the virtuoso violinist, Alfredo Campoli, the poet, William Butler Yeats, and fighter and sportsman, James Figg.

    Eda Forbes, Secretary to the Oxfordshire Blue Plaques Board was on hand with snippets of facinating facts about the lives of Thame’s illustrious former sons and residents, augmented by the more personal memories of great, great grand-daughter of Boddington, Nora Watkins, a cousin of Campoli’s wife who was a Thame girl.

    The Mayor of Thame, Adam Buckland, unveiled the plaque on the front of The James Figg pub, where visitors and guests enjoyed lunch and refreshments courtesy of Frazer, the manager.

    The last of the four Blue Plaques to be revealed was in honour of poet and Nobel laureate, William Butler Yeats whose son, Irish senator, Michael Butler Yeats, was born at 42 High Street, in 1921.

    Actor and Thame Players member, Peter Sawyer, gave a speech about the poet and read two of his poems, Down by the Sally Gardens and Clothes of Heaven, in a very convincing Irish accent.

    Clothes of Heaven with the well known line: ?Tread softly because you tread on my dreams,? is said to have been written by Yeats for Maude Gonne, a woman he loved and proposed to three times before she married an Irish nationalist.

    Yeats lived in Thame for six months in 1921. the same year that he wrote the memoir, Four Years, concentrating on the years between 1887 – 1891.

    As the BBC said in its news report this evening, “Today Thame was the Blue Plaque capital of Oxfordshire!”

    SEE LINK HERE for more information about those commemorated.

    PHOTO: The Mayor of Thame in pugilistic mood after unveiling a Blue Plaque to commemorate James Figg.

  • 13/04/11….Midsomer Murders & other Haddenham goings-on!

    GREEN DRAGON. The pub in Churchway has recently been taken over by Oak Taverns Ltd, which also runs the Rising Sun in Thame Rd. The new manager is Clare, who was previously deputy manager at Wetherspoons in High Wycombe, and the chef is her partner Steve, who trained as a chef but has also worked in removals for several years. Meals, which are all home-cooked (apart from the puddings – at present), using seasonal produce, are served 12-2.30pm and 6.30-9pm. Plans are in progress for a hog roast, with Pimms tent and English Cider table, which will be held on the Royal Wedding Day, and there will be regular Sunday roasts. The phone number is still 01844 291403.

    Thurs 14th MIDSOMER MURDERS. Bentley Productions will be filming for series 14, episode 5 ?The Sleeper under the Hill? at Church End. The Parish Council has given its permission and received a contribution of