Author: Sonja Francis

TODAY, Valentine’s day, Oxfordshire County Council is inviting people to get friendly, and join up to its free car share scheme.

The service is a great way to experience the benefits of car sharing and is available to anyone travelling in or through Oxfordshire. It could even be an opportunity to meet that special someone!

The online service matches people up with potential partners as a driver or passenger. Once matched, people can choose to journey share as little or as often as they like, with whomever they like.

The benefits

The site provides numerous benefits for drivers and passengers alike.

Find drivers and passengers on-line instantly for free
Reduce the costs of fuel and parking.

Choose parameters to define the kind of person you want to share with.

Cut congestion and pollution.

Reduce the stress of driving.

The average member of the Liftshare network saves over

SOUTH Oxfordshire District Council’s Cabinet will be taking some very important decisions this evening, when it meets at 6.30pm.

On the agenda for the meeting, which you can watch live as a Webcast is sponsorship of roundabouts in South Oxfordshire, the future of concessionary fares and the council’s Revenue budget 2011/12 and capital programme to 2014/15.

Link to full agenda and documents

AN unexpected windfall from central government to Oxfordshire County Council means that the council will be able to save some of its libraries threatened with closure.

The council understands the new grant will be in the region of

THAME Town Council is angry that Henley will have its own dedicated county councillor as a result of the proposed Electoral Review, whilst Thame will have to share one with Chinnor and Aston Rowant.

The electorate numbers for Henley and Thame are very similar, say councillors. “We both have a river,” said Cllr David Dodd, “but just because Henley’s may be more navigable than ours, what’s good enough for Henley-On-Thames should be good enough for Thame!”

AFTER a ditch at the rear of homes in Cedar Crescent overflowed in recent rain causing water to almost reached the threshold of one home, the town council is to clear the ditch of overgrown brambles.

Two years ago, five homes were badly flooded and since then the council has undergone regular clearing of the offending ditch.

Some residents want the ditch filled in whilst others say it is a haven for wildlife.

THE town council has told Chinnor Rugby Club, based in Thame, that whilst it supports in principle the club’s plans for a

A married couple who stole more than

A Thame man is counting himself very lucky after a bizarre incident on his way back to Thame from Haddenham in the early hours of last Saturday morning.

Angus Lachlan, from Queens Road, Thame, told ThameNews.Net the full story: “I had just driven down the hill on the Aylesbury Road by Scotsgrove Farm, towards Thame when it happened. It was raining and I had my lights on dipped, doing about 40mph. I suddenly saw a whole line of eyes across the road coming straight at me!

“I soon realised that it was a herd of stampeding cows! I hit the brakes and felt a huge bump – the windscreen shattered and I was thrown forward on the seat belt. There were cows all around me. The next thing I remembered was the sound of the herd coming back down the hill and running past my car again, heading towards the Esso garage. I thought, ‘I’m not getting out of the car!’ After, what seemed about five minutes I was rescued by a van driver who was passing and got my car door open and called the police and ambulance.

“Although I was unconscious at first, I was pretty much OK, apart from whiplash and a bump on my head. I said to the police that I must have killed the cow that I hit but they said there was nothing in the road except a large cow with a bit of blood on it, standing and staring at us, before running off! A cow had jumped on my bonnet, smashed the windscreen, bounced on my roof and jumped off.

“The next day I inspected the damage – my car is a write-off! All the cows were rounded up including a calf which was lost for 24 hours, and all are OK. The doctor has advised me not to drive for a bit, but it looks like I was saved by solid German car construction and a very bouncy cow; I can’t help thinking that if I had been driving a convertible, I wouldn’t be recounting the incident now!”

It was very windy on Friday night (Feb 11) through Saturday morning and it is thought that a gate was blown down allowing the cows to stray from their field. Panic may have set in when they found themselves in the road, especially as there were many calves among the herd.

The farmer has apologised to Angus.

PHOTO: Angus Lochlan’s car after a cow had hit the windscreen and bounced off the roof

THE Thame and District Day Centre, which has felt in a state of limbo for the last few months, has received welcome news from its landlord that it can stay at its current location – at least for the next three years.

Buckinghamshire Healthcare NHS Trust and the Day Centre are about to agree a Licence to Occupy, at an agreed rent of

IT is hoped that a Music In The Park event in Elms Park, Thame, that was cancelled last year through lack of support, will go ahead in May this year.

Last year, the Friends of Elms Park, lead by wife of town councillor Nigel Champken-Woods, failed to attract sufficient support, despite a