Thame.net

Author: Sonja Francis

  • 14/10/10…..Are you caring for someone? Like time off?

    ARE you looking after your relative, partner or friend who is ill, disabled, frail or has an addiction?

    If your answer is yes, would you like some time to yourself to meet people who are also caring for someone? Have a cuppa, relax, chat to others and find out what support services are available to you?

     We can help you to set up a meeting to find other carers in your area and find out what you want

     We can help with the initial fund for setting up carer support groups

     We are looking for ex carers who are happy to pass on their experience and knowledge to people in similar situations

    We want to know, how we can help you, but we need your help. Please feel free to contact:

    Barbara Jordon
    Community Development Officer
    Community Development Team
    01844-217904
    barbara.jordon@oxfordshire.gov.uk

    or

    Michelle Todd
    Administrator
    Community Development Team
    Tel 01865-323091
    communitydevelopment@oxfordshire.gov.uk

    Photo: Courtesy of www.canterbury.ac.uk

  • 14/10/10….Message from Thame’s police inspector

    HAPPY HALLOWEEN – I am the inspector for Thame and I would like to inform you of what your local neighbourhood policing team and local partners are doing during the Halloween and firework celebrations.

    My team will be carrying out patrols in the evenings to make sure people who are trick or treating are doing so in a friendly manner and not causing a nuisance of themselves.

    I know for some people, this time of year can be a bother as your evenings are interrupted with people knocking on your doors for treats.

    Most of these children or teenagers are just getting involved in the Halloween celebrations and will be friendly.

    At any point if you feel unsafe:

  • 13/10/10……..Thame mayor launches new business

    THE Mayor of Thame, Cllr Adam Buckland, officially opened the latest business to move into the town centre.

    Stoneworld, which supplies natural paving and stone products for both garden and building projects, has been based at Great Milton, near Thame, for many years. Since July, it now has a spectacular new showroom in the old chapel in the Upper High Street, formerly Gallery Hadley.

    The new showroom is a collaborative veture between Rob Parker’s Stoneworld, Watermark of Oakley who supply bathroom fittings and equipment, and Park Street Publicity, who have supplied all the paintings, scultures and artwork on display at the showroom.

    The design and layout of the showroom, which includes various designs of stone paving set into the floor and innovative steel merchandisers for displaying individual paving and marble designs, is all based on Rob’s own vision of how he wanted to the showroom to look.

    Stoneworld, at 43A Upper High Street, Thame, is well worth a visit for some great ideas for using natural stone material in your project, or for ideas for a new bathroom.

  • 13/10/10…..Location! Location! Thame’s future development in your hands

    MORE and more businesses and public organisations are using social networking sites like Facebook to spread information and news, and these now include Thame Town Council.

    The council is keen to raise awareness of a current public consultation about the location of 530 new dwellings allocated to Thame in the revised South East Plan.

    In seeking the views of local residents, Thame Town Council is in the process of setting up various opportunities for local people to learn more about the options and to respond to the consultation, including a Facebook page, Thame Location 530.

    Other opportunities to find and more and to have your say include:

    * An exhition in the Information at the town hall next
    Monday, October 18

    * Posters around the town

    * A Location! Location! stall at Tuesday’s market on
    October 19

    * A public meeting on Monday, October 25, at St Mary’s
    Church, 7pm -9pm

    * a detailed options appraisal in the Thame Gazette on
    Friday, October 22

    * the town council’s website:
    www.thametowncouncil.gov.uk

    The deadline to make your views heard is October 29, 2010.

  • 13/10/10…..Thame TV features food festival video on YouTube

    THAME TV’s video of the Thame Food Festival, held on September 25, is now available for viewing on YouTube.

    The video features shots of visitors who came from far and wide and the various stalls, as well as musicians and workshop leaders, and includes interviews.

    Visit: LINK

  • 13/10/10…..Hard-hitting video aimed at driving instructors

    OXFORSHIRE County Council’s Fire and Rescue Service is appealing for the county’s Approved Driving Instructors to encourage their students to come to an innovative show aimed at reducing the number of road crashes involving young people.

    Safe Drive Stay Alive, (SDSA), is a theatre education project to make teenagers more aware of the risks they face on the road. The presentation gives them the opportunity to experience what it would be like to be involved in a crash, hear some of the causes and consequences, and reflect on how their behaviour can prevent an accident, whether they are a driver or a passenger.

    Lack of knowledge

    With road crashes being the major cause of death to young people, the campaign aims to reach teenagers in an emotive and hard-hitting way.

    Last year nearly 900 people aged 16 to 18 were injured on Thames Valley roads and an average of four young people per week were killed or seriously injured. Young drivers are much more likely to be involved in a crash, often due to inexperience and a lack of knowledge of the risks. Around 1 in 4 deaths on the road is aged 17-24

    How does SDSA help?

    The presentation ultimately strives to reduce these figures, and involves a film of a crash in the local area which has been specially prepared with roads and hospitals familiar to local students. Emergency services and people who have suffered from a crash come to the stage to speak to the audience about their experiences and explain how seeing such trauma affects them personally.

    Crews from Oxfordshire County Council’s Fire and Rescue Service will be taking part in the production. Nathan Croxford – retained firefighter based at Burford,, Kirsty Vincent – an instructor at the fire cadet unit at Banbury, and Jo Cleary – retained firefighter based at Didcot and area admin assistant for the South and Vale area, will all be on hand to share their own experiences.

    Get involved

    Safe Drive Stay Alive will take place on Monday, November 15 and Tuesday, November 16, at The Kings Centre, Osney Mead, Oxford. While Tuesday is fully booked, there are still places available on Monday. There are two shows a day, the first at 10.30am, and the second at 1pm. The performance is expected to last just over one hour.

    David Etheridge, Chief Fire Officer, Oxfordshire County Council’s Fire and Rescue Service, said: I’m appealing to all Oxfordshire Approved Driving Instructors to encourage your students to come to Safe Drive Stay Alive. The experience could save their life or the life of their friends and reduce the number of accidents involving young people.”

    How to book

    To book visit www.safedrive.org or call Mandy Rigault, Senior Road Safety Officer, on 01865 343352 or 07916 160582.

    Councillor Judith Heathcoat, Oxfordshire County Council?s Cabinet Member for Safer and Stronger Communities, said: “Whilst our emergency services do a magnificent job of coping with the results of mistakes on the road, they are always devastated by the tragedy of young lives lost. Approved Driving Instructors are a crucial front line part of Road Safety and their support to get more young people to see Safe Drive Stay Alive is much appreciated.”

    More information on SDSA

    SDSA is organised across the Thames Valley by Thames Valley Police, with help from Oxfordshire’s Road Safety Team and Fire and Rescue Services, other local councils and the Thames Valley Safer Roads Partnership, who have been working for years to reduce the number of young people dying on the roads. The campaign is funded by Thames Valley Police.

  • 13/10/10……..EVERYONE needs to re-register to vote!

    DON’T forget to register to vote ? it?s easier than ever is the message from South Oxfordshire District Council. The council has been working trying to make sure that all eligible residents are on the electoral register in preparation for the district and parish elections, and a possible referendum, which will take place next May, 2011.

    The council has sent forms to every household in the district to compile a new electoral register. Registration is quick and easy. If people?s details are the same as the previous year?s they can let us know online, by text or by free phone, so there?s no need to post a paper version. If there are changes, however, the form needs to be altered and posted back.

    A common misconception is that if you notified us last year you don?t need to this year. Unfortunately the information cannot be used again, so households need to let us know each year even if their details haven?t changed. Contrary to popular belief, people are also not automatically registered even if they pay council tax. Registering is particularly important for anyone who has recently moved home.

    By completing and returning the form South Oxfordshire residents will make sure they can have their say on how council services are run in the future.

    David Buckle, Returning Officer for South Oxfordshire District Council, says: ?Voting is the only way residents can choose the people making decisions that affect their everyday lives, but they can only do this if they?re registered. Registration is happening now and is very simple. If your circumstances haven’t changed since the previous year you don’t even need to fill in a paper form. You can let us know over the internet, by free phone or SMS. If there are changes, however, the form needs to be altered and posted back.

    ?There are district council elections next May ? and the potential for voting reform referendum, so by registering to vote people are securing their voice in deciding who will represent them in South Oxfordshire and ultimately how the council will be run in the future. Another really important reason to register to vote, particularly in this current economic climate, is it can affect people?s credit ratings.

    ?Latest figures show that about 18,386 households still have not returned their forms. Registering in the next few weeks will save the council about

  • 13/10/10…..Community safety priorities – Have Your Say

    THIS is a Community Message from Thames Valley Police.
    South Oxfordshire Community Safety Partnership is starting work on developing its Community Safety Strategy for 2011/12. This will outline the partnership?s priorities for improving community safety in the district.

    We are asking people in South Oxfordshireto give us their views and also tell us about their experiences of crime and anti social behaviour. This will help us to decide which areas we should be focusing on in the Strategy,

    We would really like to hear from you and would also ask you to encourage local residents to have their say.

    Please visit the council?s website to give your comments, where you will find an online survey which will only take a few minutes to complete. The consultation ends on Friday 29 October 2010 and the survey results will help the Partnership to finalise its Strategy.

    Please contact South Oxfordshire District Council?s consultation officer on 01491 823093 if you have any questions about taking part or would like to request an alternative format of the survey such as a paper copy.

  • 12/10/10……Town council’s preferred development site ‘not suitable’

    Dear Sir/Madam, It appears that Thame Town Council have changed their mind regarding the preferred location for the proposed 530 homes in Thame. It seems that they council are now favouring a site in between the by-pass and the Oxford road. This site is wholly unsuitable for a number of reasons a notable one being the traffic impact along the Oxford road and the significant danger this would pose to the school children at Lord Williams Uppers School.

    In addition this site is completely visible and would be an eye-sore on the beautiful countryside seriously damaging the ambience of the old market town. The council seem to have disregarded the original site bordering Thame Park Road which has immediate access to the Phoenix Trail and where the visual impact would also be much less.

    The council started a consultation period for the Oxford Road site last Monday with the closing date for comments being 29th October. However, the consultation period has not been well publicised and it seems the vast majority of Thame are not aware of this new proposal. It is imperative that people are made aware and quickly given the short consultation period and the imminent closing date.

    Yours faithfully
    Fiona Guy (Mrs)

    Copy of letter sent by Fiona Guy to The Oxford Mail:

    Letters to the Editor
    Oxford Times
    Newspaper House
    Osney Mead
    Oxford OX2 0EJ

    Sir

    I was interested to read the letter of Mrs N Mallows (Less is more, Times, 7 October 2010), who lives in Stanton St John, who was responding to the South Oxfordshire District Council public consultation in regard to their Core Strategy Review. Mrs Mallows is fortunate to know about such a public consultation.

    The vast bulk of the population of Thame hardly know such a consultation is going on. Apparently this so-called public consultation went ?live? on Monday, 1st October, on the council?s web site. But, unless you visit the web site regularly, or visit Thame Library, where there are copies of a leaflet, you are not aware of such a consultation.

    Back in 2007 the council consulted on five different site options for 800 new houses in Thame and came down in favour of a site off Thame Park Road for sound planning reasons. Now Thame Town Council has changed its mind yet again and has come down in favour of a site bordered by the by-pass and Oxford Road. Surely as the council which has the interests of the people of Thame at heart, the town council should have consulted everyone in Thame before opting for something else?

    Apparently county councillors and the town council are supporting the Oxford Road because they would like to ?move? Lord Williams?s Lower School from Towersey Drive to this site. There has also been talk of a new hotel being located on this site.

    SODC has said it wants to reduce the housing numbers in Thame from 850 to 530. Clearly as a resident in Thame I would support this however it appears that some local councillors are trying to put more development onto the Oxford road site by stealth. The so called consultation is on housing only with no mention of the school move or suggested hotel. Mrs Mallows makes the point ?less is more? which is absolutely correct for Thame however sadly it seems this view is not shared by some local councillors.

    We overlook the Oxford Road site and only after one of my neighbours contacted SODC early last week did we receive a letter informing us of the public consultation. This letter was dated 7th October and we received it on 9th October, nearly a full week after the start of the consultation period. Others is this area have not heard anything.

    I hope you publish this letter to alert people about what is going on. David Cameron, an Oxfordshire MP promised us Localism, and local people would be listened to. But how can people respond if there is no meaningful public consultation? The deadline for comments is very soon ? 29th October. Be warned.

    Yours faithfully
    Fiona Guy

  • 12/10/10…..Chinnnor RFC scrape through against Bournemouth

    NATIONAL 3 SW Division; Saturday 9th October 2010; Chinnor RFC 10, Bournemouth 8. MATCH REPORT: On a gloomy, grey day, the rugby on display matched the weather with Chinnor just managing to scrape through with a 10-8 victory at home to Bournemouth.

    Chinnor, with a significant injury and absence list, had to bring in several replacements. Whelan started for Pickett, Morgan for Stoop, Hastings for Mowbray, Cathcart for Hewitt. Angell and Devine were moved up from the 2s and Seymour and Prescott were back after a long lay off.

    The first half began with Chinnor defending against a determined Bournemouth side. In one of the few breakouts from their own half, Chinnor opened the scoring in the 13th minute. Overturning ball, Chinnor ran the ball through their backs. With space running out on the right hand side, Williams put in a grubber kick which bounced up at the right moment into Seymour?s midriff to allow him to scamper under the posts for a try. Cathcart converted to put Chinnor 7-0 up. A few minutes later, a Chinnor indiscretion was punished with a penalty goal from Bournemouth fly half Dan Pollard to make the match score 7-3 in favour of Chinnor, which remained the score until half time.

    The second half began much like the first half, Bournemouth with all the ball and territory. This superiority was converted to points in the 49th minute when Bournemouth exploited a 4 on 2 overlap for Sam Yarwood to score in the corner. With the resultant kick unsuccessful, Bournemouth led for the first time in the match by 8 points to 7.

    Chinnor then began to get more into the match and had several visits to within 10 metres of their opponent?s line but all resulted in penalties awarded against the home side. From one of the rare penalties in Chinnor?s favour, Cathcart recovered the lead for Chinnor with a penalty goal to make the score 10-8 on the 68th minute. Chinnor managed to defend this score until the referee blew for full time.

    Bournemouth couldn?t quite find a way of breaking through a very resilient Chinnor defence and sometimes resorted to less favourable means in order to gain an advantage.

    This was another match in which the opposition had most of the ball and territory but foundered on stiff and well organised defence. Huw Morgan had a promising start for Chinnor, Matt Goode looked threatening in his few possessions of the ball and Harry Jackman?s industrious defence was admirable.

    The highlight of the match was the swarm of under 6 Minis, resplendent in Chinnor jerseys, coming on as water boys during stoppages. The timing of their runs and general handling served as pointers to the others on the pitch.

    Scorers: Chinnor: Seymour T; Cathcart C, PG

    Bournemouth: Yarwood T; Pollard PG

    Chinnor team: Williams, Seymour, Goode, Morgan, Corpe, Cathcart, Prescott, Winpenny, Tattersall, Whelan (Stock 59), Hutchings (Devine 74), Smith, Hastings, Harrison, Jackman

    Replacements: Stock, Devine, Angell

    By Bill O’Donnell