Author: Sonja Francis

THAME’s Twinning Association is off to Montesson, near Paris in September, and this year, our twin town of Montesson has organised a very exciting weekend, in this, the partnership’s ninth year.

The visit to Montesson – 24 to 26 September, 2010, includes a visit to Auvers sur Oise and passing by Chantilly (famous for its lace and cream!) and Senlis. Van Gogh spent the last three months of his life at Auvers sur Oise, painting 70 pictures in this short time.

For art lovers, especially of the Impressionists, this is a visit not to be missed. Chantilly is also very famous for it?s horse-racing and Chateau and as a very fashionable residential district. Senlis is a lovely old town with winding streets filled with boutiques and caf

A convicted murderer, originally from Thame, has pleaded guilty to raping a 15 year-old girl from Maidenhead.

Ronald Cheshire, who has long standing links with Thame, was already serving a prison sentence for the murder and rape of a 17 year-old girl from Bledlow Ridge in 1987.

He pleaded guilty at Reading Crown Court to one count of rape, one count of kidnap, and one count of false imprisonment.

The following background information is courtesy of Mix 96:

In May 1980, two 15-year-old girls were walking in Switchback Road North, Maidenhead. They were approached by Cheshire, who was driving a car. He tried to grab both girls, one girl escaped but her friend was taken away and seriously sexually assaulted.

Officers from the Major Crime Review Team, working with the Crown Prosecution Service and the Forensic Science Service, uncovered new forensic evidence, which led to the arrest and charge of Cheshire on the 7th of April 2010.

Detective Superintendant Barry Halliday said ?Cheshire?s guilty plea shows he knew the evidence against him was too strong to dispute.

?This result shows that Thames Valley Police remain committed to the careful review and re-investigation of unsolved historic serious sexual assault and homicide cases. Offender?s who think they have got away with a crime years or even decades later, should be aware the MCRT will be doing their utmost to bring them to justice and solve crime.

?I hope that today?s result will give victims of serious sexual crime the confidence to report incidents, the confidence that they will be investigated fully, and the confidence that Thames Valley Police will work tirelessly to bring those responsible to justice. This applies to offences both historic and current.

Cheshire will be sentenced at Reading Crown Court in September.

THE thought of driving almost 3000 miles in a car costing less than

THE village of Haddenham, near Thame has, for the fouth year running, won the Best Kept Village in Bucks competition. As the village won the Pushman cup last year in the category of rural population of over 3000, it will this year, be presented with the Tindall cup which is awarded to one of the winners of last year?s cups.

Congratulations have gone especially to village handyman, Jim Ayers and to Cllr John Wheeler, who between them work hard to keep the village looking good. Thanks also go to villagers who pick up litter when they see it, to those who keep village flower beds tidy and to volunteers who maintain the Snakemoor Local Nature Reserve.

WHAT ELSE IS GOING ON IN THIS VIBRANT VILLAGE?

Sat 17th Fete. Kingsey Fete will be held from 2pm in the Tythrop House gardens ? by kind permission of Mr and Mrs Nick Wheeler. Enjoy music by the Jazz Band, stalls, children?s games and home baked cakes and tea. Proceeds go to Kingsey Church and village organisations.

Sat 17th Line Dance. The Pondarosa Line Dance group has its next social evening/dance (8-11pm) at Haddenham Village Hall. Entry at the door is

HEAD for the Local Flavours marquee at this year?s Oxfordshire County and Thame Show on July 31, to feast on strawberries, wine, artisan breads and much more, all produced in Oxfordshire, Buckinghamshire and Berkshire.

Give your tastebuds the time of their life with spicy chutneys and hot mustards, luscious cordials and fruity gins, squidgy cheeses and flavour-packed meat pies.

What?s your verdict on Oxfordshire?s school dinners? Food with Thought, the county council?s catering service, is demonstrating dishes made with ingredients from local farms.

Have a go on the Taste of Adventure. Explore the five senses we use to eat: sight, sound, touch, taste and smell in this game run by Slow Food Oxon.

More than 30 stalls in the Local Flavours marquee are selling jams, biscuits, breakfast cereals, organic meat and vegetables, cold pressed rapeseed oil, yoghurts, quince preserves and delicatessen goods.

Top Oxfordshire producers in the Local Flavours marquee include:

Supreme Sausages from Chalgrove with their 12 varieties of sausage ? taste before you buy
Shaken Oak Mustards from Hailey, Witney with award-winning mustards and preserves
Oxford Cheese Company with squidgy and delicious cheeses
Brightwell Vineyard from Shillingford Hill, Wallingford with award-winning wines
Millets Farm Centre from Marcham with strawberries and other soft fruit, summer salads and vegetables
The Old Farmhouse Bakery from Steventon with artisan breads, cakes, buns, quiches and pies
The Granary Delicatessen from Watlington with a cornucopia of speciality foods
Quince Products from Aston Rowant with the county?s unique quince cheeses and preserves
Joining them in the Local Flavours marquee are many Buckinghamshire-based producers, Gloucestershire?s top cheese-maker Simon Weaver Cotswold Organic Dairy and Berkshire?s Sheepdrove Organic Farm.

The Local Flavours marquee is also the place to find out how to get funding from the LEADER programme for food, agriculture, community and forestry projects in Oxfordshire, Berkshire and Buckinghamshire.

The Local Flavours marquee is run by the Berkshire, Buckinghamshire and Oxfordshire (BBO) Food Group CIC www.local-food.net to showcase an amazing range of delicious summer food.

BBO Food Group gives marketing and trade development support to food and drink producers from the three counties, publishes a highly regarded Food Guide, and organises the Local Flavours Festival. Funding comes from Oxfordshire County Council, Cherwell District Council and The Midcounties Co-operative.

Patrice Garrigues, Ethical Trading Manager at The Midcounties Co-operative, says: ?As a member-owned, community retailer we believe in local sourcing and supporting local suppliers. Our Local Harvest scheme enables us to offer quality local products sourced from a 40 miles radius in our food stores from various suppliers. By supporting smaller suppliers it strengthens our relationships with the communities in which they operate. And reducing food miles ? the distance that food travels from field to fork ? is also better for the environment.?

A new Thame library with a host of innovative features is set to open to the public next month. The eagerly anticipated two-floor facility in North Street will be stocked with hundreds more books than Thame’s existing library in Southern Road and will boast a number of innovative features including a touch screen self-service facility for visitors to access information, a first floor mezzanine study space and a dedicated area for teenagers.

Great facilities

The building – operated by Oxfordshire County Council – will also house a book shop-style quick choice area for people in a hurry, comfortable seating and a children’s area with a reading hideaway feature.

The

THAME firefighters have been kept very busy during the recent spell of hot weather, and are urging everyone to take extra care – even after this last spell of rain.

On Saturday evening, July 11, two pumps from Thame and one from Watlington attended a fire in Elm Drive, Chinnor, in which a garage and its contents were completely destroyed. Arson is suspected and the police and fire authorities are involved in an on-going investigation.

In the early hours the following day, Sunday, July 12, they were called out again to a hedgerow fire in Long Crendon and later that afternoon, to a fire on the railway embankment in Chinnor, probably caused by sparks from a steam train that was operating at the time.

WARNING

Andy Ford, Watch Manager at Thame Fire Station, told Thamenews.net today: ” We have been very busy dealing with fire started by BBQs, bon firess etc and numerous hedgerow and field fires which have mostly been caused by carelessly discarded cigarettes and other hot substances.

“A small fire can spread very, very quickly, faster than people realise. So we would urge everyone to take extra care – even after this rain, everything will dry out very quickly and risks remain.”

ADVISE

For advise about preventing and dealing with fires outside the home, visit: