Thame.net

Author: Sonja Francis

  • Charity single available on major download sites

    LOCAL BAND, Bootlegger?s Christmas single in aid of the Florence Nightingale Hospice Charity is now available on major download sites: iTunes, eMusic, Amazon and Tesco Entertainment.

    This will provide a valuable boost to the proceeds already destined for the Charity from the CD of the single, which has virtually sold out.

    You can download one or both tracks of the single by following pasting any of these links into your browser:
    iTunes: http://itunes.apple.com/gb/album/ding-dong/id343090255?i=343090309&ign-mpt=uo%3D4
    eMusic: http://www.emusic.com/album/Bootlegger-Ding-Dong-MP3-Download/11736647.html
    Amazon: http://www.amazon.co.uk/s/ref=nb_ss?url=search-alias%3Ddigital-music&field-keywords=ding+dong+bootlegger
    Tesco Entertainment: http://www.tescoentertainment.com/store/mp3/bootlegger–ding-dong/2%3a35575747/

    So go on and download the tracks now. They?ll help you get into the festive spirit and you?ll be making a positive contribution to a fantastic organisation at the same time.

    Florence Nightingale Hospice Charity

    The Florence Nightingale Hospice Charity supports the Hospice, whose aim is to provide a first class specialist palliative care service which is accessible and free of charge to those with a life-limiting illness. http://www.fnhospice.com/.

    Bootlegger

    Based in Chinnor, Bootlegger got together in June 2009 and have quickly earned a reputation as energetic and charismatic performers, playing classic songs from bands ranging from the Beatles and the Rolling Stones right through to U2 and Green Day. http://bootleggeruk.wordpress.com/.

  • 2p Council Tax rise for Thame and Moreton residents

    THAME Town Council has announced that its precept this year (the amount it claims from the Community Charge to run services)will rise by less than 2p per week for Band D tax payers.

    In real terms, taking inflation into account, this represents a reduction in the precept from last year and, says the council, it will maintain the same level of services for 2010-2011.

    In a statement, the council said: “This significant achievement builds on years of good practice and is accomplished despite some hard knocks:

    ? South Oxfordshire District Council has
    withdrawn nearly

  • Greg Stiles memorial match raises funds for Thame Youth Memorial

    A FOOTBALL match in memory of a young Thame life guard killed in a car crash, has raised valuable funds towards the proposed Thame Youth Memorial.

    Yesterday, Wednesday 16.12.09, Jamie Surman organised a Charity Match at the Thame Leisure Centre in rememberance of his friend Greg Stiles. It was played during the annual Thame Primary Schools Boys Tournament, by the Thame Leisure Centre vs Teachers, with the Teachers winning 10-5.

    The event raised

  • Tractors stolen – Milton Common, near Thame

    THIS is a Ringmaster message from Thames Valley Police. Overnight between 15th to 16th December, 2009, two tractors were stolen from Rycote Lane Farm, in Milton Common.

    Description as follows:

    1 X John Deere 6230 Premium 40kph Registration Number HY08 DZZ S/N L06230G569313

    1 X John Deere 7530 Premium 50kph Registration Number OU09 DWZ S/N L07530N599218

    For country watch members: If you are offered these tractors or have any information please call the police on 08458 505 505.

    For all other watch members: If you have any information relating to this message, please call the police on 08458 505 505 and state you are responding to a Ringmaster message.

    Message Ends.

  • Traffic slow in Aylesbury Road, Thame – road works

    TRAFFIC is slow on the A418 Aylesbury Road, Thame,
    both ways due to gas main work: due to end April 2010.

    Temporary traffic lights in operation.

  • Road works – Rooks Lane/Southern Road, Thame

    TEMPORARY traffic lights, Southern Road, Thame, both ways at Rooks Lane – water main work affecting both ways;

    Due to be completed 18th December 2009

  • Thame war hero to be made Honourary Citizen

    THAME Town Council is to confer on a local man, who worked behind enemy lines during WW2, the title of Honourary Citizen.

    Arthur Staggs, now aged 97, has lived in Thame since the late 1940s and is now a resident of Meadowcroft Residential Home for the elderly in Thame.

    After doing his wireless operator training at Thame Park in the early years of the war, Arthur worked with the Special Operations.

    His story is a facinating one as this biography put together by Jeannette Matelot Green, illustrates.

    Lt. Arthur Albert George STAGGS

    Arthur?s mother died when he was two years old. His Father joined the Royal Engineers in 1914 and fought in France where he met and married a French lady who spoke no English. Arthur spent a year in France and attended an Ecole Maternelle – becoming bilingual. Afterwards he returned to England and attended a Catholic School at Grays in Essex until 1925. The family then moved to Roubaix near Lille where Mr Staggs Snr worked as an engineer for a British company. Arthur served his apprenticeship here before moving to another company at Croix-Wasquehal, in Nord, where the family was living by this time.

    Arthur started as a labourer but attended the firm?s night-school classes for three years studying algebra,
    draughtsmanship etc. He qualified as a Quality Inspector for the forge – malleable, soft, hard iron. This was the time of the Depression and the French Government introduced a new law to reduce the foreign labour force by 35%.
    Arthur?s work permit was withdrawn. His father knew the head of Perrott & Perrott and this man followed Arthur?s progress with interest finding a loop-hole to enable Arthur to continue working in France. The firm was entitled to have a full-time interpreter, which gave Arthur some valuable experience.

    In September 1939, Arthur became a linguist at the Corps of Military Police (Field Security) at Sheerness in Kent. Here he was put in charge of interviewing about 300 French troops who were evacuated with the British at Dunkirk in June 1940. The purpose here was to identify Fifth Columnists; about five or six were found.

    Arthur was then moved to the Intelligence Corps at Winchester where he was placed in charge of stores. He had interviews with MI5 and MI6 and was later transferred to Pembroke College, Oxford where he was frequently consulted for verification concerning French roads, towns, etc. He was then told to report to the War Office in Whitehall where he was
    asked to join the SOE. After Parachute training at Manchester and Commando and Morse Code training in Scotland, he underwent Wireless training at Thame Park Radio School. This included making transmissions from North Berwick in Scotland, and involved three two-week trials to ascertain accuracy and were made back to base. Arthur’s third visit was made
    on 2nd November 1942; on the 18th he was in France.

    SOE Mission
    Position : Wireless Operator
    Nom de guerre : Albert FOULON (B

  • Warning of vigilance following spate of Thame burglaries

    THIS is a Ringmaster message from Thames Valley Police, following three burglaries in Thame.

    Between 26th November & 11th December, a property in Lashlake Road, Thame, was burgled. Entry was gained via a side gate, then forcing back patio doors. Jewellery was stolen. URN 271 of 11/12/09.

    Overnight between 13th & 14th December, (2009) a property in Overton Drive, Thame, was burgled. A Laptop computer, mobile and handbag were stolen.
    URN 391 of 14/12/09.

    During the same time span, overnight between 13th & 14th December, a property in Vane Road, Thame, was burgled. Entry was gained via conservatory doors and a handbag, laptop and mobile phone were stolen. URN 200 of 14/12/09.

    Please be extra vigilant and report any suspicious looking people or vehicles to the police. If you have any information relating to this message, please call the police on 08458 505 505 and quote the relevant URN number.

  • New ‘One place’ report praises district councils (Status: Press release)

    COUNCILLORS and management at the Vale of White Horse and South Oxfordshire District Councils have expressed their pleasure that both authorities have been recognised as “performing well” in an independent report.

    The Oneplace assessment, published on Wednesday, 9th December, which combines the views of six independent inspectorates to provide a snapshot overview of local public services throughout England, praised both the Vale and South for the services they provide and for their shared management structure and the sharing of some services.

    The report highlighted that the two councils were “continuing to deliver front-line services while reducing management and council running costs.”

    As with the rest of the country, the assessment carried out for Oxfordshire looked at how important local issues, such as crime, affordable housing and people?s health, are being tackled ? and the prospects for improvement.

    The Oneplace assessment highlighted that in the Vale of White Horse “over 86 percent of people living in the Vale are satisfied with their local area as a place to live,” and that the Vale Council “engages and consults with the local community and is embracing change and working to improve services that are important to local people”.

    The report also pointed out that the Vale Council “continues to provide good value for money services”, and that “major efficiencies have been delivered and improvements are continuing to be made.”

    South Oxfordshire was recognised for having “the highest rating in the county of people satisfied with their local area as a place to live and 78 percent are satisfied with their local services.”

    South Oxfordshire District Council was also praised for improvements in its waste and recycling collections as well as its clean streets and low levels of graffiti and fly-tipping.

    David Buckle, Joint Chief Executive for the Vale of White Horse and South Oxfordshire District Councils, said: “We are very pleased that the ongoing improvements to the services being offered by both councils have been recognised and anticipate that this will continue to as we further develop joint working.”

    Cllr Tony de Vere, Leader of the Vale of White Horse District Council, said: “The Oneplace assessment made a point of highlighting that the Vale “continues to provide good value for money”. This is especially pleasing given the limited finances we have to work with, and will be reassuring to council tax payers in the district who will be keen to know that the money they contribute is being used wisely.”

    Cllr Ann Ducker, Leader of South Oxfordshire District Council said: “This is very welcome news for both councils as we’ve really had to find innovative ways of working in order to protect front line services and continue to provide high quality, value for money services for residents so it’s great to receive external credit for this. Together we achieved this by delivering the unthinkable – a shared management team and shared waste and finance services despite different political administrations, and it’s reassuring to know that independent assessors agree we’re making sound decisions in the best interests of residents.”

    The full results of the Oneplace assessment can be found at the new Oneplace website: www.direct.gov.uk/oneplace

    PHOTO: Cllr Ann Ducker, Leader of South Oxfordshire District Council

  • Hospital cover review decision lost by chair’s vote

    IT has emerged that the review panel’s decision to support controversial changes to GP cover at Thame Community Hospital, was accepted by the Primary Care Trust only after the casting vote of the committee’s Chair.

    The vote would have gone the way of over 4,000 petition signatories and Thame GPs, by 6 votes to 5, but County Councillor Nick Carter, who has supported the Thame community’s opposition to an outside private company replacing local GPs at Thame hospital, was not allowed to vote as he was deemed to be only “an observer.”

    NOTE: Put ‘Thame Community hospital’ in the SEARCH box on the Home page of ThameNews.Net to read background news items.

    PHOTO: County Cllr Nick Carter