Author: Sonja Francis

THIS weekend is the final opportunity for people to have a look at the work being shown at the SORTED Exhibition at the Thame CAB (Citizens Advice Bureau)in Montesson Square.

SORTED is an exhibition of affordable art by local SPARKSArtists.

MORE photographs from Thame’s Friday night Christmas lights event are now available to view and to order.

Follow the following link to see the pictures:

LINK TO CHRISTMAS PICTURES

ART WORK by a young girl killed in a car crash that left a young Thame man seriously injured, are to go on sale for charity.

FUNDS are being raised for charity through the sale of art created by a 17-year-old schoolgirl from a village, near stow, who died in a car crash earlier this year.

Copies of an unframed, A3 print by 17 year-old Grace Matilda Hadman, are being sold to generate money for the African Children?s Fund and Building Futures in Malawi, two charities chosen by her family.

The original represents a butterfly flying to freedom, which is how Grace?s mother, Carol Hadman, says she now thinks of her daughter.

It hangs at the foot of the main library steps at St Edward?s School, Oxford, where Grace was a student.

Grace died when the Toyota Yaris she was travelling in was driven off the A34 road at Wytham, near Oxford, on April 7, 2009. Fellow passenger, Joe Robinson, 18, a promising rugby player from Thame, is still recovering from his injuries but has left hospital.

The 17-year-old female driver was sent to prison for 28 months after pleading guilty to causing death by careless driving while over the prescribed limit of alcohol. She and another 18-year-old male passenger suffered minor injuries in the crash.

The prints cost

BT have been running an ?Adopt a Kiosk? competition over the last few weeks, judging the best re-use of their old red telephone kiosks which have been adopted by communities.

The villagers of Sydenham, near Thame, have converted their phone boxe into the ?Sydenham Information Kiosk? and have won a prize of

HUNDREDS of people flocked to Thame town centre on Friday to join the Mayor and BBC personality, Ken Bruce, for the switching on of the town’s Christmas lights 2009.

Despite the pouring rain, local families and visitors stood for over two hours for a spectacular stage show which included Britain’s Got Talent semi finalist, Merlin Cadogan, who entralled the crowd with his fire juggling, plate spinning, magic cucumber chopping and amazing card trickery, with the help of the the Mayor herself, Jeannette Matelot Green.

Cllr Don Butler teamed up with Ken Bruce as Masters of Ceremony, seamlessly (well, almost) linking each part of the show with banter and encouragement.

Thame junior schools kicked off the show with Christmas songs, accompanied by the Thame Concert Band, followed by Thame Players with a taster of their Panto, Toad of Toad Hall. Terry Gleed, currently appearing in Jack and the Beanstalk at Aylesbury Civic Centre, made everone forget about the rain with his beautiful singing and the Mayor, herself no mean chanteuse, gamely led the community singing despite recovering from a cold.

The visitors from Thame’s twin town of Montesson with their crepes and wine, and other refreshment stalls, were kept busy all evening, and the celebrations came to a traditional close with a blessing from Reverend Chambers.

Firewords and an early visit from Father Christmas, taking a break from toy making in Lapland, sent everyone home with a smile, feeling well and truly in festive spirit and ready for the preparations and celebrations ahead.