Thame.net

Author: Sonja Francis

  • More than just a bike ride

    WHERE can you learn where the local pets hotel is, that pot holes are rare in Spain, that South African gold miners have their own unique language, and the intricasies of a hip re-lining operation?

    Answer: on a Saturday morning bike ride with the recently formed Thame Cycling Club.

    Setting off from Racquets Fitness Centre every Saturday morning at around 10am, the club is lead by an experienced road cylist who ensures that, whatever your level of fitness or cycling experience, no one gets left behind. The group includes experienced cyclists dressed in licra as well as leisure cyclists more used to poodling along the Phoenix trail, looking for a bit more of a challenge.

    As well as tips on safe cycling in groups if needed, the chat amongst the group members if very amicable and illuminating too!

    And at the end of what is a great physical workout and a social occassion, there is a very welcome bacon roll and a coffee provided by Sue and Simon at Racquets.

    So, take advantage of the beautiful autumn sunshine forecast for this weekend (as we speak, obviously, 04/09/09), dust off that bike you’ve been meaning to get on all summer, and join us tomorrow morning. You’ll be really glad you did!

  • They’ve done it! Twelve marathons in thirteen days

    ED AND BEN, ‘The marathon men’ have finally completed a gruelling 12 marathons in 13 days to raise funds for Thomley Activity Centre, in Worminghall, near Thame.

    Over 310 miles from their starting point, Edd Nieburg, 23, from Steventon, and Ben Halliwell, 24, from Wantage, ran back through the gates of Thomley Activity Centre, welcomed by 200 people attending Thomley?s annual open day on Saturday (29/08/09).

    Their target was to raise

  • Wild Food Foraging with the Northmoor Trust & other events

    SEPTEMBER, Sunday 6th, 13th, 20th & 27th September: 10am ? 5pm – Northmoor Trust Wild Food Foraging – Drop in session – Blackberries, rosehips, nettles and more. ?How to? kits

  • New-look Towersey Festival draws the Bank Holiday crowds

    THOUSANDS of locals and visitors from across the nation – and some from abroad, were rewarded once again with a programme of music, dance and family fun that makes Towersey Festival undoubtedly one-of-a-kind.

    From internationally famous artists like The Waterson Family, Roy Bailey, The Blues Band, through the exhiliarating Mighty Zulu Nation, to Thame’s very own master of…well, anything he choses to play really, Wilber – the visitors over the three days were never short of something to feast the eyes and ears and the soul.

    From the smallest gig ever, Wilber and eight fans chomping their way through fish and chips outside The Chippy in Thame’s Upper High Street, to the crowds watching the zany humour and bad magic tricks of Pete White’s Suitcase Circus (ably assisted by Wilfie, or was it Wolfie?) – the enthusiasm for this gem of a festival continues to grow every year.

    There were some mutterings in the toilet queue and amongst some of the regular visitors about the fact that there was no arena this year, but the new format – a kind of moving feast of street theatre with different acts going on in different places -will no doubt take a bit of getting used to by those who have not known anything else. But the organisers hope that, unlike in previous years, where visitors who were unable to squeeze into the 500 seat arena and had very little to entertain them outside, more people would have been able to be entertained this year.

    MORE PICTURES FROM TOWERSEY – enter:
    ‘Flickr thamenews’ into your browser to see more pictures from Towersey 2009

  • Thame businesses invited to Bridal Fayre

    LOCAL businesses are invited to take part in a Wedding Fayre, to be held at The Spread Eagle Hotel, Thame, on Sunday 27th September 2009. 11am – 3pm

    Glass of Bucks fizz on arrival`
    Live jazz band playing.
    Free Admission and Parking
    Goody bags for all brides to be with a 25% off voucher inside for your complete wedding package at The Spread Eagle.
    Free prize draw to win some magnificent prizes including:

    A meal for two at the Spread Eagle
    Spa day for two at Fredricks Hotel (www.fredricks-hotel.co.uk)
    Champagne & Chocolates

    Contact: info@spreadeaglethame.co.uk

  • 03/09/12….Fire fighters find body in burning car

    FIREFIGHTERS called to a burning car in the early hours of last Sunday morning (02/09), discovered a body inside.

    The police were then called to the scene, a lay-by outside Thame, on the A4129 between Kingsey and Longwick, at around 2.30am.

    The fire is not considered to be suspicious and no formal identification of the deceased has yet taken place.

  • Get your surplus apples pressed & help the environment

    AN environment group that helps communities plan for when oil runs out is attracting increasing attention in the Thame area.

    The Thame and Haddenham Transition groups will be spreading their message at this month’s Thame Local Tastes festival and other up-coming local events.

    BRING ALONG YOUR SURPLUS FRUIT

    At the food festival on Saturday, September 26, the group will be demonstrating an apple press. Visitors will be invited to leave their contact details if they would like to take along surplus apples to an event in October, where the fruit can be made into juice.

    NEW BOOK

    The Transition group will also be promoting its newly published book about low energy food production.

  • Thame Mayor supports ‘greening’ buildings project

    THERMAL IMAGING REVEALS WASTED HEAT – The Mayor of Thame is to have her home photographed by a special camera which will demonstrate just how much heat energy is being lost from the building.

    During a two week period beginning November 14, the environment group, Transition Thame, will be out and about in the town using a Thermal Imaging Camera to film the waste energy escaping from roofs, walls and windows of local schools and public buildings, including hopefully, Thame town hall, and Cllr Jeannette Matelot Green’s home in the High Street.

    INSULATING BUILDINGS

    The aim of the Transition movement is to help communities plan for when world oil supplies have peaked and the Thame and Haddenham groups hope with this project to draw attention to what can be done about insulating buildings against heat loss.

    EXHIBITION

    At the end of November, venue and date to be announced, there will be an exhibition of the all the images taken with the special camera showing comparisons between buildings that have been insulated and those that have not.

    CALL FOR STRICTER PLANNING LAWS

    Transition Thame is particularly eager to support Friends of the Earth’s campaign to persuade local authorities to do more about insulating their own housing stock and official buildings against wasteful heat loss, and to encourage stricter planning regulations relating to new build energy saving such as solar panels and underground heat pumps. It is much cheaper to incorporate such energy saving when a property is being built than to add such things retrospectively.

    All local authorities must cut CO2 emissions by 40% by the year 2020, and by 80% by 2050 but there are penalties if they do not make year-on-year improvements.

    HAVE YOUR PROPERTY PHOTOGRAPHED

    Anyone who is thinking about insulating their property and would like to have a picture taken of their property with the Thermal Imaging Camera can contact Robin Aitchison via: editor@thame.net

    Long Crendon and Cuddington will be taking part in a similar exercise in January.

  • Thame United maintains 100% record (Contributed)

    MATCH REPORT: Didcot Reserves 0, Thame United 1.

    United maintained their 100% record in the league with a comfortable win on Bank Holiday Monday at Didcot Town Reserves. United went in to the game having kept clean sheets in each of their last three games and extended that record with a performance that provided further evidence that, in this league, solid defensive foundations will provide the recipe for success.

    United were quickest out of the blocks when, after only two minutes, both the returning Stuart Barr and Lawrence El-Kassir went close following a cross from Aaron Rogers. However, the away support only had to wait another couple of minutes before United took the lead. A goal mouth scramble resulted in the ball falling at the feet of top goalscorer Mark Jones who confidently beat the keeper from close range for his sixth goal in seven appearances this season. Having taken the lead, United seemed content to preserve their position and for the remainder of the half the game was contained mainly in the middle of the pitch with neither keeper threatened. The only incident of note was the sending off of the Didcot Town striker who, having just been booked, was involved in a challenge with Thame keeper Lee Orkney that resulted in both players being booked and the striker leaving the field of play for his second bookable offence.

    The second half started in similar vein to the first half, with United on the front foot. In the 56th minute Sam Cowan went close with a header from a Luke Ricketts corner whilst five minutes later substitute Thomas Hoskin shot wide when put through on goal by Ricketts. With only one man up front Didcot rarely threatened the Thame goal, although United were reminded of the importance of a second goal when, in the 72nd minute, the Didcot striker hit the bar with an effort from 25 yards. United responded immediately, with Adam Rhodes hitting the bar, before Hoskin placed a header over the bar from a Ricketts corner when fellow substitute Stuart Braun looked to be better placed. Braun then had an opportunity to seal the win but could only head wide from a Rhodes corner. The final opportunity fell to Rhodes in the 78th minute who, following good work down the right from Hoskin, saw his powerful shot from the angle beat both keeper and bar.

    In the end, United held on with relative easy, making it four clean sheets in a row and seven straight wins in all competitions since the season start. United are without a game this coming Saturday, although the Reserves begin their season at home against Shrivenham Reserves (3pm kick off at Southern Road Recreation Ground). The following weekend (12th September) United have their biggest game for five years when they entertain Southern League Side Burnham in the FA Cup.

    Thame United:

    Orkney, Cowan, Wakelin (Hoskin, 45), Hocking (Gascoyne, 89), N.Rhodes, El-Kassir, A.Rhodes, Ricketts, Rogers (Braun, 60), Jones, Barr

  • Chinnor 2nds take on the RAF (Contributed)

    CHINNOR seconds match report for 29th August 2009.

    Chinnor Seconds had their second friendly of the season against a RAF under 23 fifteen team.
    The game started off well for the Chinnor side with most of the play in the RAF 22 metres, but they were unable to put points on the board, and it was RAF that scored the first points with a converted try after a lucky bounce of the ball. Chinnor then took their turn with a forwards drive and try scored by captain Rob Fenwick.

    Chinnor forwards dominated all the forward play, but the RAF backs proved to be a well-drilled side and you could see that they had enjoyed a few games playing together, knowing each other?s play. Chinnor added another try just on half time, this time by Andy Millburn and the first half finished 10 points to 7 in Chinnor?s favour.

    The second half started with the RAF using their back line and keeping the ball away from the Chinnor pack. This paid off and they scored within the 5 minutes following a missed tackle. Five minutes later they scored another try, which was knocked on before being dotted down, this the ref missed, and the RAF increased their lead by 19 points to 10. Again Chinnor came back with a great break by Matt Webster, sadly losing the ball through a tackle inches before the line, Andy Millburn was on hand to pick up the ball and go over for his second try.

    With 10 minutes to go the score were RAF 19 points to 15 in the lead. A missed tackle in the last 5 minutes gave the RAF another converted try and the game ended 26 points to 15 to the RAF.
    Man of the match could be any one of the forwards. But man of the match goes to Ben Sanders who had a great game for his first run in the back line.
    The second team are looking forward to all their boys returning from their break and those that had a run for the firsts.
    Walter McGuicken