THERE are still a few places left on the coach taking a group from Thame to our twin town in France, Montesson, on Friday, September 18, 2009.
The weekend will include a trip to St Denis Basilique just outside Paris, near the Stade de France and the opportunity to join in Montesson’s annual ‘f
RECYCLING. Glass will be collected on Tuesday, 25th as well as paper, cans and plastics.
Wed 19th + Thurs 26th Play around the Parishes. AVDC is running another free session for 1-11 year olds in Banks Park (2-4.30pm) – with arts and crafts, sports and games and a bouncy castle. The final session is next Thursday (10am-12.30pm).
Wed 26th NAG. The next Haddenham and district Neighbourhood Action Group meeting is at 7pm at Haddenham Village Hall.
Sept 19th Table Top Sale. Tracy Powell, who is running the Virgin London Marathon next April in aid of Guide Dogs For The Blind, is starting her fund-raising by holding a table top saleat Haddenham Village Hall. To book a table (
THE giant supermarket chain Sainsbury’s is to take over a large empty retail space in Thame town centre.
ThameNews.Net learnt today that Sainsbury’s Supermarkets Ltd, which closed its Sainsbury’s Local shop at the Shell petrol station late last year, is to take over the empty Woolworth’s shop in Thame High Street.
A Sainsbury’s spokesperson told Thamenews.net: “We were disappointed to leave Thame following the closure of the Shell garage. Since then Sainsbury?s has been monitoring opportunities in the area and we are delighted to have acquired the former Woolworths store. We consider a number of factors in store location planning, but the main reason for returning to Thame is to provide food choice in the town ? the Sainsbury?s offer of great products at fair prices.
“Being located at the heart of the high street on Market Square and benefiting from 60 car park spaces to the rear, we feel the store will be a positive addition to the town in terms of food choice, new jobs and our input into the community.”
When asked specifically whether Sainsbury’s would be competing for the same customer base as Waitrose, who are already in the town, the spokesperson said: “Obviously there is a need for another food outlet in the town otherwise it would not be financially viable for us to go there.”
Refurbishment and re-branding of the empty shop, which covers 7000 sq ft, will begin in October and Sainsbury’s say that they hope the store will open in time for Christmas 2009.
Sainsbury’s recently took over the empty Woolworth’s in Henley-On-Thames and has plans in place to open 50 convenience stores in this financial year, with another 100 due next year.
HELLENIC LEAGUE DIVISION 1 EAST – Tuesday 18th August, 2009 – KINTBURY RANGERS 1, THAME UNITED 2. MATCH REPORT:
United maintained their 100% record in the league on Tuesday evening with a comfortable win at previously unbeaten Kintbury Rangers. It would be no exaggeration to say that United should have been four up after the quarter of an hour and these missed chances ultimately led to a nervous final few minutes.
United dominated from the kick off and in the opening ten minutes Dave Hocking, Lawrence El-Kassir and Ben Connelly all went close as they laid siege to the Kintbury goal. Two good opportunities went begging in the tenth minute when Nik Rhodes firstly saw his header at the back post from a Connelly cross well saved by the home keeper, before leading scorer Mark Jones somehow contrived to place the ball over the bar from only four yards.
Kintbury rarely threatened the Thame goal, although keeper Orkney had to be alert in the 23rd minute, grabbing a mis-hit effort low to his right. The pressure eventually paid for United in the 41st minute. Nik Rhodes met a corner with a powerful header that the keeper could only parry in to the path of El-Kassir who calmly slotted the ball home from close range.
With United 1-0 ahead at the break, they came out in the second half determined to kill the game off. They nearly did this in the 55th minute when, in similar fashion to Jones earlier in the game, Rhodes managed to volley the ball over the bar from only three yards. United did get their second five minutes later, Adam Rhodes played a through ball to Luke Ricketts that the defender was unable to deal with, and Ricketts hit a powerful low drive in to the bottom right hand corner of the net from 20 yards, giving the keeper no change.
There followed a period of disjointed play, albeit Thomas Hoskin had the ball in the back of the net on 63 minutes only to be pulled back for off-side, and the home keeper did well to save from the same player 10 minutes later.
With United seemingly easing towards another win, Kintbury pulled a goal back with five minutes to go. Given space, the young Kintbury right back hit a powerful drive from 25 yards that seemed to bounce awkwardly in front of keeper Orkney and flew in to the bottom corner. United then defended deep in their own half for the remainder of the game and came under increasing pressure. However, Orkney was not tested again and United held on for another victory that sees them well placed in the top six in the league.
On Saturday (22nd August) United have a home fixture against promoted Woodley Town (3:00pm kick off at Wallingford), before another home fixture against unbeaten South Kilburn on Tuesday 25th August (7:45pm kick off at Wallingford).
Thame United: Orkney, Cowan, Newell (Wakelin), N.Rhodes, Hocking, El-Kassir, A.Rhodes, Connelly (Rogers), Jones (Stocker), Hoskin, Ricketts.
Subs not used: West, Way.
MICHAEL Heseltine, a former Defence Minister and one-time Member of Parliament for Thame, gave his support yesterday to ‘Edd and Ben the Marathon Men’ who left Bicester North railway station at 10.30am on the
second day of their multi-marathon run through Oxfordshire and Buckinghamshire.
Through this marathon effort, Edd and Ben’s aim to run 12 marathons in 13 days to raise at least
THAME UNITED has secured new sponsors for the forthcoming football season, in which they are already off to a flying start after a 1 – 0 victory of Bedford last Saturday, August 15, 2009.
Thame Crash Repairs are the club’s new sponsors of the 1st team squad with a deal that includes the squad receiving a player’s pro-pack consisting of Thame United branded sportswear from local supplier, Chiltern Sportswear, who have also very kindly sponsored the club.
Chris Connelly of Thame Crash Repairs (seen pictured with Thame United Chairman Jake Collinge) before their 1-0 victory in the FA Cup Extra Preliminary round game against Bedford, commented: “This will certainly bring a very professional look and feel for the squad which I hope will help performances on the pitch to continue to improve.”
Jake Collinge, United?s Chairman added: “This will certainly help us kick start our season. We’ve had a great opening with a 3-1 victory in our first league game and the FA cup win. With the vast majority of the players throughout all three sides now coming from Thame and with the Thame Boys FC set-up, it is an exciting era in the clubs history, especially with the prospects of the new community facility at Church Farm getting ever closer.”
United are also setting up a Club Shop in the near future through the Thame United website www.thameunitedfc.demon.co.uk to enable players and supporters to purchase from a specially selected range of Thame United branded sports and leisurewear from Chiltern Sportswear.
If any local companies are interested in providing sponsorship for the club’s Reserve or Allied Counties U18 Youth team squads, please contact Jake Collinge on 07753 502955.
ONCE again this August Bank Holiday weekend, an ex London Transport Routemaster will be helping Towersey festival-goers pop in to Thame for supplies at the shops, or even a swim at the Leisure Centre, and helping Thame residents visit and return from the Festival sites quickly and easily.
Service 73 will provide a bus every 30 minutes throughout the main Festival days, with an afternoon service on the Thursday, August 27, 2009.
From Friday to Monday, there will be a bus leaving Towersey for Thame every half-hour from 9.30am until 5.00pm.
The bus leaves Towersey on the hour and half past, with journeys from Thame departing at quarter past and quarter to the hour.
On Thursday, the service will run from 1.00pm until 5.00pm to help arriving visitors and give them the chance to stock up at the shops.
The bus can be picked up at any of the normal stops between Thame Leisure Centre and Towersey. The fare is
Dear Editor, As a Towersey resident, I would like to share my views on this subject, and in particular, respond to the letter headed ?Plea for help and support for Sex Offender?. My response has been delayed, firstly because I did not want to act in fury and secondly this is not something I could write about in a few spare minutes, it takes a lot of thought and courage.
I would firstly like to say ?thank god? the child has a supportive family and was ?listened to?. I can only thank the family for their courage where others fail, in proceeding with what needed to be done and that it was brought to all of our attention. Although Towersey is a close knit community, we all have the right to know if there is a danger to our children living amongst us. I have a son and like any other parent I wish to protect my child, NOT to protect paedophiles like Nick Graves! It?s ?do-gooders? like the author?s of the ?said letter? who create the playground for paedophiles and they are obviously unaware about the implications and the effects child sexual abuse has on a person.
As a victim and now survivor of child sexual abuse, I am shocked that the authors of the said letter attempt to ?measure the damage caused to the child?. For the authors to describe the damage as ?minimal?, I would like to bring their attention to the fact that the only thing ?minimal? about this incident would be the childs understanding of what has happened to him, today! As the child grows and matures so does the understanding of the actual act, nature and position he was tricked into by someone he trusted. In my particular case, my abuse was 30years ago and to this day it still has a significant bearing on my life. Feeling disgusting about yourself, low self worth, if any, and the damage it could cause to any future relationships are just the tip of the iceberg!
As for children making ?mischievous complaints? and ?no substance to them?, Nick Graves was found guilty in a Court of Law of sexually assaulting a child. The days of children being ?seen and not heard? has gone! Obviously there is substance in this particular case, so what a bizarre statement to make in their plea. Also they make a plea for ?forgiveness? for Nick Graves. In my experience, forgiveness comes from within, but you truly have to admit to yourself you have done wrong, and from what I can gather, Nick Graves only accepts that he has been found guilty, and did not admit he WAS guilty. How can he possibly forgive himself, or expect anyone else too?
The Sentence Nick Graves has received from the Court, is just another manipulation, but of the system. It was his choice to destroy his future and reputation through his actions alone. My heart goes out to the child and his family, because they didn?t have a choice. Their lives have been turned upside down through no fault of their own and Nick Graves has tarnished their memories of the wonderful times they?ve had in this village and they all have to live with what he has done and for the child, that means for life!
Louise ? Towersey Resident
EDD Nieburg and Ben Halliwell began their multi-
marathon charity run for the Thomley Activity Cente near Thame, yesterday.
Edd and Ben left the gates of Thomley, accompanied by Claire Acworth, Director and Joe Kitchen, the centre’s Visitor Liaison Officer. Edd and Ben arrived in Bicester later in the afternoon, to complete the first day of their 310 mile run, the equivalent of 12 marathons, in just 13 days.
Their goal is to raise
THE Police are appealing for witnesses following a collision on the southbound carriageway of the M40, yesterday, 16/08/09.
At around 12.05am a green Rover and a silver Astra collided on the motorway, near to the junction for Milton Common.
A passenger in the Rover, a 46-year-old man from Brighton, suffered fatal injuries and died at the scene.
The driver of the Astra, a woman, and the male driver of the Rover sustained minor injuries in the collision.
The M40 was closed between Junctions 8A and 6 while the police and collision investigators examined the scene.
Sgt Nick Perks, from Abingdon Roads Policing Department, said: “It is possible that there were other motorists in the area at the time and I am appealing for anyone who may have seen the vehicles involved prior to the collision and also anyone who may have witnessed the collision to contact me.”
Anyone with any information is asked to contact Sgt Perks at Abingdon police station via 0845 8 505 505, or if you don?t want to talk to the police or give your name, call the Crimestoppers charity on 0800 555 111.
Two people have been arrested on suspicion of causing death by careless driving and have been released on police bail.