Thame.net

Author: Sonja Francis

  • Arrest following fatal collision at Kingsey

    POLICE investigating a collision in Kingsey in which a young Thame man died, have arrested a 25-year-old man on suspicion of causing death by dangerous driving.

    The collision happened at around 2.40pm on Sunday, May 17, 2009, on the A4129, Risborough Road. Greg Stiles and Abigail Dowdy were travelling in a blue Ford Fiesta from Kingsey to Longwick when it was involved in a collision which also involved a blue Vauxhall Corsa, a silver Renault Clio and a silver Toyota Yaris.

    Greg was pronounced dead at the scene and Abigail is currently in the JR2 in a critical condition.

    An unknown 4×4 vehicle was also involved in the collision, but did not stop at the scene. Police have been appealing for help from the public in tracing the vehicle.

    The 25-year-old man has been released on bail until mid-July.

    PC Phil Hanham, who is leading the investigation into the collision, said: ?I would like to thank all those people who have so far come forward to help us with our investigation. We are continuing to ask for any witnesses or anyone with any information to please come forward.?

    Anyone with any information is asked to contact the incident room at Aylesbury police station via 0845 8 505 505. If you don?t want to talk to police or leave your name, please contact the Crimestoppers charity on 0800 555 111.

    Photo: Greg Stiles and Abigail Dowdy

  • TV chef reveals his worst school dinner to Thame pupils

    PUPILS at a Thame school learnt today that top TV chef, Anthony Worrall-Thompson’s worst school dinner memory is liver!

    Worrall-Thompson visited Barley Hill School this morning (01/06/09) to officially open its new cookery room provided with funds raised by the PTA.

    During a ‘grilling’ by pupils, AWT said that he was served the liver, which he said resembled “a piece of shoe leather” with over-cooked, mushy swede. He emphasised however, that he had since grown to like liver. His favourite school meal, which was served up at the boarding school he attended from the age of three, was, he said, a breakfast of porridge – “the most important meal of the day” he said, and very necessary to prevent children from being unable to concentrate and stay alert at school.

    He revealed that his favourite food these days was Japanese food, particularly healthy in his view. But his favourite meal to cook at home remained a traditional family roast, he said, including sprouts, the mention of which caused a collective groan around the assembled school!

    According to Anthony Worrall-Thompson, recent scientific research has suggested that children need to taste a particular food 17 times before it becomes acceptable to them.

    After cutting the ribbon to officially declare the cookery room ‘open’, Anthony worrall-Thompson cooked a meal with the five winners of a Design a school meal competition, during which the Mayor or Thame, Cllr Jeannette Matelot Green, who is a Governor of Barley Hill, dropped in to meet the school’s special visitor.

  • Could selling livestock and the performing arts work together in Thame?

    THIS is one idea currently being put forward by the man behind the proposed re-siting of Thame cattle market to a bigger site on the Thame show ground.

    Bob Williams, the Developer and main driver behind the proposed move, told ThameNews.Net that Arts centres on their own usually lose money and would therefore, probably not make good economic sense in Thame, but, he suggests, as has happened recently in Skipton, the current market arena could be very easily turned into a theatre space.

    “At Skipton, they have set up The Mart Theatre with funding from the Arts Council and others, which provides a unique rural theatre, events and other facilities within what is a functioning Auction Mart -a transformation that takes place within a hour! The theatre addresses a local cultural as well as an economic need,” said Bob Williams.

    The Mart Theatre, Skipton, is the only theatre placed in a working auction mart in the UK, and offers an experimental mixed programme of professional touring productions, workshops and events. It recently featured on the BBC Woman’s hour programme.

    Bob Williams says that he believes that it would make sense to use the bar, toilets, cafe and the market arena itself in the evening, weekends and other times when the the auction mart is not being used.

    For more information about The Mart Theatre, Skipton, visit: LINK

    www.ccmauctions.com/theatreevents.asp

  • Rotary barn dance will help Thame’s young people

    A BARN Dance on May 30, 2009, will be hosted by the Rotary ClubS of Thame and Haddenham & District, to raise funds for Thame Girl Guides, the Phoenix studio at Lord Williams’s school, and other local charities.

    Where: Haddenham Village Hall
    When: Saturday 30 May from 6:30 pm.Carriages at11pm.
    Band: Tumbledown Dick
    Price:

  • Gardening in June – Latest newsletter from Jane Folis

    SARDINIA has been, and gone. What a beautiful island with its white sandy beaches and turquoise sea. Our house was more than we had hoped for with stunning views across mountains and sea. The only noise we heard was the ocean and the birds, not even a human voice. It was heaven.

    Sadly, I managed to catch a virus on the way out which has rendered me completely doo lally and two weeks later there is little or no improvement! It has affected the inner ear and I am finding it very disorientating to head off in one direction only to find myself involuntarily six paces closer to any point of the compass. It is even worse when lying down, reading or watching television. Not being one for sitting still at the best of times, it is frustrating to know the ?safest? place to be is sitting upright in a chair doing nothing?

    Despite these problems I still headed off to Chelsea to do my stint for the Society. I am sure the 5.00am start did nothing to improve my well-being! It was a good day with only a few odd showers which I managed to avoid. Not as inspiring as usual, but there were one or two gardens that really stood out. Not least Auf Nordfjell?s garden for The Daily Telegraph. His use of materials and planting made it for me ? so tranquil, yet elegant with his very clever melding of architecture and nature. Luciano?s step into using colour also paid off and his combination of plants left me wondering whether or not I liked it? It was very clever, but almost impossible to reproduce to look as it did for Cheslea week.

    I could write reams on the subject, but as always one of the highlights for me is to meet up with fellow designers, suppliers and old friends ? not to mention bumping in to one or two clients. Our stand had pole position opposite Thomas Hoblyn?s garden and we were privy to many a filming session of the said garden, watching Andy Stugeon and Nikki Chapman getting soaked. Andy came and joined us later on the stand and it was good to catch up as we both use the same contractor ? recommended to Andy by myself.

    I found lots of goodies, including some much sought after seed for one of my clients. All I have to do now is to successfully germinate it and nurture the plants ready for planting next spring. Inspired by Italy I now have even more seeds for the vegetable patch! I found new (and old) suppliers of wonderful furniture and a superb blacksmith/iron worker who can make almost anything. All in all an excellent day out.

    I love June in the garden ? the vegetables are continually giving pleasure and if organised the crop rotation almost takes care of itself. The main garden is looking a picture with constant promises of new blooms and surprises. There is very little earth showing which reduces the weeding and I find I can sit back and enjoy the sunshine and lazy weekends with friends. Let?s hope we really do get a summer this year?

    RECIPE
    ARTICHOKE AND WARM POTATO SALAD
    500g New Potatoes
    4tbs Olive Oil
    Juice of a lemon
    Grated Parmesan
    350g Preserved Artichokes
    Bunch of parsley
    Handful of mint

    Steam or boil the potatoes until just soft. Drain and set aside. Put the lemon juice, olive oil and parmesan in a bowl and add a little coarse ground black pepper. Mix well.

    Slice each artichoke into four and each potato in half. Add to the dressing whilst the potatoes are still warm. Add the Parsley and Mint, toss well and serve. Delicious with almost anything.

    SEASONAL TIPS
    Cut back perennial flowers as this will help to produce a second flush.
    Remove poppy heads, unless you want them to seed naturally.

    Divide bearded Irises after flowering. The tulips will have died back by now. If you are going to leave them in situ, cut back the flowering stem,
    but leave the foliage as this will help feed the bulbs for next spring.
    Alternatively, they can be lifted and stored in a cool dry place ready to re-plant in the Autumn.

    Fast growing hedges, such as privet can be cut back in June, but do be aware the birds might still be nesting. Box is traditionally (Old Wives
    Tale) cut back on Derby Day ? which I believe is in early June?

    Prune back spring flowering shrubs, straight after flowering. Remove some of the older wood to encourage new growth.

    The lawn can be regularly mowed once a week. To remove excess weeds such as clover and yarrow, go over the lawn with a spring rake before
    you mow.

    If you have hanging baskets and grow annuals it should now be safe to plant them outside.
    Water and feed regularly anything you have recently planted as this will help them to establish. Don?t rely on the rain ? it will not be enough.
    Phostrogen is a good all purpose plant food.

    VEGETABLE & FRUIT GARDEN
    Plant out any vegetables you have sown indoors or in the greenhouse.
    As usual, there are just too many to mention here. I am still sticking to growing in blocks fairly close together. This means the range and variety I can grow has almost doubled and I am spoilt for choice. However, it does mean I am not going to get a glut of any one crop and it suits my diet perfectly. I hope to be pretty much self-sufficient this year.

    Pigeons, Cabbage White caterpillars and carrot flies are a perennial problem, so do protect your crops with netting ? Wondermesh and Enviromesh are both excellent insect-proof netting.

    Remember to nip out the side shoots of tomatoes. I do have an idiot proof guide to growing tomatoes if any of you are interested.

    Continue to sow salad crops and herbs, such as Basil and Coriander every
    two weeks or so to give a constant supply. The Greek Basil,
    recommended by my son, is growing brilliantly ? I must have about
    thirty plants ? if anyone wants one, just let me know.

    Weed the vegetable patch regularly. After only a week away I found mine
    had got slightly out of hand. I did a hands and knees job, but now I will
    probably keep it under control by gently hoeing on a regular basis.

    Protect ripening fruit from birds by covering with netting.

    Prune blackcurrants at the same time as picking the fruit. Cut out some of the oldest, fruited wood to encourage new growth.

    It is time to thin out fruit. Fruit trees produce too many young fruits and if you allow them all to develop, the fruit would end up small and misshapen because the tree simply can?t provide enough nutrients.
    There is a natural ?June Drop?, but you still need to thin them further.
    Reduce the number of fruits so that the distance between fruit is as follows:_
    Desert Apples 10-25cm
    Cooking Apples 15-20cm
    Pears 10-15cm
    Plums 8-19cm
    Peaches 15-20cm

    Put straw or matting around strawberries to keep the berries clean.
    For more information, visit LINK TO RHS.ORG

    GREENHOUSE
    Stop the greenhouse from overheating by keeping the windows and doors open. Shade if necessary by using Coolglass ? a temporary white paint. Soak the floor regularly with water to cool it down and raise
    the humidity.

    I have potted on Cucumber, Peppers, Chilli and Gherkin and will keep them in the greenhouse. It is only 1200 x 1200 ? so I have to be very selective on what stays inside. My Tomatoes and Aubergines
    seem to thrive outside.

    POINTS OF INTEREST
    ?We will if you will?
    A Government-backed initiative to encourage healthier lifestyles.
    The first is to encourage people to eat more home-grown, seasonal and UK produced food.
    Visit LINK
     for more information.

    PLACES TO VISIT
    Gardens free to RHS Members
    RHS Wisley; Blenheim Palace Park and Gardens; Nymans; Waddesdon Manor; Waterperry Gardens; West Dean Gardens.
    For a full list visit www.rhs.org.uk.

    FIVE BEE FRIENDLY GARDENS

    Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, Richmond

    The National Wildflower Centre, Liverpool

    Garden Organic Ryton, Warwickshire

    RHS Wisley, Woking

    Highgrove, Gloucestershire

    2009 National Gardens Scheme
    There are too many gardens open in this area for me to mention here, but do visit www.ngs.org.uk for more details. Free leaflets are available in libraries and garden centres.

    EVENTS

    RHS SHOWS FOR 2009
    HAMPTON COURT ? 7TH ? 12TH July
    TATTON PARK ? 22ND ? 26TH July
    Tickets: 0844 209 1681
    BBC GARDENERS WORLD ? 10TH ? 14TH June
    www.rhs.org.uk

    HARTWELL HOUSE
    10th June ? Garden Talk and Tour
    RHS Members :

  • Chinnor-based Conservation Board wins green award

    THE primary conservation body that looks after the Chilterns has won a prestigious Silver award from the Green Tourism Business Scheme.

    The award won by the Chilterns Conservation Board recognises all the work the Board has done over the last two years to reduce its carbon footprint. Solar panels have been installed on the office roof, over 80% of all waste is recycled and staff mileage has been reduced. The Board has also been planting hundreds of trees and distributing free low energy light bulbs to offset its remaining carbon emissions.

    “This award is the icing on the cake for us,” said Claire Forrest, Information Officer at the Board. “As the main body looking after the Chilterns countryside, we have a responsibility to work as sustainably as possible and the award from the Green Tourism Business Scheme is great confirmation that we are doing the right things. Any business can make the changes we have and we encourage local businesses to go green – it makes great economic as well as environmental sense.”

    The Chilterns Conservation Board is one of only five organisations in Oxfordshire to have a Silver award and is amining to achieve Gold within two years.

    Photo: Flash back to when Thame’s MP at the time, Boris Johnson launced the Chilterns Conservation Board’s low energy lightbulb scheme

  • Thame Cattlemarket move backer supports supermarket

    THE main supporter and spokesman for Thame farmers who want the cattlemarket to move to Thame Showground, has said that he is doubtful that anything other than a large supermarket on the North Street site would make the move viable.

    Local Developer and former President of Thame Show, Bob Williams, whose original ‘vision’ it was to keep the cattlemarket in Thame and save the struggling Thame Show, has driven the proposed move to combine the two within the new site. He said today that he feels frustrated that the district council (SODC) which owns the current cattlemarket site, “..does not seem to want to engage and talk to me.”

    Mr Williams said that he has told SOCD that both Sainsbury’s and Tesco believe that Thame has the capacity for a new supermarket and believe that people who should be coming to Thame to shop are not doing so. “There is a case to be made,” he said.

    Mr Williams said that he does not believe that a new development on the North Street site, including a community facility, would easily be viable without a large supermarket.

    “Thame show lost money again last year,” said Mr Williams, “and if the cattlemarket cannot relocate soon, it will go somewhere else away from Thame.”

    “There are some big decisions to be made in the next few months – things need to be resolved,” he concluded.

    South Oxfordshire District Council are against a large supermarket on the North Street site, and indeed Tesco lost an appeal at a public enquiry into objections made to the draft Local Plan for South Oxfordshire three years ago.

    It is understood that the council is refusing to enter into negotiations about proposals that include a supermarket.

    NB SEE previous articles on Thamenews.Net:
    Bad news for Tesco

    Supermarket ruled out on Thame Cattlemarket site

  • Winning ways continue for Thame Town Cricket Club (Contributed)

    THAME Town Cricket Club continued its good start to the season on Saturday (23/05/09) when all three senior teams won their league matches.

    The First XI won a comprehensive victory over Newbury-based side Falkland, winning by seven wickets by mid-afternoon. Falkland were blown away by the Thame bowling attack of Sam Lachlan (3 for 21 off 9), Luke Merry (3 for 37 off 16), and Seetal Patel (4 for 11 off 6.5), and by some excellent fielding and catching. In reply, Thame lost two early wickets, but skipper Rob Brooks (35 not out) and Luke Merry (26 not out) saw the home side to victory.

    The Second XI had an easy victory at Sandford St Martin, where they scored 181 for 9, with Richard Carr hitting 34 and Lance Giles 31, before dismissing the home side for 80, Gary Porter taking 4 for 31.

    The Third XI beat Bicester 4’s in the last over. Batting first, Thame scored 192 for 4 with Ian McStay hitting 37, Dave Hocking 57, and Angus Lachlan 48 not out. Bicester were then bowled out for 179 with Ian McStay taking 4 for 37 and Dave Hocking 3 for 38.

    On Bank Holiday Monday, the John Fulkes U-13s memorial cup returned to Thame, when previous winners Dinton had to settle for 4th place in this annual Thame Town Cricket Club, under 13s, 6-a-side competition, established in memory of the late John Fulkes who, in addition to being Head of the 6th Form at Lord Williams?s school in Thame for many years, had dedicated himself to developing youth cricket in Thame and Oxfordshire.

    On an unexpected dry and hot day, five teams competed, each playing four league games. Winner of the league, with four wins, was Thame Town A side, consisting of captain Charlie Parker, Sam Alexander, Will Sutcliffe, George Patey, Ollie Smith and Charlie Williams. The fight for second spot was closely contested with three teams having two wins. It was eventually won by Oxford and Bletchindon, with Warborough and Shillingford, and Dinton finishing 3rd and 4th respectively on run rate.

    A young Thame Town B team came 5th with some creditable performances and inn the final, Thame Town A side restricted Oxford and Bletchington to 50 runs in their five overs, with very tight bowling – particularly from Ollie Smith who took a wicket for just four runs in his over.

    Thame Town A side knocked the runs off with an over to spare, with Charlie Parker scoring 21 not out.

    The John Fulkes Cup was presented to the team by Thame’s young Gloucestershire and England player, Michael Beard.

    A big thanks goes to the Thame Town CC parents and the young umpires who made the day such a success raising much needed funds for the New Nets Appeal to provide first rate facilities for the hundreds of Juniors who train and play at the club.

    Anyone who would like to support the New Nets Appeal please contact the club on 01844 213103.

    Photo: Thame Town Cricket Club Under 13s winners of the John Foulkes Memorial Cup 2009, Captain Charlie Parker, Sam Alexander, Will Sutcliffe, George Patey, Ollie Smith and Charlie Williams

  • Sponsored Swim A Mile For Mind

    SPONSORED Swim A Mile For Mind, anytime (please ask us for info) at a pool of your choice. Participants can do this event in a pool of their choice and on a day or over a week of their choice.

    Sponsorship forms can be amended/adopted to suit your needs.

    1 Mile = 1609 Metres = 64 Lengths in a 25 Metre Pool.

    Please contact Nicky Clargo at the Mind office on 01865 263733 or email nicky.clargo@oxfordshire-mind.org.uk for more information.

  • Police question drivers over Kingsey fatal crash

    DRIVERS using the Kingsey to Longwick road, near Thame, were being stopped and questioned on Sunday (24/05/09) by the police.

    The operation was being carried out to try and jog the memories of people who may have been travelling along that same road, the A4129, last Sunday, May 17, when 18 year-old driver, Greg Stiles from Thame was killed in a five-car crash.

    The police are appealing for information about a BMW X5, seen driving towards Greg’s car on the wrong side of the road, to get in touch with them. They also want to hear from the drivers of three other vehicles that the 4×4 may have overtaken before the crash. One of these is believed to have been a horse box.

    The families of both Greg and his girlfriend, Abigail Dowdy, 17, have made an emotional appeal for the driver of the 4×4 to come forward. Mark Stiles, Greg’s 22-year-old brother, said: “Nothing will bring him back but we will find some comfort in understanding the events that took place.”

    Anyone with information should contact PC Dan Watford on 0845 8 505 505 or Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.