Thame.net

Author: Sonja Francis

  • Elderly, disabled Thame woman robbed in street (Status: Press release)

    THE Police are appealing for witnesses after a woman had her handbag stolen in Thame.

    At 3.50pm on Tuesday, April 28, 2009, an elderly woman was on a motorbility scooter in Southern Road, between the Co-operative Store and the library, when she was stopped by two black men.

    The men held a map over her basket and asked her for directions before stealing her handbag and walking away in the direction of the library.

    One of the men had a round face with shiny skin, is around 5ft 8ins and stocky. He wore a black leather jacket over a black and white horizontally striped jumper.

    The other man had a long face, is around 5ft 10ins and average build.

    PC Matt Rantle, investigating the incident, said: “The men stole

  • End of season fun for Chinnor RFC Minis (Contributed)

    THE mini section at Chinnor Rugby Club marked the end of the season with a fun day attended by over 200 players and their families. Children who have trained and played at the club were organised into mixed-aged teams and competed in a series of races and challenges.

    The Kingsey Road grounds were filled with the sound of players aged 6-12 years-old, taking part in wheelbarrow races, obstacle courses, tug of war as well as kicking and throwing competitions.

    The fun day (02/05/09) was a fitting end to a great season for the mini section at the club. Every age group, from under 6s to under 12s, have played well and won several trophies which are proudly displayed in the club house. Under 6s, 7s and 8s are introduced to rugby by playing tag rugby. They are coached, by a great team of volunteers, to work together and be sporty. Under 9s and 10s learn to tackle, scrum and develop their passing skills. The under 11s and 12s prepare for 15-a-side rugby and had a successful tour earlier this year.

    The weather started cold and clear and warmed up in time for a feast of a BBQ laid on by the under 9s parents. Full of hotdogs & burgers, the mini section players looked in for the awards ceremony. Players of the season and most improved players were recognised for each age group.

    “Thank yous” were said to all the volunteer coaches and helpers. A huge well done to all the mini section players and a look forward to next season which starts in September!

  • Oxfam needs Saturday volunteer

    THAME’S Oxfam shop, in Cornmarket, urgently needs a volunteer to man its till on Saturday afternoons.

    If you have experience operating a till and can spare a couple of hours on a Saturday, please go into the shop and ask for the Manager.

  • Wheatley man charged after pedestrian injured

    THE Police have charged a 20-year-old Wheatley man in connection with a road traffic collision that left a pedestrian with serious head injuries.

    At around 7pm, on Saturday, February 7, 2009, a silver Peugeot 306 collided with a 60 year-old pedestrian near to Christchurch College, St Aldates, Oxford.

    Oliver East, of Bell Lane, Wheatley, has been charged with dangerous driving and causing grievous bodily harm. He is due to appear before Oxford Magistrates? Court on Wednesday May 13, 2009.

  • Thame council opposes CCTV charge

    JUST as figures released show that CCTV has helped fight crime in Thame, the town council has joined forces with other towns in the district to refuse to pay the full amount of their contribution to the system’s running costs.

    South Oxfordshire District Council?s latest CCTV report for the last quarter shows that monitoring staff supported a total of 306 incidents across the district of which 55 incidents were in Thame.

    However, in consultations with Wallingford, Didcot and Henley, Thame has written to the district council to say that with the effect of the economic downturn, the financial burden of paying over

  • Help for parents of special needs children (Status: Press release)

    PARENTS with children who have special educational needs or disabilities in Oxfordshire have the chance to go back into the classroom at an interactive conference designed to offer them support and advice.

    The Nuts and Bolts Day, organised by the county council-funded Parent Partnership Oxfordshire, is a free event where parents have the opportunity to gain practical skills and knowledge to help them support their child’s education through a range of workshops, many run by staff from Oxfordshire County Council’s Children, Young People and Families directorate.

    The day, at The Marlborough School and Marlborough Enterprise Centre in Shipton Road, Woodstock from 9.30am-1pm on Saturday, May 16, will also have several play and leisure activities for children to enjoy whilst their parents are attending the workshops.

    Professionals on hand to help

    Many local voluntary organisations who support parents of children with a range of special educational needs and disabilities will be in attendance giving parents the ideal opportunity to network.

    These include:
    The Oxfordshire Dyslexia Association
    Oxfordshire Family Voices
    The Oxfordshire Autistic Society for Information and Support
    Afasic, a parent-led organisation who help children and young people with speech and language impediments
    Parents will have the chance to discuss topics with other parents and professionals and hopefully leave the event feeling better equipped to deal with the issues that they come across.

    Workshops, many of which were suggested by parents, will include one about bullying where families can learn more about positive strategies to deal with the problem and others about helping prepare your child for secondary school and living with ADHD.

    Organised with the help of parents

    Wendy Cliffe, one of Co-ordinators for Parent Partnership, said: “This event is designed to support and inform parents whose children have special educational needs or disabilities and are aged 0-19. The workshops focus on issues highlighted by parents who attended previous events or are in contact with Parent Partnership Oxfordshire throughout the year.

    “The popularity of the Nuts and Bolts Day is such that we are often contacted by parents as early as the New Year asking when the next event is being held. Parental involvement is a huge part of this conference as their views inform what is included in the day. I hope that parents and their children enjoy the special activities that will be laid on for them.

    “Bringing up any child can be challenging, and even more so if a child has additional needs. We hope that this conference will offer parents support and information about their child’s education and the chance to meet other people who may encounter the same difficulties.”

    Parent Partnership Oxfordshire provides impartial support, information and advice to parents with children who have special educational needs or disabilities.

    Parents must have booked their places for the conference and for the children’s activities prior to arriving on the day. Phone 01865 810516 or email parentpartnership@oxfordshire.gov.uk for more information.

  • Funding boost for Thame nursery

    A THAME nursery is among six nurseries and pre-schools in Oxfordshire to benefit from an estimated

  • Tetsworth Annual Fun Day

    THIS year’s Tetsworth annual fun day will be held on Saturday, July 11, 2009.

    Tetsworth Memorial Hall – From 2pm – All village organisations are invited to take part.

    Can you help to man a stall? Tel 01844 281645
    httop://www.tetsworthnews.co.uk

  • BBC presenter becomes new patron for local charity

    BBC Radio Two presenter, Ken Bruce, has become a patron of the Thomley Activity Centre, a local charity which supports disabled children, their families, friends and schools.

    Claire Acworth, the centre’s Director, said: “We are delighted that Ken has agreed to become a new Patron of Thomley, alongside Jeremy Irons. Ken?s patronage
    to Thomley is particularly pertinent in that he and his family have been regular visitors to the centre, together with their son Murray who has autism.

    “As Patron, we hope that Ken will lend his voice to Thomley, share his own personal experiences and tell other people about the joy and freedom that the centre brings to disabled children and their
    families.”

    Ken Bruce became involved with Thomley as a result of my son being diagnosed as autistic.

    “The great enjoyment he gets out of the facilities and the caring attitude of the staff at Thomley persuaded me that I ought to become more involved,” said Ken. “I hope, as a patron, to bring the wonderful work being done here to a wider public and help Thomley continue to develop as a first class resource.”

    Photo: Thomley Activity Centre’s new, 1 km cycle track

  • Is YOUR relative buried in the mass war grave at Fromelles?

    THE War Grave Commission are trying to trace families of men whose bodies may be in the recently discovered mass grave at Fromelles, in France.

    Included in the list of the men who died on July 19 and 20, 1916 in the regiments fighting at Fromelles, in France, is the name of a man from Thame.

    Because these men are commemorated on an existing memorial as having no known grave, it is therefore possible that they may be in the grave found at Fromelles.

    If any local families are related to any of these soldiers, it may be able to do a DNA test and identify a particular body.

    The soldier from Thame’s details are:

    4109 Private SMITH, HARRY 2nd/1st Bucks Bn. Oxford and Bucks Light Infantry, date of
    death – 19/07/1916, age 25 – of Thame, Oxon. Commemorated on Panel 22 to 25. LOOS MEMORIAL

    The full list of around 400 British and Australian names available on:
    http://www.cwgc.org/fromelles