Thame.net

Author: Sonja Francis

  • Thame’s young fencers show nerves of steel (Contributed)

    YOUNG novice fencers from Thame Duellists Fencing Club gave a strong account of themselves, fencing away from home against Burford last week.

    With a number of fencers unavailable for the fixture, Arran Strutt (11) and Samuel Law (10), both of whom have been fencing for just three weeks, were selected for the Under 16 team to face Burford. U16 captain for the match, the more experienced Jonathan Winn (15) gave an assured performance, picking up three comfortable wins with some deft bladework, but there was less expectation on Strutt and Law.

    However, in a display which bodes well for the Thame juniors, both fenced aggressively and confidently in their first competitive outing for the club, picking up a further three wins between them.

    Burford?s team of Alex Woodd, Ben King, Natalie Hogg and Zoe Sheehan held their nerve under pressure and repeated attacking from Thame, but the Thame fencers had done enough to earn an unexpected 6-6 draw against their more experienced opposition.

    The senior match was a more cagey affair with both teams knowing well enough what to expect of each other. But Thame?s James Kingston, Alec Jeddere-Fisher and Phil Hockley (making his senior squad debut) ground out a 5-4 win against a good Burford side (David Taylor, Gary Savage and Mike Starling), maintaining their recent record of success against their Burford opponents.

    Club Chairman, James Kingston, described the rivalry between the Oxfordshire clubs as ?very friendly? since the two clubs shared summer training facilities last year.

    Thame Duellists Fencing Club welcomes new members, both adults and juniors. Anyone interested should call Club Chairman James Kingston on 07947 049511.

    Thame Duellists Fencing Club gratefully acknowledges financial support from Thame Town Council and from CPM UK.

    PHOTO: Thame Duellist Under 16s Arran Strutt, Jonathan Winn and Samuel Law

  • Give blood and same lives

    A BLOOD donation session will be held at The Village Hall, Church Way, Haddenham on Tuesday 7th April from 1.00pm – 2.55pm & 3.45pm – 6.15pm.
    For more information or to book an appointment to attend this session, please call 0845 7 711 711 or visit www.blood.co.uk

  • Join with a billion others all over the world for the Big Switch Off

    FOR one hour, next Saturday, March 28, the people of Thame can join a billion others all over the planet in what is going to be the biggest mass participation event in history.
    It is hoped that as many of us as possible will take part in WWF’s Earth Hour, by switching off our lights at 8.30pm, on March 28, for one hour.

    In doing so, it is intended to show world leaders that they have to take real action to tackle climate change which is pushing species towards extinction and threatening the livelihoods of millions of people.

    To be part of this historic event, you just need to click on the link below now and sign up. If you don’t, you can still take part but the organisers won’t be able to add your voice to the millions of others who have already shown their support.

    So please take two minutes to get involved and you’ll be updated on the big event.

    Sign up now!
    Earth Hour LINK

    Let ThameNews.Net know what YOU will be doing for that one hour while the lights are out – email: editor@thamenews.net

    Photo: courtesy of www.valmouriane.com/bienetre2.php

  • Coming events in Haddenham

    HADDENHAM MUSEUM. In anticipation of Haddenham United Football Club’s 100th anniversary next year, club chairman John Carnell has assembled a display of club photos, memorabilia and artefacts, which you can see at the museum (behind the Methodist Chapel in the High St) (open Sundays 2-4.30pm or Tuesdays 10am-noon) for the next couple of months.

    Mike Whitney has recently added a new album of photos, ‘The Changing Face of Haddenham – from 2000’, to the existing collection, which contains photos going back over several decades.

    Sat 21st Witchert Chorale. There will be tickets at the door (

  • Thame planning news, including Park Street & Upper High Street

    BARLEY HILL school in Thame has passed the first hurdle in gaining planning consent to demolish three, temporary classrooms, which are long past their intended life-span and to build six new classrooms.

    Thame Town Council’s planning committee this week agreed to recommend approval of the plans for a two storey extension onto the existing hard play area.

    After objecting to a previous plan for new signage at the Co-op store in the High Street, back in February, the committee on Tuesday (17/03)recommended approval of an amended plan for white and orange signs in timber.

    Photo: 37 and 38 Park Street, the subject of planning proposals to form driveway parking with dropped kerbs.

    Members expressed concern that the signage above Martins, which the committee has objected to, and which has been the subject of an enforcement order for some time, is still not settled.

    There was much discussion about the problems of parking in Park Street, where two applications for new driveway parking and dropped kerbs were under consideration.

    Cllr Mike Dyer, who is a resident of Park Street, told the committee that at least 10 parking spaces in the street had been lost through the formation of a Pelican crossing, chicanes and drives that had been bricked over. There are 75 cars owned in Park Street, but only 31 parking places, he said.

    Cllr Dyer’s contention was that two more dropped kerbs would take away two more public parking places in an area where there is a recognised shortage.

    Cllr David Dodds was concerned about the safety of school children from the John Hampden school opposite the two houses concerned, walking along the pavement past the two proposed driveways.

    The committee agreed to write to Oxfordshire County Council’s Highways department requesting an
    urgent visit to the site during morning school hours, 8.30-9am, to assess the safety of this application in a very congested area.

    A Thame landmark house, Whitehound, that stands back from the corner of East Street and Upper High Street, was also the subject of much discussion at Tuesday’s meeting.

    The owner wants to demolish the house and have it replaced by nine new flats and shared offices. However, both the Area Conservation Advisory Committee and members of Thame Town Council’s planning committee were of the opinion that bringing any new structure to the edge of the footpath would, in the words of Cllr David Dodds, “..change the street scene massively and be very intrusive. Other councillors thought that the new offices would have an impact on parking in the area which already a problem.

    The committee voted to recommend refusal of the application on the grounds of: Over-development of the site, traffic generation, parking and safety near a very busy junction and not in keeping with the character of the area.

  • Join Thame Twinning for a fun Bank Holiday weekend

    PLANS for the annual visit to Thame of our French friends from Montesson are well underway, for a great Bank Holiday weekend May, 1 – 3, 2009.

    The weekend will include a day out to Stratford-Upon-Avon on Saturday, May 2, and a buffet Sunday lunch get-together for all guests and hosts on Sunday, May 3.

    This year, more people from Montesson than ever want to come to Thame, including a party of young men who will be staying at The Spread Eagle Hotel, where staff will be providing the seven of them and their two carers with Bed and Breakfast.

    Because of the increased number, 59 in all, more host families are needed this year and whilst 47 of them have been catered for, there is still a need for 12 more beds as of today (19/03/09).

    Anyone who would like to join in, what is always a very enjoyable weekend, and can offer to host either a single person or a couple for the two nights, or who would like to find out more before committing themselves, can contact Moira Burnside on: 01844 217880 or email her: moira.b@btinternet.com

    Photo: Visitors from Montesson during a wet visit to Oxford last year – Let’s hope that this year, the weather will be kinder to us! But, whatever the weather, the Twinning weekend is always one of fun and friendship.

  • History of Thame for sale

    OLD PROPERTY deeds of Thame, 30 in all, are being sold.
    They relate mainly to the area which is now North Street, including number 3, the old Pied Pedaller toy shop, with the ealiest deed dated 1696.

    In the past, much of Thame was owned by the Earl of abingdon and the deeds, written in wonderful old English, record the property changes in that part of Thame.

    They are availale for sale for offers in excess of

  • Boost to education about mis-use of drugs, alcohol and smoking

    A MOBILE life education classroom that teaches Thame’s young children about the dangers of mis-using drugs, alcohol and cigarettes, has received a boost to its funds.

    Thame Town Council has doubled its grant to Life Education Centres Thame Valley, from

  • Have you had tack or garden equipment stolen?

    THAMES VALLEY POLICE – Press release

    THE Police are asking the public to check their sheds and out-buildings to see if they have had any property stolen.

    This advice follows the execution of a warrant at a property in Roxburgh Drive in Didcot on March 7, where officers found a large quantity of stolen property.

    PC Maria Morrisey, from Abingdon police station said: ?We carried out a comprehensive search of the property and found a large number of stolen items, mainly garden equipment, including rotavators and strimmers. Now we need to identify where is has been stolen from.

    ?There is an unusual ?pony and trap? harness, along with a bridle and lead rope which would be used for a large horse and we are keen to trace their owners.

    ?The warrant came as a result of a recent spate of burglaries in sheds and outbuildings across the Vale.?

    Anyone who has recently been the victim of a burglary and thinks that we might have recovered some of their property should telephone Thames Valley Police on 0845 8 505 505. If you have information about a crime and don?t want to talk to police and don?t want to leave your name call the Crimestoppers charity on 0800 555 111.

    A 63-year-old man has been arrested on suspicion of theft and is currently on police bail.

  • Thame hair salon promotes community spirit

    STAFF at Brothers hairdressers in Thame, lay down their scissors today and picked up wheel barrows, rakes and rubbish sacks to clear up litter along the Phoenix Trail.

    Today’s litter picking was the first in a series of sixth-weekly days out on training days for salon owner, Adam Buckland and his staff, aimed at improving the environment and community spirit in Thame. Adam was inspired to do something about the rubbish along parts of the Phoenix Trail on a recent cycling trip with his young family.

    “I feel this gives a really bad impression of Thame to cyclists, joggers and walkers from communities from further along the trail,” said Adam.

    Town Councillor, Adam added: “Our team at Brothers are all young, fit, caring people and have loads of energy and enthusiasm and we thought this was a great way to harness these qualities and help the community along the way. Young people sometimes receive a bad image in the press and we hope to improve this.

    “Training to be a hairdresser is 50% technical ability and 50% learning to be a listening, responsive and rounded individual and be engaged in the local community. We see this as a great way of giving back something to the people of Thame who have supported us over the years. Our staff are looking forward to the challenges and it gives us a chance to get out from behind our styling chairs and have a great team building day.”

    Brothers are inviting ‘challenges’ from any community groups or organisations who need some helping hands, whether its litter picking, painting or gardening etc, and invite the young and the young at heart to join them.

    Call 01844 217365 if you have a challenge or would like to get involved and talk to Brothers’ Community Spirit co-ordinator.