Thame.net

Author: Sonja Francis

  • Gardening in December – Latest newsletter from Jane Folis

    THIS is the time of year where other events take over and there is little time for anything other than Christmas preparations. The garden is no exception. The weather doesn?t help and although we have had some glorious days just recently there seem to be more of the wet, windy and cold variety.Although frost is a perishing nuisance early on a weekday morning when you are trying to thaw out the car, I do love the ethereal beauty it gives to plants in the garden particularly if you have left seed heads on your perennials.

    However, if we have had severe frosts it is best not to walk on the grass as it burns it.

    If you are not proposing to work in the garden, now is a good time to look at what you have got and what you might be able to use as decorations for the festive period. If you are lucky enough to have Chimonanthus praecox or Viburnum x bodnantense in the garden ? do pick it and put it amongst a table decoration. The scent is heavenly.

    Evergreen shrubs and berried branches, such as variegated Euonymus, ivy, holly and laurel are useful backdrops for flower arrangements, as are Sarcococca, Eleagnus and Cotoneaster.

    I like to make chocolate leaves to decorate puds and if you can bear the mess, children love to make these too. Cut ivy leaves in varying sizes leaving just a little bit of the stalk to hold on to. Firstly, wash the leaves and allow them to dry out completely. Melt the chocolate in a bain marie ? a saucepan of boiling water with the chocolate in a pudding basin ? make sure the bottom of the basin doesn?t touch the water. When the chocolate is melted, take a paint brush and paint the leaf. Place on greaseproof paper and allow to dry. It is probably worth painting two layers. When completely set, peel the leaf away from the chocolate. No two leaves are ever the same and they tend to dry with a curled effect. They look really great with almost any pudding ? though maybe not the traditional plum!!

    Talking of food, which of course I love, I have still been trying to track down Monkfish cheeks to make one of the most delicious dishes I sampled on my Food Orgy weekend in Ireland. I think I have been successful. They are available from www.fishinabox.co.uk. At a price of course! However, I might have found a more local source and am waiting to hear whether she can obtain small quantities. If any of you are interested, please let me know as the more we can order the more likely she is to be able to supply. I have included the recipe which blew me away overleaf. I am definitely ordering before Christmas, so let me know
    asap if you want any.

    Remember to look at The Garden Boutique Website ? www.gardenboutique.co.uk. Quote the promotional code JF268 and you will be entitled to a discount.

    And, I nearly forgot ? I hope you all have a wonderful Christmas?

    RECIPE: Monkfish Cheeks and Chorizo

    Monkfish cheeks Olive Oil
    Chorizo sausage Whiskey
    Double cream

    Put the cheeks in a bowl and coat in oil. Heat the pan until hot and then add the cheeks. Cook on one side and then add the chorizo. Throw in a slug of whiskey and flame. Add the cream and let it cook down on a low heat. Simmer gently for a few minutes and serve.

    This was truly one of the most delicious things I have ever eaten and although Carmel said you could substitute the cheeks for scallops ? it just isn?t the same.

    SEASONAL TIPS
    Plant spring-flowering bulbs without delay.

    Remember to begin feeding the birds and offering a constant supply of clean, unfrozen water. There are plenty of proprietary products available in the shops, but again perhaps the children could be encouraged to make some goodies. You will basically need some melted lard and loads of nuts and seeds. Mix them all up and then pour, when cooled, into something like a yoghurt pot. If you make
    a hole in the bottom of the pot and thread some string through and tie a knot, the fat can be poured around the string and when set you have an instant bird feeder to hang outside.

    Protect slightly tender plants. We had quite a severe frost last night and more are forecast. It is difficult to know which plants are susceptible as a lot of the more tender varieties have now acclimatised themselves to our colder winters. However, if you have recently introduced new plants
    or have had your garden planted, pay particular attention to Phormiums, Astelias, Dickinsonias (tree ferns) and Arbutilons. Protect the base by
    covering with straw (available from pet shops in manageable sizes), and wrap fleece around them tied with raffia or string. Not a pretty site in the
    garden but worth it if you can save the plant. Agapanthus and lilies can be protected by covering with a layer of compost.

    Plant roses, shrubs and trees as soon as they are delivered and if bare root plants look at all dry, soak the roots in water for several hours before planting.

    If your seed catalogues have arrived spend some time planning for next year. At the same time, clean old pots and seed trays ready for next spring.

    Dig over any vacant ground and work in compost or manure. This helps to break down the soil over the winter months.

    Check stakes and tree ties.

    Raise containers on feet or bricks to prevent waterlogging.

    VEGETABLE & FRUIT GARDEN
    Root crops such as potato, beetroot and celeriac will not survive if we have continued frosts. It is best to dig them up and put into store.

    Start winter digging. We all have quite heavy soils around here and by digging over at this time of year it does help to break it down to a finer tilth for next spring.

    Lift parsnips and Jerusalem artichokes as required.
    Blanch endive in small batches.
    Plant and prune new fruits. The leaders of bush fruits should be pruned by a half to two-thirds (to outward facing buds) to encourage branches to continue upwards and outwards and keeping the centre open.

    Inspect stored apples and pears for rot and remove any damaged fruit. Force rhubarb outdoors. Cover the crowns with straw and place a bucket over the top making sure it is lightproof.

    For more detailed information on what to do in the garden in December, visit: www.rhs.org.uk/advice/calandar.asp.

    GREENHOUSE
    Grape vines can be encouraged to produce buds along the length of the rods by supporting them in the middle and letting the top hang down. Spray with a 4% solution of tar-oil winter wash to prevent
    pests.

    Clear up debris both inside and outside the greenhouse and wash the glass to let more light in.

    Check heaters.

    POINTS OF INTEREST

    BBOWT
    I have a great friend, Maggie Piggott, who works at the Berks, Bucks & Oxon Wildlife Trust as the Community Wildlife Officer for Bucks. She is an expert on wildlife gardening. BBOWT has a Wildlife Information Service which takes over 700 calls per year. The service is open on a Monday ? 01865 788307. There are over 38 fact sheets available. For a list please visit ? www.bbowt.org.uk. Maggie will send me an article each month which I am happy to forward on to anyone.
    This month she is covering ?Hedgehogs?.

    A naturally grown Christmas tree is five times more environmentally compatible than a plastic tree. www.christmastree.org.uk.

    PLACES TO VISIT

    RHS Wisley Christmas Shopping Weekends December 13th and 20th – Tel: 01483 211113

    EVENTS
    Waddesdon Manor
    ?Make a Spectacular Christmas Centrepiece?
    Saturday 6th December ? 10.30 ? 12.00 & 2.30
    Tel: 01296 653226 www.waddesdon.org.uk

    Buckinghamshire Railway Centre, Quainton
    Thomas and Santa ? a chance to meet Father Christmas
    December 6th, 7th, 13th and 14th
    01296 655720

    Cinderella
    Aylesbury Civic Centre
    01296 486009

    Christmas Farmers Market
    Market Square, Aylesbury
    Tuesday 23rd December

    The RHS have created an Event Finder online. Visit
    www.rhs.org.uk/rhseventfinder for details.

  • Thame notice board delayed because of spelling mistake!

    A NEW notice board directing visitors from Waitrose to the other shops in the town centre, had to be taken down minutes after it had been put up – because a passer-by noticed a spelling mistake!
    The board’s manufacturer has apologised for the error and it will now be re-installed next Wednesday.
    The Shopping Guide notice board will match the other ‘heritage style’ black and gold notice boards in the town centre, and is to be installed at the instigation of the 21st Century Thame Partnership.

    Photo: The wall outside Waitrose, where the new Shopping Guide notice board was due to be installed on Wednesday.

  • Have a green Christmas!

    A GREEN Christmas roadshow will be visiting Thame, with tips about how to have a green Christmas and recycle more during the festive season.
    South Oxfordshire District Council will be visiting the four towns in the district to spread the green Christmas message, and will be at Waitrose next

    The council, working with the Oxfordshire Waste Partnership, is encouraging residents to think green this Christmas and recycle as much as possible, in a bid to reduce the amount of extra rubbish ending up in landfill.

    Each year in the UK large, we produce large amounts of extra rubbish over the festive period. The council?s message is have a great Christmas ? but please recycle all the extra paper, card, cans and plastic in their green recycling boxes, and wherever possible, to take empty glass bottles and jars to the nearest recycling bank.

    The council?s top tips for keeping green this Christmas include:

    * Choose 100% recycled Christmas cards and wrapping
    paper
    * Donate old toys and unwanted gifts to charity or a
    local Swap Shop
    * Buy rechargeable batteries for children?s toys and
    electrical goods
    * Buy seasonal and local produce without the
    packaging
    * Start a compost heap for vegetable peelings
    * After Christmas, if you have a brown bin, chop up
    your tree for collection, or return it to local
    participating garden centres for composting.

    The council is offering extra Christmas recycling sacks, which people can collect from the their local Town Council One Stop Shops.

    Cllr David Dodds, Cabinet Member for the environmental services said: “Christmas is a time of cheer and good will to all, but sadly it is also a time of excessive waste. Visit our Christmas recycling road show and find out how you can to do your bit for the environment, from buying ?green? presents to recycling your cranberry sauce jars and composting your Christmas tree.”

  • Rail delays after fatality at High Wycombe

    CHILTERN RAILWAYS’ passengers are experiencing delays of around 40 minutes on all services between Birmingham Snow Hill and London Marylebone due to a fatality at High Wycombe station.
    Although other stations are affected, passengers travelling from Bicester North, Haddenham & Thame Parkway, Princes Risborough and Saunderton to London Marylebone, are advised to continue with their journeys as these are being diverted via Aylesbury to London Marylebone.

    However, passengers travelling from Birmingham or Warwick Parkway to London Marylebone are advised to travel to Leamington Spa or Banbury for connecting Cross Country services to Oxford; change at Oxford for connecting First Great Western services to London Paddington. All Chiltern Railways tickets will be accepted.

    Passengers travelling from Leamington Spa or Banbury are advisd to travel with Cross Country services to Oxford and then change for connecting First Great Western services to London Paddington.

    Passengers travelling from High Wycombe, Beaconsfield or Gerrards Cross to London Marylebone are advised to travel via Amersham, Chalfont & Latimer or Chorleywood with Chiltern Railways, or London Underground Services. All Chiltern Railways tickets will be accepted.

  • ‘Try Thame First ‘ for your Christmas shopping

    WHY jump in the car and leave town for Christmas shopping when here in Thame we have so many wonderful and unique shops of our own?

    Let Thame.Net and our friendly shop keepers guide and inspire you to find the ideal gift for everyone.
    Follow the LINK
     for loads of ideas and suggestions for some wonderful presents to suit all pockets.

  • Eric Gill works on show near Thame

    From tomorrow (04/12), until December 14, the Dadbook Gallery, at Cuddington, near Thame, will feature work by the controversial artist, Eric Gill, one of the most colourful figures in early 20th century art.
    Amongst the works on view will be recently discovered original nude studies. will also be on display.

    Eric Gill lived at Pigotts, North Dean, near High Wycombe, from 1928 until his death in 1940.

    To celebrate the gallery?s exhibition of Gill?s work, Dr. Richard Cork will give the first in a series of specialist lectures at the gallery on December 12, entitled Wild Thing, Epstein, Gaudier-Brzeska and Gill.
    These three artists revolutionised sculpture in Britain between 1910 and 1915.

  • Suspicious males seen in Cromwell Avenue, Thame

    THIS is a Ringmaster message – YESTERDAY (Tuesday, December 2), a report was received of two suspicious looking males who were seen carrying leaflets and looking through letterboxes in Cromwell Avenue, Thame.

    Male one is described as white, 5’8″ tall, aged in his 30’s, medium build, wearing a BB Cap and a brown jacket.

    The second male is described as white, 5’4″, aged late 30’s, stocky build, Dark Hair, wearing a Fluorescent Jacket.

    Please be extra vigilant and keep a look out for any elderly, vulnerable neighbours. If you see anyone acting suspiciously, please call the police on 08458 505 505 and quote URN 442 of 02/12/08 or call 999 for an immediate response.

  • Renewed appeal for witnesses in M40 fatal crash

    A NEW appeal for witnesses to a crash on the M40, back in July this year, has been launched today by Thames Valley Police.
    At 5.30pm on Saturday, July 12, a blue Ford Fiesta and a white, long wheel base, high top Ford Transit van, registration KN03 YRR, collided between junctions seven and six on the London bound carriageway, between Milton Common and Lewknor. Both vehicles left the carriageway and went down the embankment and into a field.

    The Fiesta overturned, trapping the three people inside. Ross Shears, a 29-year-old man from Crowborough, East Sussex, was a passenger in the Ford Fiesta and was pronounced dead at the hospital.

    The van drove from the scene across the field before coming to rest in a ditch and the occupants left the scene and ran off.

    Sgt Jack Hawkins, said: ?It has nearly been five months since the collision happened and we are continuing to investigate every avenue to find out what happened and establish the surrounding circumstances.
    ?We are trying to trace three possible witnesses who attended the collision scene and could help us with our enquiries.
    ?The first is a man who gave first aid to the occupants of the fiesta. He is white, around 40 years old, medium to stocky build, 5ft 6ins to 5ft 8ins, tanned with short, spiky dark hair. He was wearing glasses and had a foreign accent that has been described as South African. He was wearing a black, short sleeved rugby-style top with the words New Zealand printed on the front. The shirt also had a white collar and grey flecked panels running down each side.
    ?There were also a man and woman who comforted a relative of Ross Shears at the scene. The woman is possibly called Leila and we believe that she could work in a hair salon in London.
    ?We want to trace these people and I urge anyone who recognises these descriptions to contact me.?

    Anyone who witnessed the collision or has any information can contact Sgt Jack Hawkins via the Thames Valley Police 24-hour non-emergency number, 0845 8 505 505.

    If you do not want to talk to the police, call the Crimestoppers charity anonymously on 0800 555 111.

    Images: From left to right, image one is of the van and images two and three are of one of the potential witnesses

  • Hellenic battle disappointment for Thame

    HELLENIC LEAGUE CUP – 29/11/08 – Match Report; Thame United 0, Trowbridge Town 1

    TROWBRIDGE Town play in the Hellenic League division 1 West, where they currently occupy 16th place, having recorded only two league wins this season. Thame, of course, play in division 1 East where
    coincidentally, they also lie in 16th place and also have only two league wins. On paper therefore, there should have been nothing to choose between the two teams and so it proved when the teams met last
    Saturday.

    The long journey from Trowbridge however proved worthwhile, as the visitor’s managed to score whereas, although Thame created several chances, they were unable to find the back of their opponents’
    net.

    The match, which was played in near freezing conditions, was played at pace with both teams showing plenty of endeavour, but very little
    finishing ability. The first half was goalless with neither goalkeeper really tested. Thame’s best first half chance came from a throw in, on the right which Graeme Catlin collected before turning and hitting a
    good cross, from the edge of the area, which Mark Jones headed inches over the crossbar.

    Thame had their best spell of the game after the restart, with Matt Graves forcing a good save, and Sam Cowan going close. The deadlock was broken in the 67th minute when, following a Thame corner, the ball
    was cleared to visiting striker Guy Rowley in space on the visitor’s right wing. Rowley made a good break-away run before passing to 16-year-old substitute, Jamie Jordan, who beat Searl from 10?yards.

    Thame brought on substitutes and played three up front, but although they pressurised the visitor’s goal, they also continued to miss their chances.

    Thame United: Searl, Thompson, Graves (Newell), N Rhodes (Ricketts), Hocking, Cowan Connelly, EL-Kassir (Hoskins), Catlin, Jones, Wallace.

    Thame travel to nearby Chinnor for a league match next Saturday, December 6. Kick off is at 2pm. They also play Chinnor on December 20 at Wallingford in the Oxfordshire Senior Cup, which is now United’s only chance of silverware.

  • Below par Chinnor RFC fail to shake Havant

    MATCH REPORT – Chinnor 13 pts Havant 24 pts, November 29.
    ALTHOUGH Chinnor were way off their best they were still very much in the game up to the 68th minute. Trailing by just 4 points and with the Havant No.8 Heasman in the sin-bin, the situation was decidedly on the up from a Chinnor perspective. They were progressing down the field and moving the ball from a series of rucks, when, calamity. A loose pass gave winger Thompson the easiest of interceptions, which he gratefully accepted, to run in a try from some 65 metres out. With Molyneux adding the conversion, it was a blow of immense proportions to an already below par Chinnor performance.

    That this was the second intercept try they had served up, along with another gifted try, just added to the grief.

    Chinnor were unable to pick second rowers, Duncan Williams and Sam Black, due to injury which meant Harry Jackman moving from No.8 into the second row, and Ed Rixon taking his place. Angus Neilson came back to No.7 after his enforced lay-off and Pip Seymour returned from his ankle injury.

    Chinnor started in a fairly lack-lustre manner which they had difficulty in shrugging off for the whole game. It was certainly not down to a lack of commitment which was there in abundance; it was a succession of basic errors which let them down. The main culprit was their inability to secure the loose ball. They were also prone to forcing the final pass when the ideal was almost always retaining the possession they had. They also allowed themselves to be bullied around both the base of the scrummage and the ruck which showed, in some ways, that Havant were more streetwise.

    An interception set Havant on the way which they capitalised on with Heasman going over from an almost non-existent defence, due to Chinnor being up in attack on their ball. A penalty from Ben Hewitt reduced the deficit but within seconds Havant were over the line again. A sloppy pass, to no-one in particular allowed Sullivan to pick up the ball and flop over the line. With Molyneux converting, Chinnor were two tries adrift. Another Ben Hewitt penalty gave a half-time scoreline of 12 pts to 6 in Havant’s favour.

    A well worked try by Morris followed an astute box kick from scrum half, Liam Davenport, who played well throughout, putting Havant further ahead. Chinnor then came back, and from easily their best passage of the game, Richard Williams was given an overlap to touch down near the posts. With Ben Hewitt converting it was very much game on. However the intercept try put paid to Chinnor’s hopes. Their cause was not helped when Ben Hewitt took a high tackle and had to leave the field.

    The game then see-sawed and although Angus Neilson went over the line only to be called back for a forward pass, the game that Chinnor put down as a banker came unstuck.