ONCE AGAIN, a team from the contuously successful Oxford School of Gymnasts, based in Thame, have have excelled themselves.
A team from the club became winners of the Saltney Classic competition, coming away from the Hampshire Open County Championships at Andover with 5 Gold, 4 Silver and a Bronze medal!
This was the club’s first time at this event.
THE mystery of the sports car driver, seen on the roads around Thame with a full-size coffin standing up on-end in his back seat, has been solved.
The Monster Raving Loony Party is the latest organisation to throw its hat in the ring to find a replacement for Boris Johnson.
Ten candidates, including The Banana Man, aca ‘Topcat’ from the ‘Loonies’ and a British National Party representative, are now in the race to become Thame’s new MP in the by-election to be held on June 26.
At midday today, the nominated candidates were: John Allpass from Marlow (English Democrat), The Banana Man from Reading (Monster Raving Loony Party), Louise Anne Cole from Fulham (Ind), Amanda Harrington from Liverpool (Ind), John Michael Howell from Warborough (Con), Stephen Andrew Kearney from Aston Rowant (Lib Dem), Richard Mark McKenzie from Reading (Lab), Timothy Sylvester Rait from Haslemere (British National Party), Richard Rogers from Birmingham (Common Ground) and Mark Christopher Stevenson from Dorchester (Green).
The Henley constituency had a Conservative majority of almost 13,000 at the last General election.
ANYONE seriously thinking of putting their Thame home on the market has been warned that they will need to drop the selling price if they want to sell.
Malcolm stephens, Manager at connell’s Estate Agent in the High Street, said today: “The pendulum has definitely swung. Because of indiscriminate lending in the past few years, house prices have been forced up and what is happening now is a major market correction.
“Anyone who had their home valued in 2007, needs to seriously think about reducing that figure by 10% if they have any realistic hope of selling.”
THAME Town Council, which has struggled to decide how to persuade businesses to contribute towards the CCTV cameras, has received a bill for
FOLLOWING complaints over many months about the unpleasant state of Thame’s public lavatories, the town council is to look into taking over responsibility for their cleanliness and minor maintenance.
Currently, the toilets in North Street, which are currently being re-built, and those in the old Market House, are looked after by South Oxfordshire District Council. However, the town council has agreed to ask the district council if it can take over the work currently contracted out, at the same rate.
Local council’s are being encouraged to do more to halt the decline of the great British loo and to adopt pioneering new approaches to boost access to public toilets.
There has been a Strategic Guide recently published to address the level of provision and public satisfaction with public loos.
See: www.communities.gov.uk/publications/localgovernment/publicaccesstoilets (cut and paste this link into your search engine)
THAME continues to attract political heavyweights in what looks like being a battle between the Conservatives and the Lib Dems in the run up to the by- election to replace Boris Johnson.
This morning it was ex Conservative leader, now Shadow Foreign Secretary, William Hague who chatted with stallholders and shoppers at the Farmers’ market, after visitiing Lord Williams’s school this morning.
William Hague agreed that there was a lot at stake for both the Lib Dem and the Conservative leaders in the result of this election, and when it was suggested that a Conservative win was inevitable, he replied: “I don’t believe that there is any such thing as ‘a safe seat;’ we are taking nothing, nor anyone, for granted.”
Of his candidate, John Howell, Mr Hague said that he deserved to win because he is “steeped in local issues” having been involved in the county council, which, he added, gave a candidate an excellent start and if selected, he would be able to “hit the ground running” when he entered Parliament.
John Howell himself chatted to stall-holders and, tasting some of the wares on the Baker’s Basket, Long Crendon, stall, joked that he was trying to lose some weight.
THE district council is appealing for residents to help build up a clearer picture of areas affected by the recent floods, with the aim of taking the lead on finding long-term solutions to flooding in the district.
The council says that during the recent wet weather conditions, more areas have emerged as being at risk and it is now looking for the co-operation of local landowners and residents to help build up a clearer picture of potential future flood risk areas.
The council is urging local people to contact them with any information they have ? including any photographs they may have taken during the recent floods. The information will help the council to work out who is responsible for carrying out any maintenance or improvements to ditches or drains.
Residents should send their flooding information to Environmental Services, South Oxfordshire District Council, Benson Lane, Crowmarsh Gifford, Wallingford, Oxon OX10 8AT, or telephone 01491 823416. Alternatively, you can email environmental.services@southoxon.gov.uk (Marked Flooding Information).
For full details visit www.southoxon.gov.uk.
THAME ARTIST, Alan Kidd and friends will be exhibiting their work during the current Bucks Open Studios.
The exhibition is at Obsidian Art Gallery, Layby Farm, Old Risborough Road, Stoke Mandverville, Bucks HP22 5XJ, and will run from Thursday June 12 to Sunday, July 6.
Opening hours are:- Mon – Fri 10 – 6 pm and Sat – Sun 10 – 5 pm.
MARK Stevenson, the Green candidate for the Henley
by-election, was out on his bike touring the
constituency this weekend. On Saturday he visited the
Green Fair being held by Chinnor Friends of the Earth,
where a bicycle sale was one of the main features.
“It was fantastic to see so many bikes being brought
in during the morning and so few left at the end of
the day” said Mark, “I know cycling is not for
everyone, but it can be a great way to get around over
short distances.”
Mark canvassed along several streets in the village,
handing out a small A6 leaflet to those who were
interested. Despite the deluge of paper being put out
by candidates from the other main parties, Mr
Stevenson came across people who did not know the
election was on. “I want to try and do things a better
way” he said, “if the amount of literature I have
received is representative of the amount everyone else
has had, then between them the Conservatives and Lib
Dems have already used at least three tonnes of paper.
Most of it seems to go directly into the recycling
box, people simply aren’t interested.”
Mark Stevenson’s plan is to do as much door-to-door
canvassing as he can and to hold public meetings so
that people can meet him face to face. So far he has
already had a meeting in Berinsfield, with meetings to
come in Thame (Tuesday 10th), Watlington (Wednesday
11th) and Wheatley (Thursday12th). Henley and
Garsington are planned, but not yet confirmed.
Mark said “I believe every voter should have an
opportunity to meet the candidates, after all we are
asking them to place their trust in us as their
representative. Everyone knows that election leaflets
are unreliable and often uninteresting. The best
opportunity for voters to really make their minds up
is a full-scale hustings with all the candidates there
to be quizzed by the audience. I’d be delighted if
this happened, but I’d be happy to visit any group of
residents who would like to meet me.”
Several motorists recognised Mr Stevenson and waved or
hooted as they passed him on the road. Mr Stevenson
said “I’m not anti-car, we couldn’t do without our van
for business. I just want to help make it less
necessary for people in rural areas to use a car,
let’s keep our village shops, post offices, small
businesses and health care. That’s better for
everyone. So please, keep waving or hooting to support
me!”
NOW that the date for the Henley and Thame by-election will take place on Thursday June 26,now is the time to make sure you are on the register to vote, and to apply for a postal or proxy vote if you will be away or unable to vote in person.
All eligible voters need to make sure they have returned their registration forms to South Oxfordshire District Council by midnight on June 11.
Forms are available for download from the web site at LINK
or by calling 0800 389 5560. Registering is particularly important for anyone who has recently moved home. If eligible voters do NOT register at their new address, they risk falling off the electoral register.