Thame.net

Author: Sonja Francis

  • Lib Dem leader returns to his roots to support election candidate

    NICK Clegg, the leader of the Liberal Democratic party, spoke fondly of his family connections with the area, when he visited Thame this afternoon.
    Mr Clegg met local journalists in the Memorial gardens on his way back from a visit to Henley, to show support for his party’s candidate, Stephen Kearney.
    From the age of eleven, Clegg lived near Chinnor and his mother still lives at Wainhill. He said that he often comes to Thame to shop at Waitrose and that it felt strange for him to have to ‘switch to political gear’ in a place he feels so much at home in.

    On political issues, the candidate himself, Stephen Kearney, was asked what chance his party felt he had of over-turning Boris Johnson’s 12,000 majority. His reply was that the Lib Dems had overturned big Conservative majorities in the past at both Bromley and Winchester, and Nick Clegg added that his own seat in Sheffield was ‘true blue’ before he overturned a big majority there.

    On local issues, Stephen Kearney spoke of his determination to fight for Oxfordshire’s green spaces and the encroachment of bigger towns like Aylesbury on Market towns and to work against the influence of large supermarkets on independent shops. He said that he felt it was inevitable that the cattlemarket will move and that when it does, he will “work with local people to get local housing, a mix of retail and offices and above all a community facility.”

    He added that he was “very excited” at the prospect of fighting to follow on from Boris, with Nick Clegg adding: “This area is used to big characters and Stephen is well suited to the task.”

  • Boris quits as MP for Henley (up-dated 5.45pm)

    BORIS Johnson has officially resigned today as MP for the Henley constituency, to concentrate on the people of London.
    Boris challenged Gordon Brown at what was Johnson’s last Prime Minister’s Question time today, to support his ban on drinking on the tube.
    After PMQs it was expected that Boris would go through the parliamentary convention of accepting an office of the Crown, either the Chiltern Hundreds or the Manor of Northstead, which will legally disqualify him from continuing as an Member of Parliament.

    Boris’s resignation will bring to an end seven years as one of the most popular colourful MPs in Parliament, during which he held shadow posts including Arts and Higher Education, and gained a reputation as gaffe-maker par excellance.

    All parties have already started campaigning for a by-election which is expected for Thursday, June 26, with visits to Thame last Monday by party chairman, Theresa May, and the party leader, David Cameron.

    Photo: Boris with 21st Century Thame Chairman, Keith Slater and Alun Rowe, Chair of Thame First.

  • Lib dems candidate pays tribute to Boris – then accuses Conservative candidate

    THE Lib Dems’ Parliamentary candidate to fight Boris Johnson’s Henley seat, Stephen Kearney, has paid tribute to Boris.
    Stephen Kearney said today: “Local people really took Boris to their hearts after he came here in 2001.
    “There is clearly a lot of affection for Boris across the Henley Constituency. He is a real character and became an important figure in the local community in his time here.
    “He will be a tough act to follow, but I am looking forward to showing local people that I am up to the job in the coming weeks.”

    Earlier however, the Liberal Democrat campaigner joined the Green’s candidate in urging the Conservative’s to withdraw their campaign leaflet which claims that the Conservative’s man is the only Local candidate.

    The Liberal Democrat campaigner, Stephen Kearney, said: “It is extremely disappointing that the Conservatives have started off on this negative footing. The Conservatives are well aware that I now live in Aston Rowant in the constituency. I promised local people that I would move to the constituency as soon as I was selected and that is what I have done. I do hope that Mr Howell will join me in fighting a positive and honest campaign rather than carrying on in this negative vein. For me it is important that we debate the issues that matter to local people such as tackling anti-social behaviour, saving local services and protecting our precious countryside.”

    Liberal Democrat Deputy Director of Campaigns, Neil Fawcett said:

    “It is very telling that the Conservatives have started in such a manner. Clearly they know the Liberal Democrats are the main challengers in Henley and are worried about our challenge. Our campaign has been up and running for several weeks. Nick Clegg has sent a survey to local people which has received a tremendous response and Stephen Kearney has been busy sifting through the responses and taking up their local issues. It is very clear from talking to local people that they want an MP who will be a strong voice for local people, in Stephen Kearney we have that person.”

    Photo: Stephen Kearney

  • Warning to poultry keepers

    POULTY Keepers throughout Oxfordshire are being urged to be extremely vigilant following confirmation from DEFRA that the strain of ‘bird flu’ found in chickens near Banbury, is the H7 strain, which is highly pathogenic – that is, it is able to cause severe desease in the birds effected.
    However, the Health Protection Agency has confirmed that the risk to public health remains low and the Food Standards Agency says that there are no safety implications for the human food chain.
    More information can be found on DEFRA’s website:
    LINK

  • Thame residents evacuated after flooding

    RESIDENTS in Cedar Crescent, Thame, have today been counting the cost of yesterday’s torrential rain.
    Four elderly and retired people had to be evacuated when water from the Cuttlebrook nature reserve that backs onto their homes, flooded into their gardens and then into their bungalows.

    Widower, Roy Clements said he felt devastated after the flood waters entered his home for the second time in six months. Carpets and most of the furniture thoughout his and his three neighbours homes are ruined and it is expected to be several weeks before they can move back in.
    Residents say that flooding has increased since the building of all the new houses in the area, which is on the flood plain.
    “A ditch was dug to help carry water away after heavy rain, but as far as I can see, its only made matters worse,” said Roy.

    One resident, who did not want to be named, said that she had written to the town council several times about having a ditch behind their garden fence, cleared but were told that no body would accept responsibility for it. She and her late husband, she said, eventually cleared the ditch themselves a few years ago.

    This afternoon the town clerk, Helen Stewart, told ThameNews.Net that the town council does take responsibility for the ditch behind these properties and ealier in the year did clear out all the debris.
    She confirmed that she is in contact with the district council, the Environment Agency and the county council to see what, if anything could have been done to prevent yesterday’s flooding and what can be done to stop it happening in the future.

    Apparently, there is a system of one-way flaps at one end of the Cuttlebrook itself, which is supposed to stop water flowing back but it seems that the rain was so torrential that they were unable to cope with the sheer volume of water.

    Today, the affected residents await the arrival of Insurance assessors and one widowed lady said that she fears she will be unable to sell her bungalow when the time comes for her to move.

    Photo: The view from Roy Clements’s window this afternoon, showing his garden still under around 10″ of water 24 hrs after the flood that ruined carpets and furniture in his bungalow.

  • Ready, set for the 24th Thame CPM 10k

    THAME Runners, who are organising the 24th, Thame 10km road race, say that the current rate of entries means that close to 1000 runners will enter this popular event, to be held on Sunday 29th June.
    This year’s new course starts and finishes on the playing fields next to Thame Leisure Centre and also takes in more of the Phoenix Trail to provide a more traffic-free and scenic course.

    A temporary five minute closure of the main Oxford Road at 9.30 am will allow the overwhelming majority of runners to reach the Upper High Street in safety. Another closure has been granted for the Eastern By-Pass between the Risborough and Chinnor Road roundabouts, as runners cross the ring road twice on the way to and from Towersey.

    A detour through town will be in place for the traffic requiring this section of the by-pass during the period 9.30 to 10.30 am.

    Race entry forms are available from Thame Leisure Centre, the town hall and Top Sports,in Buttermarket, Thame, or downloadable from the website: LINK

    On-line entry is also possible via: RUNNERS WORLD WEBSITE

    The children’s fun run (one lap of the perimeter of the playing fields for 7 to 11 year olds, and two laps for 12 to 14 year olds) is back with

  • Wanted: cycling companions for fun and fitness

    Dear Sir
    I have just purchased a bike to increase my fitness level and work off a few pounds and would like some bike companions to help motivate me and make it more fun. This would be for the Thame and surrounding area.
    Kind Regards
    Russ Hewer
    07967053089, or 1844 202690

  • Lib Dems Support National Recycling Week – Contributed by Sue Cooper

    THIS week it is National Recycling week, and according to WRAP, Waste & Resources Action Programme, households in the UK spend

  • Green’s open letter to Cameron accusing him of ‘aggressive’ anti-green campaigning

    THE Green candidate for Henley, Mark Stevenson, has written an open letter to David Cameron who he ran against in 2001, to urge him to take action on, what he calls “aggressive anti-Green campaigning” ahead of the Henley by-election.
    Mark Stephenson says that he formed a good relationship with David Cameron during the 2001 General Election campaign for Witney, based on mutual respect and exchange of ideas. He writes:
    “You may remember how our campaigns coincided on several occasions, how we had a number of conversations and even joined for lunch at a country pub. I remember being impressed by your evident desire to take green politics seriously, I also remember being impressed by the way in which you sought common ground and to build on it”

    Mark goes on to express his concerns about the Conservative campaign tactics in the run-up to the Henley by-election,

    “. . . a Party that deliberately engenders misinformation for its own advantage is a Party that lies; a Party that lies to the public is not fit for government. It is certainly not a Party that embodies the values that I remember you held in 2001.”

    He concludes:

    “what I see here now in South Oxfordshire makes me wonder if you’ll ever really get your party’s head out of the sand. I hope you can, but we’ll need better evidence than we’re getting in South Oxfordshire.”

  • Drivers warned after heavy rain causes flooding on Thame roads

    THAME’S leading fireman has warned drivers about the dangers of driving too fast through the huge accumulations of water on some of the town’s road, following this morning’s torrential rain.
    Station Officer, Andy Ford, said: “Driving is extremely hazardous in these conditions where the drains and ditches are just unable to cope with the sheer volume of water running off the fields, particularly along the Chinner Road, Drivers really do need to slow right down.”

    Andy and his crews have been out all morning in Thame, wheatly and particularly Chinnor where they were digging trenches and clearing ditches where a bungalow was in danger of being flooded out.