AFTER being without a permanent vicar for several months, it has been announced that a new vicar has been appointed for St Mary’s, Thame and the team of churches.
Out of 16 candidates, including two women, Rev Alan Garratt, a former Banker, from Hertfordshire, has been appointed by the Parochial Church Council.
Rev Garratt is married to Tricia and has two teen-age children. He will commence work in Thame in about two months time.
THAME and District Round Table is once again staging a charity duck race to raise funds for local charities.
This year’s race will take place on Saturday, June 7, at 11 o’clock.
Ducks will be on sale in local schools in the run up to the race, and all funds raised will go to the Thame Football Partnership for their new stadium and facilities, and the new Headquarters building in Southern Road for Thame’s Guides and Brownies.
THAME and District Twinning Association is holding its AGM tomorrow, Thursday, May 22, at Thame town hall at 7.30pm.
Everyone is invited to go along, be greeted with a glass of wine and take the opportunity to find out more about our twinning partners – Montesson, near Paris.
For more information please contact Jeannette Matelot Green at jm@telot.wanadoo.co.uk
Photo: Thame ‘twinners’ David and Norma Laver with friends from Montesson, Bernard and Miriam.
A PROLIFIC charity fundraiser from Oxfordshire’s Fire and Rescue Service is turning to pedal power once more in his latest bid to raise cash for a life-saving cause.
After cycling the length of Britain and raising more than
DONALD Butler, described by a fellow councillor as ‘the cheeky chappie’ of Thame, has taken over as the town’s Mayor from his predecessor, Cllr David Bretherton.
Don, who has been the Mayor of Thame three times before, was handed the chain of office by Cllr Bretherton at last night’s Town Council AGM (20/05/08).
The outgoing Mayor spoke of the great pleasure and privilege he felt at having served as Thame’s Mayor, recalling that he had visited almost every town in Buckinghamshire and Oxfordshire, including Aylesbury, saying that he felt it was important to carry on with the links to, what he called, ‘our major town.’ He was presented with a Past Mayor’s badge, the first to receive such a badge of office.
Cllr Butler said that he was looking forward enthusiastically to his new responsibilities and said that he felt positive the council could work together to carry on preserving the quality of the town and to sort out its problems, backed up by the town hall staff.
Pledge to help the elderly
In announcing his chosen charities for the year, the new Mayor said: “Although the young are very much deserving, and it is my aim that we do a lot for them, this year, Meadowcroft (residential home for the elderly) is half built and almost ready, they will need some of the ‘niceties’ like a fish tank and pictures of Thame.
New hospital for Thame?
“Also,” he continued, “Thame hospital has been working for five or six years to get a new hospital built in the grounds and hopefully, a lot of funding should be announced within the next couple of weeks. The dream is to include diagnostic facilities and a new health centre within the new development, so I think we should support the Hospital League of Friends.”
Cllr Beatrice Dobie, who is Vice Chair of the ‘League thanked the Mayor on its behalf.
Photo: The new Mayor of Thame, Don Butler, pins the Past Mayor’s badge on his predecessor, Cllr Dave Bretherton.
A THAME Town Councillor, who was elected for the first time just a year ago, is Thame’s new Deputy Mayor.
Cllr Jeanette Matelot Green succeeds Cllr Nigel Champken-Woods.
Cllr Owen Davies congratulated Cllr Green on her appointment and said how appropriate it was for the town, which is twinned with Montesson, in France, to have a French speaking Deputy Mayor.
Deputy Mayor Green responded appropriately, saying: “Merci beaucoup!”
A THAME toy shop, that has been fighting against its demolition to make way for a new library, has today announced that it is to close.
The Pied Pedaller, in North Street, Thame, was granted an extension to its lease by Oxfordshire County Council until September 2008, whilst the council made plans for the building’s replacement by a new library.
However, the Managing Director of the company that owns the Pied Pedaller, Ed Tilley, informed ThameNews.Net today:
“It is with great regret that I am informing you that J A Magson Ltd, the Company that owns and operates the Pied Pedaller toy shop in Thame, has decided to close the Pied Pedaller. The building of the library on the site appears inevitable and, as Xmas trading cannot be guaranteed, the decision has been made to pull out once all stock has been cleared.
“We will be commencing a closing down sale very shortly.”
The shop’s owners, J A Magson,’s Finance Director. Neil Mason, added:
?It is a shame that we could not continue to trade from this location. We would like to thank everyone who held a view about the development plans and who supported the idea of shops still being located here.
?We will make the most of our closing weeks of trading with a closing-down sale, and ensure that the closure process is smooth and that the store team are given fair and full redundancy packages.?
A WOMAN who was very badly injured in a car crash in Thame, has been awarded
THE following planning recommendations were made by Thame Town Council’s planning committee, on Tuesday, May 13, 2008:
8458
P08/E0441 31 EAST STREET
Two storey and single storey extensions to rear.
RECOMMEND APPROVAL
8459
P08/E0453 15 OVERTON DRIVE
First floor side extension.
RECOMMEND APPROVAL
8460
P08/E0463 9 CHESHIRE ROAD
Two storey side extension and single storey front extension.
RECOMMEND APPROVAL
8461
P08/E0262 14 HIGH STREET
Use of part of the courtyard for a flower stall.
RECOMMEND APPROVAL
8462
P08/E0457 23 WELLINGTON STREET
Ground floor extension and internal alterations to an existing
veterinary surgery.
RECOMMEND APPROVAL
8463
P08/E0479 8 PUTMAN CLOSE
Single storey extension.
RECOMMEND APPROVAL
8464
P08/E0485 14 NELSON STREET
Conservatory to rear.
RECOMMEND APPROVAL
8465
P08/E0526/LB THE OLD BREW HOUSE, 24 HIGH STREET
Single storey rear extension. Formation of parking space with gates
and fence.
RECOMMEND APPROVAL
Comment: Subject to SODC Conservation Officer?s comments.
8466
P08/E0492 THE OLD BREW HOUSE, 24 HIGH STREET
Single storey rear extension. Formation of parking space with gates
and fence.
RECOMMEND APPROVAL
Comment: Subject to SODC Conservation Officer?s comments.
8467
P08/E0028 23 CLARENDON DRIVE
Converting existing study/garage space to one room.
RECOMMEND APPROVAL
Comment: The Committee regrets the loss of a garage and approval
is subject to 2 parking spaces being available.
8468
P08/E0434 51 CHURCHILL CRESCENT
Single storey rear extension.
RECOMMEND APPROVAL
8424
P07/E1669 CHURCH FARM, KINGSEY ROAD
Creation of a community football club comprising of a clubhouse,
floodlit main pitch and all weather training pitch, seven additional
pitches, car parking, new vehicular and pedestrian access with
associated earthworks
Amendment No 2 (as amended by drawings accompanying letter
from Agent dated 31 March 2008, amplified by noise report
accompanying letter from applicant dated 4 April 2008 and amended
by drawings accompanying letter from Agent dated 24 April 2008)
TTC made a unanimous recommendation for approval on the original
application.
RECOMMEND APPROVAL
OXFORDSHIRE COUNTY COUNCIL which owns the Pied Pedaller building in North Street, Thame, has effectively given itself planning permission to demolish it and build a new, two storey library – despite the town council’s disapproval of the design.
The county council is able to circumnavigate the normal route for planning applications, via the district council, under the rules, known as “Deemed permission OCC, Regulation 3”.
Thame Town Council’s Planning committee has twice rejected the design, described by Cllr Nigel Champken-Woods as “horrendous” and as including too much glass in the frontage making it look out of keeping with the street scene.
He accused the applicant (OCC) of trying to fool the committee by submitting a pen and ink drawing, which he said, made it look as though the design had been softened.
“We want a library, not a greenhouse!” he said.
The full details of the planning decision can be seen here.
Photo: Artist’s impression of the new library, to be built on the site of the Pied Pedaller toy shop in North Street.