Author: Sonja Francis

FIRE CREWS from Thame worked in shifts for over 24 hours over the weekend, to finally put out a large fire on the pig farm opposite Thame Leisure Centre over the weekend.
The emergency services were called to the incident just after midnight on Saturday night (13/10), which is believed to have been started deliberately.
Over 20,000 tonnes of straw, meant destined to provide bedding for the field of pigs over the winter, are believed to have been destroyed.
The operation involved moving pigs away from the scene and using electric fences to keep them safe while firecrews fought the blaze. Long after the initial fire was brought under control, the officers had to remain at the scene to continually dampen down the smouldering hay that remained and put out smaller fires that continually errupted.
The Oxford Road remained closed to traffic until the straw had been thoroughly raked through and the fire fully extinguished.
Thame Station Officer, Andy Ford, said: “This was a very time-consuming and costly operation. The police are conducting an on-going investigation into the ignition of the fire.”

AROUND 100 people passed through the doors of Thame Museum on Saturday, to take part in a joyous day of drawing, all part of the now annual, national ‘Big Draw’.
One delighted member of the Thame-based Sparks Artists’ group, who raised the sponsorship for and organised the event with Thame Museum, was Christine Tacq.
She said:” After initially failing to get sponsorship from Oxford Inspires, we managed to get a late grant from Awards For All, to help pay for materials and administration.
“We ‘pulled out all the stops’ because we wanted to put Thame Museum on the map with other museums taking part in the event.
“The fact that we had so many people of all ages here, and received such positive comments from them, just proves what a need there is in Thame for a more permanent Arts facility. Although there are some ‘messy fun’ types of art provision for toddlers and one at the Leisure Centre for over sevens, there is nothing in between.
” ‘Drawn In’ was a wonderful day and we are looking forward to The Drawing Exchange’ on October 28, when everyone who took part can swap their drawing for someone else’s. There is still room for more drawings if anyone else would like to make one, and put it in the box provided if they cannot find a gap on the display.”

Some comments from participants in Thame’s Big Draw event:

“The event made us as a family focus together on the museum.”

“As my daughter was drawing, I could enjoy the museum”

“I should have come earlier – excellent!”

“I liked it because there wasn’t any shouting” (6 year-old).

“Very stimulating – made me look carefully.”

“All the children enjoyed drawing and I think they felt a little bit more involved with the museum.”

“I discovered some things about Thame’s history that I didn’t know before visiting the museum.”

“For me it was a peaceful and self-indulgent use of an afternoon.”

DETAILED plans of the proposed new community sports complex at Church Farm for the Thame Football Partnership (TFP) will be available for viewing at Thame Town Hall from 15th ? 19th October.
Thame Football Partnership has been formed by the amalgamation of Thame United FC and Thame Boys,Youth & Girls FC.

Tim Green,Chairman of Thame Boys and Girls commented: ?by 2009 this facility could at last provide a perfect base for the 350 boys and girls within the club and the aim is to create a wider community offering to other clubs and organisations in the area to utilise the complex.
“It?s so difficult to find a facility at present in Thame that can accommodate local organisations or groups for their weekly/monthly meetings or cater for functions/parties for up to 250 people?.

The new proposed facility would be on the 20-acre Church Farm site on the northern edge of Thame. The main complex comprises a clubhouse with community facilities/function rooms, changing rooms, offices, corporate board room for match day hospitality, a large function facility for up to 250 people and community changing rooms.
Extra facilities could include an external marquee to create additional function room space thereby facilitating wider community use of the facilities. As well as a main floodlit football pitch, the plans would also incorporate a 40m x 30m 3G floodlit artificial pitch (AGP), three additional full-size grass pitches and four small size pitches.

TFP has been involved in detailed research and consultation, including with Thame Town Council, and will be liaising with locally based sporting clubs and community groups to identify areas and opportunities for use of the proposed community facility.

The club have appointed Sports Solutions GB to manage the project and a planning application for the site is due to be submitted in the next few weeks and, after two previous rounds of public consultation, further comments on the detailed plans would be welcomed. These will be available for inspection and comment during normal office hours at the Town Hall.

Full details and any other information about Thame Football Partnership and the proposed scheme is available at: http://www.thamefootball.co.uk/mapdetail.html

AN ambulance was also called to the A329 Rycote Lane in Thame at around 9.30pm last night, near the junction with the A418.
A 25-year-old woman was treated for minor injuries at the scene.

A MAN who used to live in Thame has been given permission by a judge to have his wife’s remains dug up and re-buried in St Mary’s church yard.
Read the full story in The Sun LINK

REMINDER – A free event at Thame Museum for everyone to take part TOMORROW – 10am-3pm, called “Looking at the Ceiling.”
Tomorrow’s event is part of a nationall, month-long series of events, over-seen by the Campaign for Drawing, and is inspired by Thame Museum’s magnificent Tudor Wall Painting.
Also, “Market Town”, looking at the Market Town exhibits in the museum cabinets.
ALSO, From 10am -11am there will be a costume life model for drawing accompaned with soothing lute music!

These activities are for all ages (under 11s accompanied) at Thame Museum, 79 Lower High Street, Thame OX9 3AE. Tel: 01844 212801 for further information.

THAME POLICE are seeking information following a chain of criminal damage to cars in East Street, last weekend.
Between 11pm on Friday (5/10) and 4am on Saturday (6/10), several cars in East Street in Thame had their wing mirrors broken.
PC Dominique Roffey, based at Thame police station, said: ?This is a re-occurring problem in the area and I am keen to find the vandals. This type of criminal damage is a problem and causes inconvenience to the local residents. I would like to encourage anyone who may have witnessed this happening or have any information to help the police with their enquiries to get in touch.?

Anyone with information is asked to contact PC Roffey at Thame police station via 0845 8 505 505, or if you don?t want to talk to the police or give your name, call the Crimestoppers charity on 0800 555 111.

YOU can now find out about Thame’s Famous People by using an interactive database which is freely available at Thame museum.
The latest online update to the Oxford Dictionary of National Biography was published this week, and it includes the life of Henry Boddington, a native of Thame who became the celebrated proprietor of the famous Manchester Brewery.
The stories of over 400 other notable people of Thame are included in the data base at the museum.

The Oxford DNB is freely available in public libraries in Thame and across Oxfordshire, many of which offer ‘remote access’ so that library members can enjoy the entire dictionary at home.
To find out more about Oxfordshire Libraries visit the County Council web site at: www.oxfordshire.gov.uk.
For further details about the online dictionary, visit www.oxforddnb.com