Thame.net

Author: Sonja Francis

  • Foot and Mouth and Bluetongue – Latest Advice

    FOOT and Mouth Disease controls and the creation of a bluetongue temporary area.
    There have now been seven confirmed cases of FMD since Friday 3 August 2007, all within Surrey and a second cow has tested positive for bluetongue on a farm in Baylham, Suffolk.

    In response to this and to allow farm to farm movement of livestock in low risk areas, the country has been divided into three areas:

    A Foot-and-Mouth Risk Area
    A Foot-and-Mouth Low Risk Area
    A Bluetongue Temporary Area
    The FMD Protection Zone and a FMD Surveillance remain in place around the FMD infected premises. The Declaratory Orders creating these zones and a map depicting the above areas can be found on the DEFRA website.

    Due to our proximity to Surrey and livestock movement trends, Oxfordshire has been placed within the FMD Risk Area but is outside the Bluetongue Temporary Area.

    As a consequence of Oxfordshire being within the FMD Risk Area farm to farm movements are not permitted. Movements authorised by any of the General Licences can continue to take place (General Licence conditions apply).

    Further information
    Farmers and the public can also contact the Defra helpline on 08459 335577 or visit the Defra website. Further information on FMD and a map of the protection and surveillance zones can be found on the Defra website. To see the Statutory Declarations creating the protection zone, surveillance zone and the national restricted zone visit the Defra website.

  • Three On The Trot For Chinnor Rugby Firsts

    SCORE; Chinnor 41 – Coney Hill 22
    photo: Darren Oxley shrugs off a tackle to score a try- MATCH REPORT
    IT was not until the final stages of the game that Chinnor were able to pull away from a spirited Coney Hill. Chinnor pressurised the Coney Hill line on numerous occasions but ran out of patience allowing the visitors back into the game.
    Indeed it was very much a see-saw sequence of scoring until the final quarter when Chinnor pulled away. Chinnor opened the scoring in the third minute via a James Cathcart penalty. Two minutes later a Rory Baker penalty put the visitors on level terms. Another Cathcart penalty and conversion from a try by No.8, Ed Rixon resulting from a powerful Chinnor scrum where the visitors were shunted back over their line gave Chinnor a 10 point cushion.
    Coney Hill quickly reduced the deficit when Craig Overthrow finished off a slick threequarter move to score under the posts. Baker added the extra points. Another Cathcart penalty and a fine solo effort from Darren Oxley, when he picked up a loose pass and cut back across a static defence and force his way over in the corner gave Chinnor an 11point lead at the interval.
    It was all Coney Hill at the start of the second half. A sniping run by their impressive scrum -half, Leon Leggit, saw him go-over under the posts. With Baker converting, it was once again game on.
    Chinnor were now keeping the ball tight. With Williams, on for the injured Cathcart, kicking into the corner, Chinnor set up a rolling maul and captain Matt Hutchins went over. Ben Hewitt made no mistake with the conversion. Coney Hill came back once more with Chinnor making a mess of defending a long kick allowing their speedy winger Nevall Codlin to touch down.T wo tries in the last eight minutes, both from rolling mauls and both touched down by Joe Winpenny and converted by Ben Hewitt made the game safe for Chinnor.
    That they stuck to their game plan, in keeping the game tight, was laudable. Chinnor’s front five played exceptionally well with Grizz McGuire hardly seen but most effective. They will need to be on their mettle next week at Patesians who have also started the campaign in an impressive fashion.

  • Thame Burglary – Ringmaster Message

    THIS is a Ringmaster message from Thames Valley Police.
    On Friday, September 21, between 10:00 & 11:00hrs, a property in Churchill Crescent, Thame, was burgled. Entry was gained by forcing a rear window and property stolen.
    If you have seen any suspicious people or vehicles in the area or have any information relating to this message, please call the police on 08458 505 505 and quote URN 557 of 21/09/07.

  • All Female Football Coaching Course

    OXFORDSHIRE FA has announce an All Female, Level 1 Coaching Course which it will run in November.
    Information on the details of the course can be obtained from:
    Bev Priestman (Women and Girls Football Development Officer) on bev.priestman@oxfordshirefa.com or 07956415587, or visit: Link

    PHOTO COURTESY OF www.culfc.com

  • Thame Livestock Market Remains Closed

    THAME LIVESTOCK market remains closed this week because the movement of farm animals is still restricted in Buckinghamshire and Oxfordshire, despite the news that farmers in some parts of the country will be allowed to move animals from farm to farm under license from 3.30pm today, Tuesday.

    The government’s chief vet is easing movement restrictions in ‘low risk areas’, despite a seventh case of foot-and-mouth being confirmed on Monday at a farm in Englefield Green, Surrey, which is within the existing Egham protection zone set up after previous cases.

    Livestock markets still cannot be held, and more stringent movement restrictions are still in place in Buckinghamshire, Oxfordshire, Essex, Kent, East and West Sussex, Hampshire, Surrey, Berkshire, Hertfordshire, and Greater London, where animals can only be moved for slaughter.

    Meanwhile, a second case of bluetongue disease has been found at the Suffolk rare breeds farm where the first ever UK case of the virus was discovered at the weekend.

    A surveillance zone covering parts of East Anglia and the East Midlands has been put in place to monitor bluetongue.

  • Auction Of Promises To Raise CAB Funds

    A HOLIDAY in France, a Pamper Day at Brothers’ Salon and a pillion ride on a Triumph 250cc motorbike, are among the promises on offer at an Auction of Promises to be held at the Barns Centre, Thame.
    The evening is being organised by the Friends of Thame and District Citizens Advice, and will take place on October 6, doors open 7pm and admission is by ticket which costs

  • Thame United Bow Out Of FA Vase (Contributed)

    THAME United bowed out of the FA Vase at the second qualifying round stage on Saturday, with a 2-1 defeat against Melksham Town from the Premier Division of the Western League.
    Thame started brightly and opened the scoring in the tenth minute with Nathan Jack scoring his first goal since returning to the Club from Kidlington. In typical fashion, Jack beat two men before firmly placing the ball beyond the Melksham keeper from the edge of the box. The lead was, however, short lived when five minutes later, the Melksham striker found space from a throw in and beat keeper Paul Searl. Five minutes later Thame found themselves 2-1 down when a through ball beat the Thame defence and in a one-on-one with Searl, the Melksham striker coolly dispatched what turned out to be the winning goal.

    The second half was all Thame as they searched for an equaliser with the main threat again coming from striker Nathan Jack. With time running out, Thame threw caution to the wind and as a result, gaps appeared in the defence. Twice in the last 10 minutes Melksham hit the woodwork and Thame relied on Searl to make a number of good stops. However, Thame were unable to find the equaliser and the dream of a trip to Wembley was put on hold for another year.

    Thame return to League action next Saturday, September 29, with a home tie against third place Englefield Green Rovers (AFC Wallingford, 3:00pm kick off).
    Thame United: Searl, Ansell, Graves, Higgs (Way), Jackman, Boult, Connelly, Hocking, Leach, (Reading), Jack, Watkins (Cowan)

  • A Thousand Years Of Faces In Oxfordshire

    WINSTON CHURCHILL, Roger Bannister and Rosamund the Fair are just a few of the famous faces appearing in an exhibition to celebrate a thousand years of Oxfordshire history.
    Oxfordshire County Council’s museum stores have been raided to uncover portraits from the county’s past, appearing on knives, spoons, biscuit tins, matchboxes as well as more conventional backgrounds.
    The exhibition, called Who is Who? A Thousand Years of Oxfordshire Faces, will be on show at the county council’s Oxfordshire Museum, Woodstock, from September 22 to November 18.

    Images on display range from popular fairground clowns and legendary characters to exquisitely painted female portraits of local families in velvet lined golden lockets.

    A beautifully painted cricket bat used to advertise St. Giles brickworks, sits alongside a brass pipe-stopper in the form of a jockey’s bust, and some 1930s hat stands from Capes Department store in St. Ebbes.
    The exhibition includes interactive activities for children and there will be a special programme of events for children during half-term, as well as talks and workshops for adults.

    An interactive timeline will provide historical context and a touch screen will reveal how widespread portrait images were before the late 20th century media revolution.

    Oxfordshire County Council curator Cherry Gray said: “The exhibition is a wonderful mix of art and artefacts, all of which have a strong link with Oxfordshire and reflect its past in terms of home life, work and play. There’s something in it for all the family.
    “Many objects have a story to tell, like the uniform of Nurse Cornish who worked at the John Radcliffe Hospital during the First World War.
    “The uniform evokes memories of the time when the hospital grounds were filled with marquees to cater for heavy wartime casualties, and how other civilian “armies” must have slaved in laundries, with nothing but soap and water to keep thousands of medical staff and patients in starched collars and bed linen.”

    Museum opening hours: Tues-Sat10am to 5pm; Sun 2-5pm; closed Mondays. Free admission. Telephone: 01993 814104

  • Beauty Of Wheatley SSSI Revealed

    NATURAL England staff have revealed the hidden beauty of Lyehill Quarry, in Wheatley.
    This geological site of special scientific interest (SSSI) in Wheatley, Oxfordshire has been restored to its former glory through hard work and dedication.
    Lyehill Quarry in Wheatley, Oxfordshire is made up of extensive sections of Wheatley limestone that contains numerous fossils of mid-Oxfordian age (approximately 150 million years ago). The site was being used to store new cars and had been in a declining condition for the past six years as roots from developing scrub were destroying the fossils.

    Natural England had a month to restore the site while it was vacant before another tenant came in. Eleven staff from offices in Oxford, Reading and Aston Rowant volunteered to help with clearance work which involved removal of scrub, shrubs and trees. Cut away areas on the rock face were treated with herbicide to prevent re-growth.

    David Russell, Project Leader on the work said:
    ?I am delighted that staff were able to have such hands-on experience in helping to restore this site. We treated the project as a team building exercise – everyone really enjoyed the work and gained real satisfaction from the dramatic change that they achieved by removing vegetation from the rock faces and exposing the geological features.
    ?This is an important site in the area which we have been able to make accessible to local education groups by exposing examples of the entire sequence from the top of the Wheatley limestone to its base.?

  • Row the Atlantic in five days!

    SOLL Leisure and Fox FM are challenging would-be rowers to beat a world record by covering the distance to row the Atlantic in just five days.
    The current record is 33 days, 7 hours and 30 minutes.

    You can go to Thame Leisure Centre, Oxford Road, Thame, or any one of the Soll Leisure centres, and do your bit on one of the designated static rowing machines.

    Fox FM’s Thunder Crew will be out on the streets getting everyone involved and will be in Thame on Tuesday, September 30. If you help them to break the world record you could win a years membership with Soll Leisure, and everyone that takes part will also receive a FREE 7 day trial.

    The challenge starts from 8am on Monday, September 29, until Friday, October 3.

    Thame Leisure Centre, Oxford Road, Thame. Tel 01844 215607.