Thame.net

Author: Sonja Francis

  • Road Works and Closures

    CEDAR Crescent, Sycamore Drive, Hazel Avenue and Footpath 5, Thame: Temporary road closure to apply to a section of the above roads and footpath for essential sewer improvement works. Access maintained for emergency service vehicles and residents within closure area. For further information contact Cyril Okonkwo on 01189 236815.

    S Road: Temporary closure of Southern Road, Thame for essential gas main replacement works. from 11 June for 8 weeks. Access will be maintained for emergency service vehicles and residents within the closure area, subject to the progress of the works. A copy drawing showing the extent of the temporary road closure and also alternative routes for traffic is available for viewing in the Thame Information Centre in the Town Hall. For further information contact Colin Horne on 07774 956649. Thame 10K Road Race: The Thame 10K Road Race is to be held on Sunday 24 June 2007. The effect of the Order is to temporarily prohibit any vehicle from proceeding on the B4012 between its junction with the A4129 and the B4445 to the east of Thame, between 09.30 and 10.30 hrs. This is because the course of the race crosses this section of road twice and the closure is required to prevent danger to participants, supporters and onlookers. A draft Order and Notice, with a copy of the Statement of Reasons and a copy drawing showing the extent of the closure are available to view in the Thame Information Centre in the Town Hall. More particular details of the Order are available for public inspection at County Hall in Oxford, or Thame Library, Southern Road, Thame.

  • John Hampden School Win Thame Festival Schools Quiz

    A TEAM from John Hampden Primary School has won this year’s Thame Festival Schools Quiz, described as “great fun – and a lot noisier than the adults’ quiz” by one of the school staff.
    The four members of the winning team (‘Wild Goslings’ of the future?) were: Jessica Leak, Lucy Storey, Lauren Price and Zo

  • ‘This Is Me’ Community Art Project At Oxford Museum

    A COMMUNITY art project has gone on display at The Oxfordshire Museum, Woodstock, to advertise an exhibition of Oxfordshire faces that opens at the museum in September.
    More than 50 local people took part in the project, called “This Is Me!”, which involved decorating blocks of reclaimed wood with a subject they felt defined them as a person, such as a self-portrait or a favourite place or activity.
    The blocks were arranged into one large artwork by artist Madi Acharya-Baskerville before being put on display.
    the art project and the exhibition of Oxfordshire faces throughout the last thousand years, forms part of the Oxfordshire 2007 celebrations, which are supported and part-funded by Oxfordshire County Council.
    ‘A Thousand Years of Oxfordshire Faces’ opens at The Oxfordshire Museum, Woodstock, on September 22.
    For more details of this and other activities at the Museum tel 1993 811456.

    Photo: Madi working on ‘This is Me’

  • Pupils Invited To Design A Polar Picture

    THE South Pole may be thousands of miles away but the Atkins Schools Energy Education Project is launching a competition for the best Antarctic scene design to feature on the British Antarctic Survey website!
    Foundation, Years 1 and 2 children across all Oxfordshire schools have the chance to design a scene of the Antarctic featuring the animals they would find there. They can use pens, pencils, paint, fabric, foil – anything they can think of to make their design stand out. The winning entry will be posted up on the British Antarctic Survey (BAS) website and the winner will also receive a BAS goody bag. Second and third places will also receive polar inspired prizes provided by Eynsham-based consultants Atkins.

    Picture: Digitally manipulated photo by Alice Ramirez

    The competition will run from June 11 ? july 4. Further information and entry forms for the designs can be found on www.schoolsenergy.com/kids.htm . Pupils can research animals at the South Pole at http://www.antarctica.ac.uk/About_Antarctica/Wildlife/index.html

    The Atkins Schools Energy Education Project team visits 57 schools across Oxfordshire to spread the word about energy saving and its effects on the environment as part of a funded initiative by Oxfordshire County Council. Pupils as young as five learn how global warming can affect the habitats of polar animals and the idea of this competition is that it helps to remind them in a fun way.

  • New High Speed Rail Link

    DID you know there are new proposals out to build a new high speed rail line using the Chiltern Line that would link Oxfordshire with Midlands, London, Heathrow and Scotland and Europe for details, using double decker TGV type trains?

    see LINK

    It would also mean the east west rail line project would be built linking Bristol with Didcot, Oxford, Buckingham, Milton Keynes and Cambridge.

    Photo: Double decker train (for illustrative purposes only)

  • Calling All Budding Young Performers!

    BBC Radio 2 Young Folk Award 2008 – This year marks the tenth anniversary of the BBC Radio 2 Young Folk Award, and the search for new talent is on. Whether you are a soloist, duo or group, BBC Radio 2’s Mike Harding Show is looking for young people aged between 15-20 who perform folk, roots and acoustic music from any culture. (Thame’s very own, Wilber was a finalist last year).
    This is a great opportunity for young performers to learn new skills from professional musicians, be taught the tricks of the music trade and immerse themselves in making music and song with other like-minded people.
    To enter, each group, duo or soloist should send a recording of their performance along with a completed entry form to BBC Radio 2 Young Folk Award 2008, Mrs Casey Music, PO Box 296, Matlock, Derbyshire, DE4 3XU. To request an entry form please email info@mrscasey.co.uk or call 01629 827012. Alternatively you can download an entry form from the BBC Radio 2 website at: bbc.co.uk/radio2
    Entry forms and recordings must arrive with us by Monday 10 September 2007.

    Successful entrants will be invited to a Semi-Final Audition Weekend on 19 – 21 October 2007 in Stratford-Upon-Avon along with up to forty other musicians and singers. Semi-finalists will attend workshops led by high profile musicians Robert Harbron and Benji Kirkpatrick and there will be opportunities to learn about stagecraft, technical support and working in the music business. There will also be plenty of time for socialising and informal music sessions.

    During the Semi-Final Weekend, on Saturday 20 October, entrants will perform in a public Audition Concert. The BBC Radio 2 Young Folk Award’s top music industry judges will choose which acts will go through to the Final, which will be held at the Queen Elizabeth Hall, South Bank Centre, London on 7 December 2007.

    The winning act will record a session to be broadcast on BBC Radio 2’s Mike Harding Show, appear at three top UK festivals – Cambridge Folk Festival, Towersey Village Festival and Fairport’s Cropredy Convention and receive a year’s free membership to the Musicians Union.

    All finalists and semi-finalists will gain valuable performance experience that will help them develop and go on to further success in their music careers.

    Previous winners include Tim van Eyken, BBC Radio 2 Folk Award winner and frontman of the highly acclaimed Van Eyken band, Uiscedwr, Bodega, Last Orders and spellbinding fiddle player Lauren MacColl.

    Entrants must live in England, Wales, Scotland or Northern Ireland. For information and full entry guidelines visit bbc.co.uk/radio2, email info@mrscasey.co.uk or call 01629 827012.

  • Wave of Great New Talent For Towersey (Submitted)

    THE new folk boom has unearthed some remarkable new talent and Towersey Village Festival welcomes some of the brightest new lights of the folk scene to the picturesque Oxfordshire countryside over the August Bank Holiday weekend (23-27 August 2007).
    Be sure to keep an eye out for Van Eyken, Lau, Lisa Knapp, Tom Kitching & Gren Bartley, Ruth Notman, Kris Drever, Roger Davies and Wilber. These artists are part of a move to carry folk forward to a new generation, whilst retaining a firm sense of the folk and roots traditions from which they have evolved.

    The Festival Dance House is the place to party with the best in Folk, Roots and Acoustic Music. With major headliners at night, great workshops in the day, a large bar and tasty food at hand you could easily become a resident here and miss all the other good stuff! This year’s incredible evening line-up includes concerts from Seth Lakeman, Oysterband, Peatbog Faeries and The Demon Barbers. If you can’t make the whole weekend, you could still buy a! ticket for one of these great evening concerts and experience for yourself the great Festival Dance House atmosphere.

    Tickets are selling fast and the line-up of artists and events just keeps growing. The 43rd edition of this nationally famous event is set to be one of the best yet. With an eclectic mix of dances, workshops, intimate gigs, family entertainment, a delectable array of food stalls, International Trade Market, Craft and Music Fair, and an incredible line-up on the Concert Stage, there really is something for everyone at Towersey.

    With a new Towersey Village Festival website up and running (www.towerseyfestival.com), you can now search the site any way you wish – by artist, day or venue. You can find full listings and information about all the events and entertainment on offer at this year’s Festival and keep informed about the latest Festival news. You can book a Full Weekend Season ticket and stay on one of the Festival camp sites (complete with great facilities), or simply come along for the day; the choice is yours. There are still tickets up for grabs so call the Box Office on 01629 827016 or book tickets online at www.towerseyfestival.com.

    Photo: Finalist in last year’s BBC Radio Two’s ‘Young Folk Musician of the Year’, Wilber Seers of Thame, who will be performing at Towersey in August.

  • Want To Play For Thame United?

    THAME United manager, Mark West and his assistant, Steve Meredith, are to be joined by Frank Thompson to complete United?s management team for the forthcoming season in the Hellenic Division One East.
    Frank was previously manager of the Thame United Youth side and prior to that was chairman of Thame Boys and Girls FC for a number of years. Along with his considerable footballing experience, Frank will bring with him additional local contacts to complement the work of Mark and Steve.

    The management team are already working towards next season with pre-season training for Thame United, beginning on Thursday, June 28 at Lord Williams Upper School. The session is an open invitation for any one who wishes to be considered for the first team, reserves or youth team to come along, meet the management and be put through their paces. The use of an open training session at the start of pre-season is an approach that manager Mark West has used on various occasions in the past to great success, with a number of new faces going on to play in the first team. The session will commence at 6:45pm, meeting at the Thame Leisure Centre.

    Thame United are pleased to announce that the following pre-season friendlies have been arranged:

    14th July Launton Sports
    21st July Aylesbury Vale
    28th July Buckingham Town
    4/5th August Witney United (four team tournament including Abingdon United and Tadley Calleva)

    All games will be played away from home and provide an opportunity to get match practice ahead of the opening games in the Hellenic League Division 1 East on 11th August.

  • Big Summer Camp – Thame

    ARE the school summer holidays stretching in front of you like a vast desert, filled with cries of ?Mum, I?m bored? and ?Dad, can?t we go out?? Well, there is an oasis approaching in the form of the ?Big Summer Camp? from CampSOLL.
    CampSOLL will help you turn those ?I?m boreds? into ?wow I had a great day? with a huge selection of activities to keep the children active and entertained. CampSOLL is offering even more fun and excitement over the holiday period with safe, creative and energetic activities run by highly trained staff. You can sign up for full day camps or 1 ? 2 hour sessions.

    Anne-Marie, from Soll Leisure, says: “At SOLL we are fully aware of how difficult it can be for parents to keep children entertained in the school holidays. CampSOLL is an excellent opportunity to get the children off your hands and keep them safe, happy and most importantly entertained!?

    Activities on offer include:

  • CBE For Council Leader

    THE leader of Oxfordshire County Council, Cllr Keith Mitchell, has spoken of his delight and surprise at being appointed a CBE for services to local government.
    He said: “It was totally unexpected. I usually get home late and when I saw the envelope was from 10 Downing Street, I believed it would be politically related. I was stunned and delighted when I opened it and saw the contents. It has been quite difficult to remain quiet until the official announcement!”
    He went on: “When I sold my business interests in 1990, I didn’t know where my career would lead. I am delighted to have been able to contribute so much and now to be in a position to champion Oxfordshire’s interests at the highest levels.
    “My business career has stood me in good stead and still, to this day, shapes many of my thoughts and my outlook.
    “My first public role was on a rather old fashioned body called the Family Practitioners Committee in the NHS. The world has changed incredibly since then. Local government is far more professional but far more demanding. I am lucky to have had a successful business which I was able to sell. I could then devote my time to public life. I regularly work a 100-hour week so there is not much chance of me having an independent career as well.
    “However, I am supported by a fantastic team of councillors, particularly but not exclusively my Cabinet and other councillors, excellent officers and hard working colleagues across the South East. My appointment as a CBE is wonderful but it isn’t an award at the end of a life’s work. I still have lots of hard work ahead of me.”

    Keith Mitchell was elected as Leader of Oxfordshire County Council in November 2001. In 2002 he became chairman of the South East England Regional Planning Committee and, in 2005, he became chairman of the South East England Regional Assembly, a position he still holds.

    He is also chairman of the English Regional Network. Each of these positions reflects Councillor Mitchell’s interest in regional planning, transport and housing issues. He is particularly interested in the ongoing housing debate in the South East and champions both the regional and county cause at national level.