Author: Sonja Francis

THAME charity, The The Cambodia Trust, is to take part in the Great British Duck Race Guinness World record attempt. In taking part in the event, the Trust also hopes to raise

AS well as Thame’s own festival in June, this coming summer sees loads of other exciting new events for Oxfordshire 2007, the year of special celebrations marking the county?s millennium.
A second, seasonal guide has been published covering the months up to the end of August designed to showcase the wealth of cultural events the county has to offer. Together with a series of innovative new events for this special year, the seasonal guides ? published by Oxford Inspires, the cultural development agency for Oxfordshire which is coordinating the year ? reflect the huge diversity and talent which exists in the ?creative county?.

Highlights include Opening Doors, Opening Minds (23-24 June ), which leads families on a trail of discovery across Oxford with more than 25 sites and buildings taking part; the first-ever Children?s Food Festival (14-15 July), fronted by celebrity chefs Raymond Blanc and Sophie Grigson; a unique Alice?s Day (7 July) complete with giant croquet, Mad Hatter?s tea party and the chance to see some rare Alice treasures; a Civil War battle (21-22 July) and the best-ever Cowley Road Carnival (1 July) which has 1000 years of carnival as its theme.

The hunt is also on for Oxfordshire?s outstanding men and women: Great Entrepreneurs (15 May-19 June) gives people the chance to vote from six successful innovators, and Oxfordshire?s Finest is a quest initiated by Oxforshire 2007?s broadcast partner, BBC Oxford, across a number of different categories from sport to science and the arts. (Thame’s Jimmy Figg is in contention for the Sports personality section)

Oxfordshire 2007 celebrates a number of other milestone anniversaries within the county and this summer sees a clutch of festival birthdays: the internationally renowned Henley Festival (11-15 July) celebrates its 25th anniversary, including a spectacular pyrotechnic finale each night with fireworks, fire dancing, jets of fire and fire sculptures; Artweeks also celebrates its 25th birthday with a number of new special events; Art in Action sees its 30th (19-22 July) ; Cropredy Festival its 40th (9-11 August); and Truck Festival its 10th.

With more than 80 festivals across Oxfordshire each year, Oxford Inspires has highlighted this flourishing aspect of the county?s culture by publishing an 8-page summer festival guide. Both the Summer Season guide and the Festival leaflet are available from libraries and information centres across the county ? and may also be downloaded from Link

Events on Oxfordshire?s waterways are highlighted through ‘Go with the Flow’, a millennium project and Faces of Oxfordshire, a year-long project which celebrates people and stories in exciting and unusual ways.

Oxford Inspires marketing director, Cath Nightingale, said: ?Hundreds of organisations, groups and individuals have collaborated to make this a very special year for the people of Oxfordshire. In addition to the series of special events which are a feature of the year, it has been exciting to see how many grass roots ideas have been generated ? from flower beds, to millennium scarecrows, a ?Turner Prize? flower show with 1000 years as its theme ? and a special Oxfordshire sausage.
?We?ve also been encouraged by the level of support from the business community. Companies such as BMW Group Plant Oxford (Oxford?s own home of the Mini)have come on board, and of course we have an Oxfordshire 2007 bus from the Oxford Bus Company and an Oxfordshire 2007 named power car from First Great Western trains. We?re hoping that the year may also see an aeroplane as well!?

More information on the year and its events is at Link

OXPAST 07 – 10.00am to 4.30pm at the Barns Centre, Thame. Oxfordshire Past 2007: celebrating 1000 years of Oxfordshire History.
Organised by Oxfordshire Historical and Architectural Society and Oxfordshire County Council and hosted by Thame History Research Trust, a superb programme of presentations will cover a wide rang of archaeology and history wihtin the Shire and City with an emphasis on the last thousand years of human activity.
The accompanying exhibiton provides a platform for local societies to show their research and sell publications. Those wishing to reserve exhibition space should contact Paul Smith (01865 810115) paul.smith@oxfordshire.gov.uk.
For further information contact Local Organiser David Bretherton (01844 215178).
This is a ‘ticket only’ event, so please book in advance. Online booking is available at the Oxfordshire Past web site: www.oahs.org.uk/oxpast.htm or use the booking form on the back of the flyer available from the Thame Information Centre in Thame Town Hall.