Thame.net

Author: Sonja Francis

  • Memorial Football Match For Young Thame Father

    FOR the third year running, a football match and family event is to be held in memory of a Thame footballer and father of two who died of heart attack in 2002.
    As well as the match itself between Long Crendon and Brill, the highlight of the event on Good Friday, April 6, will be an Easter Egg Hunt. The event, to be held at Brill Sports and Social Club, promisies once again to be a great day out for families and a fitting memorial to a popular young dad who died so tragically. All monies raised will once again go to The British Heart Foundation’s research into heart disease in children.
    Other activities on the day will include face painting, a penalty shoot-out, bouncy castle, a BBQ, cakes and refreshments and lots more!

    The Richard Wheeler Memorial was set up nearly five years ago to honour the life of Richard Wheeler, a young father of two who lived in Thame and who tragically lost his life to a heart attack in 2002.

    The aim of the Memorial is to raise money to support the British Heart Foundation and to date has successfully raised

  • Waste Bill Cuts For Small Businesses

    SMALL businesses that may have been hit with bad news via the Chancellor’s budget are being offered the chance to make savings elsewhere – and help the environment at the same time.
    More than 250 Oxfordshire businesses have received a waste audit that has pointed them in the direction of how to manage their businesses in a way that means more waste is recycled rather than sent to landfill.
    Some businesses have seen their waste bills cut by around 50%.
    Daniel Dempsey is Oxfordshire County Council’s Commercial Waste Manager. He is the only person employed by a council to reduce commercial waste in the country. He said: “Recent research shows that more than half of Oxfordshire businesses find the tax regime problematic, so small business owners won’t be pleased with tax hikes. It is also worth noting that 80% of Oxfordshire businesses want to improve their environmental performance – this is good news and we are happy to help them. County Council services will help businesses cut costs and go green. Get in touch with us and we will tell you more.”
    Councillor Roger Belson, Oxfordshire County Council’s Cabinet Member for Sustainable Development, said: “We’re disappointed that small businesses have been hit in this budget. They are hugely important for Oxfordshire’s economy. Fortunately for businesses in Oxfordshire, the county council provides some of the best support for businesses of any local authority in the country.
    “Businesses that want to cut costs and do their bit for the environment should take advantage of our waste audits – and see their waste bill cut by up to 50%.”
    Businesses can apply for audits by emailing Daniel Dempsey via daniel.dempsey@oxfordshire.gov.uk. Information about all of the council’s commercial waste services is available at www.oxfordshire.gov.uk/commercialwaste

  • Plans Go Public For New Housing Development In Thame

    PLANS for a housing development on Thame United’s old Windmill Road site, which include a community centre, went on show today.
    The sale of the site, with planning permission, could raise around

  • Ringmaster Message For Local Businesses

    THERE have been a series of commercial distraction offences to retail premises across the force area since February. This has involved groups of up to 10 (sometimes more) people, described as Eastern European, both males and females and sometimes with children.

    They have entered smaller retail shops, post offices and petrol filling stations and distracted staff with enquiries and purchases, whilst a number of the group enter rear storage or private living areas, stealing mainly cash and jewellery. To date there has been no violence used by this group.

    A similar incident occurred at a Newsagents in Oxford Road, Abingdon, on Thursday 22nd March, at approx. 13:17hrs.

    Please be extra vigilant to these offences and lock any access to restricted areas during trading hours. If you see anyone suspicious or have any information relating to this message, please call the police on 08458 505 505 and state you are responding to a ringmaster message.

  • Murder Case Man In Suicide Attempt

    A diary entry of a woman friend of a Thame man whose body was found in a burnt out house, descibes how her estranged husband, who is accused of both their murders, tried to kill himself.
    See Link

  • Nurse’s Unsolved Murder Re-opened

    THE unsolved murder of nurse, in her home near Chinnor, has been re-opened by Thames Valley Police.
    See Full story

    Photo: Murder victim Janet Brown – Courtesy of Oxford Mail

  • Roadworks Lead To Archaeological Find (Contributed)

    ARCHAEOLOGISTS carrying out a watching brief for Oxfordshire County Council on the re-surfacing of the High Street in Oxford City, have found a stone drain that can be dated to the 18th century.
    The well-preserved drain ran into a massive stone-lined chamber which may originally have funnelled the surface water into the Thames at Magdalen Bridge.

    Approximate dating was helped by the discovery of a glass disc seal from a wine bottle or decanter near the drain. The seal was embossed with ?Mag Coll? (Magdalen College) and the date 1763.

    As wine was sold by the measure, regular customers like the colleges, had their own bottles that could be distinguished in this way.

    Paul Smith, County Council Archaeologist, said: ?Perhaps the college students treated the 18th century highway drainage engineers to a friendly lunchtime drink or perhaps it could have been broken during a boisterous May Day celebration.
    “This is another hidden piece of ?Town and Gown? history that thousands of people drive over every year.
    “It certainly vindicates our requirement for archaeological work on this scheme – something that is fully supported by the county council.”

    The scheme will continue to be monitored by archaeologists and the current finds are being analysed by Oxford Archaeology who carried out the detailed recording of the drain.

    What is the current work on the High Street?

    The latest phase of the current work in the High Street finished recently, improvements that included upgrading the worn out road, new drainage, road markings, traffic signals and illuminated bollards.

  • Grant For Budding Scientists (Contributed)

    AN Oxfordshire schools? organisation has been successful in winning a grant to encourage more students to study science and boost standards in the subject through interaction with research and industry.
    The Oxfordshire Independent State School Partnership has been awarded

  • Easter EGG-Stravaganza At SOLL

    STUCK for something fun to do with the kids this Easter holidays? Dreading two weeks of hearing: ?Mum? I?m bored?? or ?Dad? I?ve got nothing to do?? Then why not counteract some of that Easter egg-eating by bringing them along to get active with CampSOLL?
    Victoria Branch, marketing manager at SOLL Leisure, says:”It can be tricky finding something new and exciting to keep the kids entertained every day over Easter, especially if the good old British weather does what it?s best at and rains! But we?ve got every type of boredom buster to keep your kids entertained, from bouncy castles and magic shows to Easter egg hunts and trampolining ? they?ll be spoilt for choice!”

    This year, CampSOLL will be running in leisure centres all over South Oxfordshire, including Thame, so there’s no ‘eggscuse’ for being stuck for something to do this Easter. SOLL has dozens of ideas for beating the holiday boredom blues.

    All of SOLL?s leisure centres can guarantee safe, creative and energetic activities available for children aged between four and 11. CampSOLL services and staff are all Ofsted registered and each centre offers either full day camps or one to two hour sessions.

    Here are just some of the CampSOLL activities your tearaways can get their teeth into over this year?s Easter hols:

  • New ‘Fire Gateway’ To Fire Prevention Advice

    PEOPLE who want to contact their local fire service to ask a question or request a home fire safety assessment, will now find that it?s just a click away with the launch of the Fire Gateway website – www.fire.gov.uk
    This one-stop shop, supported by Oxfordshire County Council?s Fire and Rescue Service, will enable residents to submit online requests for help and provide them with information to prevent fires and save lives.

    The service is not intended to deal with requests for emergency services, which should still be made by dialling 999 and asking for ?Fire?.

    What benefits does the new service provide?
    The Fire Gateway – www.fire.gov.uk – which can also be accessed from the county council’s own website – www.oxfordshire.gov.uk/fireandrescueservice allows users to: