Thame.net

Author: Sonja Francis

  • Cyclist Told Helmet Saved His Life

    A CYCLIST has been told he is lucky to be alive after colliding with a car. The cyclist and the neurologist whose car he hit are both warning other cyclists in Oxford their lives could depend on wearing a helmet.

    Oliver Adams was in a collision with a car at the junction of Banbury Road and Belbroughton Road on Thursday 15 March. The force threw him and his bike into the air and he hit, head first, a second car. By coincidence it belonged to Dr Sandeep Jayawant, a local neurologist.

    Mr Adams left a huge dent in Dr Jayawant?s Mercedes Benz and doctors and police have told him that if he had not been wearing a helmet he would certainly be dead. A week on he is still suffering from severe concussion and he wants this message to get across to other cyclists, especially the young.

    Photo: Thame youngsters undergoing cycle training with Cathy Gaulter-Carter.

  • Thame Pubs Pass The Test

    PUBS in Thame have been tested to see if they would serve alcohol to underage drinkers, and they refused to serve those who looked underage.
    A multi agency operation involving police, South Oxfordshire District Council and Trading Standards, took place to ensure pubs and off-licences across South Oxfordshire were not selling alcohol to under 18s.
    Both he Black Horse and Jimmy Figgs in Thame, passed the test which involved 14 to 16-year-olds who went into the premises and asked to be served alcohol. The licensees were not pre-warned but both insisted that ID was shown and refused to serve them any alcohol.

    Sgt Martin Jubb said: “We were very pleased with the outcome of this operation and I praise the pubs named, which passed the test with flying colours. It shows that Thame licensees are acting responsibly and are on board with us to help keep Thame a safe and pleasant place to go out in.
    “We are working hard with our partners to keep Thame safe and this operation is one way of clamping down on underage drinking and the associated issues that go with it.
    “Four out of six pubs in Didcot and Wallingford failed the test purchasing which shows that the two Thame pubs stand out as being responsible and well run establishments.
    “Quite apart from the health aspects of underage drinking, the results can cause problems for everyone else including vandalism and intimidation. A small minority of underage drinkers can have a serious impact on the rest of the community and we will continue to run these operations across South Oxfordshire and in Thame to ensure licensees continue to refuse underage drinkers.
    “I urge parents to ensure that they to not let their teenagers take alcohol from the house. If under 18?s cannot get hold of alcohol then the associated problems will be prevented.
    “I encourage licensees in Thame to keep up the good work and ?think 21?; if they look under 21 then ask for ID.”

    NB Thame police are currently mobilising more patrols on Friday and Saturday nights, when most of the problems associated with alcohol consumption happen in the town centre.

  • Thame Tennis Round Up (Contributed)

    TEAMS from Thame Tennis Club have been completing their winter league fixtures. In the Aylesbury League, the Ladies 1 team in Division 3, captained by Dawn Munro achieved an excellent win of 7.5 sets to 0.5 sets at home to Haddenham II.
    For their final match of the season, played in extremely windy conditions at home to Wendover, the team secured a draw of 4 sets all (Team: A Gornall, J McCleod, C Carder, and R Suter). The Mixed Doubles team were away to Cublington. Having been comprehensively beaten by them earlier in the season, Thame put in a vastly improved performance missing out on the match by a much closer margin of 3.5 sets to 4.5 sets. 1st pair, Lyn and Adrian Broadway, took a set and a half against the hosts 2nd pair, but lost to their 1st pair 1-6, 4-6. It was a similar story for 2nd pair John Ansell (c) and Terri Merry who took 2 sets in their first match 6-4, 6-3, but again could not overcome Cublington?s 1st pair, losing 4-6, 3-6.

    Meanwhile, in the Thames Valley League, the Ladies team have played their final 2 matches. In their penultimate match at home to Mapledurham 2nd, team captain Ann Gornall and Jenny McCleod halved with the visitors? 2nd pair 1-6, 6-3 and lost a tie beak against their 1st pair 6-8, before going on to win the final set 6-3. Ann Green and Beryl Plater were unable to overcome either pair, losing both matches 1-6, 2-6. The team completed their season with a home loss against Witney 2nd of 3 sets to 5.

    Thame Tennis Club will be holding its annual Open Day on Sunday April 15 to which all are welcome. There will also be an Open Afternoon for junior players and a general Open Evening on Tuesday April 17. For further details please call Aidan Coles on 01844 238900.

  • Oxfordshire Highways Vehicles Go Green

    OXFORDSHIRE Highways is set to have 60 of the vehicles that help clean and repair roads running on environmentally-friendly biofuels by the end of the year.

    Already there are eight gully cleaners and seven other vehicles running on alternative fuels which are made by processing resources such as corn, sugar, and soya and palm oil.

    Oxfordshire Highways is made up of Oxfordshire County Council and contractors Accord and Jacobs.
    The intention is to reduce Oxfordshire Highways’ carbon footprint. (Carbon footprinting is a way of measuring how much carbon we emit as individuals or organisations. Carbon dioxide is one of the greenhouse gases responsible for climate change.)

    Tests have already shown that the converted vehicles are 10p a gallon cheaper to run in terms of fuel consumption than diesel, and can cut vehicles emissions by over 80 per cent.

    Oxfordshire County Council has says that it has set aside a total of

  • An Evening Of Flamenco

    A REAL taste of Spain will be coming to Thame next Monday, March 26, when Rafael and Lola present an evening of Flamenco guitar, song and dance at the Players theatre in Nelson Street, Thame.
    The concert will begin at 8pm and tickets are available from Tickets Anywhere, Greyhound Walk, Thame; Call: 0871 2227232

  • New Bus Shelter To Be Built In Thame

    A NEW shelter is to be built at a bus stop in the Oxford Road, Thame, following a request to the town council by elderly residents who are forced to wait in a particularly cold and windy place.
    The shelter is to be build at the bus stop just before the entrance into Beech Road, and the Chiltern Vale estate.
    The bus stop will cost in the region of

  • Thame Councillors Luke Warm About Strengthening Their Role

    THAME’s town councillors, and their County Councillor seem unconcerned that an independent commission has found that nearly half of rural people do not believe that they can influence decisions, and that a quarter would not channel their views through their local councillor.
    At a meeting of Thame Town Council’s Policy and Resources committee recently, the committee was asked to consider taking part in an Enquiry into strengthening the role of rural councillors, to be carried out by the Commission for Rural Communities, an independent body set up after the 2006 Natural Environment and Rural Communities Act came into force.
    County Councillor, Nick Carter told the meeting:”This is just another trendy body set up by this government, that should be treated with circumspection and not touched with a long barge pole.”

    The Commission wants to hear from rural councils, parish clerks, community groups, local partnerships, council officials, business associations and anyone with ideas and experience they want to share eg:
    * examples where rural councillors are helping their community influence local decisions
    * the barriers and constraints that stand in the way of rural councillors doing more
    * why people sometimes chose other routes, such as charities or community groups to influence local decisions
    * what the role of councillors should be in the future and what’s needed to unlock that potential.

    See: Link
     for more information.

    The committee concluded that individual councillors could look up the details themselves on the Commission’s website if they wanted to.

  • Winning Streak Ends For Thame United

    LEAGUE MATCH 17/03/07 Slimbridge AFC 3, Thame United 0
    THAME’S run of five unbeaten games came to an end on Saturday at Slimbridge in Gloucestershire, at the hands of a team strongly fancied to win the title. Although second in the league at the moment, Slimbridge have plenty of games in hand and had comfortably beat Thame United?s ground sharing hosts, Wallingford, 4 ? 0 during the week.
    Despite facing gale force winds and being blinded by the low sun, Thame made a promising start and forced a corner in the first minute. The visitors still had Slimbridge under pressure when, after seven minutes, Slimbridge?s Joe Tustain broke through the Thame defence to score the first Slimbridge goal. From then on it was downhill for Thame with Goalkeeper Milan Barisic forced to make several fine saves during a period of heavy pressure.
    On 33 minutes, Craig Cole scored Slimbridge?s second goal from a goalmouth scramble following a corner. In the dying seconds of the first half, Matt Green put the ball in the back of the Thame net to send the visitors in at half time three nil down.

    In the second half, playing with the wind and sun in their favour, Thame were a different side and dominated the game. With a comfortable lead, Slimbridge were content to defend and this time it was the turn of the Slimbridge goalkeeper to take the pressure but, despite hitting the post and crossbar and forcing many fine saves, Thame were unable to get the elusive goal. Frustration showed and both Robbie Eason and Ben Connelly were booked for dissent, Ben Connelly taking a second yellow card, and being sent off with less than ten seconds of the game to go.

    Thame United: Barisic, Ansell, Hocking, Boult (Captain), Eason, Matt Higgs, Connelly, Rhodes, Jack, Da Silva, Graves (Luke Rickets)

    Thame are at home at Wallingford?s Hithercroft Stadium next Saturday (24th March) against Shortwood United.(K.O. 3.00)

  • New Future For Thame United? (Contributed)

    CREATING A COMMUNITY FOOTBALL CLUB FOR THAME – A NEW FUTURE FOR ONE OF OXFORDSHIRE?S OLDEST CLUBS
    PLANS to create a high quality new home for football in Thame are being launched at the Town Hall on March 23 ? 24.
    Developed by the recently formed Thame Football Partnership, the new strategy will bring together Thame United FC, Thames Boys and Girls FC and other footballing interests in the town to create a community football club on a single site in the town.
    In creating the strategy, Thame Football Partnership is drawing on support from Sports Solutions, a leading national specialist in sports club development.
    Work has begun in developing financial plans and identifying potential sites locally. Vital capital funding will be available for this project when planning permission is forthcoming for the residential redevelopment of Thame United FC?s former ground at Windmill Road.
    The development plans will be on view in the Upper Chamber at Thame Town Hall from 2pm-8pm on March 23, and 10am-2pm on March 24. The plans include providing training and recreational facilities together with an artificial, all weather pitch which will maximise the playing time possible at the new ground.
    This new centre will provide a much needed home ground for Thame United FC, one of Oxfordshire?s oldest football clubs, established over 100 years ago as well as a home and training facilities for the highly successful Thame Boys and Girls FC, which comprises over 350 children from under-7 level onwards.
    Representatives of the Thame Football Partnership will be joined by Fraser Digby of Sports Solutions in manning the exhibition, and answering questions from local people.
    Jake Collinge, chairman of Thame United FC, said: “We are determined to create this valuable new resource for Thame. The new facilities will bring pleasure to hundreds of children playing with the Thame Boys and Girls FC team. Providing a much-needed home for Thame United FC will secure over a century of football heritage for this town.”
    Fraser Digby, Sports Solutions said:”Looking at this project from the vantage point of the many schemes that we are involved with across the UK, I believe that it is a sound plan, driven by a determined and recently appointed management board of the Thame Football Partnership.
    “I believe that this is a solid, sustainable project that deserves strong local support. I look forward to discussing the approach being taken with local people at the Thame Town Hall exhibition.”
    The exhibition will also give the opportunity for residents to view and comment on the draft plans from JG Land and Estates for the residential re-development of Windmill Road ? Thame United FC?s former home.

  • Fire At Scout Hut

    FOUR fire crews, including one from Thame, were called to a kitchen blaze at Long Crendon’s scout hut during the early hours today.
    It is not yet known when the building will re-open nor the cause of the fire.