A NEW collection of photographs of Thame and other Oxfordshire places of interest is available to view or buy, on the county council’s website.
Some of those of Thame, known as the Packer Collection, includes shots taken in the 1940s of Priest End, Thame High Street and the Spread Eagle.
Take a look on:Link
Photo By: Thame High Street By Henry W Taunt, – Courtesy of The Heritage Collection, Oxfordshire County Council.
OXFORDSHIRE County Council has welcomed the government?s blueprint for the future of local government, and today issued the following statement:
“Oxfordshire County Council has welcomed a government blueprint setting out the future of local government in England that calls for councils to work ever more closely with the communities they represent.
“Councillor Keith Mitchell, the leader of the council, said: ?This White Paper appears to be making the right noises about local decisions being better than national decisions. It certainly seems to be a step in the right direction.
“If it means we can get on with the job of delivering better quality services to the people of Oxfordshire through working more closely with our district council colleagues that?s got to be good. We must all engage more because local services need to orbit around local communities rather than the other way around.
“Our aim has long been to work better with our five district councils and find imaginative ways of doing that. Value for money, efficiency and high quality services must be the aim of everyone. Complacency is not an option.”
“The White Paper also proposes more mayors, and powers for councils to bring in bylaws without government permission, but it does not call for widespread changes to local government structures across England and Wales.
“Instead it says councils ‘may seek’ to restructure local government in shire counties if that is the best option. Oxford is one of four historic cities ? the others are Norwich, Ipswich and Exeter – that have expressed a wish to achieve unitary council status in preference to the current two-tier structure.
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THAME Twinning Association is holding a Race Night with a difference, which promises to be fun and hopefully profitable for both the group and the punters.
The ‘runners’ are real, wooden horses on casters, which the ‘jockies’ wind in on a wooden baton.
Intriqued? Then visit the association’s website to find out more and book tickets- the price includes a very English supper of fish and chips.
Royal Ascot style, there will be a prize for the best hat!
The ‘course de chevaux’ will be the Thame Barns Centre, on November 17, and as well as great entertainment, the ticket price includes a very English fish and chip supper.
THAME based band Mungo will shortly be shooting their promo video for their Christmas single “Comfort and Joy,” to be released on Crash Records in December.
The video shoot will take place at The Social, North Street, Thame, and if you would like to be an extra in the party scene, go along at around 5 pm on Sunday, October 29, dressed in punk gear or Christmas attire.
If you would like to be part of a cheesy air guitar scene, take along either a guitar, blow up guitar or a badminton racket!
The single is a punked up version of the traditional Christmas carol, God Rest Ye Merry Gentleman, and will be called “Comfort and Joy” and is already getting rave reviews.
If you would like more information then either email Crash Records at
info@crash-records.co.uk or phone Mungo on 01844 212338.
THE POLICE are appealing for witnesses following a fatal collision on Chinnor Road, in Kingston Blount near Chinnor, at around 7.40am yesterday morning (24/20).
An elderly female pedestrian, walking two dogs, was in collision with a motorcycle in the village as the road goes to a 30 limit.
The woman woman died at the scene of the accident and the motorcyclist, a man in his thirties, was taken to the JR2 hospital in Oxford with minor injuries.
One dog died at the scene and the other is being treated for serious leg injuries.
The road was closed for four hours while emergency services worked at the scene.
PC Naomi Gardiner of Abingdon Roads Policing, said: “If you witnessed the collision please contact me so that we can establish exactly what happened.”
Contact PC Gardiner via 0845 8 505 505. If you do not wish to speak to police or give your name you can contact the Crimestoppers charity on 0800 555 111.
THE man behind a proposal to relocate Thame’s cattle market to the Thame Show ground, said last night that he was “gob-smacked” by Thame Town Council’s decision to recommend refusal of the plan.
Mr Bob Williams, who is a Director of both the cattle market and the Thame Show, as well as of the applicant company, was speaking after a special meeting of the town council’s Planning committee last night, to hear Mr Williams’ presentation and other speakers who wished to make their views known on the proposal.
Mr Williams’s stated main reasons for the necessity of moving the cattle market were:-
* That the current site is too small for the necessary changes needed for new, statutory bio-security measures, pollution control, animal welfare and other necessary investment and enhancements to tackle new challenges to the farming industry.
* That, because of the short lease remaining on the current site (15 years), there is no security of tenure for the market.
* That the future of the Thame Show, which is currently weather dependent, would be strengthenend if it could gain income from enhanced usage of the site.
* Reduced service costs for both organisations if the site is shared.
* That the proposal would help ensure that Thame, as a market town, continues to flourish in the future.
He claimed that current planning and sustainability of agricultural economies policies supported the proposal and that he has the backing of the farming community.
Mr James (Chubb) Castle, representing owners of land in Oxford Road and Rycote Lane, told the meeting that his group were strongly in favour of the construction of a new market but felt that their proposed site in Rycote Lane, adjoining the new Ford Garage: “.. would be more suitable, and could keep the market site in the ownership of SODC as guarantor of the facility when built.”
Mr Chubb maintained that landscape, local amenity and transport and highways factors make the proposed site unsuitable.
Mr Bob Hewitt told the meeting that traffic counts and other highways studies had shown that the 50-60 more vehicles during the peak time in the mornings, would not make any significant difference to waiting times at Cromwell Road’s junctions with the A4125 by-pass road.(Both Cllrs Donald Butler and Nigel Champken-Woods expressed concerns about Lea Park residents who currently have difficulty in getting on to the by pass in the morning rush hour.)
Cllr David Laver said that he was convinced by a need for the long-term survival of both the Thame show and the cattle market, and that he did not think the proposed relocation would change Thame as a market town.
Mr Darren Baker, speaking on behalf of Cmag, the Cattle Market Action Group, said that his organisation was broadly in favour of the proposals, although they had some reservations because there were no detailed plans available. He urged the council to take this opportunity to look at the community needs of the town, whose population had grown but where community facilities had decreased.
The committee voted four to three, against the application with several abstentions.
The plan will shortly go to the local planning authority, South Oxfordshire District Council, for consideration.
ON November 4, there is to be a Thame Christmas Charities Fair at Thame town hall.
Do your Christmas shopping and support local charities between 10.30am and 1.30pm.
THAME town council’s planning committee will be considering a planning application to relocate the town’s cattle market and associated proposals, at a special meeting tonight. (Enter ‘cattle market’ in Search for all news stories relating to this subject)
The meeting, which is open to the public, will be at 6.30pm in the council chamber.
The application has been submitted by R G Williams Ltd, and includes the development of an agricultural business centre, car parking and a new access to the Thame Show Ground in Kingsey Road, Thame.
This application has caused much interest in the town, particularly by those hoping that some sort of new community facility might be built on the cattle market site, if it were to be vacated.
POLICE Officers, Police Community Support Officers and Local Crime Reduction Advisors in Thame have been working closely with local schools and shops to ensure a happy and peaceful Halloween.
To reinforce all the activities that have been taking place in preparation for Halloween on October 31, there will be a number of dedicated officers on duty to respond to calls from the public that relate to Halloween.
Neighbours are asked to look out for elderly or vulnerable residents in their area, to reassure them at this time of year and to make sure that they know who to contact if they feel threatened or vulnerable.
Any one experiencing problems on Halloween evening should call Thames Valley Police on 08458 505 505 or in an emergency, dial 999.
‘No Trick or Treat’ Cards to display in windows are available from your local police station.
Saturday 2 December 2006
BRITISH SIGN LANGUAGE ? CHRISTMAS CAROL.
An opportunity to brush up on current or old signing skills in a fun and relaxing day by signing a
Christmas carol in a group. Cost