Thame.net

Author: Sonja Francis

  • Wilber Through To Folk Finals

    THAME’S young folk phenomenon, Wilber Seers, has got through to the final six of this year’s Young Folk Awards after a very tough competition at the Semi-final Audition Concert in Stratford upon Avon on October 14.
    Wilber will perform in the Final Concert on December 1, at Union Chapel, Islington, London where one of the six will be awarded the prestigious prize of BBC Radio 2 Young Folk Award Winner 2007. Highlights of the Final will be broadcast on the Mike Harding Show on Radio 2, on Wednesday 13 December 2006.

    To reach the Final, these six acts spent the weekend along with the other Semi-finalists learning the tricks of the trade from professional artists Robert Harbron and Eliza Carthy. Entrants also had workshops in stagecraft, technical and legal issues in the music industry.

    In the Audition Concert on Saturday night, the Semi-finalists performed in front of a crowd of over 300 where judges selected the six Finalists.

    ?This whole concert would not look out of place in a Festival programme. The standard of all the Semi-finalists was better than it has ever been? Steve Heap, Mrs Casey Music.

    ?All Semi-finalists should be extremely proud of their performance in the concert. The judges had a very hard job in deciding the final six acts,? said John Leonard, Smooth Operations.

  • Waste Czar To Help Small Businesses

    SMALL businesses in Oxfordshire are being offered help to cut down on waste and save money.
    They are being encouraged to ignore national reports that claim they are the least likely to take up the offer of help in reducing the amount of waste they produce.
    The British Standards Institute has been reported as saying that small companies are the most likely to regard such innovations as an extra cost and a burden.

    Oxfordshire County Councils however has stated that: “National statistics show that, among all businesses – large and small, it is those who have the most environmentally friendly policies who also have the best results in terms of success and profits.”

    The council claims that it is the only county council in the country to have a dedicated commercial waste reduction officer, Daniel Dempsey.

    He said: “We recognise that it?s sometimes difficult for small businesses to take advantage of the efficiency savings to be made from going green.
    “It is my job to help businesses save money through waste reduction. Oxfordshire’s business community contains many small and medium sized businesses who do not always qualify for government grants and audits provided by central government and its agents. That?s why we offer free quick and easy, on site waste audits to all of Oxfordshire?s businesses.”

    Tom Sherifi, Environmental Officer at W Lucy & Co, an electrical switch manufacturer employing over 200 people and beneficiary of Oxfordshire County Council?s waste reduction services said:
    “Oxfordshire County Council have been a great source of help in reducing waste, saving money and ultimately increasing efficiency throughout the company.”

    For more information contact Daniel Dempsey 01865 815959 / Daniel.dempsey@oxfordshire.gov.uk

  • Young Thame Musician On BBC Radio This Evening

    A THAME teenager, who has reached the semi-finals in a national music competition, is to feature on national radio this evening.

    Fifteen year-old Wilber Sears, a pupil at Lord Williams’s school in Thame, has reached the top 12 in this year’s BBC Young Folk Awards competition, and as a result, will be featured on Folk guru, Mike Harding’s programme at 8pm, on BBC Radio2, this evening.

    Link
     to radio station

  • ‘Cruel Luck’ For Changed Thame Side

    Match Report: MILTON UNITED 2 THAME UNITED 1 – Monday, October 16.

    FOLLOWING the heavy defeat against Witney United on Saturday, Thame United made a number of changes to the side for the game against fellow Hellenic League Premier Division Club, Milton United, in the Floodlit Cup on Monday evening.
    Mark Bell, Luke Ricketts and Tony Weaver were all promoted from the Reserve side, with Mark going straight in to the side at centre back and Luke and Tony on the bench.

    The game got off to a bad start for Thame when Milton United opened the scoring in the first five minutes from Darren Howell. However, as a pre-cursor to their performance in the rest of the game, the Thame United side showed great commitment and effort to pull themselves level 10 minutes later. Sion Kitson punished Milton when the goalkeeper collected a back pass to drive the ball powerfully in to the corner of the net from the resultant free kick.

    The remainder of the first half and the first twenty minutes of the second half saw both sides attack without breaking down the opposition defence, despite numerous dangerous crosses in to the Milton box from the flank.
    The turning point of the game came with twenty minutes to go when Thame right back Dave Hocking was given a red card for two bookable offences, the second of which saw him carried off the field.
    With Thame down to 10 men, Milton pressed for the winner. However, just when it seemed that Thame would take the tie in to extra time, in the ninth minute of injury time, Paul Searl was unable to hold a powerful drive from Vince Rusher and the ball rebounded to substitute Danny Kirby to finish from close range.

    It was cruel luck for a Thame side who put in as good a team-based and committed performance as they had done all season. Particularly impressive were debutant Mark Bell, who dealt with everything thrown at him by Milton, and his defensive colleagues Chris Watkins and Sion Kitson.

    Thame travel to mid-table Chipping Norton Town on Saturday.

    Thame United line up:
    Searl, Watkins, Hocking, Bell, Kitson, Connelly, Jack, Miller (Ricketts), Jackson, Reading (T Weaver), J Weaver

  • Boris Pledges Supports For Climate Change Inclusion In Queen’s Speech

    FOLLOWING a recent public meeting, at which Thame and Chinnor Friends of the Earth urged Boris Johnson to support a Climate Change Bill, the MP has written to the the group.
    Thame and Chinnor FOE have achieved the aim of the National Body – ‘The Big Ask’ – to persuade their local MP to ask for a Climate Change Bill to be included in the next Queen’s Speech, which outlines the government’s legislative plans for the coming Parliament.
    In his letter to Thame & Chinnor Friends of the Earth, Boris says that he has now written to Tony Blair urging him to put a climate change bill in the Queen’s speech.

    A climate change bill, which could see regular targets put in place to cut UK carbon dioxide emissions, is apparently being considered by the government.

    NB Sustainable Wallingford has arranged for ‘An Inconvenient Truth’ to be shown at the Corn Exchange on Sunday 5th and Monday 6th Nov, starting at 7.30. It should finish about 9.15 and will be followed by a discussion for those interested (Sunday night only). Normal cinema admission ticket prices of

  • November Gardening News Letter

    IT’S another beautiful day and I am just wondering how much longer we can enjoy this Indian summer? Rain is forecast for later this week. This can only be a good thing with the number of plantings I am doing at the moment!
    By the way, the bulbs are delayed. My supplier is having problems with the tulips. Don?t worry – as soon as they arrive I shall be sending teams out to
    plant them. We still have plenty of time.
    I am keeping very busy and have some really lovely jobs on.
    Whether a coincidence or not, I was contacted by a developer last week who builds only ?very prestigious? homes in South Bucks,Hertfordshire and Derbyshire. I have a meeting with him tomorrow to discuss designing his show homes and possibly for
    individual buyers. This could be very exciting and might even lead to me entering the New Homes Garden Awards next year.
    One of my clients, Clive and Caroline, sent me some great photos of their recently completed garden and I have sent these off to the developer who built their house in the hope that he might like to use my services on future developments. I?ll keep you
    posted.
    It?s been great fun these last few weekends to actually get down to re-designing the borders in my own garden. I was so inspired at a recent seminar that I have decided to experiment with a few
    varieties I am not so familiar with. I have planted the giant Eupatorium purpureum ?Atropurpurem?. This reaches over 2m and has wonderful purple stems and pink flowers. Persicaria polymorpha is another beast, very vigorous with lovely white flowers. I have mixed these with Verbena bonariensis (still the designer?s favourite plant) and black and pale blue Irises. These
    are flanked with Molina caerulea ?Transparent? which has to be my favourite grass. It is so delicate and reaches a height of nearly 2m. In a few weeks? time it will gradually change colour to the
    most wonderful oaty/orange mix and give so much for weeks to come.
    NOTE: We have been experiencing technical difficulties with my website. If anyone has tried to reach me via the ?Contact? page, do please try again, or give me a call. We think it has been out of order since May!!

    SEASONAL RECIPE
    Roast Pumpkin Soup
    I medium pumpkin Olive Oil
    1 litre chicken or vegetable stock 5 cloves of garlic
    Salt and Black Pepper Curry powder
    Cut the pumpkin in half and remove the pips. Chop into chunks, skin and all. Put into a large roasting tin and drizzle the oil over them. Crush the garlic cloves, leaving the skin on and add to the pan. I usually mix it all up with my hands at this stage.
    Bake in the over for about 40 minutes (Gas 5/Elec. 190), turning a
    couple of times. When they are tender, scrape the flesh from the skin and squeeze out the flesh from the garlic. Add this and the curry powder to the stock and then liquidise until you have a soft
    smooth consistency.
    If you can?t get pumpkin, you could always use another form of squash.

    SEASONAL TIPS
    We are doing a lot of splitting of perennials this month. The beauty is you get ?free? plants to infill any gaps and the parent plant will benefit. It is also a good time to move plants ? they may have become overcrowded or you may feel like a change.
    This is also a good month for taking hardwood cuttings of shrubs. By now (November) the soft summer growth has become woodier.

    Evergreens
    Take 20 ?30cm cuttings from stems that are about the size of a pencil. Cut just below a leaf node at an angle. Remove any leaves. Root into pots filled with multi-purpose compost and grit and place in a cold frame or cold greenhouse. Sink two thirds of
    the cutting into the compost and leave a third above.

    Deciduous
    These can be put into the open ground. Dig a v-shaped trench, with one side of it vertical. Put some grit in the bottom of the trench to help with drainage. Line the cuttings along the vertical side and infill with soil. With any luck you will have new shrubs
    for next autumn.

    Despite the mild weather we do need to think about what isaround the corner.
    ?Don?t forget the birds. Fill up feeders and make sure
    there is fresh water for them.
    ?Insulate terracotta pots with bubble wrap and buy some ?feet?. This really does help against frosts. Frozen compost can kill.
    ?If you have planted or potted up plants such as Astelia or Phormium this year I would recommend you protect them against frost. Stuff straw in and around the leaves and cover in fleece. This does not look attractive, but it is worthwhile particularly if they are only recently planted.
    Fleece is available at most garden centres and I buy the straw from the pet shop.
    ?If you have bay trees, it is a good idea to insulate the trunks with foam lagging ? available from DIY stores.
    ?Lag outdoor taps, or turn off at the mains.
    ?Clear leaves from paths, drains etc., and save to use as a mulch.

    VEGETABLE & FRUIT GARDEN
    You can sow broad beans this month ? do check the seed packets for the right varieties ?Aquadulce? is one I have used in the past.
    Protect cauliflower heads from frost, by tying in their leaves across them and root crops by spreading straw around the stems.
    Plant autumn onion sets and garlic provided the ground is not too wet.

    Prune Redcurrants and gooseberries. Cut back this year?s growth by half and any shoots that are in the centre of the bush.
    Prune blackcurrants. Take anything out that is diseased or weak.
    Remove anything that is looking darker in colour ? these are shoots that are likely to be older.
    Rhubarb can be split. Plant the cuttings into rich soil and well-rotted compost. Cover the crowns with straw and an up-turned pot to force an earlier crop.
    If you are on clay soil ? dig over any bare patches in the garden and in the vegetable patch ? the frost helps break it down.

    GREENHOUSE
    Check the heating system. If you want to protect seedlings without using heat, attach bubble wrap to the glass to conserve as much heat as possible.
    Pot up lettuces sown in September, or plant them in growbags.
    Stop watering succulents and only water other plants sparingly, avoiding wetting the leaves.
    Ventilate on sunny days and close it up by 1.00pm to conserve the heat.

    INTERESTING BITS
    If you have problems with squirrels digging up your bulbs there is a product called STOPPIT. These are made from renewable willow in a hoop design and act as a barrier. Available from www.peppermintgarden.com / 020 8399 5777 and cost

  • Tennis Finals Day Double For Fiona (Contributed)

    THAME Tennis Club held its annual Finals Day recently, when again there were some notable achievements, with the high standard of play being appreciated by a very large viewing crowd.
    In the Men?s Singles, Jack Groves secured his first title at the club by defeating a previous multiple winner, Doug Struthers 7-5 6-3 in a closely fought match played to an exceptionally high standard.

    Fiona Pidgeon (in what turned out to be a busy afternoon for her) then went on to win the Ladies? Singles title by defeating a previous champion Clare Carder also by the score of 7-5 6-3.

    After facing a flying start from their opponents, Mark Ashworth and Lee Wright ultimately prevailed in the Men?s Doubles to win their third successive title by defeating Richard Bradley and Neil Morgan, again by the score of 7-5 6-3.

    In her second Final of the afternoon, Fiona Pidgeon successfully partnered her Singles opponent, Clare Carder, to win the Ladies Doubles title by defeating Terry Merry and Dawn Munro in a closely fought match that went to three sets 6-2 3-6 6-1.

    Appearing also in the Mixed Doubles Final, Fiona narrowly missed out on a historic clean sweep when she and her partner Nick Belcher slipped to defeat against Jenny McLeod and Steve Nannery by the score of 6-4 6-4.

    Joel Morris (who also had a busy afternoon) firstly won the Boy?s Under 15 title by defeating Josh Batty 6-0 6-1.
    He then went on to display his phenomenal talent by taking on Mark Wilkins in the Boy?s Under 18 Final and winning the first set 7-5. Mark?s experience eventually told as he then went on to win the next two sets 7-5 6-0 and thereby retain the title that he won last year.

    Louise Wilkins then completed another successful afternoon for the Wilkins family by also retaining her title when she defeated Hannah Clark 6-1 6-2 in the Girl?s Under 18 final.

    Earlier, Thomas Worthington prevailed over Max Schmidt to win the Under 12 title.

    The Autumn/Winter season is now under way at the club with special membership subscription rates available. For more details, please call Aidan Coles on 01844-238900.

  • Gas Scare Mystery In Long Crendon

    TWO residents of Long Crendon were taken to hospital ealier today after two fire engines from the town attended a reported gas leak.
    All surrounding properties were checked by British Gas but no faulty appliance or leak could be found.
    Whether the two people taken to hospital (whose own property, it is understood, has not been connected to the gas system for around three weeks) were suffering the ill effects of carbon monoxide or not, is not yet known.

  • Thame Residents Annoyed With Thames Water

    RESIDENTS in Thame say they are annoyed at the inaction of Thames Water, who have not turned up to carry out sewer improvement works.
    The work was due to begin yesterday but residents are concerned that inconvenient traffic restrictions have been put in place, yet the work has not been started.
    One resident, of Cedar Crescent, expressed her anger with the water company of Radio Oxford this afternoon.

    Follow Link
     to read full road closure order.

    NB It was announced yesterday that Thames Water has been sold to Kemble Water Limited, a consortium led an Australian bank for

  • Council Loses Compensation Claim

    SOUTH Oxfordshire district council is to seek permission to appeal against a High Court decision in which it lost a long-running claim for compensation against SITA UK.
    The case involved the premature termination of a six-year collection contract with SITA in 2001, for which the district council was seeking