Author: Sonja Francis

AS the temperature in Oxfordshire rose to a record-breaking 34.5 C degrees (that’s 94.1 F) today, bubbling bitumen is causing problems for drivers, trains are having to slow down because of buckling rails and Thame Fire fighters are having to cope with heat-related incidents in uniforms and protective clothing that makes their job all the more uncomfortable and hazardous because of the weather.
Yesterday, they were called out to a serious stubble fire in Judds Lane, Tetsworth, which was attended by seven pumps, water carriers and other fire-fighting vehicles. The fire fighters were on site until 10am this morning dampening down and preventing the fire from getting through hedgerows to adjacent fields of standing crops.
The fire is thought to have been started by a bonfire on land next to the farm.
Thame’s Chief Fire Officer, Andy Ford told ThameNews.Net:”I have never seen the ground so dry. Cracks in the ground on farm land are 2″ wide and up to 10″ deep in places. It is so dry that fire is able to spread along the root system under ground and we are having to dig to extinguish it.”

Later yesterday, Andy and his fellow officers put out a car fire in Wykeham Road, Thame, caused by a faulty battery and from there were called out to deal with a gas storage tank in Towersey that was leaking dangerously because of the high temperatures.

Andy Ford warned: “We would ask everyone to take extra care in these conditions and refrain from lighting bonfires. It takes very little to start a fire in these tinder dry conditions. Field fires travel extremely fast – I have seen fires spread faster than you can run!”
He warned that under the “Dangerous Acts and Occurances” regulations, anyone can be prosecuted for causing a fire in this way.

As many schools in the county are closing because of the heat, Lord Williams’ school in Thame are providing fans and re-rooming classes where necessary. The school has no plans to close at the moment.

THE staff of the Pied Pedaller toy store in Thame, are upset that they have not been kept informed about a proposal to convert the shop into a new library.
The store Manager, Anne James, told ThameNews.Net:”We did not even know about the public meeting last Tuesday, which I understand was attended only by councillors and other groups with a vested interest. It seems as though there was no one to speak for the ordinary people of Thame.
“Since the meeting, I have been interrogated by my staff, who had heard that some action was expected by the end of the year, and feared that they would be out of a job by Christmas.
“Customers have been coming in and saying, ‘You’re not going are you?’.
“Pied Pedaller is an asset to Thame; we bring in a lot of trade from places like Aylesbury and we just can’t see why it is thought that this building would make a good library, when there are other, better sites like the old Rycotewood college or the Cattlemarket.
“A library these days has to have things like access for disabled people; it would cost a fortune to convert this place which has all sorts of problems, including regularly blocked drains. Surely it would be better to have a proper, purpose-build library?
“To my mind, the Cattlemarket would be the perfect place, being right in the centre of Thame, next to the Lea Park estate.”

The County Librarian for Oxfordshire County Council, has stated that the council is only at the point of looking into the feasibility of the Pied Pedaller as a library and no decision has been made.

A Thame gardening group, which raises money to make the town look attractive with flower beds and roadside planting, are hoping for the best, after vandals trampled on and completely uprooted around 100 geraniums.
The plants, which were in a flower bed near the Cattlemarket, Thame, were damaged sometime overnight between Wednesday, July 12 and the following morning.
The devastation was discovered by Thame In Bloom member, Tony Buggins, when he went to buy his daily paper at 6am on the Thursday morning.
There was a trail of destruction leading right across North Street and through the Waitrose car park and Mr Buggins did what he could to gather them up and re-plant some of them straight away.
Mavis Ayres, Thame In Bloom’s Vice Chair, told ThameNews.Net: “We had a similar problem last year when someone appeared to have danced on the bed, and they did recover. However, this latest episode is much more serious. The hot weather is not doing them any good although the council workmen are giving them a drop of water. We shall just have to wait and see whether the damaged plants will re-root and hope for the best.”

Thame In Bloom receives a small grant from Thame Town Council and raise other money from plant sales at events like the Thame In Bloom Childrens’ Art Competition.

Thame Town Council is appealing on its website to the public to help stamp out this criminal behaviour.
It states: “YOUR HELP IS NEEDED TO STOP THIS THOUGHTLESS DAMAGE”

Anyone who sees or hears vandalism taking place should dial 999. IF THE DAMAGE HAS ALREADY BEEN DONE CALL 0845 8 505 505.

A MAN has appeared in court charged with the murder of Thame photographer, Richard Flippance and a woman friend of his.
The two bodies were found after a fire at her home in Northamptonshire, in April.
Alex Marshall, 36, of Irchester Road, Rushden, the estranged husband of Mrs Marshall, appeared at Northampton Crown Court charged with their murder.

The case on Friday was adjourned for a further hearing and Mr Marshall was remanded in custody.

The body of Mr Flippance, from Thame in Oxfordshire, was found in the bungalow as firefighters tackled a blaze at the house.

Mrs Marshall, sister of the millionaire Carphone Warehouse co-founder David Ross, was found dead on the floor of what had been a bedroom, some hours after the fire started.

Dental records were used to identify the mother of one.

Post-mortem tests revealed both victims died from stab wounds.

THE WRVS, working with the County Council?s emergency planners, came to the rescue yesterday when Thame Hospital?s hot water system failed.
The primary care trust telephoned John Kelly of Oxfordshire County Council?s emergency planning team just after 4pm to ask for help. He contacted the WRVS who are signed up as volunteer responders with the council.

Just after 5pm, the WRVS had delivered three water boilers to the hospital meaning that patients did not have to be moved.

Stuart Townsend, Head of Operations and Facilities at The Vale of Aylesbury Primary Care Trust, which manages Thame Community Hospital, was at the hospital during the crisis and told ThameNews.Net:”The course of action we took meant that patients did not have to be moved 20 miles up the road to Buckingham hospital, which was our back-up plan.
“The breakdown of the boiler, which came rather abruptly to the end of its useful life, has not effected washing dishes, bed pans, clothes and bed linen etc.; it has just meant that we have had no hot water coming out of the taps for bathing our patients.
“A new boiler has been delivered today and contractors will be on site on Monday morning to install it.
“In the meantime, we will have eight in-patients over the weekend and will be closed to further admissions during that time.”

John Kelly, Emergency Planning Officer for the county council, said: “Our excellent links with the WRVS came into play when the local manager was able to arrange the delivery of these boilers at short notice from her mobile phone on the way back from a meeting in Winchester.
“The WRVS forms an invaluable part of our volunteer response and their quick action will have assisted the hospital greatly.”

WARNING to householders as weather continues to improve ? As temperatures continue to rise as we move into summer, the police are asking residents to be vigilant because burglars will be on the look-out for easy pickings.

In warmer weather there is always the temptation to leave windows open and let fresh air into your house. However, this can offer a perfect invitation for opportunist thieves and they can strike even when you are at home, either asleep, in the bath or in the driveway washing your car.

The warning comes after a number of burglaries across the region where thieves have gained entry to homes through insecure doors and windows.

Most burglars are opportunist thieves and break into people?s homes on the spur of the moment through unlocked doors and windows ? even if you are in the garden.

Before you turn in at night, make sure your home is secure. Keep doors locked and make sure you know where the keys are. Close and lock particularly ground foor windows or they could easily be targeted by opportunist thieves. Get a house alarm.

Burglary is frequently linked to drugs, so offenders are looking for a quick steal ? a laptop in full view in a house with the window open is just asking for trouble. Keeping curtains drawn is good for hiding your valuables and makes your property less of a target.

To avoid becoming a victim of the opportunist burglar follow these easy home security steps.

? Lock up – Make sure all doors and windows have locks and are kept locked when you are not in the room, overnight or if you leave the house. Burglaries often happen on the spur of the moment through unlocked doors and windows. An offender may try and keep you talking at the front door while the accomplice comes in through the back door. If you want doors or windows open during the day, fit chains on the doors and restrictors on the windows ? but keep your eyes and ears alert for any suspicious signs of intruder entry.

? Don?t show it off – Make sure your TV, computer, DVD player and other valuables such as purses and wallets cannot easily be seen from the window. Never leave laptops out ? they must always be locked away. Security mark all your property and display signs to say you have done this. Kits can easily be purchased and cost very little. Do not keep cash in the house.

? Keep keys safe – Don?t leave keys, especially car keys, lying around. Make sure they are in a safe place and out of sight of doors and windows ? burglars can ?fish? for keys through letterboxes, windows and cat-flaps etc.

? Are you insured? At least cover your most valuable items.

For more crime prevention advice, visit www.thamesvalley.police.uk/crime-reduction.
If you would like to speak to your local Crime Reduction Advisor please contact Thames Valley Police on 0845 8 505 505.

Photo: Courtesy of Cambridge Students Union

AS the heatwave and water shortage continues, there is loads of advice on how to beat the drought, including handy hints on looking after the garden during the hosepipe ban.
See: Web link