Category: Business News

THE Brick Development Association (BDA) has announced its support of the Purple Frog Tube Challenge to be held on November 9, in aid of Sue Ryder Care. Their sponsorship of one of the teams trying to visit 270 London Underground stations in one day neatly brings together modern day fundraising challenges and Victorian underground brick architecture.

During the day, 10 teams will travel through the entire London Underground network exiting each and every station to take photos of the entrance as proof of check in. The Brick Development Agency will also be setting a secret challenge for their team to complete during the day. Let?s all hope it isn?t to count how many bricks were used in the entire tunnel network!
To see the progress of the teams on the day visit the challenge page LINK

The story of the London Underground began with Charles Pearson, the first in a succession of underground visionaries. It was he who first proposed the notion of ?trains in drains? in 1845, when the railway was a relatively new invention and his persistence helped persuade the House of Commons to approve a bill in 1853 to build a subterranean railway between Paddington and Farringdon. Excavation began in 1860, with a shallow trench dug and brick walls built beneath Euston Road and then covered over.

This became the initial route for the Metropolitan line and was instantly hailed a success, with 11.8 million passengers (the population of London was about 3.2 million) braving the foul, smoke-filled conditions in its first year. As the Metropolitan expanded westwards, it opened up new areas for Londoners to move to, and the overcrowded city slowly started to expand.
The success of the Metropolitan led to the building of the District Line along the Victoria Embankment, and then the creation of a Circle Line to link the two. The completion of the Circle Line marked the last of the sub-surface lines, built by the simple, cut-and-cover method. Advances in tunneling and the use of electrified rails now allowed for the building of deep-level lines that gave birth to the phrase ?tube? and allowed London?s network to really connect the dots beneath the capital.

If you wish to support the challenge you can donate by mobile : Text TUBE50

DESPITE the current economic challenges facing businesses, there are still entrepreneurs out there with the confidence and willingness to invest in Thame.

An established hair salon in Thame is about to get a make-over following a transfer of ownership to one of its employees.

The Cutting Rooms, in Thame’s Buttermarket, is, as new owner Erica Grace admits, looking a little old and tired, but she has a vision to transform the listed building “sympathetically and tastefully” as well as re-decorating the salon itself in black, white and grey.

Since taking over the business from Jenny Hamilton in September, Erica has been working with local printer, Adam Weston from printing.co at Grow Marketing, to redesign the Cutting Rooms appointment cards and price lists, and is currently working with website developer, DM Construction to redesign and transform the salon.

The Cutting Rooms is Erica’s first business venture though she has worked as a Freelance hairdresser, and with other salons in the Amersham and Chesham areas. She told Thamenews.Net: “I want to make this establishment a good, all-round salon, something that’s a bit different but affordable too. We want to attract the older client who still wants sets etc, as well as younger people who want more cutting edge styling. We therefore employ both young and more mature stylists so can cover everyone – including men in the Barber’s shop section of the salon.

“Some might say its a bit of a gamble starting your own business in the current climate, but I have the enthusiasm, support and total confidence in my staff that we can move this business forward.”

SMALL rural businesses and farms in South Oxfordshire and the Vale of White Horse areas are being invited to a special event for them to find out about support available to help them grow, and support their local economy.

The event is being held on Thursday, October 20, between 4.15pm and 6.30pm at Denman College, Marcham.

The Local Action Network Event will bring together rural businesses looking to develop projects which would provide a boost to the local area.

The event will give them an opportunity to find out about the Southern Oxfordshire LEADER Programme and the funding which is available, as well as hear about how the LEADER Programme has helped projects throughout the area.

The evening will provide details of how the scheme has already helped businesses in the area and guest speakers will be on hand to talk about how the funding has specifically helped their projects. Discussions will reflect on the programme?s activities since its launch in 2009, and the priorities for the funding that is still to be committed.

In 2009 the Southern Oxfordshire LEADER programme, a joint initiative involving South Oxfordshire and Vale of White Horse District Councils, was awarded

BOOKBINDING is a tradtional and rare skill these days, but Kew Bookbinding is celebrating five years of successful business in the town this month and will be the TAL (Thame Arts & Literature) festival’s official bookbinder.

Proprietor and Craft Bookbinder, Malcolm Kew, brought many business and personal customers with him when he moved to Thame in 2006 but he has also gained many more professional and private customers since moving the business to its current North Street location (conveniently opposite the new library. This has meant him taking on Mike, a rare and highly skilled professional toolmaker (also a certified Ford Mechanic and drag-racing champion!) as casual contractor to assist him when necessary.

Over the years Kew Bookbinding has welcomed visitors who have wanted demonstrations and has developed training courses for both beginners and more experienced customers. Malcolm Kew is usually happy to provide a cup of tea along with some serious conversation about a subject he is very passionate about!

Malcolm often works with bookbinders who specialise in different areas or who bind for a hobby. He is also gaining more customers as people skilled in his craft retire or get taken over. He seems to be one of the very few remaining in the country and for this reason, has customers from all over the UK and from abroad.

This year, as part of TAL?s Festival, Kew Bookbinding is opening up on Sunday as well as Saturday during that weekend, to offer all visitors the chance to benefit from a higher than average discount if they book services from Thursday, 13th to Sunday 16th of October.

Kew Bookbinding is also part of the Thame Loyalty Card and has recently begun to accept local business attracted by this offer.

Malcolm’s professional background is impressive. He was gold tooling expert and journeyman at the British Library for colleagues who were apprenticed after him in the 1970s and recently, one past student, now living in Canada, found him via Twitter and travelled over from Canada to see him again; that was a really great day! A Journeyman is a formal term for a professional trainer of apprentices at the British Library (formerly part of the British Museum) and Malcolm later trained apprentices at the prestigious Rothschild-owned bindery of Morrells in Covent Garden.

Malcolm and his wife Michele say that they feel very fortunate that the town has been so supportive of them and that they have forged so many links with local organisations and the community since setting up here.

PHOTO: By Frank Millar See website

THAME based Advertising and Marketing Agency Purple Frog has chosen an unusual way to help raise funds for the annual Sue Ryder, Big Wigs Business Challenge, with their 2011 Tube Challenge.

Purple Frog aims to raise

A TEA room in Thame that also offers TLC in the form of therapies and treatments, is celebrating its first year in the town by joining forces with a local Chef.

From last Saturday, October 1, this magical little tearoom will be run by Cordon Bleu Chef and Patisserie Goddess, Mary Ann Peregrine from Food Lover?s Kitchen.

Glorious nibbles and therapies were available all day on Saturday, and visitors to the celebrations were able to sit outside and bask in the late summer sunshine.

Mary Ann, whose past catering and patisserie trade clients included Harvey Nichols Food Halls, Liberty?s Dept Store, John Lewis, Wallace Collection and Kensington Olympia, will also cater for birthdays and weddings both on and off premises.

Cuddle My Soul is at 80 High Street, Thame, very close to the Museum and en route to the church and The Barns Centre.

Visit the Cuddle My Soul website to learn more about what is on offer.

ACCORDING to data obtained by the BBC, the number of empty shops in Thame up to June this year, was only three out of 117 – that’s 2.5% – the national shop vacancy rate is 14.3%.

The Data, released today by retail analysts, the Local Data Company, showed that Thame had the least empty shops in Oxfordshire, while Banbury had the most.

So why is the town managing to keep the town centre virtually free of empty retail space?

BBC Radio Oxford asked several Thame shoppers what they liked about Thame shops and you can hear their responses, and an interview with Sonja Francis of Thame4Business, on the BBC’s Listen Again facility here:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/p00jxldg/Phil_Gayle_08_09_2011/ Move the pointer along to 1:24:24 to catch the Thame spot in this mornings’s Breakfast programme with Phil Gayle.

THE following is the latest news for Oxfordshire businesses from OTCN (Oxfordshire Towns Chambers Network)including eventfocusing on trading with China and winning media coverage of your business.

Export or Import? Focus on China Event

We?re just about to announce the next stage of our Oxfordshire International Trade Forum with a new programme of events ? the first with a focus on China. If you export to or import from China or plan to, and would like to attend, please book 7-9.30am on Wednesday October 5th in your dairy and keep in touch with http://www.otcn.co.uk/internationaltrade/index.html for further details.

Broadband impact on your business?

The FSB in London are preparing a report on broadband for the government. They are asking for examples of businesses that have been affected by limited broadband services, such as slow broadband forcing them to relocate. If broadband is an issue in your business, it would be great to be able to get the information to our FSB colleagues to support the work they?re doing nationally to secure extra investment in services. Please contact Samantha.Barker@fsb.org.uk quoting OTCN UPdate

Winning media coverage

Our PR & Communications arm prbi (see www.prbi.co.uk) is supporting the on-air Oxfordshire business reports at 106JACKfm and the business news pages in The Oxford Journal and Oxfordshire Guardian newspapers. They?re both excellent platforms for Oxfordshire businesses to tell their great news stories. Please send them in to us via http://www.otcn.co.uk/business_news.htm

Events

There?s a great chance to see how your business could win from the London 2012 Games, at a free event this week. It?ll cover: how to win contracts associated with The Games, specific opportunities for the retail, hospitality and tourism sectors, ways to enter new markets overseas, plus maintaining productivity through The Games. It?s at the Holiday Inn, Peartree, Oxford from 8.30am on Tuesday September 6th with details at www.blseevents.co.uk

Our high profile speaker-networking event OxFocus returns this month with another top speaker. Marcelo Bravo, the founder of speciality pharmaceutical company Oxford Pharmascience, will focus on the challenges and opportunities for science and technology-led entrepreneurship. OxFocus is on Monday, September 12, at Oxford Science Park. You can listen to a preview podcast with Marcelo and book your place at: www.oxfocus.co.uk

Our good friend Dave Beesley has asked us to share this message with you: After the success of the last Oxfordshire Connections, why not come and join us for some great networking, a fantastic speaker and a welcome drink. We look forward to welcoming Kimberly Davis, ex-Apprentice star and creator of the ‘Marketing Purification’ concept. This promises to be an excellent event and we hope to see you there. Oxfordshire Connections, Holiday Inn, Oxford, Thursday, September 29, 2011 at 6pm. Find out more and register here

A successful, independent shoe shop in Thame will cease trading in October, after the landlord apparently told the owner that the new lease will cost her almost

WORKING effectively with the press whether nationally or locally to promote your business is becoming increasingly relevant and Thame4Business is here to help!

Join us for lunch!

Thame4Business is the local business partnership re-launched in June with the town’s first Business Family Fun day. Since then the growing and lively group has met for breakfast and discussed the role of social networking in business. This month’s event is a business lunch at The Stables, behind The James Figg in Cornmarket, Thame, on Wednesday, August 17, at 12.30pm.

Sonja Francis, Thame4Business’s Acting Chair, said: “We have invited Iain Nicholson of OTCN, (Oxfordshire Towns Chamber Towns Chambers Network), a very experienced and entertaining speaker, to talk to us about getting your business noticed by the press and how to write a press release that no editor will be able to ignore! There will be an opportunity for attendees to introduce themselves to fellow members, and to contribute their ideas and experiences to the discussion.

“I appreciate that August is often a quiet month for businesses but we do hope lots of local businesses will be able to join us for what promises to be a very stimulating and useful meeting.”

The event will start promptly at 12.30pm and the cost will be