Category: Business News

FEBRUARY has seen the completion and launch of the newly refurbished bedrooms at The Dinton Hermit Inn, in the peaceful hamlet of Ford, near Aylesbury.

The Dinton Hermit was rescued from the receivers in May 2008 by Roger and Mariko Pratap, residents of Dinton in Buckinghamshire. Since then, they have been making improvements throughout the historic Inn, including redecorating of all the public areas and now the completion of this first phase of bedroom refurbishment, which sees the six Barn rooms completely refurbished.

Roger Pratap commented: “We are so pleased to be launching these newly refurbished bedrooms. The Dinton Hermit is a fabulous place to stay and now the bedrooms are surpassing the standards that our guests expect. In fact repeat guests who have stayed in the rooms are already requesting them again!”

The bedroom interiors have been designed by Elizabeth Warden and refurbished to a high standard in a classic contemporary scheme to complement the historic nature of the Dinton Hermit, whilst offering guests the comfort and style they expect. The rooms all feature brand new modern bathroom suites and flat screen televisions.

The Dinton Hermit is an historical inn dating back to the 17th Century. It is named after the legiondary Dinton hermit, a parliamentarian sympathiser during the Civil War, who was reputed to have been one of the executioners of King Charles I.

The Dinton Hermit is now open all day, every day. To book a room or a table for lunch or dinner you can contact The Dinton Hermit on 01296 747473 or email relax@dintonhermit.co.uk

ROGER and Mariko Pratap, residents of Dinton, near Thame, in Buckinghamshire, recently stepped in to rescue the historic Dinton Hermit Inn from the receivers.
The Dinton Hermit, in the small hamlet of Ford and just a few miles between Aylesbury and Thame, is an historical inn dating back to the 17th Century. It is named after the legendary Dinton Hermit, a parliamentarian sympathiser during the Civil War, who was reputed to have been one of the executioners of King Charles I.

Roger Pratap commented: “Mariko and I have lived in Dinton with our young family for a number of years and we are really looking forward to putting our skills and resources towards making The Dinton Hermit a true credit to the village.
“We are currently working with a team of hospitality industry experts to make sure that the property is brought up to the standard that is required and deserved by an Inn of such historical significance.”

Roger added: “Initial plans for improving the Inn have already been shown to local residents, with a very positive response. The plans include complete refurbishment of 11 bedrooms, changing the internal layout of the bar to provide better use of the buildings and an extension to the restaurant to offer more space for dining.
“It is our aim to create a really great place for locals to come and enjoy great food, comfortable accommodation and a relaxing place to come for a drink ? inside or outside.”

The Dinton Hermit is now open all day, every day. To book a table for lunch or dinner you can contact The Dinton Hermit on 01296 747473.

A NEW Coffee House/Cafe has opened in Thame, on the corner of North Street and Wellington Street.

Claire Britton and her partners, all from Thame, have taken over and rebranded what was the Social and later, Ciao Baby.

Claire and her team have put together a friendly, family-focused coffee house with a range of superb light meals and drinks, all of which are ethically sourced.

Claire, who formerly ran a catering business from her home, told ThameNews.Net: “We felt there was a need for a child-friendly cafe in Thame, where children could run around and make noise. We intend the run The Well as a business but we want to put something back and so 10% of our profits will be given to charities, both local and international.”

The Well, which opened its doors for the first time on Monday, includes a children’s play area up-stairs. It is open between 8.45am – 4.15pm, Monday to Saturday.

Photo: Claire Britton and her staff, outside The Well, in Thame

WOOLWORTHS today closed its door for the last time in Thame.
The store was one of the last branches to close in the country, after the company went into administration just before Christmas.

The Manager, visibly saddened, told Thamenews.net that although some of her staff had managed to find other jobs, one or two of them had decided to go back to university, whilst a few were going to have to search for alternative employment.

A queue formed late this afternoon to buy up the remaining few toys, items of children’s clothig, CDs, and DVDs that remained, whilst a group of independent retailers from High Wycombe bought up much of the shelving, fixtures and fittings that were also on sale.

The empty store will become one of several empty retail premises in Thame, including Jumpers and Miso in Buttermarket, The Natural cafe and an estate agents in the High Street, and the old Pied Pedaller toy shop in North Street (due to demolished and replaced with a library).

The Co-op travel shop in the High Street is due to close shortly when the operation moves to the main Co-op store on the opposite side of the High Street.

NEW businesses in South Oxfordshire are set to compete for a

THE Peach pub group has appointed a new general manager to run The Thatch in Thame, which it took over when the winners of the TV programme, The Restaurant, Jeremy and Jane Hooper, left earlier in the year.

Frazer Sutherland joined Peach after five years of running his own pub at Beachampton in Buckinghamshire.

Photo of Frazer courtesy of www.bighospitality.co.uk

SEVERAL Thame businesses have been nominated for a ‘Green Bauble’ award for their work on energy saving or promoting re-duce, re-use, re-cycle messages to staff, customers and their communities. The following Thame businesses have been nominated by the local community action group (CAG) as part of the 2008 green business awards created by CAG Oxfordshire in conjunction with the Oxfordshire Town Chambers Network and Oxfordshire Waste Partnership:

Booker Tate Ltd
Brothers
Lightfoots
Gallivant
Essence
Umbertos
The Practice
Robert Stanley, Opticians
Freerange

21st Century Thame Partnership’s Environment Group have selected a number of retailers in the town
that have either had a light bulb audit, or who have been particularly helpful in distributing reusable bags as part of the campaign to create a plastic bag free town.

21st Century Thame’s Project Officer, Alison Isherwood, said: “Our group also selected Thame Town Council as it has converted the Town Hall to low
energy lighting which, over the life time of the bulbs, will save more than

STAFF in the Woolworths store in Thame’s High Street, have vowed to carry on regardless of the threat to their jobs, after the company went into receivership yesterday.
During what appeared to be, a busy morning in the store, the manageress told ThameNews.Net: “We don’t know anymore than we have heard on the news. The staff are very bouyant and we shall just keep on smiling and carry on selliing for Christmas until someone tells us otherwise.”

It is understood that the Woolworths building is owned by the Co-op.

SEEDA, the South East England Development Agency, is being given a pivotal role in rolling out the Government?s plans to support small businesses, as announced in Monday?s Pre-Budget Report.

SEEDA will provide up to

ONE of the reasons often given by parents of young children as to why they prefer to shop in big, out-of-town shopping centres rather than their local town, is the difficulty of manoevering pushchairs in and out of small shops.
Well, in Thame help is at hand. Thame First, which works to help maintain and promote the economic vibrancy of our Market town, has got together with Racquets Fitness Centre, to provide affordable creche facilities on the three Saturdays leading up to Christmas, to enable parents to Christmas shop, safe in the knowledge that their kids are being looked after by professionals.

The creche will be open on Saturday 6, 13 & 20 December from 9.45-11.45am and 12-2pm.