Category: Business News

THAME businesses contributed to the success of a Wedding Fair at The Spread Eagle, Thame, recently.
Over 70 brides and their families visited The Spread Eagle Hotel, where Beau Belles and Domino Hire, both from Thame, provided fashion shows throughout the day accompanied to music by Starlight Rhythm, the hotel’s resident discotheque.
Regular exhibitors included Chris Harper of Aylesbury with photography, and Richard Adams of Balloontastic with decorative balloons. New exhibitor, Niki Spencer- Whalley of North Wales, exhibited make up, stationery and jewellery assisted by her mother Carole Quine of Thame. Niki a former Spread Eagle Receptionist, made all the stationery for her colleague Judith Ford, a former Hotel Head Receptionist and PA, when Judith held her Wedding Reception at the hotel in May. Another new exhibitor, Charlotte Walker of Sizzies BBQ and Catering Company delighted the crowds with her chocolate fountain, a ‘simply must have’ for a really fashionable wedding.

THE first copies of the all-new,Thame Shopping Guide were distributed at Thame Show last week, and are available from all retailers in the town.
The guide has been produced by Thame Chamber of Commerce, with support from 21st Century Thame, the town council and South Oxfordshire District Council. It is the first stage of a proposed promotional campaign to promote the town as a retail centre and to encourage local people to ‘Try Thame First’, before going out of town for their shopping needs.
In a letter to retailers, the Chair of Thame’s Chamber of Commerce and Vice Chair of 21st Century Thame, Keith Slater, said: “We believe that it needs a sustained effort if we are to bring into the town the critical mass of shoppers needed for Thame to be the vibrant, commercial centre that it deserves to be.”
Details of the full promotion plans will be presented for comment and discussion at an open meeting at the town hall on Friday, September 23, at 8am, 10am, 12pm, 2pm, 4om and 6pm, to fit into anyone’s schedule.
At the same time, the proposals for the town’s new CCTV scheme will be on display.
Keith Slater added: “We think it is important that we all pull together in these tough retail times and so do hope that everyone will come along on Friday and add weight to the process.”

THAME’S Co-op businesses in Thame re-launched today following a face lift for all three.
The make-over is part of a pilot scheme in 12 towns, following a merger between The Oxford Swindon and Gloucester Society and the West Midlands Co-operative.
Silver balloons were give out to shoppers at the Co-op’s food store, the Funeral Directors and at Co-op Travel, formerly Travelcare, all in the High Street.
Amongst the newly installed up-market features in the travel agent’s is a large electronic display board in the window showing the company’s latest, last minute offers and a touch screen where, even when the shop is closed, customers’ details can be typed in and staff will make contact the following morning.
The Co-op’s slogan, “Business with integrity” is still the partnership’s unique selling point, its food stores claiming to be the first to sell Fair Trade goods and non-GM foods.

AN Open meeting is to be held to invite Thame traders to learn about plans to promote the town on their behalf.
A presentation will be made at various times of the day on Friday, September 23,(postponed from Sept 7) beginning at 8am, to explain the plans, and members of a working party made up of Chamber of Commerce members and leaders of the 21st Century Thame Partnership, will be on hand to answer questions and listen to ideas and views.
The town hall chamber will be open until 6pm in the evening and all retailers and traders are welcome.
The plans and a new shopping guide will be available from the town council’s stand at the Thame Show on Thursday, September 15.
Contact the Secretary of Thame Chamber of Commerce for further details at: admin@thamenews.net, or call 01844 218832 or 07792487030.

THAME businesses, craftspeople and organisations are being invited to sell their wares in Thame?s twin town of Montesson in France.
Members of Thame?s Twinning Association go over to Montesson every year for the town?s Christmas Market, and sell typically English goods such as tea, Christmas puddings and Christmas crackers over a week-end which also includes the sale of German wares from Montesson?s German twin town of Baesweiller.
This year they would like to entend their range and would like to hear from anyone who may have interesting products suitable for Christmas presents, decorations or festive eating.
Contact Rob Wheal via editor@thamenews.net for more information.

ON the day that hundreds of Thame students received their A Level examination results, the Chair of Thame?s Chamber of Commerce says he does not agree with the criticism that A Levels are becoming easier to pass.
Responding to the views of many Education, Industry and Business Pundits who say that that there has been a ?dumbing down? of A levels, Keith Slater told ThameNews.Net: ?I do not necessarily agree with the view that A levels are becoming easier. When I looked at what my own children were doing at A level, I struggled to be able to do some of what they were being asked to do, and when I compared it with what I did, particularly in maths, they studied things that I didn?t do until I went to university.?
Keith, who is also a Director of Business Link, added: ?I am very encouraged by the calibre of people who are coming out with A levels.
?Academically we are producing some very, very, good people. But perhaps what we need to look at is how we actually apply their skills and get them coming out with the right attitudes and skills in other directions, to produce more rounded people.
?My concerns are more for those who have more vocational talents who come out of school with no qualifications and who need encouraging.
? I do understand though, some of the concerns of the universities about knowing who are the very best candidates so perhaps the grading system needs looking at.?

What do YOU think about the A level system? May be you are a student, a parent, an employer or a teacher, and would like to share your views. Join ThameNews.Net?s forum
? We want to hear from YOU.

ACTING CHAIR, Keith Slater, introduced the evening, referring to the previous month?s meeting when several retailers who had not previously been involved in the Chamber, turned up and reported that not only were not enough customers coming through their doors but that they were not taking enough money.
As a result of that meeting, the Chamber had decided to look and see what it could do about it.
At the same time, Keith explained, SODC (South Oxfordshire District Council) were looking at Thame and comparing it with other towns in the district with a view to seeing how they could help those retailers who are struggling. Coincidentally early indications show that SODC?s findings concur with the Chamber?s own findings that indeed many retailers are suffering.
A presentation then followed looking into:
A) WHAT WE CAN DO TO MARKET THAME SHOPS AND OTHER BUSINESSES
B) WHAT IT COULD COST
C) WHERE COULD THE FUNDING COME FROM?

SODC are apparently willing to support improving Retail in Thame, although it is not clear how much money they would be willing to inject.

Mark Goodall, the proprietor of Pied Pedaller in Thame, opened the presentation with some official UK retail performance figures which showed that whilst the income from food had grown by around 1.5%, non-food was down around 2.5%. Mark explained that these figures were skewed by some of the larger, multi-nationals, and that smaller, independent retailers were suffering larger reductions in their profits. But even Woolworths? figures were down. He explained that Tesco now held over 30% of food sales in the UK, and that

THAME’S Chamber of Commerce will soon gave its very own website.
As from Monday next, July 25, local businesses can keep up to date with meetings, events and business news by logging on to www.thamechamber.co.uk.
The website has been built by Chamber member, Alun Rowe, who will be editing the site, and he would welcome news and views from local businesses to be submitted to the site.
Contact Alun via the site, or email: alun@pentangle.co.uk

DATE for your diary: URGENT meeting of Thame Chamber of Commerce, Wednesday, August 3, 6.30pm, Christchurch Hall, (the church with the refurbished frontage, opposite the market place car park in Thame).

This will be a one and a half hour meeting devoted to the question – How are we going to promote the town and its retailers/businesses in order to get people from a wider area to come into the town?

Many of the our businesses, especially retailers, have suffered a loss in income over the past few months and between us we need to do something about it.
The town has many assets including several prize-winning shops and FREE parking, which we need to tell a wider shopping audience about; it is the promoting and marketing of the town that we will be discussing on August 3.
A small working party, including Chairman, Keith Slater, have already done some work on this and will be reporting back to the meeting.
Please take this opportunity to find out what the Chamber of Commerce is can do for you, and have your say.
Refreshments will be provided. ALL retailers and businesses welcome, whether or not members.

THE 2004-2005 trading results for the Oxfam Book shop in the Cornmarket, show more local residents than ever are spending there.
According to the shop manager, Dick Jennens, this is further evidence of a shift in local consumer attitudes towards conscience shopping which reflects a nationwide trend bucking that of High Streets nationwide.

As a result of higher sales, income from the shop increased to over