THE fruits of the work of local school children as part of the tenth, Big Drawing Event, can be seen at Thame Museum on Saturday, October 28, 11am – 4pm.
“Our theme this year is the Phoenix Trail,” explained Christine Taq, of Sparksartists who run this annual event. “School children from Lord Williams’s School, St Andrews School, Chinnor and Cuddington, and Dinton Cof E School, drew bicycles used on the trail and imagined new sculptures. Recorded journeys also form part of Sparksartists’ latest exhibition on show at this event.
“On Saturday itself, we are inviting all ages to drop in to Thame Museum to add birds to a moving landscape, courtesy of a Crankie moving image machine. Guests sign in by adding their mark to our ‘Remember When’ shared sketchbook, extending a cut-out photograph.”
Sparksartists was formed in 2001 by a group individual visual artists who have a common commitment to the group’s work, to collaborate and share ideas and experiences with the community.
THE Thame Town Music Festival, that proved to be so popular when it was held, for the first time in the town centre back in June, may not be able to happen in 2018, unless the organisers are able to find a major sponsor.
Jon Littler, festival founder, announcing the launching of the first Thame Town Music Festival
It was revealed at Tuesday’s meeting of Thame Town Council’s Community, Leisure and Recreation Committee, that it cost £29,000 in total to run the festival, and that they had been informed by the organisers that, to date, the funding is not in place to definitely be able to say that the festival will go ahead this year. Four businesses have not paid up from last year, despite being invoiced.
Councillors were shown a video of this year’s festival and were hopeful that sponsorship would be found so that this extremely popular event will be able to go ahead in 2018.
CHINNOR and Thame Friends of the Earth’s next event will be a SWAP SHOP and BIKE EXCHANGE on Saturday, November 18, at Chinnor village hall. The SWAP SHOP will be between 10am and noon, and the BIKE EXCHANGE between 10 and 11 am.
Image from a previous Bike Swap event in Thame
If you wish to sell a bike, take it along to the village hall at 9.45am clearly labelled with your name, contact details and the asking price. Please return to check if your bike has been sold at 11am. A charge £5 will be made for every bike sold.
Bring and /or take for free:
Books – Clothes – Bric-a-brac – Baby equipment
Toys and games – Household items – CDs/DVDs/Videos
Electrical CE marked goods accepted, no large items please.
Recycle stations will be available for the following items:
THAME Players will be auditioning for their next production, the classic British farce, No Sex Please, We’re British, on October 30, at 7.45pm.
The actual Performances will be March 6-10, 2018. Here’s a synopsis to whet your appetite:
Peter and Frances Hunter are a happy newly married couple. They are living in a nice flat above the bank where Peter has a good job. Owing to an unfortunate mistake by Frances, they find themselves inundated with pornographic material from the ‘Scandinavian Import Company’ – first postcards, then films and then books.
Senior bank officials, Peter’s mother and the respectable inspector of Peter’s bank all become entangled in the shenanigans that follow. Events are brought to a head by the arrival of two ladies, from the same company, to provide their special services!
CAST
Peter Hunter
Frances Hunter – Peter’s wife
Eleanor Hunter – Peter’s elegant and snobbish mother
Brian Runnicles- Work colleague of Peter’s. No sense of humour.
Leslie Bromhead- Senior Manager at the bank.
Superintendent Paul
Mr Needham- ‘Jobsworth’ Bank Inspector
Susan and Barbara- Ladies of the night!
Delivery Man
Ages will be relative rather than specific.
Director – Julia Rush
If you are interested in attending the audition, just turn up on the day, or want too see a script, them contact Thame Players via their Facebook page
ONE of the many sold-out events of the very successful TAL (Thame Arts and Literature) Festival, that has just ended, was Dan Manea’s talk about his love for Sinaia, the beautiful Romanian mountain town twinned with Thame.
The public had the opportunity to hear from the Sinaia, Land of the Elites author and to go with him on a virtual walk into Sinaia’s historical buildings and its glorious past.
Dan Manea (right) with two of his fans, David Bretherton (left) and Malcolm Dent (centre)
Dan Manea told his audience: “This book invites you to stroll not only on the streets of the town, but also inside its history, which for the last 130 years, has been strongly woven into the history of Romania itself. It offers a succession of stories and images, seen through the eyes of an architect in love with his town. This book represents an invitation to walk through the halls of this vast open-air bearing the name of Sinaia: The Pearl of the Carpathians; the capital of Romanian tourism; the resort priding itself with two Royal Railway Stations, where the Orient Express makes a stop, the royal residence town or the summer capital of Romania, as it has been called over the years.”
The author reminded the audience about the connection between the Royal Families of the UK and Romania. Queen Marie, mother of King Michael of Romania, was one of Queen Victoria’s nieces.
Inspired by the publication of Dan Manea’s book, Romania’s National State Television produced a series of 60 one-minute episodes about Sinaia and its architectural jewels, such as Peles Castle, Sinaia Monastery and many other buildings which awarded Sinaia the title of the Romanian town with the largest number of historical monuments per capita. All episodes have featured quotes from Dan Manea’s book.
Marius Ciortan, Secretary of the Sinaia and Thame Friendship Association, said: “The event itself would not have been possible without the help from TAL organisers, Thame-Sinaia Friendship Association and Sinaia’s ASPE Cultural Association.”
The four guests from Sinaia were hosted by families of Thame Rotarians who welcomed them with friendship and offered them the opportunity to visit the area and get a taste of some of Oxfordshire’s and Buckinghamshire’s most beautiful places. They also joined a team in the TAL Festival quiz at the Barns Centre on Sunday evening.
The friendship between Thame and Sinaia has built a vibrant association and its next event will be a ‘Wine from the Transylvanian Alps’ tasting event at Thame Town Hall on Wednesday, November 29, at 7:30 pm. The event was initiated by Malcolm Dent, one of Thame-Sinaia’s newest members.
For more information about Thame-Sinaia Friendship Association and how to get tickets, visit www.facebook.com/thamesinaia
FROM Irish rebels in 1800, through two world wars, to the latest attacks by Muslim extremists using vehicles, London has been bombed, blitzed and blown-up, and a local, former military explosives officer who worked for the Counter Terrorism Command of the Metropolitan Police, has written an explosive history of the city.
Ian Jones
Ian Jones’ latest book, London: Bombed, Blitzed and Blown Up: The British Capital Under Attack Since 1867, took him 10 years to write, using his own experience in both Northern Ireland and London, and extensive research into a subject that has fascinated him most of his life. During his research, he was actually able to tell staff at two museums that certain exhibits still contained explosive
As a civilian Explosives Officer working for the Metropolitan Police Force Bomb Squad, dealing with all incidents involving explosives and ammunition in Greater London, Ian Jones MBE was intimately involved in the response to both the 7 July and the 21 July suicide attacks in London and had the unpleasant task of searching the body of Jean Charles de Menezes. Now retired, Ian is actively involved in exploring WW1 tunnels with the Durand Group and has frequently found old ammunition in these tunnels. some which still posed a danger even after all this time.
In his book, Ian explains that in terms of bombing, London is unique. “Although it cannot claim to be the most bombed capital city in terms of the weight of explosives, it has endured the most varied and unrelenting attack since the discovery of explosives, particularly high explosives,” he writes. “Guy Fawkes started with his attempt to blow up parliament, but it was from the 1867 that the use of bombs began in earnest and started a trend, which has been ongoing ever since.
“The main culprits are the Germans and the Irish, but they are by no means alone and other terrorist groups, crooks, cranks and criminal negligence have been responsible for hundreds of attacks and accidental explosions. This book looks at how London, and its population, has dealt with these attacks.”
Ian expresses a huge admiration and respect for all the emergency services involved in dealing with attacks on the city, but special acknowledgement goes to the members of the police force: “It was police officers that removed a bomb from the Palace of Westminster in the first Irish Campaign and were first into the tunnel at Aldgate after the 7 July suicide bombs,” he says. “It is those who are first on scene and have to deal with the confused, chaotic and disorganised situations they find, often working against the clock, that have the hardest job.”
From Suffragets, Zeppelins, V1 and V2 bombs, anarchists, letter bombs and suicide vests; the effects on London and the response of the citizens, the brave police officers and military who had to deal with them; it’s all there in Ian’s book, London: Bombed, Blitzed and Blown Up.
The very recent terrorist attacks, using vehicles as weapons, is a new departure in attacks on London, and have taken place since Ian wrote his book. And for the reason behind this change in tactic, Ian has a theory: “The use of vehicles is a departure from the norm, but is only because the terrorists cannot get access to guns or explosives. As we have seen vehicles, especially lorries or vans, are very hard to stop and can kill many people before they are stopped.”
London: Bombed, Blitzed and Blown Up is a fascinating and detailed read for anyone interested in the history of our capital city, and is a revealing insight into the background of what generations of Londoners have come to accept almost as a fact of life over the generations, but which has nonetheless left her citizens uncowed and refusing to be terrorised, but continuing living their lives has they always have done in that stoic way that only Londoners can.
IF you want silly wigs and naff impersonations then there are plenty of other ‘tributes’ out there … if you want to experience the power and the passion of a Led Zeppelin concert, played by one of the most exciting Rock’n’Roll bands on the circuit today, then pick up the phone now and book your ticket to see Hats Off to Led Zeppelin at the Players Theatre in Thame on Saturday, October 28!
This year, as well as winning Best Led Zeppelin Tribute Act award for the third year running at the National Tribute Awards, the band was also awarded top prize by the Agents Association of Great Britain, as the Best Tribute Band in the UK overall! They are the ONLY UK tribute act officially endorsed by Marshall Amplifiers and they are managed by Warren Grant … for the uninitiated, Warren’s father, Peter, was Led Zeppelin’s manager!
Having played with Queen, Ray Davies, Edwin Starr, Iron Maiden, Gerry & the Pacemakers, PJ Proby, Shaun Ryder & the Seahorses as well as appearing in a plethora of London shows – including We Will Rock You, Tommy, Thriller LIVE!, Wicked, Dancing in the Streets, Return to the Forbidden Planet and Buddy, to name but a few, these guys are a truly professional outfit guaranteed to give you a night you won’t forget in a hurry!
Hats Off to Led Zeppelin are in their eighth year on the road, with concerts from London to Singapore. They have received glowing endorsements from Led Zeppelin’s tour manager, Richard Cole – ‘Worth seeing … entertainment with style’; from Led Zeppelin biographer, Dave Lewis – ‘A refreshing no-nonsense approach … this band delivers every time!’; and from the BBC – ‘An outstanding concert’. They have also received audience and critical acclaim – ‘Shut your eyes and you would think you were listening to the real thing’.
THAME Barns Centre attracted around one hundred visitors to its Macmillan Coffee Morning last Friday, September 29, and raised £500 for the charity. (more…)
ON Thursday, October 19 to Saturday 21, Thame will be playing host to a French Market for three days, selling the finest French products and gifts on the cobbled area around the Town Hall.
Our friends from across the channel will be selling classic French food including bread, patisserie, cheese and olives, as well as vintage French music, clothing accessories and handbags.
The French Market will be open 9am to 5pm daily, so why not make a day of it and enjoy a French breakfast, lunch and dinner? Start your day with a traditional French crepe made in front of you for breakfast, followed by a tasty Tartiflette, famously made in the French Alps, for lunch, and for dinner pick up a ready-to-cook meal or choose from salads, dry sausages and olives at the delicatessen stall for a lighter meal.
With Christmas fast approaching, Thame’s French Market is the perfect place to start shopping for unique gifts and presents.
Don’t miss out on this fantastic continental market in Thame town centre!
JOHN Hampden Primary School, Thame, are holding a French Market tomorrow (Wednesday, October 11) open to the public, between 3.10pm – 4pm in the Jackson Hall.
There will be several different themed stalls which will include, a boulangerie, charcuterie, fromagerie, café, animaux, maquillage and bonbons. Money raised for the event is going towards new equipment for the children at the school.
French is taught to KS2 pupils and the school is currently setting up a school correspondence exchange with Thame’s twin French town of Montesson.
