Category: entertainment and leisure news

CORRECTION – Amended date. AS a front-bench MP and staunch ‘Corbynista,’ Diane Abbott MP is at the heart of everything that is going on inside the Labour Party and on Saturday, October 22, she will be treating a Thame audience to her forthright views on a variety of subjects, including the inside story of the present turmoil within her Party.

Diane made history in 1987 by becoming the first black woman ever elected to the British Parliament, as MP for Hackney North and Stoke Newington. She was re-elected last year with an improved majority. Diane is currently Shadow Secretary of State for Health and was appointed Shadow Secretary of State for International Development in September 2015. She has served on a number of parliamentary committees on social and international issues, and has also served on the Commons Treasury Select Committee.  NB She has just been appointed to the post of Shadow Home Secretary (06/10/16).

Diane is also an experienced public speaker and broadcaster, and has spoken at colleges and universities across the United States including Harvard. She appears regularly on radio and television and, until recently, appeared weekly on the BBC1 late night political discussion show, This Week, with Andrew Neil and Michael Portillo. Michael was also a pupil at Harrow County Grammar School, where they both appeared in a production of Macbeth.

Famous for her feisty style, Diane was one of the first Labour MPs openly to criticise Peter Mandelson, famously calling him a source of ‘poison’ in the government. Diane isn’t afraid to step out of the party line and was a serial rebel against her government. Her direct manner was never better expressed than in her comment to former Bank of England governor, Sir Edward George: ‘You’re just an inflation nutter, aren’t you?’

An Audience with Diane Abbott is at The Players Theatre, Nelson Street, Thame 0X9 2DP at 7.45pm on Saturday, October 22. Tickets cost £18, and are obtainable from Spear Travels, Greyhound Walk, Thame – tel: 01844 217228 or online from www.thameplayers.co.uk

NO doubt spured on by last weekend’s Big Thame Bake as part of the food festival, residents and businesses in and around Thame baked and ate cakes of all varieties as part of ‘The World’s Biggest Coffee Morning’ on Friday, and raised hundreds of pounds for Macmillan Cancer Support.

Many of them took to social media to spread the word about their event and to proudly share pictures and totals of funds raised by selling tea, coffee and cake to friends, customers and clients throughout the day. In no particular order, these are just some of the local people who gave up their time and efforts to support a charity close to the hearts of many:

A Piece of Cake, Thame, raised £185, Thame Barns Centre raised £430, Sandra Plumb of Long Crendon, who held a coffee morning in her home, raised £475, PCMS Design in Haddenham raised £255, Wellers Accountants in Thame raised £95, The Sanderum Centre raised £500 across both of their Centres, the Thame branch of Nationwide made £147 and Lightfoots’ staff in Thame raised £360 from sales of cake, with a top from the company itself, making a grand total of £500.

That make a grand total in all of £2,587 from just this handful of small, local businesses and residents that we’ve heard about.

To find out more about Macmillan Cancer Care, visit their website: LINK HERE

THE next film to be screened by Thame Cinema For All, this Saturday coming, October 1, will be Kicking Off – Directed by Matt Wilde, Screenplay Robert Farquhar, starring Warren Brown, Greg McHugh and Alistair Petrie; UK 2015 , 81 minutes,15 certificate

Based on playwright Robert Farquhars 2010 critically acclaimed comedy Gods Official, this is a tale of a frustrated everyman and his hapless mate. Their football team is relegated and Wigsey kidnaps the ref who disallowed the end of season winning goal. Long suffering Cliff gets drawn in and the plot starts to spin out of control with some great split screen and slow mo action, chase scenes and thoughtful interludes where the obvious parallels between football and religion are drawn.

With a  familiar and high quality cast, this is a story with a fairly simple premise of scorned working class fans with a burning sense of injustice, producing a both funny and poignant tale.

Kicking Off has won a clutch of awards including Best British Independant Film at the Raindance festival last year, and the Oxford International Film Festival earlier this year.

After the screening the writer and playwright Robert Farquhar, will talk about his film and answer questions from the author.

More information and ticket booking via the Thame Cinema For All website: LINK HERE

THE next First Thursday Music Club event takes place at The Stables in Thame on Thursday, October 6. starting at 8pm. Since The 27 last played at FTMC, they have released their debut single, Call Me A Friend, in June, which has been now had over 100,000 views on YouTube.

Based in London, the band features Henry Parker, Tom Michell, David Page and Alex Tschaikowsky and a style of contemporary rock/pop/country with stunning vocal harmonies that are an absolute delight. They also recently played at The Towersey Festival and received some fantastic reviews and now return to FTMC as the Featured Artists and should take the stage around 10pm.

Cosmosis, who also appeared at Towersey Festival, return with their unique brand of electro acoustic rock with a cosmic twist, as well as club favourites Paul and Martin. Nikki Loy, is also returning to promote the launch of her new album, Pivotal, and her tour where she is supporting West Life front man, Shane Filan on his UK Tour!

As has been the case since the launch of The First Thursday Music Club over six years ago, the club still offers the opportunity for artists to play live in front of a warm and appreciative audience. The club maintains the Open Mic section of the evening where slots will always be available in the first hour on a “first come, first served” basis, with player sign-up starting at 7.30.

The club has a full house PA system with keyboard, bass amp, guitar amp and jazz drum kit (bring breakables!) all set up on stage and ready to go. Another eclectic evening is guaranteed and entrance, as always, is FREE to all!

The 27 Links: www.the27band.com
https://www.facebook.com/the27music/

THOUSANDS of food-lovers thronged the centre of Thame on Saturday (24/08) for the Thame Food Festival, making it the biggest and the best so far in the festival’s nine year history.

Over 200 stalls showcasing food and drink of every kind from pickles to pop-corn and everything in between, lined the town centre streets, and more celebrity chefs that you can shake a stick blender at demonstrated and shared their skills throughout the day on three stages.

The sun shone as it always seems to do on the last Saturday in September, the festival’s regular date in the diary. Volunteers and organisers must be congratulated for a well-organised, well-planned and wonderful example of how the little market town of Thame continues to come up with enterprising ways of increasing footfall in the town, helping to raise its profile and encouraging repeat visits – which must be all to the good for the vibrancy and economy of the town.

The current big names in baking and cooking, including Natalie Coleman, Master Chef Champion 2013, Raymond Blanc OBE, Chetna Makan, Great British Bake Off winner 2015 Nadiya Hussain and the winner of this year’s Master Chef, Jane Devonshire were all there.

The Big Thame Bake attracted some first-class entries, including ‘A squidgy chocolate cake to bury your face in’ and the most ‘blinged up’ battenburg ever! The Victoria sponge category once again proved popular and this year, the bakers had to make their own raspberry jam for the filling! All the entries were cut up and available to buy and enjoy with a ‘cuppa’ in the Thame Belles WI pop up cafe, upstairs in Thame town hall.

Isabella Darnton, a member of the Thame Belles WI, won the Battenburg category and the overall prize as Best Thame Baker. Watch this space for a full list of the category winners coming soon.

In the meantime, enjoy these images from the day: https://flic.kr/s/aHskHsus3N

WITH only a month to go until TAL (Thame Arts and Literary Festival) starts, the festival box office at Thame town hall is now open and sales of tickets are booming.

Which events have YOU got your eye on? For the next few weeks, until the festival kicks off on October 12, with what is being billed as a highly entertaining evening Gala Concert, with Roger McGough and LiTTLe MaCHiNe (expect the unexpected!)

This year, why not surprise yourself? suggests Yvonne Maxwell, TAL Festival Founder and Director: “We encourage everyone to go to something they know nothing about. It can be an enlightening experience!

“Once again, the scope and number of entertaining events – over 40 – is truly inspiring. From fascinating talks to music, poetry, films, readings, debates, drama, children’s events and workshops – you can check out all the amazing things to do and see on our TAL website. Or pick up one of our free programme brochures from Thame Town Hall.

“We can guarantee there will be no better way to brighten up your Autumn days than by taking part in our wonderful feast of culture and fun,” Yvonne suggested.

So, get booking! http://www.talfestival.org/

LOCAL radio station, Red Kite Radio, has now been allocated an FM frequency by Ofcom, the Government broadcasting regulator.

107.2 FM will be the new home of the first dedicated radio station for Haddenham, Thame and the surrounding villages, which is due to launch in the Spring of 2017.

Mark Chapple, Chairman of Red Kite Radio said: “We’re over the moon with this allocation. This is at the top of the dial which makes us easy to find and because it’s away from larger broadcasters, it means we’ll have a nice clear sound with no interference.”

Red Kite Radio was awarded a full-time community radio licence by Ofcom earlier this year. The station came about thanks to the Summerfest Radio broadcasts in support of and funded by the Haddenham Beer Festivals Trust. The team of professional broadcasters, who are all volunteering their time, is currently seeking grant funding for essential studio kit and fees to pay to music royalty bodies like PRS. They’re also appealing to local people for donations of computers, office furniture and skills & materials to convert a building at the Haddenham Garden Centre into a broadcast centre.

Mark Chapple said: “We’ve still got lots of work ahead of us before our launch in the Spring- including moving into our permanent home at the Haddenham Garden Centre, building the studio, installing the transmission kit and of course building a music library, albeit a digital one.”

Early next year the Red Kite Radio team will hold a series of seminars and talks to encourage engagement with the new service and explain how local businesses, groups, charities, schools and people from all walks of like can get involved and benefit.

Red Kite Radio is a not for profit radio station and run for the benefit of the community. It will be funded through grants and the selling of advertising packages to local business of all sizes. Cost effective packages will open up the prospect of radio advertising to small traders, trades men & women and larger businesses alike. Companies and organisations will be able to benefit from radio advertising at a low price and in return know they’re supporting this great new community initiative.

SHOWING at the Thame Players Theatre on Sunday, September 18 – Mustang – Turkey, 2016, 95 minutes, 15 certificate

Directed by Deniz Gamze Ergüven, starring Günes Sensoy, Doga Zeynep Doguslu, Tugba Sunguroglu, Elit Iscan, Ilayda Akdogan, Nihal G. Koldas, Ayberk Pekcan, Bahar Kerimoglu, Burak Yigit, Erol Afsin.

RURAL Anatolia, the present day. Five spirited teenage sisters celebrate the end of school term by going to the beach with a group of friends. They lark about in the surf, the girls on the shoulders of the boys. This innocent episode is witnessed by a ‘concerned’ local resident, and the girls’ grandmother is alerted to behaviour that is deemed compromising to moral reputation and marital prospects.

Their uncle, charged with their custody since the death of their parents, responds with violently draconian measures: bars are put on doors and windows; the girls are required to dress only in drab smock dresses; and successive husbands must be sought as the girls come of age. They are subjected to physical examinations to determine their virtue, required to spend their days in learning domestic tasks, and their futures negotiated with representatives of local families, as the house becomes increasingly akin to a factory/prison producing wives and housekeepers.

Deniz Gamze Ergüven’s stunning debut, featuring a cast of largely unknown and untrained actors, is at once a gripping drama, a beautiful and lyrical account of sisterly love, youthful rebellion, and fierce resistance, and an examination of a repressive social regime that facilitates physical and sexual enslavement of its young women. Yet it concentrates on the drama, on the girls’ resistance and spirit rather than their suppression; the film alludes to contemporary Turkey and its shift away from secularism but without being heavy-handedly political or preachy.

Justly rewarded with critical praise the world over, this is one not to be missed.

SOURCE: Contributed by Catriona Gilmour Hamilton, Thame Cinema 4 All.