SHOWERS of heavy rain sent all but the hardiest of festival goers home in the middle of the afternoon, during Music In The Park on Sunday, but once the sun came out again, more music fans began to arrive for the evening line up, though sadly some acts had to be cancelled when one of the stages became too slippery for safety and electrical equipment was affected by the rain.
Follow the LINK to see photographs of many of the acts, stall-holders, volunteers and punters who made the day so memorable. It takes more than a soaking to drench the spirits of the people of Thame!
SAVE time and money by getting your tickets in advance for the fifth of Thame’s Music In The Park festivals, a family-fun event featuring live music and dance acts to please kids, teens, parents and grannies alike! Held in Elms Park, in Park Street, Thame, this coming Sunday, May 3, the event will run all day from noon until around 9 pm.
Muttz Knuttz, who will returning to Music in the Park on Sunday, May 3
Tickets are on sale now from a range of outlets in Thame: Vintage & Modern Guitars, Wally’s Toy Shop, Fore Golf, The Cross Keys, The Falcon and Thame Town Hall; or online at: www.wegottickets.com/event/311715. In addition, volunteers will be selling tickets and programmes at Thame Town Hall from 10am to 5pm on Saturday, May 2.
In addition to headliners, 70s’ Glamrock tribute band Slyde, visitors to Music in the Park will enjoy some new acts such as the unique and entertaining Boodlam Band, the Thame Pop Choir and Working Dog, as well as returning favourites like Muttz Knuttz, Dung Beatles, Urban Strides dance group, Little Bill’s Big Band and Prog Floyd. For a full list, see the line-up page on the website: LINK HERE
In the acoustic tent, Ellie Ruddock and her band return, while 14-year-old local singer/songwriter Beth Wackett will make her debut.
The organisers have arranged some great fun activities for children with facepainting and the Mix 96 inflatables. In addition, BASE*, from Barley Hill Church, will be lending a helping hand to provide some welcome free time for parents. They will be running activity sessions for children aged 4 -12 in the Children’s Crafts Area. Children can be left to enjoy a range of fun activities in the capable hands of trained volunteers, allowing their parents to enjoy the music and see the rest of the attractions at their own pace.
THE next First Thursday Music Club event will be taking place on General Election night on Thursday, May 7. After April’s event, which included record crowds, another very big night is expected with up to 15 different Open Mic’ acts including recording artist, Casey Leigh, and her band in the 10pm Feature Spot.
Casey Leigh
Casey Leigh was born in South Africa, and emigrated to Ireland in 2001. In July 2014, Casey relocated to the United Kingdom in order to be closer to the producers of her album and to prepare for the UK release of the album that was launched in March of this year. Also in 2014, her self-penned track ‘Don’t Walk Away’ reached Number three in the Irish download charts and she was invited to perform for the Irish President, Michael Higgins, and his guests at his residence.
FTMC is the biggest Open Mic night in the District with artists travelling from as far afield as London, Reading, Oxford and Northampton to come and play in front of a very large and appreciative audience. Entrance is FREE!
As a direct result of playing FTMC, a number of artists and bands have been invited to play at Festivals such as Towersey and Beaconfest. Indeed, FTMC has its own stage at the next Towersey Festival in August.
Anyone can play by signing up at the venue before 7.45pm. Check out the club on Facebook “The First Thursday Music Club For more background on Casey Leigh:
SUSTRANS, the sustainable transport charity, is celebrating 20 years of the National Cycle Network, by organising a series of cycle rides in Oxfordshire.
The Phoenix Trial, a SUSTRANS National Cycle route between Thame & Princess Risborough
Since the inauguration two decades ago of this national treasure that runs over the whole country, the network of routes in Oxfordshire has developed steadily, with a new route (442) added only last year.
The Oxford volunteer rangers groups feel this great enterprise is certainly worth celebrating and together with people in other parts of the county, are planning a suitable celebration this summer. So keep the date of Saturday, June 20, free in your diary and watch out for further information. This date is towards the end of Bike Week, a nation-wide jamboree.
The plan is to have five rides, going along Oxfordshire’s five routes, including one between Thame and Oxford, all converging on Oxford itself for a picnic and a party:
· A ride from Thame to Oxford, route 57
· A ride from Bicester to Oxford, route 51
· A ride from Woodstock to Oxford, route 5,
· A ride from Charlbury to Oxford, route 442
· A ride from Abingdon to Oxford, route 5.
Start times and the details of the starting and meeting points are yet to be finalised and will be announced soon. it should be a fun day, celebrating a great endeavour.
Any queries or comments or suggestions, please contact Cecilia Fry (ceciliafryis@gmail.com) or James Larminie (larminie@btinternet.com)
EXCITEMENT is growing among members of Thame Players who are currently in rehearsal for their next production, ‘Yes Prime Minister’, which appropriately will be running throughout Election week, from May 5.
This production will be directed by Brian Holt, who has been with Thame Players for 30 years, and has himself appeared in many productions since then, from pantomime to comedies and plays. In recent times he has appeared in Behan’s The Hostage, Saroyan’s Time of Your Life, Larbey’s A Month of Sundays and Friel’s Dancing at Lughnasa. Brian has also directed several plays, including Born in the Gardens by Peter Nichols and A Slight Ache by Harold Pinter, as well as directing Yes Prime Minister this year.
Of Yes Prime Minister, Brian said: “We are all familiar with the TV series Yes Minister, and Yes Prime Minister, which ran from 1980 to 1988 and enjoyed viewing figures running into the millions. This full-length play was written in 2010, but very little has changed in the intervening years, with political leaders still standing up and arguing that their personal interventions have improved the lives of British people. The script is a masterpiece of satirical comedy, just the sort of thing the British are famous for throughout the world.”
THE WRITERS
Antony Jay is an English writer, broadcaster and director who had a distinguished career as a broadcaster and in public relations, for which he was created Knight Bachelor, before teaming up with Jonathan Lynn. He wrote the BBC TV documentaries, Royal Family and Elizabeth R: A Year in the Life of our Queen. For the latter he was appointed a Commander of the Royal Victorian Order for personal services to the Royal Family.
Jonathan Lynn is an English stage and film director, producer, writer and actor. He directed the successful films Nuns on the Run and My Cousin Vinny. He also acted in Doctor in the House, The Liver Birds and Jack Rosenthal’s Bar Mitzvah Boy. His film appearances include roles in Prudence and the Pill and Three Men and a Little Girl.
Yes Prime Minister will be showing at the Players Theatre, Nelson Street, Thame, during General Election week, Tuesday, May 5 to Saturday, May 9, inclusive.
FOLLOWING the announcement that Stornoway are to join Joan Armatrading and Bellowhead at this year’s Towersey Festival (28-31 August 2015), the Oxford band have spoken about their appearance.
Stornoway
“It’s our only Oxford show over the summer and the first time we’ve played the festival,” said main songwriter Brian Briggs. “It’s a bit of a legendary festival, so we’re really excited to get to play it at long last.
“We’re on the same night as Bellowhead, who are, of course, another ‘local act’. We’ve played with them in the past and they are great.
“I’ve never been to Towersey before but I’ve heard about it many times. Hopefully, I’ll take the whole family as we have a couple of toddlers and we hear the festival is really family-friendly. We should have local fans coming and we’ll get some friends down too I’m sure – it’ll be great.”
Stornoway’s appearance follows the release of the band’s third full studio album, Bonxie (out 13 April 2015 via Cooking Vinyl). Named after the great skua (Stercorarius skua), a large powerful seabird also known as the bonxie, the collection features songs inspired by nature and the outdoors.
“Overall, the record’s pop, but in disguise. The songs seem to quite quickly connect with people,” explained Brian.
Debuting in 2010 with the 100,000 selling Beachcomber’s Windowsill, the band – Brian, Jonathan Ouin, Oli Steadman and Rob Steadman – have previously opted to record themselves. However, for Bonxie, the band enlisted the skills of famed producer Gil Norton (Pixies, Foo Fighters, Twin Atlantic).
“We’d got quite used to doing things our way, said Brian. “That’d been good fun. But this time we wanted a step up from our comfort zones and having Gil there made us question our decisions, see things from a fresh perspective. The result is a more simpler, fresher sound, and we wanted to do something less dense, less layered. It’s still poppy … but it in an outdoorsy way.”
Stornoway play Towersey Festival, near Thame, Oxfordshire, on Saturday 29 August 2015, with Bellowhead, John Smith, Phil Beer, Lisbee Stainton and many more. Day Tickets are £40 (adult), £28 (youth), £18 (child), under 5s free. Full Weekend festival tickets are available from £120 (adult), £110 (conc), £84 (youth), £55 (child), with under 5s free. For tickets and more line-up details, call 01629 827016 or see: towerseyfestival.com
DID you know that in addition to regular productions at The Players Theatre, Thame Players perform touring shows at venues around Oxfordshire? Their latest show, ‘Come Rain Or Come Shine’, is a cabaret-style revue loosely based on the theme of weather, that includes songs, sketches and monologues on the subject.
Members of Thame Players talk to supporters at Thame Market Fun Day 2014
Joint Compiler and Director, Tony Long, commented: “We perform the show on request for local groups such as Rotary and U3A. Our first two performances are at the end of April and we are looking for more bookings to perform throughout the summer.”
Tony and fellow Compiler and Director, Bernadette Tildesley, have collaborated on many revues over the last twenty years, and in 2013, directed a five-show run of a revue called ‘A Century of Song’ at The Players Theatre, Thame, to celebrate the centenary of the theatre building.
Anyone wishing to book ‘Come Rain Or Come Shine’ for their venue, or for a special occasion, should contact Tony on 07938 857291.
FOLLOWING the success of the Pop-Up Choir at Thame Arts and Literature Festival last October, the Choir’s Leader, Ian English is organising another ‘Pop Up Choir’, this time at the Barns Centre, Church Road, Thame, on Saturday, April 11, at 2.30pm.
Ian explained: “This is an opportunity to join in group singing. No music reading is involved, and it will be very sociable and fun!”
The pop-up choir starts at 2.30pm and will last approximately two hours and refreshments will be available. The cost is £5.
To enroll for this event, contact Ian English on 01844 261171 to reserve a place, or send an email to ianjenglish@hotmail.com
GLAMROOCK tribute band, Slyde, will be headlining Thame’s Music in the Park on Sunday, May 3, this year.
Slyde is the leading tribute band to Slade, one of the most iconic bands of the 1970s in the UK and Europe, but the band’s stage show is also an authentic tribute to other pop and rock artists from the 70s. So dust off those old platform boots and go crazy with the lipstick and mascara as Slyde recreate the authentic atmosphere of shows featuring legends such as Slade, Sweet, T Rex, David Bowie, Jeff Beck, Wizzard, Norman Greenbuam. Steppenwolf, The Osmonds, Mud and many more.
Tickets are on sale now at a range of outlets in Thame: Vintage & Modern Guitars, Wally’s Toy Shop, Fore Golf, The Cross Keys, The Falcon and Thame Town Hall, or online at: www.wegottickets.com/event/311715.
Advance tickets: Adults £7, Concessions (students, under 18s, senior citizens) £4, family ticket (2 adults and up to three concessions) £20. On-the-door prices are £10, £5 and £25 respectively. Under 5s go free.
Music in the Park has is now established as one the most anticipated days out in Thame for music lovers of all ages, and will once again feature two main stages with live music and dance, and an acoustic stage. As well as having fun dancing the day away, there’s plenty of space in Elms Park to chill out with a leisurely picnic, and to take advantage of all the usual goodies you’d expect at a festival, including tasty real ales, a wide variety of delicious foods, fun activities for children and adults, and a range of trade stalls.
