Category: entertainment and leisure news

QUIZ fans from across southern Oxfordshire are expected to converge on Little Wittenham this September and everyone is invited. The quiz night, on September 4, to help raise funds for local environmental charity, Earth Trust and takes place in their beautiful 19th century barn.

Teams of up to six people can sign up for what’s shaping up to be an entertaining evening of fun and trivia – it costs just £5 per person and all the proceeds will go to the Earth Trust.

Meet up with your team mates at the bar from 7pm before the quiz starts at 7.30pm. Sue Boyle, the quiz master, will be asking questions on a wide range of subjects throughout the night and the winning and losing teams will receive a small prize each.

The fundraising event is being organised by Cllrs David Bretherton and Margaret Crick, in association with the Trust, to celebrate their support for the sustainable local charity as Chairs of South Oxfordshire and Vale of White Horse District Council respectively.

Thame Cllr David Bretherton said: “Quiz evenings are an ideal opportunity to bring your friends and family together. Everyone is invited to enter the quiz and help us raise money for the Earth Trust whilst having a great time.”

Cllr Margaret Crick said: “We’re proud to support the Earth Trust to help them protect their farmland, woodland and wetlands including Radley Lakes – somewhere that local people have enjoyed for many years.”

Laura King is Earth Trust’s Development Manager. She added: “We are delighted to receive this wonderful endorsement recognising the work we do and championing accessible green spaces, including the much loved Wittenham Clumps. The district councils’ support will extend the impact we have in the community and ensure that the people of Oxfordshire have the opportunity to access, learn about and understand nature.”

You can register your team at https://earthtrust.org.uk/whats-on/charity-quiz-night/ or if you have any questions, you can contact Karen Dodd on 01235 422082.

SOURCE: Press Release

THIS year’s Global Car Free Day, a now annual event held in towns and cities all over the world, is to be supported by Thame Town Council, with a Community Pedaling Picnic to be held at Southern Road Recreation ground.

The event is being organised by Cllr Sonja Francis who explained: “The idea is that we hold a decorated bicycle ride for all ages from Montesson Square, through the town,  to the Southern Road Rec. culminating there in a parade of the bikes and the Mayor of Thame, Ann Midwinter, judging the best decorated entry. This will be followed by a picnic with everyone bringing their own food and drink (no alcohol please as we want this to be a family event). Those taking part will be very welcome to bring along cricket bats, tennis rackets, rounders balls etc if they wanted to play games.

“Everyone else – excluding those who are disabled, who will be permitted to park their vehicles in the Southern Road car park – can walk, skate board or roller skate because the idea of course, is to leave the car at home!”

To ensure that there is enough support for the idea, please register your interest, including the number of bikes in your group or family, by emailing: Sonja.Francis@thametowncouncil.gov.uk

So, what is Global Car Free Day?

World Car Free Day is an event that is held on 22nd of September each year in towns and cities all over the world. The aim is to encourage people to spend a day without driving their cars for the sake of the environment. As we all know, cars produce compounds that harm our environment and so, we can make a contribution to reducing their impact if we all spend even just one day without using our cars. Various events are organized in different countries in light of the celebration of this event.

More information here: https://dayfinders.com/car-free-day/

JOHN Hampden Primary School, Thame, was celebrating as the school closed for the summer holidays, on two counts.

First good news was that the school has been rated ‘Good’ in it’s recent Ofsted Inspection, and to top it all, the school’s PTFA has smashed its £20,000 fundraising target for this year. Congratulations all round!!

Join Thames Valley Police for their Open Day

THE annual Thames Valley Police (TVP) Open Day is on Saturday, August 10, at the force’s training centre in Sulhamstead, between 10am and 4pm.

TVP’s Roads Policing Unit, Forensic Investigations Unit, Contact Management team and Specialist Operations team are just a handful of over 50 exhibitors who will be attending to showcase their work.

Highlights include:
•Displays from our dogs section, our local search and rescue dogs and our public order team who have a new twist in store this year.
•The force helicopter will be dropping by with an opportunity for you to meet the pilots and grab a photo.
•11 exciting talks throughout the day; find out what family liaison is, what it’s like to answer the 999 and 101 calls, and learn about the history of Thames Valley Police.
•A fancy dress competition, dress in your best police themed costume to be in with a chance of winning a fantastic prize.
•Get involved in our scavenger hunt which will see you take a trip round our stalls to follow the clues and bring out your inner detective.
•Visit the museum and museum shop which will be celebrating its return to Sulhamstead.

As at previous events, TVP will also be raising funds for two worthy charities. This year the public’s donations will go towards supporting PACT and Pilgrim Bandits.

Key Information:
•Car parking is available on a first come, first served basis.
•Assistance dogs are permitted to the event, other visitors with dogs will be turned away and dogs must not be left in vehicles.
•Bag searches will be taking place upon entry to the event.
•Entrance to the site is free.
•Last entry will be at 3.30pm for a 4pm close.
•Seating on site is limited, so please feel free to bring picnic blankets with you.
•Venue address: Thames Valley Police Training Centre, Sulhamstead, near Reading, Berkshire, RG7 4DX.

Look out for further information in the lead up to the event on TVP’s Facebook and Twitter channels.

TICKETS are now available for a special summer screening featuring the World Premier of locally-made short film, ‘The CuBOYd’, and heart-warming musical ‘Wild Rose’.

The CuBOYd began as a YouTube series in 2011, created by Thame filmmakers Jack Franks, Joe Phippen and Joe Ounsworth. The series followed the lives of boredom-fighting, cardboard-clad superhero (The Cuboyd) and his two cameramen (the two Joes), accumulating over one million views before the filmmakers began a hiatus to focus on university and work.

Returning to their hometown, and struggling to rediscover their place in a less forgiving online media landscape, the filmmakers reunited to develop the concept into a short film. Bringing in cinematographer Olly Ross and boom operator Sam Roelandts, the team developed a more emotional story than expected which serves as a fitting end to a project that always celebrated the connection between friendship, youth and home.

This will be followed by a short Q&A with director, Jack, and then the recently-released main feature ‘Wild Rose’, starring Jessie Buckley, Julie Walters, and Sophie Okonedo, which follows the tale of a young Scottish country singer who dreams of making it big in Nashville after being released from prison. Saturday, July 20, 8pm. Tickets from thamecinema.org.uk or on the door.

CHRIS Washington will be previewing his latest show, ‘Raconteur’ at The Players Theatre, Thame, on Friday, July 19, in a double header with Heidi Regan. Chris was Edinburgh Comedy Award Best Newcomer Nominee and British Comedy Guide Recommended in 2018. Chortle described him as: “..a mainstream comedy star in the making,” with Broadway Baby saying his comedy was: “Funny, relatable and heartwarming.”

Heidi Regan’s 2018 Fringe was a sell-out, with her new show: ‘Heidi Kills Time’. It’s a show that’s both silly and surreal about time travel, love and time travel! Winner of BBC New Comedy Award and So You Think You’re Funny. Her accolades include Tour support for Joe Lycett, Writer for Have I Got news For You, Star of The Now Show, The Guilty Feminist Podcast and appearances on BBC Three.

MC for the evening will be popular local comedian Andy Gleeks. Tickets are £10 and available from 01844 217228 or www.thameplayers.co.uk. Book now to avoid disappointment! Comedy @ The Players, Friday 19th July with Chris Washington & Heidi Regan

Thame Town Music Festival has announced the 10 finalists of the 2019 Songwriter’s competition, who will be performing their entries live at the Festival Final in Friday, July 12, in Christchurch, Upper High Street, Thame Oxon.

Festival Director, Johnnie Littler said: “We received over 50 entries with some fantastic quality songs covering a wide range of styles and subjects. It has been hard to whittle it down to ten but the panel felt that this list showed what a breadth and quality of song writing talent there is waiting to break through. The final is going to be a fantastic night showcasing this talent and all are welcome to come and watch and support the artists starting at 7:30pm (doors 6:45).

“I’m especially pleased that due to the incredibly generous sponsorship from Christopher Ward, the British watch company, who passionately believe in supporting emerging talent and challenging established thinking, that the event is FREE ENTRY to everyone.”

And there’s more! After the final we are all to be treated to an intimate gig by Luke Concannon in Concert! Cited by Ed Sheeran as a childhood hero, is an English singer-songwriter with deep Irish roots. Since finding success at an early age with cult duo Nizlopi, Concannon has gone onto to have a very successful solo career whilst also finding the time to teach and mentor song writing classes and workshops all over the world.

This event, in Christchurch, Thame, is also a Free event in a special intimate performance by this incredibly influential artist!

The Finalists are:
ARTIST NAME                                    SONG NAME
Abi Farrell                                    The Only Way I Learn
Anne-Marie Allen                                   I Like
Bisola                                        Your Love Conquerors All
Callum Gardener                                Hang Loose
Dan Rawle                                    Matter of Opinion

Jack Cade The River

Michael Lee                             Searching for the Truth

Rhys Warriner                         Live Like you belong

Scott Gordon                                        Roots

Zach Johnson                                   Memories

The winning artist will be awarded the TTMF Songwriters Trophy, receive £500 and be invited to

perform their song on the main stage at Thame Town Music Festival between 1400-15:00 on

Saturday 13 July.

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IT was the very model of an evening truly marvellous!

With its swashbuckling pirates, innocent lovers, bumbling policemen, a modern Major General, not so dutiful daughters and a Pirate King too tender-hearted to make piracy pay, this was a comedy treat for the audience at Thame Leisure Centre on Saturday night (22/06).

Gilbert and Sullivan’s comic opera The Pirates of Penzance was performed by Lord Williams’s Festival Chorus led by Musical Director Jeff Stewart with a cast of brilliant soloists, many from the Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama, and accompanied by a small group of magnificent musicians.

In true summer concert tradition, the choir was in jubilant mood, rising to the sartorial challenge with bonnets, bustles, ribbons and lace alongside pirate hats, flags and parrots.

Jeff Stewart commented: “It was great fun. There was some wonderful singing together with lots of humour and a great feeling of togetherness. The audience lapped it up.”

The audience tucked into a wonderful spread of delicious treats in the interval and a good time was had by all.

The choir will perform Hummel’s Mass in E Flat and Karl Jenkins’ Gloria along with Christmas music for choir and audience at its next concert on Saturday, December 7. Full details at lordwilliamsfestivalchorus.org.uk

SOURCE: Contributed.

GLastonbury Festival has a wonderful phrase; ‘leave no trace, love the farm’. Their festival goers take a ‘green pledge’ to leave the site as they found it, take belongings home, recycle their waste and minimise use of plastic.

At Towersey, claims Festival Organiser Joe Heap, they have been doing the ‘green thing’ for many years, leading the way on festival sustainability. As well as having had recycling since day one in 1965, Towersey Festival has had a dedicated team of orange-clad wombles has been making sure that 85% of waste is recycled and repurposed.

“We have already done away with plastic straws, plastic cutlery, plastic plates and single-use plastic cups,” said Joe, “..and in 2019, NO single-use plastic bottles will be available on site…..anywhere.

“Last year we increased the number of drinking water taps available to our visitors by 40%. If you want drinking water, there it is, available to all free of charge!

“In 2019, we will be encouraging the use of reusable hot drink cups with some of our caterers will be offering a discount for those who choose to get involved by bringing their own or purchasing one on site.

“Also in 2019, we will expand our ‘good food collection’ to the whole of the campsite as well as to caterers, collecting all unopened and unwanted food and giving it to our friends at Sharing Life food bank who will distribute the food through their network.

“Each festival we are proud to move forward another step towards a hundred percent sustainability.”

To find out more about Green Towersey, visit: https://www.towerseyfestival.com/project/green-towersey/

CUT!, a comedy whodunnit based on the famous board game Cluedo, opens at the Players Theatre, Thame, on Tuesday, July 9.

Written by local cartoonist and author Robert Duncan, it was first staged by Thame Players under the name ‘Cluedo’, prior to opening at the Theatre Royal Windsor in 1986, where it broke box-office records. A highly successful national tour followed, during which Cluedo was seen by no less than HM the Queen, Sir Tim Rice and Vera Lynn, amongst others.

Despite numerous attempts, following its purchase from original owners Waddingtons, Hasbro, the new US owners of Cluedo, refused to allow continued use of the name ‘Cluedo’ as the play’s title. Unwilling to let such a successful whodunnit disappear without trace, Robert Duncan has now rewritten the play under the name Cut! so that audiences can continue to enjoy it today. The first successful performance of Cut! took place in New Zealand earlier this year, prior to its UK premiere at the Players Theatre next month.

Much of the original plot and setting remain the same, despite the change of title and renaming of the six original characters. There is a gruesome murder – of course! – and there are six different possible endings. The audience has to decide whodunnit, so there could be a different ending every night.

The action takes place in 1935 at Bigger Hampton Manor, a country manor house owned by the famous American film producer, Otto Steinburger. He has arranged a dinner party to introduce the cast and crew to his latest blockbuster, Cut! Although the guests, including such luminaries as Major Pongo Brown, Adora Mann, Darlene Withers, the Reverend Acorn, and Mrs Travesty, the housekeeper, think they‘ve been invited to talk about Cut!, little do they realise that Steinburger has different evil intentions for each of them. With a murder on their hands, the six suspects are cross-questioned by an Inspector from the local constabulary, who discovers that each is more than capable of committing the terrible crime….

Cut! promises to have audiences gripped from the start and puts them in the driving seat when it comes to solving the murder. It’s a fast-paced whodunnit that promises to be huge fun and totally unmissable! Tickets are £8-£10 from Spear Travels, Greyhound Walk, Thame, telephone 01844 217228, or go to www.thameplayers.co.uk

Cut! is being performed at the Players Theatre, Nelson Street, Thame OX9 2DP, from Tuesday, July 9, until Saturday, July 13, inclusive. Tickets are £8-£10 from Spear Travels, Greyhound Walk, Thame, telephone 01844 217228, or go to www.thameplayers.co.uk