Category: Letters to the Editor

Dear Editor, I, too, was affected by the loss of the internet connection this morning. But this was a loss of the Broadband connection. I used my dial-up account which is the cost of the phone call
whilst using the internet. This meant I could keep up with my emails.

If you haven’t got a dial-up it’s worthwhile setting one up. It’s fairly simple to do it yourself but you can phone your provider and they will talk you through it. It is very useful to have one as you can fall back on it when you lose broadband connectivity.

It is also useful if you have a laptop and you want to dial up when not at home. You can make the dial-up phone number your best friend on BT to keep
the cost down – generally about

Dear Editor – On behalf of Oxford Radcliffe Hospitals Charitable Funds I would like to thank you, your colleagues and readers for your continuing support. In the last financial year

Dear Editor, I read with interest the letter received from Kimberly Hunter, and would also like to reiterate of behalf of the members of ‘The Thame & District Day Centre our thanks to you for the scam warnings, i.e. Mobility Aids and phone calls pretending to be BT.

As the manager of the Day Centre and recipient of your daily news bulletins, I pass this information onto our 60 members, all of whom are vulnerable to this sort of scam, and who, in turn pass the information onto their friends and neighbours. We discuss what to do if anything like this happens to them. I would just like to reassure Kimberly that at least we are here to pass on this information to our older people of Thame.

Kind regards
Gillian Coleman

Dear Editor – Further to comments on this site about internet availability in Thame I have learned from my provider, Tesco, that what caused my link to the service to cut out between 8pm and 9pm ? and stay out for hours – for most of last week and some of the week before, is ?congestion?. It was also pretty bad during the afternoons towards the end of the school holidays.

I had the clear impression from the adviser to whom I spoke that nothing can be done about it (rather like the weather or an act of God). What I would like to know is: are subscribers to other ISPs having the same problem? If they are then we should all be making a fuss. If they are not, then why are Tesco users having problems?

Again, from my telephone conversations with Tesco, I learn that the problems are in ?the exchange? and this is because different technologies are in play in it. I am totally out of my depth now. Do all the providers have different little gizmos in the exchange? Do BT subscribers have similar problems, I wonder?

Because my service seemed to be getting slower, some months ago I upgraded my Tesco?s broadband subcription to a faster version of?Anytime?. That?s not happening at the moment. It would be useful to know other people?s experiences.

I can?t believe that if there?s the will, technology will not find a way to deal with this.

Norman Brand
Fanshawe Road

Good afternoon, I was interested to read the article regarding slow internet speed in Thame as I too have experienced inadequate bandwith on many occasions. We have tried to watch a couple of things on I player and each time we have been presented with the message ‘inadequate bandwith’ and a few painful attempts to watch the screen buffering after only a couple of seconds of play.

We have tried to view at various times of the day but predominantly around mid afternoon during the school holidays. I have tried again today at 10:30 and I am still unable to view.

Interestingly, a friend of mine was having a moan on facebook about this too, another resident from Thame.

So, It would be really interesting to know if there are any other reports of similar issues.

Thanks in advance
Michelle Hunt

Dear Editor – I am writing to thank you for the wonderful informatative service you provide. You recently posted a ringmaster message concerning a mobility aids company using high pressure selling techniques on the elderly.

Thanks to you, i was able to stop this company from visiting my Mother.

Perhaps this sort of notice could be given to Age Concern and Doctor’s surgeries to make them aware of these scams especially as not all Senior Citizen’s have access to the internet.

Thank you once again
Yours Sincerely

Kimberly Hunter

DEAR EDITOR – During the war I was evacuated to a pub in a small village near Thame. All I can remember is playing happily in the green field with other children without a care in the world.

Next door to the pub was a large house. I believe it was owned by someone famous. The house had been taken over and was used to provide USAF personnel rest and recuperation. Many had been badly burnt. I was spoilt rotten by these airmen.

There was a long pathway to the door of the pub and the beer was kept in large barrels. The people who looked after me were kind and took good care of me.

I would love to be able to place the village and the people. Can anyone help me?

Avril Harpley
14/09/09

Dear Editor – All movements for good can be distorted into instruments of oppression. There are plenty of examples in religion and politics. I fear this may also be true of campaigns about ‘climate change’.

The idea of a horse and cart wandering around the lanes carrying a group of enthusiasts is delightful in itself. I have always been on the side of rebels and individualists and often been both myself. But climate change – and there are challenges to the science – is developing a massive bureacracy and orthodoxy.

There is an implication of ‘heretic’ about the term ‘climate change denier’. But I wonder whether the innocent and guileless ‘horse and cart’ could one day turn into a tank on my lawn, its occupants hunting down any fluorescent light bulbs I might have.

Norman Brand
Thame
10/09/09

Dear Editor, I have just attended Thame Community Hospital where I received a session of NHS physiotherapy and was grateful for it. I was seen promptly in a pleasant, human-scale and spotless environment.

While I waited I chatted with a patient who remembered when operations were performed there. Thame Community Hospital is a treasure, worked for and contributed to by generations of people in this town. It faces various uncertainties at the moment.

Whatever happens OUR town hospital must never be hijacked by bean counters and paper pushers who have no connection with everything it stands for, who may see it only as a resource or expense or product.

Yours sincerely
Norman Brand
01/09/09

Dear Editor, As a Towersey resident, I would like to share my views on this subject, and in particular, respond to the letter headed ?Plea for help and support for Sex Offender?. My response has been delayed, firstly because I did not want to act in fury and secondly this is not something I could write about in a few spare minutes, it takes a lot of thought and courage.

I would firstly like to say ?thank god? the child has a supportive family and was ?listened to?. I can only thank the family for their courage where others fail, in proceeding with what needed to be done and that it was brought to all of our attention. Although Towersey is a close knit community, we all have the right to know if there is a danger to our children living amongst us. I have a son and like any other parent I wish to protect my child, NOT to protect paedophiles like Nick Graves! It?s ?do-gooders? like the author?s of the ?said letter? who create the playground for paedophiles and they are obviously unaware about the implications and the effects child sexual abuse has on a person.

As a victim and now survivor of child sexual abuse, I am shocked that the authors of the said letter attempt to ?measure the damage caused to the child?. For the authors to describe the damage as ?minimal?, I would like to bring their attention to the fact that the only thing ?minimal? about this incident would be the childs understanding of what has happened to him, today! As the child grows and matures so does the understanding of the actual act, nature and position he was tricked into by someone he trusted. In my particular case, my abuse was 30years ago and to this day it still has a significant bearing on my life. Feeling disgusting about yourself, low self worth, if any, and the damage it could cause to any future relationships are just the tip of the iceberg!

As for children making ?mischievous complaints? and ?no substance to them?, Nick Graves was found guilty in a Court of Law of sexually assaulting a child. The days of children being ?seen and not heard? has gone! Obviously there is substance in this particular case, so what a bizarre statement to make in their plea. Also they make a plea for ?forgiveness? for Nick Graves. In my experience, forgiveness comes from within, but you truly have to admit to yourself you have done wrong, and from what I can gather, Nick Graves only accepts that he has been found guilty, and did not admit he WAS guilty. How can he possibly forgive himself, or expect anyone else too?

The Sentence Nick Graves has received from the Court, is just another manipulation, but of the system. It was his choice to destroy his future and reputation through his actions alone. My heart goes out to the child and his family, because they didn?t have a choice. Their lives have been turned upside down through no fault of their own and Nick Graves has tarnished their memories of the wonderful times they?ve had in this village and they all have to live with what he has done and for the child, that means for life!

Louise ? Towersey Resident