Category: Features

WHATEVER time of year ? be it Christmas or summer ? the goods you buy must be of satisfactory quality (not faulty). If not, you?re entitled to your money back if you?re quick. If you aren?t quick you could be offered a repair or replacement instead to put things right. The shop will usually want to see the receipt to prove that it was bought at that store.

It is the purchaser of the gift who has the right to return the goods. However, if you?ve got the receipt the shop might be flexible and let you get a replacement without involving the purchaser. It might be worth calling the customer services department of the store first, to check if they will swap the present, even though you did not buy it.

Tip
When buying something as a present, always ask the store for a gift receipt!

For more information about your consumer rights, go to the Citizens Advice website www.adviceguide.org.uk
CAB adviceline 08 444 111 444 or 0300 3300 650(mobile)
Your local CAB is in Market Square, Thame

WHAT financial help is available to sixth formers who are struggling to stay in education? First of all, it is always worthwhile talking to a trusted teacher to find out how the school or college may be able to help.

Although financial help for school students through the education maintenance allowance (EMA) has now been scrapped, young people who were already getting EMA before January 2011 will continue to get it until the end of the 2011/12 academic year.

Anyone in their first year of post-16 study who was getting maximum EMA is eligible for

DON’T look now but there’s something very spooky creeping up on you…All Hallows Eve or Halloween as it’s more popularly known these days, October 31st.

The local witches, werewolves, ghouls and ghosts are no doubt planning their evening and we’re all lamenting the loss of Woolworth’s pick n’mix counter to keep the eggs… I mean evil spirits, away from our doors. It will be a night of spooky tales, unexplained happenings, myths and legends for which we’re all suckers. But what of Thame itself? Where lurk our town’s apparitions and other supernatural presences?

Now, we know that Thame is an old town with a lot of history, so I expected that it would be jam-packed with ghosts. I mean, you don’t find buildings as old as many of ours in every Oxfordshire town, so you can imagine that I was a bit disappointed only to be able to rustle up a hand full. Anyway, settle down on this cold, grisly night but make sure your windows are locked because here we go???

Robin Gibb and his wife Dwina have often spoken affectionately about the many guests that they apparently share their home, the Prebendal, with. Dwina is quoted as telling one visitor: “When we first moved in here, the house wouldn’t accept anything new. Washing machines would break down, televisions, video machines, telephone systems. They wouldn’t function properly. An engineer from BT came out and said, “It’s not us, it’s the house.”

Lord Williams’s school has its own legend too. It is said that George Plummer, a housemaster in the early 19th century, murdered the Matron and disposed of her body in the vast Main House attic. It is said that once a year her ghost rings the old assembly bell which is on top of Main House which is now rarely used.

The next time you drive to Aylesbury from Thame on the A418, at night, beware when you approach the village of Gibraltar. Try not to be alone as it is at this spot that the ghost of a Thame man, known as the Noble Edden who apparently appears to warn travellers about the danger ahead, might appear. What danger you may ask? Well, it was here that Noble Edden was murdered, and he wants to make sure it doesn’t happen to anyone else! (He’s buried in St Mary’s churchyard by the way)

Around St Mary’s itself, stories of the lady in grey have been rife for many years. The story goes that a lady in grey appeared to the vicar of St Mary’s just before the turn of the 19th century. As he approached, a lady dressed in Elizabethan costume who was kneeling at the altar rail, vanished right before his very eyes. During World War II, members of the Home Guard often claimed to have seen her while climbing to their lookouts on the church tower.
Interestingly, whilst doing this research, I noticed that Long Crendon also boasts a lady in grey whose ghost haunts their church. Could it be the same lady? Did she perhaps marry her true love at Thame only to lose him and see him buried at Long Crendon, and now her unhappy spirit walks them both in grief? It could be, or maybe someone local knows the true story of our lady in grey? Please do get in touch and let us know.

The last story that I’m going to tell concerns the Bird Cage in Cornmarket, Thame. It’s one of the oldest and most well-known buildings in Thame and there are many accounts of strange happenings. The source of the loud nocturnal footsteps has never been traced, but One story says the entity is a leper that was once imprisoned there. Legend has it that he met a horrible end, being stoned to death by the local people of Thame! And I thought we were such nice people! Apparently, there is a secret underground passage that runs from the Bird Cage to St Mary’s Church and it was along here that his battered, bruised and broken body was carried for the last time.

I’m sure there’s a lot more spooky history to be uncovered in Thame, so if you know of any local ghosts or other unexplained goings-on, do share it with us.

ARE you an experienced Company Secretary used to taking full responsibility for financial matters? Would you like to work part-time for a vibrant charity that protects victims and supports offenders and their families?

The charity is Thames Valley Partnership headed up by its Chair, former Metropolitan Police Commissioner, Sir Ian Blair.

This paid post is for 2.5 hours, based at The Thames Valley Partnership’s Headquarters at Townhill Barn, Chilton, in Buckinghamshire.

The Job

The role of the Assistant Director (Finance) is a new position to take over Company Secretary and all financial responsibilities; to act as deputy to the director, to line manage some of the staff team and have oversight of incoce and HR matters.

FULL DETAILS & JOB REQUIREMENTS:
http://www.gumtree.com/p/jobs/assistant-director-finance-part-time-thames-valley-partnership/88292803

For more information and application form, contact: Mac Webster, email: mac@thamesvalleypartnership.org

Applications must be received by October 7, 2011

BIT of quiet news day today, so here’s a little bit of a summer diversion for the end of the week:

THERE are several great places in Thame for ‘ladies that lunch’ but just for a change, a trio of Thame’s lady movers and shakers agreed to join me for a Champagne cream tea at the Spread Eagle in Cornmarket, Thame. But what about the calories, and the cholesterol I hear you squeek?

Well, yes, a cream tea’s not the healthiest of meals but hey, its quintessentially English and everyone deserves a bit of “naughty but nice” every now again.

So how did it go? First, here’s the verdict of Catherine Jones, alias Romantic Novelist and bon viveur (or should that be bonne viveure?), Kate Lace:

“Okay, so at first sight nearly

A THAME couple, who met at their local skating rink during the war, have celebrated their 65th wedding anniversary.

Connie and Eddie Senior celebrated their 65th Wedding Anniversary on Wednesday, June 22, at Hillside Nursing Home in Aylesbury, where Connie has been looked after since a fall at their Thame home. Before that they had actually been together for 70 years from March 2011 and never been apart until Connie had her fall.

Connie and Eddie met in Yorkshire in March 1940 at the local skating rink in Dewsbury, West Yorkshire. When the war began Eddie went off to become a Radio Operator on the destroyer HMS Southdown, and Connie was to become a PE Instructor to the women in the forces.

Eddie and Connie hardly ever managed to meet during the war, although Eddie would quite often come across Connie?s only sister Agnes. When the war ended Eddie returned and they married at Wombwell Methodist Church near Barnsley, South Yorkshire. They lived most of their married life in Yorkshire, before moving to the seaside at Filey. After Connie suffered a heart attack in 1994, they decided to sell up and move to be nearer their children in the South of England. They now live in Shabbington.

The Seniors have two children, John and Joan, four grandchildren and six great grandchildren. They were never apart after their wedding until Connie had her fall in November 2009. She was taken into the John Radcliffe Hospital, Oxford and then transferred to Hillside Nursing Home in Aylesbury, where Eddie visits Connie as often as he can.

The Senior’s daughter, Joan, explained: “They have always remained completely devoted to each other. Dad misses not having Mum at home with him, hence his frequent visits to have his dinners and spend as much time as he can with her.

“We had a lovely party and dad really enjoyed himself – and was so proud to get a lovely card from Her Majesty too!”

THAME Barns Centre has sent off in style one of the town’s great characters, and the man who has contributed so much to the success of what has become one of Thame’s most popular venues.

Staff and friends joined John for a party at the centre last Friday evening to say ‘thank you’ to John Thomas who retires having been Manager there for the last 10 years.

A substantial collection had been made towards John’s retirement gift and a donation was presented by Rosalie Gibson, one of the Trustees, towards one of John?s hobbies – cycling.

Rosalie made a fitting speech of thanks to which John was the first to lead the applause and to which he was delighted to respond in his own inimitable way, as well as wishing the new Manager, Karen Clark, and the Events Co-ordinator, Patsy Baker, every good wish for the future.

John had a career in construction before he came to the Barns Centre in July, 2001, at which time the Centre was in need of final completion and ?some atmosphere?. It has since become home to numerous regular user groups such as Keep Fit and Yoga, Ballroom Dancing classes, Toddler Groups, Historical Society and Martial Arts to name but a few.

In 2003, the Commercial kitchen was finally commissioned for use and the Centre was registered as a Food Business. Since then, the venue has hosted and catered for hundreds of receptions such as Weddings, anniversaries, parties and wakes as well as hosting the Twinning Celebrations with Montesson and Thame Town Council Civic functions. Businesses both local and from far afield regularly use the venue for meetings and corporate days.

An immensely popular, fortnightly afternoon Tea Dance was held May 11, at which The Dancers showed their appreciation for John and The Centre.

“We all wish John, and his long suffering wife Val, a long and happy retirement!” concluded Karen Clark, who follows in John’s footsteps.

FOUR countries, one week, 45 lifts, thousands of students clad in bright green T-shirts, free lunch, police and a day off in Gibraltar. Welcome to Hitch 2011 done Thame style.

George Millo, ex Lord Williams pupil, has just returned from hitchhiking his way from Manchester, where he now studies, to Morocco. He and two girl friends, Jo Withers and Natalie Chard, along with many other university students, made their way to North Africa as part of the Links Community Development Hitch charity.

The event is held annually to raise money for five African countries to help with their education system. LCD challenges students to hitchhike from all over the country to either Morocco or Prague. To take part each student has to raise

YOU can follow the progress of Thame’s George Millo and friends, as they hitch-hike to Morocco for charity. Follow this link: http://bit.ly/g9TLGl (George’s group is number 183)

DESPITE the current troubles in North Africa, a Thame undergraduate intends to hitch-hike to Morocco to raise money to raise standards in African schools.

During the Easter break, George Millo and two of his friends intend to hitch-hike all the way from Manchester where they are studying, to Morocco, a distance of over 1500 miles, to raise money for the charity Link Community Development.

Last year George spent two months volunteering in primary schools in Kenya so he’s seen first-hand how much of a difference LCD’s work makes to the local communities. “I think it’s a really worthwhile cause and I’m glad to be helping,” George told ThameNews.

“I’ve never hitch-hiked at all before, let alone something this ambitious, so it should be an interesting experience – and hopefully fun too!”

George explained: “LCD works in five separate African countries to improve the quality of their schools and educational systems. As well as building new school buildings, LCD works on all levels from national to local governments and school authorities to train teachers, improve facilities and supplies, and create closer links between parents and their children’s schools. LCD’s work makes a real, measurable difference to the lives of thousands of poor children and their families, and any donation no matter how small is greatly appreciated!

“LCD have been running the hitch for twenty years now, and it’s their single biggest source of income – since the first Hitch in 1992, 5500 people have taken part, raising over

AN Oxfordshire school librarian?s first novel has just been published, but to spare the blushes of her mum, she wishes to remain anonymous beause of its ‘racy’ content.

Ex-IT Manager, mother and now School Librarian of a prominent local school, Bea Turvey, her pen name, lives in a small Oxfordshire village and has finally achieved her dream of writing a novel but because of the inclusion of some sex scenes she will not be able to enjoy the recognition that will come with its international publication!

Not only is she wary of being exposed to students? comments and staff critique, but her greatest fear is that the book will somehow make its way to her mother?s pile of must-reads! Therefore, she is writing under a pen name in the hope that it will keep her secret for as long as possible. The threat of exposure makes her anxious, she says.

“We all put our parents through hell as we grow up but this is beyond anything I?ve ever done before. My mother is extremely strait-laced: doesn?t drink, smoke, swear and is deeply religious. A book like this would shock her senseless,” says Bea Turvey.

Bea’s E book is called Banished and is a typical beach-read-romance with a hint of danger. An excerpt is available at: http://canwritewillwrite.com/Bea_Turvey.html

Banished came out on March 10, 2011, published by Can Write Will Write.