AN inquest into the death of 18 year-old Luke Portsmouth, who was pronounced dead at the scene when the motorbike he was driving crashed in Thame, will be opened next Tuesday, September 5, 2017.
Luke was driving a black Kawasaki ZX Series motorbike along the A4129 Tythrop Way in Thame on August 28, when, according to the police, he is believed to have collided with a lamp post near the skate park at about 4.35pm.
IN a beautiful English garden in Thame this afternoon, a typical scene of friends enjoying scones with jam and cream on bone china plates, with pots of steaming tea. Nothing particularly unusual in that, but this afternoon was special for members of Thame and District Twinning Association.
For this afternoon was, what has become a regular late summer get-together, to discuss the passing of the year and to hear plans for the group’s annual visit to Thame’s twin town of Montesson, near Paris in two weeks’ time. News of future fund-raising activities, like the Montesson Christmas Market in late November, and Thame Twinning’s quiz with quizmaster Sue Boyle, on November 3, was received with great enthusiasm.
Despite the shock of the Brexit vote in June 2015, the twinning between Thame and Montesson remains strong, and the Thame ‘twinners’ were pleased to welcome Phillipa Tawn from the recently formed Thame for Europe Group and her two young daughters.
Thame District and Twinning Associations Chairperson, Linda Emery, thanked David and Cynthia Jackson for hosting the afternoon in their stunning garden, and particularly Cynthia for baking dozens of scones! Linda then presented the Jacksons with a very unusual potted Cyclamen plant as a token of the group’s appreciation.
Anyone interested in finding out more about Thame and Montesson twinning, can contact Linda Emery via: lindaemery@btinternet.com
OVER 60’s living in the Thame area are being invited to take a FREE ‘Functional Fitness MOT’ with a team of professionals, to test how fit they are compared to others of the same age.
The back scratch…top marks apparently!
The tests are very straight forward and include things like standing up from a seated position with your arms folded, seeing how far down your own back you can reach with each arm, hand grip strength, and how long you can stand on one leg! The results will give you an idea of whether you are ‘doing well’ compared to your peers or whether you could benefit from being a little more active. A pack given at the end of the MOT lists some local activity opportunities that you might like to join in with and some online websites for more information.
There will also be stalls from the following organisations to give information and advice:
AGE UK Oxford including the Community Information Network
Thame Leisure Centre including GO ACTIVE
The British Heart Foundation
Diabetes UK
Dementia Oxfordshire
Occupational Therapy
Local activity opportunities for the over 60s include Tai Chi at Christchurch, Thame, Chair-based activities at St Joseph’s Church, Thame, Health Walks from the Thame Barns Centre and Healthy Heart Circuit Classes for the Older Generation at Racquets Fitness Centre in Thame.
Thame.Net’s Editor, Sonja Francis, went along for a dummy run with local Physiotherapist, Anita Clayton, to see for herself how the MOT worked and to try some of the fitness tests herself.
“Anita was very friendly and reassuring and explained the tests clearly and what they were designed to test,” said Sonja. None of them were difficult – they’re not designed to test you to the limit or cause any pain, and I didn’t feel judged in any way. Of course, being a middle-aged, fit-ish walker and cyclist I expected to pass with flying colours – which I did mainly, though one of the tests did show a bit of stiffness in my back which I shall now go away and work on. Anita recommended a spot of yoga or pilates.”
Creeeek! Oooh me back!
The purpose of maintaining as high a level of fitness as possible, and remaining as active as possible as we age, is of course to prevent health problems into the future. Avoiding falls and other accidents caused by losing balance, muscle weakness or medical emergencies like stroke and heart-attack, means less visits and stays in hospital which, not only is good for us, but is good for the over-stretched NHS and the other support services.
The Functional Fitness MOT Day is at Thame Town Hall on Friday, September 15th, from 9.30am to 12.30pm. You can either book by phoning Anita Clayton on 01844 217646 or just turn up.
THAME CINEMA FOR ALL have published their Autumn programme of films – and there are some real treats in store for you film fans out there.
Sunday September 24 – Hidden Figures – Celebrates the untold story of three brilliant African-American women, and their crucial contribution to the NASA space mission. Certificate PG. View trailer here.
Saturday September 30 – Frantz – Sumptuous romantic drama set in Germany and France, in the immediate aftermath of WW1. Certificate 12A. View trailer here.
Saturday October 7 – Their Finest – Bill Nighy and Gemma Arterton lead an all-star cast in funny and moving crowd-pleaser, about the the Ministry of Information’s propaganda film unit. Certificate 12A. View trailer here.
Saturday October 14 -In association with Thame Arts and Literature Festival, we present A Monster Calls and A Quiet Passion. For details and to book visit www.talfestival.org.
Saturday October 21- Letters from Baghdad – Dramatised documentary based on the life and letters of the extraordinary Gertrude Bell, the most powerful woman in the British Empire, and her role in re-shaping the Middle East after WW1. Certificate U. View trailer here.
Friday October 27 – The Other Side of Hope – Hilariously deadpan comic take on the refugee crisis: a Syrian asylum seeker escapes from a Finnish detention centre and finds refuge with a dour poker playing restauranteur. Certificate 12A. View trailer here.
PUB-goers popping into The Thatch and The James Figg in Thame are being asked to put their change from buying a round – or any cash they can spare – towards Herds for Change, a project aimed at delivering vital and sustainable change in the Mara, Kenya.
The pubs have declared this week Peach Foundation Cow Week, when The Richard Onslow and its sister pubs owned by Peach Pub Company are aiming to raise £250, or more, each to buy a cow for the Maasai community in Kenya as part of Herds for Change, the latest fundraising campaign carried out by its charitable arm, The Peach Foundation.
The goal is to raise £130,000 to buy a breeding herd of eight pedigree bulls and 400 cows for the Enonkishu community in the Mara. The profits will be ploughed back into the community and used to support the livelihoods of local families.
Each cow costs £250 and regulars and new faces alike coming to The Thatch and The James Figg are being asked to donate their change or whatever they can to help raise the money – there’s a special cow money box on the bar for collecting donations.
“This is an opportunity to make a real difference to the lives of people living in the Maasai community in the Mara, Kenya, a part of the world where the ecosystem has become increasingly fragile,” said Frazer Sutherland, Peach Partner. “Global warming, lifestyle changes and the mismanagement of land all pose a serious threat to the wildlife and the communities who live in the Maasai.
“Over the years here at Peach we have played a part in supporting the Maasai tribe, the wildlife and the community’s traditional way of life, helping to create a hippo sanctuary and plant a forest. Now, we are moving onto the next important chapter in the bid to safeguard the long-term future of the Mara and its people. We are creating the Peach Herd and raising money to buy cows for the Maasai community, and we want Thame to be able to provide at least one, if not two cows!
“So we’re asking everyone who pays us a visit over the next couple of weeks to let us hang onto their change for the cause or put whatever they can into the cow money box on the bar so we can make Herds for Change a big success and make our mark in the Mara.”
After collecting money to buy the herd, a team from Peach and some of its suppliers will be travelling out to Kenya to buy the cattle and deliver them to the Enonkishu community on September 9. Frazer will be among them.
SADLY for Thame Town Cricket Club, the joy of winning all three games in the league was tempered by the very sad loss of one of their regular scorers, Liz Chubb, to a heart-attack last week.
The late Elizabeth Chubb
Thame’s three wins last Saturday dedicated to the late Liz Chubb
AFTER winning all three of their important games last Saturday, August 26, Thame’s players dedicated those wins to the popular figure of Liz Chubb, who died last Wednesday, August 23, in Margate Hospital, from what is understood to have been a heart attack. Liz had been a regular scorer for the club in recent years and her sense of humour and love of the game will be sorely missed. All three matches were preceded by a minute’s silence and all three teams wore black armbands during their matches.
Firsts dismantle lowly Reading to set up title-decider with Aston Rowant
AFTER winning the toss, Thame firsts elected to field. Mike Higgs was the star, as he took the first four Reading wickets to fall in a fine 10 over spell (4 for 27). Gamindu Kanishka and Hassam Mushtaq both took two wickets apiece as Reading were shot out for just 100. The Thame reply was emphatic as openers Callum Russell and Will Sutcliffe put on 80, before Sutcliffe was the only wicket to fall, for 45. Russell remained unbeaten on 42, as Thame cruised home with 25 overs to spare. They host already-promoted Aston Rowant this Saturday, September 2, the final day of the season, for a top-of-the-table clash, knowing that a win will guarantee Thame promotion into Division One of Home Counties Premier League.
Seconds defeat promotion-chasing Brackley
ASKED to bat first, Thame seconds got off to a rocky start, with only skipper Matt Furness (25) getting runs in the top order. However, a partnership of almost 100 runs between Justin Avery (53) and Alastair Thomas (46) helped to shift the momentum. Youngsters Ben Buckland (27) and Evan Davies (17) then built on this momentum with some impressive boundaries, helping Thame to reach 203 from their allotted overs. In response, Brackley’s batsmen were never behind the required run rate. However, Pete Tervet’s dismissal of three of the top order (3-39), kept Thame’s hopes of winning intact. Just as it looked as if Brackley were going to edge it, their dangerous opening-batsman Eric Carpenter (95) was dismissed by Buckland, with the help of sharp wicket-keeping from Dave Saunders. After this, tight bowling from Alastair Thomas (4-38) broke through Brackley’s tail end, as they fell 19 runs short of Thame’s total. Thame 2nd XI climb to fifth in the table and will seek to ensure a top-half finish in their final game at Dinton this Saturday.
Thirds move to third spot with fifth consecutive win
LOSING the toss, Thame thirds batted first and Banbury fifths made early inroads, with the hosts soon in trouble at 29-4. However, a brilliant century from man-of-the-match Guy Holmes (109*), swung the game back to Thame. His fifth-wicket partnership of 144 runs with skipper Vim Desai (44), allowed for a tactical declaration at 191-6. In reply, Banbury looked up for the chase but were soon pegged back by tight bowling from Ian McStay. The dangerous Ahmed (61) then set the pace before falling to Vim Desai (4-21). Thame then made quick work of the Dinton tail, thanks to the bowling of Neil Smith (2-12), Will Bruce-Morgan (1-24) and Lewis Ludlam (1-1), supported by sharp keeping and stumpings from Paddy Harris, finally running out winners by 94 runs. A victory in the final league game against Oxford Downs this Saturday will guarantee second spot and promotion.
This coming Saturday, August 3, is huge for the club – both the firsts and thirds need to win to secure promotion and both are at home – the firsts at Church Meadow and the thirrds at Lord Williams’s Upper School.
TIME is running out for community groups and parish councils in South Oxfordshire to apply for the last round of funding from the district council for 2017/18.
There’s £107,000 available to help fund a variety of community facilities and improvements like building new skate parks or play areas, upgrading sports pavilions, or purchasing life-saving defibrillators.
South Oxfordshire District Council has already awarded £423,000 to lots of worthy causes this year, including to support improvements at five play areas, a replacement pavilion in Ewelme, and a much-needed roof replacement at Wallingford Corn Exchange.
The deadline for this round of funding is 4pm on Wednesday, September 6, meaning that applications need to be submitted as soon as possible.
Cllr Elizabeth Gillespie, Cabinet Member for Grants at South Oxfordshire District Council, said: “If you have a community project costing more than £2,000 and need some funding to see it take place, make sure you submit your application before the deadline.
“We can help fund a wide variety of projects to benefit the whole community, such as revamping a village hall, buying new equipment, or even building a brand new sports pavilion.”
To find out more about the grants on offer and to apply visit www.southoxon.gov.uk/grants. For further information contact the grants team at grants@southandvale.gov.uk or on 01235 422405.
RUNNING for four days over the August Bank Holiday weekend, the 53rd Towersey Festival ‘was seriously one of the best ever’, according to the organisers. – marked by sell-out crowds, superb performances and some incredible non-stop sunny weather.
A crowd of in the region of 9,000 revellers flocked to the festival, enjoying the record-breaking Bank Holiday sunshine and a choice of supurb musical acts, including folk and roots legends KT Tunstall, Newton Faulkner and Lindisfarne. There was comedy, ceilidhs, storytelling and all the other activities that Towersey-goers have come to expect from this very special festival.
Towersey Festival Director Joe Heap said: “We’ve been extremely lucky with the weather this year, and we’re delighted that so many people enjoyed the festival – choosing to spend the end of their summer holidays with us.
“The atmosphere has been brilliant and we’ve seen some incredible performances. All our venues have been packed, especially the Festival Dance House (FDH) where we’ve hosted wall-to-wall ceilidhs and even a roller-disco.”
The 54th Towersey Festival will run from Friday, August 24 to Monday, August 27, 2018.
MORE IMAGES of some of our own best memories of Towersey Festival 2017, HERE via Flickr (Check out especially our selection of some of the best festival shirts sported by the men folk) And here are just some of the many, many tweets after the festival:
..”was a corker” – Tony Sutton
“Thank you @towerseyfesti . Fantastic weekend meeting the festival crowd. Our favourite festival in the uk” – TransylvaniaFoodCo @pivnitabunicii
“Goodnight @towerseyfesti #Towersey2017 It was the happiest #festival imaginable. See you next year!” – Penny Ewles-Bergeron @ABroadBrush
“…This has probably been the best @towerseyfesti ever. Well done to all the team” – Mx Toni Harrison @antoniamichele7
