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  • Thame swimmers head for the open water

    THAME Swimming Club’s Henry Bell’s latest success in the open water, came on Sunday (July 12) when he came second in the Elite Category at the Padstow-Rock swim. He swam just under a mile in 15.5 minutes, a staggering five minutes faster than last year.

    open_water_swimming_boy (400x400)
    Henry Bell

    The Padstock-Rock swim is an annual charity swim for Marie Curie and is a one mile swim across the Camel Estuary.

    At the same time, Thame’s coach, Ian Keys and his wife Emma, helped a keen group of Thame Swimming Club swimmers get used to the Open Water experience, at the Oxford Wakeboard & Ski Club, near Berinsfield, Oxford.

    open_water_swimmers (400x300)Two members of Thame Swimming club, Rebecca and Michele were there and described the event. “It was a bit overcast at 8.15am when the squad met at lakeside, but at least it wasn’t raining! Ian & Emma managed to find some wetsuits to fit the crew, ran them through some safety guidelines, then it was time to get used to the water, which apparently wasn’t that cold – although it didn’t look particularly warm from where the parents were standing!

    “The seven swimmers, Oscar North, Maya Camp, Lucy Day, Caitlin Shipley, Laura Cresswell, and Lucy & Harry Block swam a 300 metre circuit under the guidance of their coaches, repeating this three times, which is no mean feat for their first time on an Open Water Swim, and Harry even went back for another cheeky circuit at the end!

    “The swimmers then took to a high swing at the edge of the lake where they had great fun hurtling into the water, followed by a warming sauna, bacon buttie and hot chocolate.

    “A fantastic morning and introduction to Open Water Swimming, which many are keen to try again.

    “Many thanks to Ian and Emma for giving up their time.”

    SOURCE: Contributed by Rebecca and Michele

  • Chinnor launches its Neighbourhood Plan

    RESIDENTS of Chinnor Parish have met to launch the work to prepare a Chinnor Neighbourhood Plan. The event was organised by local volunteer residents who form the Chinnor Neighbourhood Plan Steering Group, and held at the village on July 2.

    Chinnor NHP 2Jul2015 (400x300)

    The 120 or so participants were given an understanding of the benefits of a Neighbourhood Plan which, they learned, include providing local people and businesses with influence over their future, giving communities a say over where development should happen and what it should look like, fostering relationships between communities, developers and local authorities, protecting and enhancing the village’s historic and natural environment, delivering sustainable growth, identifying local traffic and transport issues and promoting local employment.

    Those at the meeting had the chance to generate ideas which covered the six objectives of the Neighbourhood Plan: Housing and Planning, Environment, Countryside, Heritage, Pedestrians, Transport and Traffic, Chinnor Living and Community, Local Economy and Wellbeing.

    “Our next key milestone is the Housing Needs Survey,” said spokesman, Marius Ciortan, “which is due in September 2015. There are several ways residents of Chinnor can help; get involved in any way they can, join the Neighbourhood Plan Steering Group – as we don’t have all the answers and we need all kinds of talents and resources, tell your neighbours, family and friends living in the parish about the neighbourhood plan, and provide us with feedback and ideas on our website: www.chinnorneighbourplan.com on Facebook: www.facebook.com/chinnorneighbourhoodplan or e-mail: chinnorneighbourplan@outlook.com”

  • Thame cricketers shine – Match reports

    OXFORD  Seconds vs Thame Firsts – Thame went 21 points clear at the top of the Cherwell League First Division last Saturday (July 11), with another close victory, this time against Oxford Seconds.

    Jarryd McPhee
    Jarryd McPhee

    Oxford won the toss and elected to bat, which after 27 overs looked a good decision as they were 130 for 2 with John Barrett (61) and Mark Beer (44) firmly settled at the crease. However, Captain Mike Higgs (3-50) produced a tight spell of bowling and dismissed both batsmen, with Oxford then only able to scratch together what looked like a below-par 208 for 8.

    In reply however, Thame were struggling when they were quickly reduced to 20 for 3. McPhee (64) and Mushtaq (61) batted superbly together to move Thame to 150 for 3 with 18 overs remaining. After these two were out, a cluster of wickets fell, and Thame then had to scrape slowly over the line thanks to youngster Harry Thomas (23 not out).
    With the win secured by two wickets, Thame return to Church Meadow this Saturday, July18, to take on the in-form Banbury Seconnds.

    Thame Seconds vs Bledlow Ridge Firsts – Thame Seconds won the toss and posted their best total of the season to date – 235 for 7 off 53 overs, thanks to Ben Warwick 62, Guy Holmes 40, Paddy Harris 27, and Liam Evans 27 not out.

    Bledlow Ridge Firsts started steadily (97 for 3 off 26 overs) but accelerated thanks to Rory Spiers match-winning 75.  In the end, the Ridge just got to their target with two balls and four wickets to spare in an exciting and competitive game.

    Credit to Ian McStay and Thame’s most economical bowler Liam Evans (3-26), but the home side couldn’t quite stem the flow of runs on a good batting track.

    Third XI vs Shipton
    Thame secured an excellent winning-draw for Thame against Shipton-under-Wychwood Fourths, in a 45 over-a-side game.

    Thame Thirds batted first and reached 183 for 7, thanks mainly to young Christian Warwick’s first career 50 (58) and another half-century from “Mr Dependable” Ian Chappell (57)

    Shipton never looked like reaching the target, particularly after another youngster Scott Chappell took 5 for 6 with his medium pace, but captain Dickens guided them through to the draw, with an undefeated 41.

  • Valuable book ‘spied’ in Thame charity bookshop

    A very rare, unusual and valuable book has been found in an anonymously donated box of books at the Oxfam Bookshop in Thame.

    Harry St. John Bridger Philby
    Harry St. John Bridger Philby

    The book, entitled War in Iraq, valued at £1500, was published in 1918 at the end of the First World War, to mark the signing of the Armistice by the Superintendent, Government Press, Basrah. The author was Harry St John Bridger Philby, the Intelligence Officer father of Kim Philby, the infamous double agent for the Soviet Union.

    The book is a collection of photographs of the people, events and places in Iraq and Central Arabia in 1918. It is thought to be the first photographically illustrated book of the region.

    The Author led a colourful life; he was a well known orientalist, explorer, intelligence officer and convert to Islam. His son, Kim Philby, was famously revealed in 1963 to be a member of the spy ring know as the Cambridge Five. The others being Maclean, Blunt, Burgess and reputedly Cairncross.

    seans_choice_crendon_bedsDick Jennens, shop manager, said: “We are delighted to find this book donated to the shop and are proud of our volunteer team who ‘spied’ the book and undertook the research. The book is of historical significance.
    “Almost a century after publication, Iraq and whilst much of the Middle East continues to be embroiled in conflict. This early photographic reference points us back to earlier conflicts and the short period of peace that followed the First World War.”

    Following consultation with Bonham’s Auctioneers in London, a selling price of £1500 was determined.
    Prior to offering the book for sale at their specialist book auction later this year it was listed on the Oxfam Online shop where it was spotted and purchased for the asking price by a customer in France.

    Dick added: “The sale of this book will bring much need funds for Oxfam to help them bring relief to the refugees from conflict around the world.”

    To browse Oxfam’s stock of over 400 books for sale:http://www.abebooks.co.uk/oxfam-bookshop-thame-thame/1297794/sf

  • Cyclist on M40 seriously injured in collision with a lorry

    THAMES Valley Police is appealing for witnesses following a collision on the M40 in Oxfordshire between junctions 8 and 7, towards London, yesterday (13/7).

    police-road-closed

    At around 3.50 am a collision occurred on the M40 which involved a white Mercedes HGV and a pedal cyclist.

    The cyclist, a man aged 23, suffered serious head injuries and was taken to the John Radcliffe Hospital in Oxford where he remains in a critical but stable condition.

    Investigating officer Sgt Beth Walton, from the Serious Collision Investigation Unit, said: “I would like to speak to anyone who saw the collision or the cyclist and lorry before the collision. Any detail however small could assist with the investigation.”

    Anyone with any information which may assist the investigation should call the 24-hour Thames Valley Police enquiry centre on 101.

    If you do not want to speak directly to the police you can contact the independent charity Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111. No personal details are taken, information is not traced or recorded and you will not go to court.

    SOURCE: Press release

  • Couple say ‘I Do’ to Youth Memorial fundraising

    SIAN Morcom and Gary Atack from Thame, decided to forego the ‘toaster and towels’ wedding list for their nuptials on July 4.

    Thame Youth Memorial
    Thame Youth Memorial – Photo by Peter Butt

    The couple decided instead to support Thame Youth Memorial, having been touched in the past by the loss of youngsters already remembered in the memorial band of the garden and, following the recent death of 18 year old Megan Biddle.

    Having seen how the garden was used by Megan’s friends and family in the days and weeks after her death, Mr & Mrs Atack felt it was a simple decision to support Thame Youth Memorial Trust, the Charity responsible for the site.

    Gary explained: “The loss of a young person affects many people beyond a family. Megan’s friends lit tealights every evening for her in the shape of an ‘M’ and placed dozens of items which reminded them of her – this brought home what a special place this was, serving a clear need for a safe space to grieve.”

    Thanks to the generosity of Sian and Gary’s friends and family, donations of £1100 have now been presented to the Trust and Trustee David Hunt accepted the donations of behalf of the Trust saying: “Showing such kindness and generosity as part of their Wedding celebrations touched us all; it’s such a personal choice to recognise the value of Thame Youth Memorial and how it helps those affected express their feelings at the hardest of times.”

    Thame Youth Memorial Trust is a Registered Charity dedicated to providing and maintaining a place of reflection for people in Thame and the surrounding villages who are affected by the loss of a young person. Found in the Upper High Street of Thame, Thame Youth Memorial opened in September 2013.

  • ‘Le Manoir’ staff praised after chimney fire

    THE danger of a chimney fire dangerously spreading was averted this afternoon, by the quick thinking of staff at Raymond Blanc’s flagship hotel and Michelin star restaurant, Le Manoir auxQuat’ Saisons, at Great Milton, near Thame.

    manoir (400x267)Oxfordshire County Council Fire & Rescue Service were called to a Chimney Fire at Le Manoir aux Quat’ Saisons, at 2:45pm to find that a chimney fire had caused smoke to enter a room next to a dining area, which activated the automated fire alarm. The staff had already quickly evacuated the area, called the fire service and made sure that nobody went back in to the building.

    A Fire crew from Wheatley Station along with a specialist Hydraulic Platform from Oxford City, attended the incident. Fire crews quickly dealt with the fire hazard to the building and used ventilation fans to clear the smoke and the hydraulic platform to gain access the chimney to help extinguish the fire.

    seans_choice_crendon_bedsIncident Commander, Watch Manager Mark Keely, said: “I would like to praise the actions of the staff at Le Manoir. Their attention to detail and compliance to their clearly well drilled procedures made this potentially dangerous incident very simple to deal with. It just proves that the early warning provided by smoke detectors really does save lives and unnecessary damage to property. A key part of our role is protection & prevention and our specialist Fire Safety Officers are always keen to answer queries from members of the public and businesses alike to ensure they remain safe.”

    Visit www.365alive.co.uk  for fire safety advice. If you have a fire safety question, you can call the free phone community safety helpline on 08000 325 999 or email: community.safety@oxfordshire.gov.uk

  • Lows and highs for Thame Bowls Club

    LAST week’s activities at Thame Bowls Club started with Thame Men losing by just 11 shots to Division One side, Bicester. This Five Rink Triples match was closely contested from the start, and although skips Paul Heafey and Bill Giles won on their respective rinks, the other three Rinks were outplayed by their stronger opponents.
    bowling_ball
    It was then the turn of the Thame Ladies to show the Men how it’s done by keeping up their winning streak with a 17 shot victory at Wendover. Winning on all three Rinks, Thame’s highest win was the 10 shots margin achieved by Caroline Walker, Ladies Captain Maire Duncan and skip Shirley Foster.
    The mid-week fixture away to Cheddington was another closely fought encounter, and although skip Brad Liddle,  ably assisted by Jan Sargent and Peter Southam, had success on their rink, the overall margin was just six shots in favour of Cheddington.
    On Friday, Thame Men lost narrowly to Division One side Headington in the two Rink (one home, one away) Hawker Cup match. The Thame home side, skipped by Paul Heafey, won by one shot but after battling hard at Headington, the Thame four, skipped by Andy Walker, lost by just seven shots.
    The weekend Mixed games were rather disappointing for Thame. Travelling to Desborough, Maidenhead on Saturday, the six Rink fixture was won by the home side. Although Thame won on three of the six Rinks with successes for skips Steve Silver, Trevor Copley and Thame President Les Canfield, they were outplayed on the very fast green and lost by 23 shots overall. The highlight of the Thame score was a “Hotshot” (all eight woods scoring) on the second end, played by Les Canfield’s rink which included Judy Copley, Alfred Jochum and Simon Bell.
    Sunday’s trip to Woodstock for the four Rinks game saw Captain Ron Duncan’s Thame side lose only their second Sunday Mixed Match of the season by 28 shots.
    SOURCE: Contributed – To find out more about Thame Bowls Club and how to join, visit the website http://www.thamebowlsclub.co.uk/

  • Promote your charity or organisation at Thame Market Community Day

    THIS year’s Thame Market Community Day will be on Tuesday, August 18, and the organisers, Making Markets Matter, would like to hear from local charities and community groups who would like to take a stand and promote themselves.

    Don Butler and David Laver, selling second-hand books from Thame & District Twinning Association's Community stall at Thame market recently
    Don Butler and David Laver, selling second-hand books from Thame & District Twinning Association’s Community stall at Thame market recently

    If your group or charity would like to take advantage of this year’s Thame Market Community Day, call Chris Hurdman, Secretary of the Thame Market Traders Cooperative, on 07966 202494 for details, or email Chris via chrishurdman@btinternet.com. Alternatively, you can collect an application form from Thame Town Hall – it’s free to take part.

    The information needed will be your name and contact details – address, telephone number, the name of your group or charity; the size of stall or gazebo you will be using and will you be trying to raise funds and how this will be achieved.

    seans_choice_crendon_beds“A tip to remember,” advised Chris, “is that the bigger and bolder the stalls are decorated, and the stall holders dress to promote their stalls, the bigger the response from the public.”

    Return your application by August 11, to Chris Hurdman. No applications can be considered after this date.

  • Planners to decide on The Elms proposal, Thame

    DATE CORRECTED: THE long-awaited consideration of the controversial planning application to build 37 homes on land at The Elms, in Thame, is to happen next Wednesday, JULY 22, at 6pm.

    Meadow land at 'The Elms' where a development of 37 new homes is proposed
    Meadow land at ‘The Elms’ where a development of 37 new homes is proposed

    The application, whilst being recommended for approval by South Oxfordshire District Council’s Planning Officer, Emily Hamerton, has received hundreds of objections from local people, including 1048 neighbours, and over 2,000 signatures via the ‘Save The Elms Petition Group’. (See recent letter from the group to the local press) https://www.thame.net/archives/21276

    The main objections from neighbours are: Development contravenes the Thame Neighbourhood Plan and where housing is permitted on the site; Protection of trees in the conservation area has been ignored; Object to the three storey design of the houses which is not in accordance with the Thame Neighbourhood Plan; Concern about traffic on Nelson Street – ‘there have not been sufficient traffic studies undertaken to consider the volume of development holistically’.

    For more detailed reports submitted by the planning officer to the committee, including other those objections from the Forestry Officer and English Heritage, as well as those more positive reports from the ‘Urban Design Officer’ (the same person as the Conservation Officer) and the Environment Agency) link here: LINK 

    seans_choice_crendon_bedsThame Town Council is apposed to the development on the following grounds: Overdevelopment; Development too close to the listed building; Three storey as opposed to 2.5 storey; Traffic generation, parking and safety – particularly during construction phase; Level of harm to the Page 6 Conservation Area and insufficient affordable housing.

    You can read all the other relevant appendices here: LINK

    The meeting will be held at THE AUDITORIUM, THE CORNERSTONE, DIDCOT, OX11 7NE at 6pm.

    Information about speaking yourself at planning meetings, can be found here: LINK