THAMES Valley Police is appealing for information following the theft of a tractor from Milton Common, Thame.
At around 2.11 am yesterday morning (15/06), offender(s) stole an old model green John Deere 7530 tractor, registration number OU59 AY0 from a business premises in Rycote Lane.
If you have seen any suspicious looking people or vehicles in the area or have any information relating to this message, please call the police on the 24 hour non-emergency telephone number 101.
Alternatively if you have information but wish to remain anonymous, please call Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111 or online @ crimestoppers-uk.org. No personal details are taken, information is not traced or recorded and you will not go to court.
TOWERSEY festival has some lovely big sign boards that they want to get up in Oxfordshire and Buckinghamshire so that passing traffic get an eyeful of Towersey magic. So that they don’t get into bother with land owners and highways they are looking for private sites for them.
These need to be peoples fences, gardens, fields on good busy roads ideally or at least somewhere with enough traffic to make it worthwhile.
The signs are about 1m sq. and festival folk will come and erect them and take them down (no fuss or bother).
They will be in the area doing this on July 1 and 2, so let Joe Heap, via joe@towerseyfestival.com know as soon as you can if you have a spot in mind. Do ask friends and neighbours, friendly local farmers, land and fence owners. In return there are some FREE Day tickets to give away for the use of the site. (Please note, the image here is NOT what the signs will look like !)
THAME Town Cricket Club’s First team maintained its great start to the season with a nail-biting, two-wicket win at Leighton Buzzard on Saturday, June 6. Thame’s opponents won the toss and elected to bat first, starting quickly and racing to 60 off 12 overs.
Hassam Mushtaq
However, tight spells from Sam Lachlan and Mike Higgs put Thame back in control. At the halfway point, Buzzard were 90 for 2 and Phil Watmore’s 52 helped steer them to 194 for 9 off their 53 overs. Thame’s Hassam Mushtaq ended up with figures of 4-56. In reply, the in-form Will Sutcliffe smashed 60 off 40 balls to get Thame to 77 off 11 overs, for the loss of no wicket.
However, Buzzard’s veteran bowler, Lee Selfe, then took 5-45, leaving Thame precariously set on 120 for 6. Thanks to Honey Garg (35) and Jarryd McPhee (35 not out) Thame reached the victory with 9 balls to spare.
CUMNOR TOO SUCCUMB TO THAME
Lying second in the Cherwell League 1st division, Thame then went on to entertain Cumnor at Church Meadow last Saturday, June 13, where, after another thrilling 2-wicket victory, Thame Firsts remain unbeaten and now stand clear at the head of the table.
Mike Higgs
In a rain-reduced game, one of only two to be played in the 1st division, Thame elected to field in a 33/30 over game. Sam Lachlan and Jarryd McPhee put pressure on the Cumnor openers and when spin twins Hassam Mushtaq (3-26) and captain Mike Higgs (6-61) were introduced, Cumnor were soon in trouble, with the score at 60 for 6.
However, D. Warmer’s 57 not out steered Cumnor to what looked like a below-par 138 all out in 28 overs, giving Thame five, much-needed extra overs. In response, Thame made a shaky start, finding themselves 30 for 4, but the new-found belief and spirit amongst the camp meant the team wanted to gamble and win.
Gritty knocks from Matt Furness (26) and Sam Lachlan (26 not out) steered Thame to victory in the 34th over.
Thame travel to Great Brickhill next Saturday, June 20, for a top-of-the-table clash, with both sides currently unbeaten.
IN response to the Thame Centre First campaign against a proposed large supermarket on the outskirts of Thame, a group of residents in favour of the proposal have started a campaign of their own and have issued the following statement:
“Thame NEEDS Tesco – TNT, was formed to represent the views and opinions of people in the town who welcome the prospect of a Tesco supermarket on Howland Road. We are all local people living in and around Thame. Many of us have lived here most of our lives. We have no vested business interests or political ambitions. We represent a broad cross section of the Thame community; working people with young families, retired folk, young people keen to get a start in life.
“We care for Thame and are concerned about the future of the town as it faces changing times involving the building of hundreds of new homes.
We support the vibrant town centre with its mix of shops and services, but recognise that it does not meet the everyday shopping needs of many residents. We strongly believe that Thame needs another supermarket that can offer what is currently unavailable, or unaffordable, in the town centre. Many of us shop in big supermarkets in Aylesbury, Wheatley, Princes Risborough, Oxford or Bicester. But we’d prefer to spend our time and money in Tesco, in Thame.
“Wanting Tesco does not mean we do not support the town centre shops. We will continue to use them as we do at present if Tesco is built.
The argument that Tesco will affect town centre businesses carries little weight if the people who currently shop there continue to do so. And why would they change their habits when they already have the choice of shopping in other out-of-town supermarkets if they wished to?
“Thame is likely to have to cope with over 700 new homes in the next 10-15 years. Where will those new families do their shopping? The town centre is already congested with very limited parking; it certainly will not be able to cope with the predicted influx. If new homes are built, the town has a moral duty to provide the services needed to encourage owners to become part of the community. That includes adequate local supermarket choice. Forcing people to spend time and money in other towns will limit their involvement in, and appreciation of, the town they have chosen to live in.
As well as a much-needed choice of shopping, Tesco will bring new employment to the town. We are lucky to live in an area of low official unemployment, but the figures disguise the fact that new jobs would be very welcome among young people, parents with pre-school children, older people and those looking for part-time work. And let’s not forget that this is not just about a supermarket but also about providing other commercial employment on the site with DAF and or other businesses.
“In the weeks ahead we will continue to talk to people in Thame, seek their support for our campaign and represent their views to the town council, the district council and other parties involved in the decision making process. ”
Details of the supermarket’s plans can be seen on the SODC website, Planning Application P15/S1637/O where comments of support can be made.
TNT, like the Thame Centre First group, has set up an e-petition for supporters to sign: LINK HERE FOR PETITION
IF you were one of the brave souls at the Thame Carnival Fete on Saturday, and you bought raffle tickets for one of the fabulous prizes, you will want to know the numbers of the winning raffle tickets that were not claimed during the rain!
Despite the rain, after having a guess at the length of the giant scarf, this young man was determined to enjoy a giant icecream
And if you had a go at guessing the length of the giant scarf at Thame to Thame’s stall, see below to find out how long it actually is!
The organisers have asked that ticket holders should be aware that prizes will only be given out on production of the raffle ticket, and that the book code will be checked against the books from which they came.
Raffle prizes can be collected from Racquets Fitness Centre, North Street, Thame (behind the Cattle Market) from 9am to 4pm each day this week. For collections outside this time please speak to Sue Martin-Downhill by calling 01844 261754. And here are the winning numbers:
White 19 Pink 388
Yellow 60 White 82
Pink 7 Pink 187
White 56 Pink 243
Pink 321 Yellow 62
White 29 Pink 285
White 40 Pink 400
Pink 68
Pink 382
Please ask for Sue Martin-Downhill when collecting your prize.
The giant scarf in 7 metre folds, before it was completely rolled up again
Thame to Thame’s stall, ‘Guess the length of the giant ‘Sherpa’ scarf’, raised a magnificent £100.90p towards helping to fund the rebuilding of the school in Thame’s namesake village of Thame (Tam-ay) severely damaged in April’s earthquakes in Nepal. This included £20 in donations and a contribution from Anne Croxford who sold her hand-made cards from the stall.
The length of the scarf when unrolled measured just under 356 ft, that’s 108 metres ! Thame’s ex Mayor, Jeannette Matelot Green, came very close with a guess of 327′ 2″, and Lewis too was quite close with a guess of 370 ft, but the closest – with an estimate of 348 ft, was Becky, pink ticket no. 246 – just 7″ short of the actual measurement!
Becky wins a Cream Tea for two. FOR MORE Carnival Fete pictures, go to LINK (apologies for poor quality of some of the pictures; camera was very wet by the end of the afternoon)
THE out-going Headteacher of John Hampden Primary School, Thame, lead his ‘crew’ through the centre of the town for the last time today, to the stirring sound of the theme music to the film, Pirate’s of the Caribbean.
Alan Haigh leads his ‘crew’ in today’s carnival procession through Thame
As the drizzle relentlessly descended, Alan Haigh, who is retiring from teaching at Christmas, nevertheless went ‘out with a splash’ as he cheerfully waved to well-wishing on-lookers, some sheltering under umbrellas and others determinedly ignoring the weather and making the best of it as the people of Thame always do.
Other entries in the carnival, themed this year around ‘The Movies’, included Frozen, Lego the Movie, Lion King, The Wizard of Oz and Hairspray – all equally as cheerfully and bravely in some cases, displaying a true, carnival spirit despite the weather.
The Mayor of Thame, Nichola Dixon, helped by the new Town Clerk, Graham Hunt, cut the ribbon to declare the start of Carnival 2015, and after much deliberation, declared John Hampden School and Tetsworth School (apologies for reporting it was ‘Tiddington’ earlier), joint winners of the Carnival Cup. But the winners’ good fortune came at a price – they have to go and search and find this coveted treasure themselves, for the cup seems to have gone missing and is proving difficult to trace. So, whichever school manages to track down who has the Thame Carnival Cup, will get to keep it in their school’s trophy cupboard – just until next year.
Follow the LINK to see pictures of today’s Carnival procession. (More about the Carnival Fete tomorrow)
IT’S HERE! Thame Carnival day. And not forgetting the festival fete at Southern Road Recreation ground from 1pm onwards. As the carnival procession wends its way through the town from mid-day, Thame Lions will be doing the official street collection so members of the public are invited to bring their small change for one of the eight bucket-carriers along the route.
All collectors will have official Thame Carnival buckets and will be wearing yellow tabbards. All monies collected will go to the two nominated charities, Rosie’s Rainbow and Thame Skatepark Proect. Look out also for the Thame Lions float, LION KING.
Once down at the fete, there will be live music throughout the afternoon, Beer and Pimms tents, Classic Cars, Dog show, Food Stalls, Face painting, Bouncy castles, Doughnut stall, BBQ and adding some glamour to the occasion will be Miss Oxfordshire and some of the other Miss Great Britain finalists.
You can find all you need to know over on the Thame Carnival 2015 page – LINK HERE
A group that is probably Thame’s most successful quiz team, tonight won the Thame Festival Quiz shield, in an annual event that has been running since 1993, on the Thursday before Thame Carnival.
The triumphant ‘Flying Guess’ with their winners’ wine and the coveted Thame Festival Shield
Posting on her Facebook page tonight, Quizmaster Sue Boyle, who has run the Carnival quiz for most of those years, reported: “I have once again had the pleasure of presenting the Thame Festival Quiz Shield to the fantastic Wild Geese – deserved winners of this year’s quiz with a magnificent 200 points! Congratulations!
“The win tonight will mean that their name appears on the shield for the 10th time! Thank you to everyone who took part and helped us keep this important Thame tradition going – we first awarded the shield in 1993. Thank you too to Sue and Simon for their hospitality at Racquets.”
Most of the question rounds were based around the theme of the Carnival this year, ‘The World of the Movies’ and included a very challenging round where film posters, promoting films with an American place-name in them had to be matched with a geographical location on a map of the US states.
The last question of the last round of the evening, ‘Spot the movie connection in the song’, brought the evening to a fitting end with quizzers joining in with ‘Saturday night at the movies’ by The Drifters.
Money raised from tonight’s event will go to the two charities chosen to benefit from this year’s Carnival (which is on Saturday, June 13), Rosie’s Rainbow Fund and The Skatepark Project.
JUST three days to go for the ever popular, Thame annual duck race that takes place this Sunday, June 14. The race starts on the old town (Crendon) bridge, which is accessed from the bottom of Priest End, behind St Mary’s church. Gates open at 10.30am and the race will start at 11 am.
The ducks are tipped into the river Thame ready to race. Image – Nick White 2014
You’ll need to be ‘quack’ off the mark, say the organisers, Thame & District Round Table, if you don’t want to miss out! Tickets are on sale at The Falcon Pub, The Cross Keys pub and The Citizens Advise Bureau.
Tickets will also be available on Carnival day, Saturday, on the Thame Round Table’s stall at the Thame fete, Southern Road Rec, after the procession of floats through the town has arrived. There will also be some tickets on sale at the start line on the morning of the race, although in previous years the event has been known to sell out on the day, so it’s best to try and buy tickets in advance if you can.
MORE than 80 hungry foodies dined on a veritable seasonal feast when the Sandy Lane Farm Supper Club opened its doors to a one-off evening on Friday, May 15.
The occasion was a special supper club held in support of this year’s Thame Food Festival, raising important funds to help stage the annual celebration of local and artisan food that takes over the centre of Thame every September.
Cate and George Bennett from Sandy Lane Farm laid on the supper club in the lovely surroundings of their rustic barn, with many other festival supporters and volunteers chipping in to create a wonderful showcase of seasonal food and drink that mirrors the food festival itself.
Host for the evening was Thame Food Festival Patron Lotte Duncan, who welcomed guests and along with local cookery writer, BBC Good Food Magazine columnist and baking author Jane Hornby prepared a mouth-watering selection of canapés to set the scene for the good things to follow.
Guests tucked into fantastic artisan English charcuterie including Dorset air-dried beef and dry-cured salamis from Capreolus Fine Foods and Curious Foods, balsamic dipping oils, Belazu accompaniments and artisan ciabatta from the Cornfield bakery, all piled high onto sharing boards.
Delicious smoked BBQ beef and pork from the Smoke Yard Kitchen and Sandy Lane Farm was teamed with a choice of seasonal salads using ingredients fresh from the fields of Sandy Lane Farm and from the kitchens of What’s Cooking in Thame, and to finish there was a delightfully refreshing gooseberry and elderflower ice cream with pink gooseberry sorbet from Ledbury’s Just Rachel Ice Cream with light shortbread biscuits made locally by Hannah Bakes.
Wines chosen to match each course were specially selected by Jerome Harlington from Trailblazing Wine and the meal ended with irresistible Rumsey’s chocolates and coffee served from the quirky pop-up Horsebox coffee shop.
“Our first ever supper club was a big success and much enjoyed by everyone around the table as well as all of us who helped to organise it,” says Lotte Duncan.
“We had a truly wonderful night and the atmosphere was lovely. As I looked across the barn with all its twinkly candles and gorgeous decorations, all I could hear was laughter and chatter and the sound of people having a great time. We ate and drank well, made new friends and talked excitedly about this year’s food festival, which I know is going to be more fantastic than ever.
“I’d like to say a big thank you to everyone who made the evening possible. A lot of hard work went into it and we really appreciate that, alongside the presence of all our supporters, guests and sponsors – it couldn’t have happened without them.”
As part of its on-going sponsorship of the Thame Food Festival, Ronald Peet, Anne Battson, Stephen Woods and Robert Pinheiro from Withy King entertained clients and key referrers at the supper club. They reported fantastic feedback from their guests:
“Thank you for a delightful evening. We were very impressed with the food and of course the company! It was very kind of you to invite us.”
“What an amazing experience in magical surroundings.”
“What a perfect setting for such a wondrous evening of local food and wine”.
Whilst the supper club may have been a one off, there is plenty more in store at this year’s Thame Food Festival which takes place from 9am to 5pm on Saturday 26th September 2015 in the heart of Thame town centre. For more information please go to www.thamefoodfestival.co.uk.
At around 2.11 am yesterday morning (15/06), offender(s) stole an old model green John Deere 7530 tractor, registration number OU59 AY0 from a business premises in Rycote Lane.
