FOLLOWING an attack on a taxi driver at Haddenham, last Monday, May 25, A 20-year-old man from Buckinghamshire and a 23-year-old man from Henley have been arrested in connection with the offence.
They have been released on police bail until June 22. (See full story of the incident LINK)
WORK to build an assessment centre for children at risk of coming into the care system has begun in Thame.
Oxfordshire County Council says that the centre, to be built on land at Black Ditch, off the Chinnor Road just outside Thame, will enable more of the county’s vulnerable young people to stay closer to home and reduce the need to send children to costly, out-of-county settings where the council also has less control over the quality of placements.
It will provide short-term accommodation for up to six children (12 to 17-year-olds) on the ‘edge’ of the care system, enabling staff to assess whether children can return home or if an alternative placement – for instance, with a foster carer – is needed. The centre will cost around £2m to build and is expected to become operational next year.
County council staff were joined on Friday (May 29) by a representative from the Children in Care Council (CiCC), Charis Tremelling, to dig the first sod of earth ahead of construction work. The CiCC is an advisory group which helps to inform the council about the services it provides to ensure the voices of young people are heard. It is made up of children and young people either currently in care or who have been through the care system. The views of the CiCC have helped inform the design process of for the new building.
Chosen site
The Glebe land site was chosen as it is relatively isolated from immediate residential neighbours while still having access to a town centre. It is large enough to allow a home for six children to be built with outdoor space for the children to play. The location also meets national guidance that where possible, children should be placed close to home and away from areas of deprivation.
It is likely that some children staying at the centre will only be there for part of the week, as assessment work will also be taking place at the children’s family homes, with parents, siblings and extended family.
Keeping children safe
Oxfordshire County Council’s Cabinet Member for Business and Customer Services, Nick Carter, said: “It’s very pleasing to see work getting started on this excellent new facility. The assessment centre will not only help keep vulnerable children safe, but also reduce the need to send children to out-of-county placements many miles away from friends and family.
“We all have a responsibility to help keep children safe, especially vulnerable young people who have often experienced traumatic childhoods. We want to work with local communities to provide the best possible environment for our young people and this is a really significant moment in securing the future of that work.”
Wider context
Work on an additional Assessment Centre in Eynsham and a ‘Move-on’ home in Didcot for older teenagers preparing to leave care – is expected to begin later this year. A further ‘Move-on’ home is also planned in Witney.
Taken as a whole, the four homes will provide 20 new places for vulnerable young people in Oxfordshire, and help the council develop an improved ‘pathway’ for young people from the moment they enter, to the moment they leave the care system.
THAMES Valley Police is appealing for the public’s help in finding a missing woman from Sydenham, between Chinnor and Thame, Oxfordshire.
Violet “Gina” Potter, 76, left her home address in Sydenham this morning (31/5) at around 9.10am and has not been seen since. She left in her white Citroen C4 Picasso.
Violet was reported missing to police at 12.38pm by a friend who was staying at her house.
She is white, 5ft 6ins, of large build with blonde hair. She was last seen wearing a blue long sleeved top, black trousers, and black leather ‘pump type’ shoes with a strap going across the top.
PC Aaron Walker, from Thame police station, said: “We are concerned for Violet’s welfare as her disappearance is described as being out of character.
“As part of our on-going inquiries, we know that Violet’s car registered on an Automatic Number Plate Recognition (ANPR) camera at 9.30am this morning travelling in the direction of Aylesbury. This is the last sighting of her vehicle.”
Anyone with information about Violet’s whereabouts is urged to contact Thames Valley Police via 101 quoting URN 603 31/5.
BUSINESSES in the Thame locality are being invited to a town centre event to promote the vast diversity of businesses in the area to the general public, as well as to show off what services they might provide to one another.
On July 11, businesses are invited to exhibit at the Open Doors event, for free. Space will be limited and so an early response is recommended. Already, the event has received commitments from Kubota, Farol, Atlet, DAF Trucks, CPM among other locally based companies.
The Open Doors event aims to encourage local businesses to engage with the community, build business networks and develop a better understanding amongst local people of the range and diversity of businesses in the area.
The idea for an ‘Open Doors’ event came out of the Thame Business Forum that represents some of the larger businesses in Thame.
All businesses are welcome. Please note, the event is not an opportunity to sell to customers, rather, it is an occasion to learn about other’s businesses and to share the story of your own business.
A choice of pitches is available outside, of either 8m x 4m, 6m x 3m or 3m x 2m. It is recommended that stall-holders outside bring a gazebo or similar along with their promotional material. Trestle tables will be available on request. Inside, a trestle table and a chair will be provided.
Set-up will be from 7.30am on Saturday morning and the event will run from 9am to 3pm.
The event is FREE to take part in. If you are interested in being a part of Open Doors, please complete the attached Open Doors Registration Form or email: enquiries@thameinbusiness.org.uk
For further information, please call Nicky Stallwood on 01844 210524
THE film version of Vera Brittain’s classic memoir of the same name – one of the few published accounts of the First World War written by a woman, is to shown at Thame Cinema 4 All on Friday, June 5.
It tells of the author’s experience of that brutal conflict and the forging of her pacifist politics. Keen to pursue her education in spite of her devoted father’s reservations, Vera takes up her place at Somerville College Oxford to read English. The year is 1914. Vera’s brother and her circle of close male acquaintances and lovers, once idealistic, impassioned and youthfully intense, volunteer to fight but return from the horrors of the front changed men.
It is not long before Vera herself sacrifices her hard won place at university to become a nurse on the Western Front, and so begins her narrative of appalling difficulty, devastating loss of innocence, and her genesis as a writer and outspoken social critic. Like so many of her generation, Vera would return from war with a bitter disdain for the old world and those who ran it, and her pacifism would extend from this global conflict to the next.
Vera is strident and tenacious and Vikander’s performance among an exceptional cast is captivating. Beautifully shot and powerfully moving, this is a film that was perhaps overshadowed on its release by other showy Oscar contenders, but is worth catching on our very own big screen.
Friday June 5 at 8pm (doors 7.30).
UK 2014, 129 minutes, 12A Certificate
Directed by James Kent, Starring Alicia Vikander, Kit Harington, Dominic West, Emily Watson
To view a trailer of the film, and for ticket information and booking, visit the website: LINK
A newly launched café in Thame, which has already proved very popular with visitors on market day, has been awarded £5,000 in grants to help it get off the ground.
The Safari pop up café, launched nine weeks ago to give special needs adults in Thame an opportunity to gain work experience, has won the support of six grant providers in the last few weeks, including the Red Nose Day Fund and the National Lottery.
The 1950s style café, which runs on a Tuesdays from 2 to 4pm at Christchurch in Thame, has been set up by Thame-based special needs charity, Safari. The project aims to provide vital work experience for special needs adults and to give them training to enable them to acquire skills and get involved with the community.
Safari Chair, Michelle Diffey, explained: “Fewer than one-in-five people with a disability work but, according to research, 65% would like to work for the same reasons as everyone else – for a sense of purpose and identity.”
Staff will be trained in customer service, stock control and food preparation and work towards gaining nationally recognised ASDAN qualifications.
The café is attracting a wide range of customers with its fresh coffee, milk shakes and delicious home made cakes selling for only £1 each.
“We hope this work experience will help our special needs adults to gain confidence and increase their independence enabling them to go on and get other jobs in the future,” said Michelle, adding: “We also believe it will build links with the Thame community.”
This month (May) also sees Safari as one of the three charities taking part in Waitrose’s community token scheme in which £1,000 is shared between three local charities.
DEAR Editor,
Over the past few weeks we have seen the surrounding horizons of Thame changing for the ‘future’ with the commencement of the industrial development opposite DAF, Taylor Wimpey and Croudace Homes all building and changing the landscape of the perimeter of the town.
In addition we learn plans have now been submitted to SODC byTesco in a step forward for what will be a much needed additional resource for the town. Much controversy surrounds this particular development in that it will affect the heart of Thame and the independent shops.
On reading the article on Thame News Net it is clear that it would be detrimental to Tesco themselves if they were to detract and take away the appeal and tradition of Thame town centre and it is a point they recognise -allowing Tesco would actually enhance the centre by avoiding the roads being congested – it would allow people to enjoy the independent shops without the fear of having to constantly ‘watch out’ for traffic and actually assist in sustaining the towns vibrancy. The proposed provision of a bus service indicates that Tesco are keen to maintain the link between the town centre and its proposed ‘out of town’ store making access to Thame itself more accessible – thus encouraging those living in surrounding villages to come to here to shop.
Several ‘independents’ have closed over the past few months – it cannot be claimed that this is due to a ‘superstore’ which has not yet been built – looking at those individual shops, ie Isabellas Closet, Ella-Jane Gifts, Sweet Surrender, Freestyle Clothing – can it be honestly said that the type of goods they sold would have been under any threat from a store like Tesco – is it not more likely due to the possible high business rates charged by the Council – an issue highlighted by Thame Centre First who also recognise poor parking within the town – it certainly cannot be claimed that it is due to reduced footfall because of Tesco!
Some shops are displaying ‘Save Thame Town – say No to Tesco’ signs -without naming to cause discord, those shops are simply not selling goods or providing services that will be affected by another supermarket. In fact these businesses would probably benefit with the right approach and promotion – it is all well and good jumping on the band wagon ‘stop Tesco’ for fear of loss of business but effort needs to be made by these individual shops to promote and further appeal to new custom drawn to the town, not only by Tesco but for those 600+ new families who will be moving to the area.
It is claimed in the article on TNN that the impact and loss of an estimated £10M could be suffered by businesses in the town– I would ask whether that £10M would be lost from the ‘independents’ alone or whether in fact it includes the current supermarkets who are afraid of competition but in the meantime provide lack of provision nor cater for the full needs for a large percentage of the towns people.
Tesco should be WELCOMED as an enhancement and addition to the town and looked upon as an important part of the overall infrastructure to support its growing population along with the need for expanding schools and doctors surgeries – those against the proposal should possibly look at it with a less blinkered approach and be looking at the overall whole sustainability of the town as a thriving place for both business and local communities alike.
Rachel Lester
Thame
CRENDON Corinthians’ football club wants to offer the opportunity for more girls to play football, and is holding a fun taster session to try and attract new girl members.
Crendon Corinthians is a successful Charter Standard community youth football club run by volunteers, and trains children from age five upwards, and for last nine years, has had special girls’ teams.
In the younger years, girls play with boys – however, as they get older, there’s the chance to play in all-girls teams. The club already has about 60 girls from years 4 to 10 playing at Under 11, Under 13 and Under 15 age groups in the Buckinghamshire Girls’ Leagues. Currently, Crendon Corinthians are looking for new girls to join for next season, particularly those who are in years 4, 5 and 6 now (although older girls are also very welcome). The club would be make most welcome girls from the surrounding area, not just Long Crendon.
More information about the club is available on the website LINK HERE. Anyone is welcome to attend the new players’s fun taster session, Long Crendon Recreation Ground on Saturday, June 20 – you don’t have to have ever kicked a ball around before!
The session starts at 10am and will finish at 11am. Contact Sue Cullen, Email: suecullen101@hotmail.com, or or just show up on the day. All you need is a pair of trainers (and shin pads if you have them or can borrow them). Crendon Corinthians look forward to seeing you!
A planning application for a high, white fence and gates to be placed around a property in Hawthorne Avenue, Thame, has failed to be acceptable to Thame Town Council, after a neighbour, who is blind, told the council that it would create a danger for him and other road users.
Mr R Gerhart, who lives at 10, Hawthorne Avenue, Thame, explained that No. 12, where the fence and electric gates would be placed, is on a corner and where he crosses the road from his own home. Any car would have to be at least a bonnet’s length out of the gates before being able to see anything, he explained.
Mrs Gerhart added that the proposal would cut out light from their property, the proposed gates being only 10″ from her bedroom window. She added that enclosing the frontage of No.12 with a fence would ‘spoil a lovely, open-plan estate.”
There had been 23 letters of objection to the planning proposal, and several neighbours and supporters in the public gallery clapped when Mr Gerhart had finished speaking.
The town council’s Planning committee gave its reasons for recommending refusal as ‘Unneighbourly’, and ‘Not in keeping with the character of the area’.
You can read the Planning Committee’s other decisions from Tuesday’s meeting (26/05), here: Recommendations Issue 29.5.15
THAMES Valley Police have released CCTV images of a man they want to interview after a taxi driver was attacked by a passenger wearing a knuckleduster.
The 39-year-old taxi driver dropped off five customers, all men, in Sheerstock at the Thame Road junction in Haddenham, at about 3.20am on Monday (25/5).
One of the customers then demanded money from the taxi driver. The offender, who was wearing a knuckleduster, then punched the driver’s side window, causing it to smash. He then punched the victim who handed over a quantity of cash to the offender.
The victim was treated by for cuts and bruises by his GP.
Investigating officer, PC Tom Booth of Local CID based at Aylesbury, said: “I would like to speak to the man in the CCTV images as we believe he might have vital information about the incident. (IMAGE REMOVED AS THE MAN PICTURED HAS SPOKEN TO THE POLICE)
“If you recognise the man in the images then please contact police immediately by calling 101.
“If you don’t want to speak directly to the police you can contact the independent charity Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111 or online at www.crimestoppers-uk.org. No personal details are taken, information is not traced or recorded and you will not go to court.”