THAMES Valley Police is appealing for witnesses after a burglary in Little Milton, on Saturday (3/01/15).
The incident took place at about 4.30am on Saturday in Haseley Road.
Offenders gained entry to the property by forcing the kitchen window and then stole a drawer and its contents, including keys to a grey BMW M3 Coupe. The BMW was then stolen.
A second vehicle, a Renault Clio, was moved by the offenders as it was blocking the BMW on the driveway. The Renault was abandoned outside the property with the engine running.
Anyone with information about this incident should contact Thames Valley Police via the 24-hour enquiry line 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.
THAMES Valley Police is appealing for information following a fatal collision at Waterstock, yesterday (5/1).
At around 6.10pm two vehicles were involved in a collision on the A418 Oxford Road, Waterstock.
An HGV pulled out of the nearside lay-by on the Thame-bound carriageway and collided with a green Ford Focus which was travelling along the A418 towards Thame.
The driver of the Ford Focus, an 81-year-old man from Thame, was taken to the John Radcliffe Hospital where he later died.
His next of kin have been informed.
Anyone with information regarding this collision is asked to call the Thames Valley Police enquiry line via 101, quoting URN 1053 5/1.
If you do not want to speak directly to the police you can contact the independent charity Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111 or contact then online at www.crimestoppers-uk.org No personal details are taken, information is not traced or recorded and you will not go to court.
IN a mud caked contest, visitors Chinnor RFC overcame Dorking by the narrowest of margins, prevailing 6-5 at the Big Field. In successive weeks, Chinnor have now beaten the top two teams in the league.
Jake Olley, ‘ a beacon of light in an otherwise dull, dank day’
This was a match in which the opposition for both sides was principally the weather and the pitch. The side that understood this best, and played accordingly, was Chinnor whose accommodation in play due to the severe conditions was intelligent. Dorking tried to play in their customary adventurous style but came rather unstuck or perhaps too stuck.
Dorking scored early on with an unconverted try in the corner from Mike Duxbury. Chinnor played territory with very intelligent use of the boot to keep the home side pinned back in their own half for much of the match. Angell scored from two of his three penalty goal attempts in the first half to allow the visitors from Oxfordshire a 6-5 half time lead.
Although the rain actually stopped in the second half, the game was largely a grappling contest with Chinnor’s defence resolute with To’oala, Manning and Long particularly industrious. Dorking had little success with any of their kicks, often failing to make an intended touch. The Chinnor side, which in recent weeks has become the Chinnor team, comfortably held out all comers to convert the half time score into the full time score as no points at all were scored by either side in the second half. This was a tough whole team performance by the Oxfordshire boys. However, the positioning, kicking and running of Chinnor full back Jake Olley was a beacon of light in an otherwise dull, dank day.
A film about cycling, powered by pedaling cyclists, is a treat in store for cycling fans, and part of a not-to-be-missed event for those wanting to know more about the progress of the proposed Thame to Haddenham bike path.
Haddenham in Transition is bringing bicycle powered cinema to St Mary the Virgin Church, Haddenham, on Saturday, January 17, to show the film, Bicycle The Film, a 90 minute documentary which asks the question, why is cycling and the bicycle back in fashion?
Tickets on the door will cost £3 for adults, £1 per child – FREE if you arrive by Bike! Doors open 6.30pm for a 7pm introduction and update on the proposed Thame to Haddenham Bike path by Peter Challis of Sustrans. The film will start at 7.30, pedal powered by members of the audience! The film showing is sponsored by Sustrans and powered by Electric Pedals.
Bicycle The film, which is directed by BAFTA winning director and keen cyclist, Michael B.Clifford, tells the story of cycling in the land that invented the modern bicycle, it’s birth, decline and re birth from Victorian origins to today. The film weaves bicycle design, sport and transport through the retelling of some iconic stories, and features interviews with notable contributors, Sir Dave Brailsford, Gary Fisher, Chris Boardman, Ned Boulting, Sir Chris Hoy, Tracy Moseley, Mike Burrows and many more plus great archive, animation and music.
Bicycle is a humorous, lyrical and warm reflection on the bicycle and cycling, and its place in the British national psyche.
THAME Youth Memorial and the Thame-Sinaia Friendship Association will be challenging your general knowledge with their joint, Winter Quiz Night coming up at Barley Hill School, in Thame.
Sue Boyle will be the leading the Winter Quiz Night on Friday, January 16, which begins at 7 pm for a 7:30 pm start. People of Thame and neighbouring villages are being invited to form teams of six for the evening. The entry fee is £5 per person. There will be loads of raffle prizes; bring your own drinks and nibbles.
Iain Biddle, Thame Youth Memorial’s Chairman said: “After several years of fundraising and planning, we were delighted to unveil Thame Youth Memorial to the public in September 2013. Whilst the fundraising to complete the memorial and garden was completed a year ago, we must cater for the sad fact that more names will need to be added to the memorial each year, as well as the memorial and garden requiring ongoing maintenance. This quiz will help us to meet the costs that will be incurred.”
Marius Ciortan, Thame-Sinaia Association’s Secretary added: “We are delighted to be able to join our efforts with those of Thame Youth Memorial in organising this quiz night. This year in September we will celebrate three years since Thame has been twinned with the beautiful Romanian mountain town of Sinaia. This quiz will help us to meet some of the transport costs of local groups visiting Sinaia during the Sinaia Forever Festival at the end of September 2015. This festival will be attended by community representatives of all Sinaia’s twinned towns around Europe.”
A FLOOD warning for the River Thame and Chalgrove Brook has been issued by The Environment Agency today, and updated at 19.24.
Location: River Thame from Marsworth to Dorchester including, Long Marston, Rowsham, North Aylesbury, Cuddington, Thame, Shabbington, Ickford, Waterperry, Cuddesdon, Wheatley, Quarrendon, Drayton St Leonard, Overy, the Chalgrove Brook at Chalgrove and Stadhampton.
The River and Flooding forecast is as follows: Levels on the River Thame and Chalgrove Brook remain high, especially in the Thame Bridge and Stadhampton areas. Flooding of low lying land and roads is expected to continue. Levels are forecast to stabilise over the next 24 hours. Property flooding is not currently expected. The weather prospects are to expect a largely dry night tonight and a dry day on Monday. LINK to Environment Agency
THE FILM: Boyhood – WHEN? Saturday, January 10, 2015 – Details: USA 2014, 166 minutes, 15 Certificate – Directed by Richard Linklater, Starring Ellar Coltrane, Ethan Hawke, Rosanna Arquette, Lorelei Linklater.
YOU know those movies that span decades of a character’s lifetime, with different actors at different stages of life? Or the ones in which the kids grow up but the adults seem to stay exactly the same, perhaps with a few streaks of grey? Richard Linklater’s answer to such cinematic challenges – his response to the quest for ultimate naturalism and authenticity – was to film the same people every year, for twelve years.
Starting with the then six year-old Ellar Coltrane, and filming every summer until he turned 18, this film documents a boy called Mason from primary school until his first day in college. The result is an utterly unique, thrilling, superbly intelligent and beautiful portrait of growing up – the family holidays, the difficulties at school, the day-to-day banalities, the girls, the getting drunk, the usual stuff. Mason’s parents are divorced: Rosanna Arquette is his hard working mother with a tendency to hook up with the wrong guys; regular Linklater collaborator Ethan Hawke is the charming but feckless dad.
The film is also a portrait of parenting, of the uncertain steps and their unknown consequences, of the difficulties and the rewards, the essential unknowables of a child’s inner life. And it also brings home the fact that it all goes so quickly, that what feels like an eternity as a child seems to vanish in an instant from the perspective of the parent.
Hard to describe as anything other than a masterpiece, and on every list of the best films of 2014 if not the decade, Boyhood is not to be missed. View the trailer here.
THAME United secured a club record on Saturday (27/12) with its 11th consecutive league victory in a relatively comfortable win against Oxford City Nomads.
Going in to the game, Manager Mark West made a couple of changes to the side, with goalkeeper Matt Tapping making his debut for the first team and Conor McDonagh returning up front. And it was United who were quickest out of the blocks with an Adam Morris free kick from 25 yards going just wide after two minutes. The Nomads, who throughout looked to play the ball from the back, were unable to get in to the game, and United nearly took the lead on nine minutes when a delightful cross from Ben Gray was met by a glancing header just wide from Dan West.
The visitors then started to press, without really testing Tapping, and McDonagh, West and Morris all combined well to almost break the deadlock on 20 minutes. That duly arrived on 24 minutes when the Nomads failed to clear their lines and the ball fell to Morris on the edge of the box, whose powerful left-footed drive gave the keeper no chance. Whilst the Nomads increasingly saw more of the ball, they were still unable to penetrate a well-marshalled home defence and, before the first half was over, both McDonagh and Gray went close to extending the lead.
United started the second half the stronger of the two sides, but Tapping was called in to action on 51 minutes when he acrobatically pushed over a drive from 25 yards. Ellis Hercules then had a header cleared off the line from a Luke Ricketts corner before, on 57 minutes, a West drive was deflected wide. Mid-way through the half Dan Jones replaced Gray and a short while later it was 2-0 when West capitalised on a defensive error before calmly placing the ball wide of the visiting keeper. It was nearly 3-0 on 78 minutes when McDonagh, through on goal, saw his shot agonizingly shave the outside of the post. Then, on 85 minutes, substitute Niall Hodgkins played the ball through to Ricketts whose effort cleared the bar. This, as it transpired, was something of a recurring theme as a West effort three minutes later ended with a similar outcome. Nevertheless, by this stage it was game over as United held on for another three valuable points.
Thame United 2 Oxford City Nomads 0
The win moves United up to third ahead of the home fixture on Saturday, January 3, 2015, against Ardley United.
FOLLOWING the stabbing of a partially disabled man from Thame, the victim’s attacker, himself a former Thame man, has been jailed for four years.
John Cheshire, 51, formerly from Thame but now of Bicester Way, Aylesbury, had previously pleaded guilty to robbing Timothy Kitchen, at the victim’s home in Pearce Way, Thame.
John Cheshire
Oxford Crown Court heard how the father-of-four knew his victim and that at about 10pm on June 15, 2014, he went to Mr Kitchen’s home and started making demands for money. When Mr Kitchen refused to hand over his bank card, Cheshire stabbed him in the left shoulder with a pair of scissors. He then ‘pushed and shoved’ his victim into a corner of the room, knocking items off shelves and injuring Mr Kitchen’s back.
The defendant then threatened to stab Mr Kitchen in the throat, while two accomplices stole two TVs and a laptop, which were later recovered.
Cheshire had previous convictions for burglary, causing actual bodily harm and possessing drugs and according to his defence, has struggled with addictions to alcohol, cannabis and cocaine.
Cheshire was also ordered to pay a £120 victim surcharge once he is released.
IN a pulsating local derby, Chinnor RFC overcame Henley Hawks for the first time ever in a league match, to record a 28-21 victory at Kingsey Road, raucously and rapturously received by the largest crowd of many years.
Photo courtesy of Dave Winpenny
The first half was a tense and well contested affair with most of the play in the middle of the pitch as both sides struggled for superiority. Chinnor struck first after a sharp rolling maul. Angell stepped in to snatch the ball from the back and was driven over for Chinnor’s first try of the day. Keohane’s extras put the home side ahead 7-0 on 7 minutes. Comben struck two penalty goals for Henley but missed two others to make the half time score 7-6 to the home side.
The second half was in sharp contrast to the first – with end to end play and as many opportunities spurned as taken. Shortly after the restart, Jack Hayes scored Chinnor’s second try under the posts after a delightful flick pass from Fatialofa. Keohane’s conversion increased the Chinnor lead to 14-6. Chinnor were beginning to show growing superiority when Long was yellow carded. This only served to spur Chinnor on as Haile burst through the middle. His pass to the surprisingly speedy prop Cambareri was transferred at pace for Manning to touch down to increase the Chinnor lead to 19-6.
Keohane further increased the Chinnor lead to 25-6 with two well struck penalty goals. Henley upped their game and bursting through tackles, scored two tries in two minutes from Murphy and Hirskji-Douglas in the 69th and 71st minutes. Comben converted one to close the score to 25-18. Henley then seemed to find extra territory and pace as they strove to close the gap still further. However, Chinnor took some of the steam out of their efforts with a penalty goal from Keohane on 75 minutes to increase the home lead to 28-18. With two minutes to play, Henley took the pragmatic decision to go for goal from a penalty on the 10 metre line for a losing bonus point. Murphy’s kick was good and reduced the gap to 28-21. Henley continued to press for the last two minutes but the Chinnor defence held firm for a notable Chinnor victory, 28-21.
The key to Chinnor’s victory was their desire to win. Their speedy and hefty tackling in the first half stopped Henley gaining the fluency for which they are renowned. As a result, much of the first half was stalemate as Henley attempted to get their game going as much as Chinnor were determined to stop them. For this, Chinnor were fortunate to have a back row of high energy and impact. The trio of Tibbatts, Long and To’oala were highly destructive and every Henley player must have woken up with bruises on Sunday – particularly those who had not benefitted from meeting Alfie first time round at Dry Leas, due to his early departure from that match. The back row were augmented by a second row that played in the loose like a second back row – Ben Manning always seeming to be in the right place at the right time to tackle or carry the ball. The front row were solid at scrum time with Cano prominent. His colleagues, Williams and Camareri were very mobile and Camareri, popping up in the 13 channel showed the speed and skill necessary of that position to put Manning in for the third try.
Henley could not find a way through and the normally reliable Comben was off target for several penalty goal attempts. Things changed in the last quarter for Henley with the introduction of replacements Hirskij-Douglas (a former Chinnor player) and Connor Murphy. Murphy was the difference between the sides first time round at Henley. He made an immediate difference to the pace and direction of the Henley attack and was instrumental in both of their tries. He even took the long range (and most pragmatic) successful penalty kick at the end of the match to gain a losing bonus point. His continuing availability (dually registered with London Irish) may be most significant in Henley’s promotion run-in.
Chinnor’s backs deserve plaudits for their aggressive defence with the crowd mistaking Fatialofa for an Exocet missile at times. They also showed great invention. Hayes’ try came from a delightful feint and flick pass from Fatialofa that bewildered the opposition. Keohane, strangely selected at wing, was most reliable from the tee and did much good work from an unusual area of the park.
In this famous victory, every player had claims as star player but perhaps Ben Manning’s omnipresence gives him the laurels marginally ahead of Ryan Long and Junior Fatialofa.
And a word for the huge crowd whose enthusiastic support did much to make the occasion even better. And, in case you missed the match score: Chinnor 28 Henley 21.
Heady days.
Teams: Chinnor: Jake Olley, George Blewitt, Jack Hayes, Junior Fatialofa, Ed Keohane, Sam Angell, Frank Jones, Ricardo Cano, Locryn Williams, Guido Cambareri, Ben Manning, Toby Salmon, Andy Tibbatts, Ryan Long. Alfie To’oala
Interchanges: David Coutts, Dave McKee, Loti Molitika, Reece Boughton, Reuben Haile
Henley: Tom Allen, Xavier Andre, George Eastwell, Fred Pierrepoint, Jake Randall, James Comben, Tom Parker, Tom West, Stuart Philpott, Jimmy Litchfield, Dave Clements (c), Will Woodward, Matt Payne, Tom Hall, Robbie Stapley
Interchanges: Hugo Milford-Scott, Dave Manning, Oskar Hirskyj-Douglas, Ryan Newman, Dan Barnes
The incident took place at about 4.30am on Saturday in Haseley Road.
