THAME United’s grounds are officially some of the best in its league, after Paul Kuhn was recently awarded Runner Up in the National Awards for FA Groundsman of the Year 2014.
Paul was presented with his Runner Up National Award for FA Step five & six clubs, at St Georges Park, the English FA National Football Centre, by Head Groundsman at St Georges Park, Alan Ferguson, who acknowledged the fantastic work undertaken by Paul for maintaining the 23 acre site at Meadow View Park
Thame Football Partnership’s General Manager, Frank Thompson, said: “We’ve always been proud of the playing surfaces here and most visiting teams make a point of congratulating us on their excellent condition, regardless of the time of year or the weather conditions.
“But for the local and then national FA to recognise us and in particular, Paul for his hard work and dedication to the game, is a fantastic achievement and having taken possession of some new Kubota machinery recently, he is already planning on being in the running for next year’s awards.”
Local judging took place earlier in the Year with West Ham’s Head Groundsman a visitor to the ASM Stadium, before Paul was shortlisted for the Awards.
THE Police have charged a 22 year-old Thame man in connection with a robbery at a convenience store in Haddenham on July 28.
McColl’s in Banks Parade, Haddeham. Photo courtesy of Keith Milmer & Haddenham.Net
Lewis Bradbrook-Taylor, aged 22, of Putman Close, Thame, was arrested and charged on Thursday, August 28, for one count of robbery and for two counts of false imprisonment.
The charges relate to an incident which took place last Thursday at Martin McColls convenience store, Bank Parade, Haddenham, when a man entered the store at approximately 5.10pm and falsely imprisoned two members of staff. He then took money from the safe and left the scene.
Bradbrook-Taylor appeared at High Wycombe Magistrates’ Court on Friday (29/8) and was remanded in custody. He will next appear at Aylesbury Crown Court on Friday, September 5.
THAMES Valley Police is appealing for witnesses after a fatal collision yesterday, in which a cyclist was killed near Brill.
The brow of Muswell Hill, Brill – Courtesey of geographic.org.uk
At 12.20pm yesterday (31/8), a cyclist was travelling down Muswell Hill near Brill, when he was in collision with a grey Land Rover Freelander that was travelling in the opposite direction. The cyclist, a 40-year-old man, was pronounced dead at the scene.
Officers would like to speak to anyone who may have seen the collision. The cyclist was riding a grey bicycle and was travelling away from Brill at the time of the collision.
If anyone has any information please call PC Alex Dearden quoting URN 753 of 31/8 via the Thames Valley Police 24-hour enquiry line 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 crimestoppers-uk.org. No personal details are taken, information is not traced or recorded and you will not go to court.
Dear Editor, I am writing to raise awareness of how easily the Thame Neighbourhood Plan has been overridden as I do not think that the majority of residents of Thame are aware. It is disappointing that the plan has been deviated from at such an early stage and should bring in to question its validity.
South Oxfordshire District Council approved a planning application (P14/S1347/FUL) for the development of two new industrial units on land at Cotmore Well Farms (opposite the DAF site on the ring road, alongside the Phoenix Track) on 27th August 2014. This is site B on the plan and allocated for employment but the planning application that has been approved is 50% larger than the area allocated for employment on this site on the Thame Neighbourhood Plan.
In June Thame Town Council recommended this application be approved despite the fact the proposals are contrary to the plan. Thame Town Council list the benefits of the development on the homepage of their website but fail to highlight this is a deviation from their plan.
The Plan allocated three hectares of land for employment on the Cotmore Wells site, the development now approved comprises of 4.6 hectares for the development and 2.3 for drainage and ecological mitigation, a total area of 6.9 hectares.
In my opinion, the large vacant industrial sites that exist in Thame should be developed in preference to greenfield land and why industrial units are being converted into flats when fields are being destroyed for industry is beyond me, this aside I want the residents of Thame to be aware that the Neighbourhood plan is not worth the paper on which it is written.
A Conrad, Thame
ED. The SODC Planning Committee Report here sets out the reasons for recommending approval of this application, over the Thame Neighbourhood Plan. http://democratic.southoxon.gov.uk/documents/
THAME Fair will be arriving in town and setting up in the High Street and Upper High Street, on Wednesday, September 17, and staying until early Sunday, September 21.
Dusk falls as Thame fair is being set up in the Upper High Street
Road closure and bus diversions will be in force during this period (details to follow). Residents and businesses that will be affected by the closure are advised to obtain a parking permit from the Information Centre at Thame Town Hall.
FOLLOWING the revelation that the Thames Valley area has been identified as a ‘dog-theft hot spot’ recently, with 64 dogs reported stolen in 2013, Thames Valley Police has said that it carried out an operation yesterday, August 28, in West Berkshire and recovered two dogs.
One of the dogs, a Cocker Spaniel, was identified as Pepsi, who went missing from Goring on August 14. She was found safe and well and has been reunited with her owners.
The second dog, a Greyhound cross Saluki bitch, fours-years-old, with scars on her upper left leg, was not chipped and is yet to be identified (See picture)
The operation follows the theft of four dogs from a kennel in Blewbury, near Didcot on August 26. Three of the dogs were found in West Berkshire by dog wardens, the fourth dog is still missing.
The police say that a gold Range Rover was seen to enter Blewbury Riding School, on Bessels Way in Blewbury, just before the four dogs were stolen.
If you have any information relating to this message, please contact PC Carrick from Abingdon police station via the Thames Valley Police Enquiry Centre on 101.
If you don’t want to speak directly to the police, you can contact Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.
SOURCE: Thame Valley Police – Press release
ED. Ruby, a Spaniel that went missing, was found in February last year by police after several weeks, and returned to her rightful owners. See LINK Also, there were unconfirmed reports a few months ago, that in the Long Crendon, Oakley and Worminghall area, males were approaching people when they were out walking their dogs and trying to steal them. It was also alleged (according to http://www.dogwatchalert.com/ ) that this has happened in Wallingford and Aston Rowant.
A planning application for two new industrial units on land at Cotmore Well Farm, just outside Thame, has been approved by South Oxfordshire District Council.
With 80 jobs expected to be created over the next five years, it is anticipated that the two units, which will be occupied by two companies currently based in Long Crendon, will help sustain the local economy.
Construction is scheduled to begin in the next few months, and the buildings occupied by the Spring of 2015.
THIS autumn, Racquets Fitness Centre in Thame, is holding a corporate Racketball tournament and wants Thame businesses to get involved and enter three racketball players to represent each team.
All standards, from newcomer to skilled players are welcome to get involved as, as well as prizes for first place, there will be prizes for ‘Best effort’ and ‘Most entertaining’. The cost to enter will be £15 per player, which includes a light lunch and equipment, and prior to the event, Raquets is offering one month’s club membership for £35 pp, which will include a 40 minute coaching session with one of its team, to prepare for the event; AND this price includes Bar Bites and your first drink at the bar.
There’s only room for 10 teams in the Tournament, which will take place on Friday, October 24, from 3 pm, so contact Martin King at Raquets on 07990074366 or Sue Martin Downhill on 07860328880 if your business would like to take part in this fun event.
Dark skies over Towersey 2014, but the sun isn’t far away
DESPITE a soggy Bank Holiday Monday, both local people and visitors from far and wide turned out in their thousands over the three-days of what was the 50th Towersey Festival.
The festival, which started out from a need to renovate Towersey village hall on 1965, is now able to support a number of local projects. Musical events have taken place in several venues every year in large marquees in the surrounding playingfields, the village hall itself, in the church and in the local pub, The Three Horseshoes, where the sing-around in the barn has became an institution.
Throughout its 50 years, the festival has remained truly family-friendly with music, dance, poetry, street entertainment, film, story-telling, craft workshops, and safe and secure camping facilities, attracting people of all walks of life and ages who have brought colour, enthusiasm and their spending power to Towersey and Thame itself.
This year’s Towersey Festival celebrated its half-century and, particularly during a party for those who have been involved in many special ways, brought together artists and organisers and their families and friends to share some special moments (like that of a now retired Towersey Morris member, of Joe Heap, grandson of festival founder, Dennis Manners, delivering newspapers as a lad, in the village on his uni-cycle) – and of course a big, celebration cake! The cake was cut by Joan Gleeson, aged 91, the last surviving member of the founding committee in 1965.
The whole bank holiday saw around an estimated 8,000 people enjoy the likes of multi-award winning singer-song writer, Richard Thompson, the ever-green festival patron, Roy Bailey, local girl Megan Henwood, Thame First Music Club’s very own popular,The August List and The Ian English Boodlum band with their unique, ‘sherry trifle’ of a mix of off-beat songs and comedy. Some of the other ‘big hitters’ included Whapweasel, Rusty Shackle (back for a second time in two years) and the charismatic and thrilling Seth Lakeman.
It’s hard to imagine quite how Towersey Festival will evolve in the next decades but the recently announced move to the Thame Show Ground, which itself could be changing in the not so far distant future if a proposed move there by Thame Cattle Market goes ahead, is seen by the organisers as a positive development. Thame Show Ground offers scope for a bit more room, better and safer access, better parking facilities, improved crowd control and more involvement with the people of Thame, without losing the Towersey heritage, the involvement of the village and the unique atmoshphere of its catch-phrase, adopted from a comment by a visitor, ‘another lovelier world.’
Three Towersey Legends, L-R, Roy Bailey, Joan Gleeson and Paul Gleeson
So let’s all raise a leather or pewter tankard of real ale of cider to Steve and Joe Heap and their dedicated crew of organisers, and to future generations, to the next 50 years of the Towersey Festival.
AHEAD of Crendon Corinthians Youth Football Club starting their training for the 2014/15 season on Saturday, September 6, the club coaches are recruiting new players for all of their age groups and squads. The U9 squad, for Year four boys and girls, has been growing steadily over the past couple of years and their manager, Neil Yates from Thame, is keen to bring as many children into this team sport as possible.
“We have a lovely family ethic at the Crendon Corinthians and we pride ourselves on how we approach the game both on and off the pitch,” Neil explained. “We play attractive, flowing football and concentrate on playing the game fairly with respect for each-other, the opposition and officials.”
Neil Yates discusses tactics with some of his U9 squad
Crendon Corinthians U9 squad won the Fair Play Champions trophy for the second year running at Thame’s Festival of Football back in July, and are looking forward to another solid season in the Blue division of the South Bucks Mini Soccer Conference. “Winning the main trophy at the Festival of Football tournament for the second time in succession was a fantastic achievement and capped off a great season for us last year,” continued Neil. “The kids really deserved the recognition as they showed real character in adhering to the FA’s Fair Play rules throughout the campaign. Our goal is to provide a fun, safe and enjoyable environment for the children to learn football in – with a promise to develop every child’s technical, physical and social skills – and we are successfully delivering on that promise with members of the squad now being picked up by local soccer academies.
“For players who are interested in joining us, Crendon is a FA Charter Standard club. Our coaches are qualified FA badge holders and also parents who understand the needs of kids.”
The U9 subscription fees for this season are £70, including match shirt, training top, tournament entry fees and access to astro pitches in cold weather. Neil is offering free tasters of his Saturday morning training sessions (10:15 to 11:30) at Long Crendon School, for new and experienced players. Get in touch via email (yates_neil@hotmail.com), the club website ccfc.long-crendon.com/ or Twitter @crendoncorinthiansyfc
Paul was presented with his Runner Up National Award for FA Step five & six clubs, at St Georges Park, the English FA National Football Centre, by Head Groundsman at St Georges Park, Alan Ferguson, who acknowledged the fantastic work undertaken by Paul for maintaining the 23 acre site at Meadow View Park
