Dear Editor, I am grateful to the East Thame Residents’ Association for its July Newsletter about the current consultation on additional housing in South Oxfordshire, which ends on July 23, and, as I understand it, could supersede all the co-operation and effort and agreements which went into our own Neighbourhood Plan.
I note that the East Thame Residents’ Association says it is regrettable that our own Plan has been challenged by this, and adds: ‘It has always been the fact, however, that SODC, as the ultimate planning authority, could amend the housing figures in the plan. The Neighbourhood Plan is a barrier but ultimately a moral one only.’ It calls for support for our Town Council in defending Thame’s character.
I wonder what the hundreds of residents who took part in good faith in the original consultations would have thought if they had been told point blank and openly at the start that all their efforts might make, in fact, not a bit of practical difference.
I’m pretty sure some of us suspected as much – at all levels of our local participation – but still gave the process the benefit of the doubt.
THE retiring Chair of the Thame Town Awards, has spoken of warmly of the many people of Thame who volunteer and go unrecognised.
Retiring Chair of the Thame Town Awards Pat Ruxton, with Jeannette Matelot Green
Speaking at the Thame Town Awards presentation evening last Thursday (July 10), Pat Ruxton, who has stepped down as Chair of the Panel after six years, spoke of the many people in Thame she had come across who do ‘great things very quietly’ and spoke of her pride in being part of a scheme that recognised some of these ‘unsung heroes’.
Those who received awards from the Mayor, Jeannette Matelot Green, and their citations are as follows:
Les Clanfield and Jeannette Matelot Green
Sporting Achievement – Les Canfield
Les has been a voluntary green keeper at Thame Bowls for many years, maintaining the clubs reputation as having the best green in Oxfordshire! Unfortunately, due to family commitments he is no longer able to volunteer, however, this award marks the many hours he has given voluntarily and how much he will be missed by members of the club.
Harry Parsons & Jeannette Matelot Green
Young Achiever – Harry Parsons
Harry is a student at Lord Williams’s School and has represented his peers in all aspects of school life including the school council. He has given a voice to his year group on issues such as bullying, homophobia and mental health and also supported new students as they make the transition from lower school. He also makes up half of a popular radio show on Thame’s very own Black Frog Radio – all this whilst studying for his GCSE’s.
Michael Hutt with Jeannette Matelot Green
Service with a Smile – Michael Hutt
Michael is a familiar face to most people in Thame, particularly if you have ever suffered from a cough or cold. As the pharmacist in Boots, Michael gets to meet a lot of local people, many of whom described him as helpful, knowledgeable and a friendly asset to Thame.
Voluntary Individual/Organisation
Due to the number and standard of nominations in this category the Panel decided to split the category into two and award both an individual and an organisation.
Ken Bennell with Jeannette Matelot Green
Voluntary Individual – Ken Bennell
Ken, an active member of Thame Lions for over 30 years, received an award for his outstanding length of service from the foundation at the 37th Charter Luncheon. He has worked for the Thame & District Housing Association for 6 years and, since retiring, volunteers at the Bowls Club and was recently appointed treasurer for Thame Sports Club. In 2005 he received the Melvin Jones Fellowship for Dedication to Humanitarian Services from the Lions International Foundation.
Members of Sharing Life Trust L – R: John Hulet, Phil Stratton,(Mayor in the middle) Gordon Taylor and Steve Eyre
Voluntary Organisation – Sharing Life Trust
Sharing Life is a vital organisation run by volunteers that offers numerous forms of support to people in our community. As well as providing debt counselling, family support and transport for the less mobile, Sharing Life has implemented the Food Bank, which distributes food parcels to struggling families. The Community Bank which helps combat the pitfalls of pay day loan companies. The charity also has links in East Africa and India, widening their scope of giving to enable these global communities to flourish.
After receiving his award, John Hulet told Thame.Net: “It was great to be nominated and a tribute to the support that the local community gives us.”
Nat Armstrong receives his award from the Mayor, Jeannette Matelot Green
Person of Courage – Nathanael Armstrong
At the age of 16 Nat was diagnosed with an extremely rare allergy to all proteins and sugars, dramatically restricting his diet and impacting on his health. He has undergone extensive investigations and experiments into curing his illness at the John Radcliffe, Guy’s & St Thomas and Great Ormond Street hospitals. Unfortunately, due to nature of his illness, treatment is extremely costly and so Nat and his family have set up a trust to help raise the money needed to continue his medication (www.help4nat.co.uk). Prior to his illness, Nat was a gifted county swimmer and continues to support his swimming club.
Beatrice Dobbie with Jeannette Matelot Green
Lifetime Achievement – Beatrice Dobie
Beatrice has been a lifelong resident of Thame and has devoted her life to serving the community. She was a Brownie leader for many years and continues to be an active member of the Community Hospital League of Friends. She was also instrumental in realising the new library in North Street. Others may also be more familiar with Beatrice in her role as a representative of Thame Town Council, of which she was a member for many years. Beatrice was delighted to receive the award and thanked the people of Thame for nominating her.
The Thame Town Awards were sponsored by : Arriva, Brothers, Independent Mortgage Solutions, Kubota, Parkers and Thame Chiropractic Clinic.
A friend of Nat Armstrong, the gifted Thame swimmer struck down with a serious allergic illness, has decided to shave off all her hair to raise much needed funds for Nat’s medical treatment.
Natalie Watson
Natalie Watson, of 18, Chinnor Road, Thame, is holding a barbecue at her house starting at 11.30am this morning, and anticipates that the shaving will take place after people have eaten, expected to be some time between 1.30 and 2.30pm.
Natalie hopes that as many people will go along as possible and donate what they can or take a raffle prize. All the funds will help Nat’s parents pay the £1,700 a week it costs to keep his special treatment going.
Nat Armstrong receives his award from the Mayor, Jeannette Matelot Green
On Thursday evening, Nat was presented with the Person of Courage award at the Town Awards Ceremony by the Mayor, Jeannette Matelot Green who read out the citation for the award: ” Nat responds to his situation with great courage and and remains cheerful and optimistic about the future.”
FUNDING for Thame’s longed-for, replacement skatepark received a huge boost yesterday, when the young people behind the TSP (Thame Skatepark Project) learned that they were a step closer to being awarded £100,000 towards the scheme.
Image courtesy of Aidan North
The announcement came at last night’s Thame Town Awards event at the Thame Barns Centre – just hours after the group had give a presentation to the prospective donor, South Oxfordshire District Council.
If the district’ council’s grants panel decision is approved by the full Cabinet, this will bring the £250,000 transformation of the existing, worn out skatepark to a modern, durable wheeled-sports facility one big step closer. The skaters themselves have been at the heart of the process, petitioning for a new skate park, determining the design of the new facility and fundraising.
Corin Rea giving a presentation about the skatepark project at Thursday’s Town Awards Ceremony
A delighted Corin Rea, who has been one of the project leaders for the TSP, said: “We are delighted to hear the encouraging news about the £100k SODC grant. Getting significant funding like that is key to driving the project forward, so we are extremely grateful. We are starting to edge closer to our final, funding goal, these are exciting times!”
Town Mayor, Cllr Jeannette Matelot Green, is a strong supporter of the project having chosen it as one of her chosen charities for her year in office. She said: “I watched the three young men who head up TSP give a very professional presentation to the Community Grants Panel at SODC on Thursday morning. I was so proud of them and the district councillors praised them for their presentation and informed response to questioning.
“I would like to thank all those who have supported the project thus far, and have to say that they still need support for the rest of the fundraising events to get to the £250,000.”
FOLLOWING the recent launch of its second ‘Keep Trade Local Challenge’ in May with the Speaker of the House, the Rt Hon John Bercow MP, the FSB (Federation of Small Businesses) is once again challenging shoppers across the region.
The challenge asks people to use their local businesses and then visit the website to enter the amount spent, to be in with a chance to win £250.
Robyn Bourne, Thames Valley Development Manager for the FSB, said: “Since opening the competition on the June 20, Thames Valley residents have already entered over £14,000 of local independent business spends. When considering that for every £1 spent with a local business it puts £1.76 back into the local economy, this is money well invested!
“The competition has the backing of the majority of the regions’ 21 MPs and also many local councils, all who are keen to get behind the challenge and encourage people to ‘keep trade local’. To enter people need to visit www.fsb.org.uk/thamesvalley where they can also sign up to receive a free cotton shopping bag or one of very special KTL Stress Cows (#ktlcows) which people are using to take photos of where they have been using local businesses and tweeting about their experiences.
“The FSB recognises that small businesses are the heart of the local community; they generate wealth, employment and opportunity. But with people working longer hours and the growth of convenience, one-stop-shopping and the internet, these places are at risk. By challenging people to use independent businesses and shops the FSB hopes to encourage people use what is on their door step and make the most of the smaller businesses in the community.”
NB The cute litte mini cows for your customers to use to take a picture of their purchase and tweet it, are now available from Sonja Francis at Thame.Net, Jordans Courtyard, 8 Upper High Street, Thame, or just email editor@thame.net and one can be delivered to you!
A first edition copy of the novel Birdsong has been donated to the Oxfam Bookshop in Thame, and the author, Sebastian Faulks has signed the book and added a unique inscription exclusively for the shop, which is to be sold by auction to raise money for the charity.
The shop in Cornmarket is dedicating its window display from Thursday, July 17, for three weeks commemorate the 100th anniversary of the outbreak of the First World War. With history, literature and poetry featured, the auction of the book will be the centrepiece of the display.
Bookshop Manager Dick Jennens said: “We are thrilled that Mr Faulks took the time to sign and inscribe this book for Oxfam. His inscription reads: ‘To commemorate the centenary of the outbreak of the First World War – and all that was lost.’
“The shop expects there to be lots of interest and we will be running a sealed bid auction to try to raise the most amount for Oxfam’s work.”
The sealed bid auction opens at 9.30am on Saturday, July 19, and closes at 12 noon on Saturday, August 2. A reserve of £500 has been placed on the book. The winning bid will be announced at 11am on Monday, August 4, the 100th anniversary of the outbreak of the First World War.
Dick continued: “People in and around Thame have been so generous and we have a magnificent range of books about the First World War for the event. Oxfam is responding to help refugees of many conflicts at the moment, including Syria and South Sudan, and we hope that the first edition raises much needed funds for them.
“The book and the commemorative display has evoked memories for some of the shop’s volunteers, whose family members fought and survived the war. For two volunteers, their Grandfathers were captured and spent the war in Prisoner of War camps. One had to walk home from Belgium when the armistice was declared.
The grandfather of one of the younger volunteers served in the Royal Marines in battleships of the Grand Fleet and later was deployed to North Russia in July, 1919, in the North Russia Expeditionary Force. His military career was varied and included service on the staff of the Director of Combined Operations before and after D-Day.”
Anyone making a sealed bid for the book, needs to write their name, address and telephone number onto a sheet of paper, together with the value of the bid and either take it into the bookshop before 12 noon on Saturday, August 2, or post to: SEALED BID AUCTION, c/o Dick Jennens, Oxfam Bookshop, 9b Cornmarket, Thame, OX9 3DX. Sealed bids can also be sent via email to: oxfamshopf3715@oxfam.org.uk marking the subject line ‘Birdsong Bid’.
MORE details of plans for the town’s Thame Remembers project to commemorate the First World War have been revealed, including a search for relatives of those named on local war memorials, and an illuminated ‘living’ memorial of photographs of their living relatives.
Lloyd George unveils the Thame War Memorial in 1921 – captured on film by Pathe News
So far only one family member of those whose names are engraved on the Thame war memorials, has come forward. Soon, all 189 names of Thame men who lost their lives in conflicts will be available on the website, www.thameremembers.org and the idea is that relatives will be given the first option to place one of the specially made crosses on their predecesor’s grave, where ever in the world that may be, whether it’s France, Belgium, the UK, Greece, Italy, Egypt, India, Iraq, Singapore, or Tanzania, as well as ocean graves where crews went down with their ships. Eventually, volunteers who are travelling abroad will be needed to take a cross and place it on an identified war grave and take a photograph for the records.
In the meantime, the names of those listed on the Thame Memorial and details about where this lived and died, are listed on the website: http://www.roll-of-honour.com/Oxfordshire/Thame.html Anyone who is related to any man listed can contact the Thame Remembers group via the website: http://www.thameremembers.org/contact/
Pathe News release video of Lloyd George unveiling Thame Memorial in 1921
YOU Ltd – change your life by applying the principles of accounts to your own finances! That’s the title of the talk to be given at this month’s Late Breakfast meeting for local businesses on Thursday, July, 17, by Greg Lovett of Fizz Accounting in Thame.
The Late Breakfast – Monthly networking
The Late Breakfast event will be in the Eden Suite at The Spread Eagle Hotel, 16-17 Cornmarket, Thame, OX9 2BW and runs from 9.00 – 10.30am.
The entry fee is £12 (including light refreshments) More information and booking details HERE
THAME’S Neighbourhood Policing team have busy throughout the past month with such issues as town centre parking, a spate of tool thieving from the backs of vans and helping with ways to protect property. Here’s an excerpt from PCSO Jackie Madden’s monthly report:
Traffic issues
There has been a steady increase in reports of parking issues in Thame Town Centre. As members of the public are breaching parking restrictions, the neighbourhood team will be taking specific enforcement action against offending vehicles. With the assistance of CCTV and working closely with Thame Town Council, any breaches will be monitored and recorded.
Theft from vehicles
There has been a series of reports of tools being stolen from commercial vehicles, in particular vans, including the theft of a caravan in Spriggs Alley, Chinnor. Please ensure that all tools and valuables are removed from vehicles overnight and that the vehicle is secure when left unattended during the day. The neighbourhood team has been distributing crime reduction advice to all van owners in the affected areas.
Operation Magpie has been deployed this month, in response to reports of thefts from motor vehicles parked in our beauty spot car parks. The affected areas are Christmas Common – Cowleaze, Aston Rowant Nature Reserve and Hill Top car park, Watlington. The teams regularly check the car parks and they check each vehicle for items of value left on display. If appropriate, the owner of the vehicle will then receive a follow up letter offering crime reduction advice. Please ensure that your vehicle is locked, and that you remove any items on view, before you leave it parked.
Burglary Dwelling
The neighbourhood team has been promoting products called SmartWater and CREMARK as part of our crime reduction advice in relation to protecting your property against being burgled. Please contact the team via: ThameWatlingtonChinnorNHPT@thamesvalley.pnn.police.uk for further information and to arrange a demonstration.
Burglary non-Dwelling
There have been a number of break-ins to sheds across the area. Power tools and gardening equipment have been targeted along with domestic heating fuel. If you require any crime reduction advice please contact the team for further information.
You can read the full report on the Thame sector here: http://www.thamesvalley.police.uk/yournh/yournh-tvp-pol-area/yournh-tvp-pol-area-soxon-vowh/pub-pg-nh-upds-N380?id=285404
