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  • Driving ban for Thame man who admitted drink-driving

    Driving ban for Thame man who admitted drink-driving

    (Image for illustrative purposes only)

    A man from Thame has been disqualified from driving for three years, after admitting drink-driving in Priest End, Thame, on November 25. Joseph Curran, 22, of High Street, Thame, had 58 micrograms of alcohol in 100ml of breath, above the legal limit of 35 micrograms. As well as the driving ban, he was fined £220, a £22 victims’ surcharge, and £85 costs.

    A total of 143 people have already been arrested in the first two weeks of Thames Valley Police’s Christmas anti drink-driving campaign, Is it worth the risk?, which was launched on December 1 and will run throughout the month.

    Of these, 73 have been charged, 49 bailed and 21 released with no further action. Thirty-seven arrests were made in Oxfordshire, 44 in Berkshire and 62 in Buckinghamshire. Of those, 121 were men, a five per cent increase on last year, and 22 were women, a 24 per cent reduction.

    The wrecked car, after a drunk driver caused the death of Grace Hardman in 2009 (Imaged courtesy of Daily Mail)

    In 2009, Joe Robinson of Thame, was in a coma for three weeks with serious head injuries after a crash that killed his school friend, Grace Hadman. The driver of the car they were travelling in, was drunk and was consequently jailed.

    Police are targeting people they suspect of driving under the influence of drink or drugs, both on the way home from nights out and the morning after a heavy night and the campaign includes a Twitter account, @ThamesVP, and a Facebook page. Thames Valley Police says: “If you drink alcohol or take drugs and drive, you put yourself, your loved ones and other road users at risk, don’t take a chance, it isn’t worth it.

    “Drink and drug driving is totally unacceptable and is a serious crime. Thames Valley Police works to tackle drink and drug driving all year round. Drinking and driving wrecks lives, most obviously the hundreds of victims and their loved ones who are killed each year. But it also changes the lives of the people who are selfish or stupid enough to drive when they are not fit to do so.”

    On average, Thames Valley Police catches 250 people each month for drink driving. So far this year the number of people caught for drink driving has increased by 14%.
    Out of the 2,095 persons caught drink driving, 16% were women and 84% were men.

  • War, woods, winter fuel bills & more – news round-up

    THAME is beginning to think about how it will commemorate the centeniary of the outbreak of World War One next year, 2014.

    Thame station how it would have looked before it was demolished. Image courtesy of Dave Wragg (flickr)

    Thame museum is planning a special exhibition, probably some time in May, which will include personal accounts written in letters etc of local people’s experience of the war. The British Legion’s plans include the possibility of an event of commemoration down at the old Thame Railway Station platform, some of which still remains on the Phoenix Trail. It was from here that local men would have left to fight in the war in 1914.

    THAME Museum has been feeling the effects of rising energy bills, and has announced that it will be closing for the winter, in an effort to save money. The Museum Trust has reported that it has been experiencing problems with its heating system and that utiliy bills have been higher than expected.

    THAME’S Millenium Wood, called Ham Wood, is named after the book ‘ Farmer Giles of Ham’, the only one of Tolkein’s books to have been set in a real place, Thame. Since it was planted in March, 2000, the wood has been managed by The Woodland Trust but it is now to be handed back the community and Thame Town Council has agreed to take it on and to maintain it.
    There is lots of interesting information about Ham Wood, here

    RESIDENTS of the labrynth that is the network of paths around and from Lea Park to the rest of the town, know just how difficult it can be to find your way around, and how it is often easier to jump into the car to go in to town until you learn the walking and cycling routes

    The 21st Century Thame Partnership’s Environment group is working with the town council on a project to improve cycle paths and footpath signage around Lea Park and other areas, as part of the Neighbourhood plan, to help tackle these problems. This work will include assessing the requirements from the developers of Site D, to improve paths and other linkages around the town. At the same time, 21st Thame is re-evaluating the Thame Walking and Cycling Map ready for updating and reprinting.

    LIGHTING in Elms Park, Thame, is now at the ordering stage and it is hoped that it will be installed during March/April, 2014.

    BECAUSE so much of its time and staff resources is taken up with community events like the Christmas event and the Thame Carnival, Thame Town Council wants to take more of a back seat in the future and wants to encourage local people to take on the managing of these events.

    It has therefore decided that it will begin the process of working with local people and organisations to move toward them taking on responsibility for community events, perhaps with grants from the town council, and that it will review the options early in 2015.

  • Defence Service Medal awarded to Thame councillor

    A New Zealand-born Thame Town Councillor has been awarded the New Zealand Defence Service Medal in honour of his service in Her Majesty’s Forces since 1996.

    Born in Lower Hutt, New Zealand, Vaughan Humphries was a cadet from a young age and went on to enlist as a Bandsman in the Seventh Wellington Hawke’s Bay Battalion, Royal New Zealand Infantry Regiment where he trained as an infantry soldier. In 1999 he transferred to the New Zealand Intelligence Corps and retrained as an intelligence soldier working at Land Command, Trentham Camp. Despite requesting an attachment to a British unit when Vaughan moved to the UK, he was unable to continue his military career and received an honourable discharge in 2002.

    The New Zealand Defence Service Medal was instituted in April 2011 to recognise proven military service since September 1945. Such a medal would normally have been presented by the New Zealand equivalent of the British Legion, however, due to Vaughan’s current residence in the UK, this opportunity was not available to him. Instead, the Town Mayor, Cllr Peter Lambert, had the honour of presenting Vaughan with his esteemed award at a Full Council meeting on Tuesday, December 17.

  • Town Council challenged over ‘Living Wage’

    THAME Town Council has been challenged over whether it pays its employees a Living Wage, and whether it uses suppliers that pay their staff a Living Wage.

    The flower beds in Thame’s Memorial Gardens, maintained by Thame Town Council’s team of maintenance men

    Cllr Mary Stiles asked the question at tonight’s meeting of the full town council. The Town Clerk, Helen Stewart, replied that she did not know what the figure was for the current Living Wage and that it had never been considered before. She proposed to find out and report back to the council.

    According to The Living Wage Foundation, a Living Wage outside London is £7.65 per hour.

  • Debut triumph for new Director’s Christmas Concert

    THAME Choral Society’s Christmas concert, the first to be conducted by the Society’s new Choral Director, Helen Swift, opened with a rousing performance of Gaudete, the 16th century carol made popular by the electric folk group Steeleye Span, but the main work in the first half was a performance of Benjamin Britten’s exciting choral show piece, A Ceremony of Carols, sung on this occasion in the arrangement for mixed choir.

    Helen Swift

     Continuing with the celebration of the centenary of the composer’s birth, the choir was joined by the young soprano, Jessica Wise and local harpist Sarah Goss.

    The concert also included carols old and new, several of which the audience were invited to join in with. St Mary’s church in Thame, where the concert was staged on Saturday (08/12), has fine acoustics for choral singing and the choir and audience singing together, with the ladies of the choir singing descant, produced a glorious sound. The carols and songs were accompanied by organist and pianist, Geoffrey Heath, who has a long association with the Society.

    Seasonal refreshments of hot mulled wine and mince pies added extra spice to the second half, a highlight of which was a solo performance by Sarah Goss of settings for harp of Debussy’s First Arabesque, Clare de Lune and an arrangement of  Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas. The choral items were punctuated with readings by members of the choir from Genesis and Luke, and amusing monologues by Gervase Phinn of A Yorkshire Nativity and by John Julius Norwich of The Twelve Days of Christmas.  The concert ended with a plea by the gentlemen for the ladies to stay, in a setting of Baby’s it’s Cold Outside, which composer Frank Loesser premiered with his wife, Lynn Garland, at a 1944 housewarming party.

    Thame Choral Society’s Chair, Judith Newenham, said: ” It was clear that our varied, seasonal programme brought a refreshing change, and was greatly enjoyed by our loyal audience. Our singing was excellent throughout under our new, confident and talented Musical Director, Helen Swift.”

    Thame Choral Society, founded in 1961, is an informal, friendly, non audition choir committed to the enjoyment of music.  It has performed a wide range of choral works from baroque through the classical and romantic composers, to modern pieces by Britten and Poulenc, performing  two major concerts each year at St Mary’s  Church. Rehearsals for next year’s Spring concert, which takes the theme The Spirit of England , begin on January 8, 2014. New and former singers are always welcome. This, and subsequent rehearsals will be at the Methodist Church, Haddenham on Wednesday evenings from 7.30 to 9.30pm.

    More information about the choir can be found on their website www.thamechoralsociety.co.uk and by
    sending an email to thamechoralsociety@hotmail.co.uk.

    Attached photograph shows members of Thame Choral Society with from left to right at the front, Helen
    Swift ‐ choral director, Jessica Wise – Soprano and Sarah Goss – harp.

  • Christmas cake and Karaoke for Thame’s senior citizens

    FOR the first time ever, Thame’s senior citizens were lead in a Karaoke session at their annual Christmas tea party, by the Mayor of Thame, Peter Lambert.

    This year’s Christmas Tea was jointly organised by the Rotary and Inner Wheel Clubs of Thame in collaboration with the Mayor of Thame and Thame Town Council. The traditional annual event took place on Friday, December 13, at the Thame Football Club.

    The choir of John Hampden School, Thame

    Almost 100 senior citizens were sung to by the choir of John Hampden Primary School in Thame, and then joined Peter Lambert, the Mayor in singing a variety of seasonal songs with the words projected onto a large screen.

    Tyrell Gillman, Community and Vocational Chairman at the Thame Rotary Club, said: “The school’s children, staff and parents did an outstanding job leading a most wonderful show. The generosity of the three Thame supermarkets who provided most of the food, made it possible for the members from the Rotary, Inner Wheel, Thame Town Council and other local volunteers to prepare and serve a veritable feast. A big ‘thank you’ must go out to everyone involved.”

    The President of Rotary, Jeannette Matelot Green, commented: “We have to thank Frank Thompson and his staff for creating a lovely, Christmassy ambience at the Football Club. And as well as those mentioned above, the chauffeurs from Rotary, Thame Town Council and the Day Centre who ferried all our guests to and from the party. And thank you to Tyrell Gillman for organising a smashing Christmas Party !”

    For more information about volunteer and membership opportunities with the Rotary Club of Thame,  visit: www.thame.rotaryweb.org

  • Police appeal: Burglary, Shabbington

     THAMES Valley Police is appealing for witnesses after a burglary in Shabbington, near Thame.

    Between 6.45am and 5pm on Wednesday (11/12), offenders forced open a kitchen window by snapping part of a panel at a property in Dukes Close, Shabbington.

    It is believed that the offender was disturbed by a dog in the property and no items were stolen.

    PC Samantha Stansbie, of Aylesbury Local CID, said: “I am keen to speak to anyone who  may have been in the area of Dukes Close at the time of this incident and may have seen a man around mid morning riding a bike, wearing an anorak short jacket and carrying a clipboard.”

    Anyone with information should please contact PC Stansbie via the Thames Valley Police Enquiry Centre on 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.

    Join us on www.thamesvalleyalert.co.uk/  to receive local crime and safety messages.

  • Hats off to Ethan!

    THE winner of the Christmas Top Hat Trail competition, sponsored by Thame Town Council, was a young man who only recently came to live in the area with his parents, who thought the trail would be a good way for him to learn his way around the town.

     

     

    Ethan Sexton with with Father Christmas (Image Courtesy of Nick White Photography)

    Ethan Sexton, aged 8, recently moved to Chinnor with his family from Cornwall, to be closer to his grandmother who lives in Thame.  Ethan attends St Andrews School, Chinnor, and was presented with his prize – Thame Players’ tickets and vouchers for Wally’s Toy Shop – by ‘Father Christmas’ on the stage at last Friday’s Dickensian Evening and Christmas lights switching on event.

    Ethan’s grandma, Hazel and dad, Rob, said the whole family is very proud of Ethan and that he persevered when he struggled to find the final two Top Hats. In fact, as the Mayor of Thame, Peter Lambert said, when he announced Ethan as the winner, he was the only person who entered, to find all the top hats!

  • Community Christmas in a box

    A THAME project is aiming to help those in our community who are going to find Christmas a real struggle, by asking shoppers to by an extra food item to contribute to a special Christmas box .

    John Hulett, a Trustee of the Sharing Life Trust which is leading the project, explained: “Whilst our Foodbank continues to provide emergency food parcels for those who really need them, we are aware that there are many in our community who have very limited funds and will be unable to afford the extras and treats that we all like to enjoy over the festive season.

    ” ‘The Community Christmas in a Box’ project will provide a set of special Christmas foods and treats for individuals, couples and families who probably wouldn’t be able to afford to buy them. We are very grateful to Waitrose, Sainsbury’s and Thame Service Station for their practical and financial support. Just over 80 individuals and families have been nominated by our partner agencies to receive a Christmas Box.”

    John has a table just inside the door of Sainsbury’s in the High Street today, where shoppers can chose from a variety of goods, listed on cards, which will help make someones’s Christmas special.

  • 10,000 members and still growing!

    FROM the owner laying many of the bricks herself because the builder went bust, to becoming a thriving, family-run fitness centre and World Record holding squash club, Racquets Fitness Centre in Thame has grown, and today signed up its 10,000th member.

    Daniel Lucas from Haddenham, signed up on line on Racquets’ website, and was surprised to learn that, as the 10,000th member he would be the centre of attention for a celebration and receive a bottle of champagne. When Dan turned up at the club for his induction with a member of the fitness staff, he met the club’s oldest member, 83 year-old Tom Gilmore, the lady who helped to lay the bricks the building in North Street is constructed with, Pam Preston (formerly Collins), and the club’s youngest member, Zane Finch aged 2, and his sister Taylor who is 4 years-old.

    Racquets’ Manager, Simon Martin, is obviously very proud of the club’s achievements over the years, having grown as a business through many recessions. His family merged with what was originally The Thame Squash Club in 1997. Simon explained the club’s ethos:

    “Racquets is, and always will be, a family place. It opened in 1975 as a squash club and over the years has been a home, a place to unwind, a social venue and now a fitness centre. We are delighted to welcome Dan Lucas as our 10,000th member to the club, which, by the way, still has member number one on its books!”

    Racquets has helped to mould many great athletes and squash ‘pros’ over the years. Will John grew up at the club and is now ranked 200th best squash player in the world. Nigel Pattison has accomplished many incredible charity fitness events and raised thousands of pounds for local charities. Simon Martin himself became the Racketball European champion and two members of the club, Guy Fotherby and Darren Withey, hold the current marathon Squash Singles, Guinness World Record of 31 hrs 35 minutes and 34 seconds.

    Recent new members include the Deputy Mayor of Thame, Jeannette Matelot Green, and 50% of the crew of Thame fire station trains at the club too, one of them now working at Racquets as a fitness instructor and the other as one of the club’s many top Thame personal trainers.

    Summing up, Simon said: “At Racquets we have over 25 classes running throughout the week which are all very popular; we have three training areas including the cardio/weights room and the Grit yard for functional training.

    “Racquets is a place for all the family and Christmas eve especially shows the club for what it is with young and old members and their families and friends, singing carols and generally enjoying the company of one another.

    “In 2014 Racquets will continue to grow; we’re having a face lift, improving the inside areas and purchasing new training equipment to help our members achieve fat loss, muscle building and rehabilitation goals.

    “10,000 members is a milestone for the club and as a family we thank current and past members for their support over the years and look forward to new and past members joining for the next chapter. 2014 promises to be a great year!