COMEDY night at the Thame Players theatre on Friday, April 5, will feature George Egg the DIY Chef and there’s a special offer for Thame Food Festival newsletter subscribers!
Headline act for the night, George Egg – Anarchist Cook – will be presenting his sell-out Edinburgh show ‘DIY Chef’ – a totally unique combination of stand-up comedy with real food, cooked live on stage using power tools, and then the audience eats it at the end! Here’s a video trailer: https://youtu.be/AJobIxdi68w
Jay Rayner, Food Critic of The Observer, described the show as “Brilliantly funny” and The Independent said: “The wonderfully talented George Egg is genuinely unique.” As well as the comedy, there’ll be doing a spot of fundraising for Comic Relief.
Tickets are normally priced at £12 and available from 01844 217228 or www.thameplayers.co.uk. However if you use the code ‘APRIL’ at checkout on the web site you’ll get tickets for only £10!
Double the fun!
Also appearing on this comedy double-bill, will be Tom Neenan: ‘It’s Always Infinity’. Tom’s fourth sell-out Edinburgh show fuses slick presentation with an engaging story and plenty of solid laughs!
THAMES Valley Police have warned that residents in the Chinnor area may see an increased police presence after a burglary was attempted on 01/03/19 in Greenwood Avenue.
The neighbourhood team have conducted house-to-house enquiries and a CCTV trawl, and officers continue to look for any lines of enquiry. Anyone with any information regarding this incident, including CCTV footage, is asked to call 101 quoting reference 513 01/03/19.
To help prevent YOUR property being burgled, it is suggested that you follow the simple steps below:
Home security advice
*Lock all front and rear doors and windows at night and when you are out. * Keep all valuables and keys, including car keys, out of sight and out of reach of windows and letterboxes. *Double check your vehicle is locked too. *Ensure side gates are locked to prevent access to the rear of your property. *Move bins away from side walls and fences. * Keep ladders and tools stored away. Don’t leave them outside where they could be used to break into your home
Are you going on holiday?
*Please do not advertise that you are going away on social media – wait until you get home to upload your holiday snaps! * Check that your home insurance policy, as some may pay out less or not at all, if you have posted that you are away on social media. * Use a timer switch to make your house look occupied, even when it isn’t. *Ask someone you trust to keep an eye on your house while you are away. Don’t leave spare keys in obvious places such as under doormats and plant pots.
BBOWT, Berks, Bucks & Oxon Wildlife Trust, has received notice from High Speed 2 (HS2) that they intend to carry out clearance works at one of the Trust’s nature reserves, Calvert Jubilee.
Turtle Dove – Image Courtesy of Dawn Monrose
Telsha Arora, BBOWT’s Media and Campaigns Manager, said: “The clearance would involve a huge area of approximately 200 hectares. We have met with representatives of HS2 to make it clear that the scale and timing of the works will have a devastating effect on wildlife, particularly as it is the start of nesting season. We have also sent a formal letter to HS2 requesting more specific details of the areas to be cleared, how this clearance will take place and the mitigation that will be put in place to compensate for any damage to wildlife.
‘Unnecessary and unwarranted destruction..’
“We believe that the works will cause unnecessary and unwarranted destruction of important breeding and feeding habitats for a range of species. We therefore strongly object to the proposals as they stand.”
BBOWT’s Head of Planning, Policy and Advocacy, Matthew Stanton, said: “We are currently engaging with HS2 in what we hope will be constructive discussions that accommodate both parties’ interests. What we can be certain of is, that BBOWT will not be facilitating any works that may be harmful to wildlife.”
‘We will refuse access…’
Matthew Stanton continued: “If we do not consider that the mitigation proposed by HS2 is adequate we will, to the extent relevant legislation allows us to, refuse access to BBOWT’s land until HS2 produce a scheme of works and mitigation that addresses our concerns and respects the needs of wildlife.”
Questions in parliament
In response to a question in Parliament recently from Cheryl Gillam MP for Amersham and Chesham, Nusrat Ghani, Parliamentary Under-Secretary at the Department for Transport responded: “”HS2 Ltd and their contractors will comply with all relevant legislation, HS2Environmental Minimum Requirements, as well as any applicable Protected Species Licences when dealing with ecology within HS2 limits. The following protection measures are in place for vegetation clearance activities:
“For all birds during nesting season, a “Permit to Clear” system will apply. A suitably qualified ecologist will assess existing survey data and then verify this with surveys of the site in advance of the vegetation clearance taking place. Once the area has been confirmed to be free of nesting birds, then clearance can commence.
“For other wildlife at the Calvert Jubilee Local Nature Reserve, the “Permit to Clear” system is applicable. However, should the area be known to contain Protected Species, such as Great Crested Newt and Badgers, then the HS2 Ltd contractors will work in accordance with the HS2 Ltd organisational licences for these species.
“Where surveys identify other Protected Species present, then contractors would undertake works in accordance with their legal protection and, where necessary, apply for mitigation licences from Natural England. Mitigation measures will be carried out under the supervision of suitably qualified ecologists where necessary.”
For the latest updates, visit Calvert Jubilee’s web page and read more about HS2, the impacts on wildlife along the route through Buckinghamshire and Oxfordshire, and what BBOWT is doing to protect wildlife HERE.
THE young people of Thame and the surrounding area have, yet again, stepped up to the challenge to offer visitors to Music in the Park a packed programme of talent.
Anoushka Bhattacharya
Music in the Park is committed to providing a platform for young talent in the area and more youngsters than ever will be performing at this year’s event.
The time set aside for the Youth Programme, which takes place on the Acoustic Stage, has been extended this year. The first session starts at 11.40 and runs through to 13:00 and features a guitar ensemble as well as a range of solo performers. Then at 15:00, ‘Youth Rocks’, a rock band made up of 10 and 11 year-olds olds will perform Sweet Child Of Mine. This will be followed by more soloists, including Isaac Forward, aged 10, who is currently starring on stage at The Playhouse Theatre, London.
Local guitar, ukulele and drum teacher John Reid-Hansen, who is coordinating the programme, said: “These children, aged 10 to 16, aren’t just our future, they are already an integral part of our current music scene and are having a tremendous impact on live music in Thame. So do come along and check out the youth of Thame on the Acoustic Stage.”
USA 2018, 100 minutes, 15 certificate Directed by Bjorn Runge, starring Glenn Close, Jonathan Pryce, Christian Slater, Max Irons
IN her acceptance speech for her Best Actress Oscar last weekend, Olivia Colman expressed regret that she was in competition against Glenn Close, one of her screen idols, who was up for her seventh Best Actress nomination for her role in The Wife. And it is one of the most exceptional performances of Close’s long and exceptional career.
In the film, she plays Joan Castleman, wife of celebrated man of letters, Joseph (Pryce). As the film opens, we learn that Joseph has been awarded the Nobel Prize for literature. The couple travel to Stockholm for the award ceremony, but what should be a celebration is instead a crisis point for Joan: Joseph is vain, preening, needy, repeatedly rejoicing to others that he couldn’t have done it without her; that fortunately for him she has no interest in writing.
He flagrantly chases after younger women (infidelity is evidently a recurring feature of the marriage) and tortures their beloved son, Max, (Irons) with faint praise for his own writing efforts. And yet Joan is perennially and stoicly on hand, ensuring that he has taken his pills, that he has eaten, that everything is in its place. But she is also evidently suppressing considerable rage and frustration. As events unfold, Joan is forced to reappraise her life and her marriage, her own thwarted literary ambitions, and the legacies of her decades-long selfless dedication to her husband’s work and career – a process perhaps catalysed by the insistent enquiries of Slater’s Nathaniel, a creepy journo and wannabe biographer of Joseph, who has joined the Nobel bandwagon.
The story moves between past and present, going back to their meeting at college in the 1950s, when Joan was also a conspicuously gifted aspiring writer. Close is outstanding as a complex and dignified woman grappling with long suppressed emotions, with regret and anguish, with love and loathing. Pryce, too, is reliably excellent as the insufferable narcissist Joseph. View the trailer HERE.
THAME United saw early drama at Creasey Park, Dunstable, on Saturday (March 02), when ten minutes before kick off, the Thame visitors had to make a late change to the starting line up due to injury to top scorer, West.
He was replaced by midfielder Peake-Pijnen, playing on his 21st birthday, and Thame’s Fasanmade made the late move to play up front. AFC Dunstable elected to play the first half with the wind which was to have an impact on both teams’ play.
The first five minutes was tentative from both sides until the first chance of the game fell to Dunstable when a move down the left wing resulted in a shot from distance going wide of the post. Thame made a tactical change and were attempting to hit balls to the flanks and started to have more possession of the ball via Tack and Peake-Pijnen, and forward Fasanmade.
In return AFC Dunstable were trying to find Christie playing up the top to the left. But Dunstable were found offside multiple times in the first 15 minutes. Their direct play towards Christie and behind the defence did actually work in the first half, making it a difficult for Mepham, Essex and Jewell. One of the best passages of play in the first half came when Thame threatened from their left wing, when an attacking run by Fasanmade led to him cutting inside the defender and drilling a shot inches past the post – much to Green’s relief.
Thame appeared to be more organised, keeping their formation and pressing as a team. Then, against the run of play, no challenge on the midfielder led to a through ball to Hall who was able to slot the ball past Hill to make it 1-0 to Dunstable. The home side continued the pressure for the next five minutes with successive corners, one of which created a half chance for a goal, when Ajayi in the box narrowly headed wide. Thame had to wait some time until another opportunity. Then, a well struck half volley by Peake-Pijnen hit Green’s legs for a corner.
The half ended in controversy whereby a foul on Goss, which appeared dangerous, was deemed only a yellow card by the referee and resulted in seven minutes of injury time. This led to verbal exchanges between both sides following the half time whistle.
Second half
Thame responded with a positive start to the second half, playing the ball on the ground rather than in the air. The first chance of the half led to an unmarked Tack shooting over the bar. Thame continued the positive spell by another amazing run by Fasanmade down the right wing, crossed towards a running Tack inside the box who appeared by taken out by the defender. But no penalty was awarded – much to Thame’s displeasure.
Dunstable slowly made it into the second half and in the 60th minute a diagonal ball behind the defender found Christie unmarked who scuffed the shot. But the placement was there for the ball still to find the net to give Dunstable a 2-0 lead at home. In the 65th minute a foul outside the box led to a free kick which was fired in, and Thame’s sturgess lept up attempting to head the ball away, but instead headed the ball into the top corner of the net to seal the victory for Dunstable. Thame were still searching for a goal attempting crosses into the box from both flanks. But often these were easily picked up by the Dunstable defence.
The final scoreline flattered Dunstable but it was a case of taking the key chances when they came. Dunstable did however play well to the conditions, and the tactic of getting the ball to Christie when possible paid off. This may not have been a pleasing game of football to watch for a neutral because of all the stoppages in play but it certainly wasn’t without drama.
Following three points on Saturday, AFC Dunstable have climbed the table up to 10th place and just four points behind the playoff hunt. Despite the defeat on the road, Thame have remained in fifth place due to Berkhamstead losing at home to Bedford Town.
*** NEXT GAME ***
Thame United v Corby Town
Saturday 9/3/19
15:00
ASM Stadium, Thame
FOLLOWING a recent report that Thame Town Council has approved a ‘Design Brief’ for a proposed development on the Lord Williams’s Lower School site (see LINK), a Town Councillor has clarifed what exactly the town council voted for and some background to the decision.
Image courtesy of Lord Williams’s school, Thame
Changes to design
Cllr Bob Austin explained: “At the full council meeting on Tuesday, February 26, Thame Town Council was asked to ‘consider’ the Design Brief prepared by LANPRO on behalf of Lord Williams’s School (LWS). It should be acknowledged that, in response to the public consultation, design changes had been made most notably:
“Housing on the playing field moved to the western side next to Meadowcroft. Withdrawal of the proposal of vehicular access via Chiltern Grove. Pedestrian access proposal still remains subject to Bowls/Tennis Club approval. Increased separation of existing properties to new developments.
“At the meeting, Thame Town Council was asked to decide on one of three options: a) The design brief for the construction of 135 dwellings is approved. b) As discussed in Lanpro’s letter, that accompanied the design brief document, to allow consideration for the potential number of dwellings on site to be raised, above 135; c) To reject the design brief, in not conforming to TNP Policy HA5.
The recommendation of the TTC Officer was that: ” ‘Given the incompatibility of b) and c) with core TNP (Thame Neighbourhood Plan) policies, it is recommended that Thame Town Council, follows option a) and considers approving the design brief as illustrated in the submitted document’.
“Thame Town Council approved the Officer’s recommendation.”
Housing numbers will be decided by SODC
“HOWEVER,” reitterated Cllr Austin, “the approval itself does not relate to a planning application. The planning authority SODC will decide on any planning application that comes forward and it is clear that the eventual application may include increases in numbers as proposed in Lanpro’s letter but rejected by TTC.
Cost of amalgamating the two schools remain unknown
“It was stated at the council meeting that LWS is totally dependent on the monies raised from the sale of the Lower School site to finance the amalgamation, yet there is no visibility currently of either the cost of amalgamation or the viability of any current development proposal to finance it. (Ed. This shortfall was recognised back in May 2016 – see LINK )
“In summary, TTC elected to keep as close as possible to the current Thame Neighbourhood Plan.
A DESIGN brief for the development of the Lord Williams’s Lower school site, as presented by the school’s Headteacher and a planning consultant, has been approved by Thame Town Council.
Concept masterplan after public consultation
A larger, single site Lord Williams’s School, planned for the Oxford Road (upper school) site, will, the school believes….’ enable better educational outcomes and will remove the need for teachers to commute between sites. Teachers will have their own classrooms, there will be daily contact between pupils and tutors, increased learning time with a broader more creative curriculum and older students will be able to work with younger students’.
The plan was for the funds generated through the sale of the Lower School Site to be used to fund the relocation of the Lower School to the Upper School Site at Oxford Road, but it now appears there may be a shortfall in funds to realise the development of the single site school at Oxford Road.
The design as presented shows 135 dwellings, the retention of the existing Sports hall, and the demolition of the Phoenix Drama Studio. There are also public green spaces shown on in the plan. However, according to Alex Bond of the consultants Lampro, delivering the statutory 40% of affordable houses, would make the scheme ‘non-viable’ and that it could only be viable by increasing the number of dwellings and building them to a higher density than allowed for in the Thame Neighbourhood Plan.
Mr Bond told councillors that the majority of people who responded to a recent public consultation on the scheme expressed a preference for less affordable homes as apposed to more houses. Cllr Linda Emery expressed concern that the council was being asked to accept a reduction in the number of affordable housing. Mr Bond responded that it was difficult to be certain about the viability question while no costed scheme for the single school site at Upper School in Oxford Road, Thame, was yet available to way against the cost of the lower school scheme.
Mr Wybron pointed out that if the community did not get behind the scheme, because ‘the clock is ticking’ towards 2021 when planning needs to be secured, the scheme might not happen (The time limit on the lower school housing allocation site (HA5) is set in the Neighbourhood Plan and if it doesn’t happen by 2021, the site will have to be relocated in the revised Thame Neighbourhood Plan currently being formulated).
You can view the Design Brief document by downloading it from item 6B HERE
TOWERSEY Festival has announced that Steve Heap and Lioux Heap are to retire after the 2019 festival.
Steve first attended Towersey in 1966 (the second festival) as a performer, before going on to be a MC, PA engineer, steward’s coordinator, campsite manager, publicity and marketing assistant, and just about every other job involved in running a successful greenfield site festival.
In 1975, the year after co-founder Denis Manners retired, Steve became the director of Towersey, leading the festival through a period of unprecedented growth as the event grew from attracting 1,000 visitors to 8,000, firmly establishing it as one of the largest and most successful annual events in the area, as well as major event in the UK’s festival calendar.
With 23 years as part of the Towersey team, Lioux initially joined the festival in 1996 as the Office Manager. She later covered several other roles including Box Office Manager, Artists’ Liaison, and Accreditation Manager. In 2016, Lioux created and produced the All About Children strand to great acclaim.
Their decision to step down follows several year’s internal preparation, which includes Joe Heap (Steve’s son) stepping into the role of Director.
Actively involved in the festival for over a decade, Joe has been officially helming Towersey since 2013 alongside Steve and Lioux. Leading a strong and dedicated team, he’s overseen both the hugely successful 50th anniversary celebrations as well as a site move.
Joe said: “During Steve’s 45 years with Towersey the festival has grown tenfold and launched numerous careers. His commitment and dedication to Towersey, as well as his skill and knowledge, has driven huge changes and helped establish Towersey as a 21st century festival with exceptionally strong roots.
“On a personal note, he’s been my mentor and taught me so much about live events and the music industry as a whole.
“Lioux too has had an indelible role within the festival, particularly in shaping the administration structure and Box Office service, but more recently with our family-focused activities.
“I’d like to extend my, heartfelt thanks for all their years of work – often above and beyond the call of duty, and always with the love of Towersey at the centre of everything they do. They’ll be hugely missed, but will always be part of Towersey and its history.”
Eestablished in 1965, Towersey is one of the UK’s longest running independent music festivals. Boasting nine venues, alongside an extensive music programme the festival also features over 30 hours of ceilidh, daily workshops, well-stocked bars, street food, spoken word, film screenings, roaming performers, an acclaimed programme of activities for children and younger festival-goers, and more.
The next festival runs from Friday, August 23 to Monday, August 26, 2019, and features performances by The Selecter, Hothouse Flowers, The Unthanks, Steve Harley and Cockney Rebel, Fisherman’s Friends, Oysterband and a tribute to singer and activist Roy Bailey.
For further information about the festival, its rich heritage, and the latest edition, see: www.towerseyfestival.com
THAME United put their recent run of six games without a win to bed on Saturday (23/02) with a resounding win over Dunstable Town at the ASM Stadium.
In truth the scoreline could have been much greater had the hosts taken their chances, but the three points were enough to lift the Oxfordshire side back into the play-off places in the Southern Football League Division One Central table. Because Berkhamsted lost, United were able to take their fifth place spot. With just eleven league games remaining, the battle for those play-offs is incredibly tight as just eight points separate eighth place Coleshill and fourth placed Didcot.
In Saturday’s game, Thame got off to the perfect start when centre-half Aaron Jewell nodded his side ahead after just three minutes and from there the home side never really looked in any danger of not taking the points. Three up by half-time saw the game done and dusted and the second half was never going to match the determination of the first. However, two further goals in the final quarter of an hour put the finishing touches to an excellent performance from Mark West’s squad.
Thame took the lead when a free kick from their right was curled in by Lynton Goss and ready to execute the perfect header in the middle was Jewell who nodded the ball past Town keeper, Connor Coulson. A couple of early corners for the visitors were dealt with comfortably and from one a goal kick from United custodian Craig Hill, sent Dan West away down the middle of the pitch, and evading a challenge, he fired straight at Coulson and the chance was gone. But on eighteen minutes they were given the opportunity to double their lead when a Goss run into the penalty area saw him brought down and a penalty awarded.
Captain Ben Sturgess assumed responsibility and duly sent Coulson the wrong way to drill low into the bottom corner, and from there Dunstable seemed to concede as heads dropped. They were offered a lifeline back into the game when a cross from their right wasn’t cleared by the home defence and pouncing on the loose ball, Saul Williams on the half volley fired high over the bar. Dunstable’s afternoon of misery was compounded on twenty-three minutes when they were forced into an early substitution as Joshua Bailey was replaced by John Sonuga. Liam Tack was released down the United right in behind the Town backline in acres of space, as he tried to pick out team mates in the box. A superb sliding block from Daniel Trif saw him trap with his leg and recover quickly enough to get back on his feet and clear.
Goss continued to make a nuisance of himself up front for the hosts. A ball over the top for him to chase saw him shoulder to shoulder with Sonuga who ended up bringing the striker down, earning himself a yellow card for his troubles. Just past the half hour mark, Goss again got down the right wing into the corner where he cut back inside his marker and a clever reverse pass set in Matt Peake-Pijnen who fired across the six-yard box; Coulson got his hands close enough to stun it dead allowing Sonuga to clear downfield. With three minutes of the half remaining, Thame made it three when Tack slid in to get his foot to a cross which wrong footed Coulson as it rolled slowly into the bottom corner. H/T: 3-0
Second half
The second half took a while to get going as was only to be expected, as Dunstable huffed and puffed but never really troubled the home defence. It took until the fifty-eighth minute for a worthwhile effort on goal when a Thame free kick was headed over by Jamie Essex at the back stick, whilst at the opposite end, a corner played short to Marcus Goldbourne on the corner of the eighteen yard box allowed him to shoot but way wide of the intended target. The visitors were then almost the architects of their own downfall when an attempted header back to his keeper from Sonuga was far too short, allowing Peake-Pijnen to nip in and get his head to it first, nodding over the stranded Coulson but wide of the empty goal.
Another intrusive run from Goss down their right saw him play the ball across the eighteen yard box, where there were three or four close range shots that the away defence did well to get in front of each time. Hill was equally as good with a save at the other end when Williams went for goal from close range. A corner to the hosts curled in by Peake-Pijnen was met at the front of the box by a glancing header from West that flew across the goal face but wide of the back post. This was closely followed by a poor clearance from the Town defence that went straight to Peake-Pijnen giving him the opportunity to cut infield before powering a dipping drive over the top. Then on seventy-seven minutes, Thame finally got their fourth.
A corner from their left curled in by Tack, saw Jewell climb highest to thump his header past Coulson for his second of the afternoon, and from there it was all about game management for the home side. A plethora of substitutions from both sides interrupted play but eventually a late corner was half cleared by the Dunstable defence but only as far as substitute Jack Tutton who tried to place inside the far top corner. But there was never enough bend on the shot to threaten, but in added time Thame got their fifth when their guests surrendered position high up the pitch allowing Andy Gledhill to explore the left wing. Losing his marker he then put the inch-perfect delivery to the back of the six yard box where West headed back across Coulson into the far corner. F/T: 5-0
