Category: Thame news

THE secret’s out at last! A Thame restaurant is to become the testing ground for the couple that have won the BBC2 programme, ‘The Restaurant’ earlier this evening.
A Royal Marine Corps cook and a trainee teacher from Barnstaple in North Devon have beaten eight other couples to win first place and a once-in-a-lifetime to run their own restaurant with the guidance and financial backing of the world-class restaurateur, Raymond Blanc.

Jane and Jeremy Hooper convinced Raymond and his panel of ?inspectors? ? restaurateurs and industry experts including co-founder of Peach Pubs, Lee Cash ? that they have the passion, determination and skills needed to run a successful restaurant business, despite their lack of commercial experience.

To do it, the couple took part in a demanding series of challenges over an eight week period, putting their culinary, creative and business skills to the test. They were given their own real-life restaurant, ?Eight in the Country?(Actually The Yew Tree, in Frieth), where each week they carried out the tasks set for them by Raymond Blanc and where their performance was watched by his team of inspectors.

To help him make this week’s ultimate decision, Raymond asked the finalists to take their restaurants to his home town of Besancon in France – the place where he grew up and started his own career.
The two couples had less than 48 hours to reopen their own restaurant there for one night, and introduce the French to their British cuisine.

?We deliberately set out to put the couples through the kind of challenges they would face on a daily basis if they were running their own restaurant businesses,? said Raymond. ?We tested them on everything, from creating the right menu for their restaurant, to making their brand really come to life and being a financial success; from only using the best seasonal and local ingredients in their cooking, and of course serving food of a fantastic quality, and finally the most difficult things, motivating their staff and really delighting their guests.
?Although we were impressed with so many of the couples who took part, it was Jeremy and Jane?s conviction which came over the strongest,? he said. ?I really believe they want this in the depths of their hearts, and that they are committed to learning and making it a great success.
?I also felt they were passionate about their vision and what it meant to them to win ? this is really a life decision for them and I am sure they are going to give it their all.?

By winning the competition, Jane and Jeremy get the opportunity to set up and run their own restaurant in partnership with Raymond Blanc and supported in running the business by Raymond and Peach Pubs. They will manage the restaurant with Raymond?s help and guidance, and be trained by him in all aspects of food, cooking and service.

?We?re absolutely over the moon to have won ?The Restaurant?,? said Jane. ?We know we?ve been given the opportunity of a life-time. We?re honoured and privileged to be working with Raymond and with Peach. The last few weeks have been an amazing learning curve for us and we know it?s going to be tough, but running our own restaurant is what we?ve always dreamed of ? we just never imagined our dreams would come true so quickly or that we?d have such an amazing mentor.
?We worked very hard and took the competition very seriously, and to win is an amazing achievement for us. We know we?ve got a lot to learn and that many people think I?m too emotional, but I intend to use that as a strength to show how much it means to me.?

?Winning gives us the opportunity to start a new life together,? added Jeremy. ?It means I can leave the Marines and spend more time with Jane on something we are both absolutely passionate about. It is going to be very hard work, but we?ve got a great teacher and are ready for our next challenge. We intend to focus and be 100% driven on making our partnership with Raymond a success.?

Work is already underway on Jane and Jeremy?s new restaurant – formerly The Old Trout Inn, in Thame, now to be call ‘The Thatch’.
The restaurant will be officially open for business in November.

Photo: Jane and Jeremy Hooper (Courtesy of the BBC)
Right: The Old Trout as it was before the current refurbishment.

AN invitation to a meeting vital for the future of the Thame Festival and Carnival has gone out to the people of Thame.
Last year’s festival was a huge success, raising

EMERGENCY planners from Oxfordshire County Council are preparing for any ‘flu pandemic that might hit Britain, by holding a special event tomorrow, October 17.
OCC say: “All local agencies have been working on emergency plans for at least two years – and these feed into national plans. “
Exercise ‘Weeping Willow’ will be held at the Millennium Hall in Horton Cum Studley. Those present will carefully study local plans for delivery of medical supplies, staffing of their organisations, the attack rate of ‘flu, dealing with any fatalities, protocols for command structures and the effect of school closures.

John Kelly, Oxfordshire County Council’s Emergency Planning Officer, said: “This exercise should not cause any alarm. We are not expecting an immediate pandemic. This is just normal, good emergency planning.
“We feel we have to add a local dimension to the national exercise that was held earlier this year. The exercise on October 17 will give us all an opportunity to confirm our multi-agency plans.”

FIRE CREWS from Thame worked in shifts for over 24 hours over the weekend, to finally put out a large fire on the pig farm opposite Thame Leisure Centre over the weekend.
The emergency services were called to the incident just after midnight on Saturday night (13/10), which is believed to have been started deliberately.
Over 20,000 tonnes of straw, meant destined to provide bedding for the field of pigs over the winter, are believed to have been destroyed.
The operation involved moving pigs away from the scene and using electric fences to keep them safe while firecrews fought the blaze. Long after the initial fire was brought under control, the officers had to remain at the scene to continually dampen down the smouldering hay that remained and put out smaller fires that continually errupted.
The Oxford Road remained closed to traffic until the straw had been thoroughly raked through and the fire fully extinguished.
Thame Station Officer, Andy Ford, said: “This was a very time-consuming and costly operation. The police are conducting an on-going investigation into the ignition of the fire.”

AROUND 100 people passed through the doors of Thame Museum on Saturday, to take part in a joyous day of drawing, all part of the now annual, national ‘Big Draw’.
One delighted member of the Thame-based Sparks Artists’ group, who raised the sponsorship for and organised the event with Thame Museum, was Christine Tacq.
She said:” After initially failing to get sponsorship from Oxford Inspires, we managed to get a late grant from Awards For All, to help pay for materials and administration.
“We ‘pulled out all the stops’ because we wanted to put Thame Museum on the map with other museums taking part in the event.
“The fact that we had so many people of all ages here, and received such positive comments from them, just proves what a need there is in Thame for a more permanent Arts facility. Although there are some ‘messy fun’ types of art provision for toddlers and one at the Leisure Centre for over sevens, there is nothing in between.
” ‘Drawn In’ was a wonderful day and we are looking forward to The Drawing Exchange’ on October 28, when everyone who took part can swap their drawing for someone else’s. There is still room for more drawings if anyone else would like to make one, and put it in the box provided if they cannot find a gap on the display.”

Some comments from participants in Thame’s Big Draw event:

“The event made us as a family focus together on the museum.”

“As my daughter was drawing, I could enjoy the museum”

“I should have come earlier – excellent!”

“I liked it because there wasn’t any shouting” (6 year-old).

“Very stimulating – made me look carefully.”

“All the children enjoyed drawing and I think they felt a little bit more involved with the museum.”

“I discovered some things about Thame’s history that I didn’t know before visiting the museum.”

“For me it was a peaceful and self-indulgent use of an afternoon.”

DETAILED plans of the proposed new community sports complex at Church Farm for the Thame Football Partnership (TFP) will be available for viewing at Thame Town Hall from 15th ? 19th October.
Thame Football Partnership has been formed by the amalgamation of Thame United FC and Thame Boys,Youth & Girls FC.

Tim Green,Chairman of Thame Boys and Girls commented: ?by 2009 this facility could at last provide a perfect base for the 350 boys and girls within the club and the aim is to create a wider community offering to other clubs and organisations in the area to utilise the complex.
“It?s so difficult to find a facility at present in Thame that can accommodate local organisations or groups for their weekly/monthly meetings or cater for functions/parties for up to 250 people?.

The new proposed facility would be on the 20-acre Church Farm site on the northern edge of Thame. The main complex comprises a clubhouse with community facilities/function rooms, changing rooms, offices, corporate board room for match day hospitality, a large function facility for up to 250 people and community changing rooms.
Extra facilities could include an external marquee to create additional function room space thereby facilitating wider community use of the facilities. As well as a main floodlit football pitch, the plans would also incorporate a 40m x 30m 3G floodlit artificial pitch (AGP), three additional full-size grass pitches and four small size pitches.

TFP has been involved in detailed research and consultation, including with Thame Town Council, and will be liaising with locally based sporting clubs and community groups to identify areas and opportunities for use of the proposed community facility.

The club have appointed Sports Solutions GB to manage the project and a planning application for the site is due to be submitted in the next few weeks and, after two previous rounds of public consultation, further comments on the detailed plans would be welcomed. These will be available for inspection and comment during normal office hours at the Town Hall.

Full details and any other information about Thame Football Partnership and the proposed scheme is available at: http://www.thamefootball.co.uk/mapdetail.html

AN ambulance was also called to the A329 Rycote Lane in Thame at around 9.30pm last night, near the junction with the A418.
A 25-year-old woman was treated for minor injuries at the scene.

A MAN who used to live in Thame has been given permission by a judge to have his wife’s remains dug up and re-buried in St Mary’s church yard.
Read the full story in The Sun LINK

REMINDER – A free event at Thame Museum for everyone to take part TOMORROW – 10am-3pm, called “Looking at the Ceiling.”
Tomorrow’s event is part of a nationall, month-long series of events, over-seen by the Campaign for Drawing, and is inspired by Thame Museum’s magnificent Tudor Wall Painting.
Also, “Market Town”, looking at the Market Town exhibits in the museum cabinets.
ALSO, From 10am -11am there will be a costume life model for drawing accompaned with soothing lute music!

These activities are for all ages (under 11s accompanied) at Thame Museum, 79 Lower High Street, Thame OX9 3AE. Tel: 01844 212801 for further information.

THAME POLICE are seeking information following a chain of criminal damage to cars in East Street, last weekend.
Between 11pm on Friday (5/10) and 4am on Saturday (6/10), several cars in East Street in Thame had their wing mirrors broken.
PC Dominique Roffey, based at Thame police station, said: ?This is a re-occurring problem in the area and I am keen to find the vandals. This type of criminal damage is a problem and causes inconvenience to the local residents. I would like to encourage anyone who may have witnessed this happening or have any information to help the police with their enquiries to get in touch.?

Anyone with information is asked to contact PC Roffey at Thame police station via 0845 8 505 505, or if you don?t want to talk to the police or give your name, call the Crimestoppers charity on 0800 555 111.