Category: Thame news

THAME Town councillors voted narrowly to recommend approval of new signage for a High Street Off Licence, after a heated exchange about the use of vinyl lettering.
Whittalls Wines, who have taken over the old Unwins shop at 94 High Street, Thame, want to re-paint their fascia above the door and place a timber projecting sign in place of the existing one, using vinyl letters.
Cllr Rob Parker, who used to run a retail business in the Buttermarket, Thame, said that he didn’t think the lettering would be offensive as long as the lettering used looked hand pained and used a suitable font. He said that sign-writing skills were no longer available for hand lettering, and that what the applicant was asking for was nothing more than is already common around the town.
Cllr David Dodds however was among those councillors who objected, and said that many unsuitable signs for a Conservation had ‘crept in’ and that he felt sure South Oxfordshire District Council would take account of the Lockwood Report on the town centre and would: “…reitterate this town’s policy for painted wooden signs.
The Planning committee voted 5 – 4 to recommend approval of the plans, with the proviso that Cllr Parker’s amendment about the suitability of the font chosen for the signage, was taken into consideration.

THAME fire officers have issued a warning about unattended bon fires and Barbecues, after a shed in Thame was destroyed by a fire which spread to an adjacent garage.
Fortunately fire officers were able to stop the fire from spreading to a car inside the garage.
Station Officer, Andy Ford, told ThameNews.Net: “People need to be extra careful at this time of the year when everything can dry out so quickly. Even dying embers from an unattended bon fire, or a BBQ can re-ignite and catch flammable objects close by.”
This incident was in Cotmore Crescent.

THE timings for this year’s Thame Festival Parade & Fete, this Saturday, June 16, are as follows:
Carnival starts at 12.30pm with a procession of walking and mobile displays from local organisations and businesses, starting at John Hampden school and parading down Thame High Street to Southern Road Recreation Ground where there will be a fete from around 1pm to 4.00pm. Here, throughout the afternoon, there wil be live music, a scouts bar-b-Q, refreshments, and a whole host of activities, many of which are absolutely free.

Look out for ThameNews.Net’s contribution to ‘1000 years of Oxfordshire’ around the town and in the Carnival, in the person of historic news broadcaster, Alan Myatt, World champion Town Crier.

For further information contact Julie Davies of Thame Festival Committee on 01844 213799. As part of the celebrations, this year the Thame Festival Committee and Thame Churches Together will be raising funds for Martin Gadd, a former student at Barley Hill and Lord Williams’s School who was paralysed from the waist down in a fall last year.

Photo: Alan Myatt, World champion Town Crier

A community-spirited benefactor is being urgently sought to help 21st Century Thame purchase a vacant town centre building.
The Partnership, in responding to an urgent need for a town centre, multi-purpose community facility aimed especially at young people, have identified a suitable building. However, because of huge interest in the property by commercial organisations, including a national coffee chain, and a July 4 dealine for bids, the town’s only hope is to find a local company or private benefactor willing to either donate or loan around

TWO planning applications for extensions and alterations to two of Thame’s hostelries, will be considered by Thame Town Council’s Planning committee this evening.
The plans relate to The Old Trout, which has been empty since January, and to Jimmy Figgs, where Prezzo PLC, who have two italian food restaurants in Aylesbury and many more around the country, are planning a single storey ground floor extensions and a single storey first floor infil exension.

A FUN DAY is to be held on Thame Market Day, Tuesday, August 21, organised by Thame’s market traders and supported by Thame Town Council.

Chris Hurdman, Secretary of the Thame Market Traders Coopereative, said: “Once a year the Market Traders like to give a little back to the local community by way of a thank you for their support throughout the year. This event has traditionally been held in the summer holidays to make it a fun day for our younger shoppers.
“This year we would like to invite local groups and charities to showcase their organisation on the market at no cost to themselves. Any groups or charities interested in promoting themselves in what is always a very busy day will be welcome. They may wish to raise funds or just let the public know all about what they do.
“If any of your readers would like to attend on this day would they please get in touch. I can be found on the market most Tuesdays (Dried Fruit Stall) or call me on: 07966 202494.

Photo: Flash back to Market Fun Day, 2005.

POLICE are hunting for a prisoner who absconded from Springhill Open Prison on Sunday morning (3/6).
Lee Pullen, aged 24, was reported missing from the prison by prison staff, and police are currently carrying out investigations to locate him.

Pullen is originally from Oxford and he has friends and family in the city. It is believed he may make his way back there.
He was originally sentenced to four years in prison for burglary.

Pullen is not believed to be a threat to members of the public but nevertheless officers advise people not to approach him but call the police on 999 if they believe they see him.

Pullen is white, 5ft 4ins and slim. He has green eyes and straight, cropped, ginger hair.

Anyone with information on his whereabouts should call Thames Valley Police on 0845 8 505 505 or call Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.

PLAN to move Thame?s cattle market from North Street to the Thame Show Ground, has been recommended for approval by Thame Town Council ? with certain conditions attached.
At a special meeting of the council?s Planning committee last night (05/07) to consider the application, Brian Lloyd of Thame Farmers Mart Auction Ltd was the first to address the committee. He said: ?We have increased in profitability and sustainability over the last few years and now outgrowing the current site. Most other similar markets these days are under cover and we believe that because of the direction animal welfare and security regulations are moving, it may not be long before all animals will be required to be sold under cover (Ed. At present, European rules state that ewes, pigs, lambs and calves under six months, must be sold under cover).
?Our plans are acceptable to DEFRA and we want to continue our 40 year-long association with the Thame Show so that it can continue to be the show in the south east.
?Seven years ago, he said, in nine days, 372 farmers provided

THAMES Valley Police and partner organisations are to join forces to tackle criminal damage across South Oxfordshire. A three month operation starting today aims to reduce vandalism and target those responsible.
Thame’s Crime Prevention Officer, Lesley Nesbitt, told ThameNews today: “July, August and September traditionally see a rise in the incidents of reported criminal damage. To try and reduce these incidents, the police in Thame are launching Operation Mend an initiative to reduce criminal damage and increase the amount of intelligence available to catch the offenders. Criminal damage is often an opportunist crime and the offenders are difficult to trace.”
“The Police Community Support Officers will be targeting the priority locations in Thame. They will be going into the local primary schools over the next three weeks to talk about criminal damage and the effect it has on individuals, the consequences of causing damage which is a criminal offence.”

Posters will be displayed in prominent locations and there will be a delivery of flyers across the Thame police sector encouraging people to report incidents they see happening, or information they have to crimestoppers on 0800 555 111. By doing this they can remain anonymous but know that the information about the crime or the offender will get to the police.

Lesley continued: “We are asking everyone to help reduce criminal damage by reporting information that they may have to Crime Stoppers on 0800555111 or they can call Thames Valley Police on 08458 505 505. If anyone see someone causing damage or knows information about someone who has caused damage and does nothing about it, they are allowing the minority of individuals who cause damage to get away with it. Report your information and reduce the opportunity of you or a family member becoming the next victim of mindless criminal damage.”

Damage to vehicles and buildings accounts for the bulk of all reported crime in South Oxfordshire and affects the quality of life of many people. Typical examples are key scraping of paintwork and damaging wing mirrors of cars, damaging fencing, smashing windows and graffiti. Such damage can impact on a community and make people feel unsafe.

The South Oxfordshire Community Safety Partnership is getting organisations to work together in innovative ways to tackle these problems. Roger Cowdrey, Chair of the Partnership said: “While South Oxfordshire is a safe place to live, there is more that we can do to address damage and antisocial behaviour.
“We know that alcohol abuse is often involved in these incidents which is why the Community Safety Partnership has made it one of its top priorities.”

The police, South Oxfordshire District Council and the County Council are just some of the partners working to tackle alcohol issues. They are working to prevent the sale of alcohol to under 18s by carrying out test purchasing and prosecuting licensees who serve those under 18. The Partnership is also working to support young people. It has given a grant of

The A41/A329 at the Thame, Oxford Roundabout, was closed for several hours this afternoon, while a massive clean-up operation was carried out, after a truck carrying pallets of compressed paper overturned.
The driver of the truck, belonging to a Gloucestershire company, was taken to hospital but his injuries are not thought to be life-threatening.
The clean-up was carried out by a team of experts from Kardos Recovery, Rycote Lane, Thame.