Category: Thame news

THREE women from the Thame area joined thousands of other people on Saturday to raise the profile of climate change during the critical UN talks in
Montreal, Canada.
The Rally and march, which began at Lincoln’s Inn Fields in London, co-incided with demonstrations in 32
countries worldwide and was organised by the Campaign against Climate Change and by many of the UK’s leading social, environmental and political groups, including Friends of the Earth. It went past Downing
Street where a letter was handed in, demanding that the British government reaffirms its commitment to an international climate treaty with legally binding targets on emission reductions.
Maureen Dyroff, from Chinnor, said: “The event exceeded my expectations. This was the biggest show of concern for the environment in this country for a very long time. The rain showers didn’t dampen our spirits as we arrived at the American Embassy and listened to the speaches, the message of which was loud and clear – that there has to be legislation to control these emissions to save the environment.”
“It was made clear that nuclear power is not the answer; its production is not carbon free and is uneconomic; it would just be a quick fix that could produce big problems in the future.”

Lord Williams’s pupil, Maddie Fry, who joined the march with her mother, Cecilia Fry and Maureen Dyroff from Chinnor, told ThameNews.Net: “The atmosphere at the march was great. There was an enormous mix of people; although there was the usual crowd of Socialists, Marxists and anarchists, there were also mothers and fathers with small children, students, OAPs, and people from all over Britain. There was no trouble, and the police presence was not very big. Overall, the atmosphere was light-hearted and peaceful.”

Friends of the Earth’s Climate Campaigner, Nick Rau, who spoke at the event, said: “If the UK is serious about leadership on climate change, then our Government needs to take action at home. It isn’t too
late – if the UK cuts its carbon dioxide emissions every year, starting now, we really can achieve the big reductions needed in the long term. That’s why The Big Ask, Friends of the Earth’s climate change campaign,is calling for a new law to ensure UK governments from now and until 2050, reduce carbon dioxide emissions by three per cent every year.”

Other Speakers addressing the rally included Michael Meacher MP (ex Environment Minister), Norman Baker MP, Caroline Lucas MEP and author and journalist George Monbiot.

WITH gusting winds and rain showers, Thame’s Christmas Event went with a ‘Shake, Rattle and Roll’in more ways than one on Friday.
Several awnings and plastic gazebos left the ground and soaked stall holders struggled to keep their goods dry, during an evening which, nevertheless, attracted hundreds of local people and visitors to the town centre.
Despite many stall holders failing to show and others leaving early because of the weather, the donkey-led pageant was a huge success and ‘Elvis Smelvis’ whipped the brave crowd into a happy rendering of some of the Legend’s most popular songs, including “You’re The Devil In Disguise” and “Return To Sender”, sheltered from the rain by an umbrella held by the Town Clerk’s husband!
An Ad hoc collection of Morris Dancers, garnered together especially for the event from around the villages, helped bring a traditional element of joviality to the proceedings and the French market from Montesson, Thame’s twin town did excellent business selling wines, jams and preserves, and hot, freshly made crepes and galettes.
The Thame Town Band and choir of primary school children, and the Lord Williams’ Band and choir, were magnificent and helped to make the event a truly family affair and many retailers reported a good level of sales during the extra opening hours.

More pictures and reporting tomorrow.

PREPARATIONS for Thame’s Big Switch On and Town Centre Christmas event are in full-swing, and were broadcast in truly traditional style around the town on Tuesday.
Specially made decorations have been put on the tree outside Thame town hall, festoon lights are being put up all round the town by a team of brave lightmen using ‘cherry pickers’ and ladders, and a Town Crier in full costume,including gaiters, tri-corn hat, buckle shoes and bell, shouted for most of the day throughout the market and town centre, to spread the news about the event.
Ex-soldier, now Prison Officer, Mr Anthony Church B.E.M., is officially the third best Town Crier in the country, and is Banbury’s official Crier. He will be around on the afternoon and evening of the event, this coming Friday, December 2, to spread the word to the hundreds of expected visitors about some of the exciting things being put by some of the shops and businesses in the town. For instance, the new owners of what was The Cottage Bakery in the Buttermarket will be selling hot soup, sausage rolls and sandwiches, hot cheshnuts (kindly provided once again by Waitrose) will be sold by the Scouts up by the Millenium Circle, Saphire Moon at the top end of the High Street (just past the French Market) are doing spray-on tatoos, Pied Pedaller are giving away balloons and other goodies, The Social, in North Street, will have their bar-b-Q going outside selling hotdogs and hamburger plus drinks, the Thame Information Centre (TIC) are expecting a very special visitor until 6.30 pm, who will be giving away sweets, and there will be 10% off everything just for the one night.
The Farmers Market will be setting up in the Upper High Street around 2.20pm and there will be a special children’s craft activity stall near-by. (The Donkey-led pageant sets off from around this area at 5pm) Look out for the very strange statues that will be appearing in Greyhound Walk.

THE MAIN PROGRAMME timings are as follows:

The event will begin at 3.00pm, with the Stage Special at 6.30pm and at 7.00pm; the lights will be turned on by “Elvis” and Linda Robson of “Birds of a Feather”. Before that, there will be Morris Dancing in Montesson Square from around 6pm to 6.15pm and the Morris Men will then process along the Cornmarket to the town hall.
There will be a donkey-led pageant around pubs; Thame Concert Band, street entertainers; fireworks; pantomime stars; carol singing; extended shop opening to 6.30pm; farmers’ market; community groups, charities and other stalls; French guests’ stalls from Montesson, Thame’s twin town; Father Christmas; Town Crier and lots, lots more!

A road closure of the High Street from the Black Horse roundabout at the end of Cornmarket, to the Rising Sun roundabout, and including Buttermarket, will be in place from 2.00pm.

5.30pm Children?s donkey-led pageant
DEPARTS MONTESSON SQUARE
6.00pm Morris Dancers in Montesson square until
6.20pm, when they will process along
Cornmarket to the back of the town hall

6.25pm Staged event plus Mayor?s welcome

6.35pm Thame Players special appearance

6.45pm Elvis Shmelvis!

6.55pm Linda Robson from ?Birds of a Feather? with
actors from Aylesbury Theatre

7.00pm Linda Robson and Elvis switch on the Christmas
Tree Lights

7.10pm Combined choir of local children accompanied
by Thame and a surprise visitor lead community
carol singing

7.30pm Joint Blessing by Rev I Mountford and Rev P
Godfrey ? event closes

The event is being sponsored by Waitrose, the Co-op, Thame Chamber of Commerce, Second2, Fusion, Thame Churches Partnership and Thame Town Council.

FOR the first time, members of Thame?s Youth Council joined a party of the town?s ?Twinners? when they visited our twin town of Montesson at the weekend, to take part in its Christmas market.
Cllrs Rosie Morris and Hannah Gray travelled to Montesson with Thame Twinning Association?s Chairman, Nigel Champken-woods and his wife and were the guests of a Montesson family with youngsters of the a similar age to them.
Hannah told ThameNews.Net: ?It was really interesting to see how similar and yet how different Thame is to Montesson. I particularly like the French style of breakfast ? I could certainly get used to eating pain au chocalat every morning!?
Her friend and fellow Youth Councillor, Rosie Morris said: ?Visiting Montesson was a really good experience and I hope we will be allowed to go again. I certainly would encourage more young people from Thame to go.?

MY PERSONAL IMPRESSION OF THE TRIP(Ed.)
Having made our way through the horrendous Friday afternoon traffic of Paris after a good lunch in a little Bistro not far from the wonderful spectacle of the Galleries Lafayettes, the group I was travelling with headed off up the Champs Elys

OVER 40 fire-fighters worked throughout the early hours and into the night on Friday, to bring a serious fire at a property in Park Terrace, Thame under control.
Oxfordshire Fire & Rescue Service were called at 00:45, when the resident of the property was alerted by a neighbour (who had earlier discovered and extinguished a small chimney fire in his own property,) that a serious fire had broken out in the second floor loft extension.
The fire severely damaged a bedroom and the roof of the semi detached property but no one was injured.

Five appliances from Thame, Watlington, Haddenham & Oxford, along with specialist support vehicles from Woodstock, Oxford and Didcot attended the incident, working with breathing apparatus in eight teams, in extremely hot and arduous conditions. Also, The British Red Cross Fire & Emergency Support Unit assisted the occupier with salvage, providing warm clothing and support, and with insurance advise during the blaze.

The incident was under control in just over two hours, but firefighters remained on the scene until 7.30am making the building safe and secure.

Thame’s Station Commander, Andy Ford, told ThameNews.Net that prompt action by fire crews helped to confine the fire to the initial room and roof above and that the cause of the fire is under investigation, but is believed to be accidental.
He said: “We would urge anyone using open fire to only burn well-seasoned and dry wood and to have their chimney swept before lighting the first fire of the season and once again during the season.”

Everyone is urged to fit smoke detectors in their properties to ensure that, should a fire occur, it is identified in its early stages.

Photo: A typical roof fire (For illustration purposes only)

David Bull, the Executive Director of UNICEF UK, gave a disturbing and moving account of the lives of children living with AIDS, when he visited Thame’s local Amnesty group last Wednesday (23rd).
David’s talk about Children’s rights was vividly brought to life by photographs from his personal visits to Mozambique, Cambodia, India and Nigeria and drew the following comments from members of the audience:

“I was very moved by his description of life for many children, especially children living with Aids. When you hear of the difficulties of a girl orphaned by Aids, caring for her younger siblings, it really brings it home how trivial our problems are here in Thame,” said Chris Savory, an Amnesty supporter.

“We were deeply saddened by David’s reporting on sweat shops in India where young children were never allowed to leave the room where they toiled, to prepare luxury goods for Western markets; this seemed an area where we could have some influence to eliminate such practices,” remarked Owen Davies, an active supporter of Amnesty International.

Thame Amesty’s Chair, John Evans, thanked David Bull for his fascinating talk and many people stayed behind afterwards to carry on the discussion at a more personal level with him.

To learn more of the Thame group’s campaigns, call John Evans on 01844 291424 or Owen Davies on 01844 214466

FOLLOWING strong presentations of opposition to the provision of a Youth Shelter on the Southern Road Recreation Ground in Thame, Thame Town Council have decided that they ?will not ever consider placing a youth shelter on the recreation ground.?
The council?s decision came at a meeting of its Culture, Leisure and Recreation committee last night, during which a packed public gallery of residents clapped as their representatives told councillors why they objected to a youth shelter near their homes.
Bob Champion said that residents near the Southern Roads ?Rec? endured noise at the rear of their houses, discarded condoms, needles and vandalism and that in his opinion, a youth shelter would not deal with these problems.
A Mr Loach, told the meeting that feelings in Spring Path, where he lives, were running high about this proposal. ?A youth shelter would become the haunt of anti-socials,? he said.
?We already have to put up with loud, revving of cars, loud music from the Guide HQ building, screaming from girls and swearing, to all hours.
?A Youth Shelter will make things worse,? he added.
?A location must be found not near houses.?

The Chairman of the CLR committee, Cllr Nigel-Champken Woods, explained that the council had made a commitment to provide a Youth Shelter over two years ago since when the council had looked at other possible sites, including the Queen Elizabeth Circle, near Roundhead Drive in Thame, which has also met with some opposition by local residents.
Cllr Champken-Woods rejected Mr Champion?s criticism that the council had rejected ?the circle? because of opposition, stating that a full consultation had not yet been carried out on that site, and so it had not been rejected as a possibility. He said that he had done some research himself and had struggled to find any negative comments on Youth Shelters that had been installed elsewhere in the country. He quoted Lincoln where Police Community Support Officers had reported their YS as being ?well used by young people.? The town of Hamilton, which was in the process of installing its second shelter, reported: ?The YS has helped to reduce crime and the fear of crime.?
Chiltern District Council had stated that theirs had been ?of great benefit in providing a place for young people to go where they did not have to meet with confrontations, it reduced boredom and removed a possible first step to crime.?
Burnley had reported an 87% reduction in vandalism since the installation of a YS.

Thame?s Crime Prevention Officer, Lesley Nesbitt, who spoke at the meeting, made the following comments:
1. She noted that there were no youths present at the meeting and asked if they had been informed about it.
2. The police have worked with the council to remove a bench in the area that was used by middle-aged alcoholics, driven there by the town centre ?Designated Drinking Area? designation.
3. She would be concerned that a shelter would be taken over by this same group because of its proximity to the town.
4. A By Law could be introduced to ban alcohol from the area but it would need to be rigourously enforced.
5. All the young people want is somewhere safe, away from adults to kick a ball around.
6. Youth Shelters do not increase problems.
7. With regard to the problems experienced by residents, from a police point of view they can only know about problems if they hear about them. Residents should report incidents to the police and they will be logged even if there is no immediate response.
8. If anyone feels threatened, they should call 999

Cllr Nick Carter said that he thought the money for a YS would be better saved and ring-fenced for youth expenditure on some future, more popular project like the library. Fellow councillor, David Dodds called the proposal to situate a YS so close to elderly residents in Sharman Beer Court, ?ludicrous? and something that would worsen the quality of life of people living in the area.? He added: ?The police should not be driving by, but going up to these people and engaging with them.?

The Mayor of Thame, Cllr David Laver, said: ?We should not ignore the views of our young people. The PCSOs do engage with the youth. They are not all disruptive; some of them are really marvellous, and I find them polite when I talk to them. They have just as much right to have their needs met as older people.
?The youths with cars are older people,? he added. He suggested that the area ought to be lit, perhaps with solar panels. He pointed out that the money had already been allocated from the council?s budget for a Youth Shelter.
?We should take into account the views of local residents and the police should be there to make sure that disruptive behaviour is not happening.?
Cllr. Owen Davies said: ?Our predicament is that we do want to meet the needs and wishes of young people and this is best done through the Youth Council. But we need to find the right location, perhaps in the Upper High Street?
?A Youth Shelter should be only one part of a broader approach to tackling some of the problems we have heard about tonight. ?

A proposal by Cllr David Dodds, to set up a Forum of local residents, the Police, youth workers and other interested parties, to look at the concerns about anti-social behaviour at the Southern Road Recreation Ground, was accepted by the committee.

Cllr Nigel Champken-Woods issued the following statement today:
?I would just like to say that the attendance at the Committee meeting was most welcomed and that we the Town Council would encourage local residents to attend any council meetings.

?In regard to a youth shelter being installed at Southern Road Recreation Ground, I think that the comments received from residents local to the recreation ground highlight a number of problems that need to be addressed. The perception that the installation of a youth shelter would increase these anti-social problems is, I suggest, unfounded from the research I have undertaken. However, we as a Town Council need to address the anti-social problems that are of concern to the residents around the SRRG and therefore request any one interested in forming a local residents forum to look at the problems and ways of solving them should let the Town Clerk have their contact details so that a meeting can be set up.

?As for the needs of the young people in the town, I would like the engagement from both sides to be increased and strengthened. I personally am disappointed that whenever we consider something for the youth of the town it seems usually to be met with opposition. There is a Youth Council that is run by young people living locally and which is fully supported by the Town Council. I would encourage more younger members of our community to join and use this group to have their needs heard and considered.

?If anyone is interested in joining either group they should contact the town council by emailing the clerk at oss@thametowncouncil.gov.uk, telephoning 01844 212833 or calling in to the Town Hall and leaving their details with the One Stop Shop.”

THAME Carnival Parade, which for years has been the main attraction of the annual Thame Festival, will no longer happen.
A spokesman for the Festival committee told ThameNews.Net that the number of entries in the carnival has been going down every year, mostly because of what she called, “apathy” among local businesses and organisations.
But one of the other main reasons has been an increase in costs, especially a requirement from the police of

NOT only is the Wasps Rugby team’s Mascot coming to Chinnor Rugby Club’s Christmas Fayre on Friday, (Nov 24), at 7.30pm, but the ZURICH PREMIERSHIP TROPHY will be on view.
Also, raffle tickets will be on sale to win tickets for the Wasps V Leeds Tykes game and the already packed programme will include Clarins Beauty products.
The specially labelled Chinnor Rugby logo beer is selling so well that they have had to re-order!