Category: Thame news

A DIRECTOR of the Thame Show has said that he has been encouraged by a recent meeting held to explore ideas around what community facilities could be provided alongside a new, large agricultural centre on the Thame Show ground.
Property Developer, Bob Williams, told ThameNews.Net that as a result of the meeting, he felt ? encouraged to carry on? trying to help the Thame Cattle Market find a bigger, edge-of-town site.
Among Bob?s ideas include moving the hospital, the fire station and the ambulance station up to the Thame Show site.
Interested parties, including Thame doctors? leaders, the town council, the fire service and the ambulance service were invited to the meeting.
Bob Williams admitted that some of his proposals may appear to be? off- the-wall? but said: ?I am happy to open this up for discussion in the town. Sometimes it is the more mad-cap ideas that capture the public?s imagination.?
The Station Officer at Thame fire station, Andy Ford, told ThameNews today: ?I would certainly be in favour of re-siting the fire station on the by-pass somewhere. Because most of our call-outs these days require us to go out of town, we often have to battle our way out of Thame to get to incidents and vital time can be wasted. Also, because of the growth in equipment and crew, we our beginning to out-grow this site which is only just adequate for our current needs.?
Dr Ken Birch, who attended the meeting, was unavailable for comment today, but it is understood that redevelopment plans for Thame Community Hospital are already in the pipeline. (More on this soon)

Co-incidentally, a public meeting is to be hosted by the Cattle Market Action Group on June 20, at Thame Hall from 7.45pm, to discuss concept plans for the current Cattle Market site, should it move to a new site.

THAME Rotary Club today received a cheque towards its work with Sri Lankan tsunami victims, for funds raised at a special charity golf day at the Oxfordshire Golf Club, in Rycote Lane, Thame.
The Mayor of Thame, Cllr David Laver, was in attendance as club owners, Paul and Jenny Gibbons, presented a cheque for just under

IT is now possible for residents of South Oxfordshire to watch council meetings from the comfort of their own homes or anywhere else on the internet.

South Oxfordshire District Council has installed cameras in the council chamber to broadcast planning, cabinet and council meetings on a regular basis. Live and recorded meetings will be available via the Council?s web site and viewers can send comments in during the broadcasts which will occur in real time. The council is particularly keen to receive people?s views on the quality and usefulness of the webcasts.

The first meetings to be broadcast live are:

Planning Wednesday 11 January at 6pm
Cabinet Thursday 12 January at 6pm
Planning Wednesday 25 January at 6pm

Webcasting is the broadcast of video and audio over the internet ? put simply it is the same as watching TV but through an internet connection. By webcasting meetings, the Council aims to provide local residents who cannot attend meetings with an opportunity to play a part in the local democratic process, and to get involved in the decisions affecting their lives.

A NEW site for a Youth Shelter in Thame is being considered by the town council, following opposition to an earlier site and a new recommendation from the town’s Youth Council.
Almost two years ago, the then Thame Youth Council, together with Thame Town Council, decided that the Queen Elizabeth Circle, opposite the Skate Park, would be suitable for a youth shelter. An exhibition and display at the town hall was mounted so that young people could comment on which design and location they would prefer for a meeting shelter. However there was some opposition from residents in the Roundhead Drive area who feared an increase in noise and criminality in their area if the shelter was sited on the circle.
At their meeting on Tuesday, the council’s Culture, Leisure and Recreation committee discussed a recommendation from the current Youth Council that the shelter, for which funded had been set aside, be sited on the Southern Road Recreation ground, replacing the metal igloo climbing frame. Among other concerns, the Youth council were worried about the dangers of young people crossing the by-pass from the skate park to access a shelter on Queen Elizabeth Circle.
Some town councillors were concerned about opposition coming from residents in Southern Road, but the Clerk, Helen Stewart, said: “There will be obstacles to overcome wherever the shelter is sited; young people already gather at the Rec and this is the sort of thing they are craving for.”
Cllr Nigel Champken-Woods added: “We promised the youth of Thame a shelter two years ago and we are still pontificating; we need to bite the bullet now.”
Cllr Nick Carter, who was against the principle of a youth shelter altogether, proposed that the money be ring-fenced for some other youth facility in the future but he was unable to carry any other council members with him.
Finally, Cllr Adam Buckland’s proposal that the Southern Road Recreational ground be chosen for a youth shelter, subject to consultation, was carried by the committee – 3 votes for – 2 against.
The Rec is the favoured site for a shelter, of Thame’s Police Community Support Officers.

Photo: Youth Shelter similar to the type proposed for Thame.

THE Youth of Thame have helped raise

ST MARY’s church, in Thame, is critically short of burial plots, Thame councillors have been told.
Members of the Culture,Leisure and Recreation committee have been alerted to the problem of a lack of space to bury the dead.(a crisis hitting grave yards all over the country), by a letter from the Reverend Nick Stuart-Lee.
Since there seems to be some confusion over who own what pieces of land around the church, members agreed to go and look at the problem for themselves.
In the past, land currently used as allottments has been considered.

OXFORDSHIRE’s Head of Trading Standards has been chosen as Chairman of the UK?s Trading Standards Institute.

Nigel Strick, who joined Oxfordshire County Council in 2002, won a national ballot and will assume his new role at the end of June.

He said: “I am delighted to have been chosen to represent Trading Standards in this way and I can see that the next twelve months will be a very busy time for me and the profession alike. I am looking forward to having the opportunity to show what Oxfordshire has to offer and to explaining the good work that goes on here.”

Nigel began working in Trading Standards in 1983 as a technical assistant with Surrey County Council. His first job involved polishing the brass petrol measures, cleaning the other weights and measures and accompanying the Trading Standards? Officers and Enforcement Officers on their inspections and investigations.

This proved to be a great way to learn the ropes and he became a fully fledged Trading Standards Officer in 1988.

Working his way up through the ranks, Nigel became Head of Trading Standards at Oxfordshire County Council in April 2002. Along the way he lived and worked in Somerset, Suffolk, Oldham and Staffordshire.

“I?ve met some fantastic characters and made some great friends,? Nigel added. ?I?ve been involved with the Trading Standards? Institute for around 20 years.
I served as the South West Branch Representative during 1990/1991 and have been a member of the Institute?s National Council for about the last 5 years – and its Executive Board for around 3 years.

?More recently I have chaired the review of TSI?s organisation and its specialist ?Lead Officer? arrangements.”

Councillor Ray Jelf, Cabinet Member for Community Safety said: “This is a wonderful accolade for Nigel and thoroughly deserved. It is a reflection of his dedication and commitment to Trading Standards, not only in Oxfordshire but throughout the UK.”

THE national press has today been reporting on the emergence of a new ‘super bug’ which has hit some words of Stoke Mandeville hospital, near Aylesbury, and killed 12, mostly elderly patients.
Since ThameNews.Net was unable to obtain any official statement from the hospital itself today, readers are referred to an article that appeared in The Independant newspaper today.
click here
to read the full article.

POLICE are appealing for witnesses after an elderly woman had her handbag stolen in Thame on Sunday. (29/5).

At around 3.45pm, the 69-year-old woman was walking into Lee Court from Wellington Street when a man approached her from behind and stole her handbag.

As the man grabbed the bag he broke the handle. He then got into a car being driven by a white woman and made off in the direction of North Street.

Shortly before the incident, at around 3.35pm, the elderly woman was crossing the road in North Street, into Lashlake Road, when the same woman in a white car stopped to let the woman cross.

PC Emma Birch, based at Thame police station, said: ?I appeal to anyone who was in this area of Thame on Sunday afternoon and saw a man and woman in a white car acting suspiciously to contact police.?

Anyone with information that could assist police inquiries is urged to contact PC Birch at Thame police station, via 0845 8 505 505.

If you don?t want to speak to police and don?t want to leave your name contact Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.

CHILDREN and parents braved the weather and supported Barley Hill School?s PTA Fun Day last Saturday, (May 21).
The theme was The Sea and we certainly had the water! It didn?t dampen spirits though and with stalls and activities both outside and in, visitors always had something fun to do. Children from the School Council seemed to have the best idea by taking part in Sponge a Councillor, at least they were already wet! Each class competed to have the best decorated stall and this was won by Class 3WD with their underwater Badge Making Stall.
The Beat the Goalie was another popular attraction with our three male members of staff dressed in wigs working hard to keep out the footballs. Other attractions included a Soft Toy Tombola, Panning for Gold, Lucky Dip, and Bottle Tombola. During lunchtime the BBQ and baked potato stalls were kept very busy and our refreshments tents provided somewhere dry to sit during the heaviest showers. Six kids? teams took part in a Tug of War competition surrounded by cheering parents, which was won by a Year 6 team called Quicksilver. Children from across the school entertained visitors with a country dancing display before the day was rounded off with a fantastic raffle of prizes donated by local businesses.
Early indications show we have raised over