Thame.net

Category: Thame news

  • £¼ million grant for Thame Sports Club

    THAME Bowls Club and Thame Tennis Club, which together are Thame Sport Club, are celebrating after learning that South Oxfordshire District Council has awarded Thame Sports Club a grant of £250,000 which will help to provide a new building for the whole community to use.

     

    Thame Sports Club’s clubhouse doubles up as a community building where many other groups meet to take part in a variety of activities including whist, art, wine appreciation and toddler groups.

    The South Oxfordshire District Council Capital grant will make up over 45 per cent of the estimated total project cost of £554,000. The sports club has now raised around 70 per cent of the total cost and the sizeable funding from the council will make it much easier for the club to attract the final 30 per cent.

    The grant was agreed by the capital grants panel and has now been given the final stamp of approval by South Oxfordshire District Council cabinet member for community services, Cllr Lynn Lloyd.

    Cllr Lloyd said: “I am absolutely delighted that we were able to make such a substantial contribution towards the rebuilding of the clubhouse, which has been a part of Thame for almost a century.

    “However, all those years of use have taken their toll and a full rebuild will make it a wonderful community hub for generations to come.

    “I hope that our contribution will encourage other funding organisations and local residents to support them. I also hope the new building means that people in Thame will continue to have great place to meet for decades.”

    The original part of the clubhouse was built in the 1920’s and is in poor condition, especially the roof and much of the woodwork. Also, because it has little insulation it is expensive to heat during the winter months.

    The club has, in their own words, “…an ambitious project to demolish it and to replace it with a modern pavilion”.

    The new designs could mean that the clubhouse could accommodate indoor bowling which means the Bowls Club could join the local winter leagues, increasing participation numbers during winter months.

    The rebuild committee is aiming to start building in October this year with completion by the end of March next year.

    To see the sports club’s plans on the Thame Sports Club website HERE

    SOURCE: Press release

  • All Thame Schools will be closed today!

    WITH further snow forecast, freezing temperatures and hazardous driving conditions, all of Thame schools have announced that they will be closed today.

     

     

    In a post on the its facebook page, Lord Williams’s School explained: “Lord Williams’s School is closed for all students tomorrow and the Dance Show tonight.

    “We have heard from a number of bus companies, that because of deteriorating road conditions, they are not running services tomorrow. In addition, we have had messages from parents and staff about worrying road conditions currently. With more snow forecast this evening and freezing temperatures there would be significant safety issues for all concerned.”

    The bus company, Arriva The Shires, are recommending that passengers check with its Facebook page for regularly updated travel bulletins: Depot teams will be out assessing roads early in the morning, and Arriva says it will aim to operate all services but the weather may cause delays and disruption in the morning that can’t be predicted.
    https://www.facebook.com/arrivatheshires/ and on twitter @arrivatheshires

    Chiltern Rail have published no bulletins so far, but any disruptions may be reported on the website: https://www.chilternrailways.co.uk/ or for more immediate warnings, follow @chilternrailway on twitter.

    Thame and District Day Centre will be closed today.

    Thame Town Council has issued its advice for coping with snow and ice and some useful links. CLICK HERE

  • Theo Paphitis presents Thame photographer with business award

    THAME based portrait photographer, Mark Hewitson, followed up on his Small Business Sunday twitter win when he met Theo Paphitis in Birmingham on Friday, February 23.

     

     

    Mark, who owns Mark Hewitson Photography in Thame, was selected by Theo Paphitis in June 2017, when he sent a tweet to the Dragons Den star as part of his Small Business Sunday initiative. The tweet about Mark’s business was retweeted by Theo to his 500,000 Twitter followers.

    As a result of being part of the SBS family, Mark was invited to attend an exclusive winners event in Birmingham on Friday. As well as attending several seminars, part of the event involved meeting Theo and being presented with his certificate.

    Theo Paphitis, Chairman of the Theo Paphitis Retail Group that encapsulates the Ryman Stationery, Boux Avenue and Robert Dyas brands, revealed at the event that only 0.68% of the 329,000 SBS entries since the inception of the award in 2010 have been chosen as winners.

    Mark said: “Since winning SBS last June, I have seen an increase in both business headshot bookings as well as twitter followers. The event on Friday was a fantastic day which gave me many great ideas for taking my business forward in 2018, and concluded with me chatting to Theo about my business. I feel honoured to be part of the select group of winners of this exclusive business award.”

    Mark has a reputation for creating beautiful family and pet portraits and can be contacted via his website at markhewitson.co.uk or on 01844 278015.

    Anyone looking to be part of the #SBS family should tweet Theo @TheoPaphitis about their business on Sunday between 5pm and 7.30pm and include the hashtag #SBS. Six lucky businesses are re‐tweeted every Monday at 8pm and then reap the benefits of the #SBS networking opportunities.

  • Invitation from Listed historic house and garden

    TURN End is a RIBA award winning group of three houses and a garden in the heart of Haddenham, designed by architect Peter Aldington. It is widely regarded as a fine example of post-war housing design. In November 2017 Historic England listed Turn End’s garden at Grade II and added it to the Register of Parks and Gardens of Special Historic Interest in England.

    Turn End Trust runs an events programme which includes education, creative and community led events appealing to architecture, garden design lovers and those who care about good design in the area. visit the What’s On page: https://www.turnend.org.uk/new-events/ for full details and online bookings at http://turnendtrust.eventbrite.com

  • Over 40 miles of swimming raises funds for grief support charity

    DURING the sixth Thame Swimathon, that took place at Thame Leisure Centre on Sunday, February 25, an incredible 2,640 lengths were covered by the teams that took part – that’s 66 kilometers – almost 41 miles! And so far they have raised over £4,000.

    The sponsors of the Swimathon, organised by Thame Rotary, were Thame Leisure Centre, Haddenham Beer Festivals Trust, Aston Hearing, and Ignite Sport. Their contributions covered most of the costs, so that more money could be directed towards Thame Rotary’s chosen charity, SeeSaw. Volunteer support was given by Thame Lions, Thame Inner Wheel, Princes Risborough Rotary, Wheatley Park School Interact Club as well as family members and friends of Thame Rotarians.

    The four teams from Barley Hill School proudly show their certificates

    Tom Wyse, the Mayor of Thame, awarded medals to the swimmers in recognition of their fundraising and physical efforts. Tom said afterwards: “I really enjoyed visiting the Swimathon on Sunday. It was a great event to raise money for the charities. I wish I had the energy that all those swimmers possessed!”

    Jo Sackett, of Barley Hill School PTFA, who recruited four teams of pupils, said: “It is such a pleasure to organise teams to take part in this wonderful event. Everyone is so enthusiastic; we raised an amazing amount of money and the children love every minute of it. We are very proud of all of them and can’t wait for next year!”

    Thame Swimming Club participated with 10 teams. Will Hard, Thame Swimming Club’s Communications Manager, added: “Our swimmers had great fun today at the Rotary Club of Thame Swimathon, whilst raising money for a worthwhile charity. Thank you to the Rotary Club for running such a well organised event. See you next year!”

    Pete Quartly participated with his family for the first time. He said: “This was a fantastic event; run very slickly, and massively enjoyed by the family. We will be there next year.”

    Marius Ciortan helped to organise and promote the Thame Swimathon. He said: “Most of the teams have taken the option to allocate 50% of the money raised towards their favourite cause, and 50% towards Thame Rotary’s main local charity, SeeSaw. John Singer, President of the Rotary Club of Thame, added: “It’s been another highly successful fundraising Thame Swimathon. Everyone involved on Sunday seemed to be having a great time with plenty of enthusiastic support from family and friends – a really great advert for the communities of Thame and its neighbouring villages.”

    The public has until March 5, to support the teams with their online fundraising. The links to the My Donate page can be found via www.thame.rotary1090.org

    More photos taken at Thame Swimathon can be found on www.facebook.com/thamerotary

  • Who’s your Thame hero?

    YOUR nominations are needed for the tenth Thame Town Awards. There are people all around Thame who help their neighbours, support local groups or go out of their way for others to make our community a safer, more vibrant and happier place to live. In

    The Town Awards scheme has been recognising and celebrating those
    exceptional people in our community for ten years and each year, members of the public are invited to nominate their local unsung heroes for a town award.

    Nominations are needed this year for individuals and groups who have made a special contribution to life in Thame. This could be a volunteer, a teacher, a shop assistant, a friend, a teammate, a doctor, a committee member – the list is endless!

    This year there are five categories in which you can make a nomination:
    Sporting Achievement (sponsored by Thame Leisure Centre)
    Do you know someone who deserves a gold medal for their commitment to a sports club in Thame? Perhaps a player or team who excels in their sport or someone who goes above and beyond to support their team from the side-lines.

    Volunteer of the Year (sponsored by Thame Freight Services)
    Thame thrives on those individuals and organisations who selflessly give their time to help others in our community. From event organisers and fundraisers to friendly neighbours and volunteers, there are plenty to choose from but who do you think deserves to be awarded Volunteer of the Year?

    Lifetime Achievement (sponsored by the Town Awards Panel)
    This award is for those in our community who have made a significant contribution to Thame over an extended period of time. A friendly face who is always supporting
    community events and local causes, or perhaps someone who has provided many years’ service to an organisation or business in our community. This award There are so many individuals and businesses who consistently provide a friendly service in Thame, but who do you know that should be recognised for it? We’re not just
    looking for shop assistants – we also want to hear about opticians, carers, cleaners and doctors, to name but a few!

    Creative Arts Achievement (sponsored by Towersey Festival)
    A person of any age who excels in the creative arts or contributes to the creativity of our town. This award covers a wide range of people – from the star of the show to the behind-the-scenes team and everyone in between.

    To date, the Town Awards panel has awarded 54 Town Awards to local people. One of last year’s winners, Ian Blyth, was delighted with his Sporting Achievement award: “I was shocked and surprised that I had been nominated to receive the 2017 Sporting Achievement Award. The nomination made me feel very proud that I had been recognised for all my hard work with Thame Swimming Club. I was not expecting to receive the award. The Town Awards event was well organised and held in a friendly and warm atmosphere which made the evening thoroughly enjoyable for all the award recipients.”

    Marking a nomination could not be easier. visit: www.thametowncouncil.gov.uk and complete the online form, or pop in to the Town Hall Information Centre and pick up a nomination form. Be sure to follow the Town Awards Facebook page ‘Thame Town Awards’ and on Twitter #ThameAwards to be one of the first to find out who has won a Town Award this year. The nomination period starts today (February 26) until 5pm on Thursday, March 29, 2018.
    Please visit  www.thametowncouncil.gov.uk for terms and conditions.

  • Flying charity needs a new home – urgently!

    THE Upward Bound Trust, the charity gliding club based at Haddenham, is being forced off of its airfield at short notice, by the landowner. The charity  now finds itself looking for a new home in the area so that it can continue to teach young people to fly.

    Thomas Heidcamp, whose son Oliver is learning to fly with the Trust, explained the situation to Thame.net. “We were told last week that we need to vacate the airfield on April 5. We had thought that we would be able to stay for another year, so this is a pressing matter for the UBT.”

    The Upward Bound Trust, a registered charity, has been teaching young people to fly since 1965 and over the last 53 years, many of its young students have gone on to professional aviation careers or had a lifetime of thrills in aviation sports.

    “All of the young people have gained self-confidence from their achievements,” continued Thomas. “We are entirely run by volunteers.  Adult members pay a commercial rate to fly, which funds the heavily subsidised training for our students.

    “We knew there might be trouble when the landowner planted rows of three-meter-high trees on our airfield approach last week. At a subsequent meeting, they told us that they have rented out our airstrip to a farmer, who will put the plough to our strip at the end of March.

    “The landowner will help us with relocation costs, but because of the short notice, we do not have a new home to go to. We are looking for a suitable field, or existing farm airstrip in Oxfordshire or Buckinghamshire. We need a (reasonably) flat field of 1000m x 100m. We can pay agricultural rates for the fields and commercial rates for our small hanger.

    “Perhaps someone among your readers might be aware of farm airstrips and aviation-friendly farmers. Our small operation would enhance any small airstrip, offering maintenance, grass cutting and skilled volunteers to help with ground operations.

    “We are a weekend only operation, winch launch club with 25 active members, so noise and disruption are minimal for the surrounding area,” concluded Thomas.

    Do you know someone who owns a suitable piece of land, or an existing farm airstrip that could be extended to suit the Upward Bound Trust? Please contact Thomas Heidkamp on 07960496806 or THOMAS@SIMPLE-KITCHENS.CO.UK if you can help.

  • Chinnor edge closer to the play-offs

    AS we get to the time of year where a number of teams are scrapping hard for their National Two survival, the visit to newly promoted Old Redcliffians was destined to be another tough encounter for Chinnor RFC.

     

     

    For the first time in many matches playing conditions were excellent and from the first whistle Chinnor made camp in the Old Reds Half. After five minutes,of persistent pressure. Reds’ flanker, Dan Fry, was shown yellow for a high tackle on Greg Goodfellow. Chinnor maintained their assault of the Old Reds’ line and from a penalty five meters out, the dominant scrum pushed over for No 8, Alex Waddingham to open the scoring.

    Chinnor continued to turn the screw and after 16 mins Greg Goodfellow elected to go blind and fed Kieran Goss who predictably out sprinted the defence to score Chinnor’s second. Chinnor were now looking dangerous with every attack and the backs were threatening to cut loose. On 35 minutes, after another series of quality play, Bertie Hopkin was fed in to score which he duly covered. With only three minutes of the half left, the visitors concentration lapsed and allowed Old Reds prop, Craig McGrath, in to make the Half time score 5-17.

    Playing up the slope in the second half, it was a question of whether 12 points was enough of a buffer to see out the game. Reds predictably kept Chinnor penned in and the defence held strong until the 53rd minute when Reds full back, Thomas Hargan, took the opportunity to close the score line with a well taken try. The valiant defence came at a cost with Chinnor picking up a number of injuries. With Ben Manning, Jonny Bentley, Will Bordill and Kieran Goss all leaving the field, the fresh legs caught Old Reds cold and from another five-meter scrum, the ball was flicked wide for Henry Lamont to secure the bonus point.

    With every point being vital, Old Reds played some good possession rugby and forced Chinnor on the back foot for the remainder of the game and on 77 minutes, No 8 Ethan Doyle ensured they picked up a valuable bonus point. Chinnor saw out the final couple of minutes with some experienced game management and ran out 19-24 winners.

    Another five points and with a rest weekend ahead – some welcome time for recuperation!

    SOURCE: Contributed

  • Mayor digs in for Thame’s new sports facility

    A brand new pavilion and community facilities for Thame came a few muddy steps closer this morning, when the Mayor of Thame lifted the first sod for work to begin on the building work.

    L to R – Steve Mcdonald, Angus Lachlan, Tom Wyse, Graham Hunt and David Lockart

    The Mayor, Tom Wyse, donned high viz jacket and wellies to join Angus Lachlan, the club’s Vice Chairman, Steve Mcdonald, Director of Sports Clubhouses, who are the designers and builders for the project, David Lockart, Site Foreman and Graham Hunt, Thame’s Town Clerk, to celebrate the start of the physical work, now that enough of the fund-raising hard work to begin is complete.

    Both Thame Town Council and South Oxfordshire District Council have contributed to the funding of the new facility, which will be shared with Thame Hockey Club, and many other businesses and local supporters have been ‘buying a brick’ to help fill the fund-raising gap for fitting out the second floor of the new facility and other finishing touches. The new facility is expected to be ready by October, 2018.

    More information can be found on Thame Town Cricket Club’s website: http://www.thamecricket.org.uk/

  • Thame Chamber Choir makes a noise !

    …. a Joyful Noise, that is! Thame Chamber Choir’s concert in St Mary’s Church, Thame, on Saturday, March 10, entitled Make a Joyful Noise, includes masterpieces by Byrd, Haydn – a chorus from ‘The Creation’ – and Mendelssohn, and features the famous ‘Miserer’e by Allegri. This so impressed the 14-year-old Mozart that, having heard it during a visit to Rome, he is reported to have later written out the whole piece from memory!

    These pieces, and all the music in the concert, are settings of Psalms and the programme also includes former Lord Williams’s School pupil Howard Goodall’s version of ‘The Lord is my Shepherd’, better known as the signature tune for The Vicar of Dibley.

    Tickets for the concert cost £12, concessions £10, and are free for under 18s. They are available from the Book House, Thame High Street (tel: 213032) and at the door.

    SOURCE: Contributed