Category: More News

DESPITE the delayed start, when a town councillor accidentally locked the front door of Thame?s town hall, leaving the visiting public and speakers standing outside, this year?s Annual Town Meeting was probably the most liveliest in a long time.
Herewith, the first of two reports of the evening?s discussions.
First to take the floor on Tuesday, were the two Community Police Support Officers, Diane Jackson and Zoe Eels, who explained their role which included targeting areas where problems arose like anti-social behaviour. They explained that, whilst they do have to spread themselves thinly, because they are Thame people and people know them, they are very approachable and people do pass information on to them which they can in turn pass on the Police appropriately.
Since they had been introduced onto the streets of Thame, they felt that problems like anti-social behaviour had reduced, partly due to their gaining the respect of a certain section of the town?s youth.
Margie Barbour raised the issue of motor cycles on the Phoenix Trail with the PCSOS, saying that she did not want this to become another area of conflict. Cllr Beatrice Dobie assured her that that this matter was already being looked at by the council and the Community Safety Group, who with the police, were looking into the possibility of providing an alternative place for the young men concerned to ride their bikes safely.
Cllr Owen Davies praised the PCSOs for helping to reduce the incidence of problems arising out of town centre drunkenness.
The Mayor of Thame, David Dobbs, reported on the town council?s past year, highlighting some of the problems it had to deal with regarding the tragedy at the Jubilee pool and storm damage to the building?s structure. He summarised some of the council?s achievements including the progressing of CCTV for the town centre and the acquisition of the old Court House for a Museum. Some of the challenges for the future he indicated, included the future provision of public toilets in the town centre, for which a working party has been formed from among town councillors.
Cllr Dodds highlighted the work of the Town Council?s various committees, referring particularly to the on-going audit of play equipment in the various recreational areas around the town, which are wearing out and will need replacing in the near future.
He praised the work of the Cuttlebrook Nature Reserve Volunteers and the survey into the needs of young people in the town, carried out by Fusion.
?Some very definite markets have been put down and we shall be co-operating with them (Fusion) to bear real fruit in the near future,? he said. (The organisation is looking into the feasibility of providing a Youth Internet Caf

A Puppet of a Giraffe has been helping to put messages about healthy living, including the avoidance of drugs mis-use, over to primary school children in Thame.
On Wednesday, the Mayor of Thame, Cllr David Dodds, presented a cheque for

A GROUP of Thame artists has decided that others, like them, may need somewhere to meet and exchange ideas.
They say:”We are primarily visual artists who would love to share information across the arts about on-going events and opportunities with a view to occasionally working together on ideas-based projects.
Come and join us at Pickles Cafe (formerly Jordans,on the second Sunday of each month, 3-5pm; first meeting Sunday, May 8.
“Leave your details in the box inside the shop and we will be in touch – or just turn up on the day!”

A team of the best of Liberal Democrat brawn pulled their way to success on Saturday, when they challenged the Labour Party to a Tug-of-War at the St George’s Day Family Festival in Thame.
The tug brought a light-hearted rest from the door step canvassing and media rhetoric of the previous week for the two parties, who fought in the general spirit of fun and community spirit that pervaded this, the second festival sponsored by ‘Churches Together’, Thame.
Whether the Lib Dems’ win is a sign of things to come on May 5, remains to be seen.
The Conservative Party apparently declined the challenge to make this a three-way challenge, saying that they were too busy canvassing.

THE claims made by supporters of Lib Dem Parliamentary Candidate, David Turner, that a recent Poll showed that his party could take Boris’s seat, were rubbished by his Labour opponents today.
A Spokesman from Labour candidate, Kaleem Saeeds team told ThameNews.Net: “These claims are preposterous, not realisitic and biased.”

“There are several problems with the Lib Dems’ claim,” he continued:

1. THE POLL IN QUESTION TAKEN A WEEK AGO 17-19 APRIL

2. IT WAS A NATIONWIDE POLL NOT ONE TAKEN IN THE HENLEY CONSTITUENCY.- SO DOES NOT TAKE ACCOUNT OF LOCAL FACTORS.

3. HENLEY WOULD NEED A SWING OF 19% FROM LAST ELECTION FOR THE LIB DEMS TO WIN.

4. HENLEY IS NOT EVEN IN THE TOP TEN OF TARGET SEATS FOR LIBDEMS IT IS NO.37

5. ICM IT NOT ONE OF THE MOST PRESTIGOUS PUBLIC OPINION POLL COMPANIES

6. THE LATEST NATIONWIDE POLLING RESULTS SUGGESTS
LAB 40% TORY 31% LD 23% OTHERS 7%.

SOURCE:

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/shared/vote2005/polltracker/html/polltracker.stm
“On the basis used to make such claims, using Nationwide opinion polls, Kaleem would be the first Labour MP for Henley and Labour would be the party with the most county council seats in the Henley constituency.”

SUPPORTERS of the Lib Dems’ Election Candidate, David Turner, claim that a new opinion poll has shown that their candidate could win in the Henley (South Oxfordshire) Constituency.
The poll, which was conducted by independent pollsters ICM last week, asked: ?If you thought that the Liberal Democrats could win in your constituency would you vote for them, not change your vote, or switch to another party?? The Lib Dems say that their analysis of the results showed that the percentage of the votes would be as follows:
Liberal Democrat 39
Labour 31
Conservative 26

The result, according to a computer analysis by the Liberal Democrats, could mean, they claim, victory for David Turner in the Henley Constituency.

Liberal Democrat leader Charles Kennedy,said; ?This goes to show when people think the Liberal Democrats can win, the Liberal Democrats do win. In South Oxfordshire that would mean victory for David Turner. The Liberal Democrats are the real alternative in this election, and this poll shows that if everybody in South Oxfordshire who supports the Liberal Democrats? positive plans for Britain voted for us we could win here.?

David Turner himself said: “I have always maintained that we can win in this constituency and this poll confirms it. I hope that this will give people the confidence to vote for us.”

A new Play Centre for children of all ages is expected to be up and running in Thame by the October half-term holidays.
The centre, to be called Whizz Kidz, will be run by Stephen and Anna Ballard and though mostly a soft-play type facility for younger children, it is planned to include facilities for teenagers like Playstations and table football. The centre will be in Dormer Road on the Thame Trading Estate and will include a cafe area.

BRITISH voters are forming political opinions and making voting decisions for the forthcoming general election using SMS.
Text-messaging service 82ASK, which aims to answer just about any question, on any subject, has seen a 61 per cent rise in questions about policies, political views, how to vote and Conservatives? beards, since the election was confirmed.
Questions vary greatly but the majority, 35 per cent, have been about who is going to win the general election, followed by specific party policies such as health and public transport, amongst others, at 20 per cent. Questions about the election also figure highly at 14 per cent, and these include examples such as: ?How do I apply for a postal vote in the general election?; Can people from Gibraltar vote in the UK elections? and ?Is there a spending limit for election campaigns?
A significant amount of ?Tony trivia? has already been asked. For example, ?What is Tony Blair?s annual salary? What is Tony Blair?s Disney nickname? What is Tony Blair?s inside leg measurement?6), ?How long have Tony Blair and Cherie been married?What is Tony Blair?s favourite TV programme? and ?Who would win a street fight between Tony Blair and George Bush? Other trivia has also intrigued people with questions arising such as: ?Which recent Conservative MPs have beards? and, What percentage of Prime Ministers went to Oxford or Cambridge
University?
With a wealth of voting options to choose from, the majority of the great British public is having to make decisions on a range of different political views and policies, as well as get on with its own life. Many people don?t want a political lecture in answer to a question, or to seem uninformed on the big issues, or simply need back up when involved in political discussions in the pub and have been using 82ASK to gain information.
Politics is a particularly challenging subject for first-time voters, the biggest users of text. A recent YouGov survey (March 2005) found that half of the young people (aged 18-24) surveyed claimed not to know what a constituency was. However, 74 per cent professed to be interested in public affairs.
Sarah McVittie at 82ASK said: ?So many people feel that they should be more informed about politics, or feel that they don?t really know what they are voting for. SMS enables them to get information in a summarised fashion, which they can use to form their decisions or will help guide them to seek further information.

?We expect significant rises in the number of questions asked as we move towards the election and our researchers are gearing up in order that we can
help drive up the number of people voting at the election.?

A car parked in High Street, Wheatley, has been damaged by vandals, who poured a mixture of cereal, soup and eggs onto the bonnet.
Thame police would like to hear from anyone who may have any knowledge of this incident, which occurred overnight, between Friday, May 13, and Saturday, May 14, between 6pm and 6am.
Call the police Enquiry Line 0845 8505505 or crime Stoppers anonymously 0800 555111

A FLOWER Festival, as part of this year’s Thame Festival, is planned for St Mary’s Church, Thame.
Anyone, or organisation interested in taking part is invited to a meeting on Monday, April 18, to discuss arrangements and positions.
Contact Mrs Eileen Bryant, 21 Cotmore Gardens, Thame.