Category: More News

THAME For Tangalle, which was set up for raise money to help rebuilt a hospital in the area devasted by the Boxing Day tsunami, now has a website.
www.thamefortangalle.nildram.co.uk
gives lots of up to date information about the project both here and in Tangalle. There are photos of the current state of the hospital and fund raising efforts to date. Anyone who donates to the project can have a link from the website if they wish.
Nina Oakman,from Thame, who set up the appeal after her son and daughter-in-law were taken in by a local family in Tangalle when they escaped the tsunami, told ThameNews: “We are going to contact the major businesses in Thame, personally, with a letter detailing what we are trying to achieve and people are beginning to recognise the name of the project which is great.
“Any help that anyone can give us would be greatly appreciated.”

LIBERAL Democrat District Councillors have accused the Tory Leadership of South Oxfordshire District Council of ?raiding the Community Investment Fund to plug a hole in its staff pension fund?.
The decision to use CIF funds to finance a

A group of members from St. Mary?s church, Thame, are meeting for a ?Bring and Share? lunch following their recent trip to Calcutta.
The meeting will be held at the Thame Barns Centre from 12.30-2.30pm on Sunday, March 20, to discuss their experiences. Everyone welcome.
CLICK ‘Back’ TO READ BACKGROUND STORY DATED JANUARY 12.

DESPITE building work hold-ups at what will become Thame’s museum, the Museum Trust, which is overseeing the transformation of the old Magistrate’s building, are confident that they will be able to stage an exhibition of sort by the summer.
The museum has to date shown two exhibitions, a commemoration of the 60th anniversary of D-Day back in June of last year, and Toys Of Yesteryear in December.
One of the most important landmarks for the musuem will be the return to Thame of the famous Renaissance wall paintings found at 43 High Street, Thame, and currently being looked after at the Oxford Museum. The trustees hope that their installation will take place within the next 6-9 months, once important conservation work has been done on them and the new Thame museum can provide suitable protection.
Anyone interested in learning more about the museum’s future can go along to the town hall, between 10am and 12 mid-day, to a members meeting, where the agenda will include a discussion about the Draft Design Brief for the future museum.

Photograph: The famour Renaissance wall paintings discovered at 43 High Street, Thame, in the 1980’s.

THAME and District Twinning Association’s Valentine’s Day quiz, proved a great success on Friday, when 128 people showed their support and helped raise money to fund a visit by the French to Thame in April.
The quiz itself included a round on aphrodisiacs (did you know that onions are supposed to increase sexual arousal?)and another on famous great lovers. The winners were a team made up of teachers from Beaconsfield High School.
The half-time cabaret act was the second appearance in Thame by ‘Madame Fifi’ alias Margie Barbour, who charmed the audience with her suggestive and topical humour and lead the singing of some well-known french songs.
Madame Fifi had her hair specially coiffeured for the occassion, free of charge, by Zen Hair of Thame.

Photo: Madame Fifi, with quiz master, Nigel Champken-Woods.

A well-known local crime writer will be signing copies of her books in support of Oxfam’s ‘Make Crime Pay’ promotion of their range of crime fiction.
Margaret Yorke will be at the Oxfam Bookshop, Thame, on Saturday, February 19, between 11am and 12 noon. The promotion will carry on until February 26.
As part of this this special crime fiction week, visitors to the shop can enter a Crime Fiction Quiz and win a set of penquin porcelain mugs donated by Art Meets Matter.
The shop’s 1000-odd crime fiction titles range from a

THAME’s MP, Henley Boris Johnson Was presented with a Channel 4 award for the person who has made the biggest impression on British politics during last year.
The Spectator editor topped a shortlist of six for the award held in association with the Hansard Society.
He beat Fathers 4 Justice’s Jason Hatch, who scaled Buckingham Palace dressed as Batman, former Home Secretary David Blunkett, who resigned over allegations that he fast-tracked a visa application for former lover Kimberly Quinn, U2’s lead singer Bono, who campaigns against poverty in Africa and former UKIP, member Robert Kilroy-Silk.

PICTURE: Boris chats with committee members during a visit to Thame & District Day Centre, based at the Community Hospital’s Day Centre last Friday, February 11.

A TEAM from St Mary?s and Barley Hill Churches, Thame, who went to Calcutta at the end of January, have returned excited, enthused and encouraged by what they experienced.
Patsy Baker, Diane Eyre, Cynthia Jackson and Owen Davies spent time dressing ulcers in the Leprosy Hospital and washing and feeding the dying at Mother Theresa?s Home for the Destitute and Dying.
Owen Davies, who is a Thame Town Councillor, said: ?The highlights of our trip, in many ways, turned out to be during our time with Emmanuel Ministries, an organisation that works with drug addicts, alcoholics, street children, prostitutes and rickshaw pullers amongst other marginalized folk. In some ways, it was a glimpse of Heaven to spend time at the homes run for those who had been addicts for many years and who had been through the detox and rehabilitation programmes, and for those young folk between eight and 20 years-old, who had been beggars or addicts , now living in communities bursting with love and joy for each other. Many had become Christians and just wanted to live useful lives in serving others.

?Much of the money entrusted to us by Thame friends who had given so generously was given to be used as seed money for projects that will bring self-sufficiency and empowerment to our Calcutta friends.?
Owen summed up: ?Calcutta is known as the City of Joy but we also found it a City of Love where not only was love in all its fullness and richness witnessed but also received.?

THAME’s MP, Boris Johnson was presented with a Channel 4 award for the person who made the biggest impression on British politics last year.
The Spectator editor topped a shortlist of six for the award which is held in association with the Hansard Society.
Boris beat ‘Fathers 4 Justice’s’ Jason Hatch, who scaled Buckingham Palace dressed as Batman, former Home Secretary David Blunkett, who resigned over allegations he fast-tracked a visa application for his former lover, Kimberly Quinn, U2’s lead singer Bono who campaigns against poverty in Africa and former UKIP member, Robert Kilroy-Silk.

PICTURE: Boris in shares a cup of tea with staff and patients at the Thame Community Day Centre, last Friday, February 11.

AMONG the many tributes that have been paid to William Tremayne, of Great Milton, who died recently, is that of fellow Thame Classic Motor Club member and Thame?s Deputy Mayor, Nigel Champken-Woods.
As a friend and fellow ?twinner?, I too would like to add my own thoughts. (Ed.)
Writing in the Motor Club?s magazine, The Oily Rag, Nigel referred to William?s renowned sense of humour, when he turned up for a meeting in a bright red Lomax three-wheeler which he referred to as ?the Jammy Dodger?. Both this vehicle, which his wife Angela refused to travel in, and William?s Citroen Light 15, often carried him to Montesson, Thame?s twin town in France, where one or the other was proudly included in the town carnival procession every September.
Indeed, William was a very active supporter of the Thame Twinning Association, where he was the accepted champion gleaner of raffle prizes, a role relished by few in any organisation, one which he however excelled at, using a mixture of friendly bluster, charm (especially if it was a middle-aged lady he was appealing to) or making one feel mean for not sharing his enthusiasm for the cause.
William threw himself into everything he became involved in with great gusto and one of my greatest memories of him is himself dressed up for the part of Town Cryer, having lost one his home-made baco-foil buckles, striding around the town, ringing a bell, yelling in his most English of voices and with his somewhat militaristic bearing, gathering the shoppers to attend the official opening of Montesson Square.
It was evident from the most moving speeches given by William?s two sons at his Humanist funeral service, that his relationship with them was an inspiring one(he build and flew his own hang glider!) and that the love between him and Angela, whom he met at Cambridge University, was the bedrock of this lovely family.
As Nigel said, William was a strong character with definite views which he wasn?t averse to stating, but he was a great friend and committed supporter of both the Motor Club and the Twinning Association and we are all missing him very much.