OXFORDSHIRE County Council Fire and Rescue Service were called to a chimney fire in Tetsworth near Thame earlier today(06/01), to deal with a chimney fire.
Fire crews from both Thame and Watlington Fire Stations attended the scene at around 10.30am, to find flames coming out of the top of the chimney stack, and immediately set to using a rodding system to apply water and extinguish the fire.
Fire crews then scaled the roof of the property to remove the chimney stack that had become unstable due to the heat of the fire.
Incident Commander, Station Manager Paul Webster said: “Oxfordshire County Council Fire and Rescue Service recommends regular sweeping of chimneys to minimise the chances of a fire occurring; as the cold weather begins to set in now is the perfect time to have your chimney swept.
“Remember to have your chimney swept at least once a year, ideally before you light your first log or coal fire. Don’t let the sparks fly, make sure embers are under control, put out properly before you go out or to bed and use a British Standard fire guard to prevent sparks escaping.
“Store firewood away from fire places or stoves as there is a risk of accidental ignition via radiated heat, particularly over a period of time.”
THE Mayor of Thame, Linda Emery has thanked all those who stepped out in the mud and the rain to join her in a fund-raising New Year’s Day walk on Monday.
The Mayor of Thame (under grey umbrella) and some of the intrepid New Years day walkers
The New Year’s Day walk has proved very popular with Thame Mayors in the past few years and this year’s began at St Mary’s Church, Thame, where 36 people, including members of the Thame and Wheatley Ramblers, Thame Rotary, Thame Inner Wheel, Thame Lions, Town Councillors and local families and friends, met to shake of the Christmas cobwebs and take up the four-mile challenge to the county boundary and back.
“Despite the weather, ” said Linda, “the atmosphere was charged with enthusiasm and the weather ignored! A total of £165 was raised for my two chosen charities, the Red Kite Children’s Centre and Thame Youth Projects and the walkers shared hot soup, tea and coffee afterwards at Racquets Fitness Centre at the end of the event.
“The participants expressed keenness for the Boundary Walk to become an annual event.
“I’d like to thank all those who participated in the event and made it so enjoyable.”
FIRST prize winner in the Thame Small Business Saturday draw, Kathryn Clamp, joined local celebrated Cook-Caterer, Katie Ryder Richardson for a two-hour cookery lesson, just in time to help Kathryn plan her Christmas catering.
Katie Ryder Richardson (right) shows Kathryn how to roll a chocolate roulade
Kathryn, of kc4business, won first prize in Thame’s Small Business Saturday Prize Draw, held on Small Business Saturday on December 3. With Katie Ryder Richardson’s guidance, she was able to cook a fantastic gourmet meal for two at Katie’s home, and then takes it home with her to enjoy with a partner.
Kathryn came to Small Business Saturday in Thame last month, where she took part in a variety of free-to-attend workshops and one2one sessions with organisations including the FSB, supporters of Small Business Saturday.
Kathryn commented, ‘Winning first prize in the Small Business prize draw was, quite simply, the icing on the cake!’
Kc4business, based in Thame, is a business development and sales support consultancy offering clients, particularly SMEs, an extension of their business without the cost and need to commit to a full-time member of staff.
Contact kc4business at kathryn.clamp@kc4business.co.uk or on 07484 124614.
THAMES Valley Police is appealing for information after a car was stolen from a car park in Thame.
The theft occurred around 3.40pm from the Travelodge car park yesterday (29/12). The vehicle stolen was a Melbourne red BMW M3 registration plate AX08FWB with a V8 engine, 4 litre, carbon black roof, grey alloys, small carbon spoiler and four exhausts.
Police have described the suspected offender as an Asian man with a bald head and a slight black beard, wearing a grey coat and black trousers. He is 5ft 6″ with very yellow teeth and a slight Birmingham accent.
There was also a suspicious Asian man in his twenties wearing sunglasses driving a gun metal coloured BMW 3 series coupe, parked nearby at the service area.
Investigating officer PC Ali Shahed, based at Thame police station, said: “I would like to speak to anyone who has seen a car in recent days resembling the one in the image as this is similar to the vehicle that was stolen.
“We are also urging anyone to come forward with information about the parked car nearby that may have been used to drop off the offender at the scene.
“Please contact us on the non-emergency number 101.”
If you do not want to speak directly to the police you can contact the independent charity Crimestoppers (opens new window) anonymously on 0800 555 111. No personal details are taken, information is not traced or recorded and you will not go to court.
THE sixteen passengers and the coach driver of the Oxford Bus Company vehicle, have been taken to hospital after it overturned in thick fog, and slid down an embankment as the bus left the M40 slip road at Junction seven near Thame.
Fire crew stabilise the overturned bus
A spokesman for Oxfordshire Fire and Rescue, described the scene they were met with in the early hours of this morning, December 30: “On arrival the initial fire crews were met with an unstable coach that had overturned and was half way down a bank, and were quickly deployed to assist Highways Officers in walking wounded casualties from the vehicle to safety.
“Trauma trained firefighters treated the injured before handing over to South Central Ambulance staff on scene.
“Once the coach was stabilised and all walking wounded were safely assisted, fire crews thoroughly searched the vehicle and surrounding area for any passengers that may have been ejected. Fire crews worked in partnership with Thames valley Police Officers and specialist Hazardous Area Response Teams from South Central Ambulance Service and employed thermal imaging cameras, image intensifying lens’s, remote cameras and audible searches to try to locate any missing persons.”
Those injured suffered cuts, bruises and broken bones and the South Central Ambulance Service (SCAS) declared it a ‘major incident’ due to the number of people hurt.
Incident Commander, Group Manager Kerry Blair, added: “It was very cold and foggy at the time of the incident and emergency service staff assisted by the Highways Agency worked extremely hard to quickly and safely rescue all casualties and ensure they were transported to hospital without delay. It is testament to our continued multi-agency training that this incident was managed in such a professional manner despite the dangerous and very cold conditions. I urge all drivers to pay particular attention when the roads are cold and foggy and ensure they moderate their speed and leave a safe gap between themselves and other road users.”
M40 northbound exit slip road at junction J7 (Thame) is still closed due to the recovery operation and is not expected to re-open before 4pm.
THAME & District Round Table have been overwhelmed by the generosity of local people towards their annual Santa collections this year, not just with record donations but with random acts of kindness!
Peter Butt of Thame & District Round Table explained: “As well as our mobile sleigh collections, we always have a static collection in the town centre, to allow less physically able groups to collect with us – this year the volunteers were from the Thame Day Centre. We were really touched when staff from Sainsbury’s came over with tea, coffee and biscuits to help keep Santa and the Elves warm.
“Then, on our last collection night, residents of Onslow Drive, led by Robert Phillips, laid on a barbeque for everyone taking part; it was a wonderful thing to do and made us all very proud to be a part of such a great Community.”
This year the Round Table raised £8,219, all of which goes back into supporting various local groups, charities and persons in need, for example – one example the Community Christmas Thame, with a donation of £275 which hit their target to allow the event to take place this year. Community Christmas Thame aims to provide a lunch on Christmas Day for the isolated and vulnerable elderly of the Thame area.
Round Table is the original social network, offering men under the age of 45 the opportunity to expand their social and business networks, develop life skills, have fun and help others. Thame & District Round Table meets every other Tuesday and has a busy calendar of fun and interesting events, as well as organising various fundraising activities on behalf of local causes. Find out more by visiting their facebook page: HERE and their website HERE
EX farmers, a Second World War bomber rear gunner, engineers and men and women from all walks of life, now in their senior years and all members of the Thame and District Thame Centre, came together on Tuesday (December 20) to celebrate Christmas.
The Mayor of Thame, Linda Emery, admires a guest’s novelty Christmas jumper
Members, their carers, staff from the day centre, Trustees, the Mayor of Thame and other special invited guests all enjoyed a three course Christmas lunch followed by mince pies and coffee, at The Oxford Belfry before being entertained by members of the Thame Players with songs, poems, jokes and sketches, all revolving around that great British obsession, the weather.
Not only were there renderings of great show tunes like ‘Singing in the Rain’, and a medley of Flanagan and Allen songs, but a recitation of ‘January brings the snow..’ and other poems. Of course, jokes about our weather generally go down well with most British audiences – even if they’re as corny as this one: “Where do you weigh a pie?” Answer: “Over the rainbow!” (Way – up – ‘igh ? Please yer self!)
In amongst the fun and laughter, there were some very interesting facts about the weather too. Did you know that in 1983 the air temperature in the Antarctic plunged to −89.2 °C? Or that the Shipping forecast has been broadcast every day since 1911? But the biggest buzz of surprise came from the audience when they learned that during the great London Smog of 1950, which many in the audience remembered, 10,000 people died of its effects and in fact, it was so difficult to see to find your way around for the three days that the Smog lasted, that blind people were enroled to lead Londoners around the city.
Just to finish off, I’d like to share a weather-related incident that happened to me recently. As we waited for a bus in the frosty weather, the woman next to me mentioned that she makes a lot of mistakes when texting in the cold.
An elderly gentlemen, over-hearing our conversation, nodded knowingly. “It’s the early signs of typothermia you know.”
DESPITE winning a grant of £10,000 to help keep Thame’s Childrens Centre open, the community group putting together a business plan to secure its future, is fearful for its longer term sustainability.
Image courtesy of Action for Children, the natioal charity that runs the Red Kite Childrens Centre in Thame
Speaking on behalf of Thame Sharing Life Trust, John Hulett told Thame.net: “The county council’s Cabinet is expected to propose tomorrow that instead of a one-year waiver on the rent of buildings used by the county’s Childrens Centres, only a six month breathing space will be given to those centres who have come up with a viable business plan.
‘Giving with one hand and taking with the other’
“We believe that the rent of the thame building – £6,600 per year – should be waived for at least a year because of the enormous cost involved in setting up a community initiative. Yes, we have been awarded £10,000 from the ‘Transition’ fund for the first three years by Oxfordshire County Council, but it is not helpful, the say the least, for them to want to charge us rent for running a service for them. This amounts to giving with one hand and taking away with the other! What is the point of offering it if they will be taking it back?
Longer term prospects for the Thame centre
“Whilst we are confident that we can run the Red Kites Children Centre for a year, if we have to pay some of the money back, this will severely curtail some of the other things we want to do.”
Oxfordshire County Council’s Cabinet is expected to make a decision on the rent waiver proposal at its meeting tomorrow (Tuesday) and John Hulett will be making his point in person at the meeting.
Local charity Sharing Life Trust is leading a working group with other local agencies to see if the Red Kite Children’s Centre can be saved from closure by Oxford County Council, planned for the end of March, 2017, along with 41 others.
Benefits to families
The Red Kite Centre has been providing services for the under 5’s and their parents for the last 10 years at its base in Southern Road, Thame, the former library building. A recent survey showed that 82% of 1,150 eligible children accessed the service in Thame or Chinnor, with 95% of parents who attend the centre reporting an improved outcome for them and their children.
“We’re at an advanced stage of developing a business plan to continue providing the vital universal care services which also can highlight developing problems which may require specialist help,” said the centre in a recent statement, appealing for more help.
“We’re going to need up to £90,000 a year, and, in order to not lose existing staff we must make a decision by Christmas on whether this is a viable project. Following confirmation of a grant from the County Council and other providers we believe that we’ve got over half what we need for Year One.”
‘Dedicated team’
John Hulett concluded: “Amy Spicer, the Centre Leader, and her dedicated team have provided invaluable support to so many families with young children in our area and we want to ensure this continues. For this to happen we need the help of the whole community so please get in touch and show your support.”
What can you do to help?
Just a willingness to be asked for help when its needed is basically what is being asked for. Just your contact details is all that is necessary if you would like to make a pledge. The Trust will follow up with you when it is ready to go. Just visit the website at www.sharinglifetrust.org and then click on the ‘Save the Red Kite Children’s Centre’ button on the home page and register your interest. For enquiries or offers of other resources, email: info@sharinglifetrust.org. If you prefer you can phone using the Freephone number: 0300 201 0212
A new bus service to bring shoppers from Watlington to Thame market on Tuesdays, will begin operating from summer, 2017.
Thame’s Tuesday market
The new service will be provided by the Oxfordshire Comet using the ITU fleet of minibuses. This service to Thame will start on Tuesday, August 16, and will replace the old 124 service that stopped running at the end of July, 2016. It will follow a similar route to the old 124 route.
The Oxfordshire Comet uses county council vehicles that normally take children to school and adults to day care centres. Oxfordshire County Council’s transport planning team identified the times of the day when they weren’t being used and are making them available to residents.
FOR the third year in a row, South Oxfordshire District Council has been named the best recycler in DEFRA’s annual recycling league tables.
The good news comes despite a small drop in the recycling figures due to recycling in green wheelie bins being contaminated with food waste, dirty nappies and other things that can’t be recycled. These are often hidden in sacks that the waste crews can’t see into, and full lorry loads of recycling were being rejected. New policies not to empty recycling bins containing non-clear sacks came into force for both councils in November this year to tackle the problem.
This has already begun to have a positive effect, and since the new policy was introduced, no lorry loads of recycling have so far been rejected due to contamination.
The problems due to contamination were offset by the councils’ popular new kerbside recycling service of textiles and small electrical items. Residents can leave old, unusable clothes and textiles in a tied carrier bag next to their green bin, and small electrical items, like hairdryers and toasters in a tied carrier bag next to their grey bin.
Cllr Tony Harbour, cabinet member for waste at South Oxfordshire District Council, said: “We’re extremely pleased to be top of the tables again and we’re very grateful for the hard work of our residents – we took a difficult decision this year to stop people using non-clear sacks in their bins to prevent contamination. Most of our residents have already adapted brilliantly though, which should help us stay near the top for another year.”
“Remember to have your chimney swept at least once a year, ideally before you light your first log or coal fire. Don’t let the sparks fly, make sure embers are under control, put out properly before you go out or to bed and use a British Standard fire guard to prevent sparks escaping.
