Thame.net

Author: Sonja Francis

  • Lessons In Safety For Young Cylcists

    CHILDREN from Thame are learning how to cycle safely on roads this week under the expert tuition of Cathy Gaulter-Carter and John Robertson, both nationally accredited cycling instructors who trained with the London cycle training organisation CTUK early last year.

    The first session began in Elms Park on the new multi-sports play area where bikes and helmets were checked before the children played games to develop their cycling and balancing skills. They had fun riding round cones, do the ?high fives? to make sure they could take their hands off the handle bars, had a slow race and practised looking behind. The final off-road exercise was ?follow the leader? when they pedalled off in a ?snake? around the park and then down the ?Phoenix Trail? to quiet roads.

    During the course children learn how to start and end a journey, negotiate different junctions, pass parked cars and know when it is safer to dismount! They learn about right of way and the highway code. All these skills are included in National Cycling Standards at level 2, which replace the outmoded cycling proficiency.

    Cathy, who organised the course by contacting local schools, said ?It?s great to teach children how to cycle safely and the National Standards go much further because we actually accompany the children on our bikes so that they can practise cycling in a variety of different locations. It?s great fun cycling out in a ?snake? and children become more aware of how to behave in traffic. Of course we tend to choose our routes carefully so that we avoid busy roads and this has the added bonus of showing trainees the safe routes through Thame. Cycling is such a great means of transport to go to school and I hope that as the children grow up they will continue to love riding their bikes and use them every day as I do. It?s a fantastic way to keep fit.?

    Each young cyclist was given a copy of the highway code for children, Arrive Alive, and lent a video ‘Bike to Basics’ to watch with their parents. At the end of the course they are awarded a certificate to show that they have learnt how to cycle more safely. They will also be familiar with a number of safer cycling routes through Thame.

    The cycling course ends with a picnic bike ride to Chinnor Village Centre along the Phoenix Trail.

  • Chinnor Off To A Powerful Start!

    CHINNOR Rugby Club will be kicking the season off to a grand start when they host the POWERGEN NATIONAL TROPHY this coming Saturday, September 3.
    Chinnor 1st 1XV v Reading Abbey 1st XV – Kick Off 3pm and a Hog roast prior to the game.

  • Best Ever Towersey

    THIS year?s Towersey Festival is officially the BEST EVER, with record numbers of visiting thronging to the festival site just outside Thame, over the Bank Holiday weekend.
    Jess Adams, speaking on behalf of Mrs Casey?s Music who organised the festival, told ThameNews.Net: ?For the first time since we increased the size of the festival, we completely sold all 3000 season tickets printed and were busier than we have ever been. We expect that well over our usual 10,000 visitors came this year. Rolf Harris went down an absolute storm and the queue for Kate Rusby stretched to the far end gate at one point, tickets completely selling out for both of them in the new, bigger theatre. The fantastic weather no doubt played its part in making this year, what so may people came up to us and said was the best yet.?

    Stand-by generators had to be put into action when a power cut affected an area with a four mile radius around Towersey, on Saturday, for around three hours.
    When asked by how much the Towersey Festival could grow in the future, Jess said: ?We don?t want to lose the unique, family-friendly, layed back, easy-to-walk to festival; we are only a small village and can only develop on what we have already got.?

    Photo courtesey of Towersey Festival website

  • Regeneration Of Thame Estate Delayed

    AN agreement to sell Thame Town Council land at the back of Van Diemans Road, as part of a regeneration scheme for the area, has been put on hold.
    SOHA Housing Ltd, the housing association that currently manages the Van Diemans estate, has been consulting with the planning authority and residents about a face-lift for the area, which could include refurbishing existing flats and maisonettes and adjoining land, the demolition of garage blocks to provide new affordable housing and improved parking and lighting.

    SOHA have asked the town council to sell them the area of grass at the rear of the flats and maisonettes to allow for 20 new parking spaces for the estate, to alleviate parking problems currently being experienced. The price they are asking is

  • Fun And Music In The Sun

    THE FORTY FIRST Towersey Festival has been hailed a success by visitors and organisers, thanks to a wonderful line up of entertainers and a crowd in happy holiday mood courtesy of the wonderful bank holiday weather.
    Thousands of visitors of all ages visited the four-day family-friendly festival this year, some camping for the whole duration and others visiting for the day to either listen and watch a variety of entertainment, from Rolf Harris to Kate Rusby who sang some of the numbers from her latest album, The Girl Who Couldn?t Fly, or to join in the many workshops.
    Others enjoyed the spontaneous theatre and jam sessions in the local pub or on the site itself, in between partaking of the excellent beer and cider on sale in the bar tent, visiting the trade market to buy jewellery or clothes, or strolling round the Craft and Music Fair; a perfect way indeed to end the summer holiday.

  • Chinnor Skate Park Approved After Planning Row

    FOLLOWING a 15 year wait, young people in Chinnor should be getting their skate park at last.
    On Wednesday, South Oxfordshire District Council?s Planning committee discussed a request by Chinnor Parish Council to establish change of use from agricultural to a skate park on a field between Chinnor and Emmington.
    Planning officers had recommended refusal of the application on the grounds that it would constitute an ‘unsustainable form of development that would extend into open countryside and detract from the rural character and appearance of the area.’ The plan would also, they said, be contrary to the adopted South Oxfordshire Local Plan and the Local Plan 2011, second deposit draft; ?A very severe breach of planning policy,? said one fuming planning officer.
    After a very lively debate and discussion, the decision was overturned by the committee who approved the plan.

    One of the local District Councillors who spoke in support of the skate park, told ThameNews.Net: ?The committee listened carefully to the arguments put forward by the representatives of Chinnor PC, local District Councillors and members of the public.
    ?The decision was greeted with much pleasure by the Chinnor representatives who now feel that they have a place where young people can play in fresh air, in the open countryside in safety.?

    Chinnor?s Cllr Linda Cameron, told ThameNews: ?The kids have waited a very long time for this. We appreciate that this site, outside of the village and near a busy road, is not the ideal place and that a risk assessment will have to be done. We may, for instance, have to provide a cycle path to make it safer than it is. One of the conditions attached to the planning permission is that we keep the path clear.
    ?We are determined that although the skate park will be in the countryside, it will hopefully not be a blot on the landscape; we plan to provide hedging and trees to screen out noise.?

    Fifteen year-old Josh Siler a pupil of Lord Williams?s school, told ThameNews.Net: ?This is great news. It would have been nice if the skate park could have been in a better place but it?s basically only about a 10 minute walk from Chinnor and it will be worth it to be able to practice what to us is our sport. We?re really grateful to Sue Brooks and all the others that have worked on our behalf for this.?

    It is understood that the decision may be taken to full Cabinet.

  • Bogus Caller Warning

    THAME police are warning local residents to be aware of bogus callers in the area following an incident in Chinnor, on Wednesday.
    A resident of Riders Way, in Chinnor, found a man in the backgarden, between 3.30pm and 4pm, who claimed he was doing a survey on new cars.
    The intruder, described as being a white male, between 40 and 50 years-old, was smartly dressed and carrying a clip board. When he was challenged to show his ID, the man quickly pulled it away.
    Sgt Greenwood, based at Thame, would like to hear from anyone who may have had a similar caller or who may have any other information about this incident. Contact him via the Police Enquiry Line 08458 505505, or anonymously via Crimestoppers 0800 555111.

  • New Thame United Chair Looks Forward

    THAME United has a new Chairman, following their AGM last night.
    Former Vice Chairman, Bernard Wakelin, is now Chairman, and Jim Tite, the previous Chairman, becomes President.
    Former Club Secretary, Jake Collinge, becomes Vice Chairman and Fred Salisbury remains as Club Secretary.
    Considering the club?s recent trials and tribulations, an up-beat Bernard told ThameNews.Net today: ?I am very pleased and excited. There is a lot to do but we must now move forward.
    ?Coleman Properties, our old landlord, put us in an intolerable position for business reasons and we have had to accept that. We were caught in a little trap. Now we have had time to think about things and we have tested the water; we are swimming very well and encouraged by the results we have been getting.
    ?Although we have lost three matches and drawn one, our squad of mainly youngsters with one or two old heads, are drawing larger crowds at Aylesbury than we enjoyed at Thame, which is enabling us to pay expenses to the players and pay officials.
    ?We have played so far against teams of a higher calibre, but we stand a good chance of beating Brentwood Town on Saturday, and earning over

  • Thame GSCE Students Beat National Figures

    THE long wait was over for hundreds of Lord Williams?s Year 11 students today, when they received the results of their GCSE exams.
    Despite the ritual criticism from some corners of industry and education in the national press, most of the students were proud of their achievements, waving their grade sheets in the air or excitedly contacting family and friends on their mobile phones to share their good news.

    This year, 63% of Year 11 students at the school gained five or more GCSE passes at A*-C grades, which is above the National rate of 61.2%.
    Amongst the individual successes were: Helen Scholey, Katie Wales, Stephen Thorpe, Jack Rees, Alasdair Lamb, Faith Green, Jeremy Shott, Lucy Brassell, George Bateman, Lucy Elkerton, Hannah Johnson, Lisa Snelling and Louise Hall, all of whom obtained at least 9 passes at A* and A.
    Rebecca Mawby gained 7 A*, 2 A grades and 2 pases at grade B.

    The Acting Headteacher of Lord Williams?s school, David Wybron, said: ?It is very pleasing to congratulate students who have done so well. Hard work has certainly paid off and most students will be pleased with their results.?

    Languages teacher, Susan Head, who with retired Headteacher, Mike Spencer, was at the school to support and congratulate students, told ThameNews.Net: ?Those people who criticise our young people should come down here on what is one of my favourite days in the school year and just see for themselves the shear ecstasy and excitement that they rightly feel after all that hard work.?

    ED: Do YOU think young people are leaving school unready for work? Do you think exams are becoming too easy? Share your experiences and views on the ThameNews forum

  • New Home For Thame Bridge Club

    HAVING lost its regular meeting place, with the closure of the Windmill suite at Thame United’s ex ground, Thame Bridge Club now has a new home.
    After a few weeks at Church House, Long Crendon, the club is now able to return to Thame with a new home at Thame Snooker Club, in Wellington Street.
    Meetings begin next Monday, August 29, at 7.15pm for a 7.30pm start.