Thame.net

Author: Sonja Francis

  • County Council Election Results

    Political Party Candidate Votes
    Labour Aitken, Euan Hunter 1,392
    Conservative Carter, Nick 3,333 Elected
    Green Drew, Sandhya 447
    Liberal Democrat Haywood, Patricia 3,292
    Liberal Democrat Laver, David Arthur 3,238
    Labour Marfleet, Julie 1,169
    Green Tickell, Oliver Thomas 498
    Conservative Wilmshurst, David 3,476 Elected

    Total votes cast for candidates 16,845
    Spoilt votes cast 38
    Total votes cast 16,883
    Electorate 13,103
    % Turnout 64.57%

  • General Election 2005 Election Result – Henley

    Declared around 4.30am today:
    Boris Johnson (Con) 24,894 (2001 – 20,466)
    David Turner (Lib Dem) 12,101 (2001 – 12,008)
    Kaleem Saeed (Lab) 6,862 (2001 – 9,367)
    UKIP 1162 (2001 – 1413)
    Mark Stevenson GREENS 1511 (2001 – 1147)

  • Care Home For Elderly In Exchange For Sports Facility?

    A PROPOSAL to build an improved Care Home for the elderly in Thame, on part of Lord Williams’s school playing fields, is being considered.
    The following statement has been issued by the Governors of Lord Williams?s School:
    “The Governors…. are pleased to announce that they have been presented with a golden opportunity to develop the sports facilities at Lord Williams?s Upper School whilst at the same time providing the resource to develop Thame?s provision for the elderly.

    “The Governors were approached by the Oxfordshire Care Partnership which needs to re-develop the Meadowcroft Home for Older People to meet the new legislative requirements for homes for the elderly. In order to re-develop the existing premises it will be necessary to transfer the ownership of a small part of the Lower School Playing Fields in Towersey Road from the Directorate of Learning and Culture to the Oxfordshire County Council Social and Health Care Directorate. This will enable the Oxfordshire Care Partnership to build a new care home that meets all the new specifications for homes.

    The transfer of the land, which is approximately 0.6 of an acre, will provide the school with the capital receipt to enable it to construct an Astro-turf (all-weather) playing surface on the school?s Upper School site. Such a playing facility would be a huge benefit to the school and to community sports clubs as a year-round facility sorely-needed by Thame and the surrounding area.

    The proposal will require the consent of the Department for Education and Science as well as the relevant planning permissions for the Home for the Elderly and the all-weather playing surface. The Governors of Lord Williams?s School have given their approval for the scheme on the basis that permissions are sought and granted and that the scheme for the Astro-turf can be funded from the transfer of the section of land.

    Anne Clark, Chair of Governors at Lord Williams?s School, said ?This is a great opportunity to provide Thame with two much needed facilities. The corner of playing field in question is an awkward shape and consequently little used by the school. The benefit to Thame of having an all-weather pitch whilst giving the town a state-of-the-art home for the elderly is an opportunity too good to miss.?

  • French Teenages Reach Out For Thame Pen Pals

    TEENAGERS between 11 and 16 years-old, from Thame’s twin town of Montesson, would like to hear from youngsters of a similar age to become pen friends and perhaps later on to spend exchange holidays with them.

    Already several year seven pupils at Lord Williams’s, under the guidance of Miss Jacquline Jewell are preparing replies to letters sent to them from France.

    Diane Ansell would like to hear from anyone who would be interested in writing to or hearing from someone around their own age from Montesson. Contact Diane on 01844 215165, or email her at: dianeansell@hotmail.com

  • Hole In One For Dogs For The Disabled

    DOGS for the Disabled, a national charity based in Banbury, has received a cheque for

  • Wanted – Tea and Chat

    Could you be a friend to a lonely, older person?
    Age Concern Oxfordshire is looking for volunteers for our Personal Home Visit service for lonely, housebound and isolated people, aged 60 and over, living in and around Thame. All it takes is an hour or two a week to pop in and have a chat, play board games or just have a cup of tea. So little of your time can make a real difference to their lives.

    We are also looking for volunteers to help with its Hospital Aftercare Support scheme operating in South Oxfordshire. When a patient is discharged from hospital, we provide a volunteer to meet that patient at their home for a friendly chat and to help with shopping, banking, collection prescriptions etc, for a period of five days. We urgently need volunteers for this crucial service. Would you like to help give older people the confidence to make it on their own?

    Age Concern Oxfordshire needs your help. A little bit of effort can go a very long way. To find out what you can do to help with one or both of the services, please contact Alex Ivey on 01235 849 400 or 07906 352 113.

  • Burglary Appeal Plus Stolen Purse

    THAME POLICE are appealing for information following a burglary at house in Great Milton.
    The property was entered by smashing the glass in the front door and lifting the latch, on Sunday, May 1, between 1.15 and 2.15 PM.
    Anyone who may have seen anything suspicious, or who may have any information about this incident is asked to contact the Police Enquiry line 0845 8505505, or Crime Stoppers (anonymously) 0800 555111

    THE POLICE would also like any information about an offence that took place at Reaston Brown Estate Agents, in Thame, on Friday, April 29, when someone entered an open door and stole a purse from the handbag of an employee.

  • Second Report From Town Annual Meeting

    CARRYING on from the presentation from the two Youth Councillors and discussion about possible sites for a shared community facility in Thame, councillors were asked for the latest information on the Cattle Market. It was explained that the final draft of the District Plan was awaited and that much hinged on the Farmers Mart wanting to leave the Cattle Market and moving to an alternative site. Sarah Hayes issued a reminder of a public meeting about the future of the Cattle Market Site, to be held at the town hall on June 20.
    Cllr Adam Buckland, who is the town council?s representative on the Youth Council, thanked Ben and Archie and said: ?The energy that was in this room during that presentation was amazing. We want the Youth Council to engage youngsters from different groups of our community. If they can harness that energy, the Youth Council will go from strength to strength.?
    The next speaker was Keith Slater, Chair of Thame and District Chamber of Commerce, and a member of the Thame in the 21st Century Partnership Steering Group, who explained what had happened during the eight months since the Partnership was launched.
    ?At the beginning,? he explained, ?none of us had much of an idea of what we could not do, what we could do and how we could do it. We discovered that the money we had been given was to employ someone and that there were strict limitations on who that person should be, and that the

  • Interview With Lib Dem Election Candidate

    ON the last day before polling begins for both the General Election and the Local County Council election in Oxfordshire, Thame.News.Net interviewed the Liberal Democrat?s General Election candidate for the Thame area, David Turner.

    Q: What are the main areas of concern raised by local people on the door steps as you canvas around the county?
    A: ?Lack of affordable housing, particularly for young people in the villages. When we controlled the district council, we built 700 new affordable homes in the previous five years. When the Tories took over they managed only an average of 61 in a year.
    Concerns about the health service was another issue people raised with us. We say that Targets are costly to administrate and that we should just let the professionals get on with their jobs.
    Education seems to be another focus for concern and we propose to reduce class sizes, particularly for the under elevens.

    Q: What would you say are the personal differences between yourself and the other candidates?
    A: ?As a district councillor, I have a deep knowledge of South Oxfordshire and so am very much more aware of the problems. It is my contention that you can?t be a good MP unless you have lived in the area for a long time and it is essential to work at it full-time and not have lots of other jobs outside. After all it is what an MP is paid to do!?

    Q: So, would you give up being a County Councillor if you were to become an MP?
    A: ?No; many MPs have been county councillors in the past, and I would do my best in both roles ? I think they are complimentary.?

    Q: What are your main priorities as the General Election Candidate?
    A: ?Affordable housing I have already mentioned, free personal care for the elderly, which we as a party have achieved in Scotland, and the abolition of all tuition fees and top-up fees. Also, we want to introduce a local income tax, based on the ability to pay.

    Q: So where will the money come from to pay for further education?
    A: ?From an increase in the top rate of income tax, to 50% from 40%, for those earning over

  • Criticised Election Candidate Hits Back

    THE Conservative County Council Election Candate for the Thame area, who was accused of publishing misleading details in his election literature, has hit back.
    Nick Carter was criticised yesterday by his Labour adversaries of suggesting in his campaign literature that he lives and works in Thame, when in fact, they said, he lives in Headington and has not worked in Thame for some months.
    Today, Nick Carter contact ThameNews.Net with the following comments:
    “It’s wonderfully ironic that Labour, of all people, should accuse others of misleading the public.
    “The facts are that I have lived in Headington for a couple of years since moving temporarily out of Thame in order to be closer to my children.
    “Meanwhile, having worked in Thame for several years, I moved to a new office here (ED.Not clear where ‘here’ is; Awaiting clarification) 16 months ago.
    “My home address is public knowledge since it appears on all the ballot papers for the forthcoming election. That’s a point which Labour have
    conveniently overlooked in this latest attempt to smear one of their opponents.”