Thame.net

Author: Sonja Francis

  • Thame Market Rents Too Low Says Report

    THE rent paid by market traders at Thame?s Tuesday market should rise by 41%, says a report by the District Valuer.
    However, following negotiations between the Town Clerk, Helen Stewart, and market traders? representatives, it has been proposed to raise the rent by 17% this year, and by 3% in the following three years. This will mean an increase this year from

  • Surprise Visitor For Cromwell Road Residents

    THAME’S Member of Parliament, Boris Johnson, began a series of pre-election walk-abouts in Thame, this afternoon.
    After talking to people in the High Street, outside the town hall and in Greyhound Walk, Boris visited the Six Bells and the house of Thame Conservative Association’s Jo Richardson, before knocking on doors in Cromwell Avenue and Chalgrove Road, on Lea Park, canvassing votes.
    Boris batted a variety of comments and questions including the topic of Pensions for ex-servicemen, the economy and the current situation for farmers.

    Photo: Boris Johnson with Bill and Freda McCarthy of Cromwell Avenue, Thame.

  • Boris’s Labour Opponent Throws Down The Gauntlet

    KALEEM SAEED, the Henley Constituency Labour Party Parliamentary Candidate, has welcomed the Prime Minister’s announcement that the General Election will take place on May 5.
    In a statement yesterday, Kaleem said: “I look forward to a hearty fight with Boris and look forward to representing the people of Henley in Parliament”.

    NB Boris will be on ‘walk about’ in Thame tomorrow, Thursday, April 7, from 10.30am.

  • Slow Take Up of Oxford Tube Link

    THAME’S Deputy Mayor, Cllr Nigel Champken-Woods, who is the town council’s Transport Representative, says that the recently launched taxi-bus service is not being used by Thame commuters.
    At a meeting of Thame Town Council’s Planning committee yesterday, he warned that unless the service is used, it could be withdrawn and urged local people to think about the advantages of the scheme.

    See Taxi Bus Launched Today
    for background information.

  • End Of An Era For Thame Family Business

    HALF a century of caring for the cars of local people came to an end on Friday for a Thame family business.
    Bambrooks Garage, which began when Mrs Gwen Bambrook started the family taxi business in 1952, was officially closed and handed over to the new owner, Karl White, proprietor of the Thame Service Station on the opposite side of Chinnor Road.
    Roy Bambrook, who with his brother Ken ran the garage and taxi business after the death of their father, Jack (John) Bambrook in 1992, related the history of the family firm to ThameNews.Net:
    ?Early in 1952, mum and dad bought the property from a Mrs Hanse. They moved in and mum started her taxi business while dad worked at the Service Garage (where HSBC bank is now), run by Arthur Blanchard. Mother started to get very busy with the taxi work, what with weddings almost every Saturday and driving the likes of Vivien Leigh who lived at Knottley Abbey, and Larry Grayson among her clientele. Dad came to help mum out but, because he was such a good engineer, a lot of his customers followed him here. So dad built a workshop and got really busy mending cars.
    ?Dad was at that time also a member of Thame Fire Brigade but because he was so busy with the garage, in 1957, after 20 years of service, decided he would have to finish. I was 18 years-old by then and was working at the Service Garage myself. Because dad had left, there was a vacancy at the fire station and they persuaded me to join to replace him and shortly afterwards, the Service Garage was sold on and it was decided that I would come and work for dad ? that was in June 1958. Although the siren at the fire station used to go off to summon the brigade, as was common practice then, a bell was put in the workshop. We got so busy that by 1965, we needed to build bigger premises. Around that time, my brother Ken, who had been working at Haynes? Garage (where Barclays bank is now), joined the family business. Dad continued to work until his health failed and he died 1992, since when, Ken and I continued until the present day.?
    Roy retired from the fire service himself on News Year?s Eve, 1994, after 37 years.
    Gwen Bambrook, though frail, is still alive and being cared for in a nursing home in Stone, near Thame.
    It is an emotional time for most people coming to the end of their working life, but Roy said that although he felt sad at what is after all, the end of an era, he was looking forward to working on his retirement projects.
    ?It?s exciting in a sort of frightening way,? he admitted.
    Roy is a keen Radio Ham and photographer and enjoys computing.
    But it is Roy?s enthusiasm for his work that was always apparent to his customers, many of whom became his firm friends and will now have the difficult task of finding a reliable and resourceful engineer like Roy or indeed Ken, to look after their vehicles. But, as Roy admitted himself, he will still be tinkering around with cars one way or another for as long as he can hold a spanner.

    But what of the future of the site on which Bambrooks? has stood for so long?
    Karl White, the new owner explained:
    ?For many years we have sold cars, carried out MOTs and services, as well as valeting and repairing cars. The business is growing and we are running out of space. By acquiring Bambrooks?, we will be able to carry on doing all of that in a way that will be much more convenient for our customers.?

    Photo: Roy Bambrook hands over the keys of Bambrook’s garage to new owner, Karl White. Also pictured, Ken Bambrook and the two Mrs Bambrooks.

  • ‘Thame Music ‘ Launched By Top Orchestra

    THE world class, Orchestra of St John’s, will perform for the first event of an exciting new collaboration to form ‘Thame Music’.

    The concert will take place at St Mary’s Church, Thame, on Saturday, May 21, at 7.30pm.

    John Lubbock, OSJ’s founder, is the Artistic Director and the programme will include Christine Cairns, Mezzo-soprano, Britten’s Simple Symphony,Respighi Il tramonto, Walton’s Music from Henry V and the Tchaikovsky Serenade for Strings. Tickets availabele on 01844 212834

    Since the OSJ was founded in 1967 by its Artistic Director, John Lubbock, it has built its reputation as one of the UK’s leading orchestras on world-class concerts at the finest festivals and concert halls combined with intimate music making in community settings. It commissions new music, produces recordings and is broadcast on radio and television, further ensuring its international profile and accessibility.

    OSJ Onstage (Leader: Harvey de Souza): Each year, OSJ performs concerts throughout the UK and overseas at leading festivals and concert halls, at its Residency bases and in community settings. Through its unique artistic policy, it presents innovative, integrated and audacious programmes that combine rarely or unperformed pieces with well-known repertoire. Its aim is to give audiences the opportunity to hear something new (unusual or previously unheard works by living composers or those from the past) alongside something familiar.

    OSJ Offstage – a partnership between OSJ and Create: OSJ is nationally acclaimed for its OSJ Offstage programme, run in partnership with Create, the dynamic new arts charity. OSJ OffStage takes a fresh, new approach to making music accessible to the widest possible audience. It promotes new experiences, fosters musical interests and talents, and stimulates participation, creativity and attendance at musical events. Activities include: creative music-making workshops in mainstream and special needs schools, with young offenders and with those who are homeless; concerts for children and for those with specific disabilities; cross-arts projects; informal performances for older people in residential homes and patients in hospices and hospitals; masterclasses; and major community events.

    OSJ Soundynamics – a partnership between OSJ and Create: Through their groundbreaking OSJ Soundynamics training initiative, OSJ and Create run bespoke creative music programmes to meet the training needs of both large and small corporate clients and other employers. Courses, ranging from graduate training programmes and management development seminars to large-scale conferences, use a series of interactive modules that enable participants to explore their creativity and develop sustainable skills including time management, teamwork, communication and leadership. Courses improve employees’ performance, motivation and job satisfaction.

  • Business Seminar

    Handling disputes in the workplace

    Does your business comply with the new rules?

    New regulations introduced by the DTI on October 1st 2004 require all employers to use a 3-step procedure for handling disciplinary, dismissal and grievances at work.
    By attending our seminar, having a hearty breakfast and investing two hours of your time you will

    ? find out how the new rules affect you and your staff
    ? be updated on basic employment rights
    ? be guided through the legislation
    ? be advised on how to maintain good relations with your workforce

    Join us on Tuesday 26th April 2005 at 7.30am for breakfast. Seminar 8.00 ?10.00am

    Venue ? Conference Suite, Spreadeagle Hotel, Thame, Oxfordshire, OX9 2BW
    Book your place no later than Monday 18th April 2005. Cost

  • County Council Call For Improvements Following Thame Drowning

    FOLLOWING the drowning of 11 year-old Natham Matthews at Thame swimming pool last July, Bucks County Council has been served with an improvement notice.
    See FULL STORY
     as reported by the Bucks Free Press last Friday.

  • Thame Land Mark Back In Place By French Visit?

    THE Pierce Memorial statue, which has been stolen twice from Thame Memorial Gardens, should be back in place by April 15.
    Work has begun on reinstating the bronze statue of a small boy, standing on a turtle, holding a big fish, which was the centre piece of the fountain in the gardens.
    The restoration of the War Memorial itself however, has been delayed by Thame Town Council until funding has been secured for the work. Unfortunately, this will result in the work not being done in time for the 60th Anniversary of the ending of the Second World War in July.

  • Interview With Labour Parliamentary Candidate

    KALEEM Saeed, the Labour Party Parliamentary candidate for the Thame, was recently interviewed by Freelance Journalist, Nicolas Newman.
    To find out Kaleem’s views on several issues and to read his and the County manifestos, follow this link