FOLLOWING alleged illegal activity by the Kimblewick Hunt, highlighted in a video released on social media, and broadcast on the BBC News programme, Thame Town Council have issued the following statement:
The moment a Terrierman is alleged to be dragging a fox out of a hole by its back legs
The statement reads: “Thame Town Council has been made aware of a potential serious incident relating to the Kimblewick Hunt which met in Thame on New Year’s Day. We understand that this is a matter for the police to investigate further. The Town Council has always been assured of the full legality of the New Year’s Day meet, which is organised entirely by the hunt itself, under their supervision and at their cost. We have in the past given permission for the hunt to meet in the Upper High Street Car Park which is under the Town Council’s control.
“The Town Council will review the outcome of any further investigations in due course.”
A spokesperson for the organisation, Hunt Sabateurs, Lee Moon, posted on twitter that he told BBC South Today; “…the Kimblewick
Hunt would have to be suspended by the Masters of Foxhounds Association and we would expect to see the hunt disbanded.”
It is claimed by the organisation that the video shows the Kimblewick Hunt’s Terriermen pull a fox out of an artificial earth and throw the animal in front of the pack of hounds at a New Year’s day meet, in woodland near the village of Moreton, close to Thame.
No one from the Kimblewick Hunt has been available for comment.
SUE and Byron Harvey, whose stunning Christmas lights lit up their front garden in Wellington Street, Thame, have expressed their heart-felt thanks to all the people who put money in the charity box they hung on their garden wall, helping to raise £180 for charity!
The two charities that will share the funds are Dogs for Good, and Florence Nightingale Hospice. Both Sue and Byron have an assistance dog each and are well-known faces in and around the town.
SOUTH Oxfordshire Local Plan 2011 – 2034 has been published for consultation, and there are some interesting proposals for Thame.
South Oxfordshire District Council has published its draft local plan and is inviting the public and organisations to make formal responses that will be submitted with the plan to the government for inspection.
The formal public consultation began yesterday, January 7, and will run for six weeks until Monday, February 18, at 5pm. This is the final chance for residents, businesses and organisations to have their say on the plan. Comments will be submitted with the plan to the government by the end of March 2019. The examination of the plan by an independent government inspector is expected to follow in the summer.
Regarding Thame, the plan suggests that a further 363 homes will be needed by the end of the plan period. The Plan’s basic strategy for Thame is as follows:
The Council will support development proposals that: i) are in accordance with the Thame Neighbourhood Development Plan or any subsequent made replacement of that Plan; ii) strengthen the retail offer within Thame Town Centre; iii) improve the attraction of Thame for visitors and businesses; iv) improve accessibility, car parking, pedestrian and cycle links; v) support schemes that enhance the quality of the town’s environment and conserve and enhance the town’s heritage assets; vi) provide new employment opportunities and improve the stock of existing employment areas. vii) provide new, or enhanced community facilities that meet an identified need.
Hotel accommodation
In response to a Hotel Needs Assessment, the plan has identified a need for further hotels in Thame.
Follow the link HERE for all the details of the plan (downloadable PDF), and how to register your comments.
DIRECTED by Annemarie Jacir, Starring Mohammad Bakri, and Saleh Bakri, Jacir’s heart-warming comedy drama stars a father and son playing a father and son.
Set in contemporary Nazareth, Abu and his estranged son, Shadi, are thrust together for an awkward and revealing 24 hours. Shadi’s sister, Amal, is to be married, and in accordance with tradition the men of her family must deliver, by hand, the invitations for upwards of 300 wedding guests.
This means a day spent together in Abu’s beaten up Volvo, navigating the crowded and labyrinthine streets of the ancient city. But more to the point, they must navigate each other and the inter-generational tensions that colour their fraught relationship: the old man’s frustrations with his son’s sartorial, professional and romantic choices; the son’s anger at his father’s apparent acquiescence to Israeli authority; the painful familial circumstances that frame the forthcoming nuptials.
By degrees, the script reveals the multiple layers of one family’s experience, framed by the influence of wider political complexities and conflicts, telling a story of the Palestinian day-to-day experience in contemporary Israel. And meanwhile, it gives us an intimate portrait of the city, its people and its rituals and the lives of a minority Christian community, taking us into the homes and workplaces of multiple eccentric relations and acquaintances, in encounters that are often awkward, subtly revealing and frequently hilarious. A poignant, seductive and hugely enjoyable film.
WAJIB This Sunday – January 13 – NOTE 7pm showing !! Film tickets are available on the door or online- Click HERE
Note: The theatre’s capacity is 130 seats. TC4A allocates up to 100 seats for pre-booking online, reserving 30 for those who prefer to buy on the door. N.B. When buying online there is no need to print-out the ticket nor to have this sent to your mobile. We will have a list of ticket sales at the box office. All seats are unreserved. Doors open half an hour before films start, admission £5, licensed bar. Thame Cinema 4 All is at Thame Players Theatre, Nelson Street, Thame. Thame cinema welcomes comments or suggestions- to contact us click here. Details of forthcoming films at Thame Cinema for All are available on www.thamecinema.org.uk
A CHINNOR residents’ group believes that a large Persimmon Homes housing development, passed by a planning inspector at appeal, will put enormous strain on the village’s infrastructure.
A planning inspector has granted outline permission for 140 homes on land south of Greenwood Avenue, Chinnor, after he concluded that, although on an unallocated site, the scheme would constitute ‘infill’ development as permitted by local planning policy, including the adopted Chinnor Neighbourhood Plan.
Lee King, from ‘Stand Up For Chinnor’ told Thame.Net: “As a group, which represented a large demographic of Chinnor Parish during the appeals, we are dismayed that the Persimmon Homes, representing an additional 140 houses in an already saturated housing market, has been granted.
‘Onslaught of building’
“The proposed development cannot be classed as ‘infill’ – it is a massive estate pure & simple – one that will add a enormous strain to the infrastructure in a specific part of Chinnor ( the roads of the Glynswood Estate are already crumbling from a recent large development), and on Chinnor as a whole. There are no new doctors centres forthcoming, no more facilities such as extra pharmacies & shops, no more secondary schools or nurseries forthcoming – the list goes on.
“We can only hope that the Inspectors final statement that ‘No further allocations are needed in Chinnor to meet housing need’ is now adhered to,” concluded Lee, ” to allow Chinnor to adjust and recover from the onslaught of building that is happening now. Enough is now FINALLY ENOUGH.”
You can download the full, Planning Inspector’s Decision Notice HERE
Film Night raises over £1,800 – THE Mayor of Thame, Ann Midwinter, has thanked everyone who went along to the Thame Players Theatre on Saturday, December 29, where Thame Cinema 4 All showed free of rental charge, two screenings of Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again in aid of her two charities.
Through the sale of tickets for the two shows, £1,830 was raised for Sharing Life Trust and Thame Youth Projects.
Recycle your Christmas tree –CHRISTMAS trees will be collected during the next brown bin collection (w/c January 14). Leave your tree next to your bin and cut it down to 6ft. Alternatively, take it to the collection point at the Cattle Market before January 13 (REAL trees only – not artificial ones).
Thame’s own ‘affordable’ housing – latest –CLLR Bob Austin, Chair of Thame Town Council’s Neighbourhood Plan Continuity (CNPC) committee has reported that a Thame-run, Community Land Trust was well on the way to legal formation and registration with the Financial Conduct Authority.
“The Development Team has been working on examination of two sites which are currently under consideration,” he told councillors, and that: ” Very positive relations have been developed to the extent that an initial feasibility sketch for 15, two and three bedroom homes has been produced for one of the sites.”
He added that The Community Housing Fund, managed by Homes England, will provide revenue for community housing projects, and that he was very pleased with the response so far from Homes England who have offered to provide advice before the CLT submits a funding application.
WHO do you know that lives, works or studies in Thame and achieved something great in 2018? Or maybe you know an unsung hero who commits a lot of their time to volunteering or helping a worthy cause?
Past and current award winners 2018, with the Mayor of Thame, Tom Wyse
NOMINATIONS are now open for the 2019 Thame Town Awards, now in its eleventh year, which recognizes and celebrates people all around Thame who help their neighbours, support local groups or go out of their way for others to make our community a safer, more vibrant and happier place to live. The categories are:
Employer of the Year A new category to celebrate local employers that have gone the extra mile to the benefit of their employees and the wider community e.g. supporting community initiatives and events, offering opportunities and practising sustainability (employers can nominate themselves for this award).
Sporting Achievement Do you know someone who deserves a gold medal for their commitment to a sports club in Thame? Perhaps a player or team who excels in their sport or someone who goes above and beyond to support their team from the side-lines.
Volunteer of the Year Thame thrives on individuals and organisations who selflessly give their time to help others in our community. From event organisers and fundraisers to friendly neighbours and volunteers, there are plenty to choose from but who do you think deserves to be awarded Volunteer of the Year?
Lifetime Achievement This award is for those in our community who have made a significant contribution to Thame over an extended period of time. A friendly face who is always supporting community events and local causes, or perhaps someone who has provided many years’ service to an organisation or business in our community. This award can be made posthumously.
Service with a Smile There are so many individuals and businesses who consistently provide a friendly service in Thame, but who do you know that should be recognised for it this year? We’re not just looking for shop assistants – we also want to hear about opticians, carers, cleaners and doctors, to name but a few!
Creative Arts Achievement A person of any age who excels in the creative arts or contributes to the creativity of our town. This award covers a wide range of people – from the star of the show to the behind-the-scenes team and everyone in between.
To date, the Town Awards panel has awarded 60 Town Awards to local people. One of last year’s winners, Vicky Wheeldon, was delighted with her Sporting Achievement award:
“I felt proud and grateful to be given the opportunity to represent the hockey club and all the hard work a dedicated and growing group of people have put into it over the past 10 years. It was a treat to join the celebrations, and I enjoyed hearing about the other award winners’ stories and felt privileged to be there with them. You should nominate people for a Town Award because it’s a great way to recognise the unsung heroes in our community. There are so many enthusiastic people out there busy sharing their passion for sports, the arts, service and volunteering for others in our town. They are doing a great job and are helping to keep Thame a more vibrant and interesting place to live.”
Anyone can make a nomination. Visit www.thametowncouncil.gov.uk and complete the online form, or pop in to the Town Hall Information Centre and pick up a nomination form. Be sure to follow the Town Awards Facebook page ‘Thame Town Awards’ and on Twitter #ThameAwards to be one of the first to find out who has won a Town Award this year. The nomination period starts today (5 January) until Wednesday 20 February 2019. Please visit www.thametowncouncil.gov.uk for terms and conditions.
ONE of Thame’s leading anti-Brexiteers, has written an open letter in response to a article defending the Prime Minister’s handling of the Brexit and opposing a ‘People’s Vote’, by Thame’s MP John Howell.
John Howell canvassing in Thame
In his recent blog post, John Howell wrote: “We have already had a ‘people’s vote’ and Leave won. I do not believe that another referendum would help cure the divisions we currently face in our country. Furthermore those seeking a second referendum seem to believe that it would be decisively ‘remain’. This may not be so……….in a national referendum, the Remain argument lost the vote and it does none of us any good to continually go back over this and use opinion polls to suggest that the situation has changed.” (You can read the whole of John Howell’s blog post HERE)
Robin Storey of ‘Peoples Vote Thame’ and ‘Open Britain Thame’
People’s Vote Thame founder member, Robin Storey’s letter, headed ‘Brexit – Scrutiny to expose reality!’, reads:
“Having read John Howell MP’s Brexit Update on December 20, there may be constitutional confusion about what an MP should be doing to support their constituents’ interests at this time.
“MPs have a simple issue of principle to consider when voting on the Brexit deal secured by Theresa May’s Government. They should follow the proper constitutional role of an MP to effectively scrutinise – what is before them in 2019 – after the realities of a two-year negotiation have come to light – thereby giving constituents their judgment on the cold realities of the final document.
“MPs should not simply support a damaging policy that has failed to deliver for leave or remain and proceed regardless with the Theresa May Brexit deal.
So what broken promises should John Howell MP alert us to now?
Economic damage
“The Government’s Office for National Statistics estimates this variant of leaving the EU will be significantly damaging to the economy, compared to staying in the EU, thereby limiting taxation and public spending. Indeed, the ONS predicts a loss of otherwise projected cumulative economic growth over 15 years due to leaving the more sophisticated trade arrangements with the EU. This will be around £100Bn less GDP per year by 2030. Incidentally, the ”no deal” figures are more than twice as bad.
“This economic damage isn’t progress, and many other promises have been found wanting, so we face not £350M per week extra for the NHS, but a declining tax base from which to pay for health and social care for an aging population. Locally, the NHS already faces an exacerbated staff crisis today at the John Radcliffe, as EU nationals return home, leading to ward closures. Meanwhile, BMW frets over its supply chain in Cowley and High-tech company CEOs in Harwell lose EU business and staff. Commuters at Haddenham watch as City institutions redeploy well paid employees and their tax receipts to Dublin and Frankfurt. So, the future of lower growth due to missed investment and loss of skills is already setting in around the constituency.
“Yet, our MP so far ignores the effects and concentrates on a series of standard letters to constituents that are increasingly irrelevant to the real facts of jobs affecting constituents, outside of Westminster or the Conservative Party. Nor is a comparison with “no deal” the correct question. Court judgments are quite clear that the EU Withdrawal Notice may be withdrawn by the UK at any time, so all options, including a People’s Vote, are possible, subject to Parliamentary vote. There is no need to leave.”
Democratic damage – a loss of control
The failure of policy and implementation is not just economic; whilst the proposed arrangements in place (and many still to be agreed) are less economically effective, perversely they are also far less capable of UK democratic control, as large areas of EU law will still be followed, in both the interim and long term. This is why both leave and remain sides of the argument agree that this is not what was voted for and calls for a People’s Vote are so universal. We’re not taking back legal control at all, we’re ceding it.
“The scrutineer MP’s response would be to call the issue as it is and inform constituents – you do realise that practically speaking, laws will continue to be set in Brussels in many areas, that we are no longer party to these political structures, have no votes, but are seeking to stay involved as best we can, with future bilateral agreements. For example, “equivalence” and the right to operate across the EU in various financial services becomes a whim of the EU, not a firm legal right for UK companies. Witness the creation of EU bank subsidiaries and movement of assets to the EU to avoid this risk. The aspirational Political Declaration is required, as so much hasn’t been agreed at all– and years of further work will result in multiple agreements which can only realistically agree to existing EU terms and structures if we want to be involved again, despite having the UK having just left them. If the Irish Backstop revelation is anything to go by, the UK cannot expect more than a sign on the dotted line to the rules approach.”
Instead of accepting legal reality others are blamed
“In the interim, the Backstop in Northern Ireland has become a political problem as the EU can’t be expected to legally compromise its internal market comprising oversight bodies, standards and controls, for the sake of a country seeking to leave those arrangements. The legal certainty of avoiding a hard border means retaining symmetry in all these things on both sides of the border and, if this can’t be done, accepting symmetry longer term. Otherwise, these differences must be verified at the border. Is that export car part made to the correct safety standard or a dangerous copy? It is unhelpful of John Howell MP to blame EU nastiness towards Mrs May – when the EU is simply wanting legal certainty at its own borders. The UK is reaping the legal consequences of our own requests and MPs need to be honest with their constituents about these implications, which were entirely predictable.”
“Longer term, those safety standards for a car part, or procedures for a company trading on the London stock exchange are unlikely to diverge in practice from EU standards, so laws that the UK once shaped through membership of EU processes and votes, will become laws that are simply followed from outside. In the event that UK manufacturers wish to sell into the EU, our largest export market, or London wishes to compete as a financial centre, it’s unlikely that being out of kilter with the much larger EU market’s standard regulation will help. This is long-term loss of democratic control and it is disingenuous and simply not good enough for MPs to resort to the take back control mantra as the opposite is happening.
“The will of the people is not the principle constitutional issue, proper scrutiny of Government is. Parliamentary sovereignty is the most important part of the UK constitution. It makes Parliament the supreme legal authority in the UK, which can create or end any law. No Parliament can pass laws that future Parliaments cannot change. Just as the majority will choose to vote in each general election, so we expect Parliament to be constantly reviewing what is in our interests from year to year. In any event, extensive polling indicating a clear majority of John Howell MP’s constituents, and the wider nation, now want an EU outcome that is quite different. National polls such as Channel 4’s Survation poll, are now regularly showing around 55% remain and South Oxfordshire district and constituency figures have risen from just below 55% remain to 59% remain.
“I would urge John Howell MP to exercise his role clearly as a scrutineer of Government throughout the parliamentary session and it may well be that Theresa May’s proposals fail; there is no majority for a chaotic “no deal” and therefore another solution is required.
“If MPs are unable to level with the electorate just how sub-standard this deal is, compared to what we currently have with EU membership, then the issue needs to go back for a People’s Vote – this time on an informed basis. It is simply not correct to present the Theresa May deal as either good for constituents, or inevitable.”
Robin Storey
People’s Vote Thame
January 4, 2019
PLEASE NOTE – Thame.net would welcome responses/views from other constituents on Brexit, SO LONG AS they are calmly and logically argued and not just sound bytes and/or rude outbursts or personal attacks.
LORD Williams’s School has once again been awarded the British Council’s prestigious International School Award for working to bring the world into the classroom. The International School Award is sought after worldwide and celebrates the achievements of schools that do exceptional work in international education.
Mrs Sherry Richardson, Chair of Lord Williams’s School Gambia link, attended a celebration in the Houses of Parliament on the December 5, to receive the award on behalf of the school. More than 40 MPs from constituencies across England met with school representatives, presented their awards and heard more about the work of their local schools. The Secretary of State for Education, the Rt Hon Damian Hinds MP, commended the teachers of international schools for their outstanding and ongoing efforts to offer international opportunities for their students and for fostering an international dimension in their curricula.
Head Teacher, David Wybron commented: “We are delighted to receive this recognition for the work the school does with our link school in the Gambia and schools in France, Germany and Spain. It was fitting that Sherry Richardson, who leads our work with the Brikama Upper Basic School in the Gambia, received the award on behalf of the school. We have done some pretty remarkable things through our partnership work, and the cultural links are priceless.
Our school’s international work includes residential trips to Berlin, Munich and Paris, French and German student exchanges and annual Sixth Form study trips to The Gambia. We have a long-standing link with Brikama Upper Basic and Senior Secondary School in The Gambia that continues to grow in strength from year to year. The link has developed an appreciation of the wider world for students from both schools with the aims of forging well-rounded global citizens, gaining cultural understanding and developing skills they need for life and work.”
Sir Ciarán Devane, Chief Executive of the British Council, said: “The school’s fantastic international work has rightfully earned it this prestigious award. The International School Award is a great chance for schools to demonstrate the important work they’re doing to bring the world into their classrooms. Embedding an international dimension in children’s education ensures that they are truly global citizens and helps prepare them for successful lives and careers in an increasingly global economy.”
The International School Award encourages and supports schools to develop:
An international ethos embedded throughout the school
A whole school approach to international work
Collaborative curriculum-based work with a number of partner schools
Year-round international activity
Involvement of the wider community
THE Christmas Tractor Run that took place last weekend in Thame, raised over £10,000 for the Air Ambulance.
Posting on social media, the organisers thanked everyone who went and supported the event and all those who donated prizes.
Image courtsey of Carl Stockwell
The target was to raise £10,000 and 150 vehicles, but the final tally was in fact £10,007.58 with a total 236 vehicles.
“We can’t be more proud of how well the event went and thank you all again for your support and we look forward to our third annual road run next year!” concluded the post.
