Thame.net

Author: Sonja Francis

  • Golfers raise funds for Mayor’s charities

    THE Mayor, Cllr Tom Wyse’s charity Golf Day on Friday, April 20, raised over £4,500 for the his chosen charities – the Red Kite Family Centre and the Thame & District Day Centre, with team ‘The Shankers’ successfully defending their title from 2017.

    The Shankers team members L to R – Simon Martin, Gareth Davies, Gary Bunney and Simon Copley

    The event, hosted by Studley Wood Golf Club, was sponsored by many local companies with 68 players taking part.

    The Mayor commented: “The course was in great condition and everyone enjoyed the lovely weather. One comment summed up the day; ‘great golf, great food and a wonderful atmosphere’.”

    The event was supported by www.onlinegolf.co.uk.

    Pictured: Team members (l-r) Simon Martin, Gareth Davies, Gary Bunney and Simon Copley, aka “The Shankers” successfully defended their title!

  • Kind Thame resident raises funds for theft victim

    IN early April an elderly lady shopping in a store in Thame had £1000 in cash taken from her handbag which she had just withdrawn from the bank to buy new carpets for her home.

    Sympathetic to the elderly victim’s plight,  a Thame resident created a Just Giving page on Facebook to raise money for her. Through the generosity of  Thame residents and businesses, £1000 was very quickly raised.

    The kind man who created the page transferred the funds into the victims account last night, witnessed by neighbourhood PCSO’S at Thame police station.

    The victim has publicly thanked everybody who donated for their generosity.

    PCSO Graham Davey from the Thame neighbourhood team, looked after the victim after the incident to make certain that she was reassured and well looked after by friends and family.

    Thames Valley Police are still investigating the theft by following up all CCTV in the area.

  • ‘World class stuff’ for Thame Town Music Festival 2018

    THE founder of the Thame Town Music Festival, John Littler, has been talking to Thame Town Councillor about how a Simple Minds album he bought 35 years-ago, gave him the inspiration to organise his own music festival in Thame.

     

     

    John attended Thame Town Council’s meeting on Tuesday (24/04) to bring the council up-to-date with the arrangements so far, for a Thame Town Music Festival and Convention, in June, 2018. No report could do justice to John’s eloquent presentation, so here it is in full:

    “A town centre filled with joyous people”

    “IN 1982 I bought the recently released album: “Live in the City of Light” by grandiose Scottish stadium fillers, Simple Minds. Not particularly inspiring to me musically but visually a critical inspiration. The inside of the gatefold sleeve, (remember them?), showed a photograph of the Glasgow pomp pop merchants playing to an entire town in Locarno Switzerland; a town centre filled with joyous people bathed in an orange glow as the sun set, communally watching world class artists perform in their own town.

    “A mere 35 years later I achieved my version of that night. On July 7, last year we had 8,000 visitors see 58 acts in eight venues all over Thame. We had our free, multi-genre festival that brought the people of Thame out of their homes and into the community and bought people from outside our community into Thame.

    “It was a success. Three of the high street business had the best trading day in their history; we had no security incidents, two minor medical calls, no official complaints, we started and finished on time and, like the well bought up children we all are, we cleared up after ourselves.

    “Thame is an ambitious town”

    “So, for 2018. What’s next? Well, Thame is a growing town, and I believe Thame is an ambitious town; ambitious for a quality of life that aspires not only to a choice of restaurants, not only to a high street where the shops are not all hairdressers and seemingly most importantly, not only where the streets are pot-hole free. No. Ambitious for a cultural life. To be a great place to live. To do our part, we are expanding and aiming higher. We are offering more and going for high quality.

    “Our festival is adding three more elements; a classical concert and a songwriter’s competition on the Friday evening, and a music convention to join the main festival on Saturday, July 14. The classical concert will be in St. Mary’s Church with a programme that will take us from Bach to Broadway via Chopin, Rachmaninov, Puccini to Gershwin, Cole Porter and more. I’m thrilled that the we have managed to get renowned soprano, Ann MacKay, who was trained by Schwarzkopf and sung all over the world – Sydney opera house, Royal Albert Hall and now St. Mary’s Thame!

    “World class stuff”

    “With Ann will be Jack Gibbons, a phenomenal pianist and the world’s leading interpreter of Gershwin. He plays Carnegie Hall and is flying in from the US. This is world class stuff!

    “Also, on Friday, in the Barns Centre, we will have our songwriter’s competition final. We have invited songwriters to submit original songs. We have a panel of industry experts who will select the 10 best to come and perform their song and talk about it in front of a live audience. The winner will get to play on the main stage on Saturday and receive significant financial and career support from sponsor, Christopher Ward limited. Can we find the next Ed Sheeran in Thame?

    “The third new bit. On Saturday we have added a music industry convention. Again, in the Barns Centre we have Tom Robinson, BBC Radio 6 Music presenter, rock star in his own right and leading advocate of new music. Tom is hosting the convention aimed at helping career musicians understand and navigate the music business. Tom will be hosting panels including Martyn Ware of the Human League and Heaven 17, record producers John Leckie (Radiohead, Stone Roses) and George Shilling ((Steve Winwood, Teenage Fanclub) and also we have artist managers, agents and promoters from the music business. There’s also going to be workshops on song-writing, social media and getting radio play. It’s aimed at people who want help in moving their musical ambitions forward and ‘Saddo’s’ like me who just find the whole world of music and creativity fascinating. I’ll go just to hear the stories and anecdotes.

    Eight venues, Main stage, stalls and bars – all for FREE!

    “And of course, Saturday is also Thame Town Music Festival day: Again eight venues, a main stage in front of the town Hall, stall holders and bars. And again the festival will be FREE.  Our headliner, this year is Dr Feelgood, the legendary Rhythm and Blues band. We have had over 250 applications to play. We should be able to give 60 of them the opportunity.”

    John concluded: ” So, undoubtedly, we are going to throw a huge party in Thame on Saturday, July 14, but it is a party with a purpose. In the same way that an 18-year-old boy in Sheffield was inspired by a photograph on an album sleeve, if we manage to inspire even only one person to follow their music dreams, understand the value of community and be proud of Thame then we will have done our job.”

    Visit the Thame Town Music Festival website HERE

  • Fun and games to celebrate ‘Love your Local Market’

    TO celebrate ‘Love your Local Market’, a national initiative to promote markets, the traders at Thame’s Tuesday Market, Thame Town Council, and Thame Farmers Market which joins the main market on the second Tuesday of each month, have a host of fun activities for Thame shoppers to get involved.

    These are:

    May 1: Live music from Simon Markland at 11am, and the chance to win a free family ticket to Music in the Park
    May 8: Free tasters throughout both the weekly Charter and Farmers’ markets.
    May 15: Warming you up for the Royal Wedding – come and take a selfie with Prince Harry, and look out for the sweet treats being handed out.
    May 22: An exhibition featuring photos from the market as it used to be circa 1900
    May 29: Family fun for children hosted by Creation Station

    To find out more, follow the Facebook pages https://www.facebook.com/ThameMarketTraders/ and https://www.facebook.com/ThameFarmersMarket/ Use #LYLM2018 on social media when you visit Thame Market and take and post pictures!

  • Young performers to take centre stage in ‘Youth Hour’

    THIS year, Thame’s annual Music in the Park on May 6, in Elms Park, will feature an hour dedicated to young performers aged 16 and under. The youngsters, who have been assembled by local music tutor and performer, John Reid-Hansen, will begin their dedicated hour at midday.

    Maria Karteris who won LWS Lower School Singer of the Year in 2017 – Photos courtesy Elliott McRae

    Visitors will be able to enjoy solo guitar performances from Bradley Baker, Jomani Naani, George Boydon, Steven Young, Katie Pollard, Joseph Endicott and Anna Pain. In addition, guitar ensembles from the Crown House School and Griffin House School will perform. Youth hour will conclude with a special performance from vocalist Abigail Feek. Abi is a very keen singer and performer and has been a singer of the year finalist for the last three years at Lord Williams’s School. She has recently joined a signing group at Thame Youth Theatre and is a popular singer at local pubs.

    Music in the Park Chair, Chris Fram, said: “Music in the Park has always been committed to providing a platform for talented local performers, especially young artists. This year, we’re delighted to be able to incorporate a special ‘Youth Hour’ into the programme. This is in addition of course to the many local artists performing in bands, choirs and dance groups in the rest of the day’s programme across three stages.”

    You can now buy tickets for Music in the Park from the following local outlets in Thame: Thame Town Hall, Wally’s Toy Shop, Vintage and Modern Guitars and the Falcon pub.

    To keep up-to-date with news of next year’s Music in the Park event, visit the Facebook page LINK HERE or THE website LINK HERE.  Follow Music in the Park on Twitter: @MusicInThePark

    PHOTO: Maria Karteris will be performing in the Thame Music Academy slot on the ASM Acoustic Stage

  • New Mayor and other news from Thame

    IT’S a busy time in Thame – so much to report to day, so here goes with one of Thame.net’s ‘News in Brief’ digests to bring you up to date with what’s been happening:

    NEW Mayor Elect – Cllr Ann Midwinter was elected unanimously this evening by fellow town councillors. Ann was the Mayor of Thame both in 1990 and in 1991. Her Deputy will be Cllr Linda Emery, who was Mayor in 2016 -2017. She will take office from the current Mayor, Cllr Tom Wyse, on May 8, 2018.

    Cllr Ann Midwinter – Photo courtesy of Thame Town Council

    POLICE report of illegal scrap metal collections from homes in our area. They have received reports of a white transit van. TVP ask that residents remain vigilant and report any suspicious looking people or vehicles, taking down detailed descriptions of the people, the vehicle and registration plates. Call 101 and quote reference 43180116539 with any information or 999 if a crime is occurring at that time.

    THAME IS TO GET NEW CCTV CAMERAS but some town councillors are unhappy that that they will not be the very latest, state-of-the-art cameras available, that they feel will serve Thame better than those proposed by South Oxfordshire District Council. The Town Clerk, Graham Hunt, is to write to SODC at the request of town councillors, expressing their concerns and asking if it’s a matter of budget constraints. It was also suggested that a leasing arrangement might be better so that cameras could be updated more frequently.

    The statue of Millicent Fawcett in Parliament Square

    AS THE STATUE OF Millicent Fawcett was unveiled today, TAL Festival has announced that it will be celebrating the centenary of Suffragism with two great speakers, Jane Robinson author of Hearts and Minds, and viv Newman, who has written Suffragism and the Great War. The TAL Festival takes place October 18th-21, 2018.

    SOUTH OXFORDSHIRE Charitable Lottery will be drawn for the first time on Saturday, April 28, online via the SO Charitable Lottery website. The community lottery was launched last month by South Oxfordshire District Council to raise funds for local charities and voluntary groups. So far, 53 good causes have successfully applied to become beneficiaries of the lottery. From each £1 ticket bought, 60p goes to good causes and the local community. The rest of the money goes to the prize fund and running costs – the council does not receive any of the proceeds. MORE INFORMATION – HERE

    WANT SOME FREE TICKETS TO TOWERSEY FESTIVAL? The festival organisers have a pair of Adult Weekend tickets with camping up for grabs in their latest competition. Enter before the end of April, and you could be in with a chance of seeing The Shires, The Proclaimers, Richard Thompson and loads more for free! ENTER HERE 

    WANT TO CLIMB TO THE BELL TOWER OF THAME CHURCH? The Friends of St Mary’s Church, Thame, are holding an open evening on June 15, 2018. As well as trips up to the Bell Tower and interesting and informative talks, Bell-ringing demonstrations and organ demonstrations, there’ll be a treasure hunt through the church, highlighting various aspects of the history of St Mary’s Church. The evening is free, refreshments shall be available with a retiring collection for the upkeep of this 13th Century building.

    Catherine Jones with her latest novel, outside The Book House in Thame

    THE SECRETS OF A SMALL TOWN are the subjects of the latest book by prolific, local author, Catherine Jones. And although LITTLE WOODFORD, the town which is the subject of her latest book, isn’t Thame, it does have a sleepy high street, a weekly market, a weathered old stone church and lovingly tended allotments. “A peaceful, unexciting place, the very heart of middle England.” Catherine was at The Book House, Thame, on Saturday (21/04) signing copies of her book. Catherine happens to be an independent town councillor when she’s not writing books but anyone thinking that local, Thame characters may have crept there way into the book, will probably be disappointed. But this cracking read (yes, I’ve read it, and yes, there is a local journalist in it) is available in hardback from The Book House in Thame, or as an ebook from Amazon.


    Pat Shepherd, Chairman, Thame Players, and Simon Vickers, CEO of Rectory Homes

    THAME THEATRE’S SPONSORSHIP by Rectory Homes, has been renewed for a further year, with a review in 2019. This follows Rectory’s previous three-year sponsorship of Thame Players which ended in March. Rectory Homes’ sponsorship of Thame Players has two strands. One relates to creative development, enhancing productions through the addition of special effects such as musical accompaniment and lighting, as well as the hire of authentic costumes and props. The other strand relates to improvements to the theatre, such as the installation of a new internal acoustic door (co-funded by South Oxfordshire District Council), a redesign of the theatre frontage (with additional sponsorship from other sources), and improvements to the side access. On the creative side, Rectory’s contribution will help Thame Players host celebrity appearances, often requiring sizeable fees, and build in special effects for forthcoming productions such as Oh, What a Lovely War! (September).

    ONE WEEK left to apply for a Town Council grant. If you are a community or non-for-profit group working for the benefit of the people of Thame you can apply for a grant up to £2,400 from Thame Town Council. If your project addresses the needs, aspirations and issues of the people in our community, then you are eligible to apply. Applications must be received by 5pm on Tuesday, May 1, 2018. You can download an application form from www.thametowncouncil.gov.uk/grant-aid

  • Thame drug dealer imprisoned

    A man from Thame has been sentenced in relation to drugs offences following a Thames Valley Police investigation. (more…)

  • Magistrates Courts: Drink driving, and driving without insurance

    DIANE Louise Smith of Rooks Lane, Thame, admitted before Oxford Magistrates this week to drink-drinking in North Street, Thame on March 8.

    Magistrates heard that she had 68mcg of alcohol in 100ml of breath, exceeding the limit of 35mcg. She was fined £250, ordered to pay a £30 victim surcharge and £85 court costs, and was disqualified for 18 months.

    Banbury Magistrates fined Jamie Eadle of Fleetwood Way, Thame, £267 after he admitted driving without third party insurance on September 5, in  Thame. He was also ordered to pay a victim surcharge of £30, court costs of £85 and was disqualified from driving for six months.

  • Last chance sign up call for Lord Bill’s 5K Fun Run

    WITH less than two weeks to go before the Lord Williams’s School (LWS) 5k run and obstacle challenge, organisers are hoping for a last-minute dash to sign up for the event which takes place on Saturday, April 28, from 1pm, at the Upper School in Oxford Road in Thame.

    Last year’s Fun Run

     

     

    “Dig those trainers out and get yourself registered now – there’s still time,” explained PTA Chair,Karen Shardlow. “This year’s event is going to be even better than last year, with not just running, jogging or walking involved, but also an obstacle course and brand-new colour station, so prepare to finish looking like a rainbow!”

    She added: “As a member of the LWS PTA we’re aiming to raise funds which will buy some of our school ‘wish-list’ items this year, including new whiteboards for classrooms, football kits, iPads and more, so you can see your support will really help to enhance the experience of pupils attending Lord Williams’s School.”

    The 5K route offers a mixed terrain – perfect for runners and joggers looking for a challenge or families and supporters looking to soak up some springtime ‘fun in the sun’. With music on the day as well as a raffle and refreshments, it promises to be a fun-packed afternoon for all.

    Local business supporters are also lending a hand including Lucy Electric, who are sponsoring all the runner numbers, and Stuart Barr Furniture, which is entering a team to take part on the day!

    Karen conclued: “If you’ve got what it takes for a business v business team challenge, then get signed up alongside Stuart Barr Furniture now!”

    Entry is £10 per person and you can register online at www.lws5k.eventbrite.co.uk. Sponsorship forms can be downloaded via http://www.lordwilliams.oxon.sch.uk/ or can be picked up via the LWS Upper School reception.

  • Thame Rotary need your old tools for Africa

    THE Rotary Club of Thame is asking local people to check their sheds and lofts for old or unwanted tools to help people in Africa get a ‘leg-up’ to self-employment.

    Reconditioned sewing machines helped thousands of African workers like Susan to become more self reliant. Photo: courtesy of TFSR

    The tools can be taken to the main car park in Thame, near Montesson Square, near the Market House, on Saturday, May 12, from 9am to 1pm.

    Every year the Rotary Club of Thame runs a collection point for unwanted tools. These are then taken to ‘Tools for Self Reliance’ (TFSR) collection centre in Southampton. Here they will be refurbished by the charity and sent to NGO’s in Africa. The NGOs then distribute them FREE to men and women to help them to obtain work.

    All the tools sent to Africa are used to provide training and to equip trainees with their own start-up kits to set up their own businesses after completing training, not only in their chosen trade, but in business management, financial, and life skills.

    One such trainee is Susan Anena who is 32, and lives a few miles outside Kitgum Town, Uganda. She started her primary education, but this was disrupted by the civil war and Susan was forced to go into a camp. In 2007 she was abducted on her way to school by rebels and kept captive for six years. She was subjected to abuse, which resulted in her becoming pregnant and having a child. Thankfully she managed to escape, but returned home to find that her father had been shot during the war and was paralysed on one side. Just a couple of years after her return, Susan’s mother died from malaria.

    In 2017, she joined a Tools for Self Reliance project run in partnership with a local organisation, Green Ribbon Foundation of Uganda. Throughout the training Susan learned how to make women’s and men’s clothing, alongside receiving business and life skills training. The counselling sessions she had helped her to cope with the trauma she experienced during her abduction. She has now graduated and has learnt a practical skill that will help her become self reliant and support her child and her family. Susan plans to set up her own tailoring business, using the tools she was equipped with when she graduated.

    Susan said: “I want to be the best tailor in this sub county. After I fully acquire this skill, it will be mine forever. I want to give the community my very best.”

    Items that would be very welcome at the Thame collection point include sewing machines, tools for plumbing, carpentry, metalworking, building, bicycle repairs, shoe repairs and car repairs. Unfortunately, no garden tools will be be accepted.

    For more information, visit www.thame.rotary1090.org or www.facebook.com/thamerotary

    Rotary International was funded in 1905 in Chicago and is now one of the largest international service organisation with 1.2 million professional men and women as members. There are 33,000 clubs in 200 countries and geographical areas. Rotary Clubs are open to men and women who want to use their experience for the benefit of others. Rotary initiates local and global projects to promote world understanding and peace and improve conditions for people of all ages and cultures. For more information, visit www.thame.rotary1090.org