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  • ‘Drive Carefully’ Posters Going Up Around County

    NEW, temporary posters urging drivers to ?respect our community – drive carefully? are going up around the county in a bid to cut speed and encourage safer driving.
    Another new poster for roads near schools and other areas where children meet or play, will include an image of children holding hands and include the message,?please drive carefully’.

    Designed as part of the county council?s SpeedWatch campaign, the new posters aim to get vital road safety messages across ? previous posters have shown messages such as ?Watch Your Speed? and ?Are you Speeding??

    The new posters are now available to town and parish councils throughout Oxfordshire to purchase or borrow for use in their own SpeedWatch schemes.

  • New Children?s Library Website

    A NEW website for children is to go live on Monday, February 27, aimed at encouraging them to read more books.
    Illustrated by Korky Paul, the Oxford-based creator of drawings for Winnie the Witch, the website has been created by Oxfordshire County Council to introduce more of the Internet generation to its libraries.

    The website, which was designed with the help of young readers, the Witney Worms Reading Group, explains how to join a library and what services ? which include free Internet access, music and films as well as books and newspapers – are on offer.

    It also includes links to sites of use for homework, a quiz for five to 11-year-olds and an interactive map so visitors can find their nearest library.

    Visiters to the Kids and Teens @ Libraries website, http://kidlib.oxfordshire.gov.uk
    will find information about library events, school visits, books for babies and younger children and how to keep kids safe on the Internet. Adults can safely let children use the Internet in the county council?s libraries because the computers have filtered access.

    Carol Stitson, the county?s childrens’ and youth librarian, said that in Oxfordshire the number of issues of children?s books is rising rapidly but that a lot of people had never been inside a library.
    ?If we can just get children and young people into our libraries, we know they will find it an amazing resource,? she said.

    County councillor, Don Seale, the Cabinet member with responsibility for libraries, said: ?It may seem ironic that we?re using a website to reach children more used to the Internet in order to encourage them to read books, but in fact books and Internet work very well together as sources of information and entertainment.?

  • Wheelie Bins For Garden Waste

    THE district council is considering lauching a fortnightly collection of garden waste from wheeled bins in the area.
    This follows a recent trial scheme using eco-sacks. South Oxfordshire District Council, in line with its policy to reduce landfill, is now considering a new, improved and more permanent garden waste collection scheme from April 2006.
    The service will provide residents with a fortnightly kerbside service (no booking required) from wheeled bins that would cost them

  • New Library On The Agenda

    THE possible use of the town hall as a public library, will be discussed at the next full meeting of Thame Town Council.
    This controversial proposal, along with the Regeneration of the Van Diemans estate, is on the agenda for the meeting which will be held in the council chamber at 6.30pm, next Tuesday, February 28.

    Anyone who wishes to address the council on any agenda item must apply to the council by 5pm the previous day, and can speak for up to five minutes.

  • Hospitals Public Meeting

    A Public Meeting, as part of a Community Consultation process about development plans for Headington hospitals, has been arranged.
    The meeting will take place at Lecture Theatre One, John Radcliffe Hospital at 6pm, March 2.

    For details of Agenda: http://www.oxfordprospect.co.uk/News%20Headlines.htm

  • The Best ‘Professional Amateur show’ (Contributed)

    ?The most professional amateur show you will ever see in Oxford!?
    WHAT:
    The Oxford Gang Show is an annual variety show that has been performed in Oxford for 55 years.
    The aim of the show is to give young people in Scouting and Guiding the opportunity to develop theatre skills and perform on a professional stage. For some this will be a once in a lifetime opportunity.

    We started off small and we have worked our way from Clarendon Press, via the Town Hall, the Playhouse, St Edwards School and now the New Theatre (formerly Oxford Apollo).

    WHEN will the show take place?
    Oxford Gang Show ? 13th to 18th March 2006 at the New Theatre. Press Night ? Monday 13th March.

    WHO are in the Oxford Gang Show?
    * Over 200 Oxfordshire children, young people and adults are due to perform 13th -18th March 2006 – New Theatre, Oxford.

    * Over 350 Oxfordshire children, young people and adults involved on stage and behind the scenes.

    * These are all OXFORDSHIRE children, young people and adults and members of both the Scout and the Guide Association.

    FACTS:
    * This years show took a huge set back on Thursday 9th February (less than four weeks before the opening night), when a fire broke out at the building in Headington that is used to build our props and scenery, resulting in 80% of the stage sets having to be rebuilt. I am pleased to announce that just over one week after the fire the show is back on track and will go on!. The main reason for the show being back on track so quickly is due to the huge amount of support we received from members of Scouting & Girlguiding within Oxfordshire as well as local businesses and the general public following the media coverage we received.

    * We are urguing people to come along to the show as a way of showing their support and that the Scouting spirit will always win over what can only be described as an act of mindless vandalism.
    * We need full houses every night to help finance the long recovery Process following a recent fire.
    * This is a great, family entertainment – at affordable prices.
    * Prices from

  • Park Street Car Crime Continues

    FOLLOWING a spate of criminal damage to vehicles parked in Park Street, Thame, the Police are appealing for witnesses after a vehicle was attacked last weekend.
    Offenders kicked off a passenger side wing mirror between 9pm – midnight on Saturday, February 18.

    Anyone with information is asked to contact Thame Police Station via: 08458 505 505 or Crimestoppers, anonymously, on: 0800 555 111.

  • “An April Comedy” In March (Contributed)

    THE plays of Christopher Fry (who died last year at the age of 97), are noted for their intriguing situations, distinctive and sometimes eccentric characters, dazzling verbal dexterity, wit, humour, and passages of real poetry. Thame Players successfully produced Venus Observed a few years ago.

    The Lady?s Not For Burning is set in a small west country town in mediaeval times. Fry called it ?an April comedy?, and it certainly has a spring-like freshness about it ? though it also deals with the darker themes of suspected witchcraft, superstition, a possible murder, and original sin. But romance is never far away, and in the end true love overcomes the forces of evil and the baser passions, common humanity triumphs over the fire, and we are left with the hope of a new beginning

    ?A poetic fantasy of rare splendour and delight? a work of magical humor and deep beauty? ? The New York Herald Tribune.

    While the widow Margaret Devize, sister of the Mayor, is preparing to celebrate the betrothal of her son Humphrey to Alizon Eliot (a girl from the convent), two intruders cause havoc in the house: Thomas Mendip, the world-weary ex-soldier, who is demanding to be hanged, and Jennet Jourdemayne, an eccentric single girl who is accused by the town of turning the rag-and-bone merchant into a dog by witchcraft, and seems destined for the fire. Thomas makeS strenuous efforts to save Jennet (complicated by the lecherous advances of Humphrey, who has soon tired of his intended bride); but he cannot save himself from falling in love with her. Meanwhile the unexpected appearance of Matthew Skipps resolves all the dilemmas.

    The Lady?s Not For Burning will be performed at the Thame Players Theatre, Nelson Street, from Tuesday 7th to Saturday 11th March.

    Tickets available from Thame Tourist Information Centre, tel. 01844-212834.

    There is a discount on all Tuesday tickets.

    Photo: Jennet Jourdemayne (played by Clare Frost) and Thomas mendip (Tim Proctor)

  • Card Fraud Warning

    WARNINGS have been issued about a new telephone scam which aims to fool people into giving the security number on the back of their credit or debit cards.
    A caller claiming to be from Visa or Mastercard has been calling card owners to tell them that they have:”….been flagged for an unusual purchase pattern”. After a short conversation the caller, who claims to be from the Security and Fraud department at Visa, asks to verify that the person is in possession of their card. He does this by asking the cardholder to “turn over their card and look for some numbers”. These numbers should never be divulged to anyone who cannot prove their identity conclusively.
    For more information, contact Nigel Strick on 01865 815601
    Trading Standards are also alerting people to watch out for bogus TV repair companies after a recent BBC Watchdog feature. Top tips for avoiding the TV repair scam are:

  • Childrens’ Pancake Competition

    PANCAKE Decorating Competition – 10.30am to 3pm – The Aga Shop, Upper High Street, Thame.
    Plus FREE Pancake Shrove Tuesday (28th, for anyone who visits the Aga shop between those same times.

    Photo: Copyright of Dairy Council, Northern Ireland