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  • Continued Improvement By Primary Schools (Contributed)

    PRIMARY achievement and attainment tables released today show that Oxfordshire schools have improved their performance for the fourth year running in national tests for 11-year olds.

    The percentage of pupils achieving the expected standard (level 4) has improved again in English, Maths and science.
    The value added result which shows how a school has helped to raise a pupils performance from the age of seven to eleven has also increased. Oxfordshire schools achieved a score of 100.4 which is above the national picture of 100.2.
    The English results showing the percentage of pupils achieving the highest standard (level 5) are particularly good and significantly above the national results.

    In reading 54 per cent of pupils achieved level 5, 11 per cent above the national picture. 27 per cent of pupils achieved level 5 in writing, 12 per cent above the national average.

    Oxfordshire County Council?s Cabinet Member for Schools Improvement, Cllr Michael Waine, said: ?All schools should be congratulated on their continuing efforts to raise standards. We have much to be proud of in Oxfordshire. Overall this gives us a good basis on which to build on in the future. We now have our sights set on next year and will be seeking to do even better.?

    Head of the County Council?s School Development Service Judith Morris said: ?We are particularly pleased with the improvements in English, as this has been a focus of the work of the schools for the last few years and I am delighted that all the developments put in place are having an impact. We now need to sustain this achievement and focus on improving still further our standards in Maths.?

  • Art For Amnesty (Contributed)

    THIS Saturday, December 10, is Human Rights Day and the Bernwode Amnesty Group is holiding an Exhibition and Sale of Work of Local Artists in Brill Memorial Hall from 6pm to 9pm.
    Tickets are

  • Trafalgar Tree Planting (By Cathy Galter-Carter)

    HAVE you ever wondered how many trees it took to build just one ship for Nelson’s fleet? Possibly not. The answer is a staggering 5000 mature oak trees, some of which were felled in Oxfordshire and floated down the river Thames to shipbuilders down stream.

    This year is the 200th anniversary of the Battle of Trafalgar and the death of Admiral Nelson. To mark the occasion 27 new woods will be planted to commemorate each of the ships in Nelson?s fleet and to celebrate the important role British timber played in our naval heritage.

    Members of Chinnor and Thame Friends of the Earth planted 35 oak trees this weekend in ‘Neptune Wood’ as part of Northmoor Trust in Long Wittenham near Didcot. By the end of this month, 10,215 trees will have been planted forging a link with the past by creating new landscapes for future generations to enjoy.

    Maureen Dyroff, co-ordinator of the local group said: “We were delighted to have taken part in the planting of this new oak forest in Oxfordshire. The woods will bring great pleasure as well as having a positive effect on climate change, because trees absorb the greenhouse gas carbon dioxide.”

    Neptune Wood will be opened to the public next spring and there will be woodland trails with full disabled access, an oak arboretum, a woodland pond and an avenue of hornbeam.

    If you would like to dedicate a tree in Neptune Wood, contact the Northmoor Trust 01865 407792.

  • THAME could get around

  • A New Hobby Or Interest For The New Year?

    If you are looking forward to 2006, a new year, a new start, a new hobby or interest? A bit of ?ME? time? Take a look at the courses and workshops on offer at Thame Adult Learning based at Lord Williams?s Lower School on Towersey Road.

    From Michelangelo to Picasso artist have looked to the human form for inspiration, you too could learn to draw at the Life Drawing classes starting on Thursday 12 January, 7.30-9.30pm, the 10 sessions cost

  • Thame Contingent Brave Rain For Climate Change March

    THREE women from the Thame area joined thousands of other people on Saturday to raise the profile of climate change during the critical UN talks in
    Montreal, Canada.
    The Rally and march, which began at Lincoln’s Inn Fields in London, co-incided with demonstrations in 32
    countries worldwide and was organised by the Campaign against Climate Change and by many of the UK’s leading social, environmental and political groups, including Friends of the Earth. It went past Downing
    Street where a letter was handed in, demanding that the British government reaffirms its commitment to an international climate treaty with legally binding targets on emission reductions.
    Maureen Dyroff, from Chinnor, said: “The event exceeded my expectations. This was the biggest show of concern for the environment in this country for a very long time. The rain showers didn’t dampen our spirits as we arrived at the American Embassy and listened to the speaches, the message of which was loud and clear – that there has to be legislation to control these emissions to save the environment.”
    “It was made clear that nuclear power is not the answer; its production is not carbon free and is uneconomic; it would just be a quick fix that could produce big problems in the future.”

    Lord Williams’s pupil, Maddie Fry, who joined the march with her mother, Cecilia Fry and Maureen Dyroff from Chinnor, told ThameNews.Net: “The atmosphere at the march was great. There was an enormous mix of people; although there was the usual crowd of Socialists, Marxists and anarchists, there were also mothers and fathers with small children, students, OAPs, and people from all over Britain. There was no trouble, and the police presence was not very big. Overall, the atmosphere was light-hearted and peaceful.”

    Friends of the Earth’s Climate Campaigner, Nick Rau, who spoke at the event, said: “If the UK is serious about leadership on climate change, then our Government needs to take action at home. It isn’t too
    late – if the UK cuts its carbon dioxide emissions every year, starting now, we really can achieve the big reductions needed in the long term. That’s why The Big Ask, Friends of the Earth’s climate change campaign,is calling for a new law to ensure UK governments from now and until 2050, reduce carbon dioxide emissions by three per cent every year.”

    Other Speakers addressing the rally included Michael Meacher MP (ex Environment Minister), Norman Baker MP, Caroline Lucas MEP and author and journalist George Monbiot.

  • Thame United Threatened With Relegation

    AS a result of their 3-1 loss against Stourport, Thame United are now firmly entrenched at the bottom on the league.
    Perhaps it is too early in the season to talk about relegation but unless they improve significantly, this young Thame team could go down.

    The visitor?s first goal came after six minutes when Thame goalkeeper, Paul Searl did well to parry a strong shot from Richard Burgess, but Chris Hughes collected the rebound and finished well from six Yards. Thame pressed hard and were rewarded in the 36th minute when Craig Caldwell-Smith pounced on a defensive error and fired home from an acute angle. Just before half time Searl made one of several outstanding saves when he stopped a goalbound header from Burgess.

    Shortly after the restart, Caldwell-Smith created a good chance for Wayne Spencer, but, with only the goalkeeper to beat, Spencer put his shot wide from 8 yards. Stourport?s second came 14 minutes into the second half. Rory May collected the ball, on the edge of the Thame penalty area, turned, beat Dave Hocking, and buried his shot just inside the post. May got his second on 77 minutes when he met a corner from the right with a downward header, which just crept inside the same post. A few minutes later May again found the back of the Thame net, but his effort was ruled offside. Thame pressed in the final few minutes but it was Stourport who took three valuable points from this game.

    Thame United: Searl, Lane, Joyce, Rhodes, Hocking, Freeman (N. Stewart), Moore (Shrieves), Fisher, Spencer (Bradley), Caldwell-Smith, Boland,

    Thame entertain Hemel Hempstead Town at 3.00 next Sunday (yes Sunday) 11th December

  • Thame Badminton Team Maintain Winning Form (By Andy Scarlett)

    THAME Badminton Club were rewarded after travelling, for the third time, for their Men’s match against Redefield C in the Oxford & District League.
    The side was again weakened by unavailability of players but nevertheless, the club captain was confident of a victory.

    Chris Daniels and Chris Charman started off against the Redefield first pair. Their timing was out to start off with but this did not prevent them from winning the first game. As they became accustomed to the speed of the shuttlecocks, Daniels? smashes dominated from the back whilst the Charman caresses at the net ensured the rubber was won with the loss of only 8 points. On the adjacent court, Trevor Grace and club chairman Trevor Walker had a similar troubled start with timing. The Trevors adjusted and with left-hander Grace causing positional problems for the opposition they won in 2 games conceding just 7 points. Third pair Keith Richards and Andy Scarlett started off well leading 11?8 but then they fell apart as Scarlett stood statue-like watching the shuttles pass him by and found themselves having to set at 14 all. Three tight serves by Scarlett with smashes by Richards saw them to the first game. The second game saw no improvement as both players missed easy shots. Despite their poor display, Richards and Scarlett just kept in front and ran out winners but conceded 26 points.

    The Daniels and Charman pairing returned to court on form and demolished the Redefield 2nd pair conceding just 5 points with the Redefield unable to stem the smashes and drop shots. Walker and Grace struggled in their first game against the Redefield 1st pair and lost to 5 points. They picked up in the second game but could not win the vital points and ended up losing 11 ?15. Richards and Scarlett took on the Redefield 2nd pair not believing they could repeat their poor play. Both players raised their game and were ruthless and won the first game to love and were leading 14-0 in the second before conceding a point, to win the rubber. This gave Thame an unbeatable 5 wins in the match.

    The final game for Daniels and Charman was against the Redefirld 3rd pair and the Thame pair continued to dominate to win the first game 15-2. Suddenly, the Thame 1st pair seemed to switch off and lost their first game of the night 12-15. They rallied in the third game to win to 7 points. Richards and Scarlett then took on the opposition first pair and surprised them by winning 15-4. However, the change of ends saw them lose their way despite some good play and lost 7-15. Another change of ends saw Scarlett continuing with the short service setting up the Richards winning smashes. However, the change of ends saw an 8-3 lead collapse to a 8-12 deficit from which they could not recover. The last game of the evening saw Walker and Grace playing the Redefield 3rd pair. Just as with the Thame 1st pair, Walker and Grace won the first game 15-10 but then lost the second 7-15. Walker and Grace then concentrated their efforts and for the second time in the evening saw a 15-0 win for Thame.

    The Mens team have now won their opening 4 fixtures and are top of their division. With the club unable to play the first choice line up for any of these matches, the performances of the selected teams bodes well for the rest of the season.

  • Winter Green Fair

    Oxfordshire Green Party’s annual Winter Green Fair will be held on Saturday, December 17, at Oxford Town Hall.
    This popular fair, the largest indoor annual Fair in the City, is now in it’s 23rd year and regularly
    attracts more than 2,000 visitors.

    This year the Fair will be the biggest ever with around 100 stalls, good food, music and much, much more. The fair will be open 10.30am to 4.30pm.
    More info: fair@greenoxford.com

  • A Wet and Windy Christmas Launch For Thame

    WITH gusting winds and rain showers, Thame’s Christmas Event went with a ‘Shake, Rattle and Roll’in more ways than one on Friday.
    Several awnings and plastic gazebos left the ground and soaked stall holders struggled to keep their goods dry, during an evening which, nevertheless, attracted hundreds of local people and visitors to the town centre.
    Despite many stall holders failing to show and others leaving early because of the weather, the donkey-led pageant was a huge success and ‘Elvis Smelvis’ whipped the brave crowd into a happy rendering of some of the Legend’s most popular songs, including “You’re The Devil In Disguise” and “Return To Sender”, sheltered from the rain by an umbrella held by the Town Clerk’s husband!
    An Ad hoc collection of Morris Dancers, garnered together especially for the event from around the villages, helped bring a traditional element of joviality to the proceedings and the French market from Montesson, Thame’s twin town did excellent business selling wines, jams and preserves, and hot, freshly made crepes and galettes.
    The Thame Town Band and choir of primary school children, and the Lord Williams’ Band and choir, were magnificent and helped to make the event a truly family affair and many retailers reported a good level of sales during the extra opening hours.

    More pictures and reporting tomorrow.