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  • More Retailers Needed

    THE ‘Try Thame First’ campaign, aimed at encouraging more shoppers to discover the advantages of shopping in the town, needs more retailers to take part in a local radio campaign during the run-up to Christmas.
    So far, 24 retailers have committed to paying a contribution of

  • Vandals Damage Car With Paint

    INFORMATION is being sought by Thame Police about a recent incident in which a car was daubed with green spray paint.
    The incident occurred in Fothergill Place, Thame, on Thursday, October 13, between 1.40pm and 5.30pm, in a private car park in the area.
    If anyone say any suspicious characters hanging around the area at the times specified, they are asked to contact PC Allen, 2911 via the police enquiry line: 0845 8505505, or Crime Stoppers anonymously on: 0800 555111

  • Police Warning As Hunting Season Begins

    THAMES Valley Police has today re-iterated its stance on policing the new Hunting Act.
    Insp Pete Downing, from the Headquarters Operations Department, said: ?We are well aware that the whole spectrum of hunting activities remain sensitive issues in our rural areas and within hunting communities.
    ?We have met with all the hunts in the Force area, as well as anti-hunt groups and I am confident that the former have changed their activities to comply with the law. We have also re-examined our own policy to ensure that the policing of hunts continues to be as balanced and reasonable as possible.
    ?However, illegal hunting will continue to be treated as wildlife crime and any allegations will be robustly investigated.
    ?We encourage anyone to contact police if they see an illegal hunt taking place, but it is very important that people do not jump to conclusions ? wearing scarlet jackets and exercising hounds is not illegal, neither is trail hunting. If people see hounds and people on horseback, it does not necessarily mean that an illegal activity is taking place. But if an animal is being pursued then you should contact police.?

    Anyone with information about illegal hunting should contact the Police Enquiry Centre on 0845 8 505505, or if you don?t want to speak to officers or leave your name contact Crimestoppers on 0800 555111.

    You can also report any crime at your local police station.

  • Faces Of Thame

    THAME’S new museum will be opening its doors on Saturdays for the next four weeks, for an exhibition of historic photographs, called Faces Of Thame.
    Also on view will be the designs for the musuem which is currently being converted from the old Court House. The main work is expected to be over with by next Easter, when the museum will be fully operational and open to the public.
    Volunteers will be on hand during the Faces of Thame exhibition to be asked questions about the plans for this exciting venture for the town.

  • Bishop Joins Harvest Festival School

    BISHOP Colin Fletcher of Dorchester joined Aston Rowant C of E school last Monday, for its Harvest Festival celebrations.
    The bishop toured the new class rooms, which had been constructed over the summer holidays, and which have greatly enhanced the school?s facilities.
    Governors, staff and ex staff, including retired head Celia Wilson, enjoyed a delicious soup lunch with the Bishop, prepared by year 6 children.
    The harvest festival service, which included items and songs from each class, included information about an Ethiopian boy sponsored by the school, prayers of thanks for the new rooms and prayers for those less fortunate.
    The Bishop explained to the children about his garments and by demonstrating with his crook, explained something of his work caring for the Church community.
    The gifts donated by the school?s families, were given to Stepping Stones in Oxford, an organisation that works with the homeless, and to the Chinnor Resource Centre.
    The Bishop commented upon the happy atmosphere in the school and the obvious support given by the parents and other volunteers. The children commented upon the Bishop?s friendliness; Daniel Matthews (9) said that the Bishop was “cool”.
    The service was followed by tea and cakes for all organised by the PTA.
    The school community was delighted with the event.

  • All Hallows Eve – A Thame Perspective

    DON’T look now but there?s something very spooky creeping up on you?.and its called October 31st.
    Devotees will soon be congregating outside Woolworth?s, gathered around their cauldron; witches and ghouls planning their evening. It will be a night of spooky tales, ghosts and trick-or-treaters, or as shoppers to Woolworth may call it, ? Pic?n?Mix?!! We seem to have seriously adopted the Halloween tradition from the US. We certainly didn?t celebrate like this when I was a child, but what we would do was tell a good ghost story.
    Now, we know that Thame is an old town so I expected that it would be jam-packed with ghosts. I mean, you don?t find buildings as old as many of ours here in Thame, in just any old place. So you can imagine that I was bitterly disappointed to only be able to rustle up a hand full. Any way, settle down on this cold, grisly night but make sure your windows are locked because here we go???
    The next time you drive to Aylesbury from Thame on the A418, at night, beware when you approach the village of Gibralta. Try not to be alone as it is at this spot that the ghost of a Thame man, known as the Noble Edden who apparently appears to warn travelers about the danger ahead. What danger you may ask? Well, it was here that Noble Edden was murdered, and he wants to make sure it doesn?t happen to anyone else!
    Around St Mary?s Church, in Thame, stories of the lady in grey have been rife for many years. The story goes that a lady in grey appeared to the vicar of St Mary?s just before the turn of the last century. As he approached a lady dressed in Elizabethan costume who was kneeling at the alter rail, she vanished right before his very eyes. During World War II, members of the Home Guard often claimed to have seen her while climbing to their lookouts on the church tower.
    Interestingly, whilst doing this research, I noticed that Long Crendon also boasts a lady in grey whose ghost haunts their church. Could it be the same lady? Did she perhaps marry her true love at Thame only to loose him and see him buried at Long Crendon, and now her unhappy spirit walks them both in grief? It could be, or maybe someone local knows the true story of our lady in grey? Please do get in touch and let us know.
    The last story that I?m going to tell is from the very lovely Bird Cage. Its one of the oldest and most well known buildings in Thame and there are many accounts of strange happenings. With moving objects and strange knocking sounds, it all sounds a bit creepy! More so when you?re told that the ghost is that of a leper that was once imprisoned there.
    Legend has it that he met a horrible end, being stoned to death by the local people of Thame! And I thought we were such nice people! Apparently there is a secret underground passage that runs from the Bird Cage to St Mary?s Church and it was along here that his battered, bruised and broken body was carried for the last time.
    I?m sure there?s a lot more spooky history that I just have not had the time to come across, but for now I?ll leave you with these to ponder.
    Right now I?m just about to double-check that I did actually lock that door??

  • Dogs Sedated By Burglars

    THAME Police are appealing for witnesses following two high value burglaries in Kingston Blount last week. Overnight on Monday, October 10, two houses were broken into on the High Street. It is believed the offenders gave two dogs in the house a sedative and stole porcelain statues and silverware worth around

  • 80% Of Child Car Seats Are Not Safe!

    PARENTS are being urged to have their children?s car seats checked for safety as the county council’s “Sitting Tight” campaign reveals that a staggering 80% are incorrectly fitted.

    Fire crews from Rewley Road Fire Station will be in the car park at Toys R Us on the Botley Road in Oxford between 9.30am and 12.30 on Saturday 29 October. Parents are invited to bring their cars along so that firefighters can check their children?s car seats free-of-charge to ensure that they have been secured correctly.
    There are many different makes of cars and many different types of car seats which can make the fitting quite complicated ? it only takes a few minutes to have the seat checked and parents can then rest assured that their children are safe when they travel on Oxfordshire?s busy roads.

    The Fire & Rescue Service is working with the County Council?s Road Safety team to spread the road safety message far and wide throughout the county in a bid to reduce the total number of deaths and injuries to children on our roads each year.

    David Heycock, Community Fire Safety Manager at the County Council?s Fire & Rescue Service said: ?We are hoping that fathers and grandfathers, as well as mothers and grandmothers, will come along and let us check their children?s car seats.

    ?We have noticed in previous campaigns that some fathers are a little reluctant to receive our advice -possibly because they assume that they have fitted the seat securely and safely.

    ?Unfortunately this is not always the case and it?s not because of their lack of ability.
    There are hundreds of different car seats on the market today and they all have different fitting methods.?

    County Councillor Ray Jelf, Cabinet Member for Community Safety said: ?Problems can sometimes arise when the seats are swapped from one car to another as different cars may need a different method of securing the seat.

    ?Our teams are out there to offer advice and training. I hope that people will take advantage of this and have their children?s car seats checked.?

    Photo: Copyright of autoweb.com

  • Teenager Dies In Road Collision

    THE Police are appealing for witnesses after an 18-year-old woman died in a road collision last night, October 13.
    At around 8.15pm a T-reg, silver Peugeot 206 was being driven by the woman north along the A41 from the direction of Aylesbury towards Bicester. About one mile out of Waddesdon, the car attempted to overtake a Flat bed Ford Transit van and collided with a Ford Transit travelling in the opposite direction.
    The woman was declared dead at the scene and has not yet been formally identified. The driver of the Ford Transit suffered minor injuries.
    Sgt Steve Capper, based at Aylesbury Roads Policing department, said: ?This is a tragic incident and I am appealing to anyone who may have seen the Peugeot or a black KG52-reg black Ford Focus driving in the same direction along the A41 between Aylesbury and Wescott,to contact me.

    ?If you were driving along the road or was a pedestrian in Waddesdon and saw either of these two vehicles, you may have vital information that could help in the police investigation.?

    Witnesses and anyone with information that they feel could help in the investigation are urged to contact Sgt Capper at Aylesbury Roads Policing department via 0845 8 505 505. If you don?t want to speak to police and don?t want to leave your name, please call the confidential Crimestoppers service on 0800 555 111.

    You can also give information to the police in person by visiting any police station. To find out the opening times and location of your local station please call 0845 8 505 505 or visit: www.thamesvalley.police.uk/bcu/buckinghamshire/bcu-info/stations.htm

    ? A 20-year-old man has been arrested on suspicion of causing death by dangerous driving and has been bailed pending further enquiries.

  • Heated Wheat Bag Warning

    THAME Fire Officers are warning users of heated wheat bags to take care, after they were called out to two separate incidents where the bags caught fire in microwave ovens.
    Wheat bags that can be heated up and placed around the neck and shoulders have become very popular as therapy for neck and shoulder aches and pains.
    Station Officer, Andy Ford said: “The problems seem to arise when users of these wheat bags place them back into the microwave oven to re-heat them, once they have begun to cool down. It is best to let the bag cool down completely before placing it back in the oven.”
    Both incidents took place in Chinnor last week.