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FIRE engines from Thame,Wheatley, Brill and Aylesbury were called to Worminghall yesterday (Sunday), at around 4pm, where a barn containing bails of straw and a quantity of manure, caught fire.
The barn could not be saved as it was well alight by the time fire crews arrived on the scene, but the joint efforts of all the pumps and water carriers were needed for several hours afterwards to prevent an adjacent barn from catching.
Pumps from Thame had earlier assisted Watlington fire officers with a 5 acre stubble fire near Watington and were later called to assist later in the evening at a field fire near Henley.
Photo: Archive

A SURPRISE celebration was held this afternoon at the Queeensdown Nursery in Thame, for retiring Headteacher, Catherine Hardy.
Catherine, who has run the nursery for the 21 years since she founded it, was presented with presents from both past and present pupils and parents, including a rag rug designed by one of the children and made by her mum. She was also presented with all the equipment needed, including a wheel barrow and a pump, for Catherine to build a pond in her garden and a huge bunch of flowers.
As well as expresssing her surprise at seeing so many past pupils and parents – at being able to remember so many of their names, Catherine said:”I am always delighted to hear about the progress of my ex pupils, which must mean that we here at Queensdown must have given them all a really good start to their educational career.”
She added that she was delighted that Natalie and Sue, her erstwhile Assistand Teachers, were going to carry on running the Nursery themselves ensuring its continuation as a very necessary facility for Thame.

LOVE her or hate her, there?s no denying that Ann Widdecombe is flavour of the month on television lately;
firstly as a ?grumpy old woman? and now with her own agony aunt show, ?Ann Widdecombe to the Rescue? on BBC2 every Wednesday. On top of this her latest novel, Father Figure, has just been published. So what a coup for Thame Players and the Players Theatre to get her show ?An Audience With Ann Widdecombe? at the theatre on Sunday, July 24 at 7.45pm.

Ann Widdecombe was a minister in the last Conservative government, serving at the Department of Employment and the Home Office. In 2001 she decided to retire from the shadow cabinet in order to be able to speak on issues without the constraints that being a front bench spokesman would impose.
She is a brilliant speaker. Whilst her conservative principles shine through, this is a million miles from being a party political broadcast. She reveals what life is really like as an MP, as a judge and as a TV personality, and she will be answering questions from the audience in the second half of the show.

According to the show?s agent, “This not to be missed and amusing evening has a definite ‘something of the night’ about it”. Furthermore she will be signing copies of her latest novel, Father Figure after the show.

Whether your politics are left or right or dead centre, be there on Sunday,July 24. Tickets cost

THAME may lose its Taxi Bus service to the Lewknor Tube Bus Stop, because not enough commuters from the town are using it.
Oxfordshire County Council?s Department of Public Transport have asked the town and parish councils affected to let them know of any other communities who would like to be considered to be added to the route.
Some lobbying has already come from Milton Common but Thame Town Councillor Nigel Champken-Woods would like to hear from any other villages in the area that would like access to the Lewknor London Tube Stop.

The South Oxfordshire District Council?s Dial-A-Ride service is however well used by Thame but once again, communities are being consulted as to any changes that may be useful to them, such as the days it runs, routes, frequencies etc.

Any requests or comments should be sent to Cllr Champken-Woods via email at: ngcw@btinternet.com, or in writing via The Town Hall in Thame.

A THAME town councillor has expressed his concern that a proposed retirement development in the town could introduce an American-type gated complex.
Cllr Nigel Champken-Woods was responding to a presentation made to Thame Town Councillor?s Planning Committee, by David Barrington, the proprietor of The Spread Eagle, Thame.
Mr Barrington wants to demolish the Spread Eagle?s Banqueting suite and build 10, three storey, three-bedroomed, retirement homes in its place and on part of the current car park, because, he explained, the current lack of bookings for the suite is “effecting the profitability of the business.”
Cllr Champken-Woods made his remarks after hearing that it was proposed that both the front gates to the hotel and the rear entrance would be locked at 11pm. Other councillors expressed the view that a three bedroomed home on three storeys is not most people?s idea of a retirement home, agreeing with similar comments made by the Conservation Area Advisory Committee.
The CAAC were also concerned that an essential social facility would be lost to Thame.
Mr Barrington said that the idea of three bedrooms was so that a retired person could, for instance, have a son or daughter to stay plus a grandchild, and another councillor pointed out that some of the retirement flats in Rooks Lane were accessed by stairs.
However, the committee voted to recommend refusal of the application on the grounds of Overdevelopment, in that three storeys were not appropriate as retirement homes.