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  • Triumph For First Thame Music Concert (Contributed By Barry Gibson)

    FROM the first bars of Britten?s Simple Symphony, it was clear that the first Thame Music concert on Saturday by the Orchestra of St. Johns (OSJ) had found a tremendously exciting matching of players and place.
    Just 14 string players, cleanly underpinned by a single double-bass and two cellos, but with the eleven violins/violas standing ? and leaning enthusiastically – to give added energy, edge and shape to the phrasing.

    Here was playing of great quality and clarity, reaching out to fill all corners of the space ? and the building gave back with a warm and full acoustic, just enough to enhance the precision and chamber quality of the strings, without ever getting muddy.

    Neatly framing the programme were two stalwarts of the string-orchestra repertoire ? the Britten is a lighthearted reworking of themes invented in his childhood, played here with vigour, attack and enjoyment ? playful pizzicatos and all. And, to close, Tchaikovsky?s Serenade for Strings is by turns serious, lilting, thoughtful and rumbustuous, the highlight for me being OSJ?s quiet, lovingly lingering phrases in the Elegie.

    In between were two extracts from William Walton?s music for the 1944 Laurence Oliver movie of Shakespeare?s Henry V ? film music, yes, but excellently crafted: a Purcell-like Passacaglia (for the death of Falstaff) and the gently dancing, wistful ?Touch her soft lips and part?.

    The complete curiosity of the evening was a setting by Respighi (in Italian) of Shelley?s The Sunset (Il Tramonto), for which OSJ were joined by the mezzo Christine Cairns, who sang with great conviction and involvement. This strange, often dark work weaves a twilight stream-of-consciousness reflecting on illness and death, but with occasional atmospheric string-evocations of the night sky and faint stars ? a fine balance between depth and delicacy.

    John Lubbock conducted the whole evening with drive and energy, encouraging the ensemble along towards the peaks and holding everyone back where appropriate, to make the most of those quiet, thoughtful moments.

    Barry Gibson

  • Actions To Kerb Motorcycles On Phoenix Trail

    NEW initiatives to try to kerb the nuisance of mini motorbikes on Thame’s Phoenix Trail, are to be taken.
    SUSTRANS, the sustainable transport charity who own most of the track, are to put up a series of clear signs at barriers along the route, to emphasise the point that motorised vehicles are forbidden on the track.
    Also, Thames Valley Police are liaising with other Forces to establish the most effective routes to impounding and prosecuting offenders, some as young as 6 years-old, who ignore the law about insurance, helmets and other requirements for the lawful use of motorcycles.
    Thame Town Council is investigating ways of providing an alternative site for young people to ride motorcycles in a safe and responsible way.
    As well as problems of young people riding mini-motorbikes on the Phoenix Trail, the problem of fly-tipping was also discussed at a meeting of all interested parties, in Thame today.
    SUSTRANS representatives at the meeting urged the local Trail Rangers to enlist more volunteers to help them keep the trail free of rubbish, and offered practical help in the form of a trailer and tools, and organising someone to take away larger objects, like fridges, at regular intervals.
    Local schools are to be asked to invite speakers to talk to pupils about the consequences of anti-social behaviour on the Phoenix Trail, and letters are to be sent out to both private and business properties adjoining the trail about the consequences of dumping rubbish over their fences.

  • Appeals From Thame Amnesty (Contributed)

    Street Collection – Saturday 25th June
    We will have a stall on Greyhound walk, and people with collecting tins scattered around Thame town centre. Anyone who can spare an hour or two on this date; please get in touch with Owen Davies (01844) 214466.

    This year our street collection falls during Refugee Week. (20th-26th June) so the stall will reflect the theme for this year’s refugee week – persecution.

    MEXICO; PRISONER OF CONSCIENCE MUST BE RELEASED Felipe Arreaga S

  • Opposition To Priest End Demolition

    THAME Town Council’s planning committee has expressed its opposition to the demolition of house in Priest End, Thame, to make way for seven flats.
    Thame resident, Chris Simpson told the committee: “We seem to be very good at pulling beautiful buildings down and putting rubbish in its place. Take, for example, the girls’ grammar school in the High Street, which is now the Co-op.
    “If the developer had come up with something attractive that would contribute to the Conservation Area, we should look at it. But what is proposed is rubbish.”
    Another resident,Mr Clivedon (apologies if spelling incorrect), said that in his view the developer was looking for the ‘fait a compli’ of an empty site to resubmit an application for the flats.
    Cllr John Beech agreed that the application would not enhance the Conservation Area, echoing comments made by the Conservation Committee who said that the development “would not be welcome.”
    Cllr David Dodds concluded:”This has been ‘kicked out’ once and this council should express its strong disapproval of this demolition in what is a very precious area.”

  • ‘Extremely Unattractive Dormer’ Rejected

    THAME town council’s Planning committee have recommended refusal of a ‘Lawful Development Certificate’ to add a large dormer window and room in the roof space of a house in Queens Road, Thame.
    Cllr John Beech said: “This massive dormer window is extremely unattractive and we should not be encouraging this sort of change to this type of property.”
    Cllr Beatrice Dobie called the design: “An ugly mishmash,” although Cllr David Laver, now Mayor of Thame for the second time, said that he did not see any problem with the number of windows, which were a particular focus for criticism from some other committee members.
    The committee agreed to recommend refusal because the proposed development was Out of Character with its surroundings.

  • Name Agreed For New Development

    THE new development of flats off Chinnor Road, Thame, is to be called “New Barn Close”, to reflect its history, Thame Town Council’s Planning committee agreed yesterday.

  • HGV Driver Jailed Following Death of Thame Man

    A LORRY driver has been jailed for three years, as a result of his Tesco lorry turning over on to a car and causing the death of the driver.
    Shaun Lawrence denied causing the death of 42 year-old Gary Weller, of Thame, on March 20, last year, but was convicted last month.
    The accident happened just before the roundabout linking Abingdon Road with the Oxford Ring Road.

  • New Mayor For Thame

    THAME Town Councillor, David Laver, who recently lost his County Council seat, is Thame’s new Mayor.
    Cllr Laver, who is a Lib Dem, was Mayor in 2003, told fellow councillors: “I am pleased and honoured to serve for a second time and thank you for placing your trust in me. I hope we can put our political differences behind us now that the election period is over, for the good of the town as we have before.
    “There are some particularly interesting times ahead for the town and some difficult decisions that will need to be made.”
    He paid tribute to Cllr Dodds, the retiring Mayor, who will be his deputy for the coming year, for the way he had dealt with, what Cllr Laver referred to as “some difficult times” during his year in office.

  • Dump That Spare Tyre!

    Special Offer from your local SOLLuntions Fitness Centre.
    Print off this article and take it along to your nearest SOLLutions, at Thame Leisure Centre (01844 215607, to receive your 5 Day, FREE trial.
    Offer valid until June 30, 2005 – Terms and Conditions apply.

  • Thame Landmark Back In Town

    A THAME landmark, which had been stolen twice from its plynth, has been replaced at last.
    The second edition of the statue of a boy, holding a large fish and standing on the back of a turtle, was spotted in the window of a London antique dealer by a Thame resident who works in the City, after being stolen for the second time.
    Now returned to its rightful place as part of a fountain in Thame’s Memorial Garden, the sculpture was officially unveiled on Saturday (May 14) by the Mayor of Thame, Cllr David Dodds. The guest of honour was Mrs Phyllis Quainton, who was only nine years-old in 1926 when the original statue for officially inaugurated.
    The sculpture, which was made by Faith Winter, was given to the town by a member of the Thame family Pearce (a cousin to the Pearce Wool Stapler family), when he emigrated to Australia and wanted a lasting memorial to his family in the town.

    Photo courtesy of The Thame Gazette

    ED. The Statue is of course, the logo of ThameNews.Net, by kind permission of the artist, so we are all especially delighted to see it back once more!