A 72 year-old man from Great Haseley, who has won several International swimming medals, is to compete yet again in the Butlins annual Swimathon.
Richard Harding told ThameNews.Net: “On Saturday next, March 19, I shall be attempting to do the full 5000 metres again as I near my 72nd birthday.
“This year’s Swimathon falls on the 50th anniversary of my Mother’s refusal (I was a minor at the time) to let a surgeon remove my left foot after it was crushed in a motorcycle accident. Still a funny shape, it does remarkably well and should, once again, complete this swim without any problem!”
Last year, Richard came seventh in his class, in the World Masters Swimming Competition in Ricciione, in Italy, where he finished 7th in the 100 metres backstroke and 8th in the 200 metres backstroke in the hotly-contested 70-74yrs age group.
This time, the major Good Cause is the Children’s Charity NCH which supports over 140,000 children, young people and their families including those who have been affected by poverty, disability and abuse.
Richard, who has been a swimmer all his life, belongs to the 300-strong Spencer Swim Team and incidentally, back in March 2004, won a medal in the National Swimathon, a charity event which raised fund for Macmillan Nurses.
Photo: Richard Harding of Great Haseley, wearing the two medals he won in the World Masters Swimming Competitiion in Italy.
Blog
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Local Swimming Veteran To Compete For Charity
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John Hampden Pupils See Red
PRIMARY pupils from John Hampden School, Thame, doned red noses, red hair and red everything on Friday, to raise money for this year’s Comic Relief.
A special school concert included a specially written Mr Men story, ‘Mr Red’ by the children in Mrs Dunn’s class and a group reading of the moving story of a real-life African shoe-shine boy who just wants to make enough money to go to school so that he can become a doctor.
Demonstrating just how versatile primary school teachers have to be these days, some of the staff performed a very entertaining rendering of the very aptly chosen, Abba song, ‘Money, Money, Money – it’s a rich man’s world’ which included choreography – what a talented lot they are at JHS!Photo: Just a selection of some of the imaginative Red Nose and Big Hair extravaganzas among the pupils.
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Have You Seen Sassy?
A FAMILY who have recently moved to Thame, are desperate for any news of their cat, which went missing from their home in Wellington Street at the end of last week.
Sassy, a 12 year-old black and beige tabby, disappeared some time between last Thursday night, March 10, and Friday morning.
Jonathan Needs told ThameNews.Net: “Our daughter thinks she saw Sassy under a car at around mid-night on Friday but the cat ran off into a near-by garden.
“A builder also thinks he saw the cat on Saturday morning just beyond the Chinese Take-Away, towards North Street. The problem is Sassy is quite a nervous, timid cat and will probably resist being caught. She is probably hiding somewhere and unfortunately doesn’t have the skills to find her way home.”
Sassy is described as being a predominantly black tabby with beige stripes along her back, white paws and a white tummy with blacks flecks on it. She has a distinctly bald line around her neck where she used to wear a collar.
Anyone who has any information about Sassy is asked to telephone Jonathan and Sonja Needs on 01844 217922 or 07702027846 -
Travel Tokens for Over 60’s
THE One Stop Shop in Thame Town Hall will be issuing the annual concessionary travel tokens to the value of
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Thame’s CCTV Decision Criticised
THE decision to go ahead with CCTV in Thame town centre, was questioned at the Thame Area Forum last night.
Thame resident, Margie Barbour, said that she thought the money to be spent on installing the CCTV system would be better spend on providing things for the young people who commit anti-social behaviour in and around the town centre, to do.
“I cannot see,” she added, “why we need it after we have just been told that South Oxfordshire has a low crime rate and that the fear of crime is reducing.”
Local author and Chair of the Cattle Market Action Group, Sarah Hayes, also spoke up against the proposal and said: “Classically, providing CCTV only moves the problem out to residential areas.”
The money for the installation of CCTV in the town was recently approved by South Oxfordshire District Council. Thame Town Council and Thame & District Chamber of Commerce will be contributing to the running costs.
Retailers in the town voted by a large majority for CCTV following consultation with Thames Valley Crime Prevention Offices and the local Community Safety Group.
At a recent presentation by Thames Valley Police?s David Bishop, Thame?s Crime Prevention Officer, Lesley Nesbitt and Community Safety Officer for SODC, Hilary Green, the main advantages of CCTV were stated as:-
? Would prevent Thame becoming a ?soft spot? for criminals who avoid the other towns WITH CCTV
? Enables suspicious activity to be tracked by the CCTV operators
? Improves feelings of safety and security among local people in the town centre
? Reduction in crime means financial savings for businesses and the population as a whole.WHAT DO YOU THINK? Email your comments to editor@thamenews.net
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Boris Asked To Help Thame Worker Stay
A 27 year-old New Zealander who has lived and worked in Thame for over five years, has asked MP Boris Johnson to help him fight for permanent residency in England.
Vaughan Humphries, who is a popular figure behind the bar of the Bird Cage in Thame, and works during the day for a local Design company, recently had an application for ‘Indefinite Leave to Remain’ in the country turned down by the Home Office. He has set up an on-line petition to which he hopes all his friends and those who know him in Thame, will add their names to support his claim.
Vaughan told ThameNews: “I have been in Thame for over five years now, and recently applied for Indefinite Leave to Remain – i.e. Permanent Residency. I have been doing absolutely everything legitimately along the way when it has come to seeking citizenship. Red tape seems to have blocked every avenue I have tied. The Home Office rejected my application on the grounds that there was no evidence to support my claim that I have been here in the UK for the duration I stated, even though I have a whole town who can vouch for me being here, I have a National Health Number and have been paying tax. Before I could even think about appealing, I read on and discovered to cover themselves, the Home Office refuse to appeal any cases.
“I was livid when I read that, so contacted Boris Johnson’s Office, who have said they will champion my cause. I do not have to leave the UK, as I am on a five year work permit that expires in October 2007. However, because of this I am effectively a second-class citizen, unable to further my career or be in the position to buy a house.
“Coming in at airports and travelling through Europe is a nightmare. Returning home to Thame after a long flight is depressing, as I face the ‘Spanish Inquisition’ each time I approach the immigration desk, whilst I watch three plane loads of EU nationals waltz through.”
Vaughan, who has several Degrees and plays the saxaphone in the Thame Town Band, concluded: “Thame has become my home and all I want to do is to settle here as a permanent citizen and not be chained to a work permit.”
To sign Vaughan’s petition, visit click here
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Mayor Calls For Views On New Library
THAME’s Mayor, Cllr David Dodds, has welcomed the county council raising the priority of a new library for the town.
But at a meeting of Thame Town Council yesterday, he said: “It is important that the views and aspirations of the people of Thame are considered before any plans are drawn up for the library i.e. its purposes, other facilities etc; it may well be that some of the ideas will be quite out of the question but I think they need to be considered so that we get the full backing of the town on this very important issue.”
Both Cllrs David Laver and Beatrice Dobie agreed with him that care would have to be taken not to cause ‘slippage’ or delay to the provision of a new library whilst considering detailed plans.
Cllr Dobie is Chair of the Friends of Thame Library and described the provision of funding for three years as “…wonderful news, after years of fighting.”
She told the council that the Friends would be seeking a meeting with the new County Librarian, Caroline Taylor.
Cllr Dodds concluded: “We need to get it right for the people of Thame.” -
Thame Amnesty Plea
A RECENT report from AMNESTY INTERNATIONAL has highlighted the deteriorating human rights situation in Nepal, which has gone largely unnoticed in the media.
There is a long-running conflict between the Communist Party of Nepal (CPN) (Maoist) insurgents and the security forces, which has recently lead to the a declaration of a state of emergency in Nepal, with increased militarization and clamp-down on liberty.
On the 1st of February, the King of Nepal took direct control of the government, and declared a state of emergency. During the first few days of the state of emergency hundreds of national and district level political leaders were arrested and placed in preventive detention under the Public Security Act, apparently to prevent any protest. In addition a number of trade unionists, journalists, students and human rights defenders were also detained.
Amnesty is calling on the government of Nepal to immediately restore the fundamental human rights suspended during the state of emergency and initiate a political process for resolving the conflict, based on justice and respect for human rights.
http://web.amnesty.org/library/Index/ENGASA310222005Thame Amnesty meets on the fourth Wednesday of every month (except August and December) at 8.00pm in the room above the Swan Inn on the Upper High Street . Its next meeting is the AGM, which will include discussion on the questionaire about future campaigns, the Newsletter and the content of meetings. To find out how YOU can help, contact John Evans 01844-291424, john@haddenhamduckpond.org.uk for more information.
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Can Canute Hold Back The Water?
AN illustrated talk on Climate Change, by Dr Olly Watts, RSPB Environment Policy Officer, and another by John Wyatt, local naturalist and environmentalist, on ‘Birds affected by climate change.”
Go alongto an informative and thought-provoking evening about the complex and important topic of climate change and find out how YOU can make a difference to the environment and wildlife.
The Hawkslade Centre, near Stoke Mandeville Hospital, off Ellen Road (near Mandevill school) Follow the RSPB signs.
Saturday, March 12 – 7pm to 10pm – Entrance -
Smoking Warning Rekindles Thame Tragedy
A WARNING from local Fire fighters for National ‘NO Smoking Day’ tomorrow, March 9, holds particular poignancy for Thame residents, one of whom died in a fire started by a smouldering cigarette.
Oxfordshire residents are being warned that smoking cigarettes is not only financially costly – just one puff could cost them their life!
In October, 2003, a woman died in a fire in Langdale Road, Thame, when under the influence of alcohol, she discarded a cigarette into a waste bin in her bedroom.Oxfordshire County Council?s Fire & Rescue Service is urging smokers to consider giving up or at least to be more aware of the dangers. They say that more people die in fires caused by smoking than any other source. Tobacco, especially cigarette tobacco, is manufactured to stay alight. It can quietly smoulder out of sight, starting a slow and deadly fire.
David Heycock, Community Fire Safety Manager, said: ?During my career as a firefighter, I have seen the tragic consequences of children dying in fires caused by matches and lighters they should not have had access to. Make sure that your lighters and matches are kept out of the reach of children and that your cigarettes are extinguished safely.?
In this country someone dies every three days from a fire caused by a cigarette. Follow this advice to make sure you are not one of them:
? Never light up if you need to lie down. Despite the risk of falling asleep or setting the bed on fire, people are still smoking in bed
? Don?t leave a cigarette, cigar or pipe lying around. They can easily overbalance, land on a carpet or a newspaper, and start a fire
? Use a proper ashtray. Make sure the ashtray is heavy, cannot tip over easily, and is made of a material that will not burn
? Never tap your ash into a wastepaper basket. Always use an ashtray