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  • ‘Sorry – I Didn’t Mean To Kill You’

    YOUNG drivers in Oxfordshire are being targeted in a hard-hitting and thought provoking Valentine?s Day safety campaign aimed at reducing deaths and serious injuries on the county’s roads.
    Experts from Oxfordshire County Council Fire and Rescue and Road Safety teams will be launching its ?For my girlfriend? campaign on Monday, February 14. The campaign features a Valentine Card in a sealed envelope with the words ?For my girlfriend? apparently hand-written on it. The card carries the same message on the front but inside the message is: ?I?m sorry, I didn?t mean to kill you. I was driving too fast?. The text is accompanied by a picture of a wrecked car.
    The card is being distributed with the help of sixth form centres and colleges throughout Oxfordshire.
    Five local authorities have been involved in running the ?For my girlfriend? campaign successfully in the region for the past 18 months – it gained a Prince Michael International Road Safety Award in 2004.
    In Oxfordshire in 2003, 10 young men and one young woman (aged between 17 and 25) were killed and 47 young men and 21 young women were seriously injured in road accidents. In 2004, this figure was greatly reduced with 4 young men being killed and 32 seriously injured. One young woman was killed in 2004 and 17 were seriously injured.
    David Robertson, Executive Member for Transport and Roads at Oxfordshire County Council said: ?Although it?s very encouraging to see a 50% reduction in deaths of youngsters on our roads in 2004, this still means that there are at least five families and many friends of those five who died who have lost a very special person. We should never lose sight of the fact that each lost individual is a total tragedy for their family and friends.?

  • Councillors Fears Over New Football Pitches

    THAME town councillors are concerned that part of a proposal to build new football pitches may be dangerous.
    Thame United Football Club wants to build two new pitches and a car parking area on land at Blackditch Farm, Chinnor Road.
    But at a meeting of the town council?s Planning Committee last night, members voted to suggest that the moving of the 30 mph speed limit should be considered, as they felt the access way to the site, which is on a curve of the road beyond the current limit, could be unsafe.

  • Thame’s History Highlighted (Contributed)

    RESIDENTS of Thame might be interested in my history book on the Earl of Essex’s spring 1643 campaign.
    It covers events in Oxford and Oxfordshire in considerable detail, although it is centred on the siege of Reading in Berks. Essex’s army’s stay at Thame, including the vandalism committed by the troops, and the death of John Hampden, are described, and there is a chapter on the impact of typhus on Thame and other places in Oxfordshire. There are also two photographs of the town.
    The book, entitled “The Siege of Reading: The Failure of the Earl of Essex’s 1643 Spring Offensive”, is available from www.amazon.co.uk, and should be available or orderable from bookshops in the SE, and hopefully Oxfordshire Libraries.

    I am, incidentally, being interviewed on BBC Radio Oxford’s Afternoon programme (by Alison Booker) on Thursday afternoon (10th Feb.)
    Malcolm Barres-Baker

  • Football Club Rocks To Full House

    STUDENTS at Lord Williams?s School organised a charity gig at Thame Football Club last Friday featuring six local bands playing to a packed house.
    Last minute additions, SIXTHERA, started the evening off in fine style with their guitar driven sound impressing audience and fellow musicians alike.
    HIDDEN AJENDA followed. With Tom Smith?s guitar rig nearly obliterating the back wall, new guitar player going through borrowed gear and vocals struggling with an under powered PA, they could have been phased but these guys are experienced beyond their years and turned in another strong performance. Their following continues to grow in number and dedication.
    TWIN SISTER is Will and Ed from ?THURSDAYS OF VEGA?, on guitar and bass, and Alex Camp, HEDROOM?s guitarist, on drums! Dressed up in bizarre costume and cavorting around the stage almost in time to their mental riffs they proved genuinely entertaining. Throwing spiky, post punk aggression and complex time signatures all over the place their part performance art, part edgy, intellectual experimentalism was just plain nuts. If they survive, Twin Sister will definitely be worth seeing again. Mad as a box of frogs, brilliant.
    How do you follow that? Well, you come on, do your stuff and capture the audience in the way INVETERATE did. Powerful antipodean, tribal rhythms and delayed vocal; a hypnotic Angus Young look/sound/movealike guitar player, a front man with real presence and a voice, what more can you ask? Good band.
    Then HEDROOM! Here class and experience showed as the band took to the stage with their trademark ludicrous energy and performed superbly. Bass and drums really locked together and drove the whole thing from the very first. A more mature musical performance from Christian was strangely aided by the PA?s lack of power, his typically committed vocal delivery lacked the harshness that can dominate the set through a bigger rig, coming over with more warmth and sitting in the mix far better. A good night for such a happy accident as the band were really cooking with Alex?s guitar sound also benefiting. He proved he?s as mad on the axe as he is on skins. An excellent set from a really good band which has suddenly got a whole lot tighter; maybe they should turn off the treble forever.
    LAMENT finished the night, their first performance back here since Matt?s departure. How would they cope? Traditionally the most demanding band format, the 3 piece has no hiding place. Everyone must be on the money; if you can?t play it will definitely show; if you can, it can be inspirational. Well these boys can play and it was inspirational. With the best gear, they had the best band sound of the night ( I guess you get what you pay for). Full of wicked tight riffs and excellent interplay between a wildly dreadlocked Alex on bass and a thunderous Tom on drums, and with Dave handling lead and rhythm guitar duties and vocals superbly, they took it to another level. This set was a triumph.
    There may just come a day when this audience will be saying ?I was there????.?
    This 3 piece are going to be awesome, watch this space!
    Congratulations to everyone involved in making this a highly successful night, great bands, a great audience, great organization, excellent result. Can?t wait for the next one.
    Contributed By; The Stringer

  • Planning ‘Flood Gates’ Fear For Thame

    DEVELOPERS who failed to get planning consent to demolish an old house in Thame and build eight flats in its place, are to appeal to the Secretary of State.
    South Oxfordshire District Council refused Rectory Homes permission to demolish 16 Priest End, Thame, which is in a Conservation Area, and build the new properties, late last year. However, neighbours in Priest End fear that, if the Appeal is upheld, the flood gates could be opened to replace any large house within the area of the High Street, with blocks of flats.
    Coupled with a concern that limited parking provision has been made in the proposal, neighbours also fear a potentially massive increase in vehicular movement to their present access and that their properties will be overlooked and subject to noise and pollution from the proposed car park.
    In a recent letter to the district council, they stated: “This site is within the conservation area and so any new building should retain the character of its surroundings. There are listed buildings nearby i.e. The Tythe Barn, Striblehills, 54 High Street,the Prebendal and of course St Mary?s Church. The view across the field to the church is of particular importance.
    ?We feel that it is a great shame to demolish an attractive, well-built house and replace it with a mediocre development. The only people who will gain anything from this proposal, should it be granted, would appear to be the developers.?
    Anyone wishing to make written representation about the appeal, can write to The Planning Inspectorate, Room 3/04b (Kite Wing), Temple Quay House, 2 The Square, Temple Quay, Bristol BS1 6PN

  • Labour Party Candidate Calls For More Rural Housing

    KALEEM Saeed, Labour Parliamentary Candidate for Henley Constituency, has criticised the district council’s housing policy.
    In a statement today, he said: “Hands Off South Oxon” shouts the SODC website, as if we were facing an invasion of aliens who must be firmly diverted to Didcot. But the gentrification of its towns and villages is already undermining their health, and the new life and balance injected by the building of council houses has faded dangerously. First, there weren’t enough children, and the villages lost their schools; then, in both villages and towns, the cost of housing and the buying out of council houses prevented those children’s return as adults. So the link between the generations was lost, and the villages lost post-offices, shops, and pubs. Now the average age of the parents is increasing steadily, and carers and social workers must be brought in from elsewhere by agencies.
    There is an urgent need for another injection and another attempt to restore the social balance which created these towns and villages in the first place.
    The instruments for doing this already exist. There are villages with land on which at least 50 houses or flats could be built without endangering open spaces, and further infilling is possible in towns. The housing association, SOHA, has the ability to allow tenants to buy 50 per cent of a house, with limited, not absolute right to resell – so protecting the srock for the future, and to create a mix of privately and publicly owned housing, to avoid ‘one class’ estates. Rejuvenation is possible, given the will and the courage; all that is stopping it is fear and mistrust of our fellow-citizens.

    For further information on Kaleem, and comment on current issues, visit www.henleylabourparty.co.uk

  • Tri-Counties Final For Colts (By Nick Stock)

    SUCCESS followed Success at the Kingsey Road ground on Sunday with the U17?s winning the Oxon, Bucks and Berks plate and the Colts progressing to the Final of their Tri Counties competition.
    The coltS’ match began with the cheers and applause from club celebrations still ringing in the visitor?s ears; a match which brought back the Redingesians team from Reading who had fought so hard in a 3 point match earlier in the season.
    The match started well for Chinnor with early pressure leading to a penalty and points from the boot of James Hewett. These were matched 10 minutes later by an excellent penalty kick from Redingesians to level the score.
    Both sides had infringements penalised, and ill disciplined backchat continually surrendered ground throughout the match.
    Neither side looked as though they would breakdown the other’s well drilled defences, even when Redingesians broke on their left. however the covering tackle from Tom Grellier was judged high and dangerous and a penalty try was awarded. The conversion made the half time score 3 – 10 to Redingesians.
    Chinnor came out for the second half with a much sharper attitude and bite to their game. The scrum held better against good pressure and better ball allowed a more mobile game. Good bursting runs from Peter Elson and James Hewett pushed the opposition back. An attack fell just short of the line and when the ball came back Ed Devine delicately picked and dived over the line, and Hewett converted to level the scores.

    The Chinnor pressure continued and with the second penalty, Hewett took Chinnor into the lead. The result was still far to close to call, but with a Chinnor scrum starting to move backwards, Max Williams scooped up the ball and darted round to the blind side making for the line. He drew in a covering player and delivered a near perfect ball to leave Morgan Thompson, who had made up ground fast, with just enough space to score in the corner. Opposition shoulders went down and Chinnor went on to win 18 ? 10
    Chinnor will now play Maidenhead in the Final at Tadley RFC on March 6th at 2.45 pm

    Chinnor Colts Squad on the day
    R. ENTICKNAP; J.LANG; E.DEVINE; D.JOHN; J. KIRBY; M.WILLIAMS (Capt); P.ELSON; G.HACKSHAW; M THOMPSON; H.HILLIER; J.HEWETT; J.HISCOCK; M.EDMANS; D.ISSAC; B.BISHOP; T.GRELLIER; J.MESSENGER; R.JOHNSON; J.WARD; D CUADRADO

    Coaches: Richard John and Kevin Edmans

  • Towersey Folk Duo Returning To Thame

    FOLK duo, Mick Ryan and Pete Harris are coming back to Thame for a concert on Friday, March 11, at the Thame Players Theatre in Nelson Street.
    Their most recent visit was to the 2005 Towersey festival when they stayed as guests of Chris and Margi Savory, who said: ?At their final concert at the festival they dedicated a song I had particularly loved, ‘The Poppies,’ to us, thanking us for being the people who had got them up for breakfast every day!? The friendship has now extended to Margie and Chris inviting them back to perform their mix of traditional and original material at a concert at Thame Players Theatre.
    Pete Harris explained that he was particularly happy to come back to Thame. ?Playing at Towersey festival was great? he enthused, ?but we didn?t get a chance to see the town. We?re really looking forward to playing at what sounds like a great venue, meeting the audience afterwards, not to mention sampling a pint at one of Thame?s many pubs, which Chris has told us about.?
    Mick Ryan is well known on the folk circuit as a particularly fine singer. His melodic voice catches at the heart on the wistful songs and stirs the blood on the rip- roaring traditional numbers. Mick also writes much of the material he performs; folk musicals like the hugely popular ?A Tolpuddle man? and ?A Day?s Work? include songs that have been performed by artists on both sides of the Atlantic.
    Pete Harris is a virtuoso multi instrumentalist, playing the guitar, bouzouki, mandolin, mandola, banjo, bass guitar and whistle with equal energy and skill.
    Together, Mick and Pete make up a remarkable duo; they have been described by a leading American folk magazine, (Dirty Linen, USA) as ?simply one of the finest acts performing English folk music??

    Tickets are

  • Land Value Tax Statement

    KALEEM Saeed issued the following statement today.

    “Congratulations to County Councillor Brian Hodgson on the success of last week’s conference on Land Value Tax (Oxford Times, Feb 4th, p 2). We badly need a fairer system of taxation to replace the present Council Tax, but it must not lead to a rise in house-prices and a scarcity of family sized houses. The Tory Poll Tax did that, and the Income-based tax proposed by the Lib Dem’s would do that too, hitting young families with a double whammy. The Land Value tax taxes exactly the site-value added to properties by the development of the community around them, to which the tax paid will be contributed – and NOT (as the present Council tax does, and the old Rating System did) the value of buildings and gardens added by the present and previous owners. So it is both fair to all and encouraging to investment. Just the sort of long-hoped for solution which a New Labour Government should be proud to implement.”

  • Thame For Tangalle Project Underway

    A THAME woman, whose daughter and son-in-law had a miraculous escape from the recent tsunami, has successfully formed the ‘Thame for Tangalle’ project to re-build a school destroyed in that town in Sri Lanka.
    Mrs Nina Oakman, of Mitchell Close, Thame, was so grateful to a Tangalla taxi driver who took her daughter and son-on-law into his home after their escape, that decided to raise money to build a school in the area.
    Nina and a small group of enthusiastic supporters, met last night (Thursday) and agreed to proceed with the project in two stages. Nina told ThameNews: “The school children in Tangalle have lost everything – they have no books, shoes, uniforms, school bags etc. We propose to equip them ready for school again as our first priority.
    “Secondly, we propose to rebuild a destroyed school, five miles away in Kudawella, for which we have already sought a quote.”
    John Hampden school has collected