THE Arriva 280 service between Oxford and Aylesbury will operate as follows during the festive period: Monday 23 December – Saturday service Tuesday 24 December (Christmas Eve) – Saturday service with last departure 18:00 from Aylesbury Bus Station to Oxford and 19:15 from Oxford Rail Station via Thame Park and 19:35 to Aylesbury Wednesday 25 December (Christmas Day) – no service Thursday 26 December (Boxing Day) – no service Friday 27 December – Saturday service Saturday 28 December – normal Saturday service Sunday 29 December – normal Sunday service Monday 30 December – Saturday service Tuesday 31 December (New Year’s Eve) – Saturday service with last departure 18:00 from Aylesbury Bus Station and 19:15 from Oxford Rail Station via Thame Park and 19:35 to Aylesbury Wednesday 1 January (New Year’s Day) – no service Thursday 2 January – normal service resumes
THE Carousel Link 40 service between Thame and High Wycombe will operate as follows during the festive period: Monday 23 December – Saturday service Tuesday 24 December (Christmas Eve) – Saturday service with last departure 17:35 from High Wycombe and 18:45 from Thame Wednesday 25 December (Christmas Day) – no service Thursday 26 December (Boxing Day) – no service Friday 27 December – Saturday service Saturday 28 December – normal Saturday service Sunday 29 December – normal Sunday service Monday 30 December – Saturday service Tuesday 31 December (New Year’s Eve) – Saturday service with last departure 17:35 from High Wycombe and 18:45 from Thame Wednesday 1 January (New Year’s Day) – no service Thursday 2 January – normal service resumes
JACK is a stuggling musician trying to make a go of things in Lowestoft, from one mediocre pub gig to another, with appearances at the odd festival playing to audiences of two or three.
He has decided on more than one occasion to pack it in and get real, but his ‘manager’ and best friend Ellie – who would like to be more to Jack than that – keeps the faith and encourages him not to give up on his dreams. One evening, he is cycling home when a freak global blackout happens, thrusting him and his bike into an oncoming bus. He survives, and wakes up intact but for a couple of teeth.
But the world he wakes up into has shifted slightly on its axis: when he picks up his guitar in the pub beer garden one afternoon and absent-mindedly picks out Yesterday on his acoustic guitar, his friends pretend they have never heard it. Never heard of Lennon or Macartney, never heard of The Beatles. He goes home and tries to find it on Google. Images of shiny black beetles appear. And when he tries out a few Beatles numbers at his gigs he soon finds himself an overnight sensation, hailed as a breakthough songwriter, a once in a generation musical genius.
Global domination beckons: fame beyond his imaginings, wealth, women, accolades. But is it OK, he keeps asking himself? He is basically a liar and a plagiarist. Surely he will meet some sort of grizzly come-uppance.
Danny Boyle’s gorgeous feelgood rom com might be based on a screenplay by the master of that genre, Richard Curtis. But it is a bit more rough round the edges, a bit more gritty and complex than you might expect thanks to the dubious morality of our hero Jack, who we root for even though we know he is faking it. And the film manages to pull off a small miracle: it persuades you that you are hearing those songs for the first time, and to marvel at what really was a miraculous musical output, song after song after song.
With a cracking cast, including a satisfyingly self-deprecating cameo from Ed Sheeran, this will put a big sunny smile on your face. View the trailer here.
Film: Yesterday – Saturday. December 28, 8 pm (Doors open 7.30pm) – Thame Players Theatre, Nelson Street, Thame. Licenced bar
INFO: UK 2019, 113 minutes, 12 certificate – Directed by Danny Boyle, Starring Himesh Patel, Lily James, Joel Fry, Kate McKinnon, Sanjeev Bhaskar, Meera Syal, Ed Sheeran
AMONG the motions agreed on December 19, by South Oxfordshire District Councillors, were actions to develop a plan for cycling infrastructure, and another to expressing the council’s support for the voting age to be lowered to 16.
Councillors discussed the wide-ranging Oxfordshire 2050 plan, which could include a network of biodiversity areas and greater public transport infrastructure in the district, and they agreed that any planning for new homes and employment sites should be taken into consideration at the local district planning level.
The council will now send a letter to government, local Members of Youth Parliament and the British Youth Council to express the Council’s support for the vote to be given to people aged 16-17 years olds at all elections and referendums across the UK.
The council’s intention is to start to develop a strategic plan to improve the cycling and walking infrastructure in the district, and to actively support Oxfordshire County Council’s plan to deliver a safe cycling network across the district. The district council will now identify ways in which it can prioritise active travel in its planning policy to connect urban and rural areas.
Cllr Sue Cooper, Leader of the council said: “Motions proposed to Council help us to discuss important issues that directly affect our residents. We will be writing letters to the government giving our stance on national issues and we look forward to starting work on creating and connecting our biodiversity and cycle path networks in our districts – something that will contribute to improving everyone’s health and wellbeing.”
CORRECTION text in red: THERE seems to be considerable confusion about whether or not the new Tory Government has scrapped the proposed Expressway between Oxford and Cambridge, or merely intends to review it.
Inage courtesy of Bidwells.co.uk
The Oxford-Cambridge expressway is part of the £5.5bn Oxford-Cambridge manufacturing and research ‘brain-belt’ linking the two cities through the construction of infrastructure and a million new homes by 2050.
The government’s preferred route for the OxCam Expressway is a corridor ‘broadly aligned’ with the proposed East-West rail route from Abingdon to south Milton Keynes via Winslow. It is yet to be decided whether the route will pass west or east of Oxford. The government has stated that the road will create vital jobs, skills and housing.
Thame’s MP, John Howell tweeted during the election campaign: “Great news. After a lot of heavy campaigning the Oxford-Cambridge Expressway has been cancelled.” He repeated the same thing on Radio Oxford during a radio hustings.
Also during the election campaign, James Frederickson, the Tory candidate who eventuallyfailed to take the seat from LIb Dem Leila Moran, wrote on his website under the heading ‘Expressway plans stopped due to public response to our survey’: ” “Thank you to everyone who responded to our survey. We received well over 1000 responses, It was this data that convinced the Secretary of State to scrap the expressway plans. Not only is this great news for local residents living under the blight of the Expressway proposals but this decision frees up the money to invest in the east/west rail and cycling infrastructure.” See LINK
But the Minister for Transport, Grant Shapps, said that if elected, a Conservative Government ‘would carry out a review’ of the project. Both Oxfordshire County Council and South Oxfordshire District Council have both voted not to support the expressway, but Cherwell District Council supports it.
Campaign group demands meeting with minister about government’s ‘Priority Review’
THE leading campaign group opposing the construction of the Oxford to Cambridge Expressway and associated one million new homes – the ‘No Expressway Group’ (NEG) – has written an open letter to the Secretary of State for Transport, Grant Shapps, demanding an urgent meeting to discuss his proposed ‘review’ into the road, NEG’s request to be part of any such review and that the review itself should be extended to include the one million houses target to 2050.
NEG is requesting this meeting because the only response to two letters, dated November 22, and December 4, and to speaking with Grant Shapps’ constituency office, as well as the matter being raised by them directly with his Chief of Staff, Nicholas Langley, on November 29, has been to ask NEG to get back in touch yet again after the General Election.
Review could be ‘a whitewash’
NEG spokesperson, Olivia Field, said: This is a matter of great concern to the communities all along the Oxford to Cambridge Arc, made worse by the huge uncertainty that both the delays in consultation and the pledge to review have created. Some people are concerned that a review could be a whitewash, as was the case for the HS2 review. Others are confused by some of the Conservative party candidates during the recent election period who said the expressway was ‘effectively cancelled’ but that this couldn’t be announced because of purdah. People need clarity of when any ‘review’ might happen, of what the approach of the review will be, of who will be involved and whether or not they will be represented by NEG in this process.’
This is not ‘game over’
Ms Field continued: ” Having still had no contact, other than to ask us to make contact again, we must now meet with Grant Shapps as a matter of urgency, to ensure he really understands the issues and concerns involved, to agree how NEG will be involved in any Ox-Cam Expressway review and to understand the timescale of future events.
“NEG is continuing to urge people not to see the Government’s announcement as ‘game over’. It’s not. It’s vital that as many local people as possible make their voices heard by supporting NEG at www.noexpressway.org where they can sign a petition to demand the Government abandons plans for the Ox-Can Expressway and associated over inflated housing targets.”
Wildlife concerns
Many wildlife and nature conservation groups are fearful of the effect on the environonment by the Expressway route, and BBOWT recently won a legal case against the goverment, arguing that it has failed to assess the environmental impact of its plans, before choosing the corridor of land within which the Expressway and related housing will be built.
NB Catch up with previous back stories to this topic HERE
MATT Williams, Director of Rugby, has said that his Chinnor side head into this weekend’s mouth-watering clash at home to Richmond full of confidence as they bid to end 2019 on a high.
The Thame-based side welcome the leaders to Kingsey Road on the back of a seven-match unbeaten run in the third tier. Chinnor’s fine form includes four successive home victories, with last week’s 37-27 triumph over Darlington Mowden Park being one of their stand-out performances of the National League 1 campaign. The Oxfordshire club want to make sure they head into the Christmas break on a good note and close the five-point gap to Richmond, who won the reverse fixture back in September.
Matt Williams: “We owe them one, but I think the important thing for us is that this is deemed as just the next game in a long season. I don’t want our unbeaten run to become this big thing, but momentum is key – I say it every week. We’re feeling good at the moment and training is going well. It’s another week, but with the added opportunity of leapfrogging Richmond if the result goes our way. The guys are confident, they’re excited!
“Last Saturday was definitely the best performance of the season as a whole over 80 minutes. and it’s about replicating and improving this week.”
Jason Worrall has been one of Chinnor’s star performers in the first half of the season and crossed for a tenth time in the victory over Darlington. That score helped him become the league’s joint leading try-scorer and Williams was full of praise for the South African, saying: “Jason is a great character to have around and he is a professional as well. Culturally he’s great within the squad and we’ve got a few boys back now that add that bit of experience and seriousness.
“It was good to have Will Harries back on the pitch last week and I felt a few boys really stood up. Nick Selway had his best game for us; Chris Elder was great again, and I thought Callum Watson was superb – each week he plays he gets that fraction better. It was a good team performance and there were several strong displays amongst the group.”
Chinnor will be without lock, Ehize Ehizode (concussion), while they will make a late call on the fitness of captain Carl Kirwan and centre Elder (both ankle). SATURDAY’S SQUAD Chinnor (v Richmond, home): from Ashby, Dancer, Elder, George, Goss, Harries, Kirwan, Laverick, Manning, May, McNulty, Pieterse, Ramshaw, C Ryan, W Ryan, Selway, Southworth, Thomas, Tyas, Watson, Worrall, Yawayawa.
ALMOST a hundred members, helpers and volunteers at the Thame and District Day Centre, came together at the Oxford Belfry Hotel today (20/12) to celebrate Christmas together, the first Christmas party since they moved to the new Thame Cricket Club pavilion earlier in the year.
Following a warm welcome by the Centre’s Manager, Gill Coleman, a three course meal, wine, mince pies and coffee were enjoyed by all and, following the Chairman’s report from Alison Champken Woods, came the fun, provided by the multi-voiced, multi-talented, one-woman ‘Isabel’s Frantic Theatre’. The show ranged from a singing Dalek, to Three Little Maids from School, who shared one pair of legs between them! Comedy, song and theatre furiously interspersed with each other kept, what on paper should have been ‘a challenging audience’, fully engaged throughout her 45 minute show. Well done Isabel!!
All the members, their drivers, helpers and guests, eventually went on their way, no doubt with their spirits lifted and a song in their hearts, all thanks to the centre’s tireless Manager (who personally has faced her own year of challenges), the trustees and the army of volunteers who make it possible for the more senior members of Thame’s community to get out of their homes once or twice a week to socialise, to be stimulated and to enjoy Christmas with their peers, to meet old friends and make new ones.
You can watch Alison Champken Woods, the Chair of the Trustees of Thame and District Day Centre, deliver her Chairman’s report, HERE Apologies for the abrupt ending of the recording before the end of Alison’s report. Unrecorded, Alison went on to say:
A long waiting list!
“We have also managed to recruit further three Trustees who will bring differing skills to the Board of Trustees. We have submitted the paperwork for the ‘sustainability grant’ again, applying for three years’ funding this time based on the pressure we currently find ourselves under with our current waiting list plus those wishing to attend from Holton. The grant application was supported by the updated sustainabilitity plan incorporating achievements and an updated business plan for the coming year.
‘Need to be flexible to meet the challenges ahead’
“It is essential that the Day Centre is innovative in what if offers members and continues to a friendly and welcoming environment for all concered. As previously stated, we need to be flexible to meet the challenges ahead and there is arequirement for a ‘drop in’ service for those elderly who do not want to attend the full Day Centre but pop in for tea/coffee with their friend etc. This is where the Day Centre needs to work closely with other nearby facilities.
A growing elderly population
“A significant amount of work will need to be undertaken over the coming years, including significant engagement with both local communities/businesses and national organisations to ensure a crucial service for a growing elderly population continues for both Thame and the surrounding communities.
“We have engaged the services of a marketing expert, who is with us today, to help us over the next few months in reviewing our brand/website/information leaflets. What we as Trustees must do is to continue to move forward, to look ahead and to plan for the predicted increase of the elderly within our community, especially those over the age of 80/85.
Thanks to all supporters
“I would like to take this opportunity to thank the Trustees and all volunteers for their support over the last 12 months, but most importantly Gill and Kate for their tireless efforts in the move which was extremely stressful for us all. I would also like to thank thank the Cricket Club for their support and help during the move and helping us to settle into our new environment, particularly Angus, Judith, Christine and John. Thank you too to all the local organisations who continue to support the Day Centre, including staff from White Stuff.
Gill Coleman (centre) with volunteer, Christine Tacq (right) and one of the Day Centre members
“I would also like to thank the staff here at The Belfry for looking after us all so well and it just remains for me to wish everyone a merry Christmas and a happy new year. THANK YOU ALL!”
THAME Town Council is to write to a land owner where a large advertisement board offering land for Commercial purposes has been erected, asking for it to be taken down.
The decision to write to the land owner was made by the council following a presentation by a concerned resident of Pickenfields, Thame, opposite the green field site where the sign suddenly appeared two weeks ago. The wording of the sign appears to be aimed at attracting expressions of interest from third parties regarding the availability of employment land.
Part of the sign reads: “ANOTHER DEVELOPMENT BY STOFORD”
As the resident pointed out, and confirmed by the town council’s Neighbourhood Plan Continuity Officer, Graeme Markland, the sign is probably unlawful as it has not been the subject of planning consent, the land where the sign is situated is not included within the Thame Neighbourhood Plan as Employment land, and there is no planning consent in place for that site.
The resident, Mr Duncan Nickless, told the committee: “Other developers will see it (the sign) and want to erect their signs all around the town. This action undermines the confidence of the public in the Neighbourhood Plan.” He added that he understood that the developer was carrying out a ‘needs analysis’ for employment land in the town, but was concerned that it would not be ‘credible’ or ‘independent’. When he suggested that there was a need for an independent look at the needs of the town for commercial needs, the Chair of the Thame NPCC, Cllr Catherine Jones, replied that the town council was already in the process of seeking professional help with this aspect of the revised Neighbourhood Plan it is about to undertake.
Cllr Bob Austin said: “Residents on whose trust the first Neighbourhood Plan was built on are antagonised by this sign. It is insensitive and misleading and we must express our disapproval.”
The matter of the offending sign has already been referred to South Oxfordshire Planning Enforcement who were unavailable for comment at the time of publication.
THE Christmas and New Year period is a time when Thames Valley Police, and other forces around the country, experience an increase in residential burglary, so they have issued advise to residents to avoid becoming victims themselves.
If you are celebrating at home over Christmas or at New Year, you can help to protect your property by taking a few simple steps: • Don’t leave presents on view under the Christmas tree. • Cut up packaging for any expensive items so that it will fit inside your refuse bin, never leave boxes next to the bin where they can be seen. • Remember to mark your valuables using a UV pen and register them on the national property register at www.immobilise.com.
If you are going away, you can deter burglars by making your home appear occupied: • Double check that you have locked your windows and doors before leaving. • Light up your living room using timer switch. A TV simulator can also be used to make give the appearance of a TV screen being used. • Invite a neighbour to park on your drive while you are away.
New Sergeant for Thame
IN other news, Sergeant Mark Davis has joined the Thame Neighbourhood Policing Team. Mark has years of experience with TVP and Neighbourhood Policing.
CHINNOR produced one of their most complete performances of the season to secure a 37-27 win over Darlington Mowden Park on Saturday (14/12).
Tries from Will Harries, Jason Worrall, James Tyas, Dan Southworth and Kieran Goss helped the Oxfordshire side make it four home victories in a row and extend their unbeaten run to seven.
Hooker Nick Selway looking to break the gain line. Image – David Howlett
It proved an attritional affair and a vital victory for Chinnor over a side they had started the day level on points with in National League 1.
Darlington took an early lead when Josh Hodge crossed on five minutes, Warren Seals converting, but the hosts levelled moments later through Harries’s score, Laurence May adding the extras.
The visitors were the better side in the opening 20 minutes and led 15-7 through Max Davies’s try and a Seals penalty. Chinnor responded well, though, to head into the break 18-15 in front as two May penalties sandwiched a fine try from Worrall.
The hosts made a dream start to the second period when Tyas drove over, May converting, to make it 25-15. Darlington hit back as tries from Rob Farrar and Oliver Walker hauled them into a two-point lead after 56 minutes, but Chinnor were not to be undone. Southworth drove across, May converting, for the four-try bonus point, before Goss raced over out wide with four minutes to go to put the game beyond Mowden.
Matt Williams, Director of Rugby, said Chinnor’s performance against Darlington Mowden Park was the ‘most pleasing’ yet as they stretched their record unbeaten run in the third tier to seven games.
Starting the day level on points with Mowden, fourth-placed Chinnor have now opened up a four-point gap over the teams below them. And it sets up a thrilling end to 2019 as leaders Richmond, who are five points in front of the Oxfordshire side, visit Kingsey Road on Saturday.
Darlington had headed to Thame on the back of scoring 22 tries in their last five games, but Chinnor proved they were capable of outscoring the County Durham side. Matt Williams added: “That was the most pleasing performance of the season. I thought as an 80-minute game goes, it was the most controlled we’ve been. We looked very dangerous with ball in hand, we crossed the gain line literally every time we touched it, and we were composed.
“We made a few errors defensively that gifted them a couple of tries, but I think overall that’s our strongest performance of the season. It was two very strong teams, both in-form, the boys were looking forward to it and we carried on – it’s seven in a row now. It feels like a big win.
“It’s about momentum and suddenly Kingsey Road is becoming a tough place to come again. The boys are in a buoyant mood, it feels good, there’s a nice buzz in the group and we are very much looking forward to welcoming Richmond on Saturday.”
THAMES Valley Police is appealing for witnesses after a road traffic collision in Chinnor which caused damage to a house.
The location of the collision, Lower Road, Chinnor. (Image courtesy of Google Maps)
At around 1am on Sunday (15/12), the car, a black Lexus left Lower Road in Chinnor and collided with a house, causing significant damage.
The driver of the vehicle, a 31-year-old woman, suffered minor injuries and was taken to Stoke Mandeville Hospital for treatment. She has since been discharged.
Investigating officer PC Chloe Farnborough, based at Thame police station, said: “No-one was injured inside the property, but the female driver was taken to hospital for precautionary checks.
“I am appealing to anyone who saw the collision or who may have dash-cam or CCTV footage of the incident to contact police.
“You can do so by calling 101, quoting reference number 43190390771 or by making a report online.”
There were traffic jams in the area yesterday as the damage was coned off and school buses had to be diverted.
