LOCAL guitar-playing prodigy, Billy Watman, 16, will be back to entertain the crowds at Music in the Park 2018. Billy will thrill the audience with a genre-defying, fresh, new approach, featuring a repertoire spanning Classical, Flamenco and Pop, through to Electronic Trance and Classic Rock – all on one guitar. He’ll get you singing along to classic songs by artists such as Queen, Led Zeppelin, Iron Maiden, Tommy Emmanuel and The Eagles.
in case you’ve not heard him before, Billy Watman is an award-winning Anglo-Brazilian classical / flamenco / fingerstyle guitarist, inspired by the likes of Rodrigo y Gabriela, Tommy Emmanuel, Mike Oldfield and Paco De Lucia. In early 2016, at the age of just 14, Billy successfully auditioned for ‘Guitar Star’ – a guitar-based talent show open to all ages and genres on Sky Arts TV in the UK. He stunned audiences with some extraordinary performances and the judges, who included Jazz legend George Benson, Classical Virtuoso Miloš Karadaglić, Black Sabbath guitarist Tony Iommi, and David Bowie’s long-time producer Tony Visconti. Tony described Bill as ‘a little boy genius’.
You can buy tickets for Music in the Park, which takes place on Sunday, May 6, now, online at: http://www.wegottickets.com/event/427258. Tickets cost: Family (two adults and three children) £25; Adult £10; Concessions £7 (Plus 10% booking fee).
To keep up-to-date with news of next year’s Music in the Park event, visit the Facebook page
AN engineer and TV presenter on BBC’s Robot Wars is launching a nationwide club of “makers” in Birmingham on March 16, to help grow Britain’s craft industries into an industry worth more than its current annual value of £250 million.
Dr Lucy Rogers
Dr Lucy Rogers, a professional maker and founder of The Guild of Makers, wants to drive the “maker movement” in the UK forward, using her new guild as a focal point.
Lucy, who lives is Haddenham, explained: “I was looking to join a professional membership organisation for Makers but there wasn’t one – so I founded it myself. Cottage industries almost died with the industrial revolution, but they are now returning as the Maker industry, and it needs formal organisation.”
Beginning in the US, where the maker craze has grown into an industry worth billions of dollars, more hobbyists are turning professional. From knitting to electronics, wood carving to welding, and increasingly in digital skills like coding and applying electronics to craft-made products, makers are turning their creative hobbies into their professions.
Maker Faire UK in Newcastle, the main expo for makers, has over 300 exhibitors this year and expects to get 10,000 visitors. World Maker Faire New York, the global flagship event, has grown in seven years to 900+ makers and 95,000 attendees. Thirty-four larger scale Maker Faires take place in cities including Berlin, Paris, Rome, Tokyo, and Shenzhen.
Some estimates place the value of the whole UK craft industry much higher. In 2014, the Crafts Council claimed it had calculated the value of craft skills to the UK economy at £3.4 billion.
Dr Rogers believes that in Britain people tend to underestimate the power of small, creative businesses that support jobs but also teach highly useful skills. In 2017, there were 5.7 million businesses in the UK. 5.5 million, or 96 per cent, of these were micro-businesses, employing just 0-9 people.
Micro-businesses accounted for 33% of employment and 22% of turnover. “These days, if you ask someone ‘what do you make?’, the reply will tend to be about money and bonuses,” continued Lucy. It’s becoming increasingly important – against the tide of digitalisation, virtual experiences, quick-fix solutions, and suspicion of hard-won expertise – to celebrate the making of things, with care, with love and with a deep understanding of materials.”
Lucy has secured some high profile support for the Guild. Speakers at the launch event in Birmingham on March 16, will include:
Andy Stanford-Clark, CTO UK and Ireland, IBM
Pete Wood, Head Technology Evangelist, RS Components
Rebecca Steiner, School of Jewellery, Birmingham City University
Sir Christopher Frayling, former Rector of the Royal College of Art, and author of On Craftsmanship, said: “This new Guild is a welcome initiative, bringing together Makers from various disciplines, raising their profile and providing them with visibility and a voice. We want people to reply to the questions – ‘What do you make?’ with ‘I make things’.”
THAME Concert Band is rehearsing hard for its next concert on April 7, entitled Young at Heart, featuring music that will include Harry Potter, Toy Story, How to train your Dragon and many more. Everyone is welcome to the concert that will begin at 4pm.
Back in December, Thame Concert Band accompanied over 800 local people and families singing traditional carols in what has become a popular event on Christmas Eve in Thame town centre. Donations collected from the audience raised over £600 which was donated to two local good causes and a presentation of the cheques took place recently. Conductor of the band, Callum Rookes, presented the cheque to Thame Youth Café Manager, Nick Francis. TYC is a hub for young people aged 11 – 16 years-old in Thame, run by volunteers who support them, and provides a safe environment for them to meet, to enjoy a variety of activities and refreshments.
At the same time, Fiona Lindsay presented the cheque to John Hulett, a Trustee of the Red Kite Family Centre.
Thame Concert Band band is seeking new players to join this friendly group of musicians. So, whether you are an experienced player or a bit rusty, you’re invited to get in touch. The band meets at Christchurch in Thame on Tuesday evenings. Visit the website: www.thameconcertband.org.uk
THAME’S kebab van has retained its crown as the Best Kebab Van in Britain, as voted for by the public, receiving the trophy at last night’s glittering British Kebabs Awards evening at the Plaza Westminster, in London.
Cllr Anne Midwinter is wearing the blue top, to the left of the Mayor Tom Wyse. The picture includes: Mrs Linda Ataly (2nd left with their two daughters), Resul Atalay- light suit with his two boys, Jason and Josh. Resul’s sister is far right.
Resul Atalay and his twin sons, Jason and Josh, held on to the Best Kebab Van title they won last year, 2018 being only the second year the Best Kebab Van award has been running in the eight years of the British Kebab Awards. Resul is famous for making his own doner from scratch with fresh, English lamb and chicken, and his homemade sauces, his chilli sauce containing no less than 30 ingredients!
The awards ceremony was the culmination of a very busy week for Resul and the boys, who were seen by millions of viewers on the Saturday Kitchen Live, TV show on Saturday morning, March 10, interviewed on BBC Radio Oxford (Listen Again HERE)and cooking for Chris Evans this morning (Tuesday) on his morning radio show on BBC Radio 2. You can listen to Atalay’s mention HERE (scroll along to 2:03.53 – keep listening through the music!)
The Mayor of Thame, Tom Wyse, speaking after the event, said: “A great event at the British Kebab Awards 2018; Five Star Thame winners – another great, successful year for the Atalay Kebab Van; a successful beacon in Thame High Street on a dark night!”
Resul Atalay himself organised a coach to take his family and friends – and this lucky editor – to the Awards nights, laying on food and drink to get the party going before we even arrived! And what a night it was! Music, dancing girls, MPs representing all parties, National Press coverage, a three course meal – including of course kebab meat, free beer from the event sponsors, Cobra and Bira and a real ‘Oscars’ type atmosphere. The two Atalay tables, included Cllr Ann Midwinter, who, with the late Cllr Jane Morbey fought so hard to help Resul get his licence for his kebab van way back in the late 1980s, against some very strong opposition from some in the town. Both tables errupted when the announcement was made that Atalay’s Kebab Van had been voted The Best Kebab Van in Britain again. (Watch the video HERE . Apologies for the poor sound quality)
As Chris Evans said this morning: “Thame, you are so lucky! With their 35 tonne articulated truck, this is more like a roadshow than a kebab van!”
The Mayor of Croydon (left) meets Resul Ataly and Tom Wyse, the Mayor of Thame
Thame’s Mayor, Tom Wyse was also a special guest, and proved a ‘Mayor Magnet’ wearing his splendid chain of office, with Mayors from London and all over the country coming up and introducing themselves to him. Another very special guest was Resul’s sister who is over from his native Turkey for a visit. She proudly took her place with the family and friends on the stage with Resul and his boys, to receive their trophy.
Whilst Resul obviously enjoyed and appreciated all the media coverage his success has brought him – and the thousands of extra facebook followers, and new customers – he did admit that he’s found the experience exhausting and would probably not enter the competition next year. I have a feeling his many fans might have something different to say when it comes to the nomination next year!
THE ‘Beast from the East’ tried it’s best to disrupt our event, but it wasn’t enough to put the members of Racquets Fitness Centre off making their way down to their squash club to watch a world class squash exhibition match.
George Parker with the three Glovers: Myles, Alex and Silas
On Friday, March 2, two full time squash professionals spent the afternoon at Racquet’s demonstrating their talents against the members, offering up their time to play against the club players. The club welcomed World Number 63, George Parker from Leicestershire and local pro Alex Noakes, who has reached a personal best world ranking of 127.
The first part of the afternoon proved particularly popular with the young junior players at Racquets, including siblings Myles, Alex and Silas Glover who took the opportunity to play against both professionals. The youngsters tried their best to trick the pros with their sly boasts and delicate drop shots to the front of the court, some of which were a success!
Myles, 8, commented: “It was amazing! It was hard work because they are so accurate with the ball. I’m definitely going to try to be as fit as them one day!”
Greer Glover, mum of Myles, Alex and Silas, said: ‘’All three were on a high after playing George and Alex. They had a fantastic time on court and managed to win a few points, which was lovely to see. They have come away so inspired. It’s great for children to realise that professional sports people are regular people who have worked unbelievably hard for a long time and have learned how not to give up.”
George and Alex, 24 games later, had earnt themselves a short tea break to re-energise before the big exhibition match. Snow-covered boots filled the viewing gallery in anticipation of their owners watching the two pro’s battle it out on court, demonstrating what world class squash talent looks like in real life! The event was livestreamed via the Racquet’s facebook page allowing members who were unable to conquer the icy roads to watch from home, and for some of our other members to keep the bar warm and watch via the bar television.
As predicted, the game was high intensity and high energy from the very start. Alex Noakes, who had flown in from Barcelona, showed off his athleticism moving quickly around the court, chasing down every ball and looking for any opportunity to attack and put George Parker, based in Leicestershire, under pressure. This was working well for the Thame-born player and caused Parker to play a number of errors at the front of the court. Forcing errors and keeping the ball tight created a 2-0 lead for Noakes, giving him a confident lead.
The third game saw a complete change in tactic from the world number 63, taking the ball much earlier and adding exaggerated deception to all of his shots. Being difficult to read and removing his errors saw the Leicestershire player fight back to two games all, rewarding the crowd with a fifth game decider. By this stage Parker definitely had the edge and was sending his opponent the wrong way on many occasions. Fantastic touch on the ball created a number of short winners which eventually lead to a 3-2 victory to George Parker. It was a well fought and entertaining match, both players a pleasure to watch.
Racquets Fitness Centre would like to thank everyone who came down to support the event. Racquets owner, Simon Martin, said: “These two players are worth watching over the next few years. They will soon be seen on the TV in big squash events, especially as George Parker heads into the top 64 of the world. His talent is obvious and is only set to grow. Alex, who is a local Thame lad now training in Barcelona, is also surging up the rankings. We hope that all the juniors who played the pros will be inspired by them.”
NOAH James, 10, started playing squash less than a year ago after being introduced to the sport through a school friend. Since then he has been attending group academy training and 1:1 coaching sessions with Oxfordshire Head County Coach, Marshall, at Racquets Fitness Centre in Thame.
Image courtesy of Cornwall Sports Partnership
Noah recently started training with the U11 Oxon county squad and has quickly made his presence well known in the team. His natural eye for the game alongside his gritty determination has awarded Noah with much success during his time playing at Racquets, which has fed his determination to compete in a wider range of competitions.
On Sunday, February 25, Noah took part in a Copper event in Leicester, one of his first tournaments outside of the Oxfordshire region. Throughout the day Noah showed off his strengths and played incredibly well, showing few nerves to his more experienced opponents. After a comfortable first round match, Noah was up against England number 34, Jaidon Mistry from Leicestershire, a tricky player who covered the court well.
Noah was able to convert more winners on the day and took the match 2-1, taking him through to the final. Other parents commented on how well he did to maintain such a positive mind-set during his matches as most players were supported by the home crowd, with Noah being the only entrant from Oxfordshire. In the final Noah was challenged by local Leicester played and England number 32, Harry Parkinson, who had a fiery serve and a solid set of attacking shots. Luckily, reputation didn’t faze Noah with the young Racquets star oozing grace and control on court, hunting every opportunity to attack the ball and create winners.
Noah himself commented: “The tournament was really fun and I really enjoyed playing on the show court.” The squash team at Racquets are all very proud of his recent squash achievements. Well done Noah!
IT’S that time of year when spring is in the air, so it must be time for Thame Tidy and Moreton Muck-Out Day! On Saturday, March 17, everyone can do their bit to help keep our neighbourhoods looking attractive and litter-free. If you hate litter, love the place where you live, and want to improve the local environment, why not help clean up in Thame and Moreton on Saturday 17th March?
Volunteers and the pile of assorted rubbish collected on the first Thame Tidy Day in 2011
Litter is unsightly, unattractive and pollutes our environment. There’s been a government Litter Strategy for England in place since 2017, the local council spends over £500,000 picking up over 1,500 tonnes of litter a year, and there are substantial fines if you’re caught littering – yet litter continues to remain a problem across our country and in our towns and villages.
Well, we can all do something to combat this problem in our local area! Why not get together with family, groups of neighbours or friends and make Thame Tidy and Moreton Muck-Out Day a really special day, when we clear our streets of all the accumulated rubbish?
Rosemary Bryant, organiser of Thame Tidy and Moreton Muck-Out Day on behalf of 21st Century Thame, said: “We need as many people as possible to come to the Town Hall on Saturday, 17, and help us tidy up Thame and Moreton. Just come along between 10 am and 4 pm, collect litter pickers and rubbish bags from the Thame Lions gazebo outside the Town Hall and get litter-picking!’ (Litter pickers have already been collected for people in Moreton, where the clean-up starts at 10 am).
Rosemary continued: “If there’s a spot you know that needs a good tidy, why not get a group together and tackle the litter that’s built up there? As one example, we’ve identified part of Lea Park as somewhere we’re going to concentrate on. There’s no need to worry about being on your own, you’ll be pointed in the direction of other groups you can join.
“There’s another collection point between the two bridges on the Phoenix Trail, where Sustrans will have a stand, handing out litter pickers and bags. There’s plenty to do and the Phoenix Trail will be divided into sections to ensure we clear it all. A group from Chiltern Vale are meeting at 10am to start working on the Hatchetts Lane part of the Trail.”
Sue Martin-Downhill of organisers, 21st Century Thame, said: “This event would not happen without fantastic support from our sponsors, donors and volunteers. They include Thame Lions, ASM, Unicarriers, Bucks Recycling, MP Printers, Biffa, Oxfordshire Fire and Rescue Service, and Thame Town Council for their assistance in promoting the event. We’re incredibly grateful to them all for their help in making this a very successful event, which is now in its eighth year.”
Rosemary concluded: “For more details on what’s happening on March 17, just keep an eye on the Thame Tidy 2018 group page on Facebook, or simply turn up on the day and you’ll get instructions on what you can do to help.”
For more information about 21st Century Thame, founders of Thame Tidy and Moreton Muck-Out Day, contact Sue Martin-Downhill on 07860 328880 or email her at suedownhill@gmail.com
Thame Tidy and Moreton Muck-Out Day are being held during the Great British Spring Clean (#GBSpringClean) which is happening nationwide between March 2 – 25. For more details go to www.keepbritaintidy.org.
In order to maintain high standards of street cleanliness, PSCOs, acting on behalf of South Oxfordshire District Council, can now issue Fixed Penalty Notices (FPNs) of £80 (reduced to £50 if paid within 10 days) to anyone over the age of 18 for dropping litter on public land or highways but not picking it up. For more information, LINK HERE
A rich, aggressive, merchant plots to seize the throne in 17th-century Egoland, an alternative reality to England. Who can save the country – and the world – from his destructive policies? We find ourselves in the powerful kingdom of Egoland, a few centuries ago. Rich merchant Donald, bored with his empire of taverns, hunting grounds, racecourses and houses of ill repute, and annoyed by repeated demands for the tax he has evaded, decides that his best defence against the kingdom is to seize control of it.
Based on events in the USA where Donald Trump succeeded in being elected, another Donald, similar in character but far removed in fictional time and place has been created for this incredible show. This distance permits a complete story, encompassing his fall as well as his rise.
There will always be interest in the phenomenon of how Trump came to power, which the first half of the play reflects. In the second half we imagine a partial resolution based on the historical observation that the fate of tyrants – and would-be tyrants – is decided perhaps more by those close to them than by their outright opponents.
Sunday 1st April at 7.45pm – The Players Theatre, Nelson Street, Thame
BECAUSE of changes in the district council’s Local Plan, and changing housing numbers, employment areas and infrastructure needs, Thame’s Neighbourhood Plan needs to be revised. Thame Town Council wants as many people as possible to be involved in the new plan and is using the annual Town Meeting to invite the residents of Thame to take part in a Neighbourhood Plan Revision Workshop.
The date for Annual Town Meeting is March 27, 2018, at 7:30pm, at Thame Town Hall, an opportunity for any resident of Thame to be involved in the very earliest stage in the review of the Thame Neighbourhood Plan. Following the formal Annual Town Meeting, there will be a very short presentation on how the Plan has changed Thame and why another is now needed. Small groups of residents will be formed on the night so that the Council can seek views from the community on what needs to change.
In it’s press release today, the Town Clerk, Graham Hunt explained: “As with the last Neighbourhood Plan, there will be many further opportunities to be involved, but we want to make sure that we set off in the direction that the community wants.
“There are many reasons why a new Plan is needed. The District Council’s Local Plan is changing above us. The District is close to submitting its Local Plan to the Government for independent examination by a planning inspector. Thame will need to react to the Local Plan and will also need to ensure the proper infrastructure is put in place to support both the new housing defined by the existing Neighbourhood Plan, while also catering for any new housing or employment areas that a new Local Plan might demand. The Local Plan may even define a deadline for a new Neighbourhood Plan.
“Other notable changes are also happening in Thame. Thame Farmer’s Auction Mart is looking to move to new premises ahead of its lease expiry in 2021. The land left behind will need to work hard to provide for some of the infrastructure needs of Thame. Efforts are being made by the local health service providers to ensure that a new, fit-for-purpose facility can be provided for residents. Lord Williams’s School is working towards relocating its lower school onto its Upper School site. Local businesses and our own monitoring work is telling us that we do not have enough employment spaces in Thame. There have been many speculative approaches relating to care facilities for the elderly.
“Thame’s High Street has been full for at least two years, a sign that it desperately needs to expand, yet no developer is coming forward with ideas despite the Neighbourhood Plan identifying land for town centre shops. Increasing numbers of residents and visitors, although welcome, are putting pressure on infrastructure, such as parking.
“Many parts of the neighbourhood plan have been highly effective and some will be carried over unchanged. The next Neighbourhood Plan will need to concentrate more on the specific needs of the people and businesses of Thame. A simple, quick update is unlikely to be sufficient to enable this, and so the Town Council has committed to supporting a full review of the plan.
“We do hope that many people will attend the workshop to express their initial views,” added Graham Hunt.
THAME Cinema 4 All Presents THE PARTY, on SUNDAY, March 11. The film is a 15 Certificate and is Directed by Sally Potter. The Party stars Kristen Scott-Thomas, Timothy Spall, Patricia Clarkson, Cillian Murphy, Emily Mortimer, Bruno Gantz, and Cherry Jones.
Potter’s riotous comedy about the messy unravelling of a bourgeois dinner party is small but perfectly formed. Scott-Thomas is Janet, recently promoted to the shadow cabinet of an unnamed political party. To celebrate her success, she has organised a soiree for a handful of people close to her and her husband, Bill (Timothy Spall), a morose academic whose glory days are over and who is now emasculated by his wife’s conspicuous success.
Guests include the fabulously waspish April, her ageing hippy mystic life coach lover, a newly pregnant Jinny and her older partner Martha, and Cillian Murphy’s frenzied coke-snorting banker Tom, who arrives armed and intent on violence, without his wife Marianne whose arrival is, we are told, imminent. And the hostess gets regular texts and calls from a secret lover. Needless to say, secrets are revealed, the vol au vents are ruined, and things get ugly, the guests shredding one another’s veneers of intellect and leftist political principle, with much bile and bitterness. A hilarious satire of politics and the Left, with a sterling cast really letting rip.
