Christmas shopping in Thame
WHY jump into the car and leave town for Christmas shopping when here in Thame we have so many wonderful, independent shops of our own? Shops where good old-fashioned service and knowledge about the providence of products is paramount – and, bonus – there’s loads of FREE parking. Let Thame.Net guide and inspire you to find the ideal festive gift for everyone locally. Quick links
Get everyone fit for Christmas
Powders & potions
Retro Chic for Christmas
Gift ideas galore!
Media & technology for everyone
Sweet delights
Chocolate Unlimited
Christmas Style
Christmas flowers
THERE’s always someone who’s particularly difficult to buy for at Christmas, but in Thame’s Buttermarket where we begin our Yuletide trail, is the lovely little emporium of cosmetics, fragrance and beauty products, POWDER, where Karen, the proprietor will help you create your own gift box of their favourites products, including gift boxes of Miller Harris, Caudalie and Dr Hauschka.
For the younger person, suggests Karen, how about a pampering soak in a Bomb Cosmetic bath with a selection of their gorgeous bath products, or again, make up your own gift box with their ‘Keep Calm and have a Bath’ boxes. Alternatively, bring them a ray of sunshine with the ‘Happiness Kit’ by Love & Toast .
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- Cracking duos of Nail Colour
POWDER also has some great little stocking fillers and ideas for ‘Secret Santa’ gifts to suit most ladies, from compact mirrors, soaps and nail polish.
But POWDER is not just about the ladies. For the gentlemen, there’s a selection of men’s fragrances, grooming and bath/shower products, including Blue Beards Revenge, Scaramouche & Fandango.
RETRO CHIC FOR CHRISTMAS
STROLLING back along Buttermarket, towards North Street, is picturesque Montesson Square, by the old Thame Market House. Near by, tucked away to the right of the historic Swan pub, is the courtyard shopping area, Swan Walk (Don’t forget to pat Doris the cow, currently ‘stabled’ at Thame.net’s Jordans Courtyard, as you pass). Recently opened at No. 6 Swan Walk, is Camilla Fraser’s THE LOVELY SHOP, a purveyor of loveliness indeed! Here you’ll discover handmade, homemade, ethical and just plain funky clothes and accessories. So, what are Camilla’s hot tips for a perfect pressy for lovely ladies? Christmas is of course party time and we all need something special to wear whether we’re the host or a guest. And ‘because we’re worth it’, we deserve to treat ourselves too!
The Regina Floral Velvet Doll Dress, £75, by the gorgeous, retro clothing company, Collectif, is a beautifully flattering style with sweetheart neckline, capped sleeves and a flared skirt. Camilla says: “It looks fab on it’s own or for that extra ‘wow’, team it with one of my long petticoats, available in sizes 8 to 18 subject to availability.
“For lovely, little ladies I’d like to recommend the Purbeck Kelp Dress by organic children’s clothes company, Kite Kids. An unusual dress in Purple & green, it looks beautiful with colourful tights and is just right for Christmas parties! It’s available in sizes 3-12 months at £27, and 12 months – 3 years at £29. There’s also a tunic version for older kids in the same colourway available in sizes 3-7 years, at £24 and for 7-11 years, £26, subject to availability.”
And for the very new little people why not treat them to a stripy Baby Vest from organic & fair trade children’s clothes company Little Green Radicals for their first Christmas. This vest features Horatio Hound applique & is made from the softest cotton, it also comes in a pink stripe for pink babies and is available in sizes 0-3 to 9-12 months. £18. All these lovely items are available to view on THE LOVELY SHOP’S website www.lovelyandlovely.co.uk
CHRISTMAS GIFTS GALORE
JUST opposite The Lovely Shop is ELLA JANE GIFTS which, since opening in Swan Walk just nine months ago, has proved a very popular destination for Thame’s visitors and locals as a source of something special for the perfect gift. It’s certainly worth a visit and Alison Cooper, the helpful proprietor, will give you personal service with a smile to help you choose a perfect Christmas gift for almost anyone – she loves a challenge!
This compact little shop beautifully presents a fantastic variety of gorgeous quality furniture, a collection of wonderful toys, scarves, jewellery, leather bags and unique gifts of top quality at fantastic prices.
Both THE LOVELY SHOP and ELLA JANE GIFTS are members of the Thame Loyalty Scheme by the way, so some extra discounts and goodies for Loyalty Card holders.
MEDIA AND TECHNOLOGY FOR EVERYONE
ALSO part of the Swan Walk shopping community is the long-established, THAME AV Audio Visual, run by Steve Algar. Here, as well as flat screen TVs (which could be tricky to wrap!) Steve has some very affordable tablets, as well as some great Christmas present ideas for music lovers of all ages. With Vinyl making a big comeback, what better time of year to dig out your old records and play them on your new turntable? “Starting at £150, these turntables would be ideal for a ‘him’ or a ‘her’,” suggests Steve.”
The use of mobile tablet computers, or just ‘tablets’, is growing and growing, and they are surely going to be the big ‘must have’ gift request this Christmas, and While some of the big names are still leading the way in terms of app selection, a number of competitors have risen to the challenge by offering great features and hardware for less money. THAME AV has been quick to realise this trend and the 9 inch, GoClever Android Tablet, complete with a case and a Keyboard, at £165, would ‘fit the bill’ for mums, dads, brothers, sisters – in fact anyone – who wants to access the internet or social media like Facebook and Twitter, suggests Steve, and they can even be used to control many of their other wi fi products.
With the increasing availability of more and more digital radio stations to chose from, being able to carry your radio around the house to keep you entertained while getting ready for work or cleaning the house, a portable radio is a most acceptable addition to today’s listening experience. THAME AV has a wide selection of both the latest Digital and Analogue radios from Roberts and Pure, starting at just £20.
“Something for everyone and a present that any relative will love and cherish,” suggests Steve, adding: “And, all these products come with boxes and internal protection.” A really important, practical point to bear in mind I always think, when it comes to choosing gifts.
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SWEET DELIGHTS
SPECIAL chocolate and confectionery is as much a part of Christmas as crackers and turkey, and in Thame we have a sweet lover’s dream of a shop, a proper sweet shop, the likes of which would have been found in every town and village a generation ago, before supermarkets and multipacks.
SWEET SURRENDER in Cornmarket has a staggering selection of handmade, Belgian chocolate and traditional sweets, as well as sugar free, dairy free and gluten free confectionery. Here you can buy liquorice in over 40 varieties including salted and root liquorice, individual bags of your favourite liquorice all-sorts, or as a special present for a real liqurice lover, a whole jarful!
Amy Fleming, the proprietor, will make up a gift box of any amount of chocolates selected from the huge range, including the most popular, salted coconut, champagne truffles and orange peel. Or, if it’s the old-fashioned, favourite sweets your mum, aunty, uncle, granny, grandad or other relative or friend would love as a treat, Amy will make you up a traditional mini-jar to suit all budgets. Take the 360 degree tour of SWEET SURRENDER
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GET FIT FOR CHRISTMAS
CHRISTMAS shopping can be tiring. Traipsing round shop after shop trying to find that perfect gift for each and every one of your family and friends, apart from all the food shopping and preparation for the big day. RACQUETS FITNESS CENTRE, in North Street, Thame, (behind the Cattle Market) is a friendly, family run health and fitness club which can help you in more ways than you might at first think.
It is the place in Thame to get yourself fit before all the festivities – build up your stamina and strength before you go out for that long haul shopping visit.
Splash out on a couple of personal training sessions for yourself then think about everyone else.
“For
everyone else we can help with the presents too!” says Squash Coach, Simon Martin, who helps run his family’s business. “For kids – encourage them to get active and give them a place of their own to go to ! A silver junior membership of RACQUETS is just £50 – they can book their own squash court and bring their friends down to play.”
For stocking fillers for the kids, RACQUETS offers lots of ideas, from rackets grips, squash and racketball balls to a child-size squash racket.
FOR everyone else – yes, why not? Encourage them to get active too. “It’s the kindest present of all,””suggests Simon’s wife, Sue. “.. and it’s what they’ll need straight after eating their way through chocolate logs and turkey with all the trimmings!” Although RACQUETS can offer presents of personal training sessions and memberships, from December 1, they will have, waiting at reception, vouchers for varying amounts which can be redeemed against any of the goods and services available at the Centre.
So, if you’re looking for something special, RACQUETS FITNESS CENTRE would love you to drop in and have a chat with either Simon or Martin King, who can work out with you an appropriate present for your loved one. Take the RACQUETS 360 degree tour
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CHOCOLATE UNLIMITED
DEFINITELY a destination for chocolate lovers, whatever the time of year, is RUMSEY’S, a cafe and Chocolaterie, headed up by Head chef and Master Chocolatier, Nigel Rumsey and his wife Mary; a great place to take a rest from the Christmas shopping and enjoy a cup of real hot chocolate and a spot of lunch
A must have as a present or to share at Christmas – their 500g selection of Nigel Rumsey’s favourite chocolates; call in watch them being made!
RUMSEY’S is nothing short of ‘chocolate heaven’ and offers a wide selection of Christmas chocolate gifts for any chocoholic! Take the 360 degree tour of RUMSEY’S, Thame
Santa’s Solution 
Whether you call him Father Christmas or Santa he’s delicious either way – a great idea for Christmas Stockings and table decorations. There are loads of different chocolate figurines to choose from at RUMSEY’S
Something for everyone
Dark, Milk or White Chocolate – Chocolate dipped Honeycomb or Chocolate Buttons – great for a Christmas treat
STYLE AT CHRISTMAS
THAME is fortunate in having a variety of women’s clothes shops to suit most tastes, and among these, at the top of the High Street, is ISABELLA’S CLOSET, run by Marie Crawley, who with a background in interior and personal styling, prides herself on sourcing new and innovative design labels and unique styles on trend at very affordable prices. Marie has made the following suggestions that should help make any woman’s Christmas special:
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Left: This beautiful gold and black body con dress is from the Paper Dolls range which is perfect for the party season Right: A beautiful gold and black body con dress from Isabella’s Closet’s Paper Dolls range, which is perfect for the party season
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These two are from Isabella’s Closet’s Italian range; ideal for Christmas Day – very stylish and easy to wear. The jewellery featured with the dresses is part of a stunning collection of Accessories that Marie has to chose from. Isabella’s Closet gift tokens are available all the year round!
CHRISTMAS FLOWERS
FRESH flower bouquets make a wonderful gift or bring a touch of natural beauty into your home at Christmas. At BIZZIE LIZZIE in the Upper High Street (close to the Swan pub), Katie Virdi, her mum Billie and their team of experienced and creative florists, offer a stunning range of festive floral designs to chose from and will deliver within a 10 mile radius of Thame.
To see the full range of BIZZIE LIZZIE’s Christmas flower bouquets and baskets, visit their website or take a 360 degree tour of their beautiful shop here. back to top
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SO, there you are. To help you find just the right present for anyone, whether it’s for the husband who has everything, a teenage boy or girl, mum and dad, or a best friend of either sex, we’ve combed the shops of Thame, and in consultation with the proprietors, have come up with, what we hope, is a very useful list of suggestions which we hope will entice you to explore our own, wonderful independent shops and discover just what our own high street has to offer – and to help our vibrant little town’s local economy.
Thame Loyalty Card member or not, November is a good time to subscribe to the Thame Loyalty Card newsletter. If you sign up during the month of November, you’ll be entered into a draw to win £50 in vouchers to spend in Loyalty card participating businesses during December. Go to: www.thameloyalty.co.uk, scroll to the bottom and click on ‘Sign up to our email newsletter’. LINK HERE
FINAL THOUGHT- For every £1 spent with a local business, 83p goes back into the community’s economy. I guess therefore it’s in all of our interests to TRY THAME FIRST and buy where we can in our own high street, and particularly, to support the many, wonderful independents that Thame is known for.
A very merry Christmas and a happy new year ! back to top
