New Mayor and other news from Thame

IT’S a busy time in Thame – so much to report to day, so here goes with one of Thame.net’s ‘News in Brief’ digests to bring you up to date with what’s been happening:

NEW Mayor Elect – Cllr Ann Midwinter was elected unanimously this evening by fellow town councillors. Ann was the Mayor of Thame both in 1990 and in 1991. Her Deputy will be Cllr Linda Emery, who was Mayor in 2016 -2017. She will take office from the current Mayor, Cllr Tom Wyse, on May 8, 2018.

Cllr Ann Midwinter – Photo courtesy of Thame Town Council

POLICE report of illegal scrap metal collections from homes in our area. They have received reports of a white transit van. TVP ask that residents remain vigilant and report any suspicious looking people or vehicles, taking down detailed descriptions of the people, the vehicle and registration plates. Call 101 and quote reference 43180116539 with any information or 999 if a crime is occurring at that time.

THAME IS TO GET NEW CCTV CAMERAS but some town councillors are unhappy that that they will not be the very latest, state-of-the-art cameras available, that they feel will serve Thame better than those proposed by South Oxfordshire District Council. The Town Clerk, Graham Hunt, is to write to SODC at the request of town councillors, expressing their concerns and asking if it’s a matter of budget constraints. It was also suggested that a leasing arrangement might be better so that cameras could be updated more frequently.

The statue of Millicent Fawcett in Parliament Square

AS THE STATUE OF Millicent Fawcett was unveiled today, TAL Festival has announced that it will be celebrating the centenary of Suffragism with two great speakers, Jane Robinson author of Hearts and Minds, and viv Newman, who has written Suffragism and the Great War. The TAL Festival takes place October 18th-21, 2018.

SOUTH OXFORDSHIRE Charitable Lottery will be drawn for the first time on Saturday, April 28, online via the SO Charitable Lottery website. The community lottery was launched last month by South Oxfordshire District Council to raise funds for local charities and voluntary groups. So far, 53 good causes have successfully applied to become beneficiaries of the lottery. From each £1 ticket bought, 60p goes to good causes and the local community. The rest of the money goes to the prize fund and running costs – the council does not receive any of the proceeds. MORE INFORMATION – HERE

WANT SOME FREE TICKETS TO TOWERSEY FESTIVAL? The festival organisers have a pair of Adult Weekend tickets with camping up for grabs in their latest competition. Enter before the end of April, and you could be in with a chance of seeing The Shires, The Proclaimers, Richard Thompson and loads more for free! ENTER HERE 

WANT TO CLIMB TO THE BELL TOWER OF THAME CHURCH? The Friends of St Mary’s Church, Thame, are holding an open evening on June 15, 2018. As well as trips up to the Bell Tower and interesting and informative talks, Bell-ringing demonstrations and organ demonstrations, there’ll be a treasure hunt through the church, highlighting various aspects of the history of St Mary’s Church. The evening is free, refreshments shall be available with a retiring collection for the upkeep of this 13th Century building.

Catherine Jones with her latest novel, outside The Book House in Thame

THE SECRETS OF A SMALL TOWN are the subjects of the latest book by prolific, local author, Catherine Jones. And although LITTLE WOODFORD, the town which is the subject of her latest book, isn’t Thame, it does have a sleepy high street, a weekly market, a weathered old stone church and lovingly tended allotments. “A peaceful, unexciting place, the very heart of middle England.” Catherine was at The Book House, Thame, on Saturday (21/04) signing copies of her book. Catherine happens to be an independent town councillor when she’s not writing books but anyone thinking that local, Thame characters may have crept there way into the book, will probably be disappointed. But this cracking read (yes, I’ve read it, and yes, there is a local journalist in it) is available in hardback from The Book House in Thame, or as an ebook from Amazon.

Pat Shepherd, Chairman, Thame Players, and Simon Vickers, CEO of Rectory Homes

THAME THEATRE’S SPONSORSHIP by Rectory Homes, has been renewed for a further year, with a review in 2019. This follows Rectory’s previous three-year sponsorship of Thame Players which ended in March. Rectory Homes’ sponsorship of Thame Players has two strands. One relates to creative development, enhancing productions through the addition of special effects such as musical accompaniment and lighting, as well as the hire of authentic costumes and props. The other strand relates to improvements to the theatre, such as the installation of a new internal acoustic door (co-funded by South Oxfordshire District Council), a redesign of the theatre frontage (with additional sponsorship from other sources), and improvements to the side access. On the creative side, Rectory’s contribution will help Thame Players host celebrity appearances, often requiring sizeable fees, and build in special effects for forthcoming productions such as Oh, What a Lovely War! (September).

ONE WEEK left to apply for a Town Council grant. If you are a community or non-for-profit group working for the benefit of the people of Thame you can apply for a grant up to £2,400 from Thame Town Council. If your project addresses the needs, aspirations and issues of the people in our community, then you are eligible to apply. Applications must be received by 5pm on Tuesday, May 1, 2018. You can download an application form from www.thametowncouncil.gov.uk/grant-aid