Thame festival in fine fettle

AFTER almost fading away for lack of volunteers, this year’s Thame Festival proved to be a huge success with hundreds of people of all ages taking part in a week of community events.
The highlight of the week was undoubtedly Thame’s first Food Fayre on Friday, which attracted crowds of local people and visitors to experience what some of Thame’s best local food producers and caterers had to offer.
TV celebrity and cookery writer, Sophie Grigson, signed copies of her book and later chatted to the children who entered the vegetable sculpture competition, whilst Anita Sharma James demonstrated how to make pekoras and authentic indian chutney.
Dozens of children queued to learn how to make homemade pasta with Beverley Glock and her team in the upper chamber of the town hall.
Colourful stalls lined the cobbled area around the town hall, including food from india and thailand, as well as goat burgers, breads and homecooked meals to take away. Special guests were friends from Montesson, Thame’s twin town, who were kept busy all evening selling fresh crepes made to order as well as doing a roaring trade in fine French wines.
The foody theme for the festival attracted a train of entries in the carnival procession on Saturday, with Thame Guides and Brownies taking first prize, jointly judged by Radio two presenter, ken Bruce and the Mayor, Don Butler.
In the evening, Thame rocked to the second, open air rock night to be held in the Upper High Street car park.
The young people of Thame did the town proud, both with their extraordinary exhuberance and talent and the good-natured behaviour of those who went to support and listen to the music.
Earlier in the week, on Wednesday (11/06) both the children of Thame and the adults tested their knowledge about food and related subjects in two separate quizes over-seen by the redoubtable Sue Boyle.
Watch out tomorrow for a link to loads of photographs from the week’s festivities.

Photo: The spirit of Thame Festival – A Thame pensioner joins in with the dancing at the Rock festival on Saturday night, in the Upper High Street, Thame.