War, woods, winter fuel bills & more – news round-up

THAME is beginning to think about how it will commemorate the centeniary of the outbreak of World War One next year, 2014.

Thame station how it would have looked before it was demolished. Image courtesy of Dave Wragg (flickr)

Thame museum is planning a special exhibition, probably some time in May, which will include personal accounts written in letters etc of local people’s experience of the war. The British Legion’s plans include the possibility of an event of commemoration down at the old Thame Railway Station platform, some of which still remains on the Phoenix Trail. It was from here that local men would have left to fight in the war in 1914.

THAME Museum has been feeling the effects of rising energy bills, and has announced that it will be closing for the winter, in an effort to save money. The Museum Trust has reported that it has been experiencing problems with its heating system and that utiliy bills have been higher than expected.

THAME’S Millenium Wood, called Ham Wood, is named after the book ‘ Farmer Giles of Ham’, the only one of Tolkein’s books to have been set in a real place, Thame. Since it was planted in March, 2000, the wood has been managed by The Woodland Trust but it is now to be handed back the community and Thame Town Council has agreed to take it on and to maintain it.
There is lots of interesting information about Ham Wood, here

RESIDENTS of the labrynth that is the network of paths around and from Lea Park to the rest of the town, know just how difficult it can be to find your way around, and how it is often easier to jump into the car to go in to town until you learn the walking and cycling routes

The 21st Century Thame Partnership’s Environment group is working with the town council on a project to improve cycle paths and footpath signage around Lea Park and other areas, as part of the Neighbourhood plan, to help tackle these problems. This work will include assessing the requirements from the developers of Site D, to improve paths and other linkages around the town. At the same time, 21st Thame is re-evaluating the Thame Walking and Cycling Map ready for updating and reprinting.

LIGHTING in Elms Park, Thame, is now at the ordering stage and it is hoped that it will be installed during March/April, 2014.

BECAUSE so much of its time and staff resources is taken up with community events like the Christmas event and the Thame Carnival, Thame Town Council wants to take more of a back seat in the future and wants to encourage local people to take on the managing of these events.

It has therefore decided that it will begin the process of working with local people and organisations to move toward them taking on responsibility for community events, perhaps with grants from the town council, and that it will review the options early in 2015.