Budding councillors talk Thame

THE Mayor of Thame welcomed a group of budding young councillors to the town hall this morning, and discovered for himself just what it is about the town that makes it so special for the very young members of his community.

A group of Year two pupils from Barley Hill Primary School have been working hard with their teachers to research, design and make leaflets all about Thame, including the history of some of its buildings, its restaurants, pubs and shops, the variety of  indoor and outdoor activities to take part in such as, they suggested,  ‘its many nice parks’  – in fact, all the things that might encourage people to come to Thame.

As they sat up to a long table in the Council Chamber with the Mayor at the Head, as in a council meeting, the Mayor, Peter Lambert, chatted with the group about what they had discovered about Thame’s history and asked each of them to tell him where their own favourite place in Thame was. Although the answers ranged from drinking a smoothie in Time Out, walking their dog on the Phoenix Trail, walking in Cuttlebrook, eating fish and chips in the Memorial Gardens where there are “pretty fish”, and the library (which they discovered used to be a toy shop), resoundingly the most favourite place among the group was Wally’s toy shop!

Richard, aged 7, described Wally’s as “an awesome place, where you can buy all the toys you want, including Top Trumps!” Another pupil impressed Mrs Boyle, their teacher, and the Mayor with his use of colourful adjectives, describing the toy shop as selling “fabulous, extraordinary toys.”

The children were keen to find out what you have to do to become the Mayor of Thame, and learned why only one councillor is allowed to speak at once (so that the note taker – or Minute Clerk – can write down what is said). Cllr Lambert explained how he uses his gavel to keep order, though was eager to point out that he has never had to use it during his year in office!

The highlight of the visit for the children was, without the doubt, when each in turn was given the Mayor’s Golden chain of office to try on.

The Mayor concluded the visit by thanking the children for coming, and praised them for their hard work and enthusiasm, and for their excellent behaviour in the Council Chamber, and gave each a special ‘Thame’ pen to take away with them.

MORE pictures from the Barley Hill visit to meet the Mayor HERE