Witnesses sought in Thame cattle rustling shock!

THE herd of Thame cows, dotted around the town as mobile notice boards, are two down this week, following the sad news that a second cow has been stolen.

Sadly, Ermintrude, who was in the care of Abbotts Office Solutions, in Station Yard, Thame, was, the company has revealed, subject to a spot of ‘cattle rustling’ at the beginning of the year. Her padlock and chain where cut and she has not been seen since.

Another of the Thame cows disappeared a few weeks ago from Racquets Fitness Centre – based fittingly enought, at the rear of the Cattlemarket car park in Thame. Then there was Mabel, who went walk-about over the Christmas break from outside Jordan’s courtyard. She was spotted one night outside The Swan Inn, then further down Swan Walk the next night and finally seen peering out into Wellington Street from where three strong regulars from The Swan, kindly carried her back home.

There is though something being ‘moooooooted’ that could, potentially, bring a new lease of life for the Thame cows, expecially those in need of a bit of TLC like the poor old cow outside the Citizens Advice Bureau who had one of her horns broken off and was sprayed with pink paint by vandals a few months ago.

It’s all a bit ‘hush hush’ at the moment and depends on some funding that is being applied for right now, but watch this space and hopefully some exciting news for fans of the Thame cows will shortly be revealed, in time for the Thame Food Festival in September.

Residents of Thame have enthusiastically welcomed the herd of cows to the town over the last 18 months – there was even a ‘Save the Thame Cows’ campaign when the town council threatened to have them banned. The cows in question are life size models featuring advertising boards which have been stationed at various sites in the town and used to promote local community events. The herd consists of 10 adults and two baby calves, one outside A Piece of Cake in the Upper High Street, and another which lives at Lotte’s Cafe in Chinnor where ‘he’ Brian, thinks he’s a girl and is happy to be adorned with a pink, chiffon scarf.

Brian the bull calf looking pretty in pink, safely inside at Lotte’s Kitchen in Chinnor

The cows were provided by 21st Century Thame and formed part of a project to promote market towns, which was funded by South Oxfordshire District Council and LEADER, a European Commission programme that supports community-led local economic development in rural areas. The herd are looked after by various businesses throughout the town.