Thame news snippets
THAME was’ live’ on the radio tonight, when the BBC Radio 4, topical discussion programme, Any Questions? chaired by Jonathan Dimbleby, was broadcast from The Spread Eagle Hotel. The programme was invited by the organisers of the TAL (Thame Arts and Literature) Festival which is currently running until Sunday, October 19.
Frances O’Grady, General Secretary of the TUC, with Town Cllr Mary Stiles after last night’s Any Questions? broadcast from Thame
The distinguished panel consisted of Lord Heseltine, former Conservative Deputy Prime Minister, Chuka Umunna, Shadow Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, Frances O’Grady, General Secretary of the TUC and James Delingpole, described as an author, journalist, broadcaster and critic.
The programme can be heard again repeated, tomorrow (Saturday, Oct 18) on BBC Radio 4, at 13:10, or listened to now or at any time here: http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b04l3ly4
* A solution to Thame’s parking problems looks unlikely any time soon, as the county council and the district council wrangle over which parking areas will be run by whom. Very little parking enforcement has been carried out since parking was decriminilised three years-ago and is no longer the responsibility of the police. They can however, act if a vehicle is causing an obstruction. When the issue has been resolved, SODC will carry out the enforcement, probably using contractors, and the money will go to which ever council owns a particular car park. Thame Town Council has urged the county and district councils to consider parking for town centre residents when drawing up the new enforcement policy.
* IN the event of a major incident taking out the use of Thame fire station in Nelson Street, Thame Town Council has agreed to accommodate a fire engine at its maintenance depot. As part of the Fire and Rescue Service Business Continuity Plan for ensuring fire and safety cover is maintained in Thame, it is required to have a minimum of two reserve locations for such an event. The Thame company, CPM, has also agreed to provide space for a second vehicle.
* THAME Town Council has £1.9 million in the bank, a 4% rise in the value of its portfolio of investments, over the past year. Mr Andrew Hess, Investment Director at Rathbones, the council’s Investment Managers, warned that although markets had been fairly calm earlier in the year, they had begun to fall back recently with fears of a global economic slow-down, a possible double-dip recession in Germany, an end to the US printing money (quantitive easing), unrest in the Middle East and Ukraine, as well as concerns over Ebola. Interest rates in the UK were unlikely to rise, he speculated, until after the general election. He recommended that the council continued with its ‘defensive’ portfolio of 50% invested in bonds, 10% in alternatives and 40% in equities.
* IN order to carry out essential carriageway repair works, Oxfordshire County Council will be closing Kingsey Road, Thame, for three days from October 27, 2014. A diversion will be put in place. Kingsey Road from Queens Rd to Kings Rd junctions EAST STREET THAME – For further information contact Highway and Transport at OCC on 0845 310 1111.
* RECENT requests for financial assistance from the Thame Welfare Trust (an amalgamation of several small charitable donations from Wills over many years) have come from families needing assistance to pay for school trips, and things like contributions to the cost of a new washing machine. Referrals to help those in need in the town are usually made by Social and Health Workers. More information about the TWT can be found at: http://tiny.cc/qfgwnx
* THE town council’s IT equipment, described by Cllr Peter Lambert as ‘so slow you can go away and make a coffee while it loads’, is to be replaced with the purchase of seven new computers, the upgrading of another PC plus the purchase of 11 Microsoft Office Licences 2013 at a cost of £7580. ipads which were given to each councillor two year’s ago, which the councils says has lead to an increase in efficiency and ‘a significant reduction in costs from the reduction in printing of reports, photocopying packs and delivery of Council papers to Members’, are to be replaced at the beginning of each new administration. The old ones will be offered to councillors to buy and if not wanted, will be sold off for the best price achievable.
* THE trombone player in the band playing at the 1940s night on Saturday, October 25, (See LINK) is being lead by the lead trombone player from the official Glen Miller band.
