Friday news snippets from Thame

THAME’S Oxfam Book Shop’s window has gone a little risque this week, in celebration of Valentine’s Day. Among the many books featured are the inevitable ’50 Sheds of Grey – A book for men’, and a book of ‘Sex Tips for Wives’, from 1896. Shop Manager, Dick Jennens, said: ” Yes, we are being a little risque; But can we tame the passions of Thame?”

Is this beautiful toad found at Cuttlebrook, about to turn into a handsome prince? Image courtesy of cuttlebrook.org.uk

COUNCIL members of Thame Town Council’s Community, Leisure and Recreation committee, made it known publically at their meeting on Tuesday (Feb 10), that they wished to acknowledge ‘the magnificent job’ that the Cuttlebrook volunteers have done, and are doing, to maintain the town’s nature reserve and particularly to improving public access. “It’s an assett to the town, “said Cllr Nigel Champken Woods, and “under appreciated” said Cllr Peter Lambert.

THAME Rotary club, in partnership with the town council, is to pilot a ‘surplus foreign currency collection point’ in the Information Centre, to raise funding for local charities. A container will be provided for anyone to put in their surplus foreign currency, in a similar way that they do for the Food Bank. It will then be converted into sterling and distributed to chosen local charities. If the fund raising scheme is successful in Thame, the pilot scheme may be rolled out to other Rotary Groups. The idea came from Rotarian, Linda Emery, who is also a town councillor.

THE ninth Thame, public access defibrillator was opened last Friday, February 7, at Sprinz and Nash Vets in Wellington Street.  There is evidence to show that if someone is suffering from a cardiac arrest then the earlier the defibrillation, the greater chance of survival and the better quality of life post-survival. Funding for these defibrillators is being raised by the community group, Staying Alive.

THE 75th anniversary of the Battle of Britain will be commemorated in The Memorial Gardens, Thame, this year in flowers. Red white and blue flowers will bloom in raised planters, forming the dates 1940 – 2015.

SINAIA, in Romania, which is one half of the Thame-Sinaia Friendship Association, recently asked Thame to submit something of interest from Thame that it could display during the ‘Sinaia Forever’ festival during September 25-27. In response, Thame Museum has commissioned a framed montage of photographs of Thame which will be taken over to Sinaia in September by a group of Thame friends of Sinaia and other residents who may wish to visit this beautiful, historic town in the mountains. Anyone who would like to find out more about Sinaia and the visit in September, can do so by going to the facebook page or by contacting Marius Ciortan via marius.ciortan@btinternet.com

AN idea to extend the changing rooms building at the Southern Road recreation ground, to include public toilets and a refreshments kiosk, has been agreed in principle by Thame Town Council. The proposal has come from Soha, housing association who want the local Air Cadets to use the new building so that Soha can provide more social housing in the existing Cadets’ accommodation.

THE town council is to look into making improvements and additions to Thame’s new Christmas lights, which shone for the first time in December 2014. This follows criticisms from the public and town councillors that the Market House looked ‘sad’ without the ‘dripping lights’, that the town hall looked ‘bare’ and there were problems with timers so that not all the lights were on at the same time after the ‘big switch on’ event.