Outshone today – but Thame’s star high street will continue to glisten!

AFTER winning ‘Rising Star’ status in last year’s Great British High Street Awards, Thame’s star has shone even more brightly since becoming a finalist in it’s category in this year’s competition.

Helen Johns (left) & sonja Francis collected Thame’s Finalist’s certificate on behalf of the town

Despite losing to a very worthy Champion, Hebden Bridge in this afternoon’s glittering awards ceremony, Thame’s entry was highly praised by the judges for it’s collaboration between the town and district councils, its businesses and the community at large, and for it’s innovative use of the prize money from last year’s award, to promote the town’s Midsomer Murders connection to attract visitors.

In reply to a tweet by @Thame4business, who spear-headed Thame’s social media campaign on behalf of 21st Century Thame and Thame’s entry, @theGBHighSt tweeted: “In our view every finalist is a winner! 900+ applications and you made top 3 in category!”

Thame’s achievement

Summing up Thame’s achievement on facebook, Thame business woman, Kathryn Lock, who runs The Practice therapy centre, commented: “All the hard work and publicity might not have resulted in a ‘win’ but it certainly raised the profile of Thame and resulted in a stronger and more positive community.”

The winner

Champion Small Market Town, Hebden Bridge received £5,000 and presented with a trophy by High Streets Minister, Andrew Percy, at the ceremony at Lancaster House in London earlier today (December 12). In addition to winning their category, Hebden Bridge was awarded a special new prize of People’s Choice for receiving a record breaking 40,000 votes – the most ever cast for a place in the history of the competition.

‘Enthusiasm and ambition’

The three shortlisted ‘small market town’ high streets, including Thame’s, were visited by judges from Holland & Barrett and The Department for Communities and Local Government, whose marks accounted for 50 per cent of the overall score.

Andy Torrance, Chief Operating Officer at Holland & Barrett said: “What struck me in this category was the enthusiasm of the individuals and businesses who make these small towns the cultural and business hubs they are.

“They may be small, but they have big ambitions, and coming from a business which began in Nuneaton but is now present on high streets up and down the country, we know how important it is to think big when it comes to your goals.

“Hebden Bridge is a worthy winner, and one with a lot to teach the rest of us about the importance of enthusiasm and innovation within the community.”

Thame’s MP, John Howell did not attend today’s event, but sent the following message: “I’m away on business this week but looked out for the final results today. I was so sorry to see that you were pipped to the post by Hebden Bridge.

“I’m sure you are all disappointed after so much effort but I hope you will also be pleased with getting to the final. That in itself was a great achievement and I am sure that all the fantastic work will not go unrewarded in terms of value added to the town and community.

“One of the things I took from the day with the judges was the huge sense of working together that existed amongst you all. This can’t be quantified but makes the whole greater than the sum of the parts. I am sure this will reap its own reward.

“Please pass on my commiserations on the final result to all but above all I hope that you will still be able to celebrate what you have achieved together.”

You can watch a recording of the live Periscope streaming of the event HERE

** The full list of winners:

Overall winner ‘Champion of Champions, was Blackburn.

City Location Winner – The Cathedral Quarter, Derby
Runners up – Castle Arcade District, Norwich and Broadmead, Bristol
Town Centre Winner – Blackburn
Runners up – Hemel Hempstead and Banbury, Oxfordshire
Large Market Town Winner – Bridgnorth
Runners up – Hinckley and Market Harborough, Leicestershire
Small Market Town Winner – Hebden Bridge
Runners up – Chipping Norton and Thame, Oxfordshire
Coastal Community Winner – Falmouth
Runners up – Sea View Street, Cleethorpes and Prestatyn, Wales
Local Centre Winner – Hoole, Chester
Runners up – Claygate, Surrey and The Pantiles, Tunbridge Wells
Village Winner – Pateley Bridge
Runners up – Kirkby Lonsdale, Cumbria and Langport, Somerset
London Winner – Myddelton Road, Haringey
Runners up – Romford and Waterloo
Rising Star Winner – Stockton
Runners up – Leominster and Dornoch, Scottish Highlands

The competition

The Great British High Street competition is run by the Department for Communities and Local Government and sponsored by British Land, the Post Office, Holland and Barrett, Boots UK, Google UK, Marks & Spencer, Wilko, Revo and Ellandi.

The Google Digital Garage on Tour is a workshop which includes sessions for businesses on finding and keeping customers online and the chance to have one-to-one consultations with Google specialists to chat through their businesses digital needs.

The overall winner received £10,000; category winners received £5,000 and runners up received £500 each.

The final result across all categories followed an online public vote and expert judges’ assessments, each counting for 50 per cent.