16/01/13……’Denigrating Thame’

Dear Editor, I’m heartened to observe that your recent correspondent has “no objection” to my proposal regarding a graven memorial to Robin Gibb. I’m disappointed, however, that they appear to have either misunderstood or misrepresented my words, and I stand appalled at being misconstrued as having attempted to “denigrate” Thame.

Allow me to clarify. I would never wish to suggest that Thame is, by any means, inferior to such towns as Henley or Aylesbury; indeed, I believe Thame to be second only to Oxford in our entire region. However, it is undeniable that those aforementioned towns receive a considerably greater ammount of attention than Thame does.

Now, I don’t want to imply that a statue of Robin Gibb is going to turn Thame into a tourist hotspot (a closer Railway Station would be more likely to achieve that) but I cannot think of any more worthy a project for a community such as Thame than a tasteful public art project; particularly when Mr Gibb’s friendly features would be so likely to inspire smiles and goodwill in all passers-by.

What’s more, I hardly see why a project such as this should have to wait for an arbitrary period of time (the appropriate length of which, presumably, is only known to your good correspondent) simply to satisfy the whimsical demands of “proportion and timing”, especially considering that Millennium Circle has been awaiting an appropriate project for 13 years, and it would still take a long time to get through the inevitable bureaucratic procedures, etc.

I admire and commend your correspondent’s love for this town, and would like to make it once more clear that it is a love I share. But I believe that we can better express our affection for this modern day Arcadia; this adamantine haven of peace and charm, by contributing to it’s splendour, than by sneering at benign suggestions.

As for statues of other local heroes, I’m all for them! If your correspondent wishes to start that particular ball rolling then I’ll be happy to lend my support. That said, while John Hampden already has a rather fine statue in Aylesbury (not to mention one at Westminster), Robin Gibb still has none, in spite of his never having made war on his Monarch!

With all my pride and patriotism for Thame pinned to my heart like a rosette,

I remain,
Yours affectionately,

“Clarendon” (Name and address supplied)