Thame Out Autumn 2019 Issue 51

Thame Out Autumn 2019

The complimentary magazine for the Thame area

YOUNG PUPILS

Eye care for children

BARBADOS BOUND The Caribbean with Spear Travels

Now in our 14th year

Mary Queen of Scones Mary Berry comes to Thame Food Festival

DIGITAL DANGER Why you need Cyber Insurance

ABOVE PAR The AB Golf Experience

PET-TY JEALOUSY Pets have feelings too

LEISURE > BEAUTY > HOME > TRAVEL > LOCAL > COMPETITIONS > AND LOTS MORE

Specialising only in the most innovative skin, face and body, non-surgical cosmetic treatments

With a highly experienced team of clinicians and therapists, ERA’s philosophy is to simply provide the best, safe, next generation aesthetic procedures with an exceptional customer service. Set in a beautiful period building in the heart of Thame, the clinic comprises pristine, dedicated rooms for each specialist treatment. b Permanent Laser Hair Removal b Fat Freezing b Body Contouring b HIFU: Non-Surgical Facelift b Pigmentation and Thread Vein Removal b IPL Skin Rejuvenation b Treatment for Acne & Rosacea b Dermal Fillers and Anti-Wrinkle Injections

Book your FREE consultation online today @ www.eraclinics.co.uk or call us on 01844 698441

ERA Skin & Laser Clinic 98a High Street, Thame Oxfordshire OX9 3EH

Waitrose

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> LIFESTYLE

Moving on Sarah Gosford on being recently divorced.

E

mily is now going to Daddy most weekends. Apparently, I should be having a great time too.

I even read an article about a happily married woman who was jealous of the “Me” time all her divorced friends were having when their kids were with the ex.

Oh please! I bet all her friends were putting on a brave face after a grim time handing the children over – either that or they were all so chirpy after finding out Mrs Married’s husband is regularly canoodling with the au pair.

Now don’t get me wrong. I know that Emily loves her Daddy and he loves her.

I know how vital it is they build on their already good relationship, but it’s the Saturday morning “handover” and the Sunday evening “handback” that I dread.

I hate seeing James again. I start to dread it on Friday afternoon when I am sweating across town to pick Em up from after school club. On the way I buy a bottle of wine – of which invariably I drink too much so that I am slightly dehydrated and piggy eyed on Saturday. Emily is thrilled she is seeing her Dad and is so hyper on Friday evening that my patience runs out and I snap at her. But then I am filled with the worry that she will have a much better time with her Dad than me.

On the morning itself I can’t eat.

James and I have that dreadfully polite conversation as we pass our child between us. I drive off home-feeling alone. This weekend, however, I am dreading seeing James even more than normal. He wants us to have a “chat”

4. Thame Out

when he brings her back. I know what it is about. He has a girlfriend. (Or a new fancy as my mother charmingly put it.)

I’ve even caught sight of them together so I am preparing myself. James is looking irritatingly like someone who is having more fun than he knows what to do with.

If he could pat himself on the back and go “well done old chap,” I’m sure he would.

If I am honest with myself, I’m hurt that he has moved on so quickly. Did our marriage mean so little or had he got used to feeling single as we drifted apart even before we got divorced? I am still shell shocked at how my life has changed, so the thought of meeting someone new hasn’t even occurred to me.

Why it has been so easy for him start a new relationship? I struggle to get naked in front of the cat. It occurred to me the other day that, since my body has the marks of having given birth, it feels weird to have to share these with someone who is not the father of my child. It made me very sad. And, above all, where on earth did he find her?

I can’t even remember the last time I saw a man my age I fancied, let alone someone who I get on with and can imagine being part of a couple with.

Then a paranoid little voice starts up in my head – that maybe, just maybe, he was seeing her before we got divorced.

I rack my brains to think if I have seen her a while ago; perhaps she was at one of those corporate dinners that I used to get dragged to; or maybe she was even the managing director. Before I have a chance

to tell myself that I am imagining too much, another awful thought crosses my mind. Emily.

What happens if he is going to ask me if she can meet Emily? I want to say “No! How dare you?” She is just about coping with the divorce, let alone your inviting her to meet your new fancy. (Oh dear, I’ve turned into my mother). Then again, the conciliatory side of me thinks what harm can it really do? Surely it’s a rebound relationship. Maybe it’s his way of coping with the divorce.

So this is why I am dreading the handback even more than normal. To take my mind off it I’ve been shopping and spent far too much, and cleaned the house. I’ve cleaned the house so much that it literally sparkles. I almost drove past it on my return from Sainsbury’s so unrecognisable it looks. I’m really starting to feel sick now, but annoyingly I tart up a bit for James. I want to show him that I haven’t fallen apart since we divorced and I’ve put on some makeup. Carefully avoiding the lip gloss, though, after last time Emily asked why I was talking to Daddy when I had cat hairs all over my lips. It’s a tricky combination to look fabulous but not too fabulous so that your ex thinks you want him back.

I’d better go downstairs as I can see his car coming up the road. My heart leaps at seeing Emily and despairs at seeing James. But at least there are just the two of them in the car.

Soon it could be three and I’m simply not ready for that.

> THAME OUT

> LOCAL NEWS

Contents 6. LOCAL NEWS – Sleep advice, Thame Food Festival, Fitness MOT, Chearsley Village Fun Day and Towersey Festival 10. HEALTH & BEAUTY – Expert Eye care, Healthy Skin Care and Occupational Therapy.

22. TRAVEL – The Caribbean with Spear Travels.

24. LIFESTYLE – Men’s & Women’s Fashions, Divorce, J2Busy, Pets have feelings and The Grove Homes.

32. HOME & GARDEN – Kingsey Kitchens, Four Seasons Tree Care and Kitchen Home Interiors 42. FOOD & DRINK – Wine Column.

48. BUSINESS – J Bennett & Son Insurance, AB Golf and Thame Cars 60. ENTERTAINMENT – New Theatre and Oxford Playhouse.

64. LISTINGS 66. COMPETITIONS

Cover: Thame Food Festival See page 6.

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Opinions expressed in Thame Out Magazine are not necessarily those of the publisher and the magazine is in no way liable for any such opinion. Whilst every effort has been made to ensure that the information contained within this publication is correct, the publishers cannot be held responsible for any errors or omissions contained within. No part of this publication including any article, advertisement or graphic in whole or part may be reproduced without the express permission of the publishers. The company nor its agents accept any liability for loss or damage of manuscripts photographs and any other materials submitted to the magazine.

Copyright ©2019 Red Letter

Published by Red Letter, 25 Southern Road, Thame, Oxfordshire OX9 2EE 01844 216847 Email: julian@red-l.co.uk www.thameout.co.uk

Pillow talk As nights draw in and days turn cool, Autumn brings its own set of sleep challenges for those who struggle to snooze.

According to The Sleep Council, while the end of long, light nights and hot stuffy bedrooms ends one set of problems, it can mean the start of others for some people.

Says The Sleep Council’s sleep chief, Lisa Artis: “While Autumn’s cool nights provide a nice bedtime break from Summer’s hot and humid evenings, a host of other sleep issues can crop up at this time of year and disrupt shuteye.”

Here’s The Sleep Council’s advice to make sure Autumn doesn’t leave you fatigued and frustrated: Shorter days can mean less exposure to sunlight. This means lower levels of vitamin D and increased feelings of fatigue - and also disruption of the circadian rhythm, which regulates feelings of wakefulness and sleepiness. Getting plenty of sun on your face in the morning can help, so be sure to open the curtains as soon as you wake up and, if possible, go for a morning walk. After sunset, do the opposite and dim indoor lights to get your body back on track.

While crisp, chill air can make it tempting to light the fire and crank up the heating, it’s actually best to keep the home - or at least the bedroom -between 16 and 18 degrees Celsius. Letting the bedroom get too warm can mess with sleep: too hot and the body struggles to bring its temperature back down, causing wakefulness. Too cold and the body will eventually wake you up - demanding extra layers of warmth and insulation!

Seasonal affective disorder (SAD), a type of depression that can set in when daylight hours grow shorter, is thought to affect one in 15 people between the months of September and April in the UK each year. While the cause of SAD is still unknown, the disorder can alter melatonin levels, which play a role in the sleep/ wake cycle and cause daytime sleepiness and oversleeping. To re-establish a normal sleep schedule, exercise regularly, ensure the bedroom is conducive to sleep (strictly no gadgets and gizmos) and keep bedtime/waking times consistent - even at weekends. Getting as much natural daylight as possible is key too, as it suppresses melatonin levels and boosts serotonin production.

Colder weather can also tempt us to eat more than we should.

While it’s easy to stick to salads and lighter foods during warm Summer months, avoid the temptation to ‘comfort eat’ heavier meals as the temperatures drop - particularly close to bedtime.

Overload the tum at your peril! Too much food, too close to bedtime is a sure-fire recipe for wake-up level heartburn and indigestion.

Make sure your bed is comfortable and still supportive. Indoor furniture can be forgotten about during the lazy, hazy, outdoor furniture days of summer. With the focus firmly back on interiors, it might be time to re-appraise the piece you use more than any other in the home - and if your bed is seven years old or more, then a new one could definitely be on the cards.

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> LOCAL NEWS

A feast of fun ...

Yet again Thame Food Festival will be a real destination on the 28th & 29th September. There will be a myriad of food and drink experiences, yummy foodie sampling and children’s activities.

Artisan and Street Food Markets Over 100 artisan producers will be showcasing their food and drink delights – something delicious to suit every taste!

Plus there’s a brand new BBQ area – the Kamado Joe Fire Show – with workshops and demonstrations.

Chef and Baker Demonstrations A myriad of demonstrations will be on the Magimix stage, featuring Alex Hollywood, Briony May and Jane Devonshire to name just a few. Not to mention an interview on the Saturday with one of the country’s best loved cookery writers - Mary Berry!

Kids Activities Fabulous fun cooking workshops for kids will be running through-out the two day by award winning Fun Kitchen. These high energy, fun (and sometimes messy!) cooking sessions are £5 per child per 30

minute session. Just come along on the day to book the session.

There will also be a dedicated Children’s Activity Area by local charity Thomley, featuring lots of art and fun things to do, including: • Fabulous face painting • Festival themed Glitter Tattoos (temporary of course!)

• Archery • Giant bubbles • Football • Sumo suits • And much, much more!

Dog Demonstration and Show Once again, there will be dog shows and demonstrations by Hearing Dogs for Deaf People. Enter your four legged companion into one (or more) categories on the day. All money raised goes directly to the charity.

More than just food Listen to ive music throughout the Festival, with a very special headline act There’ll also be a pop-up pub and botanical gin garden. For the shopaholics, step into the marquee of eclectic home and kitchenware with Humble Country.

Come for the day…

There’s something to appeal to everyone!

Easily accessible, with the free shuttle bus sponsored by Aylesbury Waterside Theatre from the Town Hall - come for the day or extend your visit over the weekend.

Entrance is £6 per day (accompanied children under 16 go free). Come eat, drink and do! Join in for a fun, fabulous, feasting family day out!

Thame Food Festival CIC is a not for profit community interest company.

This year’s event will be held at the Thame Show Ground on 28th and 29th September 2019 01844 340385 www.thamefoodfestival.co.uk.

... with an extra special ‘vibe’.

Music magic is set to return to Thame Food Festival this year with headline act – UNITED VIBE After the wonderful success of the live music stage at Thame Food Festival last year, this fabulous feature is set to return again. The dedicated stage will be hosted

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and presented by the First Thursday Music Club and Thame Town Music Festival and sponsored by Milk & More. With headline act – United Vibe – fresh from their experience on the most recent X Factor series joining on the Sunday.

United Vibe, featuring our very own Thame local Elliot Horne, will be sponsored by FestivAles and will be performing on Sunday 29th September in the afternoon. The group were brought together through the X Factor 2018 series, which saw Robbie Williams hand selecting the five boys to form a brand new UK boyband.

They made it through to the live finals of series 15 after wowing pop legend Robbie at his home in L.A. The stage is perfectly sandwiched between the FestivAles Pop Up Pub and Botanical Gin Garden, with an area of covered and uncovered seating surrounded by the delights of the Street Food Market. So, the ideal spot to stop, have a drink, tuck into some food, relax and enjoy the music.”

Fitness MOT

Classic cars en route to Chearsley village

Functional Fitness MOT, advice and information Day to be held at Thame Town Hall on Friday 4th October (1.00pm - 4.00pm) A Physiotherapist, Occupational Therapist, Fitness Instructor or Postural Stability Instructor will take the participants through 7 tests that will give them an indication of their exercise performance.

Each test comes with a set of “normal values” for people of different ages (From 60yrs to 90yrs) and this will give participants an idea of whether they are “doing well” compared to their peers, or whether they could benefit from being more active.

Participants are recommended to book an appointment - they can just turn up but may risk being turned away.

Appointments can be made from 23rd September 2019 with Karen Copping on 07842 684760 There will be a list available of local activity opportunities the participants may like to join in with, and some online websites that will give them some more information.

There will be representatives from the following organisations to give information and advice, mainly on physical activity opportunities available in the Thame area.

The Chearsley Village Classic & Vintage Fun Day, hosted by Chearsley Cricket Club, will take place on Sunday 15th September The show opens for the general public at 11.00 and entry and parking are free.

“At this year’s show you can expect to see over 300 classic and vintage vehicles dating from the early 1900’s through to the current day, including motorcycles, commercial and agricultural vehicles and steam engines. As well as large displays of Morris Minors and MGs, you’ll also be able to see Aston Martins, Ferraris, Porsches and many other incredible cars from around the world.”says Andy Yorke, one of the show’s organisers.

In addition to the wide selection of classic and vintage vehicles on display, confirmation has also been received of a flypast during the afternoon, courtesy of the Battle of Britain Memorial Flight.

All proceeds from the day will go towards the development of Junior Cricket at Chearsley Cricket Club, which has had major success in the development of cricket for youngsters in recent years.

For more information, please contact: John Howard Email: jnh@dbmc.co.uk Mob: 07970 651326 www.ccvfd.co.uk

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> LOCAL NEWS

Hot acts

The Selecter

Emotional celebrations and recordbreaking temperatures ensure 2019’s Towersey Festival was another hit!

A series of outstanding performances, emotional celebrations, and souring temperatures ensured the 55th Towersey Festival (Friday 23 to Monday 26 August 2019) was another huge success.

Highlights over the Bank Holiday weekend included appearances by soulful Dubliners Hothouse Flowers and 2-Tone legends The Selecter (Sunday), whose energetic appearance had the entire crowd on their feet.

Troubadour Newton Faulkner, and BBC Radio 2 Folk Award 2019 nominated Welsh/ African duo Catrin Finch and Seckou Keita (Sat) were other notable stand-outs.

Monday afternoon saw an emotional celebration of the life and career of the late folk singer, activist and Towersey Patron Roy Bailey, who passed away in November. Having appeared at the very first Towersey in 1965, Roy’s regular afternoon shows were much-loved feature of the festival for many years.

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Among those paying tribute during a moving two-hour show were friends, family and colleagues, including his son-in-law guitarist Martin Simpson, and broadcaster and musician Tom Robinson.

The festival also marked the official retirement of Towersey Director Steve Heap; Steve attended the second festival before taking over the reins in 1975.

In the region of 8,000 revellers attended the four-day event in Oxfordshire, which also witnessed record-breaking Bank Holiday temperatures, hitting highs of 30 degrees.

Towersey Festival Director Joe Heap said: “We saw some incredible performances this year across our many stages. The first ever silent ceilidh, in particular, on Saturday (24 Aug 2019), was an absolute triumph and the talk of the festival.

“But the Roy Bailey concert was something quite special. The Big Club tent was filled to capacity, and we had many more outside to see people like Martin, Tom, Andy Cutting, The Wilson Family, John Kirkpatrick, and other major folk/ roots musicians. They all performed songs

Bruce Foxton - From the Jam from Roy’s incredible back-catalogue, and recounted stories about him – there was barely a dry eye, it was very very moving, as Roy was so associated with us. An afternoon few will forget.

Discussing four uninterrupted days of hot sunny weather, Joe said: “We had plenty of taps, and everyone stayed well hydrated all over the site.”

The 56th Towerey Festival will run from Friday 28 to Monday 31 August 2020.

Advance tickets are available now, with the full line-up to be announced in the New Year. For more details, see: www.towerseyfestival.com

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> HEALTH & BEAUTY

Cosmetic Courses opens a new skin specialist training clinic.

Clinical studies T

reatments to suit all budgets at Cosmetic Courses new Skin Clinic based in the heart of Princes Risborough.

Established in 2002 by internationallyrecognised Consultant Plastic Surgeon Mr Adrian Richards, Cosmetic Courses have trained over 6,000 medical professionals such as Doctors, Dentists and Nurses in a wide range of non-surgical injectable and skin rejuvenation treatments, helping to set up their own successful aesthetic clinics.

Up until now patients were only able to be treated in a training environment under the supervision of our expert trainers. Due to increasing demand Cosmetic Courses are delighted to announce that they are expanding their Princes Risborough clinic and will now be offering treatment with our highly qualified, skilled and soughtafter practitioners as private patients.

Our treatments To help treat your concerns we have a wide range of anti-aging treatments available, including l Anti-Wrinkle Injections l Lip, Cheek, Jaw and Chin Fillers l Leg Thread Vein Removal l Excessive Sweating l Non-surgical nose job l Skin treatments including ageing spots, acne & pigmentation using IPL, Chemical Peels, Microdermabrasion and Micro Needling l Laser Hair removal

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Dr Fiona Durban

Our practitioners Our practitioners have many years of experience and are here to talk through your skin and ageing concerns. They will sit down with you discuss your concerns and create a bespoke treatment journey to help you feel refreshed, revitalised and rejuvenated.

Dr Fiona Durban Dr Durban began her medical career in 2000 when she qualified as a doctor from St Mary’s Hospital Medical School in London. She went on to become a Partner in general practice. Dr Durban has been working in aesthetics since 2013 and is our aesthetics doctor within our new clinic. Dr Durban specialises in antiwrinkle injections, dermal fillers, thread lifts and Rederm treatments.

Simona Jotkeviciute Simona is our new skin therapist. Simona graduated from the London College of Beauty Therapy in 2014 and has been

working as a fully trained Aesthetic Therapist ever since. Simona will be offering Advanced Chemical peels, Microdermabrasion, Micro Needling as well as our newest treatment of Laser Hair Removal and IPL for skin rejuvenation treatments.

Our expert team are here to help and advise on the best possible treatment journey to suit all budgets and needs!

Cosmetic Courses Princes Risborough 01844 319737 ask@cosmeticcourses.co.uk www.cosmeticcourses.co.uk

Skill, experience, imagination and flair.

Celebrating contemporary creative craftsmanship.

Ceramics Glass J e w e l l e ry Wo o d B ro n z e Celebrating The Unusual In Creative Craftsmanship

18 B u t t e r m a r k e t , T h a m e , OX 9 3 E P O p e n T u e s - S a t , 10 . 3 0 - 5 . 3 0 018 4 4 215 0 9 9 w w w. f i t ch a n d f e l l ows . c o m Thame Out .11

> HEALTH & BEAUTY

A helping Phoenix Rehab are transforming and rebuilding lives.

Steph Sherwood talks to Occupational Therapist and founding partner Carol Kendall.

C

arol, along with her business partner, started Phoenix Rehab earlier this year. Having worked for the NHS, they soon realised budget restraints and staff shortages meant patients requiring Occupational Therapy (OT) needed somewhere else they could turn to.

“If you or a family member need help adjusting or regaining independence as a result of a physical or mental trauma, we can help,” says Carol.

Occupational Therapy is a science degree-based, health and social care profession, regulated by the Health and Care Professions Council. Occupational therapy takes a “whole-person approach” to both mental and physical health and wellbeing and enables individuals to achieve their full potential.

“As occupational therapists we consider all of the patient’s needs - physical, psychological, social and environmental.

This support can make a real difference giving people a renewed sense of purpose, opening up new horizons, and changing the way they feel about the future,” explains Carol.

“We provide practical support to empower people to facilitate recovery and overcome barriers preventing them from doing the activities (or occupations) that matter to them. This support increases people’s independence and satisfaction in all aspects of life,” adds Carol.

“Occupation” as a term refers to practical and purposeful activities that allow people to live independently and

have a sense of identity. This could be essential day-to-day tasks such as self-care, work or leisure. It could be something as simple as helping somebody with extreme anxiety to simply leave their house.

It could mean help of a more practical nature. Sourcing a wheelchair, walking aid or items to help within the home for example.

Think about your day-to-day life; would you be able to cope or live fully if you didn’t have access to the internet? Or couldn’t get out of bed in the morning?

“As Occupational Therapists we work with adults of all ages with a wide range

of conditions; most commonly those who have difficulties due to a mental health illness, age-related conditions, physical or learning disabilities.

“We provide home visits and treatment can range from a single one hour visit to a long-term package of support.

“At Phoenix Rehab we pride ourselves on treating each client as an individual.

Our priority is to provide a bespoke service to help you achieve your goals on your journey to recovery,” says Carol.

Doctor, nurses and paramedics save lives, Occupational Therapy helps you live your life,” Carol concludes.

Phoenix Rehab are registered with the Royal College of Occupational Therapists.

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hand

Clinical Experience in: k Upper limb injuries k Orthopaedic injuries k Limb amputation k Internal injuries k Spinal injury k Traumatic brain injury k Vascular lymphoedema k Sensory impairment k Anxiety k Depression k Fatigue k Chronic pain & chronic regional pain syndrome k Multiple Sclerosis k Motor Neurone Disease k Functional Neurological disorder k Age related conditions

Quite often people don’t realise they need the help of an occupational therapist. So if you or a friend or relative could benefit from their help, contact Carol at Phoenix Rehab.

Help is at hand.

Phoenix Rehab 07842 488319 www.phoenixrehab.co.uk

Advice on the following: k Equipment k Housing adaptation k Moving and handling k Posture, seating and wheelchair assessments k Workplace assessments k Vocational rehabilitation k Management of mental illness, fatigue & pain

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> HEALTH & BEAUTY

Exam time Don’t worry kids, not that kind of exam. But it is that dreaded time of year for them.

Back to school. Even tougher for children suffering from short-sightedness (or Myopia by its other name). The good news is we can help prevent it and treat it.

Stuart Dale talks to Kate Kellett at Ivan R Cammack optometrists.

A

s with all medical conditions, early diagnosis is key to preventing myopic progression.

“I can’t stress enough how important it is for a parent to take their young children to an optometrist for a check-up,” says Kate.

“I treat so many parents who are very short sighted and who have lived their young adult life with all the cost and hassle of wearing thick spectacles or contact lenses. Not being able to see without vision correction is a pain.” says Kate.

“The trouble is, these adults could then be subjected to some medical conditions in later life. Conditions such as a detached retina, glaucoma, cataracts, or myopic maculopathy.

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“But as an adult and parent, you can at least take the opportunity to help your children nip emerging myopia in the bud.

This will prevent all those hassles you had and any future expense associated with treating acute short sightedness,” she adds.

“If we can catch the emergence of myopia at an early stage, we can definitely help the very likely progression to being highly myopic. This can only be good for our children medically, practically and above all socially.

Most young children may not be able to explain that they cannot see properly at longer distances. So symptoms may only become evident when they go to school and struggle to see things like the whiteboard at the front of the class.

Children with myopia may complain of headaches, eyestrain and fatigue if they have to focus on something more than a metre away.

For children who are yet to show signs of myopia, the great outdoors it seems really is great. Great for our bodies as well as for our psychological wellbeing.

Sunlight – in the right quantities and at acceptable intensities – can supply our skins with important vitamins. What might come as more of a surprise is that the hours that children devote to running, playing or simply sitting outdoors can make a measurable contribution to maintaining their young eyesight.

Recently, researchers from the universities of Bristol and Cardiff published findings that suggested children, aged between eight and nine, who regularly go outdoors to play are approximately half as likely to become short-sighted by the time they reach the age of 15. The study tracked the occurrence of shortsightedness in some 7,000 boys and girls, and the statistics clearly showed that

for pupils those who enjoyed time outside also enjoyed healthier eyesight.

Unfortunately, once a chid is shortsighted the amount of time spent outdoors doesn’t have any real effect on the progression of condition.

“There are no current cures for shortsightedness,” says Kate: “Even laser surgery doesn’t help. Make sure you pick up on the condition as early as possible especially if short-sightedness runs in your family. That means making sure your child is examined by an optometrist in their preschool years.

“As for treating children with early stage myopia, the aim is to slow down its development.

As soon as the child is able to cope with them, usually 8 years old, specialist contact lenses called ‘Myopia Control lenses’ can be used to change the way that light is focused on the peripheral retina; it is this peripheral light that prompts or delays the growth of the eye. Although they don’t work in all children, they are effective for the majority.

“There are two types of Myopia Control lenses, soft lenses that are worn during the daytime, and rigid lenses that are worn overnight.

In our experience, the overnight rigid lenses are more effective at preventing myopia progression, and are much easier for child and parent to manage because all of the lens care happens at home.

This lens is called EyeDream, a form of orthokeratology or Ortho-k., and is worn at night to gently reshape the front of the eye. They are removed in the morning, giving the child good clear vision all day long.

Since Eyedream lenses are only worn at night, there’s no effect on playing sports or going swimming. And much less chance of them getting lost. Perfect for children. There is evidence that Myopia Control lenses not only slow the progression of short-sightedness but also

reduce the chances of developing other eye conditions previously mentioned, later in life such as glaucoma and retinal detachment.”

Ivan R Cammack offers a special Eyeplan Myopia Control scheme which, following the initial contact lens fitting, for a monthly fee includes lens care products, replacement lenses, eye examinations and on-going myopia control care appointments.

So, if you are the parent of pre-school children, it might be wise to book an appointment with Ivan R Cammack.

Preventative medicine is their vision.

Ivan R Cammack (Thame) T. 01844 212048 E. info@ivancammack.com Chinnor (01844) 351564 Wendover (01296) 625892

SPECIAL PRICE REDUCTION For a limited time only: £50 OFF the normal Fitting Fees when you contact us and quote this code. Eyedream50 Terms and conditions apply, contact the practice for details.

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> HEALTH & BEAUTY

Hilary Westall tackles Cramp.

What is it and why do we get it?

The pain that cramps your style.

Y

ou could be out for a run, doing squats in the gym, watching TV or drifting off to sleep when it happens: suddenly you’re gripped by cramp.

It may last a few seconds or longer and can be extremely uncomfortable. Cramp is extremely common and most of us will experience it at some time in our life. It’s more common in adults and becomes increasingly frequent with ageing, although anyone can get it.

What is a muscle cramp?

When we use our muscles, they contract and relax as we move our limbs. The muscles that maintain our posture also contract and relax in a synchronized way. However, if a muscle involuntarily contracts, it is called a ‘spasm’. If the spasm is forceful and sustained, it becomes cramp, causing a visible or palpable hardening of the involved muscle. The cramp may involve part of a muscle, the entire muscle, or several muscles that act together, for example those that flex adjacent fingers or toes. It’s fairly typical of a cramp to recur several times before it goes away. Any muscles under our voluntary control (the skeletal muscles) can cramp, with the extremities, especially the legs, feet and calves, being common areas.

Causes of muscle cramp It’s thought that cramps are caused by excessively excited nerves that stimulate the muscles. Many things can trigger cramp, including the following: • Poor circulation in the legs • Dehydration • Muscle fatigue / overuse • Not stretching enough • Spinal cord injury or a pinched nerve in your neck or back • Kidney disease Some medications such as beta blockers for high blood pressure, statins for lowering cholesterol, diuretics and certain types of asthma medications, may cause muscle cramp as they can interfere with electrolyte levels, contribute to the

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breakdown of muscle tissue, or interfere with blood flow. Other causes include deficiencies of certain vitamins, including thiamine (B1), pantothenic acid (B5) and pyridoxine (B6). You should report medication-related muscle cramps to your doctor.

Muscle cramps at night, especially in the calves, are very common and affect up to 60 per cent of adults with women more likely to suffer than men. They are more common as we age and can contribute to insomnia. The actual cause of night cramps is unknown although tired muscles and nerve dysfunction are thought to contribute to night cramps, brought on by the long period of inactivity when asleep.

Sometimes, such cramps are triggered by making a movement that shortens the muscle. For example, pointing the toe while lying in bed, which shortens the calf muscle and is a very common site of muscle cramps.

Pregnancy can also bring on cramps, especially in the legs at night. Levels of fluid and electrolytes fluctuate more during pregnancy which may be a reason for this, with increased pressure on pelvic nerves also playing a role.

Treating cramp Cramp is usually a temporary nuisance that typically resolves without specialist treatment. The primary treatment for cramp involves methods to relax the affected muscle, including stretching, massage and application of heat. However, if you find that cramp is continually recurring and having a negative impact on your life, then it’s time to seek an evaluation by a health care professional.

Your GP is your first port of call, although other specialists can become involved, including orthopaedists, osteopaths, chiropractors, rheumatologists and neurologists.

Tonic water – and the quinine it contains – has been promoted as a preventative for cramp for decades despite the lack of evidence that it is effective.

Quinine is FDA-approved only for treating

Malaria and is sold with a warning against using it to treat leg cramps because it increases the risk of bleeding and heart rhythm disturbances. Tonic water contains a much lower concentration of quinine than the therapeutic dose of quinine tablets, so drinking it shouldn’t be harmful – but equally it’s unlikely to prevent your leg cramps.

Preventing cramp For cramp that is caused by vigorous physical activity, ensure you have an adequate warm up before stretching the calves, hamstrings and quads, and a cool down before stretching again at the end.

It is also advisable to stretch between workouts. Staying properly hydrated before, during and after exercise will also help, especially if the duration of the workout is over an hour. Replacement of electrolytes, especially sodium and potassium (the main components of sweat) with a good sports drink is important with longer workouts, especially in hot weather when you sweat more.

Cramp can be extremely uncomfortable and annoying but is nevertheless a benign condition. Its significance is limited to the discomfort and inconvenience caused, or to any underlying disease associated with it. Being vigilant with the treatment and prevention points covered here should help most people. However, those with persistent or severe cramps should seek medical attention and have further tests to establish if there is any underlying cause.

Hilary is a Level 3 Personal Trainer and Pilates teacher. She runs Pilates, body conditioning and stretch classes in Chinnor and can be contacted on 07812 097562, email: hilarywestall@gmail.com for further details.

Win a FREE b COMPETITION one-to-one workout. See page 66.

SPECIAL PRICE REDUCTION For a limited time only: £50 OFF the normal Fitting Fees when you contact us and quote this code. Eyedream50 Terms and conditions apply, contact the practice for details.

IVAN R CAMMACK Thame 212048 Chinnor 351564 Wendover 625892 info@ivancammack.com

> HEALTH & BEAUTY

Face(and body)time Emma Rothery at ERA Skin & Laser Clinic explains how you can get your pre summer holiday body back before the clocks go back.

Jane Dale paid a visit Has your summer holiday left your waistband feeling tight? Is your skin feeling dry? What about all those selfies, do they show up lines and wrinkles that you never knew you had?

Perhaps a trip to ERA Skin & Laser Clinic this autumn could be the answer to your prayers.

Since opening its doors just 6 months ago, ERA Skin & Laser Clinic has quickly established itself as a hugely popular destination for the latest, clinically proven aesthetic skin and body treatments.

Clinic owner Emma Rothery says, “We have been delighted with the number of clients who have sought treatment here. Our client base is very broad and we regularly treat men and women from their early 20’s through to their 80’s,” adds Emma.

Many of ERA’s clients are based in Thame, Aylesbury and the surrounding villages. However, more recently as a result of a plethora of positive reviews, the clinic has welcomed clients coming from London and beyond. I’m sure this is due to the fact that they can get the same excellent quality treatments and professionalism they are used to, without paying London prices.

So, what can ERA Skin & Laser Clinic do for you?

Nutritional Therapy is a valuable addition to fat freezing. Where fat freezing targets specific areas Nutritional Therapy addresses how the fat came to be laid there in the first place. Stress and the menopause for example can result in fat being deposited as a “spare tyre” even in women who don’t usually deposit fat on their stomachs.

ERA Nutritionist

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“

“

The Clinic offers five main treatments.

Fat Freezing, Laser Hair Removal, HIFU: Non-Surgical Facelift and Cellulite Reduction. The clinic also offers injectable treatments such as Botox® and Dermal Fillers which are administered by Dr Arora, a qualified aesthetic Doctor with over 10 years’ experience.

Emma says “Our most popular treatment without a doubt is Fat Freezing, our clients lose at least 3 inches as a result of their treatment. It’s always rewarding for our therapists when our clients return for their review to see exactly what they have lost. They are always surprised, that they have lost inches without actively doing anything!”

So how does Fat Freezing actually work and what is the science behind it?

Fat freezing is a non-invasive, fat removal technique that destroys fat cells by subjecting them to cold temperatures.

While the term is mostly accurate, fat freezing does not actually “freeze” fat cells.

Instead, fat freezing or cryolipolysis cools fat cells to a point that they “self-destruct,” in a process called apoptosis. During the procedure, vacuum suction is used to draw the treated areas into the device, which then cools. The surrounding skin is protected using a special membrane, so remains unaffected. Treatment takes

around an hour and there is no downtime, you can simply go about your usual activities as normal.

All Fat Freezing or Body Sculpting treatment packages in September will include a complimentary hour long consultation with a qualified and experienced nutritional therapist, who works with clients to better understand their nutritional needs to ensure optimal treatment results.

Fat Freezing consultations are free of charge. Treatment costs from £500 per area.

Permanent Laser Hair Removal is another popular treatment. The clinic boasts three different types of laser as well as IPL (intense pulsed light). Emma says “Having a choice of lasers means that we can offer clients the best treatment to suit their skin type and ensure quick results”. Darker skins benefit from our ND: YAG whereas Alexandrite is very useful for treating lighter, finer hair. The most regularly used laser is our Diode, clients love the results and are always amazed in the reduction in hair growth after only two sessions,” adds Emma.

All laser treatments are carried out by qualified laser therapists and the clinic has a dedicated laser room, approved to LPA standards.

One of ERA’s laser therapists Beth, says “our most requested areas for laser treatment are the underarms, face and legs.

In the run up to summer, the bikini area was very popular, particularly a “Hollywood, where all the hair is removed.

Aside from the obvious benefits of not needing to shave, wax or pluck following laser treatment, laser treatment also helps prevent ingrowing hairs and chafing.

Treatment costs from £69 When it comes to the face, ERA have plenty of non-invasive options to help tighten plump and smooth lines and wrinkles, using the latest technologies.

Emma says “Whilst injectable treatments remain extremely popular, for those who don’t want to go down that route, there are some excellent, clinically proven alternatives such as HIFU, which is great for tightening a sagging jawline, or RadioFrequency which tightens skin, smooths lines with results that are visible immediately.”

What is HIFU and how does it work?

HIFU uses focused ultrasound energy to target the layers of skin just below the surface. The ultrasound energy causes the tissue to heat up rapidly.

Once the cells in the targeted area reach a certain temperature, they experience cellular damage. While this may seem counter intuitive, the damage actually stimulates the cells to produce more collagen - a protein that provides structure to the skin.

The increase in collagen results in tighter, firmer skin with fewer wrinkles. Since the high-frequency ultrasound beams are focused on a specific tissue site below the skin’s surface, there’s no damage to the upper layers of the skin and adjacent issue.

“HIFU results develop naturally over 3 months,” explains Emma. “We always take before and after pictures and review these with our clients. It’s lovely to see the delight on clients faces when they see the final results of treatment,” she adds.

Botox and Dermal / Lip Fillers are always in demand. At ERA they are proud to have a

highly qualified Doctor carrying out these procedures. Dr Arora runs a weekly clinic and is often now booked up to a month in advance. Dr Arora says “In the UK, aesthetics is an unregulated industry, it is important to know who is treating you. Always ask your Doctor to show their before and after pictures and ask what products they use, and to explain the possible risks and side effects. I personally will only use FDA approved, market leading products which have the best safety profiles worldwide and duration of effect.

“My goal is always to ensure clients receive the best possible treatment for their area of concern in the safest possible way,” Dr Arora reassures.

ERA Skin & Laser Clinic is also home to several guest therapists who rent rooms in the purpose-built Treatment Suite. Services currently offered include Counselling, Life Coaching and Nutrition Advice and Massage. Room rental from £10 per hour.

The latest therapist to base themselves at ERA is Charlotte Chenery, a highly qualified therapist, offering Microblading and Semi Permanent Make Up. From September the clinic will also be welcoming two more talented therapists, offering reflexology and holistic massage as well as the latest beauty treatments including the hugely popular “Million Dollar Facial”. You can read more about the Clinic’s guest therapists at www.eraclinics.co.uk

All in all, based on the services offered and the strength of client reviews to date it looks like ERA Clinic is fast developing itself a reputation for being the place to go to for face and body treatments.

If you are interested in finding out more or would like to book a free consultation or appointment, call 01844 698441 or book online at www.eraclinics.co.uk. You can also find us on Facebook @eraskinandlaser or Instagram @eraclinic

k SPECIAL OFFERk To celebrate their 6 month mark, ERA are offering Thame Out readers a half price Hydrafacial® treatment, £60 instead of £120 for 6 weeks only. If you’ve never tried one before a Hydrafacial® addresses all of your skincare needs and will not only improve the look of your skin but with frequent treatments will restore your skin health.

98a High Street, Thame Oxfordshire OX9 3EH

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20. Thame Out

THA E

FOOD

FESTIVAL Saturday 28th & Sunday 29th September

BEAUTIFUL EYEBROWS WITH MICROBLADING

SPECIAL PRICE OF £150 (usual price £250) OFFER OPEN UNTIL CHRISTMAS At ERA Skin & Laser Clinic 98a High Street, Thame Oxfordshire OX9 3EH

07738 304589

Need a hand?

Occupational Therapists transforming and rebuilding the lives of those affected by physical and emotional problems

Phoenix Rehab are registered with the Royal College of Occupational Therapists.

CLINICAL EXPERIENCE IN: l Upper limb injuries l Orthopaedic injuries l Limb amputation l Internal injuries l Spinal injury l Traumatic brain injury l Vascular lymphoedema l Sensory impairment l Anxiety l Depression l Fatigue l Chronic pain & chronic regional pain syndrome l Multiple Sclerosis l Motor Neurone Disease l Functional Neurological disorder l Age related conditions ADVICE ON THE FOLLOWING: l Equipment l Housing adaptation l Moving and handling l Posture, seating and wheelchair assessments l Workplace assessments l Vocational rehabilitation l Management of mental illness, fatigue & pain

Thame Out .21

> TRAVEL

B

e completely honest about your Caribbean experience, I asked Hayley. “Of course,” she replied. “I have just returned from paradise and I was treated like royalty” was her instant reply.

I was somewhat taken aback by such an enthusiastic response from somebody who’s work takes her all over the world. “To be honest, if you are looking for a ‘cheap and cheerful’ trip to the Caribbean, this isn’t for you. If however you are looking for a more exclusive Caribbean experience of the highest quality, then this trip could be for you,” she said.

Hayley flew from London Gatwick with Virgin Atlantic (on Monday 24th June) to Barbados.

Her Caribbean tour began at The Fairmont Pavilion Hotel (dinner was at the Palm Terrace Restaurant).

Day two found Hayley at Sandy Lane, where, following a cocktail reception, she dined at the Bajan Blue Restaurant.

The week simply flew by for Hayley.

On Thursday 27th, she boarded a private charter plane for the short flight to Canouan. A two night stay at the Mandarin Oriental followed. Hayley enjoyed more cocktails and dinner at Turtles Bar. Friday would see Hayley on board a Catamaran for a half day cruise to Tobago Cays, followed by dinner at L’Ance Guyac.

Saturday. A motor Yacht transfer from Canouan to Petit St. Vincent. Two more glorious days that included diving and wine tasting prior to eating at the beach restaurant. Departing, sadly on Monday 1st July.

There really is something for everyone in the Caribbean.

That beautiful turquoise sea that laps gently against the gently shelving, fine sandy beaches are perfect for families.

For the active holiday maker, you can enjoy snorkelling, deep sea fishing, kayaking, kite surfing and so much more.

Hayley had the thrill of swimming with turtles.

Superb championship golf courses await the keen golfer and wonderful Spas for those who prefer a little relaxation and pampering.

I must admit, when I think of a Caribbean holiday, I think of an all inclusive break. These are of course a great option, but you might want to see more of what

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This summer, Hayley Evans from Spear Travels headed to the Caribbean with specialist luxury tour operator, Lusso. It proved to be an unforgettable experience, as she explained.

Caribbean Beachfront Suite

class

Fairmont Pavilion Hotel

Petit St Vincent

Canouan

the Caribbean has to offer. Hayley hopped on a 10 seater private jet for a short 15 minute flight to the private island of Petit St Vincent.

“This was a particular highlight for me,” says Hayley. “I had thoroughly enjoyed the sheer opulence of the 5 star hotels and their wonderful cuisine (who wouldn’t), but Petit St Vincent was a real delight.

“We stayed in a one bed cottage right on the beach. With no TV, it was a high tech’ detox. We enjoyed a fantastic barbecue on the beach. The fresh fish was succulent. Before dinner, Hayley had two cocktails that were just $10 (about £8). “Delicious and reasonably priced,” enthused Hayley.

Throughout her stay, Hayley felt perfectly safe. The cottage doors at Petit St Vincent simply slid shut with no lock, for example.

All the food consumed throughout her stay was first class and the service impeccable.

Hayley believes this destination is perfect for that really special event.

A honeymoon, anniversary, birthday.

Whatever is being celebrated, the Caribbean is a first class destination.

Traditionally, people travel to the Caribbean between November and April.

Hayley travelled in June (off-season).

She didn’t experience a drop of rain and temperatures were around 30 degrees. If you do travel off-peak you can certainly save some money, a word of warning though, you can’t always guarantee settled weather.

Back at the office in Thame on a particularly grey day, I asked Hayley if she would recommend her trip to others. “In a heartbeat,” she replied.

So, whether you fancy the Caribbean, or anywhere in the world and whatever you are looking for in a holiday, the team at Spear Travels can tailor it for you.

Spear Travels Greyhound Walk, Thame, Oxon OX9 3DY 01844 217228 thame@speartravels.net www.speartravels.net speartravels-thame

@speartravels

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> LIFESTYLE

Style Council-ers

When it comes to styling men, there are two women that are crucial to you looking great. As Duncan Rogers discovered on a recent visit to Gallant in Thame.

I

t was a wedding. An event I had been looking forward to for months. Unfortunately I decided to try on the suit I last wore about five years ago, just a week before the big day.

Styles change and sadly, so do waist measurements. I’m sure those trousers had shrunk!

A sharp new outfit was needed and pretty sharpish too.

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The wedding reception was to be held in a Marquee, so the chances were that it was going to be a hot day. I had recently bought a rather fine striped linen jacket for the summer. This, I had seen in Gallant’s window. Perhaps I could wear that, I thought. But how to dress it up for a more formal event? Back to Gallant I went.

Well known for the superb quality and range of their menswear items, Carol and Lucy are also experts at styling their customers.

Stenstroms Seven For All Mankind Sunspel Eton Claudio Lugli Without Prejudice Handstich Baldessarini Lagerfeld Thomas Maine Antico Borgo Hiltl Begg & Co Gran Sasso

What shirt would go with my jacket, what colour trousers go best, dark or light?

The tie, the shoes? Help!

Carol and Lucy went to work. Before long I had a pair of light coloured and lightweight trousers that fitted perfectly.

(Florentino). A fantastically comfortable white soft cotton shirt by Thomas Maine.

I say white, but the coloured buttons and patterned cuffs with subtle pink trimming certainly was a cut above any ordinary white shirt.

It’s not just their ability to match up articles of clothing , it’s the way Carol and Lucy can select items to suit, fit and flatter whatever height, size or shape you are.

At the wedding, I’m pleased to report both men and women complimented me on my ensemble.

A friend even commented I looked a little like Paul Weller during his Style Council days. I’ll take that.

High quality products and top quality service. It’s what defines Gallant.

GALLANT LUXURY MENSWEAR

10 Greyhound Walk, Thame, Oxfordshire OX9 3DY 01844 218 400 www.gallant-thame.co.uk twitter: @Gallant_Thame

Lucy and Carol

Opening Hours Monday to Friday 9:30am–5:30pm Saturday 9.30am–5.00pm

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> LIFESTYLE

A

s the seasons change, so do the items of clothing hanging elegantly from the rails at White Hart Studio.

One thing that doesn’t change however is owner Jane’s enthusiasm for her clothing range.

Here she highlights some particular favourites.

“Look at these beautiful Duster Coats and distinctive Kimino’s featuring maps of London, Paris and Venice,” says Jane. “They are

by One Hundred Stars a business founded in 2014 (in Sheffield) by two sisters Heather and Rona. They create beautiful, universal, affordable and ethical garments that flatter all. They both look and feel good wearing,” she adds.

One Hundred Stars received international recognition when their garments featured in Mama Mia! Here We Go Again, worn by leading cast members Amanda Seyfried, Julie Walters and Meryl Streep, even Nigella Lawson has been a regular customer!

“Another favourite company of mine is Nova of London. Established in 1981 they have a huge range of women’s fashion brought to you by their fashion led design team from pretty dresses, skirts, printed tops and chic knitwear. And all very affordable,” enthuses Jane.

“Here we have Sixtons designs that are conceived in their studio based in Brixton.

They really are inspirational designers,” says Jane.

“I love these makeup bags adorned with individual broaches and look at these fun glittery socks,” she adds.

Call in and see these fabulous items yourself, or you can keep right up to date with Jane’s ever changing rooms by following White Hart Studio on Instagram and facebook.

You wear it well as Rod Stewart once said.

WHITE HART STUDIO

WHITE HART STUDIO

JEWELLERY,GIFTS G IFTS& &INTERIORS INTERIORS FAFASHION, S H I ON, JEWELLERY, HADDENHAM, 1 5 15 C HCHURCHWAY, U R C HWAY, HADDENHA M, BBUCKS U C KS, HP17 HP17 8AB T: 0T:1 01844 8 4 4 2 9292308 2 3 0 8 M: 36630 8 M: 07765 07765 366308 E: JANE@WHITEHARTSTUDIO.COM E: JANE@WHITEHARTSTUDIO.COM

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As Summer slips into Autumn, why not slip into something stylish at White Hart Studio.

Changing rooms

Thame Out .27

> LIFESTYLE

Country meets the capital at The Grove Summertime at The Grove is where living the best of both worlds comes into its own. That wonderful feeling that you and your family have the freedom to live amongst ‘the wild things’ but still venture into the city in less than an hour to mingle with the not so wild things!

T

he Grove at Haddenham has drawn a wide variety of homeowners into its thoughtfully designed community through a variety of luxury home styles; from spacious and airy open plan bungalows, to well considered three and four bedroom homes across a range of formats. No matter what stage of life, The Grove has the perfect new home for you.

“Dandara based the layout and footprint of The Grove on its vision to create desirable homes in locations that everyone in the company would want to live in themselves” says Grey Kaye, Regional Head of Sales and Marketing for Dandara Group. Greg continues, “Sales and demand are very much in line with our original projections, when the development was planned over two years ago, despite the uncertainty of Brexit. We are proud of the standards of quality and finish and believe that we offer something really special here.”

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Visitors to The Grove will be struck by the amount of open space and natural landscaping (that makes up 50% of the development) between each of the aptly villagey named roads, not to forget the planned new village cricket ground that will be relocated within The Groves boundaries.

Take the time to walk around the individual plots to determine what works best for you. Is it the semi-detached three bedroom house, The Deane? A Lincoln detached three bedroom with garage? A larger 4 bedroom home, The York? Or The Hampton Plus with its own sunroom to enjoy the lovely summer’s evenings in?

Considerable attention to detail has been taken to ensure that the homes blend into the local villages’ iconic Buckinghamshire’s historic patina, with an eye pleasing mix of brick, stone and render used to sympathetically follow Haddenham’s thousand year architectural legacy.

With much of the initial phase now either reserved or sold, don’t miss out on the range of incentives and purchase schemes to enable you to move into your new home in the country this Autumn.

All you have to remember is that this is your opportunity to live where ‘the wild things live’ with the comfort of being connected to the Capital, Oxford and surrounding villages and towns of the Aylesbury Vale.

The Grove Haddenham by award winning Dandara New Homes is open 9.00am - 5.00pm every day, with four fabulous show homes to view and the Dandara sales team that can assist you with all aspects of your purchase, including Help to Buy*, our excellent Assisted Move scheme and our new Part Exchange offer, all subject to T&Cs, approval and qualification. *For further information on ‘assisted move’, and Help to Buy and to register your interest about any of the new homes at The Grove www.thegrovehaddenham.co.uk or call 0800 5875 171.

> LIFESTYLE

Time to make light work of your life Downtime is precious, especially to hard working professionals.

If work is dominating your life, you might want to talk to Janine Whittaker at J2Busy. Stephen Dale explains.

Y

ou work long hours but are you reaping the rewards? If you spend your day running a business or dashing from A to B, do you have time to run your own home? We are forever searching for that holy grail of a good work life balance and modern

30. Thame Out

professionals are left stressed and exhausted. We are encouraged to have it all in the 21st Century, which is why, Janine Whittaker set up J2busy to offer you a solution.

After 11 years running her own business in corporate hospitality and training, whilst commuting to London and travelling extensively, she knows the pressure points. J2busy is a tailormade personal service for professional people who are just too busy, who spend evenings and weekends doing chores and ‘life administration’. Instead you could enjoy more time with family and friends by letting Janine become a Personal Assistant for your home and personal life.

J2busy is not a service for the superrich, and it’s not about childcare, dog walking, cleaning or gardening. There are businesses galore who provide these services (though Janine could certainly help find them for you.) It is about Janine being your PA, a PA for life Management.

So, how can Janine help you? With her talent for organisation and expertise in business, hospitality and travel she can manage your diary, plan an event, help you move house, sort that house renovation project, manage and wait in for tradespeople and home utilities or on

a smaller scale reorganise a wardrobe, shop for the perfect gift or pick up a prescription or dry cleaning. And that holiday, Janine can organise that too and on your return the fridge could be full and the plants watered.

Whatever the project, big or small, Janine will hold an initial (free) consultation.

So who is Janine? “ I am passionate about my home, food, entertaining and travel. I have experienced life. I am honest, hard working, organised and 100% reliable. I build excellent relationships with my clients, based on complete trust” says Janine.

Based in Long Crendon, J2busy works with anyone locally, who is just too busy and wants that extra pair of hands to give them precious time back.

For further information, contact Janine on: 07740 423007 or email janine@j2busy.co.uk

Thame Out .31

> LIFESTYLE

B

eware the green eyed monster” Shakespeare, that supplepenned, forensic investigator of the human heart, warned in Othello of the corrosive, life-annihilating effects of jealousy.

A telling narrator of the canine heart, too, it seems Shakespeare was.

A recent study, carried out by Dr Friederike Range of the University of Vienna, has suggested that dogs are as expressively prone to envy and its accompanying resentments as we are.

Two well-mannered dogs were asked to sit in a room. The first was invited to shake a paw with its human scientist.

Politely obeying, it then had to watch as a tasty sausage slice was proffered to its canine companion who had done nothing to earn the snack. After several such disappointments, the handshaking dog promptly withdrew its cooperation from the experiment, not only refusing to acknowledge the scientist with its paw but also averting its gaze in order to deny the person the reward of eye contact. The study went on to conclude that it was not the simple presence of the second dog “but the fact that the partner received the food that was responsible for the change in the subject’s behaviour”.

One wet nose seriously out of joint, one furry back well and truly put up, we would say. The scientists have another term for it: inequity aversion.

In other words, the affronted dog was taking action to prevent, or express its unhappiness with, a perceived unfairness in its treatment. “I do the paw routine, he gets the sausage,” the jealous Collie might have been thinking.

“How come? Enough.” Social animals, it has been observed, are particularly adept at countering injustices within their groups by just such withdrawals of involvement and displays of discontent.

“Until recently, it has been thought that sensitivity towards unequal reward is a uniquely human asset,” the Viennese report continued. “However, several experiments carried out with chimpanzees suggest otherwise.” Dogs too. “Our results suggest that species other than primates show at least a version of inequity aversion,” the report said.

This, of course, will come as little surprise to countless dog owners.

Those love-triangle dogs, for example,

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Emotionally charged There is barely a pet owner in the land who doesn’t believe that their dog or cat loves them as they love their dog or cat. But do animals experience more problematic emotions – jealousy, resentment, pride, impatience, worry, yearning as well as love and happiness – in the same way that we understand our own feelings?

Johnny Foster investigates. who make no secret of the fact that they do not approve of the new boyfriend; those dogs who regard a favourite toy with all the covetous ferocity of having undergone many privations saving up for it themselves. It is anecdotal evidence but it is backed up by the work of Dr Paul Morris, a psychologist at the University

of Portsmouth. While it has long been undeniable that many pets exhibit signs of primary, reactive emotions, such as fear and anger and joy, Dr Morris has gone much further in investigating their capacity for experiencing secondary, more complicated feelings, those that are forged in response to quite specific

rather than general circumstances and that require the dog or cat to have a sense of self-awareness; feelings such as embarrassment, guilt, empathy and pride.

Dr Morris and a colleague conducted a study of a thousand pet owners, requesting that they maintain a record of how their dog or cat behaved during social occasions. Dr Morris learned quite regularly of dogs that would attempt to wedge themselves between their owner and a new partner when the couple were sharing a romantic interlude.

“The most common reaction in these circumstances was for the dog to try to push physically in between the carer and the ‘interloper’,” said Dr Morris. Nor was the study confined just to indications of jealousy. “It systematically looked at evidence for a wide range of emotions including pride and guilt in a wide range of domestic animals,” Dr Morris added.

Horses, it appears, have a tendency to show off, taking a prancing pride in their athleticism, when newcomers are introduced to a neighbouring field.

With complex emotions, of course, comes the burden of a greater sensitivity to the world around us. If our pets have emotions, then it makes sense for them

to be able to register the emotions of others, particularly their owners. Take the anguish and disturbance of divorce.

Dogs, cats and other pets can develop a deep anxiety during the break-up of owners’ marriages. So pronounced is the worry and stress at the ensuing household tensions that some pets selfharm. “Dogs that are stressed can show signs of compulsive disorder,” explains Sean Wensley, Companions vet. “This may include chasing their own tail or excessive licking of one or more limbs. Cats can be prone to ‘wool sucking’ which involves sucking or chewing on woollen items such as blankets. Parrots sometimes pull out their own feathers after experiencing some type of trauma.” Compulsive disorders in pets that have been caused or made worse by emotional upheavals, such as divorce, within the family home are not uncommon. “Cats and dogs, like young children, are sensitive to adult human feelings, and when these become tense or unpredictable it can prompt stress-related health problems in our pets,” added Sean.

Pets, however, don’t need the broad sweep of emotions of a human family crisis to pick up on what owners are feeling if a study from the University of Lincoln is correct. Countless generations spent in the company of people has, it has been claimed, granted dogs a remarkably accurate tutorship in how to read their owners’ moods. The mobility of the human face is notorious in its betrayal of our unspoken thoughts. Emotions – sadness, contentment, irritation and frustration – tend to be expressed more vividly on the right side of our asymmetrical faces, controlled as they are by the left hemispheres of the brain where our emotions are housed. Our habit, then, is to examine the right hand side of the face when talking to someone, a bias that directs our gaze leftwards. Now it appears that pet dogs do the same.

Research conducted by Dr Kun Guo from Lincoln University, and published in New Scientist magazine, found that pet dogs adopt a distinct pose when presented with a human face as opposed to that of another animal. A sample of dogs was shown an array of dogs, cats, monkeys and people, and the responses were filmed. In the case of the animals, the dogs tended to move their eyes across the whole of the face in an equal distribution of gaze. In the case of the human faces, however, they nudged their eyes to the

left, focusing on the right-hand side of the face.

This, the researchers concluded, enabled the dogs better to detect the emotion the face might have been displaying.

There have been countless stories of wild animals offering indications of really quite complex ‘human’ emotions. The humpback whale that, freed by a team of divers from the entanglement of a web of crab lines that were slowly drowning her, nuzzled and gently flapped her rescuers in gratitude.

The mother gorilla in a north German zoo that was seen grieving long and tenderly over the baby that had just died in her cradling arms. The unconditional kindness shown by a herd of elephants in Kenya’s Sambaru National Reserve towards a fellow, disabled member of the group, walking always at its pace, constantly monitoring its limping progress.

Some scientists, viewing animals with the colder eye of behaviourism, argue that what we may interpret as emotion akin to our own is in fact an instinctive response to a specific moment, and that to ascribe a framework of meaningful human thought and feeling to such responses is to deny the animal its own creatureliness.

“I know of no anecdotal evidence of higher emotions in animals below the great apes,” is the view of Jim Ha, professor of animal behaviour at the University of Washington.

Others, though, are equally convinced that experimental data reveal a web of emotions in many pets and animals that are independent of mere response and correspond in some degree with our human sense of feeling.

The problem is that, in the absence of a first-hand account from a dog or cat itself, it is difficult to know the extent to which a pet experiences emotions that are identifiably in common with our own.

The views of pet owners are, of course, unequivocal on the subject. Naturally, dogs and cats feel as we do. They would point to that rather annoyed dog in Vienna, denied its just reward while its mate snaffles an unmerited sausage, as all the proof you need of what every owner already knows. Loving, sad, happy, irritated, fed up, contented, miffed at the world’s injustices; pets, like us, can feel them all. It’s just maybe that our pets have a rather more sensible approach to emotions. Become jealous of a sausage by all means, but as for smart houses, successful careers, new cars, the latest fashions? Let owners get on with the business of envying all that.

Thame Out .33

> HOME & GARDEN

Country living Kitchen Home Interiors are about to open their new showroom in the heart of the beautiful Oxfordshire countryside near Aston Rowant.

A new business it might be, but the owner has a wealth of experience.

O

nce, the kitchen was seen simply as a functional place. Somewhere to get the food cooked. But over the past few decades it has become a true living space. Often, in fact, the heart of a family home. A place not simply in which to prepare a meal but in which to eat and meet and talk.

It is also a place where design has become so much more important.

A reflection of how we like to see our homes and ourselves.

Nobody appreciates this more than Wayne Walker owner of Kitchen Home Interiors. With 30 years experience in building and extensions and 15 years specialising in Kitchens (and bedrooms), Wayne has seen it all.

Over the years, Wayne has been involved in designing and fitting kitchens with prices that range from £12,000 to over £100,000.

Wayne, who is currently designing and selling kitchens is very excited about the opening of his new showroom. Kitchen Home Interiors design, supply and fit kitchens of the highest quality. Superbly engineered German kitchens and brilliant bespoke British designs.

All are designed to meet your every wish, be it that traditional cottage feel or an ultra-modern look. And at prices that are tailored to your budget.

Conveniently situated just two minutes drive from junction 6 on the M40, Kitchen Home Interiors is located

MAKE EVERY HOUSE A HOME. WITH KITCHEN HOME.

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at Parkwood Stud in the heart of some beautiful English countryside. The spacious glass fronted showroom has views of the Icknield Way. You approach the showroom via a wonderful tree lined drive . It really is a lovely exterior setting for you to discuss a wonderful kitchen interior.

It’s Wayne’s considerable knowledge that enables him to design the perfect kitchen, whatever the budget. Not having the steep overheads of a High Street location also means he can keep prices keen. Flooring, tiles and so on are also available through Kitchen Home Interiors.

Even at the less expensive end of the market, Wayne appreciates it is still a large outlay. It is important to get things right which is why Wayne operates an appointment only business. This way he can devote his full attention to you.

It also means he is available seven days a week. Busy working people can’t easily make conventional opening hours. So if you can only pay a visit on a

Saturday or Sunday, no problem. Just call or email first.

A visit to the great outdoors could result in a really great indoors.

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Parkwood Stud

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Kitchen Home Interiors Parkwood Stud, Aston Rowant, OX49 5SP wayne@kitchen-home.co.uk 01844 875232 07751 855079

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> HOME & GARDEN

The height of

1

Y

ou would not have an unknown and unqualified person to service your gas boiler and yet many people use unprofessional tradesmen to carry out work on their garden trees.

The results can be disastrous. Many otherwise beautiful trees are irreversibly damaged or rendered unsafe. Perfectly sound trees are felled for spurious reasons. Property and gardens are often damaged through poor working practices.

Accidents are caused because of a lack of training and safe working practice.

Often the cowboys will charge more than a professional and reputable contractor

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would have done. Many such operators do not even carry public liability insurance.

There are a host of reasons to avoid the cowboys and choose your tree surgeon carefully.

“At Four Seasons Tree Care all of our staff are properly trained and qualified for the work which we undertake. We have the very best machinery and equipment to carry out your work safely and efficiently,” says Matt.

“We take great pride in the work that we do and you can easily check our references and credentials’” he adds.

2

5

professionalism Lopping & Topping? or Highly Skilled Tree Pruning by Trained Professionals. Four Seasons Tree Care owner, Matt Vaughan highlights the pitfalls of not choosing a reputable company with qualified staff. He also shares some of the company’s recent jobs with us.

3 Four Seasons Tree Care are Approved Contractors with the Arboricultural Association which means that they undergo a rigorous vetting process annually. This ensures that their standards and practices are up to scratch.

They are also endorsed under the Which? Trusted Trader scheme.

Matt is rightly proud of these accreditations and of the sheer professionalism of his team. So, when it comes to tree work you really don’t need to look anywhere else.

4

6

4 Careful pruning on a large old Cappadocian Maple

5 ‘’Let the crane take the strain’’ We use cranes when we need help with large and awkward trees. This is generally safer, more efficient and cost effective

6 Safe and expert rigging work to dismantle a diseased Beech tree.

Nothing is left to chance.

For a complete tree service and a company that you really can trust, call Four Seasons Tree Care today. They will be pleased to advise and quote for your tree work.

Some recent projects

1 Careful removal of branches over a roof – one branch at a time !

2 Giant Redwood- sadly removed

because it had become unsafe. The blue ratchet strap is to prevent the trunk from splitting along a structural crack whilst the tree is being felled.

3 Large beech stump – ground out with our powerful stump grinder. Ready for new lawn to be laid.

Four Seasons Tree Care Limited 1 Beech Road, Thame, Oxfordshire OX9 2AL T: 01844 218222 M: 07973 507876 E: mail@4seasonstreecare.co.uk

Thame Out .37

> HOME & GARDEN

A novel kitchen A fabulous kitchen/diner in a converted barn in Dinton with storage for books. The latest challenge for the team at Kingsey Kitchens & Interiors.

I

t’s becoming more and more unusual these days for a kitchen to remain simply a kitchen. Kitchen areas are being extended or reconfigured to fit in with modern living, and this can include an area for items you wouldn’t associate with a kitchen.

In past issues we have featured storage for items associated with food and drink such as cupboards designed to house a large spice collection, shelving for cookery books and custom built wine racks.

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Now, with the kitchen as more of a living area we are seeing everything from islands with built in dog beds to this latest design for a couple in Dinton.

Storage for books is a feature of this kitchen. The central island has been created with built in Oak shelving for a mini library. The Kingsey design team also created a huge bank of bookcases with cupboards underneath. All the customer’s books now have their place and everything else can be tidied up in the cupboards below.

What was a small gloomy kitchen has been transformed into a bright spacious living area. Kingsey achieved this by knocking down an interior wall (between the old kitchen and dining room) to really open up the space. The team retained the striking beam (positioned where the wall had been). This has helped the room retain the character of this converted barn.

The finished kitchen and interior is a clever fusion of the modern and the traditional.

A very tired range was replaced by a beautiful ‘Everhot’ cooker. The dark grey colour of the Everhot formed the basis of one colour for the kitchen that was complimented by a second lighter grey.

A stunning single stave Oak work top sits atop the Island and doubles up as a breakfast bar.

The kitchen worktop continues seamlessly into the window reveal creating a lovely wide window and practical cill.

The customer requested a large fridge.

These can look big and bulky so Kingsey framed it and built it in to the room, so it didn’t look out of place.

The kitchen design features a Butler sink, in keeping with the style of the property.

A clever use of space, that is so Kingsey, is the storage they fitted into what was the wasted space of the under stairs area.

The couple who own this Dinton kitchen must surely raise a glass to toast the success of their new interior – the wine coming from their built in wine cooler, naturally.

It’s easy to appreciate a great looking kitchen, but what isn’t often appreciated is the design, carpentry and building skills that are needed to create the ideal bespoke kitchen. This Dinton kitchen is a prime example of this. An old interior means walls that are neither flat or straight. Kingsey Kitchens & Interiors had to design and build everything from scratch. The customers couldn’t simply buy their kitchen ‘off the shelf’.

So, you might have a collection of cut glass you want to show off, or storage for an easel and paints, or a need to

display your collection of Dinky toys, whatever the request and however quirky the design, Kingsey Kitchens and Interiors are ready and waiting.

And all designed and built in their workshop in Kingsey. Let Kingsey fit your kitchen to your lifestyle.

Kingsey Kitchens & Interiors Unit 2, Manor Farm, Risborough Road, Kingsey, Bucks HP17 8LU www.kingseykitchens.co.uk 01844 290 899 info@kingseykitchens.co.uk Showroom Opening Times Monday to Friday 10am to 4pm Saturday & Sunday any time by appointment

NEW SHOWROOM NOW OPEN Thame Out .39

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Thame Out .41

> FOOD & DRINK

Grape expectations Wine expert,Jerome Harlington talks seasonal and vegetarian wines.

S

hould I change my wine choices with the season? Oh and is this wine suitable for vegetarians?

I’m starting to be asked these types of questions more and more so I thought I’d address them in this Autumn’s feature.

I must say as I type the temperature is in the mid- thirties and it’s pretty uncomfortable in central London. I’ve just returned from the beautiful Balearic coast south of Barcelona and I must say the weather was a lot more comfortable there.

Let’s consider wine choices for the season first and I’ll get to vegetarian wines later on.

With the increasing unpredictability of the weather I hesitate to forecast that as you read this the weather may well be anything but typical for the time of year.

However, assuming it is much cooler and the nights are drawing in you’ll likely be starting to enjoy more hearty dishes of root vegetables, vegetarian or meat pies, stews, and hedgerow fruits that are

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turned into delicious crumbles and pies.

We often forget with a change in the season to adjust our wine selections and stick to the same old favourites we’ve always enjoyed. But it really will help the wine and the food if you adjust your wine purchases to reflect the season.

So now, we’ve moved away from summer, it makes sense to move away from the really crisp and fresh whites such as Muscadet Sur Lie and the very light style reds such as the gamays that are chilled in the fridge; or the Provence rose that I’m sure many of you enjoyed over the summer. The magnums always make a great impression!

I would heartily recommend moving towards more rich and creamy whites such as viognier or chardonnay with a bit of oak would be delicious. On the reds it’s time to move towards smooth and silky wines such as cabernet or merlot or medium bodied pinot noir. Then start to pair them with the seasonal dishes you’re making.

On that note I understand it can be a bit of a minefield selecting wines that work with the seasonal foods and so you’ll be relieved to know I’ve created Trailblazing Wine discovery seasonal taster packs for October and November that work perfectly with the types of food and dishes that you are going to be making.

All the hard work has been done for you so you can just sit back and enjoy. Head over to TrailblazingWine.com to find out more or email ThameOut@trailblazingwine.com.

There’s also a special gift for Thame Out readers if you place an order. Read on to find out more.

Another really good website is on the BBC Good Food Guide. It gives you all the seasonal foods that are available now.

Now, turning to whether or not wines are suitable for vegetarians….

This is a very good question as you might naturally assume that because wine is made from grapes, that it would be suitable for vegetarians and vegans.

Unfortunately, as with many things surrounding the glorious subject of wine, things are never quite as simple as you would hope. The problem comes with the fining agents used in the winemaking process to clarify the wine and remove any unwanted proteins. Sometimes these fining agents can be animal based products such as Isinglass or gelatine. There is a risk that some traces may be left in the finished wine and therefore wines fined with animal based agents are not suitable for vegetarians.

The majority of wines these days are fined with bentonite or clay based fining agents which are absolutely fine for vegetarians and vegans. Unfortunately

often only the very large wineries label their wines suitable for vegetarians and vegans. The smaller producers tend not to mention this on the label.

The best thing to do is to ask the merchant from whom you are buying your wine. Chances are the wine you are drinking hasn’t been fined with animal based fining agents but it is best to ask if you want to be sure.

If you have any further questions on the above topics please drop me a line thameout@trailblazingwine.com. Oh, and if you decide to place an order with us for delicious seasonal wines, don’t forget to mention Thame Out at point of purchase, you’ll receive a special Trailblazing Wine taster kit FREE including a crystal wine

tasting glass, corkscrew and wine tasting guide with lots of handy hints and tips to help you get the most enjoyment out of your wine. Happy exploring!

Get in touch thameout@trailblazingwine.com

jerome@trailblazingwine.com www.trailblazingwine.com +44 (0)1865 339353 Mobile:+44 (0)7886 916857

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> HOME & GARDEN

Afternoon Tea

Those warm summer days are like Stratton Audley Barn’s famous ice cream, melting away to a memory.

However colder temperatures herald a glittering change at the Barn.

Tracy Maitland called in.

Barn conversion W

e’re back in the beautiful village of Stratton Audley to visit the team at Stratton Audley Barn. It’s been a busy summer and as the seasons change and the Ice Cream comes to an end for the year, brand new Autumn and Winter stock is arriving in its place. Bringing a fresh new look to the Barn. Shelves and display cabinets are adorned with a delightful range of gifts, for the home and fashion accessories. You can’t help but be tempted to browse before you enjoy the café.

After a leisurely wander around all that’s new in the shop, your next temptation is sure to be the tasty selection of dishes from a delicious brunch menu. Or if you arrive a little later in the day, why not move seamlessly from shopping into lunch or even book yourself or loved ones an indulgent and delicious Afternoon Tea! There are times when the Café turns into a Restaurant. Stratton Audley

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based business, Seven Mile Cookery & Events visit Stratton Audley Barn on a regular basis. This is so you can experience the delights of a pop-up restaurant.

See the website for details (www.strattonaudleybarn.co.uk).

If all that is not enough to tempt you to a visit, as we write, the teams’ minds have already turned to what is at the heart of Stratton Audley barn, Christmas!

From Gonks to Garlands and Tinsel to Trees the Barn will be transformed.

Glittering with festive sparkle and ready to welcome you to a new and exciting launch of the Christmas season from the 3rd of October.

Owners Richard & Sara are again sourcing this years quality trees from their carefully selected British suppliers.

It’s refreshing to see them not only supporting our great British trade but at the same time alleviating any import challenges the big “B” may bring!!

The Café becomes a pop-up restaurant

Brunch

Christmas really will be in full swing from November with extended opening hours. Trading 7 days a week 10am-4pm from the 4th of November through until closing on 21st December.

Real trees will be on sale by the end of November and by December the Barn will be awash with the cheerful festive

feel we’ve come to love about Stratton Audley Barn.

Look out for news on their annual Christmas event where you may even see a special visitor and his friends stopping in once again! Follow the Barn on Facebook or visit their website to find out more.

Stratton Audley Barn West Farm Barn, Launton Rd, Stratton Audley, Bicester OX27 9AS 01869 278184 www.strattonaudleybarn.co.uk info@strattonaudleybarn.co.uk

Thame Out .47

THE COMPLETE GOLF EXPERIENCE ALL UNDER ONE ROOF FROM:

l EXPERT COACHING BY PGA PROFESSIONALS l CUSTOMISED EQUIPMENT FITTING l SUPERB GOLF SHOP WITH PUTTING PERFORMANCE STUDIO l 12 BAY DRIVING RANGE WITH TOP TRACER TECHNOLOGY AB Golf Performance Centre and Driving Range, Thame.

01844 215400 golf@adambishopgolf.co.uk

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Two traditional English pubs.

One Fine Thai Cuisine.

Enjoy the delights of a traditional British pub – oak beams, stone floors, great beers – and the flavours of fantastic Thai cuisine, The Rising Sun in Thame and The Churchill Arms in Long Crendon.

THE RISING SUN

26 High Street,Thame OX9 2BZ l 01844 214206 l www.risingsun-thame.co.uk

Fine Food.

Wide Selection Of Drinks.

Live Sport (Sky & BT).

Quiz Night on Tuesdays Live Music (every other Saturday).

Outdoor Area Takeaways.

Loyalty Card.

THE CHURCHILL ARMS Fine Food.

Great Selection Of XT Real Ales.

Live Sport (Sky & BT).

Live Music (last Friday of the month).

Spacious Garden.

New Decking Area.

Function Room (seats 50).

Takeaways.

Loyalty Card.

Book now for Christmas and New Year.

1 High Street,Long Crendon HP18 9AF l 01844 335081 l www.churchillarms-longcrendon-thame.co.uk

Book now for Christmas and New Year.

BOOK YOUR SERVICE AND MOT TODAY

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SkincareuBath & BodyuCosmeticsuFragrance

SUMMER GIFTS & GIFT VOUCHERS 17a Buttermarket Thame OX9 3EP email: sales@powdercfc.co.uk Tel: 01844 214816 www.powdercfc.co.uk

* > BUSINESS

A service that delivers miles of smiles It’s a busy time of year for Thame Cars, especially for the service department. Steve Rogers discovers more.

S

eptember it seems is MOT month.

In line with the new registration plate, vehicles purchased at this time of year are now due their MOT. The good news is, your MOT or indeed your service, couldn’t be in better hands.

Thame Cars do everything to ensure your service or MOT causes as little disruption to your day as possible.

Also, every time your vehicle comes in for a Service or MOT they provide a free vehicle health check and a complimentary wash and vacuum. It’s complete servicing peace of mind.

Thame Cars really do go that extra mile. Because once your vehicle is

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booked in, Thame Cars can pick it up from your home or place of work. If you drive it in, they will give you a lift back.

Or you can make use of a loan car. They also give you the option of using the spacious waiting room and benefit from the free Wi-Fi and tea and coffee.

Mind you, the loan car is an excellent option (it is available to you for more than a day if needed – should a special part might need to be ordered in for example). Reassuringly, Thame Cars loan vehicles come with fully comprehensive insurance cover.

Most customers choose to pick up their vehicle. Fear not, you won’t be

searching the car park for your car. It will either be brought to you or parked by the entrance (facing the right way) ready for you to drive away.

The Vehicle Health Check Thame Cars provide is a fast and visual, 51-point maintenance check during which they make sure your engine, gearbox and other such fundamentals are operating as well as they should be. They do this by following a simple, traffic light system: Red means there are urgent safety issues that need dealing with immediately.

Amber would be an indication that, while there are some issues that require attention in the not-too-distant-future, no urgent repairs are needed right away.

(For instance, your brake pads might need replacing soon, even if, for the time being, they’re at an acceptable standard.)

Green means your vehicle is in perfect working order and requires no work whatsoever.

A Vehicle Health Check is going to save you money in the long run. Simply put, fixing those minor issues now is preventative medicine, significantly extending the lifespan of your vehicle. The trick is to catch these issues now, before they become more costly in the future.

A yearly service is essential for any car, but a year is also long enough for a more serious problem to arise. For this reason, Thame Cars recommend a Vehicle Health Check every six months, just to be sure.

With a vehicle service through Thame Cars you deal with just one person from

Scott Price Operations Manager

Andy Britton Service Advisor

Kirsty Sladewski Service Advisor

Harry Gollins Service Advisor

start to finish. They are effectively your personal service advisor. Also, there is no need to call Thame Cars, they will contact you during the day to keep you up to speed with your vehicles progress and of course let you know when it is ready.

Thame Cars will also contact you with reminders of when your vehicle is due a service or needs an MOT. Basically they do all the running.

At Thame Cars they know that sometimes your car needs a bit more work outside its normal servicing time.

Their team of technicians can carry out additional repair work on brakes, tyre alignment, exhausts, clutches, gearboxes and engines.

If you run a business, Thame Cars offer a comprehensive Business Vehicle Support package (BVS) designed to keep you and your business moving in the event of anything unforeseen.

Should your car or van need a service, Thame Cars have a range of options to make that happen and, crucially, keep you mobile while the work is carried out.

Thame Cars. Your local business at your service.

Thame Cars Rycote Lane, Thame, Oxfordshire, OX9 2BY www.thamecars.co.uk 01844 390 583

Thame Out .53

* > BUSINESS

Web of deceit If you run a business you need to protect it from a myriad of threats in this digital age. Attacks such as data breaches or malicious cyber hacks on work computer systems. Cyber insurance (also referred to as cyber risk or cyber liability insurance) is the answer says Mark Nicholl.

Thame, have you been hacked?

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C

yber Insurance, two words that will either get you running for the hills or send you straight to sleep.

Agreed, it’s definitely not in the top five dinner party topics, but If you run a business you’d be a fool to ignore it. With the arrival of the General Data Protection Regulations (GDPR) not only will your trading be impacted, a data breach could lead to a fine which is set at an eye watering €20 million, or 4% of annual global turnover – whichever is greater.

In this article we’ve tried to break it down for you into bite size chunks so when you come to buy or renew your policy you know what to look for.

Cyber insurance policies tend to be modular in nature which means they consist of different coverage areas. This results in confusion as to how all the aspects fit together. You can be left unsure of what you are actually covered for.

Most cyber policies can be divided into two areas of cover. These are first party and third party.

First party. The first party is about you.

It covers your business’s assets should you suffer financial loss arising from a cyber event. The majority of cyber claims come from first party losses. So what is a cyber event? It’s described as any actual or suspected unauthorised system access, privacy breach, electronic attack or system downtime.

Third party covers you for claims made against you as a result of a cyber event.

In the context of the insurance policy, cybercrime typically refers to attacks that involve the theft of funds from the victim as opposed to theft or data or digital assets.

This tends to happen in one of three ways.

The Directors

Extortion This is when hackers threaten to expose or destroy data that they have successfully compromised in order to extort money from you. The recent WannaCry attack on the NHS cost them in the region of £92m. £20m in cancelled appointments and £72m in the clean-up and upgrades to their systems.

Electronic compromise When attackers hack into your network and gain unauthorised access to online accounting or banking platforms.

Social Engineering This is when attackers generally use a genuine looking email to imitate a senior member of staff, customer or supplier in an attempt to get you to transfer money or open a malicious link.

If you are choosing an insurance policy you need to make sure it covers the full range of cyber crimes and there are lots. They include fund transfer fraud, ransomware, and targeted extortion.

There are new emerging forms of malware now. These include ‘cryptojacking’ where your systems are used to send malicious traffic.

Some policies will require you to have agreed levels of security in place, such as call back procedures on any requests to transfer money so you’ll need to ensure your systems and procedures are robust enough. Investing now will save you in the long run.

One of the key things for a business is how quickly will you be up and running again after an event. At the heart of a strong cyber policy is ‘incident response’.

Will it pick up the costs involved in responding to a cyber incident in real time? Does it cover IT security and specialist forensic support, legal advice, costs associated with letting individuals know that their data has been compromised? Does it cover the costs for applications and data to be repaired, restored or recreated? Will it reimburse you for the loss of profits and increased cost of working as a result of any interruption to your business operations?

The final area to consider is lawsuits and fines. These have the ability to destroy a business.

Now, we can fill you full of facts and figures, but the reality is seen in the news most weeks and that’s just the big companies. Imagine what it can do to a smaller business if they haven’t got the right kind of cover? This part of your policy covers for third party claims coming from a cyber event including the transmission of harmful malware to a third party’s system and failing to prevent an individual’s data being breached.

So, there you have it in full. Cyber Insurance deconstructed.

Six in every ten SME’s suffer a cyber attack.

Just in case you need more proof according to a recent survey by Hiscox Insurance, the average cost of attacks has spiralled upwards.

Nearly half of small firms (with less than 50 employees) were attacked, up from a third in 2018. But there’s also been a surge in hacks against medium-sized businesses.

Nearly two thirds of companies with less than 250 employees fell victim to attack, a big jump on the previous year (36%).

In real terms this means the total cost of all cyber-related incidents against a medium-sized firm has skyrocketed from an average total of £35,000 in 2018 to £145,000 this year.

If you would like some advice or simply to talk through your existing policy to ensure you are properly covered, contact J. Bennett & Son Insurance Brokers on 01494 450 450.

Mark Nicholl is our local man in Thame so you can email him on mnicholl@jbennett.co.uk or call him on 01494 455 802

Mark Nicholl

J. Bennett & Son (Insurance Brokers) Ltd 30a Upper High Street, Thame Oxfordshire OX9 3EX 01494 450 450 www.jbennett.co.uk J. Bennett & Son (Insurance Brokers) Ltd is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA)

Thame Out .55

SHUTTER SPEC SECURITY We supply, install and service a range of high quality garage doors, security grilles/shutters and entrance gates. Please come to our showroom.

UNIQUE SECURITY FEATURES

Domestic, Commercial and Industrial Security Solutions

01844 212152 info@shutterspecsecurity.co.uk www.shutterspecsecurity.co.uk

6 Swan Walk, Thame, Oxfordshire OX9 3HN Tel: 01844 212152 www.shutterspecsecurity.co.uk

* > BUSINESS

Custom fit specialists for all major golf brands

Expert coaching, customised equipment fitting, superbly stocked golf shop and a Top Tracer driving range. The complete golf experience from A to B.

A

B Golf was established by Adam Bishop in 2001 when he took over the running of Southfield Golf Range between Thame and Long Crendon. Adam had worked for Petron during the 1980’s, a company that had opened the first state of the art indoor fitting centre for golf equipment.

This inspired Adam to set up the same expert fitting service and rebranded the venue to AB Golf Performance Centre.

Now offering tuition, custom fitting and club repairs AB Golf has everything to make you perform to your full potential.

AB Golf Professionals have been trained to custom fit every major brand in golf such as Taylormade, Callaway, Ping, Titleist, PXG, Honma, Mizuno, Cobra, XXIO, Srixon, Cleveland, Scotty Cameron, Odyssey and Bettinardi. The shop also stocks clubs, bags, trolleys, shoes, clothing tees, balls, and so on.

The Golf Shop is also the location of a Putting Performance Studio where you can hone your skills under expert tuition and try a range of different putters.

For Adam and his experienced team it’s more about fitting clubs to the person, not the brand and giving honest advice on which clubs will work best for you.

Adam has now established Golf Shops at Studley Wood, North Oxford and Whiteleaf Golf Clubs.

AB Golf are now one of the leading custom golf club fitters in the UK,

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Golf. Par

using the very latest technology to provide the ultimate fitting experience.

They have a specially fitted bay on the range, where they can monitor your swing using Trackman and GC2 Launch Monitors.

In April this year, AB Golf installed the amazing Toptracer range technology.

This globally popular launch monitor and gaming software captures all shots that are hit on a driving range and provides you with accurate ball flight data and instant tracking statistics through a 21 inch touch screen monitor. If you’ve been to Top Golf in Watford the same technology is now right on your doorstep!

This means that you can now analyse your game on your own terms, tracking performance over months, even years while also having a lot of fun.

Toptracer technology provides detailed analysis of your accuracy, trajectory, ball speed and distance, and is a feature of all 12 bays of the range. There are various game modes including target points game, longest drive, nearest the pin and playing a round of golf at courses such as St Andrews and Pebble Beach!

There’s no extra charge for using this amazing technology, just come along and buy some balls.

The holy grail for all golfers is to simply improve their game. Certainly the right equipment and modern technology can

Trying out a new putter with some expert advice .

Golf Professional, Tom Baker keeps an expert eye on a customer

excellence!

Toptracer technology at the 12 bay range

help. Possibly the best help is that of a human kind. AB Golf recognise this because they have no fewer than eight professional coaches that will get you playing your best golf.

AB Golf are continually investing to ensure visitors can enjoy the best golfing experience under one roof. Premium mats,

k COM PETITIONk

Srixon range balls and Toptracer there really is no better place to work on your game. AB Golf Performance Centre welcomes golfers of all abilities and ages, from complete beginners to professional golfers.

Swing by, you will be made most welcome.

01844 215400 golf@adambishopgolf.co.uk

Win a FREE Golf Lesson from a PGA Professional SEE PAGE 66.

Thame Out .59

> ENTERTAINMENT

Playing at the Oxford Playhouse MALORY TOWERS 1 – 5 OCTOBER Nostalgic, naughty and perfect for now, Malory Towers is the original ‘Girl Power’ story. Join Wise Children for highjinks, high drama and high spirits, all set to sensational live music and breathtaking animation. Adapted and directed by Emma Rice.

Times: Tue to Thu & Sat Eves: 7.30pm | Fri: 8pm | Thu & Sat Mats: 2.30pm Tickets: £10 to £30 | Discounts available Age guideline: 8+

BALLET BLACK 1 NOVEMBER Now in their 18th year, Ballet Black returns to the Playhouse by popular demand with a new triple bill featuring two premieres.

Times: 8pm Tickets: £10 to £25 | Discounts available) Age guideline: 7+

Oxford Playhouse Ticket Office: 01865 305305 www.oxfordplayhouse.com 60. Thame Out

BEAUTY AND THE BEAST 29 NOV – 12 JAN 2020 Beauty and the Beast Full of super singing, dazzling dancing and lashings of slapstick silliness, this year’s panto is brought to you by the team behind Dick Whittington and His Cat and Jack and the Beanstalk. So get ready to boo and cheer another smashing panto is here!

Prices: From £15. Discounts available.

See website or brochure for details.

Age guideline: 5 to 105!

PAM AYRES: Up In The Attic 10 NOVEMBER Pam Ayres has been making the nation laugh for over 40 years. Returning to the Playhouse by popular demand, she will be performing poems from her new book Up In The Attic, published in September 2019, along with classic poems and stories from her long career.

Times: 5pm Tickets: £26

k COM PETITIONk WIN FOUR TICKETS TO SEE BEAUTY AND THE BEAST on Wednesday 4 December at 6pm. See page 66.

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> ENTERTAINMENT

What’s new at the NEW THEATRE MARGARET ATWOOD 30 OCTOBER

Spend an evening with author Margaret Atwood On September 10th, the wait is over. The Testaments, Margaret Atwood’s hugely anticipated sequel to The Handmaid’s Tale, is revealed.

And the Canadian novelist will be at the New Theatre Oxford on October 30, to discuss all things Gilead, her career to date and more as part of a tour to celebrate this momentous publication.

Fane Productions present an evening with the Canadian novelist, poet, literary critic and inventor to The appearance of The Handmaid’s Tale in 1985 and the current, Emmy-award winning television series have created a cultural phenomenon, as handmaids have become a symbol of women’s rights, standing against misogyny and oppression.

The evening will see Margaret, who is also a poet, literary critic and inventor, interviewed live on stage and the conversation will span the length of Atwood’s remarkable career, her diverse range of works and why she has returned to her seminal story, 34 years later.

Join us for an unmissable and intimate evening with Atwood and her signature insight, humour and mind.

GREASE 1 – 5 OCTOBER Grab your T-Birds and Pink Ladies and head on down to the New Theatre Oxford this autumn when the cast of Grease The Musical will be taking to the stage.

Singer Peter Andre stars as Teen Angel in the show, which runs October 1 – 5, and it is the first new production in 25 years of the iconic musical. Joining him on stage will be Dan Partridge, Martha Kirby, Louis Gaunt and Rhianne-Louise McCaulsky will star as Danny, Sandy, Kenickie and Rizzo respectively.

Dan Partridge most recently played Rum Tum Tugger in Cats (International Tour), Link in Hairspray (UK Tour) and Pepper in Mamma Mia! (Novello Theatre). Martha Kirby will be graduating for the Guildford School of Acting this summer, 2019, and makes her professional debut as Sandy. Louis Gaunt recently played Will Parker in Oklahoma! (Grange Park Opera), for which he won the 2018 The Stage Debut Award for Best Actor in a Musical, and Manfred in Sweet Charity (Nottingham Playhouse).

Rhianne-Louise McCaulsky most recently appeared in Bat Out of Hell – The Musical (Dominion Theatre). Prior to that, she appeared in The Book of Mormon (Prince Of Wales Theatre).

Choreographer Arlene Philips said: “I’m so thrilled to have the opportunity to choreograph a new production of Grease.

This new production is going to be edgy, vibrant and certainly takes a new look at this very exciting musical. The cast are incredible, many of them fresh out of college and ready to burst onto the stage.”

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Tickets for all shows can be purchased from the New Theatre box office on George Street, by ringing 0844 871 3020, or by visiting our website at www.atgtickets.com/oxford (phone and internet bookings subject to booking/transaction fees). For bookings of 10 or more, and for Equal Access bookings, please call our dedicated in-house team on 0844 871 3040.

LENNY HENRY 11 NOVEMBER

An Evening with Lenny Henry Who Am I, Again?

The legendary Sir Lenny Henry is embarking on a brand new tour this autumn and will be at the New Theatre Oxford on November 11.

Following the October publication of his memoir, Lenny will travel the length, breadth and width of the country.

In part one of the show, Lenny will take the audience through a jam session of stories both funny and sad - triggered when writing his memoir - from growing up in the Black Country, puberty, school, friendship, family secrets and unashamed racism. With his mother’s mantra of ‘H’integration’ echoing in his ears, Lenny will recount setting out on his roller coaster ride of a career - but at every stage wondering: Am I good enough? Is this what they want?

In part two, Lenny will be interviewed by friend, broadcaster and author Jon Canter, for further insights into his life and career, followed by questions from the audience. Come and enjoy these honest and tender stories, told with a glorious sense of humour and help Lenny figure out ‘Who Am I Again?’

MOTOWN THE MUSICAL 17 DEC – 4 JAN 2020

STORIES WITH SANTA 8 – 24 DECEMBER

Join Santa for a special storytime event Santa has heard lots of stories on his travels around the world as he delivers presents to all the good boys and girls every Christmas Eve. And this year, he wants to share them with the lucky children of Oxford.

Get yourself comfy in our Piano Bar as Santa settles down to share some festive tales with you, as well as singing some fun Christmas songs. After the storytime, children can take part in a special personal meeting with the man himself and will receive a small gift.

Stories With Santa is an interactive festive experience for children aged 2 – 8 and their families, which takes place from Sunday, December 8 – Tuesday, December 24 (various times – check website for details).

Please note: Max 2 adults per child ticket. Babies under 2 years old are welcome but will require a free lap ticket which can be booked via the Box Office.

This event takes place in the Piano Bar, which is located in the basement level and accessible via stairs only.

The New Theatre Oxford is delighted to announce it’s Christmas production for 2019 will be Motown The Musical.

The award-winning show will be in the city of dreaming spires from Tuesday December 17 – Saturday January 4.

With music and lyrics from the Motown catalogue and book by Motown founder Berry Gordy, Charles Randolph-Wright’s production features a live orchestra playing 50 Motown tracks including Ain’t No Mountain High Enough, I’ll Be There, Dancing In The Street, Stop! In The Name Of Love, My Girl, I Heard It through the Grapevine and tells the story behind the classic hits.

Berry Gordy founded the Motown label in 1959 and the production tells the story of how with just $800 borrowed from his family he went from a featherweight boxer to heavyweight music mogul, discovering and launching the careers of Diana Ross, Michael Jackson, Stevie Wonder, Smokey Robinson, Marvin Gaye and many more.

Motown the Musical uncovers the true story of the legendary record label that changed music history and created the soundtrack of a generation.

k COM PETITIONk WIN FOUR TICKETS TO SEE STORIES WITH SANTA 8 - 24th December. See page 66.

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> LISTINGS

What, where and when?

NEW THEATRE – OXFORD www.newtheatreoxford.org.uk 0870 606 3500 September 19 - 21 Stephen Fry - Mythos Trilogy 22 Lulu - Still On Fire 23 The Simon and Garfunkel Story 25 Frank Skinner 26 An Evening with Harry Redknapp 27 Aled Jones & Russell Watson In Harmony 28 Ant Middleton - Mind Over Muscle October 1 - 5 Grease 4 Cocktail Masterclass 5 Beauty School Drop Out Makeup Workshop 6 The songs of Stevie Wonder starring Beverley Knight 8 Steve Steinman’s Anything For Love The Meat Loaf Story 9 Adam Kay - This is Going to Hurt (Secret Diaries of a Junior Doctor) 10 Romesh Ranganathan The Cynics Mixtape 11 Eddie Izzard - Wunderbar 12 Bill Bryson - Observations on Life and 13 Les Musicals 14 Will Young plus special guests 16 Diversity - Born Ready ‘The 10 Year Anniversary Tour’ 17 Tim Minchin - Back 20 Rob Beckett - Wallop 21 The Tiger Who Came To Tea 24 Hannah Gadsby 25 Squeeze Plus Special Guests Heaven 17 26 ABBA Mania 27 Van Morrison 28 An Audience with Simon Reeve 29 Sixties Gold 30 Margaret Atwood 31 Halloween Makeup Workshop 31 Josh Widdicombe - Bit Much...

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November 1 Shakespears Sister: Ride Again 3 Jack Savoretti 4 Ben Fogle - Tales from the Wilderness 5 The Australian Pink Floyd 6 Jonathan Pie - Fake News 7 Whitney - Queen of the Night 8 Michael - The Magic of Michael Jackson 9 OMD - 40 Years - Greatest Hits 10 Marillion with Friends from the Orchestra 11 An Evening with Lenny Henry Who Am I Again 12 Jack Whitehall: Work In Progress + Support 14 The Rocket Man - A Tribute to Sir Elton John 15 James Morrison Plus Support 19 Welsh National Opera - Carmen 21 Welsh National Opera The Cunning Little Vixen 22 Welsh National Opera - Rigoletto December 1 Dr John Cooper Clarke 4 Billionaire Boy 8 Stories With Santa 8 Dweezil Zappa 9 Emeli Sandé 13 Rhod Gilbert - The Book of John 17 Motown The Musical 20 Backstage Theatre Tour OXFORD PLAYHOUSE www.oxfordplayhouse.com 01865 305305 September 13 - 14 Circa presents Humans 17 - 21 Macbeth 24 - 28 Two Trains Running October 1-5 Malory Towers 3-4 Kemp’s Jig 5 Oxford Fun Palace

9 Oh Yes Oh No 9 - 12 Barber Shop Chronicles 15- 19 An Inspector Calls 21 - 27 Only Expansion 22 - 26 Me, as a Penguin 22 The Storm 25 The Annual Charles Simonyi Lecture 26 - 30 Stick Man 27 Richard Herring 29 - 2 Nov Section Two 31 - 1 Nov The Adventures of Stick Man 31 Jason Byrne: Wrecked But Ready November 1 Ballet Black 2 Count Arthur Strong 5 - 9 Yerma 5 - 9 Stranger Baby ( BT Studio) 6 - 9 Spring Awakening 10 Pam Ayres: Up In The Attic 11-16 The Lovely Bones 19-23 Radiant Vermin (BT Studio) 19-23 Six 19-23 F*!@ING Hell (BT Studio) 26-30 Beard 26-30 The Oxford Revue’s Oxmas Party (BT Studio) 29-12 Jan Beauty and the Beast December 3 - 7 Macbeath 3 - 7 Malcolm the Miserable (BT Studio) The Jolly Christmas Postman BT Studio, Thu 12 Dec - Sun 15 Dec, Wed 18 - Tue 24 Dec, Fri 27 - Tue 31 Dec, Fri 3 - Sun 5 Jan 2020 THE PLAYERS THEATRE – THAME www.thameplayers.co.uk The Players Theatre, Nelson Street, Thame, Oxfordshire, OX9 2DP September 10-14 The Rise And Fall Of Little Voice by Jim Cartwright 27 The Unbound Sketchbook

October 4 The Dolly Parton Story with Hannah Richards 6 Alan Johnson - In My Life 11 Velvet Tones - ‘Live At The Sands’ 13 Happy Even After by Gaye Poole 17 Anna Pasternak The Real Wallis Simpson 18 Penelope Lively - Life In The Garden 18 Michael Rosen - Book Of Play 19 Nick Barber - A Day In The Life Of David Garrick 19 Alison Weir - Anna Of Kleve, The Princess In The Portrait 20 Steph Booth - Married to Alzheimers 20 Stepping Out 25 Boodlum Band 30 An Evening with The Joneses November 1 - 2 Puccini’s Heroines 8 Andante Live - Times a-changin 10 The Power Behind The Crone December 6 -15 Dick Whittington WATERSIDE THEATRE 0844 871 7607 September 14 Swing That Music: Down for the Count & Swing Dance MK 15 Big Fish Little Fish Family Rave 19 Madagascar The Musical 23 John Finnemore’s Flying Visit 25 Think Floyd 26 The Dung Beatles 27 The Searchers & Hollies Experience October 1 Placido Domingo 50th Anniversary Concert, Encore Screening 3 One Man, Two Guvnors Encore 3 - 5 Fast Food The Musical 4 An Evening of Murder Mystery 6 Dementia Friendly Screening Grease 6 Rob Beckett - Wallop 8 Gutted 10 One Night of Elvis: Lee ‘Memphis’ King 11 The Carpenters Story 12 Extreme Championship Improv 12 Midge Ure - Vienna & Visage The 15 Steve Steinman’s Anything For Love - The Meat Loaf Story 16 Rhod Gilbert - The Book of John 17 Barry Steele & Friends: The Roy Orbison Story 18 An Evening with Armistead Maupin 25 Hancock and Co. One Man, Many Voices 27 Peter and the Wolf 27 The Story of Guitar Heroes 28 Kevin Bloody Wilson

29

You Win Again – Celebrating the Music of The Bee Gees 30 Sir Ranulph Fiennes: Living Dangerously 31 Marty MacDonald’s Toy Machine 31 Dracula Live, Live Screening 31 A Country Night in Nashville November 1 Carole - The Music of Carole King 2 Steve Hackett - Genesis Revisited 5 5 ROH Concerto, Enigma Variations & Raymonda Act III, Live Screening 6 BYOBaby Comedy 6 - 10 Nativity The Musical 7 NT Live - Hansard, Live Screening 12 Alexander Armstrong 13 42nd Street - Encore Screening 13 Diversity - Born Ready ‘The 10 Year Anniversary Tour’ 14 Romesh Ranganathan The Cynics Mixtape 15 Steve Hillage + Gong

15 16 17 19 19 21 23 24

Alfie Moore: Fair Cop Unleashed The Illegal Eagles Josh Widdicombe - Bit Much...

NT - Fleabag - Encore Screening Ben Elton Whitney - Queen of the Night That’ll Be The Day Christmas Show Dementia Friendly Screening Miracle on 34th Street 24 Show of Hands 26 The Woman in Black 28 NT Live - Present Laughter, Encore Screening 29 My Mountain Life by Simon Yates December 6 - 5 Jan Beauty and the Beast 14 & 15 Santa’s New Sleigh

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> COMPETITIONS

Conditions 1. One prize per household 2. There is no cash alternative 3. The judges’ decision is final and no further correspondence will be entered into

b

Win.Win.Win.

There are some great prizes to be picked up in this issue of Thame Out. You will need to submit a separate entry for each competition that you wish to take part in. All you have to do is answer the particular competition question and send your answer on a postcard marked, for example, personal trainer competition or, say, Oxford Playhouse competition to Thame Out, PO Box 181, Thame OX9 0BA. Closing date for entries is the 10th November 2019.

Alternatively, you can email your answer to julian@red-l.co.uk Personal Trainer Competition A FREE training session with Hilary Westall will go to the first correct entry out of the hat.

The question Muscle Cramps at night affect what percentage of Men and Women? a) 50% b) 60% c) 70% (See page 16 for details)

How to reach more customers

Thame Out The complimentary magazine for the Thame area

Carr parked in Oxford Jimmy Carr at the New Theatre

Autumn 2009 Issue 11

Grape taste Corking wines at Wines Unfurled

Magic of the Middle East

What makes Syria a fantastic holiday destination

Truly engaging Gorgeous bridal gowns and beautiful wedding rings

LEISURE ☛ BEAUTY ☛ HOME ☛ TRAVEL ☛ LOCAL ☛ COMPETITIONS ☛ AND LOTS MORE ☛

THAME OUT.

AB Golf Competition A FREE Golf Lesson with a PGA Professional will go to the first correct entry out of the hat.

The question How many bays does the Driving Range have? a) 8 b) 10 c) 12 (See page 58 for details)

The lifestyle magazine for Thame and surrounding area.

To advertise Call: 01844 216847 or Email: julian@red-l.co.uk See the website: www.thameout.co.uk

Oxford Playhouse Competition Four tickets to see Beauty And The Beast on the 4th December (6.30) will go to the first correct entry out of the hat.

The question Beauty And The Beast tickets start from which price? a) £15 b) £20 c) £25 (See page 61 for details)

MagaScene FREE

SUMMER 2016 u

THE LIFESTYLE MAGAZINE FOR BICESTER AND BEYOND

The kids are alright

Family friendly holidays from Spear Travels

Cultivating customers

The Plough in Marsh Gibbon

Christmas treats

Stratton Audley’s year round Christmas Barn

Bittersweet

Dropit 21 can help cure a sweet tooth

Picture perfect

New Theatre Competition Four tickets to see Stories With Santa on any day from the 8th - 24th December will go to the first correct entry out of the hat.

The question Stories With Santa will be held in which location? a) Lounge Bar b) Public Bar c) Piano Bar (See page 63 for details)

SPECIAL OFFERS FROM:

Ivan R Cammack Page 15 ERA Skin & Laser Clinic Page 19 Cosmetic Courses Page 20 Aesthetics By Charlotte Page 21

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Portrait photography from Paul Wilkinson

M S

HEALTH BEAUTY HOME TRAVEL BUSINESS LOCAL ...

MAGASCENE.

The lifestyle magazine for Bicester and surrounding area.

To advertise Call: 01844 216847 or Email: julian@red-l.co.uk

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