LOCAL NEWS – Midsomer Murders Thame Food Festival, Chearsley Village ‘Classic & Vintage & Fun Day’ and Thame Town Music Festival

year. There have been 22 series and 128 episodes since Midsomer Murders began in 1997, and a new series is currently in production. It is quite simply one of the bestselling TV series ever to emanate from the UK, and it is estimated that a billion people globally have seen it in over 200 countries. Thame is one of the most filmed locations in the fictional Midsomer County. To celebrate 25 years of Midsomer Murders and Thame’s role as a major filming Midsomer location, Thame Museum are holding an exhibition devoted to the history of Midsomer Murders, highlighting

filming locations in Thame and surrounding area, and providing insights into the story behind the show. Entry to the exhibition is free. Amongst the topics covered will be - the history of Midsomer Murders and how it began in 1997; the books on which it is based; the main actors who have appeared in 128 episodes to date; some of the bizarre ways in which people have been murdered and the weapons used. There will be displays of images depicting different scenes used in the series, including some of the 23 Thame venues used as filming locations, as well as locations in nearby villages.

Saturday 25th June until Friday 30th September. Entry is free. www.thamemuseum.org/2022/06/ the-making-of-midsomer-amurderous-exhibition/.

start at Thame Town Hall every Wednesday at 2pm until 26th October, and every Saturday at 2 pm during the Midsomer Exhibition. The tour lasts around 75 minutes. Tickets are £10 per person. Book online at ticketsource. co.uk/thamemidsomer. or at Thame

Town Hall Information Centre in person or by phone on 01844 212833 or at Thame Museum during opening hours – please check websites www.thamemuseum.org/, www.thametowncouncil.gov.uk/

More than 1,000 people have taken the Midsomer Tour of Thame since they began in 2017. Two thirds of tour income is donated to local charities, and over £4,000 has been donated to date.

Music Festival. Sixty-five acts played over ten venues throughout the town. A whole variety of musical genres featured as music filled the air. Folk, reggea, rock, hip-hop, punk. There was something for everyone. Thousands of music lovers all having a great time, the atmosphere was buzzing, culminating in the headline act, Big Country taking to the stage. The crowd singing along to hits such as ‘Look Away’, ‘Fields Of Fire (400 miles) and In a Big Country. Hopefully a Thame fixture, here’s looking forward to 2023.

by Pinkster Gin. The winner for 2022 is Hartley’s Cookery School, based in Haddenham, Buckinghamshire. The bursary was established a few years ago to celebrate and promote any newly formed artisan food business within a 30-mile radius of Thame. To be eligible the successful businesses need to have been going for a year or less. After much consideration the final two applicants met with the judging board to discuss their business, their future vision and explore how they would potentially look to utilise the opportunity.

Simon Hartley, Chef and owner of Hartley’s Cookery School said; “I am delighted to be receiving this bursary and the support of the team at Thame Food Festival. Since opening our doors at Bradmoor Farm in January it’s been amazing to welcome and cook with our first guests at the school. We want to be a community-led business and have so enjoyed building relationships with other food producers and suppliers. Our vision for the school is to share my knowledge and passion for food in a relaxed environment, offering funfilled courses for all abilities. Whether you’ve never picked up a knife or are a seasoned foodie, there’s something for everyone!” The bursary includes an award of £1,000, a free pitch at this year’s Thame Food Festival, content in the festival programme, the opportunity to have an interview in the Food Glorious Food marquee and help with PR and social media. Previous winners have included Ozi Lala, who has gone on to win Great Taste awards for his unique food products and the original winner was Lisa Hartwright of Tess’ Brilliant Bakes. Both of whom are going from strength to strength and still play an active part in the food festival too.

Patron and event co-ordinator Lotte Duncan said “We are delighted to be in a position to offer a bursary again – thanks to Pinkster Gin. As a Community Interest Company, supporting young businesses that have the same ethics as the festival is an important part of what we try to do. It was such a pleasure to meet Simon and his partner and hear what they are trying to achieve by giving people friendly, fun cookery courses while learning about the provenance of their food.”

Hartley’s Cookery School is based at Bradmoor Farm in Haddenham. Originally established by chef and owner Simon Hartley in 2022, he is keen to use the school to share his knowledge and passion for food. His experience has taken him around the world, from working in luxury dining to Michelin-starred restaurants. The aim of Hartley’s Cookery School, is to offer cookery class and chef table experiences which explore food, why certain ingredients or techniques are used and how to prepare and cook it. While also creating an environment that is fun and appealing for everyone – whatever their ability. For more information, please contact

on Sunday 11th September at the Chearsley Cricket Ground on Winchendon Road, just outside the village. This year’s show will open for the general public at 11.00, and close at 17.00 and, as in previous years, entry and parking are free of charge. In addition to a wide selection of classic and vintage vehicles on display, visitors will also be able to enjoy a flypast courtesy of the Battle of Britain Memorial Flight. Arts and crafts and other stallholders will be present and there will also be entertainments for youngsters as well as a programme of live music. The wide range of food and drinks available will include real ales and a ‘Gin & Pimms’ tent, as well as a barbecue and a selection of food trucks. Tea and home-made cakes will be served in the pavilion. Funds raised during the show will be invested in the development of Junior Cricket at Chearsley Cricket Club and donations to selected charities will also be made.

l Someone cohabiting with the deceased for at least two years immediately before the deceased’s death l Someone who was being at least partially maintained by the deceased immediately before their death.

You will need to act quickly if you wish to bring a claim and you should usually issue a claim within six months of the grant of probate being made. It may be possible to bring a claim outside of this time period but it becomes very much more difficult so we would advise that you take legal advice as soon as possible if you think you may be entitled to bring a claim.

Generally speaking, a person is free to make provision under a will in any way they choose to, but if you have been excluded from a will, or not left as much as you expected you may be able to bring a claim under the Inheritance Act (in England and Wales).

The Inheritance (Provision for Family and Dependants) Act 1975 allows certain categories of person to bring a claim against the estate of a deceased person where ‘reasonable financial provision’ has not been made for them.

Claims are limited to those who were financially dependant on the deceased or who might reasonably have expected an inheritance or were left less than expected. (It may also be possible to challenge where there is no will and the estate will be distributed under the rules of intestacy). A claim can only be brought by limited categories of persons. These are;

l Children (both minors and adults), including adopted children and stepchildren l Spouses and civil partners l Former spouses/civil partners who have not re-married

When the court considers the claim, it will have to look at all the circumstances and consider not just the current landscape but also the future position. This means that the court will want to know about an applicant’s financial needs and resources as well as that of all the

beneficiaries and consider this in light of the overall size of the estate. The court will also consider any responsibilities the deceased had towards any beneficiary of the estate and will consider the conduct of the parties. If the applicant or any beneficiaries have a physical or mental disability this will also be relevant.

The court can award ‘reasonable financial provision.’ This means such financial provision as it would be reasonable in all the circumstances for the applicant to receive for their maintenance. In order to decide this the court will look at the applicant’s living and housing costs/expenses and will require detailed information about historical and future expenses. It is important to note that the court will not be making a moral judgment about the deceased’s bequests but making an objective assessment as to the applicant’s standard of living and whether reasonable financial provision has been made for them, in all the circumstances. The court considers matters differently for spouses and civil partner claims, which are not limited to reasonable financial provision. They do not need to show that they are in need or were financially dependant on the deceased.

You will need to take legal advice as soon as possible. If you are advised that a claim may be worth pursuing, you will need to gather detailed financial information to support your claim. It is not always necessary for a claim to go to court and it may be that matters can be negotiated or an agreement reached at mediation. In fact, most cases do not reach court and are settled before then but it may be necessary to issue claim to protect your position.

Do you have a legal question for Lightfoots Solicitors? Contact us at media@lightfoots.co.uk and you could feature in our column in Thame Out magazine.*

Unfortunately, we can all become involved in a dispute as part of our business or in our private lives. When we do, we need specialist practical and creative advice to help resolve that dispute without making the situation worse. Our Dispute Resolution team comprises of experienced solicitors who can advise you on the most cost effective way to resolve your dispute, using all processes such as mediation and arbitration, however, they will also work hard to protect your interests.

We can advise you on: l Debt recovery l Recovering possession from tenants l Inheritance Act claims l Consumer Disputes

We may also be able to provide assistance with other types of disputes and please do not hesitate to contact us for a no obligation chat. Find out more about our Dispute Resolution services on our website:

Our sensitive and experienced Wills & Probate team offer a full service to help you plan for the final stages of life. We have helped many clients with will writing, probate and administration of estates to ensure their property and possessions go to the ones they love.

Our wills and probate services include: l Will writing l Planning for the cost of nursing & care homes l Probate & administration of estates l Contentious wills & estates

*All situations are different and the answers provided should not be relied upon as tailored advice. Find out more about our Wills and Probate services on our website: