Thame Out Winter 2022 Issue 64

New venture takes flight

Wing Commander Nige Forshaw RAF (Retd) is an experienced and fully insured drone operator both in the UK and USA.

After serving 36 years in the RAF, in July 2022, he founded Rubicon Drones Limited, in Thame, where he has lived for the past 20 years (and where his wife Rachel, was born and raised).

Rubicon Drones aims to deliver high-quality, cost-effective and timely aerial and ground imagery (video and stills) on a wide-range of applications such as real estate, commercial and domestic insurance roof/building inspections, events, media, sales & marketing projects, agriculture, cinematography and construction engineering. Nige offer a 20% discount to Armed Forces personnel, veterans and Blue Light card holders.

He recently produced a short promotional video on Thame, that you can find on his YouTube page. It was also posted (and was very-well received) on Love Thame, Facebook.

Nige and Rachel have joined the Thame Wombles (run by Joe Chapman) and Rubicon Drones have produced a complimentary video to help promote this great cause of keeping Thame tidy and to foster a culture of self-help throughout the local community.

Nige is currently in discussions with Thame Green Living, to provide them with thermal imagery of Thame housing as part of their ‘Keep Thame Cosy’, that aims to provide practical advice and help people make their homes as ther mally efficient as possible. He has also offered his services for free to the Chin nor and Princes Risborough Railway.

Contact: Rubicon Drones Limited 0759 44 55 212 www.rubicondrones.com

YouTube: www.youtube.com/channel/ UCp-d7-nBJGpzrOG8iWkSnnA Facebook: www.facebook.com/rubi condrones

A Festival of Carols

A double helping of festive delights. At 4.30 a short concert (around 45 minutes) suitable for families with children, and at 7.30pm a longer concert with interval for those who want everything. Both concerts will feature our usual blend of old favourites and modern twists. There’s traditional refreshment (including mince pies), our very own children’s choir spreading their charm, and familiar carols to sing along with in a beautiful candlelit atmosphere.

Saturday 17 December. St Mary’s Church, Thame 4.30pm matinee for families. 7.30pm evening performance www.thamechamberchoir.org/concerts

Thousands enjoy a myriad of foodie delights at Thame Food Festival.

Thame Food Festival proved a real destination for foodies, families and music lovers this year. There was a treat of tantalising artisan and street food producers, demonstrations galore, celebrity chefs and bakers.

Thousands of adults, children and four legged friends flocked to enjoy the event of over 100 artisan food and hot street food producers, offering delicious samplings, a pop-up pub, live music and fun children’s activities. There was an enticing mix of local charcuterie, cheeses, breads through to brownies, ice cream, gin, beer, cider and vodka in the Artisan Market. If that was not enough the Street Food Area served up treats from around the World including Greek Souvlaki, Indian Street Food, Bao Buns, Loaded Chips, Mac & Cheese, BBQ Pork and Pizzas.

A new feature for this year – The Festival Village – took visitors on a food journey with the chance to get up, close and personal with producers both on the Food Glorious Food and the

Masterclass stages. The two days also saw The Queen Elizabeth Big Cookery Stage, showcasing demonstrations including many of the country’s leading chefs and bakers such as Giuseppe D’Anno winner of the 2021 Great British Bake Off and Eddie Stott winner of Masterchef 2021. They were also joined by Instagram sensation Becky Excell who gave insights into how to live, bake and create Gluten Free.

There was also the Humble Country shopping marquee filled to the brim with home delights to buy. While adding to the ambience and festival vibe was the live music stage by Thame Music Academy sponsored by local company Adactus with a broad programme of artists. In addition, there were also lots of activities for the kids including the very popular Fun Kitchen Cookery Workshops, free Circus Skills and face painting, bubbles and archery supporting local charity Thomley. And again, the foodie mix extended to our four-legged friends with specialist dog treat stalls and fun Dog Shows by

another locally based, national charitythe Hearing Dogs for the Deaf.

Lotte Duncan, Patron and organiser of the event says, “What a weekend! But after so much planning and shifting of plans building up to it, the pleasure in seeing so many people visiting and supporting all the wonderful artisan producers and street food vendors, made all that hard work worth it.”

She continues: “This is particularly important as our independent producers need our support now more than ever”.

Thame Food Festival CIC is a not for profit community interest company. www.thamefoodfestival.co.uk

Q.

My husband and I have separated and I want to get a divorce. All of our finances are joint and are currently tied up in our house. I don’t have access to any savings and feel financially trapped. How do I find the money to pay for a Solicitor?

A.The cost of divorce varies depending on the couples circumstances and how amicable the split is. Whatever the cost, not having access to savings should never be a barrier. It’s estimated that a third of home-owning couples in the UK stay living together after they split up, but it doesn’t have to be this way.

First of all you should get an idea of how much money you actually need. Many people don’t realise that you can apply for a divorce online, without a Solicitor, for a fee of £593 (note, this doesn’t include sorting out your finances). This is something we urge clients to do if they can as it is cheaper than having a Solicitor do it. Take a look at www.gov.uk/divorce for more information.

Financial and child arrangements are where the cost of divorce rises and varies. We always recommend couples try mediation first, as it is a more amicable, quicker and cheaper process, typically 10 times cheaper than the traditional route of litigation. The cost of a mediator is shared between you and your ex-partner, along with the financial consent order and divorce order.

Mediation isn’t an option for some couples, in which case you will need your own Solicitor and will have to pay fees to them, as well as the financial consent order and divorce order. Most law firms offer discounted introduction meetings where you can discuss your circumstances and get a good idea of how much the whole process may cost you.

Once you have this figure you will be in a much better position to come up with a plan. If you have no access to savings you may be tempted to take a loan from friends, family or use credit cards, until your house is sold and you are able to pay them back. This is not ideal. Divorce is a stressful time and you do not need the financial pressure of owing money to friends and family adding to it. Credit cards are never a

good idea as a long term credit plan due to the high APR rates.

At Lightfoots we have recently started working with Ampla Finance www. ampla.finance/family-law-loan/, a specialist lender specifically designed to help fund costs associated with divorce and other life events. Ampla Finance work in partnership with you and your Solicitor to design a Matrimonial loan tailored to your needs, which only charges you for the amount you use. They reduce the admin by paying loan advances directly to your Solicitor and offer a user-friendly online tool which keeps you in control of the process throughout, without any hidden costs. So what happens if all your money is tied up in your home, and you need access to funds whilst your case is ongoing? Ampla Finance also offer a

maintenance loan which is designed to work alongside the Matrimonial Loan, to fund your reasonable and necessary living expenses in the period before your divorce settlement is received, for example covering household bills, mortgage/rent payments, school/ nursery fees, childcare costs, food and clothing.

Ampla Finance has a typical interest rate of 1.5% (variable) per month, with the representative APR varying based on loan value and term, so is a significantly cheaper way of accessing funds than using a credit card. Crucially, by using a specialist divorce lender in partnership with your Solicitor you will be able to get your divorce proceedings started and don’t have to be trapped in a relationship you want to leave.

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

*All situations are different and the answers provided should not be relied upon as tailored advice.

About Lightfoots Solicitors

Family Law services

Our family law practice has been established for over 30 years with services including:

l Divorce

l Mediation

l Child arrangements

l Financial arrangements

l Pre and Post nuptial agreements

l Cohabitation

l Civil partnerships

l Domestic abuse

If you need to talk to someone about mediation, separation, or divorce then our team are here for you.

Find out more about our Family Law services on our website: www.lightfoots.co.uk/family-law

Even though we’re not yet experiencing winter temperatures (November looks set to be one of the mildest on record), the clocks have gone back and the nights are drawing in. And with this seasonal shift, many of us experience varying degrees of Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD), a depression-like condition that affects mood, sleep, eating habits and motivation. Also termed the ‘winter blues’, it can, at worst, cause severe depression.

It’s not surprising that this shift can throw us off kilter. Daylight is vital for our internal body clock, controlling everything from when we eat to how we sleep. Although the exact cause of SAD is not fully understood, it’s thought that reduced daylight hours increase our production of melatonin, making us feel more tired, and decrease our production of serotonin, making us feel more sad. Women are apparently more at risk of SAD, especially young women, although anyone can experience it.

If you’re feeling the effects of SAD, here are some strategies to help you:

EMBRACE NATURAL DAYLIGHT

Deprivation of natural light is the main cause of SAD so seek it out as much as possible during the winter months. Go outside as early as possible on rising for at least half an hour without a hat or sunglasses, to help adjust to the changing daylight hours and combat increased production of melatonin. The earlier this happens, the less likely we are to feel sleepy and lacking in energy. Aim for a total of at least two hours a day of exposure to natural daylight. When you are inside for any length of time, try and sit by a window.

TAKE REGULAR EXERCISE

Exercise is one of the best ways to combat SAD. Even though working out in the winter can feel doubly hard thanks to the lack of daylight and drop in temperature, exercise increases

Are you SAD?

serotonin and endorphin levels (happy hormones) and reduces stress hormone levels. This all helps us to sleep better, feel happier and boosts self-esteem. It also doesn’t really matter what type of exercise you do – the key is to be consistent with it.

MANAGE STRESS

One of the most effective ways to manage stress and improve your mood is through exercise. However, if that’s really not your thing, or for whatever reason you’re unable to, then find whatever works best for you. Meditation, socialising with friends, reading a book and any other form of self-care can help reduce your stress levels.

GET ENOUGH (BETTER) SLEEP

People who suffer from SAD have less deep sleep and more rapid eye movement (REM) sleep during dips in mood. Whilst REM is a vital stage of sleep, deep sleep has a huge impact on our energy levels and overall health. Deep sleep is the stage where our memories consolidate, we process learnings, physical recovery occurs, blood sugar and metabolism level out and the brain detoxifies. A good sleep routine is key, with consistent wake up and bed times. Give yourself time to get into a routine as you’ll feel more rested once your body recognises it’s time to wake up.

FOCUS ON DIET

What we eat during winter (and all year round) can make a huge difference to how we feel physically and emotionally. Having a diet rich in nutrients and low in sugar and processed foods is key to the effective functioning of the body and mind. Blood sugar plays an important part in this as we feel energized when it rises and sluggish and tired when it drops. Eating the right combination of foods will help keep your blood sugar levels stable and also your mood and energy levels. Slow-release carbohydrates such as oats, whole grains, vegetables, fruit and beans are essential for a stable blood sugar level, combined with healthy fats and protein. Snacks like nuts and seeds are also good for stabilizing blood glucose. It’s important to eat regularly in winter to combat food cravings that tend

to be a part of SAD, and to avoid foods that cause a rapid rise and crash in blood sugar levels. Sweets, chocolate, cakes, biscuits, highly processed and sugary foods are all culprits here.

UP YOUR INTAKE OF VITAMIN D AND VITAMIN B

Many of us are deficient in vitamin D during the darker months as the body can only produce it when exposed to direct sunlight, a lack of which has been linked to depression and anxiety. You can take supplements to make up for this shortfall and you can include more vitamin D-rich foods in your diet. Salmon, milk, fortified cereals, red meat and egg yolks are all good sources of vitamin D. Deficiency of vitamin B12 is also associated with low mood and depression. Sources include liver, beef, sardines, yogurt, milk, eggs, cheese and fortified foods. Vitamin B12 also turns food into glucose for energy so if we’re lacking in it, we produce less energy and feel more tired throughout the day.

TRY A SAD LAMP

A light therapy lamp, used for half an hour at the start of your day, can help combat SAD if you can’t get outside. It’s recommended that you use it within two hours of waking, so if you normally wake up at 8am, use the lamp between 8am and 10am.

OTHER TREATMENT

If you’re really struggling with SAD despite using these methods, there are other treatments available that are the same as those used to treat depression and anxiety. It’s best to see your doctor if this is how you feel, as they can advise on the best treatment and also suggest services designed to help you. Treatments such as medication, psychotherapy combined with light therapy, can be used effectively here.

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

Hilary Westall with more exercise advice.

Fat busters

Aesthetic Practitioner, Paige with the Cryoliposculpt handpieces

Tired of stubborn fat? Help is at hand with four clinically proven treatments available in Thame from ERA Skin & Laser Clinic

Certain areas of the body such as the tummy, thighs, upper arms, neck and hips can be problematic areas where fat is difficult to lose through regular exercise and healthy eating.

There are surgical options to help you reduce the fat such as surgical liposuction, tummy tucks, arm lifts, thigh lifts and neck lift procedures but many feel these options are a little drastic when the problem is relatively small and instead are looking for nonsurgical fat removal treatments.

The team at ERA Skin & Laser Clinic offer a range of non-surgical fat reduction treatments such as Cryoliposculpt® (Fat Freezing),

Endoshape® (Ultrasonic Cavitation) and the award winning Emsculpt® (Body Sculpting) System.

The Thame based clinic specialises in face and body rejuvenation with fat reduction treatments being one of the most popular options for men and women at this time of year.

Bev Maintland went to find out more about how these treatments work, how much they cost and most importantly, how long you need to wait to see results!

CRYOLIPOSCULPT

Cryoliposculpt is a non-surgical fat reduction treatment that can be performed on abdomen, thighs, hips and back. The treatment uses controlled cooling to disrupt and breakdown the fat cells in the area being treated which are then naturally processed and removed by the body. The surrounding skin is not affected by the temperature change. Once the

fat cells have been removed, they are permanently gone.

The system comprises of duel handpieces, enabling two areas to be treated at the same time. This means that a greater surface area can be covered in each treatment. Treatments can be performed in around 50 minutes and involves no downtime allowing patients to immediately return to their everyday activities including exercise.

Cryoliposculpt Fat Freezing treatment in progress

“The most popular area for fat reduction is the abdomen, thighs and chin”

Millions of Cryoliposculpt treatments have been carried out globally and the system is clinically proven to reduce up to 30% of fat cells in a single treatment.

ENDOSHAPE®

Endoshape® uses ultrasonic cavitation to treat areas which require fat reduction and shaping to improve skin tone and texture. Rather than freezing the fat cells, cavitation uses ultrasonic energy to gently liquefy them. The affected cells are then broken down and excreted through the body’s natural process. Endoshape® is a great option for troublesome areas such as bra fat or more solid fatty areas. Cellulite can also be improved dramatically using this treatment.

Each session takes around 45 minutes. Most people require a course of 6 sessions, one every 10-14 days. Treatment sessions start from £250

EMSCULPT®

Emsculpt® uses a High-Intensity Focused Electromagnetic (HIFEM) technology to induce supramaximal contractions, something that cannot be achieved at the gym through voluntary contractions.

The muscle tissue then adapts by remodelling its inner structure resulting in building muscle and burning fat. This technology offers an exceptional way to tone and sculpt the abdomen, buttocks, arms & legs by building muscle and burning fat with no surgery and no downtime

Patients undergoing Emsculpt treatment saw a16% average increase in muscle mass and 19% average fat reduction

Emsculpt is an FDA-cleared Medical CE-marked device, and the results speak for themselves.

Most people require 4 treatments, 2 per week for 2 weeks. Results can be felt from the first session and can be seen after 30 days. Treatment from £495 per session.

AQUALYX® FAT DISSOLVING INJECTIONS

Aqualyx injections are a great option to reduce small areas of fat anywhere on the body, including the chin or “love handles”.

Aqualyx is a gel-based aqueous solution, which dissolves fat and is biocompatible and biodegradable. Treatment requires the speciallyformulated compound solution to be injected by a medically trained doctor into the problem area. The solution attaches to fatty deposits making them swell and eventually breakdown. The fat cells are then naturally dissolved and flushed out by the body. Results are effective, quick, and minimally invasive.

Between 1 and 5 treatments are needed depending on how your body responds to the treatment. Results take up to 30 days. Treatment from £400

With all fat reduction treatments lifestyle is important to ensure good treatment results. There is no need to be on a special diet when undergoing fat reduction treatments but drinking plenty of water and eating healthily will ensure that you get the best results.

ERA offers free of charge consultations, and monthly treatment plans to help you spread the cost of treatment. If you’d like to discuss fat reduction and find out which treatment would be best for you, simply call the clinic on 01844 698441 or email info@eraclinics.co.uk

Visit www.eraclinics.co.uk to see before and after treatment pictures for all the technologies featured in this article.

SPECIAL OFFER

Book a Fat Reduction Treatments before 31st December 2022 and receive a £75 gift voucher to spend in the New Year!

Aqualyx Fat Dissolving Injections can be used to treat almost all small deposits of fat, but the most popular treatment areas are on the chin, thigh, hips, arm, and stomach.

Aqualyx injections at ERA are carried out by Dr Gita Arora, a GP with over 12 years aesthetic experience.

98a High Street, Thame Oxfordshire OX9 3EH www.eraclinics.co.uk 01844 698441

Find ERA on Instagram and Facebook

ERA Clinic is located through the archway between Wally’s Toy Shop and Andrew Murray Estate Agents. Ample parking available.

The ERA Team

“Once fat cells in the treated area are destroyed, they do not return”

“Non-surgical fat reduction treatments offer an effective solution with no down-time”

Aesthetic Practitioner, Amy with Endoshape Ultrasonic cavitation system

Made to measure.

A spectacle frame is more than just something to house corrective lenses. With frames created by British designer Tom Davies, Ivan R. Cammack Optometrists can create superior eyewear for all tastes.

We’ve been there, right? Stood alone in the Optometrists, looking at a wall of spectacle frames, trying on pair after pair in the hope that one might suit us and feel comfortable. “It doesn’t have to be that way,” Dispensing Optician Elizabeth Heaven beams, “most frames are made to meet the needs of “the average” woman or man. In reality,

very few of us are average, so I can appreciate how finding the perfect pair can feel daunting. The Tom Davies collection allows me to do more for patients, providing excellent eyewear that is made for the individual, it’s wonderful.”

Right from the very beginning of his career, designer Tom Davies identified a need to offer clients

a better solution for well-fitting spectacles that looked good and felt comfortable. He soon found that the spectacle industry made frames fit people, rather than making frames for people, and set about creating bespoke eyewear for discerning clientele.

“Every face is different,” Elizabeth continues, “Most spectacle frames simply don’t consider the symmetry or asymmetry of a face, all the subtle contours, the shape and size of the nose, the position of the ears or the prominence of the cheek structure. Through our partnership with Tom Davies I get to make spectacle perfection for my patients.”

In a recent survey undertaken by Optegra Eye Health Care spectacle discomfort was one of the main bugbears described by wearers. The survey found that as many as one in five spectacle wearers experienced discomfort on a regular basis.

When we think of spectacles we often fixate of how they look and how well we see, when comfort plays a huge part in how we feel about our eyewear and is frequently overlooked. If you’ve ever experienced discomfort with a pair of spectacles, visit Ivan R. Cammack Optometrists, who with the help of Tom Davies, aim to make uncomfortable spectacles a thing of the past.

The Tom Davies collection is available at all three Ivan R. Cammack practices, with bespoke consultation appointments available daily.

Ivan R Cammack (Optometrists)

Bringing Quality to Eyecare.

Appointment Booking

01844 212048

Ivan R Cammack (Thame)

T. 01844 212048

E. info@ivancammack.com

Thame: 01844 212048

Chinnor (01844) 351564

Wendover (01296) 625892

Hearing problems are nothing to celebrate.

Christmas is coming and it will be a time when we can all get together again. Grandparents and grandchildren together – will you be able to hear and join in the games this year?

People put off getting their hearing tested for all sorts of reasons. One reason is, ‘I wouldn’t want a hearing aid!’ Another reason I hear is that people are afraid they will be pressurised into buying expensive hearing aids they don’t need or want.

Let’s explore the first reason. ‘I wouldn’t want a hearing aid!’

There is still a stigma surrounding hearing aids (and some myths) –‘they’ll make me look old’ and ‘they’re

great big clunky things.’ These ideas prevent a person doing something important for their health.

If you need hearing aids, it is very important to wear hearing aids. Not only do they help you hear environmental sounds, but they also help you to join in a conversation and reduce the need to keep saying pardon (which can make a person seem older that they really are).

More importantly, hearing aids do something very important for brain health; they keep neural pathways active which enables better hearing for longer. People tell me they are afraid their hearing will get worse when they start wearing

It is, in fact, the complete opposite; it is a use it or lose it situation. Not many people are aware of the importance of hearing for brain health. A study from John Hopkins expert, Frank Lin M.D., Ph. D., shows that there is a strong link between hearing loss and dementia. A mild hearing loss can double the risk, moderate loss triples the risk, and a severe hearing impairment means a person is five times more likely to develop dementia. That is why it is so important to get a hearing test.

So, we’ve established that a hearing loss can make you seem old if you keep saying pardon (hearing loss is more noticeable than hearing aids) and your hearing is very important for brain health.

‘They’re great big clunky things’ Hearing aids are now inconspicuous, even from the NHS. They can have a

Sereta Parker from Oracle Ear Care and the hidden risks of hearing loss.

hearing aids.

narrow tube or wire connecting the hearing aid to the ear canal, rather than filling the ear with a plastic mould. You can also get tiny hearing aids which fit entirely in the ear canal from private audiology centres.

So that brings us on to the next stumbling block when people think about getting their hearing tested – being pressurised into buying something they don’t need or want. We are very lucky in this country to be able to access free hearing aid provision which works well for thousands of people all over the UK. However, you may feel that you would like something more ‘bespoke’. Choosing where to go for hearing aids is a tricky business – a reputable company will always choose the best hearing aids for you and will never pressurise you to buy something you don’t need or want. Their reputation is too valuable. A good company will always allow a trial period to ‘try’ the hearing aids without obligation. This ensures you are not buying something you are not completely happy with.

HOW CAN ORACLE HELP?

People are put off having a check-up in case they’re told they have hearing loss, but it may just be earwax that is stopping you from hearing well. We use a method called microsuction which gently vacuums the wax from the ear canal, allowing sound to enter again. Most people are astounded at the difference wax removal can make.

If there’s no wax, we can offer a comprehensive hearing test. This enables you to gather information and make an informed decision without any pressure – we do not sell hearing aids. If you need hearing aids, we can provide details on how to self-refer for free NHS hearing aids, or we can talk you through private options. If your hearing aids are in the drawer, then dig them out and bring them along – our staff are trained to clean and check hearing aids.

There is no downside to wearing hearing aids; they help you become more involved with family and friends which keeps you happy and, most importantly, healthy!

Opening hours: Monday 9-5pm

Tuesday 10-8pm Wednesday 9-5pm Thursday 10-8pm Friday 9-4pm

2 East Street, Thame OX9 3JS

Phone: 01844 617 478 Email: admin@oracleearcare.co.uk Website: www.oracleearcare.co.uk

Matthew Ball, Senior Audiologist at Oracle Ear Care.

Fit and healthy

Invictus Fitness Centre goes from strength to strength as Jim Sherwood discovered on a recent visit.

Invictus Fitness Centre opened its doors in July 2019. Just as it was getting established, like so many business’s it was hit by the Covid lockdowns.

However, here is a fitness centre that has bounced back superbly. Invictus is a thriving part of the community.

Located in a vast building at Wenham Road in Thame. It is a cathedral to health and fitness with many devoted followers. Memberships are up and the classes are more popular than ever.

Owner Martin Shipperley always wanted to create an environment that was friendly and social. When I visited a group of ladies had just finished their daily pilates class. Smiling and chatting, they personified this perfectly.

A place to keep fit, build strength and meet like minded people.

A fitness community that’s part of the community. A good example of this is the 5K Santa Run. Hosted by Invictus in conjunction with Thame Youth projects on the 4th December. All proceeds to charity (£5 per person, see website for details).

Invictus Fitness Centre is a state-ofthe-art gym that provides the perfect

environment for everyone, young or old, to achieve their fitness goals.

With 600sqm of gym floor full of Primal strength kit, Spirit cardio kit and a huge 7 squat racks you are sure to have enough kit to get a great workout, even in peak times.

At the heart of the gym is a genuine desire to provide a supportive, inclusive

environment for everyone from those new to the whole gym experience to the seasoned gym goer. There is always a fully qualified Personal Trainer on the gym floor, on hand to offer help and advice and keep members safe when working out.

Invictus members can not only take advantage of a dedicated weight, boxing, and cardio zone, but they also have a Zen studio situated on the first floor. With over 40 classes a week running every week, there really is something for everyone.

Emergency service personnel and teachers get a reduced membership as well as corporate clients.

Sports teams can book out the spin studio for bespoke training sessions led by Invictus class instructors.

Invictus Fitness Centre is open from 6.00am through to 10.00pm so you can visit outside normal working hours.

On top of all this, there is a shop selling supplements, protein powders and sports clothes. Use of all equipment and all classes are included in the £45 per month membership.

THAME OUT READERS OFFER Beat the January rush and join Invictus before December the 31st and pay NO JOINING FEE! Saving you £20 (we know every little helps before Christmas!). Upon joining, take advantage of a complimentary induction with one of our personal trainers and start your journey. For more information, drop in to the club or call the team on 01844 213602. We’d love to have you join the family!

DISCOUNT CODE: TO2022 Join online at www.invictusfitnesscentre.co.uk

3, Wenman Road, Thame, Oxon OX9 3SD 01844 213062

www.invictusfitnesscentre.co.uk info@invictusfit.co.uk

New to the Invictus Fitness Centre is Allura Aesthetics. Now you can look and feel great as well.

A new face

Northampton, Emma O’Sullivan is a new addition to Invictus Fitness Centre. Emma’s business Allura Aesthetics offers a variety of treatments to enhance the natural beauty of your face. The most popular treatments are anti ageing, fat dissolve and dermal fillers.

Anti Ageing Injections offer a number of benefits for women and men of all ages. If you want to improve upon your appearance and look younger without surgery then anti ageing injections is a non invasive injectable that can help solve/improve this.

Anti ageing injections gently freeze targeted muscle groups typically being the forehead and eye muscles (crows feet) to reduce fine lines and wrinkles. The treatment can take up to 14 days for optimal results and

lasts anywhere from 3-6 months before you’ll need to make another appointment.

What are the benefits of Aqualyx fat dissolving?

l Aqualyx is a safe and effective fat dissolving treatment

l Produces long lasting results on areas of stubborn unwanted fat

l It can treat pockets of fat around the chin, chest, abdomen, thighs and arms

l Helps with contouring and skin tightening

l Non invasive alternate to liposuction

Why Dermal Filler?

l Enhance appearance

l Smooth out fine lines

l Restore Volume

l Diminish vertical lines and enhance the lips

l Improve facial symmetry Smooth out your chin crease

For further information or full list of treatments please contact Emma at:

Allura Aesthetics 3, Wenman Road, Thame, Oxon OX9 3SD Call: 07437947383

Email: alluraaestheticsbusiness@gmail.com @allura_aesthetics

A gallery of gifts

Part shop, part art gallery, fitch & fellows is located in Thame’s Buttermarket.

Owner, Susannah Fellows has collected an eclectic mix of works that are both beautiful and quirky. Classic and unexpected, rare and everyday. Here you will find the work of many new and established artists and makers.

Paintings, ceramics, jewellery, glass, wood, mixed media, metal, textiles and all things handmade adorn the walls, shelves and display cabinets. It’s an Aladdin’s cave for Christmas ideas.

This year, look out for some wonderful recycled items that include Cashmere fingerless gloves and baby boots. Continuing with the recycled theme, you will find cork wallets and candle holders, trivets and card holders, as well as notebooks made from recycled plastics.

Christmas decorations include the always popular ‘Amica’ range. These feature the cutest animals celebrating the 12 days of Christmas. Mice in bed, a guinea pig on a sled and more.

The scent of Christmas is in the air at fitch & fellows with dried fruit, spices and cinnamon smelling garlands, wreaths and table decorations from ‘Jormaepourri’.

More fragrances are provided by ‘Okiki’ skincare products. Beautiful handmade candles such as ‘He Who Came After Me’ and ‘Follow Me Home’ will light up the festive season.

Two recent additions to the shop are ‘Lottie Day’ Tea towels featuring striking designs of fruit and veg.

As well as some unique ‘Letol Jacquard’ organic cotton scarves designed and woven in the South of France.

An art gallery, gift shop and a delight. fitch&fellows.

Iridescent glass vases and baubles from ‘Isle of Wight Glass’, and of course some chocolate! ‘Love Cocoa’, a business run by James Cadbury, related to the famous Cadbury family, who prefers sustainable chocolate. For every bar sold, a tree is planted. The Truffles are presented in a wonderful presentation box.

For the month of December fitch & fellows will be keeping it local with an exhibit of paintings by wonderful local artist Derek Witchell.

From a stocking filler to a statement piece of art, you can be sure, a gift for Christmas from fitch & fellows will be extra special.

For a Christmas wrapped with love

Food for thought.

Dietitian Kate Costello’s helpful guide for enjoying the Festive Season with a fussy eater.

Christmas should be a time for celebration, fun and enjoying all the great food that the festive season offers. However, for many families, this period of celebration can cause anxiety if your child is a fussy/ picky eater. I have put together a guide for families who are worried about how they are going to manage Christmas with a fussy eater. Hopefully, these steps will reduce parental and child anxiety, resulting in families feeling happier with mealtimes at Christmas.

l Make food fun

The most important thing that you as parents/carers can do during the Christmas period and on Christmas day is to stay relaxed. Children are very in-tune with how people around them are feeling and if you are anxious then this will often make the child anxious. I encourage families to remember that Christmas is a magical, fun time for children and to think of food as being part of that fun experience. While children are feeling all excited about Christmas and the different experiences, this may be a good opportunity to try and encourage them to experiment with different foods. Getting them involved with cooking/baking foods that they would not normally eat is a great place to start, whether it’s rolling out the pasty for mince pies or helping with peeling and chopping vegetables. The most important thing is to make sure they are having fun, parents and carers are role models, so remember you should also show that you are having fun too! Allow your child to get a little messy, it’s so important they feel free to explore food and different textures. Try and resist the urge to intervene to keep them clean as they explore their food!

l Children like to feel in-control Buffets and finger food work well for children, it allows them to choose what they want to eat and for the very

young, it enables them to grip and hold the food they want to choose. If you are having Christmas parties, then make it a buffet style party and lay out food that your child likes in addition to other foods that they wouldn’t normally eat. That way your child will feel happy with those “safer” foods that they feel comfortable with, and they may also take some of the other food if they feel comfortable and see other children do the same. I have two little boys and they always eat foods at school and nursery that they won’t eat at home, this is a common theme with most families I work with. Children learn from other children so having other children around is great for encouraging new foods.

l Keep the pressure off

If your child wants to try something new, great, give LOTS of praise and encouragement for doing this. However, if they clearly do not want something that is being offered then don’t make a fuss, simply take the food away and calmly move on. If you keep putting pressure on your child to try something, then the more likely they will continue to refuse it.

l Pack some food that your child enjoys

If you are visiting family or friends on Christmas day or going to a Christmas party, then you don’t want the focus of that fun occasion to be spoilt by your child not eating anything. Do some preparation in advance and ensure you pack some food your child will enjoy.

l

Limit mealtimes to approximately 20 minutes

Children get bored easily and want to be off playing rather than sitting for prolonged periods of time. Adults may love to stay at a table chatting, drinking and picking on food, but this can make mealtimes seem a chore for children. Remember we want food and mealtimes to be associated with fun

and enjoyment so even if your child is a slow eater, limit mealtimes to about 20 minutes then let them move away from the table. They can always come back for more if they are still hungry.

l Don’t overload your child’s plate

We all overindulge and eat more than normal throughout the festive season, especially for Christmas dinner. Children, however, can feel overwhelmed at the sight of too much food on their plate, so start with a small portion and they can easily have a second helping afterwards if they choose.

l Think about the environment

Some children struggle with sensory overload and Christmas can increase this anxiety, with extra visitors, family and generally more noise and chaos than usual. Your child may struggle with all these sensory changes, this can make meal-times harder. Keep this in mind when you are thinking about the environment at Christmas Dinner. Maybe your child needs a favourite calming song on in the background or a favourite teddy at the dinner table with them. Ensure they are sitting by someone who understands how they may be feeling and can offer reassurance. If you child struggles with noise levels, then think about this when planning and consider having a quieter space in the house where they can go to for a bit of calm time during the day.

l And finally enjoy it!

Christmas is once a year so don’t worry if your child eats more treats than usual during the festive period and on Christmas Day. A few days of less healthy eating won’t harm anyone.

Much of the above can be relevant to everyday life when helping a child that is going through a fussy eating phase, should you need more support regards to this, or any infant or child related dietary concerns, please get in touch.

Kate Costello

Registered Paediatric Dietitian Based in Thame, Oxfordshire web: www.katecostello.co.uk email: info@katecostello.co.uk

Live-in care trial

Are you considering care options for a relative or even yourself – why not try a live-in care trial to see the benefits of staying in your own home with just the right amount of help to enable you to remain as independent as possible.

Tackling a conversation with a loved family member about their care needs and whether or not, they can continue to live independently at home, is daunting at the best of times but in the current difficult economic climate even more so. However, it is so important to look at all options. Far too many families automatically assume that an elderly relative needs to go into a residential care home when daily tasks start to become difficult, but this is not necessarily the case. In fact, research shows that person-centred one-to-one care in the comfort of one’s own home results in far better emotional health as well as physical health. Most people want to remain at home for as long as possible and live-in home care is

certainly the oldest and most respected form of social care, just little known in the UK.

The best way to see if it’s suitable for you and your family is to give it a try. Ashridge Home Care is a family run independent care business which offers a Live-In Care Trial Service so you can see exactly what it is like having a carer live at home with you. Understandably many people are nervous about inviting a stranger into their home. However, Ashridge carefully matches carers with clients so that not only are their medical and physical care needs met but to en sure that common interests are shared and the all-important underlying values are compatible to live together.

The trial involves a free consultation with a Care Manager, this can be either in person or over the phone, who then puts together a bespoke Care package. The Care Manager sources a suitable live-in carer for you to be matched with and you will be given a detailed carer profile outlining their experience,

training qualifications as well as interests and hobbies to see if there is a suitable match. The Care Manager will also offer clear information on costs so you can make a considered care decision.

Ashridge’s Care Manager describes a typical scenario: “ We recently had a client who booked live-in care for 2 weeks following a hospital stay. She was extremely anxious about having a carer living with her and was very clear that it would be short term, however, she soon realised how supportive and helpful the carer was, allowing her to live more independently and enjoy life again. She made the decision to book live-in care on an ongoing basis.”

For a free trial telephone Ashridge Home Care on Tel: 01494 917 344 Email: care@ashridgehomecare.co.uk

Glittering surprises

at Thame Jewellery Workshop

Something special from the Thame Jewellery Workshop will make a beautiful gift this Christmas.

Abeautiful piece of jewellery. It’s a wonderful gift to give or to receive. See a loved ones eyes light up when they open your present from Thame Jewellery Workshop on Christmas Day.

Located on Thame’s historic High Street, the shop window illuminates the long dark winter days.

This independent family run business is home to beautiful rings, bracelets, necklaces, earrings and cuff links. These include many locally designed items.

The Workshop specialise in the more unusual pieces. You will find Opals from Australia, as well as a variety of semi precious stones. Add to this a large collection of cultured pearls, copper and silver and even fossil stones set in rings and pendants, as well as ‘a girls best friend’, Diamonds.

Prices start from as little as £18.00 for small silver items.

Jewellery designer and Goldsmith, Robert French is on site, creating handmade bespoke items of jewellery.

Thame Jewellery Workshop also carry out valuable repair work for their customers. From repairing damaged and broken pieces to cleaning, tightening and re sizing valuable heirlooms. It’s a full range of jewellery repair and maintenance services.

The Workshop also offer on-site valuations for probate, insurance and selling purposes.

A precious gift that will last a lifetime from Thame Jewellery Workshop.

DECEMBER – DEREK WITCHELL EXHIBITION

Small is beautiful

Fred. Olsen Cruises from Spear Travels.

The world of cruising is changing. Cruise ships that are even bigger, busier and some would say even brasher are beginning to dominate the seas. People are seeking an alternative experience.

Cruise enthusiasts are looking more and more for an experience that is elegant and relaxed.

A small ship cruise that guests would rather choose are offered by Fred. Olsen Cruise Lines. A cruise that celebrates the beauty of the journey, nature and culture of the destinations along the way. Fred. Olsen Cruise Lines stand for an alternative way of sailing the seas. The Olsen way is people sized, not super sized.

What follows are just a small selection of cruises on offer.

WINTER WARMTH IN THE CANARIES

Liverpool | Borealis | 20 Jan 2023 | 14 nights

Relax on sandy beaches in Tenerife. Explore the volcanic landscapes on Lanzarote. Visit the Maspalomas sand dunes in Gran Canaria. 1 offer available. From £1,399pp

The Olsen Way Highlights

On the island of La Gomera you can enjoy a guided tour of Fred. Olsen’s hotel - Jardin Tecina - before relaxing with views over the Atlantic Ocean.

Your time on Lanzarote can be as energetic as you wish, you can visit an active volcano or simply relax on the black-sand beaches while a day in Funchal is ideal for riding the historic cable car to the suburb of Monte and indulging in some sweet Madeira wine.

Elsewhere, you can soak up the winter warmth on the beaches of Gran Canaria and Tenerife.

New on board signature experiences

To make your experience even more special our Journey Planners have designed a unique programme of Signature Experiences which will allow you to discover real insights about the culture and nature of the places we are visiting so you can arrive in each destination fully prepared to get the most out of your visit.

The Canaries

Northern lights, Tromso, Norway

Bolette in Olden, Norway

IN SEARCH OF THE NORTHERN LIGHTS IN NINE NIGHTS

Newcastle | Bolette | 09 Mar 2023 | 9 nights

Seek out the enigmatic Aurora Borealis from Alta

Visit the iceberg-shaped Arctic Cathedral in Tromso Explore Alesund as Bolette docks close to the city centre From £1,499pp

The Olsen Way Highlights

While cruising in the Arctic Ocean from the comfort of Bolette and ashore during an extended say in Alta, you may be lucky enough to see the Aurora Borealis illuminate the night sky. Alta is also ideally placed for tours that take you into the wilderness where you meet local Sami communities and learn about their way of life. In Tromso, ‘Gateway to the Arctic”, you can visit the iceberg-shaped Arctic Cathedral and capture winter panoramas from atop Mt Storsteinen.

SCENIC SUMMERTIME NORWEGIAN FJORDS

Newcastle | Bolette | 24 Jan 2023 | 7 nights

Experience Norway’s fjords and landscapes at their best Divert into remarkable waterways to see cliffs and waterfalls Ashore, go in search of glaciers, waterfalls and more.

From £1,199pp

The Olsen Way Highlights

Fred. Olsen’s expert team of Journey Planners have designed this itinerary to showcase the natural surroundings of Norway when Spring turns to Summer and the waterfalls are at their strongest.

Bolette will deviate from the tourist trail along waterways such as Lysefjord - out of reach to larger ships: wild and

rugged Hjørundfjord and Maurangerfjord, where Bolette will make a turn in front of the sprawling Fureberg Waterfall. There’s also a sailing along UNESCO-listed Geirangerfjord, past the Seven Sisters Waterfall.

From Andalsnes, you can admire mountainous landscapes during a ride on the Rauma Railway, while a hike up Bergen’s Mount Fløyan with a local will reward you with fjordland views away from the crowds.

We would love to welcome you on board our Winter Warmth in the Canaries cruise and take you to the sun-kissed islands including Tenerife, Gran Canaria and Lanzarote.

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

BOOK WITH CONFIDENCE

As an independent travel agent, Spear Travels will give you the best impartial travel advice. 3 Extensive travel knowledge 3 Widest choice of great holiday deals 3 Options best suited to your travel needs 3 A friendly, convenient service 3 Value for money 3 Financial security for your holiday booking

How do estate agents value a unique home? Demystifying the process.

College and County break down the exact process estate agents use to value unique homes.

Valuing unique homes is, well, unique. It’s not as straightforward as listing your typical threebedroom home. There are a lot more factors to consider, from analysing recent data and current market conditions to taking into account stunning views, undeniably impressive architecture and other aspects.

Perhaps you bought your home over a decade ago, maybe it was a doer-upper or a restoration project, or maybe you’ve lived there your whole life. Whatever the situation and however you ended up with your unique home, if you’re considering selling, it can be difficult to know what asking price is realistic.

So, how do estate agents value unique homes? At College and County, we have a clear process to help you achieve the maximum sale price. And that’s what this blog post is all about – here’s how estate agents value unique homes.

HOW ESTATE AGENTS VALUE UNIQUE HOMES

As already mentioned, valuing a unique home can be tricky. But we’ve developed a system to help you get the maximum sale price for your home.

l We consider the following:

l Is there any data on comparable homes?

l Price per square foot

l What is the current market condition?

l Our expertise and local knowledge

Continue reading to see how each factor directly affects the estimated value of your home.

WHY ARE UNIQUE HOMES DIFFICULT TO VALUE?

There are many factors that make a home unique, from a picturesque view with your morning coffee to original Victorian architecture or a one-of-a-kind location; it’s something we see daily in Oxfordshire and Buckinghamshire.

Often, if your home is unique, then the normal house pricing guidelines do not work.

You can’t put a price on Victorian bay windows and decorative woodwork, much as you can’t price the view looking over the fells.

But we can use similar principles to help get the price in the right ballpark – here’s how we do it.

IS THERE ANY DATA ON COMPARABLE HOMES?

Your home may be unique, but there are likely similar homes, estates or Victorian terraces in the surrounding area, or at least somewhere in the country.

We find comparable homes and extract the data – how much have similar homes sold for in the last 3–6 months? And if we can’t find any results, then we check sale price data from the Land Registry for a more accurate financial report.

If there truly is no home like yours, then we take comparable data and work from there – taking into account the features of your home that make it unique.

Even if comparable homes don’t stand up to your expectations, we can use these to more accurately price your home.

PRICE PER SQUARE FOOT

Typically, price per square foot is not commonly used, especially for unique homes. But it can provide a useful metric for comparison to similar homes in the area.

Price per square foot is different for each location –expect higher prices in cities and more affordable prices in the countryside. But this is just a guideline; these prices differ massively based on local amenities, location and other factors.

Buyers need to know what they’re getting for the money – we’ll add the unique architecture, stunning views and other features onto the price later. For now, it’s about valuing the property based on size – buyers love metrics, so let’s provide them with all the details.

OUR EXPERTISE AND LOCAL KNOWLEDGE

A good local estate agent can help maximise the sale price of your unique home.

With knowledge of the local area and market, a local agent can create more realistic pricing guidelines.

And as previously mentioned, while a home may be unique, it can usually still be compared to other homes (at least to give an estimated value).

As a buyer, if one home is considerably more expensive, it’s likely to attract less attention, even if the home is oneof-a-kind. We’re not saying you need to drastically reduce the price, but the pricing could perhaps be a tad more realistic and in a similar ballpark to other, less unique homes with equivalent assets.

WHAT IS THE CURRENT MARKET CONDITION?

The market is known to go up and down like a yo-yo. When there are fewer homes on the market, the average house price is likely to increase (this is because there is less competition).

Unique homes tend to increase attraction, especially when there are fewer homes on the market. It’s not uncommon for a bidding war to occur, with potential buyers exceeding the asking price.

And although the current market condition is definitely a factor in the estimated value, unique homes are less likely to be affected by the ups and downs of the market. Good news, right?

TO SUMMARISE

There are numerous factors that influence the price of a home.

For example, can you really put a price on an awardwinning view in a one-of-a-kind location? But there’s a method to the madness – in this article, we’ve given a glimpse into our process of how we value a unique home.

But there’s a lot more that goes into it, and the price you can expect to sell for depends on various factors.

So, if you’ve got a unique home and you’re looking to sell, or if your home is already on the market but you haven’t had much success, then give us a call on 01844 399292 or email us at darren@collegeandcounty.co.uk. We’ll help you to value your home and maximise the sale price.

Thame: 44 (0) 1844 399292

Suite 1 (Ground floor), 55 North Street, Thame, OX9 3BH

Oxford: 44 (0) 1865 955050

9-10 St Clements, Oxford, OX4 1AB www.collegeandcounty.co.uk

Darren Hunt MNAEA Sales Director

The gift that keeps giving

Headington Fairtrade is an independent gift shop that specialises in a wide range of ethical and sustainable products that have been fairly traded from all over the world.

Headington Fairtrade was started by members of the local community who volunteered their time to sell food and gifts at nearby churches.

Eventually this group of volunteers found a retail outlet in Headington. For the past 12 years Headington Fairtrade has operated from its current location on London Road, a main road into Oxford. Perfect for attracting passing trade, the shop has grown in size and stature since its humble beginnings.

Establishing the shop was a costly venture. Funds were supplied by shareholders and by “friendly” loans. People are at the heart of what Headington Fairtrade does and it required a huge amount of volunteer time (it still does of course). It was financially very risky and there was a lot to learn running a retail outlet. But after a lot of hard work from many dedicated helpers, the venture was launched in the winter of 2010.

The shop had to buy and sell goods and so could not be run as a charity, so

Headington Fairtrade was set up as a community co-operative. Being a co-op means that each member/ shareholder can have an equal say. By trading on fair trade terms they directly support the enterprise of community groups from across the Global South who grow the foods and make the crafts that the shop sells.

Make no mistake, this is not another charity shop so prevalent on our High Streets. Shop Manager Suzie Hodgson and her team have a range of wonderful gift ideas beautifully displayed. The shop exudes a professional, yet friendly atmosphere.

The products and where they are sourced sets Headington Fairtrade apart from other gift shops.

They sell an extensive range of crafts, food, jewellery, homewares, toys and gifts by creative, innovative and enterprising people from all over the world. In addition, Headington Fairtrade stock household items which provide an attractive alternative to mainstream goods as they are more ecologically benign and ethically produced such as Ecover and Faith in Nature refills.

All fair trade stock is purchased from established UK fairtrade importers or suppliers who are approved by the British Association of Fairtrade Shops (BAFTS), guaranteeing the fairtrade provenance of goods.

And of course, items you won’t find on the average High Street.

A stroll around the store and you will find Homewares and Craft Goods, Toys including some wonderful hand-made wooden toys from Sri Lanka. Greeting Cards and Gift Wrap, Gifts, Jewellery, Food, Drink and Eco Products, as well as Household and Beauty items and Hampers. At the moment, Suzie has sourced some wonderful Christmas decorations.

Everyone connected with Headington Fairtrade is passionate about the importance of fairly traded products and ethical ways of protecting this beautiful planet for future generations.

So, if you are looking for some unusual, hand made gifts for Christmas, call into Headington Fairtrade. There is a whole world of gift ideas and you will be made most welcome by the team.

Oxford OX3 9AJ 01865 236944

www.headingtonfairtrade.org.uk

Opening Hours Mon–Fri: 10am – 5pm Sat: 9.30am – 5pm Sundays in December 11am–3pm

Seeing is believing. The kitchen on the previous page cost just £5,000 (including VAT). Fully built in Germany, this rigid kitchen features soft close drawers and cupboards, 25mm German Luxury Laminate worktops and unpstands. The kitchen Includes Zanussi appliances (70/30 built in Fridge Freezer, Four Zone ceramic hob, Fan Oven, fully integrated Dishwasher). It also includes a Caple Black Chimney extractor, Blanco Dinas Stainless steel sink with Camia Tap.

The larger design on this page, just £9,600 (including VAT). Again, German fully built, rigid kitchen with soft close drawers and cupboards, 40mm German Luxury Laminate worktops and unpstands. With Zanussi appliances (70/30 built in Fridge Freezer, Four Zone ceramic hob, Double Oven, Fully integrated Dishwasher). A Caple Black Chimney extractor, Blanco Dinas Stainless steel sink with Camia Tap.

A full design service is included from our experienced kitchen design team. These are just two examples of kitchens from German Kitchens for Less range.

Details, full terms and conditions are available on the website.

If you require something more than a simple replacement kitchen, some walls knocking down or building work carried out? Fear not, the team at German Kitchens for Less can help you. Call 01844 853033 and make your dream kitchen a reality. A beautiful kitchen that won’t cost a pretty penny.

Unit 8, Rycote Lane Farm, Rycote Lane, Thame, Oxfordshire OX9 2NZ Phone: 01844 853033 www.germankitchensforless.co.uk

We take care of everything so you don’t have to.

Ho,ho,ho at

Wday well underway, many of us are getting into the festive spirit with Christmas festivities in full swing. For those still looking for the perfect real tree, decorations, festive wreaths and all those other items that you never knew you needed, then make sure you pay a visit to Hartwell Nurseries.

The family run nursery in Aylesbury boasts one of the largest supply of real, potted and artificial trees in the area.

From Nordmann Fir to Norway Spruce, they have the perfect sized tree to suit your home and pocket. Real trees are available from 25th November.

Hartwell’s Christmas Shop is overflowing with a huge array of beautiful baubles, traditional hanging decorations, fun and trending

ornaments, cuddly gingerbread men, gifts and so much more.

As we all know you can never have enough festive cheer - there is always room for another bauble, a homemade centre piece or a new nutcracker to admire. Get ready to be inspired!

Hartwell are also offering the opportunity to create your own homemade wreath. Join them in a two-hour session from Monday 28th November – Thursday 1st December at 2-4pm. It costs just £37.99 per person and includes a tea, coffee or Prosecco and a mince pie. Contact them to book your space.

Christmas Opening Event

Join in the festive fun at Hartwell Nurseries on Monday 28th November 4-8.30pm for its Christmas Opening

Event. Get wrapped up in the Christmas spirit and visit the Christmas market brimming with local and independent business selling beautiful handmade items, including cards, glass ornaments, wooden gifts, scented candles, local gin and much more.

Fill your bellies with hot street food and festive ice cream, plus take part in the raffle, which is all in aid of The Pace Centre - Hartwell’s charity of the year.

Winter gardens

When Christmas comes to an end, have you thought about how you’ll dispose of your real tree?

Here’s Hartwell Nurseries’ top three recommendations on how to kick start your winter garden in the new year with using just your left-over Christmas tree.

Christmas countdown and winter gardens at Hartwell Nurseries.

l TURN IT INTO MULCH

Put your Christmas tree through a shredder or chop it finely to create fantastic mulch. This can be used around the base of your trees or shrubs to prevent compaction, soil erosion after heavy rain or frozen ground.

l SCATTER TREE NEEDLES

The needles from Christmas trees make excellent ericaceous compost, which is perfect for growing rhododendrons, camellias, azaleas, as well as blueberries and cranberries. Scatter them around the base of each plant.

l CREATE A HOME FOR WILDLIFE

In the winter, birds and animals are always looking for safe places to seek shelter. Be sure to tie it down in case of strong winds.

Come January, days are getting longer, and the garden is starting to grow. There is no better time to get out there and start planning for the year ahead.

For all your Christmas inspiration and garden needs, you’ll find it at Hartwell Nurseries.

Eat, drink and make lampshades

As you would expect, tillynilly creative interiors take interior design very seriously. That doesn’t however mean they are not innovative and quirky. Take a look at their fun lamps for example.

Bring in a bottle of your favourite tipple or choose one from tillynilly’s own collection and tillynilly will transform it into a fun lamp. You can choose from their wonderful collection of fabrics to decorate the shade. The result is a unique item that would make a fantastic Christmas gift. They will be created in time for Christmas, naturally.

The first floor showroom is open to view further ideas for Christmas. Here you will find fabrics and wallpapers, cushions, interior lighting and decorative items for the home as well as made to measure curtains and blinds.

There is a workroom where you can discuss your new décor. Customers can talk through project ideas and benefit from the design guidance of tillynilly’s team.

Perhaps now is the time to think about your home interiors for 2023.

tillynilly only work with the finest fabrics and materials and they provide a personal design service that’s second to none.

Designing interiors for both the home and workplace. Their experienced team can arrange a survey, measuring and installation service for you.

Call in and see for yourself how a tillynilly interior can improve your interior.

Check the website for current opening times – www.tillynilly.com

Bright ideas for your home from tillynilly creative interiors.

Lets make this Christmas a cracker

Step inside and you are greeted by a sparkling winter wonderland.

The shop has gifts for men women and children alike. Cushions, lights, mirrors and tableware rub shoulders with jewellery, candles, games and traditional Christmas decorations.

Shelves and display cabinets are cleverly colour themed. Traditional red, green and golds proliferate naturally. There is a lovely woodland theme running along the back wall of the Barn. This year a combination of blue and gold decorations are proving particularly popular. A sub conscious nod to Ukraine

Stratton Audley Barn transforms into the Christmas Barn.

Renowned for their wonderful Christmas Trees, the Barn has them on sale now. Trees are carefully selected from their British suppliers in Scotland and Ireland. These wetter climates during the growing months mean stronger and healthier trees in the winter. Christmas trees are available in a number of sizes. The team are there to help source your tree for home or business. You can request a quote or order a Christmas Trees directly online and pre-order for collection or delivery. A selection of beautiful Fresh wreaths will also be available alongside Christmas Trees.

Stratton Audley Barn also attracts visitors for their delicious homemade food. Take a break from the shopping and indulge in some warming soups and Paninis, or tuck into a homemade cake. Tea, Coffee and soft drinks, are always on the menu too.

This year, a nice touch from Richard and Sara is a gift to their customers. Times are tough for everyone, so items are kept to 2021 prices, including the café prices.

Why not take advantage of the ample free parking, sample some delicious food and let the Christmas spirit wash over you.

Stratton Audley Barn. For a cracking Christmas.

Stratton Audley Barn

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

Open: Tuesday to Sunday (Monday in December) 10am - 4pm Food served from 12.00am – 2.00pm For lunches, it is advisable to book in advance.

Development in Northmoor, Oxford – Prices start from £675.000

Northmoor Park is a bespoke development made up of six self-build live/work, barn conversion style new builds. Situated in a prime village location within stunning countryside and with outstanding views.

Northmoor is a very desirable village, with a community including a community owned pub, the Red Lion. It is close to Standlake and Stanton Harcourt with a post office, pubs and local or for everyday needs.

For more information please contact: Darren Hunt MNAEA Sales Director

Thame: 44 (0) 1844 399292 Suite 1 (Ground floor), 55 North Street, Thame, OX9 3BH

darren@collegeandcounty.co.uk

Oxford: 44 (0) 1865 955050 9-10 St Clements, Oxford, OX4 1AB www.collegeandcounty.co.uk

A proud past and an exciting future.

2023 looks set to be a tough year for us all. But Kingsey Furniture & Interiors can reflect on a hugely busy and successful 2022.

Under new ownership for the last 14 months, Kingsey Furniture & Interiors are thriving. December is a month where we look forward to celebrating the festive season, but it is also a month where we look back on the past year.

2022 it seems has seen Kingsey Furniture & Interiors performing to an exceptional level, working on all kinds of amazing projects.

Kingsey have turned their talented hands to every room in the home. From kitchen designs, bathrooms, bedrooms, home offices to fitting storage into an attic space. Projects that have ranged from a single bespoke wardrobe to a huge kitchen diner.

Wardrobes

Bathroom

Media Wall

Attic Storage

NEW SPACIOUS SHOWROOM OPEN SOON Appointment only please

I see a huge investment has been made this year with a brand new replacement Edge banding machine, ensuring seamless joins in the cabinet work. Plus I notice investment in a new working environment for the team and a new showroom which will be double the size of the existing one. This will feature furniture for all the rooms in the home and is due to launch early in the New Year”. Says Fay.

“The team have kept my initial dream alive and more, if you would like to have your dream kitchen or furniture for any room of your home in 2023 then contact the team now”. She adds. Kingsey Furniture & Interiors. Designs for a brighter future

Kingsey Furniture & Interiors have also been working on their own interiors. Huge investment in 2022 has seen extensions to the offices and workshop. As well as a brand new showroom that is the ideal environment to demonstrate Kingsey’s renowned design and build qualities.

Kingsey was started in 2014 with a passion to bring quality bespoke kitchens to the local area. Now retired

to France, previous owner, Fay stays in touch with the team in Kingsey. She is an enthusiastic supporter of the direction the business is taking.

“It’s just over a year since I retired and left a fabulous team of dedicated and hard working individuals taking the business from strength to strength. I am so pleased to see that this has been a brilliant year for Kingsey Furniture & Interiors. But that’s not all.

Kingsey Furniture & Interiors Ltd Unit 2, Manor Farm, Risborough Road, Kingsey, Bucks HP17 8LU www.kingseyfurniture.co.uk 01844 299820 – 01844 290 899 sues@kingseyfurniture.co.uk

Kitchen

Bedroom

It’s Christmaaas!

... said Noddy Holder and Slade. At

Centre, it really is.

CHaddenham Garden Centre. Everything you need for the festive season is here, under one roof.

A lot of thought has gone into the five unique themes this year that provide inspiration for your Christmas. Nordic Kitchen. A red and white Scandinavian look. Nostalgia. Traditional themed, red, gold and green style. Look out for the wonderful Nutcracker dolls. Frozen Lake. Natural looking and frosty. Captured in silver, white and pale blue colours. Midnight Cocktail. All bright, stunning colours of gold, green, pink and blue. Something a little bit different. And Winter Forager. A rustic, woodland and wildlife theme.

need as you prepare for Christmas. You will find a huge range of indoor and outdoor lighting, decorations, Christmas cards and artificial Christmas trees, and of course the real Christmas trees that are available from the end of November.

For Christmas itself, why not explore the huge Christmas and giftware department that is full of gift ideas for the whole family. Discover Stone Glow diffusers, Cath Kidston products, picture frames, candles, cushions, toiletries and so on. Particularly popular this winter are the extra long hot water bottles. Naturally children’s books, toys and clothing feature heavily at this time of year. One brilliant display is a model village by Lemax. Children and adults alike are transfixed by the colour and detail. Figures that move and chimneys that actually smoke. It really is a winter wonderland.

You will also discover dedicated areas devoted to stationary, clothing for men, women and children and a pets area.

Haddenham Garden

Don’t forget your pets this Christmas. Haddenham Garden Centre stock food and accessories for dogs, cats, small animals and aquatic.

The Centre stocks a great range of well known clothing and accessories. Brands, including Barbour, Joules men, women and childrenswear, Brakeburn, Stormafit, Le Chameau and Hunter and Muck Boot wellington boots.

Food and drink is of course a huge part of Christmas and for Haddenham Garden Centre. The Farmshop houses a butchers and delicatessen promoting local and regional food and drink.

The Deli counter showcases the best award winning local and regional cheeses as well as anti pasti, cured meats, sausage rolls, pickles and lots more to tempt you.

The Deli is a great place to procure gifts too. Their choice of hampers providing a great selection of products.

Find your stocking fillers from an extensive range of chutneys, jams, and pickles as well as chocolates, sweet treats and crisps to tickle the taste buds.

Christmas wouldn’t be complete without a tipple or two, would it?

No problem. The shelves groan with Wines, Spirits, Beers and Ales. Specially selected for their great quality, here you will find drinks from local and regional breweries, distilleries and vintners.

You can take a break from the Christmas shopping and retreat to the popular Gardener’s Retreat Restaurant. Enjoy a tea or coffee and a great selection of hot foods, cakes, and more.

All food is freshly prepared on site, and Haddenham Garden Centre is fully licensed so you can enjoy a bottle of prosecco, wine or beer with your lunch.

Haddenham Garden Centre. A family run business for the whole family. Take advantage of the free parking, and immerse yourself in Christmas.

A festive flavour

The Black Horse in Thame has all the ingredients for the ideal Christmas as Nicola Rogers discovered on a menu tasting evening.

or a taste of what’s to come this festive season, the Black Horse in Thame invited local companies to sample their Christmas menu. Nicola from Thame Out joined them.

“An invitation to dine at the Black Horse really is pushing against an open door. It is a favourite destination for us all year round.

Christmas time however is a particular lovely time to visit.

It was late October, yet it really felt like Christmas had arrived already”.

Located in the heart of this historic market town, The Black Horse is a beautiful pub and brasserie that brims with character

and generates a lovely, convivial atmosphere. Cosy snugs in the bar make for a perfect spot to enjoy a drink, whilst the airy conservatory and stunning barn brasserie are gorgeous spaces in which to enjoy a lunch or dinner. During the day, the sun-trap courtyard garden can be enjoyed in the winter sunshine.

“Joined by my husband and two guests, we were warmly welcomed by the ever attentive staff and a very pleasant evening ensued.

We were treated to a taste of the Christmas Party Menu. We started with a white bean soup with truffled girolle mushrooms. Accompanying the soup were the other starter options of a traditional pork terrine with apple and pear chutney, pickled cucumber on toasted baguette. Plus a delicious prawn cocktail served on a bed of lettuce with grapefruit, avocado and prawn toast.

My favourite was the sweetcorn fritter with chipotle mayonnaise, and avocado guacamole which had just a subtle kick to it.

The mains we sampled were a meltin-the-mouth slow-cooked beef blade with parsnip mash, parsnip crisp, and a red wine sauce. As well as pan-fried Sea Bream with prawn potatoes, buttered kale, and bouillabaisse sauce.

The very tempting sweets started with a blackcurrant mousse with poached blackcurrants, and vanilla biscuit. This was followed by a lovely chocolate delice – a crispy feuilletine base, chocolate ganache, dark chocolate sauce, honeycomb ice cream with hazelnuts and pistachios.

Finally an indulgent apple and blackberry crumble with vanilla ice cream. With filter coffee and mince pies (some of the best according to our mince pie officianado) to round off the evening, we were complete.

To accompany the meal we enjoyed a bottle (actually two) of Spanish red (Tempranillo Damana 5).

The festive menu starts on the 17th of November and runs all the way to the 30th of December. The price is £34.50 per person for three courses and includes coffee mince pies.

The Black Horse also have great drinks package deals. These are available for pre order to compliment the festive menu.

As winter blows in, come and savour the warmth of The Black Horse this festive season. A cosy romantic meal for two, a family gathering or a works party? It’s the perfect way to build up to Christmas.

The White Brasserie Company The Black Horse, 11 Cornmarket Thame, Oxfordshire OX9 2BL 01844 219050 thame@whitebrasserie.com blackhorsethame.com

A classic tipple for winter from our wine expert, Jerome Harlington.

Ienjoy reading ‘The Conversation’, an independent source of news analysis and informed comment written by academic experts, working with professional journalists. Rarely are there articles about wine, but I was delighted to come across, the other day, a recent article including the history of wine and, at this time of year, as I write six weeks before Christmas, it got me thinking about the often derided and looked down upon by wine snobs - Mulled Wine. It actually has a fascinating history and story to tell.

When the temperature drops, I like to stave off the chill with a big steaming pot of mulled wine, and fill the home with the comforting aroma of red wine, citrus and spice.

The mention of mulled wine conjures images of winter-wonderland and white-Christmas scenes.

Its long history incorporates both pagan and Christian lore, traverses old and new worlds and established it as a favourite Christmastime beverage, travellers’ tipple of choice and a tonic of sorts in times of convalescence.

Whether for festivity or fortification, mulled wine has been around for at least 2,000 years.

and spices acted as a preservative, allowing the alcohol to accompany travellers on long journeys.

Conditum paradoxium became a prominent feature of the Saturnalia Festival in ancient Rome: the winter solstice celebration of the passing of the shortest day of the year and the rebirth of the Sun.

Conditum paradoxium was a prominent feature of the Roman winter festival, Saturnalia.

By the time of the late-Roman Republic, Saturnalia had grown from a one-day celebration to a week-long festival held each year from December 17 to 23. Consuming the warming wine as part of the celebrations was thought to help ward off winter illness and so became firmly associated with the December celebrations.

Towards the end of the 4th century, this pagan solstice celebration became interwoven with Christianity and the celebration of Christmas Day. By the middle ages, mulled wine had become entrenched as part of the festivities throughout Europe.

avoid using the cheapest bottles. Only when you heat the wine, you are left with the base wine, and if it’s of particularly poor quality, the flavour will be equally poor. There may also be unpleasant chemicals and additives that you may want to avoid.

I would recommend a medium to light bodied inexpensive red. Such as Valpolicella or Corbieres.

Remember not to boil the wine at any point, otherwise this will make your mulled wine taste bitter.

Add the bottle of red wine to the pan with an equal quantity of orange juice, preferably freshly squeezed, or if from concentrate mix it with some water.

With the added spices, I would recommend keeping these whole, otherwise your mulled wine could taste powdery, so use whole cinnamon rather than powder for example. You could try cinnamon sticks, ginger, nutmeg and a clove studded orange.

Method:

l Pour the wine into a large saucepan and add 500ml orange juice (plus water if from concentrate)

The ancient Greek version of mulled wine, Ypocras or Hippocras, takes its name from Hippocrates, the Greek physician regarded as the father of medicine. (It is also the name of the apothecary’s bag or sieve used to strain this wine.)

According to several medieval cookbooks the most common of the sweet, spiced wines in the late middleages were still referred to as hippocras, with the term “mulled wine” coming later.

Raj

Early versions of mulled wine can be found as far back as Ancient Greece. Wine played an important role in medicine in Greek antiquity. In the only ancient cookery book surviving to our times, De re coquinaria, we see a few versions of spice wine (conditum paradoxum) and wine with honey and pepper.

The latter, known as conditum melizomum viatorum was recommended for travellers: the honey

Just as they do today, ingredients varied depending on the region, but key components were hot red wine blended with sugar and ground spices – usually ginger, cinnamon and pepper and sometimes nutmeg and cloves.

Mulled wine has been with us for millenia and whilst there’s a place for the convenience of ‘ready made’ bottles at the supermarket, I would urge you to have a go at making your own.

Here are my tips for preparing the perfect mulled wine:

Although you wouldn’t particularly want to use your best red wines, I would

l Add orange with cloves, spices and heat gently until almost boiling

l Reduce the heat as low as possible –the liquid should barely tremble – and simmer for about 30 minutes so the spices infuse

l Add measures of brandy or whisky to taste

l Ladle into small cups or glasses to serve

If you have any questions about your Christmas wine selections or would like some help with placing an order, do drop me a linethameout@trailblazingwine.com. Happy exploring!

Jerome 07886 916857

Sit back and enjoy Christmas in a glass, with the perfect recipe for Mulled Wine.

Two traditional English pubs. One Fine Thai Cuisine.

THE RISING SUN

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.

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

Fine Food. Wide Selection Of Drinks. Live Sport. Outdoor Area. Takeaways. Loyalty Card. Quiz Night (Tuesday). Live music every other Saturday. Monday - 1/2 price G&T. Wednesday - 1/2 price Prosecco. Thursday - Mixed Starter & Prosecco for £20. Lunch Club Meal Deal: One Beer, Small Glass of Wine or Soft Drink plus One main Course for £10.

THE CHURCHILL ARMS

CHRISTMAS EVE

Live DJ Kristian from 11pm-late (Free entry).

CHRISTMAS DAY

Open for festive drinks 12-3pm. BOXING DAY Open 12pm-11pm.

NEW YEAR’S EVE Open for festive drinks 12pm – late (Free glass of Prosecco to toast at midnight).

NEW YEAR’S DAY Closed for our staff party.

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

Fine Food. Great Selection Of XT Real Ales. Live Sport (Sky & BT). Spacious Garden. New Decking Area. Function Room (seats 50). Takeaways. Loyalty Card.

CHRISTMAS EVE

Festive drinks and dinner from 12pm till late.

CHRISTMAS DAY Festive drinks 12pm - 3pm.

BOXING DAY Open 12pm-11pm.

NEW YEAR’S EVE Open from 12pm till late (Free glass of Prosecco to toast at midnight).

NEW YEAR’S DAY Closed for our staff party.

New from the New Theatre

VARNA INTERNATIONAL BALLET Giselle

31 JANUARY

The moving story of delicate Giselle and her aristocratic but duplicitous lover Albrecht is set to a glorious score. From the visual splendour of the rustic villagers happily gathering the harvest at the start of the story to the eerie moonlit forest haunted by beautifully drifting spirits, this production is unforgettable.

The most poignant of all classical ballets is filled with dramatic passion in a chilling and heart-rending tale of love, treachery and forgiveness from beyond the grave.

Will the recycling be put out on the right day? Who is going to smooth over the top of the margarine? How many lights are on upstairs when everybody is downstairs? Watch Jon pretend that these aren’t his foremost concerns as he leaves home on his first tour since the last one.

Best known as a team captain on 8 Out of 10 Cats Does Cats Countdown

Renowned for its award-winning soloists and magnificent corps de ballet, the company has been delighting audiences for decades at home and abroad with its performances of the highest quality.

(Channel 4), host of Dave’s Ultimate Worrier, and upcoming sitcom Meet the Richardsons. As well as Would I Lie To You (BBC One), Have I Got News For You (BBC One), Michael McIntyre’s Comedy Roadshow (BBC One), and Taskmaster (Dave).

Whip-smart comedy... His mind is extraordinary GQ

The Knitwit 9 FEBRUARY

DARA O’BRIAN

So where were we?

3 FEBRUARY

Dara Ó Briain is back on tour, with a brand new show!

At the end of his last tour, Dara had performed the show “Voice Of Reason” 180 times, over 2 years across 20 countries, from Auckland to Reykjavik, from Moscow to New York; and by March 2020 he was ready for a break!

He would now like to apologise for saying that and will never wish for anything like that again.

Pure, undiluted comic genius

- EVENING STANDARD

His set is a masterclass in intelligent, no-frills stand-up

- THE GUARDIAN

If you want a comic who can hold an audience in the palm of his hand for two hours, here’s your man

- THE TIMES

Yes, he’s back on tour, and he will never stop again, because that’s clearly what caused all this trouble. Instead, in his new show So, Where Were We?, Dara will hardly mention the last year and a half, because, Jesus, who wants to hear about that, but will instead fire out the usual mix of stories, one-liners, audience messing, and tripping over his words because he is talking too quickly, because he’s so giddy to be back in front of a crowd.

JON RICHARDSON

Senbla presents Opera International’s award-winning Ellen Kent Production featuring the Ukrainian Opera & Ballet Theatre Kyiv, with international soloists, highlypraised chorus and full orchestra Welcoming back the fabulous Korean soprano Elena Dee, Ukrainian soprano Alyona Kistenyova and Ukrainian mezzo-soprano Natalia Matveeva*

Back by overwhelming public demand, this award-winning Opera returns in a new production with exquisite sets including a spectacular Japanese garden and fabulous costumes including antique wedding kimonos from Japan.

One of the world’s most popular operas, Puccini’s Madama Butterfly tells the heart-breaking story of the beautiful young Japanese girl who falls in love with an American naval lieutenant – with dramatic results.

Highlights include the melodic Humming Chorus, the moving aria One Fine Day and the unforgettable Love Duet.

Sung in Italian with English subtitles

SARA PASCOE Success Story

Sara decided she wanted to be famous at 14 years old. Since then, she has auditioned for Barrymore, scared Pete Burns and ruined Hugh Grant’s birthday - but look at her now… (please look, she needs you to look. And clap. And laugh. And then clap again).

The star of BBC2 stand-up special Sara Pascoe: LadsLadsLads is back with a brand-new stand-up show! Sara Pascoe is a highly acclaimed comedian, writer, and actor. She wrote and starred in her recent BBC2 sitcom Out Of Her Mind, and is the celebrated host of BBC2’s The Great British Sewing Bee, BBC’s Last Woman On Earth, Dave’s Comedians Giving Lectures and Comedy Central’s Guessable.

Sara also wrote and performed the BBC Radio 4 series Modern Monkey

and the BBC2 short Sara Pascoe vs Monogamy, which was inspired by her first book Animal. Her second book, Sex Power Money, was a Sunday Times bestseller, and the accompanying podcast of the same name garnered millions of listens and multiple award nominations during its run.

She is a comic in her prime THE TIMES Whipsmart… winningly funny THE GUARDIAN.

PRU LEITH

Nothing in Moderation 21 MARCH

Nothing is off the menu in this frank, revealing and very funny all new show.

In her first ever live show, Prue will take audiences through the ups and downs of being a successful restaurateur, novelist, businesswoman and Great British Bake Off judge - feeding the rich and famous, cooking for Royalty and even poisoning her clients.

In the second half she will be joined on stage by Clive Tulloh, who will put questions to Prue from the audience, that they’ve always wanted to ask, making the show a unique night to remember.

Billy Ocean is Britain’s biggest black recording star, with worldwide record sales of over thirty million and six top ten singles on both sides of the Atlantic.

Billy Ocean has spent more of his life onstage than anywhere else. Next year, Billy returns to his natural environment with a string of headline shows throughout the UK, with a set handpacked with greatest hits and crowd favourites.

He also holds a Grammy award for best male R&B Vocal Performance, the Ivor Novello Award for International Achievement, and in 2020 was awarded an MBE for services to music.

MADAMA BUTTERFLY

BILLY OCEAN

Playing at The Oxford Playhouse

PLOW OVER THE BONES OF THE DEAD A Complicité Production 1 – 4 MARCH

CRUMPLE’S CHRISTMAS ADVENTURE

An Oxford Playhouse Production 8 – 31 DECEMBER

Unwrapped, scrumpled and thrown away. Crumple’s Christmas adventure begins! Shaping up into a wrapping paper figure he sets off on a quest to find the forest where he belongs. With your help, he discovers snow and trees, and makes new friends along the way. Changing form and having fun, Crumple becomes a star in his home and the world at large.

Crumple’s Christmas Adventure, with live music is written by Tarek Merchant (Musical Director, 101 Dalmatians, Regent’s Park Open Air Theatre; Hex, National Theatre) and directed by Katy Costigan (Huddle, Unicorn Theatre, Kaleidoscope, and Stella, Filskit Theatre)

The world-renowned international touring company Complicité presents a new work for the theatre, Drive Your Plow Over the Bones of the Dead, directed by Simon McBurney.

Based on Nobel Prize winning author Olga Tokarczuk’s novel of the same name, the darkly comic, anarchic noir caused a seismic reaction in Tokarczuk’s native Poland due to its defiant attack on authoritarian structures, with right-wing press branding the writer an ‘eco-terrorist’ and national traitor.

The story begins in the depths of winter in a small community on a remote Polish mountainside. Men from the local hunting club are dying in mysterious circumstances and Janina Duszejko – an eccentric older local woman, environmentalist, devoted astrologer and enthusiastic translator of William Blake – has her suspicions. She has been watching the animals with whom the community shares their isolated, rural home, and she believes they are acting strangely.

Engaged in fierce resistance against the injustices around her, Janina refuses to be a prisoner of society and gender. Her actions ask questions both of the male world which surrounds her and of our deeper human intentions: what does it mean to be human and what does it mean to be animal, and can we separate the two? Why is the killing of animals sport and that of humans murder?

A thought-provoking, wry and otherworldly murder mystery, Drive Your Plow Over the Bones of the Dead is a tale about the cosmos, poetry, and the limitations and possibilities of activism.

A new Complicité show isn’t just a devised play: it’s a theatrical event. At the company’s inimitable best, it is a ticket to another world.

Time Out

A BRAND NEW SHOW

After a decade of ground-breaking high concept shows involving overarched interlinked narratives,

massive sets and enormous comedy props, Stewart Lee enters the postpandemic era in streamlined solo stand-up mode with his brand new show.

One man, one microphone, and one microphone in the wings in case the one on stage breaks. Pure. Simple. Classic. Basic Lee. “The world’s greatest living stand-up”

Times

There’s no-one else to touch him Mail on Sunday

CHRIS McCAUSLAND Speaky Blinder 29 MARCH

Star of the Royal Variety Performance, Would I Lie to You?, Have I Got News for You, QI, and Live at the Apollo.

One of the UK’s top stand-ups Chris McCausland is on tour with a stand-up show about life, family, and loads of other nonsense as well! Oxford

STEWART LEE Basic Lee

NEW THEATRE – OXFORD www.newtheatreoxford.org.uk 0870 606 3500 November 22 - 26 Beautiful. The Carole King Musical 27 Lost In Music - One Night at the Disco 28 SING-ALONG-A-GARETH 30 - 3 Dec Pre-Performance TalkWelsh National Opera - La bohème December 2 Opera - Makropulos Welsh National Opera 2 Fairytale of New York 6 MAMMA MIA!

What, where and when?

January 14 - 15 Shen Yun 30 Varna International Ballet - Coppelia 31 Varna International Ballet - Giselle

February 1 Varna International BalletNutcracker 2 Luther - Luther Vandross Celebration 3 Dara Ó Briain: So, Where Were We? 7 Banff Mountain Film Festival World Tour 8 Belinda Carlisle 9 Jon Richardson: The Knitwit 10 Queen Extravaganza 12 Daniel Howell: We Are All Doomed 14 Dean Z - The Ultimate Elvis 16 Calling Planet Earth 17 Whitney - Queen of the Night 18 Sing-a-Long-a Encanto 19 The Music of Lord of the Rings and Beyond 21 - 25 The Cher Show 26 The Psychology Of Serial Killers with Jennifer Rees March 2 Tubular Bells Live in ConcertThe 50th Anniversary Experience 3 Ellen Kent’s Madama Butterfly 4 Ellen Kent’s Aida 5 Firedance - Gorka Marquez and Karen Hauer 7 - 11 Mother Goose 12 Sara Pascoe: Success Story 14 - 18 Fisherman’s Friends - The Musical

Billy Ocean

Prue Leith - Nothing in Moderation

Phil Wang: Wang In There, Baby!

Darren Hayes OXFORD PLAYHOUSE

305305

- 8 Jan Cinderella Pantomime The Skriker

- 3 Dec Dead Man’s Suitcase December

- 31 Crumple’s Christmas Adventure

January 14 Oxfordshire Mind Comedy Gala 29 Rob Newman 30 - 4 Feb Stewart Lee Basic Lee March 1 - 4 Drive Your Plow Over The Bones Of The Dead 7 - 11. Noughts And Crosses 27 - 29 Room On The Broom 29 Chris Mccausland Speaky Blinder

THE PLAYERS THEATRE – THAME Www.Thameplayers.Co.Uk The Players Theatre, Nelson Street, Thame, Oxfordshire, Ox9 2Dp December 2 - 11 Jack and the Beanstalk

WATERSIDE THEATRE 0844 871 7607 November 22 - 26 Jersey Boys December 2 - 2 Jan Aladdin 8 ROH The Nutcracker - Live Screening 10 Morgan & West’s Great Big Christmas Magic Show 13 Aladdin - Relaxed Performance 14 - 24 Santa’s Magical Gift at Norman Bragg Studio, Aylesbury

January 7 A Country Night in Nashville 8 Pop Princesses 9 - 10 Nerubashenko Ballet presents Swan Lake 11 Nerubashenko Ballet presents The Nutcracker 12 80s Live 14 Variety Night Live 19 ROH Like Water For ChocolateLive Screening at Norman Bragg Studio, 26 Dementia Friendly ScreeningSingin In The Rain at Norman Bragg Studio 26 Demon Dentist 30 - 4 Feb The Commitments

12 UK Pink Floyd Experience

13 Morgan and West: Unbelievable Science

14 - 18 An Inspector Calls

15 ROH The Barber of SevilleLive Screening

18 Viva Neil Diamond - Unplugged 26 Sing-a-Long-a Encanto

March

2 Spirit of the Dance

4 Jon Richardson: The Knitwit

12 Nathan Carter

13 Ellen Kent’s La Bohème

17 Priscilla Queen of The Disaster 19 Seven Drunken Nights - The Story of the Dubliners

21 - 22 Revision on Tour: Macbeth

23 Revision On Tour: Dr Jekyll & Mr Hyde

24 Danny Baker - At Last 30 Dementia Friendly ScreeningWest Side Story

MISCELLANEOUS

November

25 & 26 Freddie Mercury & Queen

The Spread Eagle Hotel

A Great night out with Luke Crawford playing the great Freddie Mercury December

2 Thame Christmas Lights switch-on 3 Santa visits Thame

7 Christmas Tea Party

Senior Citizens in Thame are invited to come along to this festive event. Call 01844 212833 or visit the Town Hall Infor mation Centre to reserve your place!

8 -9 Abba Sensation – Tribute Act

Spread Eagle Hotel

10 Handle’s Messiah Aylesbury Methodist Church, Buckingham St, Aylesbury

10 Lord Williams’s Festival Chorus concert. Thame Leisure Centre.

17 Carols at Christmas (for families with children)

St Mary’s Church, Thame

A short (45 mins), family-friendly concert of festive carols old and new, featuring the combined talents of the Thame Chamber Choir and Thame Children’s Choir.

17 Carols at Christmas

St Mary’s Church, Thame

A double helping of festive carols old and new, featuring the combined talents of the Thame Chamber Choir and Thame Children’s Choir.

21 Jazz in Thame – ‘Partners-in-Time’ Quintet. Spread Eagle Hotel

22 - 23 Frankie V & Four Seasons tribute Spread Eagle Hotel