Thame Town Hall
Y
ou cannot miss the imposing Town Hall that dominates the centre of Thame but compared to many of the other buildings on the High Street it is relatively modern, having been built in 1887 to commemorate Queen Victoria’s Golden Jubilee. It is actually the third building on the site, replacing an old Market Hall. Markets have been held in Thame since the 12th century. Originally there would have been few buildings in the centre of the High Street and it is thought that
the Bird Cage Inn served as the first Market House. Its main frontage originally faced west and would have been the first building seen by travellers as they entered the town from the Lower High Street. By 1509 a new Market Hall had been built on the site of the Town Hall with shops underneath and rooms above for meetings and administration. By the late 1600s it was in poor condition though and in 1684 was replaced with a new brick built Market Hall with a similar layout. This Market Hall served its
Win an original Town Hall print
K
im Osborne has been running her own Thamebased company called Knockout since 2010: “I work primarily as a printmaker and illustrator,” she says “creating prints, cards and gifts, which I sell online through my own website www.thisisknockout.co.uk and through Not on the High Street, as well as undertaking graphic design and illustrations for commercial projects.” Kim created this linoprint of Thame Town Hall at Waddesdon Manor Artists and Makers Fair last September, taking the image from an earlier illustration and cutting the lino at the event. Kim’s strong, bold style reflects her graphic design background - she studied art A-level at Lord Williams’s School and did a degree in Communication Design at the University of Portsmouth. “Most of my work stems from a quick sketch or a photograph, which I then manipulate, scan, colour, cut, print, whatever takes my fancy really. I really like to get my teeth into a linocut, but also love working on-screen too. You can see Kim in action at the next Waddesdon Artists and Makers Fair on May 11 and 12 (see page 51 for details) with her sister, Sam, who also works as a
designer maker: “We have great plans for a very exciting and interactive demonstration this year so I can’t wait!” she says. Copies of Kim’s Town Hall linoprint are available to buy through her website, priced £20. If you’d like a chance to win a framed, or mounted copy of the print, simply email your name, address and telephone number, along with the answer to the following question to: editor@vale-life.co.uk When was Thame Town hall first built? Winner to be drawn at random and notified by email by April 25th. l Kim Osborne, Thame
Email: hello@thisisknockout.co.uk Web: www.thisisknockout.co.uk
Left: cutting the linoprint
by Cathy Soughton
Vale Life : Mar/Apr 2013
Trina and Shamus Thame Town Hall circa 1900 (© Thame Museum) and below, today purpose for 200 years but by 1887 it was far too cramped for meetings and a larger building was required. A good opportunity to replace it was presented by Queen Victoria’s Jubilee. At a meeting held on April 5, 1887, attended by many local inhabitants, it was agreed that a new hall was the most beneficial memorial for the community and a Town Hall Committee was established to oversee its construction. Money was raised mainly from public subscriptions. Time was limited as the Committee originally wanted the Hall to be completed by the end of 1887 and only one design for the building was considered. The architect was Henry James Tollit from Oxford who chose a loose Jacobean revival style which was popular in the Victorian period. It was built by local builder John Wells using red bricks from Christmas Hill Brickworks together with Bath Stone dressings. On the ground floor there was a Council Chamber and other rooms and on the 1st floor a large public hall and gallery. On September 20, 1887 the inscription stone was laid by Mrs P J D Wykeham of Tythrop House in a ceremony attended by a large crowd. Building was completed in early 1888 and the Town Hall was formerly opened on Easter Monday on April 2, 1888 by Mrs Reynolds, one of the major subscribers, although heavy rain prevented the ceremony taking place outside as had been planned. A public luncheon attended by dozens of people was held in the new chamber with food provided by the Spread Eagle. Following its opening, the Town Hall came under the control of the
District Council and was used by many local groups including the Literary Institute who originally occupied two rooms in the Hall, whilst an annual dinner for the town poor was held there until 1900. On March 21, 1906 a bad fire broke out in the Council Chamber caused by a large ceiling oil lamp crashing to the floor during an auction. It caused considerable damage but fortunately no one was injured. It was feared at first that the building would have to be destroyed but it was repaired and a number of internal alterations made. Externally the building has changed little since it was built. Now run by the Town Council, Thame Information Centre is located inside whilst the Upper Chamber is available for hire. Recently Thame made history when the first ever Public Hearing on a Neighbourhood Plan took place in the Town Hall. l This article was written by local genealogist and house historian Cathy Soughton www.bucksancestry.co.uk Email soughton@btopenworld.com Tel: 01296 624845 Vale Life : Mar/Apr 2013
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