Look Local Magazine, Issue 127, June 23'

Exclusive Competition

For a chance to win complimentary tickets for a family of four to a Thame Players’ production * answer the following question:

Hello Readers,

Who travels from England to Monte Carlo?

Welcome to the June 2023 issue of Look Local Magazine.

This month I’d like to dedicate my editors letter to the incredibly talented and inspiring young lad on the front cover. Zain is a 10 year old boy from Chinnor who turned his hobby of drawing/painting into a fantastic fundraising opportunity for the charity, Action for Children, whose mission is to protect and support vulnerable children and young people, providing them with practical and emotional care and support.

Email your answer with your name and contact details to info@look-localmagazine.co.uk by 31st August

WIN TICKETS

*There are five Thame Players’ productions a year. See website for details. 18

CONTENTS

07. Home & Garden

Loft Ladders you can trust from Home County Loft Ladders.

Zain has been drawing since he was a toddler and has gone on to create some truly magnificent pieces of art, many of which can been seen on his Mum’s (Ghazala Dor of Mama Dors Kitchen) Facebook profile. After many complimentary comments about his work, Zain asked his parents if he could have some of his drawings turned into prints to sell in a bid to raise money for the charity. He chose this particular charity as he says he finds it particularly upsetting that there are children who don’t have safe places to call home, enough food to eat or the opportunities to follow their dreams. He is very grateful for the life he has and wants to help children who have been less fortunate.

So once the charity had been chosen he selected six of his favourite creations to be turned into A5 prints and sold for £10.00 with half the proceeds going to Action for Children. The prints have sold like hotcakes and Zain has currently raised £500.00 meaning he is only £100 away from his target of £600.00. So if you would like to purchase one of the few remaining prints, he has some of the Seahorse, Ostrich and the Landscape left, then please contact his mum (mentioned above) through Facebook.

I was lucky enough to get my hands on some of them and I can’t WAIT to get them framed and up on the walls in my children’s bedrooms. My daughters favourite animal is a Seahorse so she was made up when i showed her the prints.

Until next month, enjoy reading...

Love Emma x

For Advertising contact 07707 386034 or

Email: info@look-localmagazine.co.uk

Web: www.look-localmagazine.co.uk

: Look Local Magazine

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09. editorial

The importance of a Will by Integrity Wills.

14/17. News & Events

What’s On in our local area.

16. Editorial

Why not book a Midsomer Murders Tour this summer.

18. Competition WIN Thame Players Theatre tickets.

22. home & Garden

Over the Garden Gate with Mimosa Garden Design.

BOOKING DEADLINE for JULY 2023 issue: Wednesday 21st June

GUARDIANSHIP WILLS WITH INTEGRITY

PRICES FROM £95.00 - Basic Single Will £190.00 - Basic Joint Will £110.00 - Lasting Powers of Attorney

THE IMPORTANCE OF A WILL

Having a will is arguably one of the most important things you can do for yourself and your family. Not only can a will legally protect your spouse, children, and assets, it can also spell out exactly how you would like things handled after you have passed on.

A will gives you the opportunity to appoint guardians for your children which is the only way to ensure they are safeguarded if the worst were to happen to you.

For more in-depth information or experienced advice regarding Wills, and Lasting Powers of Attorney contact Michael Bradley

integritywills@aol.com | M: 07868 746406

Aston Hearing have been in Thame for the past 6 years.

We are delighted and excited to welcome you to our new premises in Greyhound Lane, Thame. Please call in to say hello - hope to see you soon.

Kate & Duncan Collet-Fenson Directors of Aston Hearing

Welcome to our farm shop where we stock

Wild Bird Feed

Pet Food - brands include Natures Way & Chudleys

Heygates Farm Animal Feed

Animal Care including, Hay, Straw, Wood Shavings for Horses, Rabbits, Guinea Pigs

Snowflake range of shavings, Bedmax & Littlemax Animal Bedding

Bulldog Gardening Tools

Garden Sundries & Seeds

Erin and Melcourt Compost & Barks

Opening Hours: Monday - Friday, 9:00am - 5:00pm Saturday, 9:00am - 4:00pm

Tel No: 01865 874636

Address: Old London Road, Wheatley, OX33 1YW

Website: www.wheatleyfarmshop.co.uk

SPECIAL OFFERS ON COMPOST

Mix and Match! Erin multi-purpose / tree, shrub and rose / ericaceous 50 litre bag £6.99 each or 2 for £12.00

Melcourt Sylvagrow peat free 40 litre bag £7.99 each or 2 for £15.00

NEWS & EVENTS

Sydenham Fayre is back..!

Saturday 3rd June | 12:30pm to 4:00pm

A fun family day out including live entertainment, children’s games, dog show, vintage cars, BBQ, tearoom and stalls..

After a 3-year break, Sydenham village in South Oxfordshire will once again be welcoming visitors to its much-anticipated Sydenham Fayre. The Fayre will take place on Saturday 3rd June between 12.30 and 4pm.

in our region

The long-established event, co-ordinated and run entirely by villagers, raises funds for local groups and causes, supporting schools, community organisations and facilities in the surrounding area. In 2019, it raised over £5,500 for local causes. Visitors are kindly asked to note that this year’s event will be cash only.

The Fayre centres around the picturesque village green and this year’s programme is packed with exciting shows and activities:

• Live entertainment will be taking place all day, including performances from popular local band - ‘Syd’ -, the ‘New Moon’ Morris Team, a circus entertainer and a local dance group.

• Kids activities, including the Fayre’s own ‘Kids’ Corner’ featuring hourly shows from the magical Mr Marvel and a variety of games for all ages. There will be face painting and kids will also be able to enjoy the inflatable assault course.

• Food and drink galore, including the delicious BBQ hosted by Sydenham’s cricket team, ice cream and popcorn, as well as the ‘Gin and Pimm’s Palace’. The much-loved Tea Room, next to the church, will be serving sumptuous cakes and pastries, along with a selection of hot drinks throughout the day.

• ‘Sydenham Car Show’, with new gems to its collection of vintage and envy-inducing automobiles.

• The much-anticipated Sydenham Dog Show with a variety of classes to suit most canine competitors. Be sure to bring along your pampered pooches to compete for the coveted titles of ‘Best Fancy Dress’ and ‘Sydenham Supreme’. Dog Show classes commence from 1pm – registration starts at 12.30pm.

The roads will be lined with stalls selling quality gifts and goodies from local producers, plus there’ll be the ever-popular Bottle Tombola, Coconut Shy, Plate Smash, Plant Sale, Bric-ABrac, Jewelry and Vintage Clothing and Fortune Teller.

As ever, the event will be rounded off by the hotly contested Tug-Of-War competition with men’s and women’s teams from The Crown pub and The Inn at Emmington battling it out for the historic trophy at 3.30pm. The raffle will also be drawn, with a first prize of £100 for the winning ticket and the chance to win a dinner for two at either of the village’s excellent pubs.

Whilst the road through the village will be closed for the day, extensive free parking is available on the edge of the village, which can be accessed from the B4445 (coming from Chinnor, turn left at The Inn at Emmington). Disabled parking will be available.

As a community event, the success of the day relies so much on the enthusiasm of visitors from the neighbouring town and villages…so bring the family and help make Sydenham Fayre a highlight in the village’s calendar…we’re looking forward to welcoming everyone along for a fabulous day!

CELEBR CONC

featuring Coronation Anthems by Handel, Elgar, Holst & Joanna Forbes L’Estrange

Saturday 1st July 2023 Thame Leisure Centre 7.30pm

Thame Carnival is back..!

Saturday 17th June | 12 noon to 4:30pm

Each year Thame Carnival raises huge amounts of money for charities and organisations from Thame and the surrounding villages. Much of the money raised is via each stall being run by the charities themselves. Additionally the Thame Carnival team selects its own charities and for 2023 we have chosen:

• Red Kite Family Centre

• Thame & District Society for the Visually Impaired

• Thame Youth Memorial

• Jack & Jill Pre-school Chinnor

The Carnival consists of 2 parts, the Parade through the town and the fete at Southern Road Recreation Ground. This years parade has more organisations and local groups involved, than has been the case for several years!! We are also delighted to welcome 4 live performances on stage from 1.15pm and our local fire service will be chopping up a car, a huge crowd pleaser. The dog show is also returning after a break last year. With so much fun, why would you not come down and join us for a great family day out.

More money is raised through our sponsors: 2023 Gold Sponsors - Lucy Electric, BP Collins and Lightfoots Solicitors | 2023 Silver Sponsor - Chinnor Turf & Paving Company | 2023 Bronze Sponsor - The James Figg Pub, Thame

Along with local companies Wild Glass Splash Backs and Adroit Services Ltd. who are sponsoring the Beer Barrels for the Beer tent run by Thame Roundtable and StoneWorld who are sponsoring our Pimms Tent.

Lord Williams’s Festival Chorus

Musical Director Jeff Stewart

Organist Sam Laughton

The ever-popular Thame Midsomer Tours started back up again in April offering their Wednesday tours. From Saturday 17th June there will also be tours on Saturday from 2pm until 16th September. In addition, during the summer months, there will be joint packages with Chinnor & Princes Risborough Heritage Railway, which include the walking tour and a steam train trip with cream tea on ..

The tours are led by a team of seven knowledgeable guides (all volunteers) who are enthusiastic experts, not only on Midsomer Murders locations, the episodes, the actors, the bizarre methods of murder and much more, but on local history too. Thame is one of the most-filmed locations, sometimes appearing as Causton, sometimes as one of the many picturesque villages in Midsomer County (aka Oxfordshire and Buckinghamshire).

The tours start from outside the Town Hall at 2:00pm, where you will be greeted by your friendly guide. You will be escorted round the 23 Midsomer filming locations in Thame, and your guide will tell you about each one – including Thame Town Hall (aka Causton Town Hall), the Spread Eagle and Swan Hotels, the Black Horse, Rumsey’s Chocolaterie and Thame Museum. You will also learn fascinating snippets about Thame’s history, from its ancient Neanderthal remains to the English Civil War and Queen Victoria’s Golden Jubilee. A popular location is the Prebendal, not only rich in history as a building, but also the former home of Bee Gee Robin Gibb, who is buried in St Mary’s Churchyard nearby.

Tony Long, tour coordinator, commented, “We are delighted that our popular Midsomer Tours are starting a new season, not only on Wednesdays and Saturdays, but also featuring a joint package with the Chinnor Heritage Railway during the summer. Last year was the 25th anniversary of the much-loved Midsomer Murders ITV series, which attracted even more interest than usual, but we expect tourists and fans from far and wide to continue taking the tour and visiting Midsomer, now in its 26th year and counting”.

Tickets are £10.00 per person and can be booked: Online: www.ticketsource.co.uk/thamemidsomer

In person: Thame Town Hall Information Centre or at Thame Museum (during opening hours)

Phone: 01844 212833

Chinnor Community Awards 2023...

Closing date for nominations is 30th June.

Nominations are now open for the Chinnor Community Awards.

The awards are for people that live within the parish of Chinnor and not for Parish Councillors or the Award Select Committee.

The categories are;

• Achievements in the arts

• Sporting Achievement

• Volunteer of the year

• Volunteer group of the year

• Lifetime Achievement

• Community Support

• Service with a Smile

Nomination forms and more information can be found on our website or collected from the parish office.

Please return all completed forms to the Parish Council Offices by 30th June. The award winners will be announced in the marquee at a gala event on 23rd August 2023.

Look locally over the garden gate with

Lucie Giselle Ponsford

In our guide to transforming your garden from Mucky to Marvellous this month, we will be considering raised beds.

Raised beds are so useful; they support changing levels in a garden, they can bridge retaining walls and help boundary patios, they also support you with accessibility and bring the height of the plants nearer to where you sit or view a garden. Thus giving greater impact to areas where you dwell and enjoy your outdoor space.

They are often cited in my clients aspiration: ‘To make gardening easier’. But here are some considerations: they are extra construction in the ground and so will elevate the price of a garden as well as the accessible height. If constructed in timber they need correct construction for longevity and their life is not infinite. Top tips on construction we use concrete footings and paint with bitchumen where the timber is next to soil or line with dpm (damp proof membrane). They need large amounts of soil to make them usable, ideally friable and weed free.

Benefits they can help in areas where the soil is unworkable, e.g. heavy or very stony soils (as you will bring in topsoil). Turf and excavated soil can be used in the bottom as the plants will have no problem using that extra nitrogen source which will rot down with the exclusion of light. You do not need drainage in the base and can grow trees in them if they are built on top of open soil. However they are a glorified container and will need irrigating.

It is worth bearing in mind too they dry out more readily than ground level soils as the volume is more vulnerable to wick away from wind and drying influence of the sun. Plants within them cannot make the same use of available water in the surrounding water table as they would in the open ground.

They can be constructed in different materials: softwood timber, hardwood timber, bricks, block work and render, stone of all varieties. They can be done in curves or straight lines!

They should be incorporated into the overall scheme of the garden to ensure that the flow and appearance of the raised bed informs sightlines flow and continuity of your living space. I use them most when terracing gardens as the bridge retaining soil and relevel areas for patios with purpose as they allow for spilling planting to soften their hard construction in the garden.

With love, Lucie

For more garden tips and info visit my Facebook page @mimosagardendesign

CONTACT ME: E: info.mimosadesign@gmail.com

M: 07737 286784

There is no better time to start growing your own fruit and vegetables. It is the ideal season to start planting your beetroot, tomatoes, cucumber and cabbage seeds inside and out. Why not encourage the children to help?

Just think, in a few months’ time you will be feasting off your delicious fresh crops.

tools

collections. Home visits welcomed. T: 01844 E:

antiques@theswan.co.uk

a single item to a complete house clearance or specialist 281777

£750

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Lot 412 ATTRIBUTED TO SIMON

Lot 23 JAEGER- LECOULTRE, AN 18CT GOLD REVERSO GENTS WRISTWATCH SOLD £3,000

Past Auction Highlights:

DUCHESS OF PARMA . Estimated

PORTRAIT OF MARGRET £500 - £1,000

FRANCOIS CLOUET 1522-

Lot 441 FOLLOWER OF

Upcoming Auction Highlights:

NEXT AUCTION:

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Lot 89 YELLOW METAL AND ‘KREFELD’

Lot 403 ANDREAS GURSKY ‘C-PRINT’ PHOTOGRAPH LANDSCAPE

WEDNESDAY 7th June at Noon

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