Songs from a classic era can be enjoyed at a concert in Thame with two musicians performing with 16 instruments.

Andante Live present Blowin’ In The Wind on Friday, October 5 at 7.45pm at the Players Theatre.

Andante will take you back to the era of peace, protest and love with uniquely arranged classic songs such as ‘Mr Tambourine Man’, ‘Imagine’, ‘The Night They Drove Ol’ Dixie Down’, ‘Big Yellow Taxi’, ‘The Sound of Silence’, ‘All you need is Love’ and many more.

Andante combine the vocal harmonies of Vee Sweeney and Mark Rowson, 16 instruments between them and outstanding musicianship.

They perform an uplifting and inspiring show to give a fabulous evening of unforgettable music.

When Dylan, Baez and friends sang their songs of peace, protest and love, ‘times certainly were a-changin’, and Andante will take you back to that classic era.

Tickets are £12 available online from www.thameplayers.co.uk or Spear Travels, Greyhound Walk, Thame, call 01844 217228.

The following people from Aylesbury Vale and beyond have been sentenced at Wycombe Magistrates Court between September 10 and 20.

Adrian Davies, 41, Harvey Road, Aylesbury: stole a Nintendo 2DS XL console valued at £129.99 from John Lewis, High Wycombe. Fined £119.50, ordered to pay compensation of £129.99, a victim surcharge of £30 and costs of £85 to the CPS.

Stole three pairs of Bose headphones valued at £429.85 from John Lewis, High Wycombe. Fined £119.50, ordered to pay compensation of £429.85.

Christopher Simmons, 27, Tring Road, Aylesbury: assaulted a constable in the execution of their duty in Aylesbury. Discharged conditionally for six months, ordered to pay a victim surcharge of £20 and ordered to pay costs of £85 to the CPS.

Barry Gray, 72, Dunton Road, Stewkley: assaulted a woman by beating on three separate occasions (two in Stewkley, one in Oxford). Fined £170 for each instance, ordered to pay a victim surcharge of £30 and costs of £85 to the CPS.

Gavin Bachman, 32, Shipton, Winslow: drunk and disorderly behaviour in Market Square, Buckingham. Fined £66, ordered to pay a victim surcharge of £30 and costs of £85 to the CPS.

Assaulted a constable in the execution of their duty. Fined £130, ordered to pay compensation of £50.

Jamie McMahon, 26, Upende, Aylesbury: theft from a shop - stole beer and wine valued at £18.98 from King’s Wine, Aylesbury.

Assaulted a male by beating. Fined £330, ordered to pay compensation of £50, to pay a victim surcharge of £33 and costs of £85 to the CPS.

Scott Taylor, 29, Boddington Road, Wendover: fraud by false representation - altered the price on a laptop with the intention of making a gain of £850. Ordered to undertake six months of alcohol dependency treatment, ordered to pay a victim surcharge of £85 and to pay costs of £85 to the CPS.

Martyn Smith, 31, Tring Road, Aylesbury: assaulted a male by beating. Ordered to pay compensation of £50.

Damaged doors valued at £1,370.46 belonging to Hale Leys Shopping Centre, Aylesbury, Ordered to pay compensation of £500 and to undertake a Mental Health Treatment Requirement.

Shame Makore, 45, Ossulbury Lane, Aylesbury: drunk and disorderly behaviour in Ossulbury Lane, Aylesbury. Fined £80, ordered to pay a victim surcharge of £30 and costs of £85 to the CPS.

Daniel Grigg, 37, Jazz Road, Aylesbury: drove an Audi on Weedon Road, Aylesbury, over the speed limit (46mph on a 30mph road).

Failed to stop after a road accident on the A4010 Wycombe Road. Committed to prison for 14 days.

Drove a motor vehicle dangerously (A4010 Wycombe Road). Committed to prison for eight weeks and ordered to pay a victim surcharge of £115. Disqualified from driving for 20 months.

Kazimierz Podfigorny, 61, Norfolk Terrace, Aylesbury: deposited concrete rubble and soil on Marsh Lane, Stoke Mandeville.

Fined £580, ordered to pay a victim surcharge of £58 and to pay costs of £300.

Waddesdon Manor is partnering with a new coffee supplier Redemption Roasters, to fuel the thousands of people who visit the National Trust property each year.

This speciality coffee company has people at the forefront of their caffeine-based mission by working with people behind bars.

After being approached by the Ministry of Justice to help address the state of reoffending in the UK, Redemption Roasters now operates a roastery and barista training centre at Aylesbury Prison, training young offenders in professional roasting and competition-level barista skills.

Up to 10 trainees are taken on at one time, ensuring each is given the opportunity to develop universally recognised skills and qualifications that will help them find employment upon release.

Max Dubiel, one of Redemption’s founders, explained: “As prison education workshops go, ours is one of the most exciting and delivers real skills which will help our trainees break the cycle of unemployment and re-offending.”

This social ethos, along with the fact that good coffee comes in close second on Redemption’s list of priorities, piqued Waddesdon’s interest in the brand. Following an official launch last week, the 80,000 cups of coffee sold from the Manor’s outlets each year will now contain Redemption’s Aylesbury blend.

Redemption coffee will also be served in Waddesdon’s boutique Five Arrows Hotel, a former Victorian coaching inn situated at the gates of Waddesdon Manor, which features an award-winning restaurant.

Using ethically-sourced coffee beans from Brazil, Colombia and Honduras, this signature blend features notes of cocoa, toasted nut and red berry.

Waddesdon is confident that their choice of a coffee which both tastes good and does good will please the 450,000 visitors to the manor each year, and in turn these huge visitor numbers make the organisation Redemption Roasters’ biggest wholesale client.

Rothschild Waddesdon Limited managing director Sara Sweetland, said: “We are absolutely delighted to be working with Redemption and are thrilled to offer our visitors delicious coffee that not only offers employment within the prison, but more importantly provides young offenders with an invaluable opportunity that isn’t always easy to come by.”

Inclusion and community support has long been a core value for Waddesdon, having already supported an ongoing scheme in partnership with Spring Hill Open Prison, which offers inmates an opportunity to gain invaluable new skills through work experience placements.

HMP Spring Hill has recently become one the first prisons to house a Redemption barista training academy, and Redemption have ambitious plans to see expansion across as many of the 121 UK prisons as possible.

Set around a private courtyard and amidst five acres of gardens, terraces, and paddocks is this amazing stone country house in the village of Gayhurst in North Buckingham.

The picturesque property is an exquisite new build and boasts a wealth of fabulous features including underfloor heating, a fully integrated sound and lighting system, a pool room, games room and cinema room.

This property is made for those who want the perfect country life, all in one place.

Built by Prestige Homes in 2016, a massive 12,180 sq ft of living accommodation guarantees luxurious living.

Double oak doors open to the reception hall and marble flooring which continues throughout the ground floor.

There are three main reception rooms, including a sitting room with doors to the pool room and heated exercise pool with a decked area for post-workout relaxation.

If you’re more in the mood for lounging, you can enjoy optimum viewing comfort in the leather seats in the cinema room.

Guests will be clamouring to stay and accommodating them won’t be a problem.

There are five ensuite bedrooms in the main house including a beautiful master suite with dressing room, luxury bathroom, steam room and two sun terraces.

Two separate and self-contained annexes provide an additional four bedrooms.

The village’s name - ‘Gayhurst’ - is an Old English word meaning ‘wooded hill where goats are kept’ and the village has a hard-to-beat location surrounded by parkland, woodlands and rivers.

Close to the South Northamptonshire border, Newport Pagnell is only three miles away and the centre of Milton Keynes is a short 15-minute drive - perfect for shopping or fast commuter trains to London.

This amazing home is available through Michael Graham for £3 million.

There are 31 additional acres of land available by separate negotiation.

Love is in the air for Thame Chamber Choir as it presents romantic music during the town’s Arts and Literature Festival.

Love is a subject that has inspired poets and composers from time immemorial – and is also the subject of Thame Chamber Choir’s concert at 8pm on Saturday, October 20, in St Mary’s Church, Thame.

The concert is part of the 2018 Thame Arts and Literature Festival which runs from October 18-21 at a number of venues around the town.

Together with international tenor Adrian Thompson, the choir will be presenting music and words on the theme of love, by composers as diverse as Monteverdi, Holst, Brahms, Eric Whitacre and Jerome Kern, interspersed with poetry and prose.

The evening will take the audience from love’s first bloom, through lust, including some rather risqué words - fortunately in Italian! - partnership, betrayal and on to love in old age - and beyond.

The choir is directed by Duncan Aspden,accompanied by pianist Anna Markland.

Tickets are available from the TAL Box Office, price £10, and at the door price £12. Tickets are free for under 18s. The concert is supported by Richardsons Chartered Accountants.

For further information contact Peter Smith on 01844 212900, 07785 258156, or email peter@pjs-marketing.co.uk

Visit www.thamechamberchoir.org and for more about the festival visit https://talfestival.org/

The three primary schools in Thame have been boosted by funds raised at the town’s carnival.

The sum of £725 has now been paid into the bank accounts of John Hampden PTFA, Barley Hill PTFA and St Joseph’s PTFA for school projects, thanks to the generosity of peoplke who contributed at the carnival and fete, 21st Century Thame’s biggest annual event.

Lord Williams’s schools’s PTA also raised £1,151 on their Pimms stall independently.

Sharon Smits, chair of John Hampden School’s PTFA, said: “We are delighted with the money Thame Carnival has donated to John Hampden School. It formed part of the fund we used to buy a new Trim Trail for the children. The children loved taking part in the carnival as it enhances their learning experience whilst having fun.”

Deputy principal of St Joseph’s School, Fiona Dyer, said: “St Joseph’s had a wonderful time at this year’s Thame Carnival. It’s a wonderful community event – enjoyed by all. We were delighted to come first this year and thank everyone involved in making it a success – especially our fantastic school orchestra.”

A spokesperson for Barley Hill school said: “We would like to say a huge ‘thank you’ to Thame Carnival for their very generous donation. We thoroughly enjoyed coming together with the other schools and community to celebrate Thame. The money will help us to buy more fiction books for our library.”

Karen Shardlow, chair of Lord Williams’s PTA, was delighted with the support they received at the fete. She said: “We are really pleased to be part of Thame Carnival - a fantastic community event which has given us the opportunity to fundraise for LWS. Pimms proved to be a huge success and monies raised will be used to buy outdoor sports equipment for our students. Well done to the organising committee and many thanks to everyone who visited our stall.”

A school in Thame is leading the way in classroom technology, thanks to a generous donation.

Pupils and teachers at John Hampden Primary School are enjoying new technology in the form of new Hue HD cameras, following a donation from the local division of housebuilders, Bellway Thames Valley.

The latest beneficiary of Bellway’s community work, teachers at the school will use the new equipment to enhance lessons with specialist software, benefiting teachers and pupils alike, whatever the subject.

Similar to webcams, each camera features a microphone and a flexible ‘stem’ acting as the camera’s tripod. This allows teachers to adopt less linear teaching styles in favour of more versatile methods, appealing to children who prefer visualising and illustrating their knowledge, skills and concepts.

Head teacher Paul Hanky said: “We are thrilled to have received Bellway’s donation to John Hampden. These cameras will be a real asset to the classroom, and will help pupils engage and work more proactively and collaboratively amongst themselves and also with their teachers. By donating 14 cameras, Bellway have really helped to modernise our classrooms and improve lessons across the entire school, every day.”

Situated within a short distance of John Hampden Primary School, Bellway has two developments, at Oak Hill Park and Hampden Gardens.

Steve Garton, sales director at Bellway Thames Valley added: “We are delighted to have sponsored John Hampden Primary School in our donation of 14 Hue HD Cameras. Having grown from a small, family business to one of the UK’s most successful housing developers over the past 70 years, we have not lost sight of what is most important to us. Engaging and supporting the local community remains a top priority for Bellway, as it is these communities we wish to positively contribute to by building new homes for families living within the area.”

Visit www.bellway.co.uk

It’s time to get your creative juices flowing as leading artists arrive in town during the big cultural feast this autumn.

The Thame Art Crawl is back and runs alongside the town’s Arts and Literature Festival, from Thursday, October 18 until Sunday, October 21, at a number of venues.

Festival-goers will have the chance to stroll around Thame between events, to explore 12 different venues hosting pop-up arts exhibitions using a guide map.

This year the event features the work of British sculptor and printmaker Jeremy James, who ranks as one of the foremost ceramic sculptors of his generation.

Boasting a 1st class honours degree in fine art, and a masters degree in ceramics, Jeremy works mainly with clay, exploring his subject matter with a freedom that gives his work an extra edge, straddling the great divide between crafts and fine art.

Jeremy will be holding talks and demonstrations in the Augustus John Room at The Spread Eagle Hotel on Saturday, October 20, at 11.30am and 3pm, with an open exhibition.

More than 20 other artists will exhibit across 12 venues around the town centre.

A spokeswoman for the art event said: “Between them these talented artists bring to Thame a remarkable collection including paintings, pottery, photography, fused glass, sculptures and more. Alongside this there are demonstrations and events throughout the weekend giving residents and visitors the opportunity to get the creative juices flowing and participate.

“Pablo Picasso said ‘The purpose of art is washing the dust of daily life off our souls’, and who are we to argue? So pick up a Thame Art Crawl map from participating venues or the Town Hall, and enjoy a weekend of soul-cleansing culture on your doorstep.”

More information at www.thameartcrawl.com or follow on Facebook or Instagram at thameartcrawl

The following people from Aylesbury Vale and beyond have been sentenced at Wycombe Magistrates Court between September 21 and 29.

Rodrigo Paisano, 22, Stoke Road, Aylesbury: assaulted two men and a woman by beating. Ordered to carry out a total of 360 hours of unpaid work within the next 12 months. Ordered to pay compensation totalling £225, a victim surcharge of £85 and costs of £85 to the CPS.

Paul Maginn, 44, Meadowcroft, Aylesbury: stole electrical items valued at £392 from Tesco, Aylesbury. Fined £120, ordered to pay compensation of £378, a victim surcharge of £30 and costs of £40 to the CPS.

Rahim Haleem, 24, Prothero Close, Aylesbury: failed to provide a specimen for analysis. Fined £180, ordered to pay a victim surcharge of £30 and costs of £200 to the CPS. Disqualified from driving for 12 months.

Nadia Benhaddou, 37, Witham Way, Aylesbury: breached a restraining order on multiple occasions by committing harassment. Sentenced to prison for eight weeks and ordered to pay a victim surcharge of £115.

Terrence Tyler, 70, Deverill Road, Aylesbury: failed to provide a specimen for analysis. Ordered to carry out 80 hours of unpaid work within the next 12 months. Ordered to pay a victim surcharge of £85 and costs of £85 to the CPS. Disqualified from driving for 17 months.

Patrick Lappin, 41, Park Street, Aylesbury: drove a Volkswagen in Cambridge Close, Aylesbury, while over the alcohol limit. Given a suspended 12 week prison sentence. Ordered to carry out 60 hours of unpaid work within the next 12 months. Ordered to pay a victim surcharge of £115 and costs of £85 to the CPS. Disqualified from holding a driving licence for 30 months.

George Rose, 19, Weedon Road, Aylesbury: drove a silver Renault Clio on Weedon Road, Aylesbury, while over the alcohol limit. Fined £323, ordered to pay a victim surcharge of £32 and costs of £85 to the CPS. Disqualified from driving for 20 months.

Michael Fitzgerald, 28, Argyle Avenue, Aylesbury: stole two pedal cycles from Stoke Mandeville railway station. Committed to prison for 31 weeks and ordered to pay a victim surcharge of £115.

Handled stolen goods - Blue Ray DVDs from Tesco, Tring Road, Aylesbury. Committed to prison for 15 weeks.

Ryan Searle, 35, Fletcher Close, Aylesbury: assaulted a woman by beating on two separate occasions. Sentenced to prison for 12 weeks. Ordered to pay compensation of £100, a victim surcharge of £115 and costs of £625 to the CPS.

Damaged an internal house door in Aylesbury. Sentenced to prison for two weeks and ordered to pay costs of £100.

A Chearsley man went on an emotional journey to learn more about his father who won a medal for gallantry during World War One.

Alan Mitchener was joined by his two sons David and Daniel for what proved a thought-provoking trip to Cambrai to find out more about the life of Alan’s father Sapper Albert Mitchener.

The journey was the family’s way of celebrating the life of their father, and to commemorate the 100 year anniversary of World War One.

On December 6 1917, Albert Mitchener, a signaller in the Royal Engineers volunteered to repair a telephone cable across a shell holed, muddy battlefield under heavy enemy fire.

The wire, which was in the air, was broken above a waterway, and Albert repaired it standing up on a barge over the canal.

He commented that there were “bees buzzing around”, referring to machine gun bullets rather than actual bees.

For this outstanding act of bravery, Albert was awarded the Military Medal.

Speaking to Alan about when he won the medal, Albert said that it was “a silly thing to volunteer” but it was necessary to enable a message to be sent to the “Inniskillings”.

A captured German had told Albert’s brigade that the “Bosche” were about to attack the 10th Royal Inniskillings Fusiliers, a battalion in a vulnerable position, and Brigade HQ needed to re-establish communication lines to let them know so they could be prepared for it.

Albert was very close to surviving the war unscathed, but the day before he was due to go on leave, in late October 1918, back to ‘Blighty, he was wounded by a shell splinter.

This took place when he was repairing communication lines while under a heavy hostile barrage.

However, because of a German counter attack taking place immediately after his injury, it took Albert some days before he got to a regimental aid post. Unfortunately, gangrene had set in and his arm was amputated in the middle of his upper arm.

Albert’s son and two grandsons went to the exact location, near Cambrai, where he was awarded the Military Medal for bravery, and shared a glass of cognac in the rain.

The battlefield is now a peaceful sugar-beet field, on the outskirts of the rebuilt large village of Ribecourt, which was also a flashpoint battle in the Second World War.

Alan Mitchener said: “We shared a toast to Albert and his comrades, who endured so much.

“On the Sunday we went to the front line, and consulting the war diaries, tried to visualise what Albert and his colleagues did and went through.

“It was very difficult to imagine the well cultivated and peaceful countryside with the horror of industrial war 100 years ago, a long time ago but short for some memories and legacies.”

On Albert’s return to ‘Blighty’, he worked hard to pass an exam to become a clerical assistant in the civil service and rose to become an executive officer.

He married Maud Edith and they had two sons Laurie and Alan.

Albert died in 1976, aged 80 with four grandchildren.

The weather in the South of England this year has been topsy-turvy, with the summer’s heatwave preceded by one of the coldest winters in years due to the Beast from the East.

This summer saw the UK enjoy its biggest heatwave in years and summer is now returning to give us one last blast this week.

The South of England is set to experience some unseasonably warm weather this week, as temperatures begin to climb.

Today and tomorrow will see temperatures begin to increase, with some areas of the South of England basking in unseasonably warm weather by Wednesday.

Tuesday will generally see temperatures of 16/17C, before Wednesday reaches a peak temperature of around 20C in some areas, which will be as warm as global hotspot Madrid.

The South of England will then stay warm for the rest of the week, with both Friday and Saturday forecast temperatures of around 19C.

Portsmouth will see a peak temperature of around 19C over the weekend, while Milton Keynes will reach 20C on Wednesday.

According to the Met Office, “there will be long sunny spells on Wednesday, accompanied by very warm temperatures”.

“There will be a little more cloud and wind on Thursday, but mainly dry. However, it will be very windy and cloudy on Friday with a scattering of showers.”

However, temperatures will still be warmer than usually, seeing a considerable rise from last week.

Looking ahead, there is an increasing chance that the weather towards the end of October will turn more settled as high pressure re-establishes, according to the Met Office. This would bring lighter winds and some sunshine by day but cold nights with frost and fog.

As the UK heads towards the start of November, confidence is lower but there are signs it may turn more changeable again.

Temperatures will probably be close to normal overall, but in more settled weather it is likely to be colder than average, especially overnight.

Internationally renowned pop singer Peter Andre is performing a one-off gig at the Waterside Theatre in Aylesbury in February 2019.

The performance is part of Andre's 25-date tour of the UK in spring next year.

Andre's breakthrough came in his native Australia 25 years ago when his second single Gimme Little Sign peak at number three in the country's music charts.

His big breakthrough in the UK came when he released his second studio album, Natural which reached the top spot in the UK album charts.

This included the single Mysterious Girl, which was a UK number one after its re-release in 2004, after it originally hit number two in May 1996.

Away from the music studio, Andre is known for his relationship and short-lived marriage to celebrity Katie Price aka Jordan.

Speaking about his musical tour Andre said: "This tour has been a long time in the making and I can’t wait to get back out on stage in front of the fans that have supported me over the last 25 years.

"I’m blessed to have had such a great career in entertainment for that time – it is something really special, and this tour will be a celebration of everything I have worked for."

Tickets for Andre's performance in Aylesbury on Monday February 25 at 7pm are on sale now through www.ticketmaster.co.uk
Tickets are on sale now ranging from £28.75 to £46.25 and are subject to a booking fee ranging from £2.90 to £3.90.

Thames Valley Police will be responsible for keeping the royal couple and their guests safe on Friday - when Princess Eugenie and former Stowe School boy Jack Brooksbank tie the knot at Windsor Castle.

The force says it has a number of security measures in place for policing the wedding.

The couple will marry at St George’s Chapel, Windsor Castle. This is due to be followed by a short carriage procession through Windsor and a reception at Windsor Castle.

A broad range of security measures have been visible in Windsor and the surrounding areas, including the increased use of Automatic Number Plate Recognition (ANPR) technology, Closed Circuit Television (CCTV) and Hostile Vehicle Mitigation (HVM) barriers.

Thames Valley Police Assistant Chief Constable David Hardcastle, strategic commander for policing the event, said: “As the wedding of Her Royal Highness Princess Eugenie to Mr Jack Brooksbank approaches the public will see some of the visible security measures in place to keep everyone visiting Windsor safe and I hope the public are reassured and not alarmed by these.

“There will also be search activity using specially trained search dogs in the town centre, high visibility spontaneous patrols, including a presence from the Mounted Section.

“As you would expect there are also a number of non-visible security measures will also be in place.

“Thames Valley Police has a history of policing large-scale events including many state visits, sporting events and of course the recent wedding of Their Royal Highnesses The Duke and Duchess of Sussex in May.

“We are once again working closely with partner agencies, local residents and businesses to ensure we can deliver a secure event for all those attending.

“As a force we are always proud to police the Royal Borough of Windsor and Maidenhead and officers and staff are looking forward to being part of this memorable day.”

Visitors should expect that they may be searched and stopped and checked by officers and any items which may pose a risk to the public will be removed. Along with our partners we will continue to be keep local residents and businesses updated about how the celebrations are likely to affect them.

An evening of hilarity is on the cards at The Players Theatre in Thame as the chaotic world of relationships comes under the spotlight.

Duets, by Peter Quilter, is a gloriously funny examination of the world of love, relationships and why the grass is never greener and is presented by White Cobra on Sunday, October 21, at 7.45pm

There are four sets of characters at four crucial moments. Jonathan and Wendy are on a blind date and hoping to get it right this time even though they’ve never got it right before.

Barrie is not really interested in women, but Janet sees that as no reason to stop trying.

Shelley and Bobby have decided to holiday in Spain to finalise their divorce whilst drowning in cocktails.

Angela is marrying for the third time to the dismay of her brother Toby and amidst a barrage of bad omens and a dress resembling a parachute.

A comedy by the author of Broadway smash End of the Rainbow and the West End hit Glorious!

Tickets are £12 online from www.thameplayers.co.uk or Spear Travels, Greyhound Walk, call 01844 217228.

The musicians of Crendon Chamber Orchestra celebrate 21 years of music making with a special concert in Thame.

The CCO welcomes back Simon Walton for the concert which includes wonderful music by Elgar, Britten, Vaughan Williams, Tippett and Debussy.

The audience will also have an opportunity to hear music written for harp and strings with Claire Haynes as soloist.

The concert is being performed at St Mary’s Church, Thame, on Saturday, October 13, at 7.30pm.

The CCO evolved over a number of years mainly through the involvement and enthusiasm of Angela and Eric Orgill.

The orchestra began its life as a small baroque group in 1980 and became a fully-fledged string orchestra in 1997 with an average complement of 20 to 25 players drawn from across the region.

The orchestra offers a unique opportunity to play and hear some of the great works in the string orchestra repertoire from 18th, 19th and 20th centuries.

English music has always featured strongly in concerts through works by Purcell, Elgar, Vaughan Williams, Britten, Holst, Tippett, Tavener and Walton.

The orchestra has benefited from a rich variety of musical directors, initially with Tony Freeth who was actively involved with music education and development in the Aylesbury area. Dr Jonathan Williams became principal conductor and worked with the orchestra for eight years.

Since then the policy has been to invite a variety of leading conductors/directors including John Lubbock, Paul Barritt, David Le Page, Roger Coull, Robert Salter and Simon Walton.

Tickets for the concert at adults £13.50, students £5, under 14 free, on the door or from Foregolf, Buttermarket Thame. For more details call 07801 591730.

It has finally arrived - a feast of culture is promised as the curtain is about to be raised on the popular Thame Arts and Literature Festival.

Leading historians, expert scientists, celebrated actors, famous biographers, thrill-seeking adventurers, superb musicians, playwrights, poets and crime writers - there’s much on offer with something for everyone to enjoy.

The festival opens on Thursday, October 18 and runs until Sunday, October 21, with events at venues across the town.

Big attractions this year are Mary Robinson, Lucy Worsley, John Crace, Jasper Winn, Opera Anywhere, Oxus, Johnny Johnson and, as always, the traditional Rumsey’s Tea Concert- all sell-out events - but there are lots more events with tickets available.

Tim Dee, well-known BBC radio producer, writer and birdwatcher, will interview former president of Ireland, Mary Robinson about her latest book, Climate Justice. Mary is flying in especially for the TAL event.

Tim Dee’s latest book, Landfill, is a ground-breaking one which confronts our waste making species through the extraordinary and fascinating life of gulls.

Between events rest your weary feet at the TAL Visitor Hub hosted by Patrician Press in The Stables at the James Figg, where you can relax, enjoy refreshments and plan where to go next. More details and full programme at https://talfestival.org/

The Thame Art Crawl returns too this year - full details at thameartcrawl.com

Officers investigating the death of a one-year-old baby who died in a crash in Slapton on Saturday afternoon say they are awaiting confirmation that he was hit by the car.

A man was arrested on suspicion of causing death by careless driving and has since been released on bail.

Police have confirmed the baby was on the street, not in the car, when the single vehicle collision happened in Horton Road at 1.42pm. They say whether the baby was hit by the car is “a line of enquiry” and that his cause of death is still being investigated and established.

The boy was seriously injured and later died of his injuries.

The man arrested, aged 35 from Potters Bar, has been released on police bail until Thursday, November 8.

Anyone with any information about the incident is asked to call the police on 101 or visit www.thamesvalley.police.uk/tua/tell-us-about/cor/tell-us-about-existing-case-report/ quoting investigation number 666 (13/10).

Click here to read Monday’s story.

A vet from Aylesbury has reached the final four of a national award - and there are just two days left in the public vote.

Katie Robinson has been nominated in the ‘Vet of the Year’ category at the eVet Drug Vet of the Year awards.

She qualified as a vet in 2000 and started work for Hampden Vets, based in Aylesbury, a year later.

Katie said: “I rode a pony as a child and it was then that I decided I wanted a job where I could work with horses.

“I was quite academic so wanted something that needed qualifications.”

The 42-year-old says she loves the variety of work but that the hardest part of the job is the out-of-hours rota.

This year Katie became equine clinical director at the vets which means that she manages a team of nine vets dealing with horses.

Katie, who lives in Chinnor added: “The highlight for me this year was seeing a horse that had a terrible radial fracture go back out into the field and seeing him being ridden again.”

Voting for the eVet Drug Vet of the Year closes on Thursday October 18 ahead of the awards ceremony at Cheltenham racecourse in November.

To vote for Katie visit www.horseandhound.co.uk/archives/vote-evetdrug-vet-year-667398

Three people have died after a crash involving a car towing a caravan driving the wrong way on the M40 in Oxfordshire.

A Subaru Forester towing a caravan was seen travelling in the wrong direction on the northbound carriageway of the motorway shortly before 4pm yesterday (Monday, October 15).

A few minutes later, the car was in collision with two other vehicles, a Ford Mondeo and a Ford Focus near junction six for Lewknor.

The driver and a passenger of the Subaru, both aged in their 80s, and the driver of the Mondeo, a man in his 30s, died.

The carriageway was closed until this morning while emergency services attended and resurfacing work took place.

Senior investigating officer Sergeant Beth Walton, from the Serious Collision Investigation Unit, said: “We are in the early stages of the investigation, in which sadly three people died and our thoughts are with their families.

“We are in the process of contacting witnesses who provided a report to us and are grateful for their support.

“I would ask anyone who has footage not to share it and to remove it from social media out of respect for the families and friends of the people who died.”

Anyone with footage of the collision, or of the car towing the caravan, or with valid information is asked to contact police as soon as possible.

Call 101 or visit https://www.thamesvalley.police.uk/tua/tell-us-about/cor/tell-us-about-existing-case-report/ quoting reference 832 (October 15).

Chief Constable Habgood announced today (Tuesday) he will retire at the end of his term as Chief Constable - after four years in the post, 15 years within the Thames Valley force and more than 32 years in the police service.

In a statement Chief Constable Habgood said: “Next year I will have completed over 32 years’ service in policing, 15 years of those as a chief officer in Thames Valley Police.

“At the end of March 2019 my term as Chief Constable concludes and I have decided that it is the right time for both me and the force that I retire.”

Chief Constable Habgood joined Thames Valley in January 2004 as Assistant Chief Constable, where he covered all portfolios, including crime, operations and local policing.

During this time he also spent three months helping to train future chief officers as a syndicate director on the Strategic Command Course.

In October 2008 he was promoted to Deputy Chief Constable before landing the top job as Chief Constable in April 2015.

Before his work at Thames Valley, Chief Constable Habgood worked as part of West Yorkshire Police in 1987, where he worked in a variety of operational roles.

Chief Constable Habgood is a member of the NPCC Workforce Co-ordination Committee and leads on pay and conditions.

He chairs the Protect and Prepare Board and is a member of the Counter Terrorism Coordination Committee and also chairs the police committee that oversees the introduction of the Emergency Services Mobile Communication Programme.

He sits on the advisory board for the Oxford University Centre for Criminology and is a visiting fellow of Oxford University’s Lady Margaret Hall.

In 2012, Chief Constable Habgood was awarded the Queen’s Police Medal, an honour given to police officers in the UK for gallantry or distinguished service.

He said: “I will always love policing and it’s been an honour to serve the public, most recently as Chief Constable of Thames Valley Police.

“Thames Valley Police is an excellent force and I am privileged to lead the dedicated officers, staff and volunteers who work for us.

“In the coming months I remain fully committed to meeting the challenges we face and will continue to work tirelessly to make our communities safer.”

Police and Crime Commissioner for Thames Valley Police Anthony Stansfeld said: “It is with considerable regret that I have received notice from the Chief Constable, Francis Habgood, that he will be leaving Thames Valley Police when his contract ends on the 31st March 2019.

“He has been an outstanding Chief Constable and throughout the last four years we have had an excellent relationship and I will be very sorry to lose him.

“During this period Thames Valley Police has been rated by Her Majesty’s Inspectorate of Constabulary and Fire and Rescue Service (HMICFRS) as one of the highest ranked police forces in the country and this is greatly down to his leadership.

“The Chief Constable will continue to lead Thames Valley Police over the next five months as we now enter a period of recruitment for his successor.”

Police and Crime Commissioner Anthony Stansfeld says he plans to advertise the role in early November and the intention is that the process for selecting a preferred candidate will be completed before Christmas.

The preferred candidate will then appear before a Police and Crime Panel Confirmation Hearing, early in the New Year.