Thame pronounced "Tame" is a market town and civil parish in Oxfordshire, about 9 miles east of the city of Oxford and 7 miles south west of the Buckinghamshire town of Aylesbury. It derives its toponym from the River Thame which flows along the north side of the town. The parish includes the hamlet of Moreton, south of the town. The 2011 Census recorded the parish's population as 11,561.
Thame is a "living" market town, with a street market every Tuesday, a farmers on the second Tuesday of each month and regular livestock markets The town is ideal for family shopping and gift ideas with family-run establishments and an interesting variety of non-chain store shops offering a friendly personal service. There is also over 600 free parking spaces.
Thame has many places to eat and drink, ranging from traditional English pubs selling real ale and pub lunches through Italian, Chinese and Indian restaurants back to Olde English tea shops selling cream teas. Any of these would make an ideal rest from sightseeing or shopping.
As well as traditional family run establishments there have recently been a couple of chain stores that have hit the Thame high street, Costa, Dominoes and a Fat face store is coming soon.
Thame's dialling code is 01844 and its Coordinates are : 51°45′N 0°58′W / 51.75°N 0.97°W / 51.75; -0.97
History
In 1550 the courtier John Williams, 1st Baroness of Thame built the almshouses in Church Lane. He died in 1559, and his will established the local grammar school. Its original building, completed in 1569, stands next to the almshouses. In 1880 the school moved to its current premises in Oxford Road. In 1971 it became a comprehensive school under the name Lord Williams' School.
The Civial War in the 1640s saw Thame occupied in turn by Royalists and by Parliamentarians. After the Battle of Chalgrove field in 1643, Colonel John Hampden, who had been educated at the grammar school, died of his wounds at the house of Ezekiel Browne, later to become the Greyhound Inn.
The champion bare-knuckle boxer, James Figg was born in Thame in 1684 and had his early prize-fights at the Greyhound Inn. In the 21st century the Greyhound Inn was renamed the James Figg.
Thame Railway Station was opened in 1862 as the temporary terminus of an extension of the Wycombe railway from High Wycombe . The extension was completed in 1864 when it reached Oxford. In 1963 British Railways withdrew passenger services between Princes Risborough and Oxford and closed Thame station, leaving Princes Risborough (7 miles) as the nearest passenger station until 1987 British Railways dismantled the track between Thame and Morris Cowley, but kept the line between Thame and Princes Risborough open for goods traffic to and from an oil depot in Thame.
Thame Town Hall was designed by the architect H.J.Tollit in Jacobean style and built in 1888.
In 1974 the M40 Motorway was extended from High Wycombe to Chilworth Farm at Great Milton . Junction 7 at Milton Common is about 3 miles southwest of Thame, giving the town a fast road link to London. In 1990 the M40 extension was completed, giving Thame a fast road link to Birmingham.
In 1987 British Rail opened Haddenham And Thame Parkway station at Haddenham, about 2 miles north east of Thame, on the Chiltern Main Line. Chiltern Railways now provides passenger services linking the railway station to High Wycombe, London Marylebone, Banbury and Birmingham Snow Hill. The station has a large car park, a taxi office, and regular buses into Thame.
In 1991 Thame oil depot closed, and British Railways dismantled the railway between Thame and Princes Risborough. Sustrans was allowed to re-use the former trackbed to create the Phoenix Trail which is part of National Cycle route 57.
ITV used Thame many times as a location for the Midsomer Murders drama series.
Economy
The town's two largest employers, CPM United Kingdom Ltd and Travelodge, both have their head offices on the edge of the town. W.Lucy & Co moved its base from Oxford to Thame in 2005.
Amenities & Clubs
Thame has an active Round Table as well as socializing every other Tuesday, they also run the famous annual duck race on Thame river in June, and during the weeks leading up to Christmas they also escort Santa and his sleigh around Thame and the surrounding villages collecting money for local charities.
Thame has three primary schools: Barley Hill Primary School, John Hampden Primary School and St Joseph's Catholic Primary School. It has one county secondary school, Lord Williams's School.
Thame has a Women's Institute and a Rotary Club.
Thame hosts the Oxfordshire County and Thame Show, the largest one-day agricultural show in Britain. It used to be held on the third Thursday in September, the same day as the three-day Thame Fair opens in the town centre. On the day of the show local schools were closed. In 2010 the show was moved to the last Saturday in July. The organising committee have expressed a wish for the show to be a two-day event in the future.
In October a smaller fair is held in the parking area in Upper High Street. In June the Thame Festival is held, which includes a carnival through the main streets, a flower festival and a fete on the Southern Road recreation area. Peter Andre attended the Thame Carnival in 2011.
Both the Army Cadets and The Air Training Corps have units in the town.
Rail – Haddenham and Thame Parkway station. The fastest London Marylebone trains take 36 minutes
Bus – Arriva Sapphire route 280 operates up to every 20 minutes between Oxford Railway Station – Wheatley – Thame – Haddenham – Aylesbury. Additional irregular buses connect surrounding villages, such as Worminghall and Twyford, which is served by Redline Buses 110 service.
Sport
Chinnor Rugby Club is based at Thame. Its first eleven currently plays in National Division 2 South. Thame United Football Club first team plays in the Hellenic football league. Thame Town Cricket Club first eleven plays in Home Counties Premier Division 2 West. Thame has a bowls club and a tennis club.
The Oxfordshire Golf Club is 1 mile south west of Thame.
Thame Kickboxing club part of the south East Academy are based in the sports centre and have trained World Champions and Great British and European Champions.
Twinning
Thame is twinned with Montesson in France and Sinaia in Romania.
Notable residents
Robin Gibb of the Bee Gees, and his wife Dwina Murphy-Gibb lived in Prebendal House in Thame until his death in 2012.
BBC actor, announcer, executive Harman Grisewood (1908–97) was brought up at the Prebendal House in the 1910s and 1920s.
The poet and playwright W. B. Yeats (1865–1939) lived in the town for a short time at Cuttle Brook House, 42 Lower High Street. His son was born there in 1921.
The violinist Alfredo Campoli (1906–91) was married at St. Joseph's Catholic Church in 1942 and retired to Thame in 1986.
English filmmaker and Internet personality Gavin Free (born 1988) known for his slow-motion cinematography work for films, his YouTube series The Slow Mo Guys and his work with Rooster Teeth Productions, lived in the town from May 1992 until February 2012; he now resides in Austin, Texas where he dates fellow internet personality, Meg Turney.
