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Tribute to ‘local rugby legend’ CEO of Chinnor RFC

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Chinnor RFC, based in Thame, released a statement to announce the death of Simon Vickers, the club’s CEO, former player and former captain, this week.

Mr Vickers joined the rugby club in the 1980s and ‘never truly left’, returning time and again to support the club and improve its work.

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A statement from the club said: “It is with profound sadness that we share the passing of Simon Vickers, our CEO and a true pillar of Chinnor RFC.

Simon Vickers, CEO Chinnor RFC, tributeSimon Vickers, CEO of Chinnor RFC Thame, has passed away (Image: Chinnor RFC)

“Simon was one of us. A former player who captained the club in the 1980s, he never truly left.

“He was ‘dragged back’, as he would joke, and over the past decades transformed Chinnor into what it is today.”

The club said Mr Vickers’ fingerprints are on ‘every corner’ of the club, including the initiatives it supports and its rise from a village club to a Championship team.

It described his contribution as ‘a journey built on vision, discipline and unwavering commitment’.

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The statement added: “To those who knew him as a leader, he was strategic and relentless. To those who knew him as a former player, he was one of the lads.

“To the present players, his support and generosity was always forthcoming and immensely appreciated. To all of us, he was the foundation upon which this club stands.

Chinnor celebrate promotionChinnor was promoted to the Championship under Mr Vickers’ leadership in 2024 (Image: David Howlett)

“He professionalised our operations while preserving the heart of what makes this club special, ensuring that every decision was made with the long-term interests of the club in mind.

“And crucially, he put in place the infrastructure and approach that will continue to drive our success long into the future.

“Rest in peace, Simon. Chinnor RFC will honour your legacy every time we take the field.”

The news was met with an outpouring of support from friends, club supporters, and neighbouring teams.

One supporter described him as a ‘legend of local rugby’ and said he was ‘utterly dedicated’ to the club, a sentiment echoed by hundreds of tributes paid in reaction to the news.

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Nearby Henley Rugby Club said: “Incredibly sad to hear this news. Simon was a huge character and someone who did so much for grassroots rugby. Rest in peace.”

Chinnor RFC is and English Rugby Union club based at Kingsey Road in Thame, founded in 1962, which currently plays in the second tier of the Championships.

It regularly runs five senior teams as well as a full youth set up from age five upwards, which is widely considered to be one of the best in the country.





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Team GB athlete and celebrity magician hospitalised with heatstroke

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Shane Sterling, who studied at Oxford University, is currently a judo athlete, practising magician and is the owner of Oxford Magic Walking Tours.

He was hospitalised with heatstroke after conducting three back-to-back walking tours through Oxford on Monday (August 3).

Shane led tours at 11am, 1pm and 3pm, spending most of the day outdoors and walking between Oxford’s historic landmarks in hot weather.

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His tours are highly interactive and can occasionally run slightly beyond their scheduled finish time.

This can leave Shane with only around 20 minutes to return to the meeting point, check in the next group and begin the following tour.

Around an hour into his final tour at 3pm, he began to feel increasingly unwell, but determined not to disappoint his guests, he continued and completed the tour.

However, shortly after the tour ended, his condition quickly became worse.

“I suddenly felt extremely sick and dizzy,” Shane said.

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“I had a severe headache, I was incredibly thirsty, and I knew something was not right.

“Luckily, my wife was meeting me after the final tour. She immediately realised how unwell I was and made sure I received medical help.”

Shane was taken to hospital that evening, where he was treated for heatstroke.

Medical staff warned him that the situation could have become extremely serious if help had been delayed.

The tour guide is sharing his experience as a warning to others, particularly with further periods of hot weather expected.

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“I spend a great deal of time outdoors, and I consider myself to be extremely fit,” said Shane.

“I represent Team GB in judo and have trained at a high level for many years. I never expected something like this to happen to me, but it shows that heatstroke can affect anyone.”

He is now urging residents, visitors, tour guides and outdoor workers to take extra precautions during periods of extreme heat.

“Drinking water is essential, but it is not the only thing people need to think about,” Shane said.

“Try to spend time in the shade, take proper breaks and avoid pushing through if you begin to feel unwell.

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“Move to a cool or air-conditioned place as quickly as possible and seek urgent medical help if your symptoms are serious.”

Common warning signs of heat-related illness can include dizziness, nausea, severe headache, intense thirst, confusion, weakness and feeling unusually unwell.

Shane, who has now recovered, added: “I pushed through because I wanted to finish the tour for my guests, but looking back, I should have stopped as soon as I felt ill.

“No tour, job or appointment is worth putting your health at risk. The hospital staff told me that this could have ended very badly for me.”





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Clarkson, May, Hammond coming back to film new Grand Tour episode

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According to The Sun, the hosts will join YouTubers Thomas Holland and James Engelsman as well as social media star Francis Bourgeois in series seven.

Having presented Top Gear together for over a decade, the famed trio departed the BBC show back in 2015, moving on to Prime Video’s The Grand Tour.

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The petrol enthusiasts are expected to help ensure the show’s reboot gets off to a smooth and welcoming start, according to co-creator and TV producer Andy Wilman.

Mr Wilman, who is also executive producer of Clarkson’s Farm, told The Sun that the guys will do cameos as they “pass that baton on” in the series which debuts on Friday, September 4.

The TV producer told 3Bs radio at the Buckingham Literary Festival: “We’ve got three guys coming soon with a new Grand Tour and we’ve got behind them.

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“We’re really supporting them. Our guys are in the shows doing cameos, so we’re wishing them well because we do want to pass that baton on.”

This will be the first time in almost two years the Top Gear originals, who went their own ways professionally, will be seen together since September 2024.

That was when The Grand Tour: One For The Road was released on Prime Video, marking an end to over two decades of Mr Clarkson, Mr May and Mr Hammond working together.





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Jeremy Clarkson has to pay for his own Amazon Prime account

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The 52-year-old said that neither she nor her boyfriend receives a free subscription from Amazon, even though they front one of the streamer’s biggest British shows.

Ms Hogan made the admission in an interview with content creator Lucas Stewart on his YouTube channel.

Asked directly whether she was given a complimentary Amazon Prime or Prime Video account, the Irish former model and actor replied: “I share my son’s.

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“We don’t get any goodies.”

She went on to explain that sharing subscriptions is simply how many younger viewers now choose to spend their money.

“Children nowadays are just like, ‘Yeah, I’ll just get this subscription,’ and that’s their way of spending money whereas we used to buy cigarettes and more alcohol,” she said.

“This is their spending money, so I share it with him.”

Clarkson’s Farm, which follows Mr Clarkson’s attempts to run his Diddly Squat farm in the Cotswolds, has been one of Prime Video’s breakout UK successes since it launched in 2021.

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Ms Hogan has become a key part of the series, often seen running the Diddly Squat Farm Shop and appearing alongside Mr Clarkson and farmer Kaleb Cooper.

In the interview, she also reflected on how the attention from the show has changed her life, but the Independent report focuses on the unusual fact that one of Prime Video’s best‑known on‑screen personalities still relies on a family login.

Amazon Prime currently costs £8.99 a month in the UK, with membership including access to Prime Video, music, deliveries and other services.

The company has tightened its rules on account sharing in recent years, but Ms Hogan’s comments suggest that, inside the Clarkson household at least, the stars are still paying customers.





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