This afternoon I had the real pleasure of serving as guest of honour at the passing out ceremony for the latest cohort of Special Constables in Thames Valley Police. Seven young volunteers sat together on one side of the room. Smart, composed, perhaps just a little nervous. Opposite them sat their families, friends and supporters,…
Some evenings leave you feeling quietly grateful. Tonight was one of them. Mark and I had the real privilege of being invited to Iftar by Onder and Esra. To be welcomed into someone’s home at such a significant moment during Ramadan is no small thing. It felt generous, open and deeply kind. I have always…
This morning could not have been more beautiful. Clear blue sky. Proper February sunshine. The sort that makes you forget how saturated the winter has been. The ground, however, had not forgotten. Within minutes of arriving at Hill End, it was clear my shoes were not going to survive the experience. The paths were gloriously…
On Monday evening I spent time with the Badgers and Cadets of St John Ambulance in Kidlington – and came away, once again, quietly encouraged. The Badgers were smartly in uniform and hard at work on a session about recycling. Not glamorous. Not headline-grabbing. But thoughtful, practical and rooted in responsibility. They were exploring how…
This afternoon, Mark and I had the real pleasure of joining around a thousand people at Oxford Town Hall for the 2026 Lunar New Year Celebration, organised by Oxfordshire Chinese Community & Advice Centre. Lunar New Year is the most important festival in the Chinese calendar. It is about family, tradition, food, colour, music and…
I genuinely thought pantomime season had packed up its wigs, foam swords and improbable plotlines for another year. Apparently not. Last night, Mark and I were at The Cooper School in Bicester for this year’s production from the Launton Village Players – and what a gloriously unexpected evening it was. The title was Treasure Island….
It was a genuine privilege to support the Mayor of Bicester at her Civic Charity Dinner this week – an evening full of warmth, pride and just the right amount of joyful chaos. Councillor Alisa Russell, elected in May 2025 as the Liberal Democrat Mayor of Bicester for 2025–2026, is based at The Garth. She…
There are few things more joyful, more life-affirming, than a Scout and Guide Gang Show done well. Tonight I had the enormous pleasure of attending the Oxfordshire Gang Show at ’s theatre – and what a show it was. For those who may not know, the Gang Show tradition began in 1932, when brought together…
Tonight I had the pleasure of speaking to the Bicester Local History Society at the Clifton Centre, kindly invited by my good friend and fellow villager, Bob Hessian. It was a wet February evening – the sort that would have given everyone a perfectly respectable excuse to stay at home – yet the room was…
There are some weekends that remind you exactly why community matters. Today was one of them. I had the great pleasure of opening the One World Family Festival 2026, a vibrant celebration of the many communities and faiths that call Oxfordshire home. This year’s theme was Nature – a wonderfully unifying choice. After all, whatever…
