The Oxfordshire Shrievalty was out in force today, representing the High Sheriff at three civic services across the county. Sadly, we couldn’t quite manage them all – apologies to the Mayor of Banbury, whose invitation clashed, though the invitation from Bicester had arrived first. It was an early start in Henley-on-Thames, gathering at the Town…
Last night I joined the launch of Oxford Open Doors at Rhodes House – the perfect start to a weekend of exploration and discovery. The sense of welcome was tangible, and it set the tone beautifully for what followed. At its heart, Oxford Open Doors is about throwing open the doors of our city’s most…
This afternoon I had the opportunity to visit Huntercombe Prison, accompanied by Shaun, the High Sheriff of Berkshire, his Chaplain Gareth, my Chaplain Anne, and Mark, Oxfordshire’s Shrievalty Chamberlain. Huntercombe has a long history, having originally opened in the 1940s. Today it operates as a Category C prison holding adult men, all of whom are…
Yesterday, Mark and I were given the opportunity to ride along with Thames Valley Police’s Roads Policing team, part of a Joint Operations Unit with Hampshire and Isle of Wight Constabulary. We spent the day with PCs Chris and Annie – two brilliantly professional individuals whose patience, kindness, and empathy with members of the public…
This morning I chaired another of this year’s Breakfast Conversations, this time hosted by Oxfordshire Youth at their offices in Oxford Business Park. It was wonderful to be welcomed by the team and to see so many people – young and adult alike – gathered with a shared purpose: to explore what it really means…
Tonight was simply uplifting. I had the privilege of attending the Open Evening at the Hummingbird Centre, marking the launch of their very first men’s support group—and what a remarkable evening it turned out to be. From the moment I stepped through the doors of The Hummingbird Centre—a sanctuary nestled in Launton, just outside Bicester—I…
On Saturday afternoon I popped just over the Wiltshire border to Highworth, for the service of welcome for the Rev. Ian Mead at the Methodist Chapel. We were blessed with some much-needed rain—and faced the challenge of a very small car park! So why was I there? Because Ian’s new responsibilities include Shrivenham, which is…
Yesterday I had the great pleasure of joining Oxford Kenya Fest at Horspath Recreation Ground – and what an afternoon it was. Colour, music, food, laughter, and the unmistakable warmth of the Kenyan community filling the space. I was joined by my High Sheriff’s Cadet, Isabella, along with her mum, Shaun, and Mark – and…
This morning, I made my final mortgage payment to the bank. For the first time since 1985 – forty years ago – I am mortgage debt free. It all began with a three-bedroom former council house in Lichfield, where I’d just started teaching at Chadsmead Junior School. The house cost £20,000 – just shy of…
I’ll admit it upfront: I’m not a Radiohead devotee. I admire their success, of course, and I know they hail from just down the road in Abingdon. And yes, I recognise the iconic image of the resuscitation dummy from The Bends album – taken, so the story goes, in the bowels of the John Radcliffe…