As His Majesty’s High Sheriff of Oxfordshire, I want to express my heartfelt sympathy following the devastating fire at Bicester Motion. This tragedy has claimed the lives of two firefighters and a member of the public, with others seriously injured. My thoughts are with their families, loved ones, and the entire Oxfordshire Fire and Rescue…
Yesterday afternoon at Lucy Group Head Office, a distinguished panel came together to judge the entries for this year’s High Sheriff’s Young Engineer of the Year Award—a celebration of ingenuity, creativity, and the inspiring potential of Oxfordshire’s young people. Chaired by Richard Dick, Chairman of Lucy Group and himself a former High Sheriff of Oxfordshire,…
Not strictly a Shrieval engagement—but today was certainly a personal milestone worth sharing. I was deeply honoured to be invested as a Commander of the Royal Victorian Order (CVO) by His Royal Highness The Prince of Wales during a ceremony at Windsor Castle. For those unfamiliar with it, the Royal Victorian Order is a dynastic…
Over the past couple of days, the Oxfordshire Shrievalty has had the great privilege of attending four Mayor Making ceremonies across the county – each one a unique celebration of civic service, community spirit, and local leadership. But what exactly is a Mayor Making? At its heart, a Mayor Making is the formal annual meeting…
Abingdon-on-Thames, the historic county market town and civil parish, presented its finest colours on Monday evening at its annual Mayor-Making held in the glorious surroundings of St Helen’s Church. What a wonderful event, planned meticulously by the Town Council—welcoming and presented with a flourish of local talent, including the Town Cryer, music and dancing by…
This morning, I had the very great pleasure of attending the Civic Service for the town of Faringdon, held in the beautiful surroundings of All Saints’ Church. I was accompanied by Mark, my Chamberlain; Anne, my Chaplain; and Shaun, our ever-dedicated Cadet Coordinator. We were joined by Colonel Neil Sutherland OBE DL, who was deputising…
Today I thoroughly enjoyed attending the annual Oxfordshire Scouts Awards Day at Youlbury Scout Camp, a celebration of commitment, achievement and community spirit. This remarkable event gathers young people from every Scout District across the county – and this year was no exception. With over 1,000 young people present, it was truly inspiring to witness…
Yesterday, on VE80 Day, we were honoured to represent the Oxfordshire Shrievalty on a Peace Walk alongside fellow members of the Lieutenancy and a distinguished group of faith leaders from across the county and beyond. John, the High Sheriff, was sadly unable to attend due to a long-standing business engagement outside the county, but sent…
Yesterday, The Branch Trust in Chipping Norton hosted a powerful Breakfast Conversation convened by the High Sheriff of Oxfordshire. Part of a county-wide series under the banner Hearing the Young Unheard, the event brought together professionals from across education, policing, local government, health services, and the voluntary sector to explore one of the most urgent…
This evening, I had the privilege of attending a special reception at Pembroke College to mark the 71st anniversary of one of the greatest moments in sporting history: Sir Roger Bannister’s legendary sub-four-minute mile. It was a particular honour to gather in the college where Sir Roger served as Master from 1985 to 1993. His…
