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…
It was rather brilliant to see High Sheriff’s Cadet Sofia (@dcoty_thames.valley) marching with confidence and pride down The Mall in London today, taking part in the national VE80 parade. She represented Oxfordshire with grace and distinction, joining fellow young people from St John Ambulance and other uniformed youth organisations from across the country. VE80 marks…
Today I had the enormous pleasure of joining the people of Shrivenham as they celebrated the 100th anniversary of their much-loved Parish Hall at their ‘Party on the Rec’—a building that’s not only architecturally impressive (that glorious triple-hammer beam ceiling still takes your breath away!) but one that continues to serve as a true beating…