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High Sheriff’s Awards at Windsor Castle
On Thursday evening I had the great pleasure of attending the High Sheriff of Berkshire’s Awards, hosted by Sean Taylor at the beautiful Vicars’ Hall within the precincts of Windsor Castle. The setting itself is extraordinary. Vicars’ Hall is one of those places where history seems almost to settle into the walls, and gathering there…
We don’t like cricket; we love it…
“I am from a rural township in South Africa and I have been playing cricket for 4 years. Here I am standing in front of you at Lords. It is an honour beyond my biggest dreams.” In 2007, a fourteen-year-old schoolboy was working for his Bronze Award. As part of his service to the…
Community, Courage, Coffee and Cake: Standing with the Hessian Family
This morning, I had the privilege of attending a fundraising coffee morning at Weston on the Green Village Hall. The hall was packed with people from the village and far beyond, all showing their support for Bob and Paula Hessian following the devastating fire that destroyed their family home just a week ago. It was…
A welcome to new UK citizens
As a Deputy Lieutenant, I have the privilege of presenting citizenship certificates to new UK citizens. Here’s the text of the speech I made at this afternoon’s ceremony… Good afternoon everybody and a very warm welcome to you – to this wonderful County of Oxfordshire. It’s one of England larger counties with an area of…
Pride, Belonging and Community: Opening Thame Pride
It was a genuine privilege to represent the Lord-Lieutenant in opening this year’s Thame Pride. Pride events have evolved over the years. They remain a celebration of the LGBTQ+ community, but they are also a celebration of something much broader: communities where everyone is welcome, respected and able to be themselves. Standing before such a…
A Morning at Woodcote Primary School
I spent a delightful morning with the Key Stage 2 pupils at Woodcote Primary School—and what a thoughtful, articulate, and curious group they are. The visit began with a whole-Key Stage assembly, during which I was peppered with incisive questions from pupils right across the year groups. Everything from “Why do you carry a sword?”…
