Latest news with #OxfordMail
Yahoo
4 hours ago
- Climate
- Yahoo
Beat the heat: All of Oxfordshire's splash parks and pools open this summer
Summer is heating up, and families may be left wondering what to do to beat the heat in Oxfordshire at the weekends. With temperatures rising to 30 degrees Celsius in Oxford this Saturday, June 21, a refreshing splash about in water might be what's needed. Luckily, the county is well provided with splash parks and pools to help you or the little ones get out of the heat and have some fun. READ MORE: How did pro-Palestine activists break into RAF Brize Norton? Splash Park at The Leys The newly upgraded splash park at The Leys, Witney is open for the first time this year, from May 22. It has a range of features for all young ages and abilities and is accessible, and is operational from midday until 6pm each day. Pools to try in Oxfordshire this summer (Image: Newsquest)Cutteslowe & Sunnymead Splash 'N' Play The splash park is open in Cutteslowe Park from the first bank holiday in May each year. Its free to attend with onsite facilities including toilets, picnic tables, play areas including sand pits and splash play, and refreshments. Cutteslowe splash park is currently closed due to a "technical issue", according to Oxford City Council. Experience the pulse of Oxford at your fingertips 🗞️ With our flash sale, Oxford Mail keeps you updated for less: only £4 for 4 months or save 40 per cent on an annual subscription. Don't miss out on what's happening locally #DigitalDeal #LocalJournalismhttps:// — Oxford Mail (@TheOxfordMail) June 16, 2025 Hinksey Splash Park Also a new addition to Oxfordshire's splash park offering, a new water play and mini-wheels track opened in April at Hinksey Park in Oxford this year. The splash park is free to use and open everyday until the end of the summer, with the "learn and play" balance bike and scooter track designed for younger children open year round. Riverside Park And Pools, Wallingford A campsite adjacent to the River Thames, Riverside Park and Pools is a great summer destination with an interactive water feature suitable for ages which was recently refurbished. Its free for public use with no booking required. The site also boasts a heated outdoor pool, which can be booked through the Better UK app or online. READ MORE: A361 near Banbury closed after serious crash Didcot Splash Pad at Edmonds Park Didcot's Edmonds Park has a fun water feature for children's supervised play, offered by the town council. Its open 10am to 4pm everyday until September, and toilet facilities and a refreshment kiosk are available onsite. Splash parks are a great way for youngsters to beat the heatWantage Memorial Splash Park Just south of Wantage, the memorial gardens have a play area and an interactive water feature that is open during the summer months. During the summer season, until early September, the splash pad is open from 10.30am to 7pm. Woodstock Open Air Pool Woodstock Open Air Pool in Shipton Road is a seasonal 25m 4 lane heated swimming pool with changing rooms, toilets, and a reception area to buy refreshments and ice creams. Situated in the heart of West Oxfordshire and a short walk from Blenheim Palace, the pool also has a diving board and dive pit at a depth of 3.5m. Chippy Lido With its fully-heated 25m pool, café and large, tree-lined lawn, The Lido outdoor swimming pool describes itself as "an oasis of calm" in the Oxfordshire Cotswolds The lido is located in Fox Close, Chipping Norton and is run by a local charity. Swim slots are available to book online. READ MORE: Fraud at Oxford car park as pay machines compromised Banbury Open Air Pool Banbury's Woodgreen Open Air Pool opened in May this year to the delight of residents following improvements from Cherwell District Council. It will be open until early September and is available to book online. Abbey Meadows Outdoor Pool Abbey Meadows Outdoor Pool in Abingdon is a popular place to go during the summer months after more than 15,000 people visited last year. The pool first opened on Thursday, first open on Thursday and will remain open over the coming weekend. After June 22 and until July 19 - the official summer season opening date - the pool on the banks of the Thames will open when the weather and staffing allow.
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Hugh Laurie 'doesn't care' about House fans or reliving TV show
Oxford-born actor Hugh Laurie has brutally revealed he "doesn't care" about House, M.D. fans and doesn't want to relive the show. The star was born in the city and grew up in Blackbird Leys before going on to star in projects such as Jeeves and Wooster, Blackadder and The Night Manager. He is perhaps best known globally for his role as the titular character in House, which ran for eight seasons between 2004 and 2012. The show, which is available on Prime Video, was popular at the time but has gained a huge additional following in the years since its final episode. READ MORE: Emma Watson 'heartbroken' after Harry Potter snub by JK Rowling Hugh Laurie starred as House in the show. Despite its success and fanship, it was recently revealed that Mr Laurie does not care about its audience. A recent episode of the Doctor Mike podcast saw host Dr. Mikhail 'Mike' Varshavski interview Noah Wyle. In the interview, Mr Varshavski said: 'I love that you're still connected to your characters very much. "Most that play a role like John Carter get tired of that association. In fact, we invited Hugh Laurie to our show.' READ MORE: Gordon Ramsay discusses moving to the Cotswolds with Beckhams Experience the pulse of Oxford at your fingertips 🗞️ With our flash sale, Oxford Mail keeps you updated for less: only £4 for 4 months or save 40 per cent on an annual subscription. Don't miss out on what's happening locally #DigitalDeal #LocalJournalismhttps:// — Oxford Mail (@TheOxfordMail) June 16, 2025 'His staff was like, 'Oh, this is a good fit, we're going to reach out to him and see what he thinks. "I'm going to read you quote-unquote what he said: 'He is not interested in opportunities like this, frankly doesn't care about the audience or reliving the show.'' Mr Wyle responded by laughing and said: 'That's so baller.' 'It's just such a direct and honest reply," added Mr Varshavski. "It's not that he doesn't want to do your show, just he doesn't want to be House MD ever again.'
Metro
4 days ago
- Entertainment
- Metro
Clarkson's Farm star 'hobbling around' after being spotted on mobility scooter
A Clarkson's Farm star is in some pain after suffering a 'busted ankle'. Kaleb Cooper, 26, has become a household name since rising to fame with Jeremy Clarkson on the Amazon Prime Video series, which is set on the former Top Gear star's Diddly Squat farm. The farmer has become a star in his own right, and he was kept busy at this year's Royal Three Counties show in Worcestershire despite his recent injury. 'I may be hobbling around because I've got a bit of a busted ankle, but it'll be fine,' he said in a video shared to the event's official Instagram account before a packed schedule on Sunday. He kicked off his day at a Future of Farming talk at 11am, followed by a Machinery Demo in the Main Arena at 12:45pm, and an appearance at the Food & Drink Theatre 45 minutes later. Earlier in the week, he'd been spotted at Cereals 2025 – another farming festival – moving around on a mobility scooter in photos published by the Oxford Mail. To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video Kaleb seemed to be in good spirits as he chatted to locals, although his foot was still in a protective boot at the time. He had vowed to still be at the Three Counties event too, despite revealing days earlier that he had 'fractured' his ankle. In another Instagram Story, he said: 'Just got back from football and trying to haul my a** to shut the chickens up… look at that ankle.' Thankfully for Kaleb, his schedule will start to get a bit easier after Jeremy confirmed Clarkson's Farm is taking a 'short break' after its upcoming fifth series. The programme recently returned for a fourth season, and while another series is already in the works, there'll be a chance for everyone to down tools in the near future. Jeremy has had some health setbacks, with a heart operation in 2024, and he recently put his back out with no clue how he managed it. 'I'd do a sixth if there was a reason for doing it, like a bloody good story. But if, say, my back turns out to be cancerous then I wouldn't,' he quipped in an interview with The Times. The former Grand Tour presenter confirmed that either way, there'll be a 'short break' after the fifth series. He added: 'Whatever happens we'll definitely take a short break as the crews are all worn out. We've been filming here two or three days a week, every week, for five years. Everybody could do with a rest.' There had been some concern from fans that Kaleb's role was being scaled back for the fourth series as farmhand Harriet Cowan appeared to be replacing him. However, Jeremy soon explained that Kaleb's other commitments meant he needed someone else to help out. More Trending 'What happened is this, he went away on his speaking tour, for a couple of months because he imagined that after four years, I'd be able to manage on my own,' Jeremy explained. 'I didn't – I made a complete mess of everything and had to bring in a young girl called Harriet. Harriet is brilliant and looked after the fort until he got back.' View More » Clarkson's Farm is available to stream on Amazon Prime Video. Got a story? If you've got a celebrity story, video or pictures get in touch with the entertainment team by emailing us celebtips@ calling 020 3615 2145 or by visiting our Submit Stuff page – we'd love to hear from you. MORE: Jeremy Clarkson admits he took 'big financial hit' on extortionate farm purchase MORE: Clarkson's Farm fans delighted after star shares 'great' health news MORE: Clarkson's Farm fans convinced they spotted 'editing error' – but there's more to it
Yahoo
4 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Oxford University beaten to top spot in new 2026 ranking
The University of Oxford has missed out on the top spot in a new 2026 ranking. Released this week, the 2026 Complete University Guide rankings have been released which feature the prestigious institution heavily. These rankings offer a detailed look at how every UK university stacks up against key measures like student satisfaction, graduate prospects, research quality and more. The annual rankings are widely followed by students, parents and educators and include a breakdown of each set of subjects. READ MORE: David Beckham wins neighbour battle over £6m Cotswolds estate plans Cambridge claimed top spot in the new university rankings. Oxford has been beaten by bitter rival Cambridge in the overall ranking, finishing in second place. Following the Oxbridge institutions are the London School of Economics and Political Science, the University of St Andrews and Durham University. Imperial College London, Loughborough University and the University of Bath all follow in the new ranking. The University of Warwick and Lancaster University round off the top 10 while the Universities of Exeter and York rank just Mail readers can subscribe for just £4 for 4 months in this flash sale — Oxford Mail (@TheOxfordMail) June 10, 2025 Oxford has been ranked top of the Times Higher Education World University Rankings for nine consecutive years. The prestigious institution was recently named the best in the world for three subjects in international rankings. QS World University Rankings 2025 saw the prestigious institution claim the top spot for English Language and Literature, Anatomy and Physiology, and Geography. In the new 2026 Complete University Guide rankings, Oxford was ranked best in the UK in 10 subjects.
Yahoo
11-06-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Oxfordshire hospitals' most requested language interpreter revealed
The most requested language interpretation service at Oxfordshire's hospitals is not French, Spanish, Mandarin Chinese nor Arabic. Instead, a recent freedom of information request to the Oxfordshire NHS Foundation Trust has revealed that it is Portuguese. The trust provides physical, mental health and social care for people of all ages across Oxfordshire, Buckinghamshire, Swindon, Wiltshire, Bath and Somerset. Its responsibilities include Abingdon, Bicester, Wallingford, Wantage and Witney community hospitals, as well as numerous other services such as disability and dental care. READ MORE: That Portuguese is the most sought-after translation service tallies with data from the latest Census (2021) which reported that it was second – after English – as the most spoken primary language by residents of Oxford, narrowly beating Spanish and Polish. As well as revealing the most requested language interpretation service for the trust, the freedom of information request showed how much is being spent on interpretation as a whole. Witney Community Hospital falls under the Oxfordshire NHS Foundation Trust For the latest year-long period (2024-25) this was £185,659, significantly down from the same time a year before (2023-24) when it was £211,003. It is also reduced from the timeframe before that (2022-23) when £204,475 was spent on translation across the trust. Missed a copy of the Oxford Mail you wanted? Here's what to do — Oxford Mail (@TheOxfordMail) May 13, 2024 This comes after the Daily Mail revealed that the NHS has spent almost £80 million on language and interpretation services since 2020 for patients – not just for non-English speakers but also the hard of hearing and blind people. Responding to the paper, an NHS spokesperson said: 'Translation and interpretation services are a legal requirement and essential to deliver effective and safe patient care. 'It is right the NHS offers these services for those who need them, including translations, sign language and documents.' Even so, the money spent on translation services nationally has led to criticism from some MPs and groups such as the Taxpayers' Alliance.
