1+ week, 3+ day ago (472+ words) Controversial plans for a new glamping site have been refused by West Oxfordshire District Council. Spellbound Glamping applied to build 18 camping units along with a caf, a reception area, two toilets and shower blocks, a storage barn and parking spaces on a four hectare site at Watermead Farm on Spelsbury Road, north of Charlbury. They submitted a change of use application for the agricultural field in November 2023. The application was refused by West Oxfordshire District Council's planning committee at a meeting on Monday, November 17. READ MORE : Oxfordshire woman who died in 'large house fire' named A total of 48 people objected to the plans on the planning portal, including from CPRE (Campaign to Protect Rural England) and the council's own ecology officer. Friends of the West Oxfordshire Cotswolds said the woodland and nearby area "will be disrupted and harmed by its…...

5+ day, 15+ hour ago (231+ words) Back in its 2010 series, TV presenter Gillian McKeith was voted for by the public to do the live trial called 'The Un-Fair Ground', which had a carnival theme. The trials are usually pre-recorded, and Gillian had been picked on by the public to do quite a few of them. By that point in the series, this would have been her seventh trial in a row. When it was revealed by Ant and Dec that she was selected for yet another one, she stood up quite gingerly beside them. A few seconds later, she then fainted, prompting medical personnel to come and give her oxygen before the show cut to a break. Former Olympic gold medallist Linford Christie stepped in to replace her. This caused some debate among fans on whether Gillian faked fainting or if it was real, but the…...

1+ week, 2+ day ago (1206+ words) Double Olympic champion rower and mum-of-three Helen Glover has opened up about how her training has changed and parenting non-negotiables after running the Oxford Half Marathon this year. Ms Glover OBE took part in the 13.1 mile Oxford event in October and she has now provided insight into how she balances her sporting career with her personal life and the sacrifices she had to make along the way. The 39-year-old said: "People ask me how I get up and get to the gym after a sleepless night with kids. "But those things still exist for me, even after having all the experts around me and all years of training, I'm still there wondering how do I motivate myself. "However, for me over the past year, I think having smaller kind of fitness goals to complete has been really beneficial. "I did…...

1+ week, 2+ day ago (497+ words) The Chancellor Rachel Reeves has been urged to levy a windfall tax on commercial banks to fund a "300 cut to help keep people warm by cutting energy bills. SNP Westminster leader Stephen Flynn has pushed for Rachel Reeves to follow plans proposed by the IPPR think tank " based on a similar tax from Margaret Thatcher in the 1980s " which said such a levy would raise around "8 billion annually. The SNP compared its proposals to the Energy Bills Support Scheme, which provided "400 payments under the last Tory government. The total cost of the policy was almost "11.4 billion, but the new scheme proposed by the SNP would cost around "8.15 billion, the party said, owing to the "300 payment and the fact that top rate taxpayers in Scotland and the additional rate elsewhere in the UK would not receive the support. Mr Flynn said: "This…...

3+ week, 17+ hour ago (240+ words) James May has paid tribute to Quentin Willson after the former Top Gear presenter's death this weekend. The former motoring show host passed away at the age of 68 years old today (Saturday, November 8), his family confirmed. The motoring journalist and television presenter, best known for his time on Top Gear, enjoyed a distinguished career spanning over three decades. Joining the BBC's Top Gear in the early 1990s, Mr Willson became known for his sharp wit, deep automotive knowledge, and focus on affordable classics. Quentin Willson. (Image: PA) After leaving the show, he went on to present Fifth Gear and numerous motoring documentaries, championing consumer rights and road safety. James May joined Top Gear in 2003, having previously appeared on the show in 1999 before the 2002 reboot. Paying tribute to his fellow presenter, the 62-year-old penned a sweet message on his X this afternoon…...

3+ day, 15+ hour ago (239+ words) Thames Water has officially lifted the hosepipe ban after four months. The temporary restriction on water use was introduced in July for for customers in the OX, GL, SN, RG4, RG8, and RG9 postcode areas to help protect rivers and to ensure there was enough water to go round after prolonged dry weather. The ban was extended on several occasions, but now the water utility company says it is 'pleased' to announce that the hosepipe ban has been lifted 'with immediate effect' following heavy rainfall. Thames Water said its storage position has 'recovered well' following the above average rainfall it has seen since October. Farmoor Reservoir is now nearly full and the aquifers in the Cotswold region are at normal levels for the time of year, meaning the risk of drought has now greatly reduced. " Oxford Mail (@TheOxfordMail) November 18, 2025 Nevil Muncaster, strategic water…...

2+ week, 5+ day ago (256+ words) James May's girlfriend called him "obnoxious" after filming The Grand Tour with Jeremy Clarkson and Richard Hammond. The trio of presenters worked on BBC's Top Gear before moving on to launch the Prime Video show in 2015, working with one another for more than two decades in total. Their professional relationship came to an end with the finale of the latter motoring show, The Grand Tour: One For The Road. The Prime Video which was special released in 2024 saw the famed trio travel to Zimbabwe and Botswana in Africa before calling it a day. James May. (Image: Ian West / PA) Speaking to the Daily Mail, Mr May has now revealed his long-term partner, art and dance critic Sarah Frater, told him he was worse to be around after filming and hanging around with his co-stars. He said: "When we did the…...

3+ day, 19+ hour ago (473+ words) More than 100,000 high-value properties will pay a new 'mansion tax' for homes worth more than "2 million. This had been reported as raising "400-"450 million, a year. Some 2.4 million properties in the top three council tax bands could be revalued to determine which would be subject to the surcharge. The move could see homes in council tax bands F, G and H and hit 100,000 hit with a new surcharge, with the threshold starting at "2 million. There were also rumours that Stamp Duty could be scrapped for homes costing less than "500,000. The Institute for Public Policy Research (IPPR) recommended a 100% rise in council tax for those in the most expensive, band H homes, likely to be worth more than "1.5 million. Rates on band F and G homes should also be raised by 50%, the IPPR said, while those in the cheapest council tax bands…...

3+ week, 6+ day ago (264+ words) The family of a motorcyclist killed in a crash in Oxfordshire have released a tribute to the "devoted husband and father". Kevin John Mills, a gardener from Witney, was killed in a road traffic collision on Brize Norton Road near Minster Lovell on Sunday, October 19. The 49-year-old's family have now released a heartfelt tribute to him, via Thames Valley Police. They said: "No words can possibly express how deeply shocked and saddened all of his family and friends are at the tragic passing of Kevin (known as Kev to all). Kevin Mills. (Image: Kevin Mills) "He was a devoted husband and father, a loving son, brother and brother-in-law, and a good friend to so many. He always had a cheeky smile and a quick answer. "He worked for 30 years as a groundsman and greenkeeper, and his passion outside of work…...

2+ week, 4+ day ago (651+ words) These three products found in your kitchen cupboard could be the answer to help treat your headaches naturally this flu season. As winter bugs get passed around, you might be tempted to cough up for costly medication to rid yourself of head pain. While paying for pain medication may help shift your aches, this winter you could save yourself a penny or two by reaching for natural remedies found in your home to do the same. One blogger named Kirsty Holden, who runs The Money Saving Mum blog, has shared how to use kitchen items to help manage your'headaches and migraines and save some money in the process. How to treat your headaches naturally this flu season - with items from your kitchen cupboard (Image: Smart Energy GB) In her blog post about natural medicinal remedies, she names lavender oil, peppermint…...