Oxford News
Five ways to stay cool and sleep better during a heatwave
While the return of summer weather is welcome for many, rising temperatures can quickly lead to discomfort, making it harder to focus, relax or sleep.
While the sun is great when you want to have fun, it can be hard when you’re hoping to work or sleep, and keeping your home cool can be tricky.
Chris Michael, chair of air treatment specialists Meaco – they do more than just dehumidifiers – shares his favourite ways to stay cool.
Five ways to stay cool and get a restful night’s sleep this summer
1. Use a cold water bottle
Fill your hot water bottle with water and freeze it before bedtime. This makes a simple and effective ice pack to keep you cool overnight without adding to your energy bill.
2. Close blinds and curtains
Direct sunlight through windows quickly heats up your home. Keep blinds, curtains and windows closed during the hottest part of the day, especially those facing south. Once the temperature drops in the evening, open them to let cooler air in.
3. Take warm showers
Although it seems counterintuitive, a warm shower before bed helps the body regulate its temperature more effectively. Cold showers can trigger the body to generate heat, whereas a warm shower encourages the body to cool down naturally.
4. Buy a fan (ideally before the rush)
As soon as warm weather is forecast, fans start to sell out quickly. Buying a high-quality air circulating fan in advance ensures you’re ready. Look for reputable brands with strong reviews and clever features like ECO mode to save energy.
For bedroom use, choose a quiet fan. Loud fans can disturb sleep, so consider models that are Quiet Mark accredited and include Night Mode for uninterrupted rest. Low energy consumption is also key, especially if you plan to run the fan all night.
5. Check windows and doors
Gaps around windows and doors can let in heat during summer just as they let out heat in winter. Sealing these gaps is a quick, cost-effective way to keep your indoor space cooler with less effort.
How a Meaco fan can help you keep your home cool this summer
With Quiet Mark accreditation, Meaco fans are ideal for bedrooms, children’s rooms and home offices, as they include timers, temperature sensors, night modes, and intuitive controls to help you stay focused, relaxed, and well-rested.
Meaco has expanded its quietest and most energy-efficient fan line with the new MeacoFan Sefte® 8” Portable Battery Powered Air Circulator .
It offers mains or battery operation, making it ideal for use at home, while travelling, or outdoors. The replaceable battery extends the fan’s life far beyond that of typical sealed battery models, aligning with upcoming EU regulations and reducing waste.
The 8-inch model joins the Sefte 10” Table and 10” Pedestal Air Circulators , recently named Best in Category by Which? for their outstanding performance, quiet operation and build quality.
Recommended reading:
How a fan can help you sleep in a heatwave
With better sleep being the number one reason people buy a fan, it’s worth investing in one that’s quieter, more energy-efficient, and ideally features a dedicated night mode.
Meaco has a glow-in-the-dark remote control to make it easier to adjust settings without turning on a light.
It’s also worth thinking ahead for long-term use, low energy costs and comfort, to help you stay cool through this summer and many more.
What do you use to help get to sleep in warmer weather? Let us know in the comments.
Oxford News
Oxford to screen Gentle, Angry Women film this weekend
Gentle, Angry Women, directed by Barbara Santi, tells the story of three young women retracing the historic march to Greenham Common – 40 years after the first Women’s Peace Protests.
It will be screened at The Ultimate Picture Palace in Oxford on Sunday, May 24, at 5pm.
The documentary is the latest release from award-winning Cornish production company Awen Productions and is part of the film’s 2026 UK tour, with stops including Gloucester, Cardiff, Bristol, Reading, and Cornwall.
The screening will be followed by a Q&A session with peace activists Marie Walsh, Nuala Young, and Di McDonald.
The event is being held to mark International Women’s Day for Peace and Disarmament and will celebrate women’s global leadership in advocating for peace and disarmament.
Barbara Santi, director of Gentle, Angry Women, said: “I belong to the generation that should have inherited and passed on these stories, yet failed to do so.
“I’m working to repair that broken chain of women’s collective memory.
“Every woman deserves to know her own history – yet an entire generation has been robbed of the knowledge that thousands of women once lived for years in makeshift camps, facing arrest and ridicule to prevent nuclear war.”
Ms Santi said the film’s message is especially timely in light of current global events.
She said: “In a time when young people are grappling with climate crisis, global conflicts, and technological isolation, they need to see how previous generations of ‘gentle, angry women’ faced seemingly impossible odds and refused to give up.”
The Greenham Common protest lasted 19 years and became one of the largest women’s movements in British history, although many – including the film’s protagonists – were unaware of it.
The documentary follows 19-year-old Evie from Cornwall, and her friends Xanthe, 17, and Poppy, 16, on a 110-mile march to Greenham Common to rediscover its legacy.
Along their journey, the trio meet women who spent years living at the peace camp and share intergenerational conversations on activism and the state of the world today.
The young women highlight contemporary issues, including climate change, women’s rights, Black Lives Matter, and animal activism.
She said: “The film champions small acts of defiance and community building as powerful forms of resistance.”
Audience members have described the film as ‘a really humbling story of collective women’s activism’ and ‘powerful, poetic, and unapologetically bold’.
Tickets and more information are available at the Folklife Films website.
Oxford News
Olives on sale at market is our camera club winner
That was their latest weekly theme and they posted plenty of photos of market stalls in Oxford, including those in the Covered Market and at Gloucester Green and Broad Street.
Some photographers also sent in photos of markets from outside the county and beyond.
READ MORE: Leading UK charity in liquidation
Gloucester Green and the Covered Market offer plenty of good opportunities for colourful photos as there are often food stalls open, while Broad Street hosts a popular market over the festive period.
It was tricky to choose a winner for photo of the week, but Georgina Elliott-Dew was selected for an eye-catching selection of photos, including the one above of a market trader selling olives.
Ann Faulkner’s snap of Applegate market in Covent Garden also stood out.
A market at Covent Garden (Image: Ann Faulkner)
Camera club members have drawn up their own list of weekly themes and the next one is ‘Oxfordshire stone’.
Oxford News
Aylesbury prison absconder wanted in public appeal
John Baker, 44, left the facility of HMP Springhill, an open prison near Grendon Underwood, without permission.
The incident took place at about 7pm on Saturday, May 23.
He is 5ft 9ins tall, of medium build, and has links to Northwood, near Watford.
Detective sergeant Jon Muldoon said: “We are appealing for the help of the public to trace John Baker, who is unlawfully at large after escaping from HMP Springhill.
“If you see Baker, do not approach him and call 999 instead.”
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