Oxford News
Oxfordshire Fire and Rescue issue warning over open water
Oxfordshire Fire and Rescue Service has warned that warm weather increases the risk of people getting into difficulty in open water across the county.
Reservoirs, lakes, and rivers may look inviting in warm weather, but these hidden dangers can injure or kill.
The service is reminding the public that even on the hottest days, open water can remain dangerously cold and lead to a ‘cold shock’ response if someone falls or jumps in unexpectedly.
It comes after the county has experienced water-related tragedies in recent years including 20-year-old student Noah Moss, who accidentally fell into the River Thames and hit his head, drowning by King’s Lock in Wolvercote.
John Keith Jones also drowned in the river near Osney Lock in April 2023 and Wesley Akum-Ojong, a 19-year-old Oxford University student, drowned in the River Thames on June 21, 2024, while celebrating the end of his exams in Port Meadow.
(Image: Wesley Akum-Ojong/Brasenose College)
Deb Forder, safety manager for Oxfordshire County Council’s Fire and Rescue Service, said: “Open water can look appealing, especially on warm days, but it is also very dangerous.
“That is why the practical advice we’re offering is so important, particularly during the hot weather when residents are more likely to be tempted to take a dip.”
Hidden hazards beneath the surface, including rocks, debris, or strong currents, can also pose serious risks.
Ms Forder said: “Please consider things such as letting friends and family know your route near water and what time you should return.
“Carry a whistle and your phone in a water proof pouch to draw attention if you do get into difficulties.”
She explained that sudden immersion in cold water can trigger an involuntary gasp, causing people to inhale water and potentially leading to hyperventilation.
This reaction can result in disorientation.
Ms Forder said: “If you fall in, remember to relax, lean back and ‘float to live’ until you can control your breathing.”
Anyone who sees someone in trouble in the water is urged to call 999 or 112 immediately.
They should not attempt to enter the water themselves but instead try to throw something that will float to the person in distress.
The fire service has also advised the public to be aware of dangers such as strong currents, underwater hazards, and low water temperatures, which can all be life-threatening.
The fire service also advises choosing a lifeguarded beach if planning to go into the sea.
Ms Forder said: “A simple change to our behaviour can reduce the risk of drowning.
“Avoid high risk areas, be aware of your surroundings and know how to react if you or someone else falls in.
“Respect the water, even if you’re a good swimmer and familiar with the river, lake or reservoir. Be water aware.”
More information and advice are available on the water safety section of Oxfordshire Fire and Rescue’s YouTube channel or on the Royal Life Saving Society UK’s website.
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.
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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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