Oxford News
Oxford Literary Festival jampacked with star-studded names
The festival started at the weekend and concludes on Sunday.
Mr Packham will speak to Philip Lymbery in a talk at the Sheldonian Theatre on Saturday at 2pm.
The naturalist, television presenter, writer, photographer, conservationist, campaigner and filmmaker is best known for his environmental and animal welfare activism.
His television credits include Springwatch and Earth for the BBC and Is it Time to Break the Law? for Channel 4.
He runs independent campaigns aimed at nature recovery and ending animal cruelty. Mr Packham is also an advocate for neurodiversity with a special focus on autism.
His books include Chris Packham’s Birdwatching Guide: From Beginner to Birder and Fingers in the Sparkle Jar: A Memoir.
Mr Eccleston who was the ninth doctor in 2005, will be in conversation with Oxford Brookes University Chancellor Paterson Joseph, on Sunday, at 4pm, at the Sheldonian Theatre.
Manchester-born Mr Eccleston brought the Time Lord back to TV screens with the popular ninth series welcomed by science fiction fans.
READ MORE: Doctor Who star is coming to Oxford University
Starring alongside Billie Piper’s Rose Tyler, the duo became two of the UK’s most famous faces.
Mr Eccleston’s big breakthrough came in the role of left-wing activist Nicky Hutchinson in the award-winning 1990s BBC drama Our Friends in the North.
His film work includes the title role in Jude, based on the Thomas Hardy novel, and roles in 24 Hour Party People and 28 Days Later.
Other highlights include talks featuring wildlife presenter historian Sir Simon Schama, Paddington and Downton Abbey actor Hugh Bonneville, poet Pam Ayres, and children’s author Michael Rosen.
Mr Lymbery is chief executive of Compassion in World Farming and author of Sixty Harvests Left: How to Reach a Nature-Friendly Future and Dead Zone: Where the Wild Things Were.
Poet Pam Ayres, who started out in Stanford in the Vale, near Wantage, spoke on Sunday at the Sheldonian about her latest book, Doggedly Onward: A Life in Poems.
Doggedly Onward traces Ayres’s life from the 1970s to the current decade through poems.
The popular poet said the poems trace the course of her life from the young woman juggling boyfriends to the wife adrift amid the joy and terror of motherhood, and the adoring granny.
They chronicle her fascination with dogs, wildlife and travel and her mistakes, regrets and ageing.
Pam Ayres began her broadcasting career at BBC Radio Oxford in the 1970s and first appeared on our TV screens in 1975.
Since then, she has been making the nation laugh with her poetry.
Her bestselling poetry books include The Works, Surgically Enhanced, You Made Me Late Again! and The Last Hedgehog. She has also published an autobiography, The Necessary Aptitude.
On Monday at the Sheldonian, acclaimed historian Sir Simon Schama gave a talk entitled The History of Antisemitism: A Warning for Today.
Sir Simon looked at the origins of antisemitism and its threat to communities around the world.
He explored how the memory of the death of six million Jews in wartime Europe is fading and how antisemitism has grown since the events of October 7, 2023.
Sir Simon is university professor of art history and history at Columbia University.
His award-winning books include Citizens, A History of Britain, The Power of Art, and The Story of the Jews: Finding the Words (1000 BCE – 1492).
He has written and presented more than 50 films for the BBC, including works on Tolstoy, the story of the Jews, and as co-presenter of the landmark series on the history of world art, Civilisations.
This event was the first of an annual lecture on antisemitism to be hosted by the festival.
This year there was no central marquee – the main festival hub is located inside Blackwell Hall at the Bodleian’s Weston Library in Broad Street, opposite the Sheldonian Theatre – the main festival venue. The festival ‘green room’ is being hosted by Exeter College.
This year’s festival is being backed by The Telegraph.
For more information visit the festival website.
14 pupils from Aureus School in Didcot, Oxfordshire, travelled to Southampton’s Utilita Bowl to watch two ICC Women’s T20 World Cup matches.
They saw New Zealand take on Sri Lanka and England face Ireland.
Rob Hayden, head of PE at Aureus School, said: “The first match was really close, with Sri Lanka hitting a four to win the match in the final over.
“There was a rain delay which delayed the England match by one hour and 30 minutes, but this allowed the group to watch the cricket match under the floodlights, which was a really good experience.
“Having England play well and win, created a special atmosphere at the ground.”
The trip is part of a yearly tradition at Aureus School, which has strong ties to the women’s game through a visiting coach, Queentor Abel of the Kenya Women’s Team.
Mr Hayden said: “We have currently got a coach who comes into school who is a current cricket player for the Kenya Women’s Team, Queentor Abel.
“This showed the students they have a great coach to help them improve.
“We took the group as a trip to inspire the students to play cricket outside of school.”
Aureus School is part of the GLF Schools multi-academy trust.
GK Barry and Reverend Richard Coles appeared on the 24th series of I’m a Celebrity…Get Me Out of Here in 2024.
GK and Rev Coles “struck up the best of friendships” while on the ITV reality show, one they have continued outside the jungle.
ITV axes GK Barry and Rev Richard Coles series
The pair had begun work on a new ITV series themed around life and death.
Speaking to Attitude Magazine, GK said: “We are exploring walks of life from two different generations — one from a gay godly man and a gay ungodly woman.
“There are some depressing bits in there, but one thing about me is that I will make a joke about it.”
A pilot episode for the series was filmed last year.
However, the new series has now been axed by ITV, according to The Sun.
An insider said: “There were high hopes for the project because producers were excited by the dynamic between GK and Richard, not least because it seemed to amuse viewers.
“They enjoyed the idea of the wise older man interacting with the streetwise millennial as they explored some pretty deep subjects.
“But after provisional filming took place, it was decided not to proceed with it as a series — much to the disappointment of everyone involved.”
GK had previously said it had been a “dream” working with Rev Coles on the series.
On Instagram, she said: “Working with you has opened my eyes to worlds I’d never heard of or dreamt of before.
“Some of them have been nightmares, but some of them have been dreams — and today has been a dream.”
ITV has been contacted for comment.
Freeview channel axed 2 years after relaunch
Meanwhile, News UK’s live streaming opinion channel, Talk, has been axed as part of the latest Freeview update.
Talk originally broadcast as TalkTV on channel 237 from April 2022, with 24-hour news and opinion programming.
Its most high-profile programme was Piers Morgan Uncensored, which later moved to YouTube, though Channel 5 continues to broadcast highlight segments.
TalkTV was eventually relaunched as Talk, a visual radio stream, on Freeview channel 280 in April 2024.
The change came after the channel struggled to attract viewers and ran up losses for News UK, according to RXTV.
News UK still operates similar visual streams for TalkSport and Times Radio.
Were you looking forward to GK Barry and Rev Richard Coles’ new ITV series? Let us know in the poll above or in the comments below.
The 41-year-old pop icon was due to perform at Werchter Boutique festival in Belgium last night, Saturday, June 28, when the event was unexpectedly cut short.
The festival’s committee decided to end the day’s performances early, at 9pm just after a set from Pitbull, due to a weather forecast of ‘severe thunderstorms from midnight onwards at the earliest’ and a government warning.
READ MORE: Jeremy Clarkson’s pub staff ‘walk out after many problems’
Perry wrote on Instagram: “Sadly my set at Werchter Boutique tonight can’t happen due to a government mandated cancellation because of the incoming inclement weather and crowd safety concerns.
“I was backstage at the show in the middle of hair and makeup when this news was delivered, and they gave me no choice.
“I am just as unhappy as you are. Unfortunately this is beyond my control, but the safety of all 55,000 of you always comes first and foremost.”
The performance was due to mark the popstar’s return to the one-day event held in Belgium’s Festivalpark for the first time in more than 15 years.
READ MORE: Sara Cox in new venture as UK charity collapses with £430k owed
Perry added: “I am sorry I can’t change the weather, and even sorrier that all of us can’t be together tonight. I was looking forward to being back after 17 years, I was even gonna wear the same outfit from that 2009 show again. I love you all, and please get home safe.”
It comes just a week before the star’s next scheduled festival appearance, at the brand-new Blenheim Festival in Wodostock, Oxfordshire, where she is due to perform on July 4.
The current forecast for that date is sunny skies and temperatures in the mid-20s.
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