Oxford News
HBO Max launches in UK today – what it means for NOW TV
A new membership will mean existing NOW TV customers will get the basic HBO Max plan for free with adverts included.
This membership will give customers access to all the content on the platform, including popular HBO series such as Game of Thrones and The Pitt, as well as Sky Originals and exclusive US shows, Now TV explains.
Customers are excited for the release of the Harry Potter series, which is coming to HBO Max this Christmas, and this was heightened as a new trailer dropped this week.
How to get HBO Max if you’re a NOW TV customer
If you have signed up for NOW TV, you might be wondering if you need to do something for your HBO Max membership to start.
That’s not the case though, as NOW TV has confirmed that any existing Entertainment Members will have their account updated by the end of the month.
Their account will then switch over to a NOW Entertainment & HBO Max membership.
It reassures customers that fees will not change: “Your monthly payments will stay the same and your membership will roll on seamlessly, but with tons of extra shows to explore and enjoy.”
If you haven’t already got a NOW TV account, you can sign up for the new membership on the website at the end of March when it becomes available.
Can customers with NOW TV Monthly Saver accounts get HBO Max?
NOW TV explains: “If you’re on the Entertainment Membership monthly saver option, your payments will stay the same until the end of your minimum term.
“After that, you’ll pay the regular monthly price of £9.99, unless you cancel.
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“The only change you’ll see is that your membership will be updated from Entertainment to Entertainment & HBO Max.
“The same applies if you’re on another type of plan, such as a NOW Entertainment and Cinema bundle—only your Entertainment Membership will be updated.”
Boost or Ultra Boost customers will not be affected by the new membership.
HBO Max launches new Harry Potter teaser trailer
The new Harry Potter series, which doesn’t include the original cast from the films, is coming to HBO Max and has been teased this week with a trailer.
Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone will premiere at Christmas this year, with fans able to see “a new era of Hogwarts” begin.
Fans have shared their excitement in the comment section of HBO Max’s Instagram post, which shows the new trailer.
One said: “I’m fighting back tears🥹 I’m so damn excited 😩😩😩😩”.
This person commented: “I’m actually so so excited for this!!! 😍😍”.
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Whole another said: “THIS IS ABOUT TO CHANGE LIVES!!! Again!!! 😭🙌🏾”.
Another fan commented: “It feels like seeing new people living in your old home 😭”.
What are you most excited about watching with the new NOW TV and HBO Max membership? Let us know in the comments.
Oxford News
Faringdon school gets new sensory garden thanks to Tesco
The garden has been developed at Folly View Primary School and is designed to support pupil wellbeing, creativity, and personal growth by providing a calming and engaging outdoor space.
Funding for the project was secured through a £1,500 grant from the Tesco Community Grants scheme, made possible by votes from shoppers using blue tokens at the Faringdon store.
Muddy Spades, a local gardening business led by Royston Oxendale, also played a key role in bringing the garden to life by donating plants and building bespoke planters for the space.
Richard Evans, chief executive of Cambrian Learning Trust, said: “This wonderful sensory garden is a testament to what can be achieved when a community comes together with a shared purpose.
“At Cambrian Learning Trust, we are proud to see Folly View Primary School bringing its core values of belonging, kindness, and aspiration to life in such a meaningful way.
“This space will not only enhance pupils’ wellbeing but also inspire curiosity, resilience, and a lifelong love of learning.”
The garden will also support the school’s gardening club, offering pupils hands-on opportunities to care for plants and learn about the environment.
The school has thanked Tesco Faringdon, Muddy Spades, the PTA, and everyone involved in turning the garden into a reality.
Oxford News
Pictures to celebrate World Poetry Day 2026 in Oxfordshire
UNESCO first adopted March 21 as World Poetry Day during its 30th General Conference in Paris, with the aim of supporting linguistic diversity through poetic expression and increasing the opportunity for endangered languages to be heard.
The heritage organisation said: “World Poetry Day is the occasion to honour poets, revive oral traditions of poetry recitals, promote the reading, writing and teaching of poetry, foster the convergence between poetry and other arts such as theatre, dance, music and painting, and raise the visibility of poetry in the media.”
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This time on Looking Back, we’ve found a selection of fantastic poetry celebrations in Oxfordshire from the year 2014, now 12 years ago.
Language lovers converged for the day of celebration on bookshops, schools, at recitals and conferences.
Take a look back through this Oxford Mail archive gallery to find pictures from a decade ago of World Poetry Day celebrations in Oxfordshire.
Oxford News
All the Oxfordshire locations used as TV and film sets
We’ve made a gallery of pictures showing all the Oxfordshire spots which have been used for TV and film sets over the years.
Some of the biggest productions filmed here in Oxfordshire include Spectre in the James Bond franchise, which transformed Blenheim Palace in Woodstock into the Palazzo Cardenza in Rome.
Blenheim Palace featured as a key movie set for the James Bond film, Spectre, when it was dressed up as the Palazzo Cardenza in Rome, 2015 (Image: Andrew Walmsley)
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Many period dramas were also created in the county, like the BBC adaptation of Hilary Mantel’s Wolf Hall, which was partly filmed at Chastleton House in the Cotswolds.
Cotswolds villages have been repeatedly transformed and used as filming locations for their historical appeal, like the villages of Brill, Broadwell and Castle Combe.
Find all the pictures in this archive gallery of historic Oxfordshire filming locations here.
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