Our photographers were invited to numerous events every year to record their varied activities.

Some youngsters would be shy and would have to be encouraged to pose for the camera, but others would be happy to find themselves in the limelight.

It wasn’t possible to publish every picture our team took, but with the daily Oxford Mail and our raft of weekly newspapers, there was a good chance your child would appear somewhere on our pages.

The youngsters in Picture 1 were happy to pose as they wanted money from readers.

They belonged to the Roots group in Oxford and although there is a minibus in the picture, it was apparently hired and they wanted one of their own to get them out and about.

Seen left to right in 1989 are Adrian Prescot, four, Shirene Dyce, four, Samantha Harris, three, Sharmane Harris, four, Derron Williams, three, and Marcel Williams, two.

We’re not sure what Josie Pye, four, in Picture 2, was sticking her hands in – was it an indoor sandpit?

Josie Pye with an indoor sandpit (Image: Oxford Mail)

Whatever it was, she was having great fun at St Thomas Street day nursery in Oxford in 1997.

Another puzzle was where Picture 3 was taken, but clearly youngsters were having a great time film making in all sorts of costumes.

Lord Mayor John Power, in Picture 4, joined in the fun at the Balliol day nursery in Oxford in 1993, while in Picture 5, there was plenty of activity at North Oxford nursery with the three-year-olds and four-year-olds seen enjoying time with Margaret Baker.

Youngsters with Lord Mayor John Power (Image: Oxford Mail)

Poppy the cat, in Picture 6, proved a great attraction when the Playbus visited Summertown nursery in North Oxford in 1995 – having a cuddle are Emma Crocombe, left, and Emma Davison, both four.

The Playbus visits Summertown nursery (Image: Oxford Mail)

These pictures were taken by Mail photographers Susie Barker, Dave Fleming, John Lawrence, Athar Chaudhry and Antony Moore.

Households in the residential roads around Gloucester Place in Witney were first left without electricity supply at about 12.15pm on Sunday, April 19.

Scottish and Southern Electricity Networks (SSEN) said they were aware of the power cut in the area, which is suspected to be affecting six postcodes, and an engineer was deployed.

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One report on social media said: “Big power cut on Gloucester Place. Smell of burnt plastic in the air.

“Scottish and Southern Electric currently investigating and sending someone to the Mill Street station.”

Witney High Street (Image: Ed Nix)

According to SSEN, a fix isn’t expected to restore power until 5.30pm this evening, leaving some homes without power for more than five hours.

A statement from the electricity operator said: “The power cut has been caused by a fault on our underground network.

“Issues like this do happen, and our engineers are very experienced at fixing them.

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“Often, power can be restored quickly with a simple reset or by replacing a fuse at a nearby substation.

“If the problem is more complicated, repairs may take a little longer but our teams will keep working until everything is safely back up and running.”

Streets in Witney currently affected include Gloucester Street, Puck Lane, cul-de-sac Jacobs Close and parts of Mill Street, with a total 25 customers affected.

Alison Donaldson, managing director of Barchester’s North West and Midlands division, is taking part in the Barchester Charitable Foundation Cook Off 2026.

She will compete against other managing directors and executive team members in a culinary challenge to raise funds for the charity, which supports people living with disabilities and those in vulnerable circumstances through community grants.

Ms Donaldson said: “I absolutely love to cook and I am extremely competitive so when I was asked to take part in the Cook Off alongside my fellow MDs, I jumped at the chance.

“The Foundation is a very worthy cause so it is fantastic to think that our efforts will help so many people live better lives.”

The Barchester Charitable Foundation awarded £424,000 in 2025 alone, supporting 262 groups, charities and 123 individuals.

Tyisa Houghton, general manager of Hempton Field care home, said: “We are all so proud of Alison for taking part in this challenge, we know she will give it her absolute best shot.

“The Foundation is so close to all of our hearts and the Cook Off will raise vital funds to help so many people, we’re 100% behind her – MDs for the win.”