Crime & Safety
Oxfordshire Fairytale Farm to open Alice in Wonderland ride
The immersive family attraction will launch on May 16 at the Oxfordshire destination and promises a magical ride for visitors of all ages.
Inspired by Lewis Carroll’s classic tale Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland, the indoor dark ride guides visitors on a gentle journey through Wonderland.
Riders will encounter familiar characters including Alice, the White Rabbit, the Mad Hatter, the Cheshire Cat, the Caterpillar, and the Queen of Hearts.
Each scene will be brought to life with animatronic figures, atmospheric lighting, and an enchanting soundscape.
Nick Laister, owner of Fairytale Farm, said: “Journey to Alice’s Wonderland is a hugely exciting milestone for Fairytale Farm, because it is the first ride we have ever created here.
“From the start, we wanted to create something magical, immersive, and true to the spirit of Lewis Carroll’s original story.”
There is no extra charge for the ride, which is included with general admission to the farm and can be enjoyed as many times as visitors wish.
The ride system has a story of its own, having previously operated as the Snail Trail at Watermouth Castle Theme Park in Devon.
It has been extensively refurbished with new sensors, motors, and a control system to create a smoother, more immersive experience.
The attraction holds special significance due to its Oxfordshire location.
Lewis Carroll, who wrote Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland, had strong ties to Oxford, making this the first permanent Alice in Wonderland ride in the county that inspired the story.
Mr Laister added: “Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland is such an enduring classic, full of imagination, character, and playful eccentricity, and because of its strong Oxford connection, it felt the perfect choice for this project.”
“We are incredibly proud to be opening what we believe is the first permanent Alice in Wonderland ride in Oxfordshire.
“This is a major new chapter for Fairytale Farm and a very exciting moment for us.”
Andy Blake, designer of the indoor theming, said the team was focused on staying true to Carroll’s vision.
Mr Blake said: “The creative aim was to capture the spirit of the original Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland and the distinctive charm of its classic storybook world.
“We wanted the scenes to feel playful, curious, and richly detailed, while reflecting the much-loved traditional interpretation of these characters.
“It has been a wonderful project to work on, and very rewarding to help create a version of Wonderland that families can step into and experience together.”
For more information about Journey to Alice’s Wonderland and to book, visit Fairytale Farm’s website.
Crime & Safety
Councillor questions practicality of Witney High Street plan
Thomas Ashby has questioned the practicality of narrowing the carriageway as part of Oxfordshire County Council’s scheme, which is now over budget.
In a Facebook post, Councillor Ashby said: “At the end of the day, this scheme is now over budget by millions.
“I do have grave concerns about how narrow they are making the carriageway, and how practical that is going to be for buses, but we will have to wait and see.”
The final plans will be shared at a public event at Witney’s Corn Exchange on April 29, from 2pm to 7pm.
Work is set to begin in May and is expected to finish in October.
Information is available at letstalk.oxfordshire.gov.uk/witney-high-street.
Crime & Safety
Quizzer becomes seventh Who Wants To Be A Millionaire? winner
The hit ITV gameshow returned for a 36th series on Sunday (April 26), with Jeremy Clarkson once again taking on the role as host.
The former Top Gear and The Grand Tour presenter has described the new series as “exceptionally exciting”, and after the first episode, we can see why.
Quiz enthusiast becomes seventh winner on Who Wants To Be A Millionaire?
Only six other UK contestants have ever won the £1 million prize on Who Wants To Be A Millionaire?
Retired IT analyst Roman Dubowski became the seventh, winning the £1 million jackpot on Sunday night’s episode.
Mr Dubowski, a quiz enthusiast who lives just outside Stockport, said the victory felt “unreal” and revealed he celebrated the life-changing win with “a cup of tea.”
Mr Dubowski said: “It felt unreal. It didn’t feel like the real world, almost, this isn’t where I expected to be.
“It didn’t sink in until later. I did sort of go home quietly, to be honest, I didn’t get drunk – I had to have a cup of tea.
“I think it was just sitting in a quiet room and letting it all sink in, and thinking about what happened in the previous 24 hours.”
After the show, the first person he told was his sister, who was “absolutely thrilled.”
Planning to buy a new house, Mr Dubowski also hopes to travel with his winnings, naming New Zealand and South America among possible destinations.
He said he will share some of the money with his niece and nephew.
Would you have answered the £1 million question correctly?
The crucial £1 million question was: “Used since 1876, which trademarked logo is described in the James Joyce novel Ulysses and depicted in works by Manet and Picasso?”
The options were Bass Ale, The Famous Grouse, Coca-Cola, and Stella Artois.
Mr Dubowski chose to use his 50/50 lifeline before choosing Bass Ale.
He said he felt confident immediately: “When it came up… I thought, I think I know this straight away.”
He recalled seeing the Manet painting A Bar at the Folies-Bergère at The Courtauld Gallery in London, and “distinctly” remembered the red triangle, the symbol of Bass beer.
Despite confidently winning the £1 million, earlier questions nearly saw Mr Dubowski leave empty-handed.
One question asked what is mixed with vinegar, mustard, and oil to make a basic mayonnaise: plain flour, salted butter, egg yolk, or double cream.
Cooking is one of Mr Dubowski’s weak points, so he was forced to use the ‘ask the audience’ lifeline, with 93 per cent correctly choosing egg yolk.
Mr Dubowski “always” wanted to appear on Who Wants To Be A Millionaire?
A long-time fan of the show, Mr Dubowski said he had “always” wanted to appear on Who Wants To Be A Millionaire?
He first applied during Chris Tarrant’s time as host but received no reply.
Another application after lockdown was also unsuccessful.
He said: “Then in October last year, I suddenly saw an advertisement, or something online saying they’re recruiting for new competitors again.
“I thought oh, might as well try again, got nothing to lose, and just from that sort of casual opening, it ended up with the top prize.
“So I’m just happy I did it really.”
For other quizzers considering applying, Mr Dubowski recommended the book A To Z of Everything by Trevor Montague.
Previous winners on Who Wants To Be A Millionaire?
Before Mr Dubowski, only six other UK contestants have won the £1 million prize on Who Wants To Be A Millionaire?:
- Donald Fear (2020)
- Judith Keppel (2000)
- David Edwards (2001)
- Robert Brydges (2001)
- Pat Gibson (2004)
- Ingram Wilcox (2006)
Would you have got Sunday’s £1 million question right on Who Wants To Be A Millionaire? Let us know in the poll above or in the comments below.
Crime & Safety
Cancer scan could double as free heart health check, OUH say
Professor Daniel McGowan, head of education and research in the Department of Medical Physics and Clinical Engineering at Oxford University Hospitals (OUH), will lead the Oxford part of the EU-funded COMPASS project, a five-year collaboration involving more than 60 partners across 25 countries.
Backed by the EU’s Innovative Health Initiative and supported by GE HealthCare, the consortium is exploring how PET scans, commonly used to monitor cancer, could also be adapted to assess heart health.
Professor McGowan, who is also based at the University of Oxford’s Department of Oncology, said: “The aim is that when a person has a PET scan to check on their cancer, we could effectively give them a free heart check at the same time.
“With this additional information, we can stratify patients into those who need to see a cardiologist fairly urgently, those who we’d like to monitor, and those whose hearts are healthy.”
The COMPASS project is focused on improving early detection of heart problems in cancer patients and survivors using advanced medical imaging and digital technology.
Some forms of chemotherapy are known to increase the risk of heart damage, and with cancer survival rates improving, long-term cardiovascular monitoring is becoming increasingly important.
Professor McGowan said that by using PET scans to screen for heart issues, many patients could avoid undergoing separate echocardiograms or other cardiac imaging.
He said this would reduce the time and stress often associated with additional testing.
A PET (positron emission tomography) scan uses a small amount of radioactive tracer to highlight areas of high metabolic activity, helping doctors monitor cancer progression or treatment response.
The technology could also reveal early signs of heart damage, potentially transforming follow-up care for cancer patients.
The Oxford team’s involvement builds on existing research, including work with research scientist Zoe Wilson, who is completing her doctorate at the university’s Department of Oncology, and collaborations with colleagues in Cardiff.
The more than €50 million COMPASS programme includes access to data from hospitals across Belgium, the Netherlands, and Portugal.
This broad dataset is expected to support the development of AI and machine learning tools to identify patients most at risk of heart problems.
Professor McGowan said: “This dedicated funding will enable us to expand and accelerate our efforts in this field, which should speed up the translation of our research work into clinical care, and ultimately get the benefit to patients quicker.”
Approximately €399,000 (£347,000) of the funding will be allocated to OUH, supporting its work within the international project.
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