Villagers in West Hagbourne, near Didcot, created model dragons as part of an annual St George’s Day tradition.

This tradition, which started in 2009, involves villagers crafting varied, imaginative dragons from materials like papier-mâché, wire, and paper, and placing them throughout the village – with many featuring in residents’ gardens.

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Over the years the event has been organised by the West Hagbourne Village Association, and is designed to celebrate St George’s Day and encourage community involvement.

Hazel and Robert Griffiths with their dragon (Image: Frank Dumbleton)

While Justine Thompson chose a table tennis theme, Dan Tozer’s design referenced learner drivers.

St George’s Day, celebrated annually on April 23, is the feast day of Saint George, the patron saint of England, marking his death in 303 AD.

Rosie Gardener with her dragon (Image: Frank Dumbleton)

Emily, Oliver and Maureen Hall with their dragon (Image: Frank Dumbleton)

Dan Tozer with his dragon (Image: Frank Dumbleton)

It is celebrated with parades, flags, and traditional food, although it is not a bank holiday.

In the run-up to this year’s St George’s Day, flags showing the Cross of St George and the Union Flag have been placed on lampposts across the county by Raise The Colours: Oxfordshire, a voluntary group.

The county council has issued a legal notice in a bid to ban the placing of the flags on lampposts and council staff have removed some of them.

Izzie Adams, a stylist at Idlewild Hairdressing in Abingdon, will compete at the L’Oréal Colour Trophy Grand Final on July 6 after impressing judges at the regional semi-final in Bristol.

Her winning look combined ‘deep berry and jewel-toned reds’ with a sharp, glossy bob, earning her praise for both technical skill and creative flair.

Mark Creed, director at Idlewild Hairdressing, said: “We are incredibly proud of Izzie’s achievement.

“Reaching the Grand Final of the L’Oréal Colour Trophy is a testament to her dedication, skill, and creative passion.

“We are thrilled to see her talent recognised at such a high level, and we cannot wait to cheer her on in London.”

The grand final will be held at the O2 in London and is expected to draw an audience of more than 2,000 industry professionals and guests.

Guests will enjoy fine dining and a series of catwalk shows before the national winner is announced.

Idlewild Hairdressing is encouraging the community to show their support for Ms Adams as she prepares to represent Oxfordshire on the national stage.

The salon group is known for its precision cutting and creative colouring.

It prides itself on delivering ‘bespoke styles that embrace the latest industry trends’ through a team of skilled and passionate professionals.

The project has brought to light more than 200 documents and revealed fresh detail about life in the villages of Wolvercote, Cutteslowe, and Godstow.

The archives date from 1616 to 1836 and include deeds, correspondence, wills, a land survey and inventories relating to property and land.

Claire Scott, archive assistant at Blenheim Palace, said: “This project has revealed an extraordinary range of material that sheds light on centuries of life in Wolvercote, Godstow and Cutteslowe.

“Being able to catalogue and digitise these documents for the first time has opened up stories that were previously hidden in uncatalogued boxes, and we’re delighted that the Wolvercote History Society and the wider community can now explore them in detail.”

Following funding secured by Wolvercote Local History Society through the Community Infrastructure Levy (CIL), the documents have been made accessible to the Society.

Highlights from the collection include 1710 deeds for the Manors of Wolvercote and Godstow, records from Wolvercote Mill, and a 1731 land survey listing tenants and field names.

Notices of distress, including a record of a forced auction from 1831, are also among the newly accessible documents.

The Wolvercote Local History Society plans to continue researching the collection and will share its findings with the community.

Michael Daniell, volunteer archivist at Wolvercote Local History Society, said: “We really appreciate the generous co-operation of The Blenheim Archives and the public funding that has enabled the cataloguing.

“This now makes it possible for anyone to dig deeper into the history of Wolvercote and Cutteslowe.”