TGJones has launched the competition for Oxfordshire primary schools to support the National Year of Reading 2026 and encourage children to ‘Go All In’ on reading.

The Bitesize Bookworms competition invites pupils to submit a 25‑word review about their favourite book.

MC Grammar, also known as Jacob Mitchell and a member of the judging panel, said: “I can’t wait to hear of the adventures and wonders that kids have discovered within the pages of the books they’ve loved.

“The knowledge they have gained will help shape their lives, and now they have the chance to share that magic with the world–inspiring more readers, everywhere, to open a book and dream.”

Three winners will each receive a £200 TGJones Gift Card and £4,000 worth of books and stationery for their school.

Nine runners-up will earn a £50 TGJones Gift Card and £500 of equipment for their school.

Entries will be divided into three age categories, with one winner and three runners-up selected in each group.

The judging panel includes broadcaster Richard Madeley and presenter Judy Finnigan.

New research from a poll of 1,500 schoolchildren aged five to 12 found that, on average, children spend over 6.8 hours a week reading, more than they spend gaming or talking with friends.

The competition is now open and will close at 11.59pm on Friday, June 5.

Joining the ranks of Primark, TK Maxx, John Lewis and more, the toy shop is the latest addition to the city centre retail spot.

A spokeswoman for the Westgate previously confirmed that the shop will be opening in “early May”.

Then in February, hoardings started to appear, covering the empty ground-floor unit, which Lego is set to move into.

READ MORE: Look inside new Lego store opening at Westgate Oxford today

Queues outside the new Lego store at Westgate Oxford on Thursday morning. (Image: Newsquest)

With interest high in the shop, it was then revealed in the past few weeks that the official opening day would be today (Thursday, May 7).

The day has now rolled around, and excited shoppers have arrived in their droves with huge crowds forming outside the new Lego store this morning.

Customers could be seen queueing outside the shop, all the way through the entrance/exit to the shopping centre, located adjacent to the store.

Crowds became so big that shoppers then started to queue outside the Westgate itself on the pavement on Old Greyfriars Street.

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Queues outside the new Lego store at Westgate Oxford on Thursday morning. (Image: Newsquest)

The Oxford Mail was given an exclusive look around the new Lego store last night (Wednesday, May 6) and spoke to manager Will Wylie.

“You’re always a bit nervous but excited too because of the buzz it creates, and I have thrived on that from previous jobs,” he said.

“I’m unbelievably excited, as when you love something, it’s a lot easier to work with it.

“As a kid, I had Jurassic Park Lego as well as the Harry Potter train set from the early 2000s, so to be able to work and sell it now is a dream come true.”

Developer The Hill Group has been given the go-ahead for a new residential development in Kidlington, north Oxfordshire, which will see 96 homes built on former green belt land.

The site, on land at Bicester Road and Water Eaton Lane in Gosford, Kidlington, was allocated for a wider housebuilding development in the Cherwell District Council local plan, for a total of 430 new homes to be delivered.

READ MORE: Hundreds queue outside Westgate Oxford for new Lego store

A total of 50 per cent of the 96 new homes will be affordable, with a mix of one- and two-bedroom apartments, as well as two-, three- and four-bedroom houses.

These will be provided for a combination of Shared Ownership and affordable rent accommodation, in partnership with housing association Sovereign Network Group (SNG).

The Hill Group has been given permission for a major housing development in Kidlington (Image: The Hill Group)

In addition to the mixed-tenure homes, the development will include formal and informal sports and plays areas for use by the new community.

All the private sale homes will be houses ranging from two to five bedrooms.

The Hill Group said the site has now been acquired by the housebuilder, after years of work to bring the site forward.

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Andy Hill OBE, founder and group chief executive of The Hill Group, said: “This planning consent is the result of nearly seven years of commitment, collaboration and determination from our planning team.

Andy Hill OBE, founder and group chief executive of The Hill Group (Image: The Hill Group)

“Bringing forward complex sites like this takes time, patience and a willingness to work closely with all stakeholders.

“We’re proud to have now reached this crucial stage, and of the strong relationships we’ve built with Cherwell Council, which have been fundamental in making this development possible.

“North Oxford has a clear need for private and affordable homes, and this development will deliver exactly that, alongside meaningful benefits for the wider community.”

It comes after Kidlington was awarded town status in February this year, following a unanimous vote from the parish council and a public consultation, granting the green belt around the town greater protection under new Government planning regulations.

Councillors said the town status would make Kidlington more defensible from “land grabs” and prevent it from being absorbed into Oxford.

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As part of the planning agreement, half a hectare of land from the housebuilder will be donated to the parish council for an extension of the town’s cemetery, to help support Kidlington’s ‘long-term needs’ with a key piece of infrastructure, according to the developer.

Jenny Grote, the land a business new business director south for SNG, the housebuilder’s partner provider, said: “We have an extremely positive and long-standing relationship with Hill and are delighted to be working together once again to bring forward a range of high-quality, much-needed, affordable homes in Kidlington that will make a real difference to local people.”

Construction is set to begin later this spring with the first homes being completed in the spring of next year.