Crime & Safety
Coronation Street star to appear on Oxford Playhouse stage
The Coronation Street star is taking on the role of Florence Foster Jenkins in a 20th-anniversary production of Glorious! at the Oxford Playhouse, running until Saturday, April 18.
Florence Foster Jenkins was an American socialite who became famous for her lack of musical talent, selling out concerts with her truly terrible singing.
Ms Peters, who became a household name as Cilla Battersby in Coronation Street, said: “Last March, I was Florence at the Hope Mill theatre in Manchester. We had a ball but it was hard work. I had to learn to sing opera badly.
“I’m a musical theatre performer; I started my career in productions like Guys and Dolls and Sondheim’s Into the Woods. More recently, I was in Sister Act.
“I can so it’s proved quite a challenge to sing off-key.
“Florence sings four big numbers in the play including Mozart’s Queen of the Night from The Magic Flute.
“I started by learning it note-perfect. Then, with the help of the musical director, we tweaked certain notes that I’d sing flat or where I’d get the phrasing wrong.
“I’ve got a stronger voice than Frances’s so I had to work at producing more of a reedy sound.”
Ms Peters reflected on whether Jenkins understood the reality of her performance shortcomings.
She said: “I wonder. I think it must sometimes have crossed her mind that audiences were laughing at her rather than with her and there would be a reason for that.”
The show has a mix of humour and emotion, especially in the later stages.
Ms Peters said: “Absolutely – and particularly in the second half of the play.
“On the other hand, she got her wish to perform to 3,000 people at Carnegie Hall, which would have bankrupted her if the concert hadn’t sold out.
“So, the woman had chutzpah.
“But whatever she might be doing wrong, she could see that she was loved, see that she entertained audiences.
“Mind you, it’s a shameful reflection on human nature that people get pleasure out of watching somebody doing something badly.
“But then, just think of the early auditions on X Factor.”
For millions, Ms Peters is best known for her time on Coronation Street, a role that changed her life.
She said: “I’d been working for 10 years when I got the role of Cilla but there’s no doubt she opened a lot of doors for me.
“Glorious! is a case in point. So, I’m grateful to her although, within a week of appearing in Corrie, I was being stopped in the street.
“You don’t realise the power of a soap until you actually appear in one as a regular character.”
Ms Peters enjoyed playing the mischievous but troublesome character, even if she wouldn’t want her as a neighbour.
She said: “To begin with, she was mischievous and fun but she quickly morphed into a bit of a monster.
“She wasn’t murdering anybody but she was a real trouble-maker.
“I don’t think anybody on the cobbles liked her but I loved playing her although I wouldn’t want to live next door to her.
“She’d have been a nightmare neighbour.
“It’s always more fun playing a baddie.”
Ms Peters left the soap in 2007 after four years, wanting to return to theatre and spend more time with her daughter.
She said: “I wanted to go back to doing other things like theatre and panto.
“Also, I was living in London at the time so I was having to travel up to Manchester a lot and I missed my little girl, Gracie, who was only four when I started playing Cilla.
“But luckily, they didn’t kill her off so she’s still out there somewhere.”
Ms Peters remains open to a possible return but is focused for now on her latest role.
She said: “People always ask that and I always answer in the same way: never say never.
“If they came up with an irresistible storyline, I might be tempted.
“That said, I’m too busy at the moment.
“My head is full of Florence.”
Dr Tina Tian, a consultant dermatologist at Stratum Dermatology Clinic Oxford, has provided advice on how to encourage children to wear sunscreen amid a warning about leaving kid’s skin unprotected.
This not only comes ahead of Melanoma Awareness Month (May) but also with a heatwave predicted for much of the south of England.
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The Daily Express has said that temperatures in counties, including Oxfordshire, could soon soar to up to 23°C, citing the latest ECMWF weather model.
Its data reveals temperatures are likely to peak on April 29.
Considering this Dr Tian and Dr Ross Perry, GP and medical director of Cosmedics, have highlighted the importance of encouraging children to wear sunscreen.
Dr Perry said: “Children’s skin is significantly more delicate and vulnerable than adult skin.
“The outer barrier isn’t fully developed, which means ultraviolet (UV) radiation penetrates more easily and can cause damage at a deeper cellular level.
“What many people don’t realise is that a proportion of lifetime sun damage actually occurs before the age of 18.
“Even a handful of serious sunburns in childhood can increase the risk of skin cancers, including melanoma, later in life.”
Dr Tian agrees with Dr Perry and has provided some advice on how to encourage children to wear sunscreen.
This includes making it part of their routine, involving them in the process and turning it into a game.
Dr Tian said: “I often ask my daughter what kind of face she wants me to paint with the sunscreen to try to make it more fun.”
She also suggested non-stinging sunscreen.
“When sunscreen gets into children’s eyes, it can really sting so look out for sunscreen that is labelled as non-stinging,” she advised.
“The P20 one is really good due to the fact that it’s so water-resistant, so it doesn’t really move and won’t migrate into the eyes and make them sting.”
The experts also advised explaining why it’s important, using age-appropriate language, and to make it a reciprocal process.
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Dr Tian said: “With my son I find it really helpful to get him to put some sunscreen on me first to make it a bit of a reciprocal thing.”
Finally, she suggested letting children play with the lids and to warm up the cream beforehand.
She said: “A lot of sun creams have lids and you can draw funny faces on the lid and let your kids play with it while you’re doing the cream.”
She added: “Sun cream often feels very cold, so it can help to warm it up in your hands a bit before you start putting it on your child so it’s not too much of a shock for them.”
The government has opened a new fund for councils to fix neglected infrastructure around the UK.
Donnington Bridge is in need of around £4m worth of repair work having been closed to buses in 2024.
And a major project to replace the ageing Kennington rail bridge is being delayed due to a massive £71m funding shortfall.
Oxford Labour said some of the city’s bridges “are not in good shape” and welcomed the funding opportunity.
“We trust the county council will be applying to this fund and stepping up their surveying and repair work,” a party spokeswoman said.
Isis county councillor Brad Baines said: “We remain extremely concerned about the ongoing uncertainty over the future of Donnington Bridge.
“The county council has refused to commit to funding the reinforcement or replacement of the bridge or restoration of bus connections across it.”
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An inspection confirmed the bridge must be repaired or replaced before full‑sized buses can return.
Repairs could cost £4 million and take two years, while replacement might cost up to £30 million and take much longer.
The council said feasibility work on options is due by summer but expanding the service “would, unfortunately, be prohibitive.”
Oxford resident and campaigner Siobhan Lancaster added: “Residents in south and east Oxford need certainty about the future of this vital infrastructure and this new fund could provide that.
“We continue to call on the county council to provide this, apply to this fund and get the job done.”
Oxfordshire County Council’s spokesman said: “We welcome any extra money being made available for repairing structures such as this fund.
“Oxfordshire has many historic bridges and other infrastructure that is in need of attention and we will look into the criteria to make sure the county gets its fair share of this money.”
Transport secretary Heidi Alexander, who was a recent victim to one of Oxfordshire’s potholes, said: “Crumbling bridges and worn-out flyovers have been patched up rather than properly fixed for far too long, leading to frustrating weight limits and lengthy diversions.
“Every closed bridge is a barrier to growth; a blocked route to work, a delayed delivery, a family unable to reach the services they depend on.
“Councils have known what needs fixing for years but simply haven’t had the resources to act.
“We’re changing that, making sure structures are repaired properly, so people can live in properly connected communities.”
Funding decisions will be announced in autumn 2026, with all successful schemes required to complete works by March 2030.
The celebration will pay tribute to the air base, which has played a major role in British history.
First established in 1926, thanks to government support, it is a significant reminder of the country’s aviation heritage.
Historic England recognised the site in 2007 as the best-preserved example of interwar bomber stations in Britain.
The coming event will let attendees immerse themselves in this historical atmosphere, a hundred years since its creation.
Highlighting the celebration, the Bristol Scout bi-plane, an iconic figure from the past, will grace the event.
This will honour the many airmen who have touched down on this airfield, dating back to 1911, a period before RAF Bicester.
Vehicles from the era, including Britain’s leading classified car from the first British Grand Prix, will circle the Scout.
In August, the race celebrates its own centenary.
Other anticipated features are the Tank Museum’s 1920 Rolls-Royce Pattern, complete with 8mm thick armour and a .303 Vickers machine gun, reaching speeds up to 60mph.
Renowned manufacturers like Bentley and Vauxhall will showcase vehicles from their heritage fleets around Bicester Motion, with offerings from other noted contributors.
Visitors can explore Hangar 113 for the centenary display, indulge in afternoon tea, enjoy the Charlala singing trio, and observe a number of 1920s machinery from both land and air.
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