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People evacuated at Oxford Westgate library as alarms rings

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Shoppers were left waiting outside the city centre retail spot earlier today (Friday, March 20), after a fire alarm sounded in Oxford Westgate Library.

One photograph shared with this newspaper showed several members of the public standing patiently outside the shopping centre, waiting to be let back in.

READ MORE: ‘Overturned vehicle’ closes M40 motorway at Oxfordshire border

The evacuation at Oxford Westgate. (Image: John Howson)

Oxford Westgate was approached for comment on the situation, with a spokesperson later revealing it was a false alarm.

The shopping centre, which houses the library, is a popular retail location for shoppers in the city and beyond.

With big brand names such as TK Maxx, Primark, Urban Outfitters, and UNIQLO, as well as new additions like Sephora, the spot attracts lots of visitors daily.

Oxford Westgate is bolstering its retail ranks in the coming months with the eagerly anticipated arrival of the new Lego store on the lower ground floor.





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Faringdon school gets new sensory garden thanks to Tesco

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The garden has been developed at Folly View Primary School and is designed to support pupil wellbeing, creativity, and personal growth by providing a calming and engaging outdoor space.

Funding for the project was secured through a £1,500 grant from the Tesco Community Grants scheme, made possible by votes from shoppers using blue tokens at the Faringdon store.

Muddy Spades, a local gardening business led by Royston Oxendale, also played a key role in bringing the garden to life by donating plants and building bespoke planters for the space.

Richard Evans, chief executive of Cambrian Learning Trust, said: “This wonderful sensory garden is a testament to what can be achieved when a community comes together with a shared purpose.

“At Cambrian Learning Trust, we are proud to see Folly View Primary School bringing its core values of belonging, kindness, and aspiration to life in such a meaningful way.

“This space will not only enhance pupils’ wellbeing but also inspire curiosity, resilience, and a lifelong love of learning.”

The garden will also support the school’s gardening club, offering pupils hands-on opportunities to care for plants and learn about the environment.

The school has thanked Tesco Faringdon, Muddy Spades, the PTA, and everyone involved in turning the garden into a reality.





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Pictures to celebrate World Poetry Day 2026 in Oxfordshire

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UNESCO first adopted March 21 as World Poetry Day during its 30th General Conference in Paris, with the aim of supporting linguistic diversity through poetic expression and increasing the opportunity for endangered languages to be heard.

The heritage organisation said: “World Poetry Day is the occasion to honour poets, revive oral traditions of poetry recitals, promote the reading, writing and teaching of poetry, foster the convergence between poetry and other arts such as theatre, dance, music and painting, and raise the visibility of poetry in the media.”

READ MORE: Oxford United ‘told to stop new stadium work or face action’

This time on Looking Back, we’ve found a selection of fantastic poetry celebrations in Oxfordshire from the year 2014, now 12 years ago.

Language lovers converged for the day of celebration on bookshops, schools, at recitals and conferences.

Take a look back through this Oxford Mail archive gallery to find pictures from a decade ago of World Poetry Day celebrations in Oxfordshire.





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All the Oxfordshire locations used as TV and film sets

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We’ve made a gallery of pictures showing all the Oxfordshire spots which have been used for TV and film sets over the years.

Some of the biggest productions filmed here in Oxfordshire include Spectre in the James Bond franchise, which transformed Blenheim Palace in Woodstock into the Palazzo Cardenza in Rome.

Blenheim Palace featured as a key movie set for the James Bond film, Spectre, when it was dressed up as the Palazzo Cardenza in Rome, 2015 (Image: Andrew Walmsley)

READ MORE: Abandoned Oxfordshire home used as drugs den shut down

Many period dramas were also created in the county, like the BBC adaptation of Hilary Mantel’s Wolf Hall, which was partly filmed at Chastleton House in the Cotswolds.

Cotswolds villages have been repeatedly transformed and used as filming locations for their historical appeal, like the villages of Brill, Broadwell and Castle Combe.

Find all the pictures in this archive gallery of historic Oxfordshire filming locations here.





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