Andrew Ffrench

Our Lady's Abingdon, a historic independent day school in Abingdon founded in 1860, closed permanently after governors concluded that financial pressures had made it unviable. More than 300 pupils and their families were left scrambling for alternative places during the summer holidays. The school attributed the crisis to falling enrolment, rising operating costs, higher National Insurance contributions, the planned introduction of VAT on school fees and the removal of business-rates relief. Its trustees had accumulated debts of £1.56 million owed to 121 creditors. The former school site and surrounding land are now being marketed by Newmark for potential redevelopment, including residential, care, retirement or retail uses subject to planning permission.

Didcot Railway Centre hosted a free lunch and activity day with Sustainable Didcot for low-income families and people facing difficulties during the summer holidays. The event included a hot meal supplied by FareShare, music and art workshops, children's entertainers, and information about local services such as the Repair Cafe and Library of Things.

Network Rail is expected to announce a revised reopening date for Oxford’s Botley Road after gas leaks required SGN to replace a section of pipe beneath the road. The planned August 31 reopening has already been delayed, with the additional work expected to add four to six weeks, potentially pushing the date to October 12. The closure, originally expected to last 12 months, has been extended by repeated project delays; the Oxford station upgrade’s cost has risen from £161 million to £237 million. Community campaigner Julian Le Vay has called for rail minister Lord Hendy to resign, while a new walkway has improved pedestrian access and footfall for businesses near Frideswide Square.

Layla Moran’s electric cargo bike was stolen near an Oxford pub despite being locked, prompting her to appeal for witnesses and report the incident to Thames Valley Police. The theft comes as Oxford continues to rank among the worst UK cities for bike theft, with recent police seizures of suspected stolen bicycles and data showing high theft rates according to ONS figures assessed by VelociRAX.

Season two of BBC drama Ludwig will air in August, with trailers highlighting the return of David Mitchell and Anna Maxwell Martin. Mitchell’s background and career are detailed through information from IMDb, noting his ties to Oxfordshire, education at Abingdon School and Cambridge, early writing work, and success in Peep Show. The piece also includes anecdotes from his career and personal life as fans await the new season.