Sarah Bosley

A wildfire at Crookham Common burned roughly two hectares of scrubland, leaving large amounts of ash and prompting authorities to ask residents to stay away because the site still smells strongly of smoke. Royal Berkshire Fire and Rescue Service fought the blaze for 22 hours and reported it to police as suspected arson. The fire damaged habitat and adder tunnels managed by the Berks, Bucks and Oxon Wildlife Trust, setting back efforts to reconnect isolated populations of endangered adders by several years. Emergency services, police, search-and-rescue teams and local farmers assisted in containing the fire.

Firefighters are tackling a wildfire covering about two hectares of scrubland on Crookham Common after emergency services were called at 3:17pm on August 14. Crews from several Royal Berkshire Fire and Rescue Service stations, supported by Thames Valley Police and Berkshire Lowland Search & Rescue, remain at the scene. Nearby residents have been told to avoid the area and keep doors and windows closed. The incident coincided with a government emergency alert warning millions across the UK of a very high wildfire risk and advising against activities such as disposable barbecues, fireworks, firepits and garden incinerators.

Weavers Coffee Shop in Weavers Walk, Newbury, will close at the end of August 2026 after 36 years in business. Owners James, Heidi and their family thanked customers and staff for their support, highlighting the café’s longstanding role in the community. Customers responded with sadness and shared memories of working there, meeting partners and visiting across generations.

Students across West Berkshire collected their A-level, BTEC, T Level and vocational results, with schools reporting strong pass rates, high proportions of top grades and numerous first-choice university, apprenticeship and employment destinations. Mary Hare School recorded a 95% pass rate, Kennet School reported its best results in a decade, and Pangbourne College achieved a record 13% of grades at A* or equivalent. Notable destinations included Oxford, Cambridge, Imperial College London and other leading universities, alongside degree apprenticeships with employers including Vodafone, Deloitte, IBM and Barclays. West Berkshire Council congratulated students and reminded those who missed their expected grades that further education, training, apprenticeships and careers advice remain available.

Siblings and business partners Simone Eggleton and Danny Jury have taken over Thatcham’s Mill House pub and officially reopened it with a family-focused event. The reopening attracted large crowds and featured free drinks, children’s goody bags, cartoon and superhero appearances, face painting, magic, games, a bouncy castle and a mini disco. The new owners aim to restore the pub’s role as a welcoming community hub for families, clubs, sports fans and other local residents, with shuffleboard, virtual dance, live entertainment, bingo and darts leagues already introduced. Food service is expected to launch soon.

Police and law-enforcement leaders from across the UK have written to Prime Minister Andy Burnham urging the government to explore every lawful way to prevent the early release of Albert Bowers and Jessie Cole, who were sentenced to 13 years for the manslaughter of PC Andrew Harper. The pair could be released after about six-and-a-half years under current arrangements, while driver Henry Long, sentenced to 16 years, is not eligible under the scheme. The leaders are also calling for stronger public-protection safeguards, consideration of victims and bereaved families when release rules change, and measures to preserve confidence in the justice system. The intervention follows Burnham's request for Justice Secretary Alex Norris to report on prison capacity and a petition opposing the releases that has attracted more than 960,000 signatures.

Jeanette North, 28, of Newbury, was sentenced to six months in prison after admitting to driving her mother’s Ford Fusion while disqualified and uninsured, breaching two suspended sentence orders. The vehicle was driven erratically across several roads before police stopped it with a spike strip. North had 34 previous convictions, including assaults, harassment, knife offences, threats and breaches of court orders. Her barrister cited a recent ADHD diagnosis and asked for another chance, but Recorder Clive Broe said she posed a high risk of serious harm and that suspended sentences had to carry consequences. Four weeks were imposed for the motoring offences, with part of the earlier suspended sentences activated consecutively; North will serve half the term in custody and the remainder on licence.

A 17-year-old male driver died at the scene of a single-vehicle crash on a road between Bradfield and the A340 near Bradfield College at about 2:20 a.m. on July 29, 2026. Thames Valley Police is investigating and seeking witnesses, particularly drivers with dashcam footage from the surrounding roads, who are asked to contact police using reference 43260389124.

A photo gallery documents the 2026 prom attended by pupils from The Castle School and its Post-16 centre in Newbury. Newbury Today announces upcoming prom supplements in the Newbury Weekly News and offers discounted website access and downloadable prom photographs.

Year 11 pupils from The Hurst School in Baughurst celebrated the end of their GCSE exams at a prom held at Ufton Court. Newburytoday published a gallery of the event photographs and offered readers discounted photo downloads and annual website subscriptions, with Newbury College and University Centre Newbury sponsoring the coverage.

Year 13 pupils from Trinity School celebrated the end of their exams at a prom held at Donnington Grove Hotel. Newbury Today shares photographs from the event and promotes discounted subscriptions and photo downloads, with additional school-prom supplements planned for the Newbury Weekly News.

Year 11 pupils from The Clere School in Burghclere celebrated their prom at Sandford Springs Golf Club after completing their GCSE exams. The page features photos from the event and promotes discounted access to the images, along with a Newburytoday subscription offer that includes future Newbury Weekly News prom supplements.

Photographs document the Year 13 prom held by Kennet School students at Donnington Grove Hotel in Thatcham. The coverage also promotes Newburytoday’s discounted annual subscriptions and reduced-price downloads of individual prom photos, along with forthcoming Newbury Weekly News prom supplements sponsored by Newbury College and University Centre Newbury.

Photographs capture the Year 11 prom held by St Bartholomew’s School in Newbury at Sandford Springs Golf Club. The coverage celebrates students finishing their exams and promotes discounted access to prom photos, Newburytoday subscriptions and forthcoming Newbury Weekly News prom supplements.

Photos document St Gabriel’s School’s prom at Ufton Court near Newbury after GCSE and A-level exams ended. Newburytoday announces upcoming school-prom supplements in the Newbury Weekly News, sponsored by Newbury College and University Centre Newbury, and offers discounted website access and prom-photo downloads.

The Battle Proms will celebrate their 25th anniversary at Highclere Castle on 1 August 2026. The picnic concert will feature performances by the New English Concert Orchestra, jazz and swing acts, vintage singers, living-history re-enactors, a cavalry display, a Red Devils parachute demonstration and a Spitfire flypast. The programme includes music from James Bond films, Elgar, Tchaikovsky and Beethoven, ending with a traditional sing-along and fireworks. Organisers are also inviting past attendees to share memories and photographs.

Year 11 pupils from Trinity School in Newbury celebrated their prom at Donnington Grove Hotel after finishing their GCSE examinations. The page presents photographs of students arriving at the event and explains that prom images can be purchased individually or accessed through a discounted Newburytoday subscription. Newburytoday also plans special Newbury Weekly News prom supplements, sponsored by Newbury College and University Centre Newbury.

Year 11 pupils from The Downs School in Compton celebrated their prom at Newbury Rugby Club after completing their exams. The gallery presents photographs from the event, while Newburytoday promotes discounted website access and downloadable prom photos, along with forthcoming Newbury Weekly News supplements featuring school proms across the district.

Year 11 pupils from Kennet School attended their prom in Thatcham after completing their GCSE exams. The gallery provides photographs from the event, with images available for purchase and discounted access offered through Newburytoday subscriptions. Newbury College and University Centre Newbury sponsor the wider 2026 school prom coverage, including planned Newbury Weekly News supplements.

Year 11 students from Park House School in Newbury celebrated their prom at Sandford Springs Golf Club near Kingsclere after completing their exams. The page provides access to photographs from the event and promotes discounted photo downloads and Newburytoday subscriptions, while noting that Newbury Weekly News prom supplements will be published later in the summer with sponsorship from Newbury College and University Centre Newbury.

Newburytoday will publish photos from 2026 school proms across the Newbury district shortly after each event and later include them in two Newbury Weekly News supplements sponsored by Newbury College and University Centre Newbury. Readers can access the photos through a £20 annual Newburytoday subscription using the code PROMS2026, while non-subscribers can download individual photos for £10.

Photographs document John O’Gaunt School’s Year 11 prom, held at Donnington Grove Hotel in Hungerford after the completion of GCSE examinations. Newburytoday invites readers to view or purchase the images and promotes discounted subscriptions and photo downloads, while announcing forthcoming Newbury Weekly News prom supplements sponsored by Newbury College and University Centre Newbury.

Newbury Today presents photographs of Year 6 pupils in West Berkshire and North Hampshire who are leaving primary school in 2026 and moving to secondary schools in September. The feature includes schools across the region and promotes a 24-page Moving Up picture supplement in the Newbury Weekly News, along with options to purchase the 2026 Moving Up and 2019 First Class photographs.

Around 100 people gathered in Newbury’s Victoria Park for the town’s sixth annual International Yoga Day event, organized by Bharati Shakha Newbury with Swasti Yoga UK, Newbury Town Council and the local Hindu community. The healthy-ageing-themed program included group yoga, breathing exercises and community interaction. Mayor Jo Day praised the organizers’ wider wellness and community-service efforts, while Swasti Yoga UK announced ongoing donation-based yogic therapy sessions at Donnington Village Hall.

The Met Office has issued a rare red heat health warning for West Berkshire and North Hampshire from 9am Wednesday until 9pm Thursday, with temperatures forecast to reach 38–39°C. The warning indicates that extreme heat could cause serious illness or danger to life across the general population, require changes to working practices and daily routines, and disrupt essential services and travel. Residents are advised to stay hydrated, avoid strong midday sunshine and strenuous exercise, and check on vulnerable people.

Year 13 students from The Downs School in Compton celebrated their prom at Newbury Racecourse after completing their final exams. Newburytoday is publishing photos from the event and promoting discounted website subscriptions and photo downloads, while the Newbury Weekly News will publish special school-prom supplements later in the summer.