Firefighters visit schoolchildren

Firefighters took a break from their busy schedule to impart valuable wisdom to schoolchildren.

Crew members from Dee Road Station visited The Oratory Preparatory School, along with their fully-equipped fire engine.

Manager Steve Trenery spoke with pupils about the importance of fire safety and the wide range of equipment used in emergency situations.

The children have recently been learning about 'People Who Help Us' and were thrilled when one of the teachers dressed up in firefighting gear.

They were given a glimpse inside the fire engine itself and took it in turns to see where the Blue Watch crew sit.

(Reading Chronicle, 14th February 2019)

*

Gareth Davies found himself whistling ‘Relight my Fire’ as he pulled his front door shut behind him and strode to his car. He hadn’t felt this upbeat since taking up his first teaching post three weeks previously.

When he’d walked into assembly that first morning he’d fallen instantly in love with the reception class teacher, Miss Judd. And from then on, he could concentrate on nothing else.

Gareth had struggled to find ways to engage Miss Judd in conversation. In the staff room she always seemed to be surrounded by other teachers while he found himself on the periphery. It was yesterday, while pretending to read a staff notice, that he’d overheard the information that was to give him the breakthrough he needed.

‘Tomorrow’s Firefighters’ Day isn’t it, Becky?’ (Becky was Miss Judd’s first name.)

‘Yep,’ she confirmed. ‘Part of the “People Who Help Us” theme. Should be a bit more exciting than blinking World Book Day at least.”

The bell rang at that moment but Gareth had heard all he needed. Miss Judd was teaching the children about firefighters. She wanted it to be exciting. This would be his moment.

He parked up and headed straight to Miss Judd’s classroom. It was empty. In the corridor he caught sight of another teacher.

‘Mrs Bingham! Where can I find Miss Judd’s class?’

Mrs Bingham seemed a little taken aback. ‘They’re out the front, for, you know…’

‘Firefighters’ Day.’ Gareth nodded and made his way towards the front door. The sun was blazing and as he stepped outside he was dazzled for a moment. Instinctively he moved into the shadow of a large vehicle. Directly ahead of him a gaggle of children were gazing happily at him. Just behind them Miss Judd’s mouth had fallen open in – admiration? Shock? He wasn’t sure. And then, turning his be-helmeted head to the left he found he wasn’t the only one to have dressed up as a fireman, and these ones had brought their fire engine.

‘Look Miss Judd!’ called out one of the children. ‘Mr Davies has dressed up too!’

'Be on the lookout for suspicious men'

Residents in an Oxfordshire village have been urged to watch out for two 'suspicious males' operating near Didcot.

The men were seen 'looking at a car on a driveway' before running off in the village of Aston Upthorpe, according to police.

It added that the incident occurred at 7.30pm on Sunday night.

In a statement, the force said: 'We have received a report of two males acting very suspicious in Aston Upthorpe. Please be on the lookout for anyone hanging around and looking at cars/garages/sheds and report this to us immediately on 101.'

The men are described as white males in their 20s, of slim build, wearing grey hoodies.

(Oxford Mail, 12th February 2019)

*

The two men froze at the sound of a knock at the door. Leon raised a cautionary finger and pulled his grey hood up so that his face was in shadow. Jamie waited, tense, as his companion crept to the door, easing it open a crack.

‘It’s you!’ Leon pulled the newcomer inside and slammed the door behind him. ‘Why didn’t you use the special knock, Dan?’

‘Sorry.’ Dan looked sheepishly at them. ‘Forgot.’

Leon ushered him across the room to the table where Jamie was waiting. Checking the curtains were fully closed, he said, ‘Never mind that now. Have you got the stuff?’

Dan nodded, brightening up. As he shrugged his rucksack off his shoulders, Jamie asked, keeping his voice low, ‘Are you sure you weren’t followed?’

‘I’m sure. Came the long way round. Avoided – you know – driveways and that.’

‘Good, good.’ Leon patted him on the shoulder. ‘Can’t be too careful now the police have started cracking down. We gotta stay underground. Out of sight.’

Jamie shivered. ‘Makes my blood run cold, thinking about that afternoon.’ 

‘It’s a bloody police state,’ Leon said. ‘Draconian, that’s how it is nowadays in Aston Upthorpe.’

Dan was pulling something out of his bag. Leon and Jamie fell silent, watching hungrily as he laid the object on the table.

‘Oh god,’ Jamie ejaculated.

Leon nodded, seemingly unable to speak. Then – ‘Go on, Dan,’ he said huskily. ‘Open it.’

Reverentially, Dan reached out. ‘There.’

Jamie gripped the edge of the table, leaning in towards it. ‘Beautiful. Just beautiful.’

A moment later there was pandemonium as the front door crashed open and four armed police officers burst into the room.

‘Stay where you are! Hands above your head!’

Dan tried to grab the object on the table but an officer was too quick for him.

‘I’m arresting you all on suspicion of,’ – brandishing the glossy catalogue– ‘looking at sheds!’

Turning to her colleagues she continued, ‘Search the property. I wouldn’t mind betting you’ll find some What Car magazines too.’ Gesturing towards the door she barked, ‘Come on then you sickos, we’re taking you in!’

Cat put into therapy as modelling career ends

A caring cat has swapped glamorous photo shoots for helping the community in his new role as a therapy animal.

Spotted Bengal Leo, from Abingdon, starred in a series of award-winning images taken by Oxford Mail photographer Yuri Anderegg which were turned into a calendar in 2007.

The feline was happy posing everywhere from the Phoenix cinema to the back of a motorbike, even donning miniature boxing gloves for one snap.

It is exactly this temperament that owner Ellie Silverwood believed would make him an ideal therapy animal.

She said, 'He is so relaxed and easy-going, I always say he is more like a Labrador than a cat.'

(The Oxford Times, 24th January 2019)

*

‘Yeah, so, basically I was a mess, man. Burned out. I mean, sure, it was wild! I was hooked on the adrenalin, you know? Fast bikes and even faster living.

‘And the money was insane. Everyone wanted a celebrity endorsement from the best-known Bengal in town. I was flogging boxing gloves, bike helmets, whatever – I took the cash and ran.

‘Then one day I couldn’t do it anymore. I was on a shoot in a cinema, 3D glasses on, paw in a bucket of popcorn, photographer snapping away – and something snapped in me. I thought to myself, “Leo! Leo, man! What the hell are you doing? This isn’t you!” I leapt out of my VIP cinema seat, popcorn everywhere, 3D glasses hanging from one ear and I just high-tailed it out of there. I was out the door and on my Harley before the photographer and crew knew what had hit them.

‘Long story short, I turned things around. That crazy, hedonistic life is behind me now, man. I’m devoting my life to wellness. Inner peace. Zen.

‘I – excuse me a second, I have to speak to my assistant. (What’s that, Kitty? My next appointment has arrived? Sure, I’ll be there in just a minute).

‘Yeah, so, as I was saying. I’m sharing my approach to life with the world now. Chilling people the hell out. I got my clinic set up here: fish tanks, catnip diffusers, quiet zones. People are queuing out the door to learn the key to happiness in this dog-eat-dog world. 

‘And you know what I tell them? You know what the secret is? Naps. Lots and lots of naps. Wake up in the morning – nap. After breakfast – nap. Do some stretches – nap. And so on.

‘It sounds simple, and it’s always been my philosophy, but it’s amazing how many people are only just switching on to it as an ideology for life. 

‘Anyway, I gotta go. My next patient’s arrived. We’ve got some heavy napping to work through. Ciao, man. Ciao.’