SUNDAY JUNE 27

Listen Again

You can listen to this show again via the BBC iPlayer. Just follow this link: http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p008g4wb
*available until 0600hrs 04/067/10

Football Fever

In anticipation of England's World Cup knock out match with Germany, Phil talked to our reporter out in South Africa, David Garrido. He was able to give us a real sense of the building atmosphere for this crunch match between two arch rivals where the stakes couldn't be higher.



Volunteering and Faith in the Community

Phil spoke with Bishop Colin Fletcher and Alison Baxter from Oxfordshire Community Voluntary Action (OCVA) in the studio and they were able to give us an insight into the integral contribution that faith groups make to the voluntary sector across Oxfordshire. We also spoke to street pastor David Law who volunteers every Friday in Wantage and twice a month in the Grove area.

Sunday Papers

Our paper reviewer this morning was Catherine Shock from the Oxford Jewish community.

Saturday June 26

Get Active Weekend

As we hit the hottest days of the year so far.... this weekend is packed full of sporty and outdoor activities.

We spoke to Wimbledon correspondent Jamie Broughton and our man in South Africa Matt Cole, who gave us the lowdown on England's big game against the Germans this Sunday.

Hit for six!

With the current high temperatures it seems a like a distant memory since the county was hit by mass floods three years ago.

We caught up with Charlbury Cricket Club's Chairman Malcolm Harper whose ground was wrecked by the rain.

He explained why the clean-up process has taken so long and how they're ready to play again with a special match involving former Zimbabwe pace bowler Henry Olonga.

Oxfordshire Youth Games

Keeping on the sport tip - Margaret Jones, project manager for Oxfordshire Youth Games 2010,

joined us to explain all about the games. She explained how it's a mini olympics with various sports and activities taking place.

It all happens this Sunday at the University Sports Complex on Iffley Road and The School of St Gregory the Great in Cricket Road.

For more information visit: www.oxfordshiresport.org/oyg

Earth Mission

Tom Berry from Earthwatch popped in to the studios to tell listeners all about how he is looking to recruit volunteers for their next big project.

Volunteers are needed to join the Climate Change in Wytham Woods expedition. Based at Earthwatch's Europe Regional Climate Centre in the beautiful, ancient Wytham Woods, volunteers will have an exciting opportunity to contribute to forest research which is assessing the impacts of climate change on forests worldwide. As an Earthwatch volunteer, you'll learn the many field techniques essential to capturing accurate data, and will work closely with both scientists and fellow volunteers.

For more information visit: www.earthwatch.org/europe

Climate challenge

Oxfordshire schoolchildren challenged BBC Oxford, and its listeners to take climate change seriously - and prove it.
Dashwood Community School in Banbury has been working with the Museum of Natural History and the Botanic Garden as part of the Ark Project.

We spoke to some of the children involved and are offering listeners the chance to do their bit for the environment and plant their own seeds.

To pick-up your free packet of seeds email Phil at mercer@bbc.co.uk

Grow-your-own Challenge

Today should be fun.

I'm off on my way down to the Ark that is sat outside the Oxford Museum of Natural History to meet the children from Dashwood Community School. They are going to challenge the listeners of BBC Oxford to grow-your-own!

So to get things started: I've planted some Tomatoes and Chard. Lets see how long they last!

If you want to join in, email me your pictures, plus a name a location and I'll pop them here on the blog!

mercer@bbc.co.uk

Sunday 20th June

Listen Again

You can listen to this show again via the BBC iPlayer. Just follow this link: http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p008bmbb
*available until 0600hrs 27/06/10

Saying "Sorry" - Healing and Forgiveness

In the week that the Saville Report into the events of Bloody Sunday was published, and in which the Prime Minister David Cameron apologised for what happened, we looked into the process of healing and forgiveness.

Phil spoke to the Right Reverend Ken Good, the Bishop of Derry and Rafoe, as well as the Right Reverend John Pritchard, the Bishop of Oxford. It was a thought-provoking discussion.

Blow the Whistle

We spoke to Jonny Goodchild from an organisation named Open Doors, which is asking people from around the world to "Blow The Whistle" on the suffering of Christians in some of the nations participating in the World Cup.

Sunday Papers

Our paper reviewer this morning was Leo Bowder, from the Oxford Unitarians.

Saturday June 19

Augmented Reality

We kicked off the weekend with a science lesson from BBC Focus Magazine's Jheni Osmond.

She gave listeners the lowdown on augmented reality and fear.

Mock Mayor

We spoke to Tony Legge about the Mock Mayor election in Abingdon today.

He explained how by ancient tradition, a "mock mayor" the mayor of ock street (abingdon), is elected each year to tell the civic mayor where he/she's going wrong in the way that court jesters criticised the king.

The event starts from 10am at the Brewery Tap pub and the new mayor will be announced at 4pm.

Woodstock Carnival

Woodstock's annual carnival takes place today and Dennis Allen chairman of the Woodstock charity carnival joined us. He explained how this year's carnival is part of the wider celebration to commemorate the building of the wall around the park, which was called The Royal Park of Woodstock, and we now know as Blenheim Park.

Woodstock will be alive with stalls, street entertainment, drummers and live music, as well as the grand parade from 5pm.

It's a dogs life

Champion dog handler Hollie Kavanagh joined us with her doberman Seamus to tell listeners how she will be heading to Denmark to represent the UK in the world dog handling competition. The 15-year-old explained how she has been working with dogs since she was seven and how excited she is to be representing the country.

We will catch up with Hollie next week to see how she fares.

Ciao Ark

Paula Clark from the Children's International Arts Organisation (CIAO) joined us to tell listeners all about an exciting new project celebrating the arts and environmental science.

The festival includes a host of art workshops and kids will get the opportunity to help build an Ark on the lawn of the Oxford University Museum.

For more information, visit: http://www.ciaofestival.org.uk/

Sunday 13th June

Listen Again
You can listen to this show again via the BBC iPlayer. Just follow this link: http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p00872p4
*available until 0600hrs 20/06/10

Open Farm Sunday

Phil was joined in the studio by Tom Allen-Stevens (above), owner of Faringdon's Wicklesham Farm and the National Co-Ordinator of Open Farm Sunday - a very special event in which more than four hundred farms nationwide open to the public with the aim of increasing understanding of what happens on farms as well as what they produce.

http://www.farmsunday.org/ofs/home.eb

Oxford Friendship Walk

Ahead of tomorrow's Friendship Walk, we were joined by Fazal Hussain, Chairman of the Oxford Central Mosque Society, Adele Moss from the Oxford Jewish Community and Rev. Bob Wilkes Vicar of St Michael's on the Cornmarket and City Rector.

Our paper reviewer this morning was Andy McCulloch, from Adventure Plus in Witney. http://www.adventureplus.org.uk/

Saturday 12th June

World cup fever

As the England get set for their opening game of the world cup we get in the party mood with a host of interesting guests.

Flying high

Next month sees the annual Air Tattoo in Fairford.
We caught up with Tim Prince, chief executive of the International Air Tattoo and also in charge of the charity that runs it.

He gave listeners a rundown of what's on offer and how it has become the biggest event of its kind in the world.

Bio detection dogs

You may have heard of the marvellous work that dogs can do to help people - like detecting cancers and warning people that they are going to have an epileptic seizure. We caught up with Claire Guess from charity Hypo Alert Dogs to give listeners a rundown of how they train the pooches.

For more information or to get involved you can visit: http://www.hypoalertdogs.co.uk/

Pride festival

Rainbow flags at the ready as Oxford gets set for the annual Gay Pride Festival.

Helen Charlesworth (above) joined us to tell us all about the parade and the spectacular party in the park.

The parade begins at noon from St Michael's Church, at the corner of Clarendon Street and Ship Street, with the party taking place at Oxpens Field.

Awards will be handed out for best dressed and there will be a host of live entertainment.

For more information visit: http://www.oxfordpride2010.org.uk/

Crying for England

All the talk has been of the football World Cup but we had a potential world champion in the studios, crying his heart out.

The Town Crier World Championships are taking place in Chester and we caught up with Oxford's leading contender Anthony Church (below).

He explained how he fell into the profession and gave listeners an earful of what he will be bellowing at the championships.

Head in the clouds

If you can't wait for next month's Air Tattoo then don't worry because there will be 30 aircraft flying over the county today as part of the Queen's birthday celebration.

It'll be a stunning display of military aircraft - and three of the largest, the VC10s and a Tristar are flying out from RAF Brize Norton.
We caught up with one of the pilots from Brize, Wing Commander Al Green, and asked him all about it. So: if you are at a loose end this afternoon you can catch the procession from around 1.10pm.

Keith Chegwin

Legendary presenter Keith Chegwin joined us to tell listeners how he is heading a star-studded line-up for the annual Make-a-Wish Ball at Blenheim Palace today.
Keith, a patron for the charity, explained all about the event including a celebrity auction.
To find out more about Make-A-Wish or to refer a child for a special wish, visit: http://www.make-a-wish.org.uk/

Sunday 6th June

Listen Again

You can listen to this show again via the BBC iPlayer. Just follow this link: http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p0083v4b
*available until 0600hrs 13/06/10

Beyond Football in South Africa
Phil was joined in the studio by the Rev. Charlotte Bannister-Parker (right, above) and Kathryn Ellis (left, above). Charlotte is the Bishop of Oxford's Advisor for Overseas Programmes, and Kathryn has organised a charity called Fund a Football, which aims to raise money and then provide footballs for South African parishes that they both visited recently. The parishes are in the Diocese of Kimberley and Kuruman in South Africa.

We also heard from Andy Drake from Christian Vision for Men, as well as Deacon David Bright from Wallingford Baptist Church. Andy spoke about how some churches are trying to get more men visiting by screening world cup matches. Wallingford Baptist Church is one church that will be doing this.

To support Fund a Football, you can send a cheque to:

Kidlington PCC, Parish Office, 19 Mill Street, Kidlington OX5 2EE. Marked "Fund A Football".

Conservation and Christianity

Phil spoke to Robert Sluka, who volunteers for A Rocha, which is a Christian conservation organisation.

Origins of Oxford Street Names - Over to You

Following the recent bank holiday show when Anne Spokes Symonds came in to talk about the origins of Oxford's street names, we publish here the list of 28 names whose origins still elude the team. Can you help?

It has to be said at this point that Anne and her collaborator, Nigel Morgan, have discovered the background to 1,500 names, so 28 remaining is really rather impressive. If you can help them close the gap please email any info at all to mercer@bbc.co.uk or write to the team at BBC Oxford, 269 Banbury Road, Oxford OX2 7DW.


Beechey Avenue Marston
Belvedere Road East Oxford
Binswood Avenue Headington
Cumberland Road East Oxford
The Dale Barton
Everard Close Headington
Faber Close Littlemore
Glanville Road Cowley
Harbord Road Cutteslowe
Haslemere Gardens North Summertown
Hayward Road North Summertown
Hillsborough Close Rose Hill
Larkins Lane Old Headington
Lewell Avenue Marston
Lyndworth Close & Mews Headington
Overbrook Gardens Greater Leys
Purland Close Temple Cowley
Ringwood Road Risinghurst
Roberts Close Sandhills
Sefton Road Headington
Shorte Close Horspath Driftway
Staverton Road North Oxford
Stephen Road Headington
Stewart Street New Hinksey
William Street Marston
Wingate Close Blackbird Leys
Wychwood Lane Risinghurst
York Close

Saturday June 5

Early birds

The glorious weather has really made Oxfordshire look stunning - especially in the morning.

And the birds have been getting very excited, singing their hearts out at dawn every morning.

Colin Williams, Reserves Ecology Officer for BBOWT, joined us to explain which songs belong to which bird.

Greece lightening

Do you fancy learning Greek in the park?

After last year's successful Latin in the Park project in South Park, the Iris Project has organised a similar initiative this year - learning Greek.

Dr Lorna Robinson, Director of the charity, joined us to tell listeners all about how they can pop down to South Park or Bury Knowle Park to learn their alphas and omegas in the sun!

It starts at 2pm and for more information visit: http://www.irismagazine.org/

Voices of Oxford

Mozart's Requiem is being performed in Oxford's Town Hall this evening, and rehearsals start in just a few hours time!
It's hoped that as many as seven hundred singers will attend the event, which is in aid of MacMillan Cancer support.
Sheridan Edward joined us to explain how he set-up the charity following the death of his mother Gloria from cancer.

Rehearsals begin from 2pm with the final performance starting at 8pm at the Town Hall.

For more information contact Sheridan at: info@voicesofoxford.com

To hear some of the selected choral movements visit: http://www.voicesofoxford.com/ from Sunday.

Flowers at the Castle

If you didn't manage to get down to see the Chelsea Flower Show this year -- you might like to take a look around Oxford Castle this weekend.
The 900 year old site is going to display all kinds of flowers, plants and fascinating gardening gadgets.

Jean Pierre Morilleau, General Manager of the Oxford Castle, explained all about the festival.

Fire Award

Yesterday the men and women from Hook Norton Fire Station went to Wembley - their station was up for a prestigious national award.
They were nominated for station of the year at the Spirit of Fire Awards.

Stuart Garner told listeners how the station made it a double success for Oxford at Wembley following United's promotion.