The new ceremony room is larger than the county council’s other ceremony rooms across the county and will be able to hold up to 80 guests. The change will take effect from 1 December.

The service will also be moving day to day activities, including registering births and deaths, and giving notice of marriage or civil partnership, to Samuelson House in Banbury.

Councillor Neil Fawcett, Oxfordshire County Council’s Cabinet Member for Community Services, said: “Our registration services touch the lives of people at milestone moments in their lives and is an important component of what we deliver at the county council.

“With the sale of Bodicote House, we have been looking for alternative locations for both our registration service, and ceremonies in Banbury.

“It’s great news that we’ve been able to secure Banbury Town Hall, which is an ideal central location for Banbury residents, and a lovely venue.”

Banbury Town Hall is a Victorian grade II listed building. It is one of seven council-run ceremony rooms, and one of almost 100 approved wedding venues across the county.

More information about the registration service is available on Oxfordshire County Council’s website.

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Registration services are currently located from Bodicote House in the village of Bodicote alongside Cherwell District Council’s headquarters. However, with the district council looking to move its headquarters to Castle Quay in Banbury a new home had to be found for the registrars.

Oxfordshire County Council and Banbury Town Council have agreed heads of terms to re-locate ceremonial services such as weddings and civil partnerships so that they will routinely take place in the town’s historic town hall. A legal agreement will follow. Ceremonies will be held on the first floor of the town hall providing an easily accessible location for everyone in north Oxfordshire.

It is scheduled that the move will be made by December 2024, ensuring that residents can seamlessly access essential registration services without disruption.

Banbury town hall will retain its capacity for civic and evening functions ensuring that such events can continue uninterrupted.

In due course registrar appointments (births, deaths and notices) will also move to Banbury town centre although a specific location has not been decided as yet.

Cllr Neil Fawcett, Oxfordshire County Council’s Cabinet Member for Community and Corporate Services, said: “It’s been great to work with Banbury Town Council to bring a proportion of our registration services right into the heart of Banbury. It’s the ideal location and a great solution to an issue we knew we’d need to resolve sooner rather than later given Cherwell District Council’s plans.

“Our registration services touch the lives of people at milestone moments in their lives and is an important component of what we deliver at the county council. I look forward to the new arrangements taking shape and coming in to being in late 2024.”

Cllr Kieron Mallon of Banbury Town Council said: “The return of the registration service led ceremonies to Banbury is a cause for celebration. This is a very important service that delivers essential support at both the happy and the more difficult times in all of our lives. In recent months we’ve worked in close partnership with the county council to deliver this outcome and I am happy that it has come to fruition.

“This arrangement will also add to the vibrancy of the centre of the town centre overall and adds to the town hall itself. It's a testament to our commitment to meeting our residents' needs while delivering exceptional value."

Four steps to planning your day at an Oxfordshire registration office 

Planning a wedding is such an exciting time and we’re here to help you make it a stress free and joyful day.     

When booking your legal marriage or civil partnership ceremony here’s the four best steps to follow.     

1. Choose your perfect venue and date

Find your perfect Oxfordshire venue and decide on the date for your wedding or civil partnership. With seven registration office ceremony rooms and almost 100 approved venues in Oxfordshire, you’re guaranteed to find the venue of your dreams.

2. Book your ceremony and registrars 

Once you’ve chosen your venue and decided on a date, you will need to contact the Oxfordshire Registration team to book the registrars for your special day (and the ceremony room if you’re holding the ceremony at a registration office). You can check our availability by contacting our ceremony advisors.

For your marriage ceremony, two registrars are required and for a civil partnership only one registrar is required.

Don’t forget, if you’re holding your ceremony at an approved venue, you’ll need to book and pay for the venue separately, and before booking the registrars.  The Registration Service can’t book the venue for you.

3. Give your notice of marriage or civil partnership 

Once your venue and registrars are booked you must then book and attend a notice of marriage or civil partnership appointment at your local register office in the area where you live, even if your venue is in another County.

Notice can be given up to 12 months in advance of your ceremony, but no later than 30 days prior to your ceremony or 71 days if you are subject to immigration control.  We recommend that you give notice at least 3 months before the big day to ensure all the legalities are taken care of in advance.

To give notice, you must have lived in the council district for a minimum of seven full days (immediately before you give your notice). If you are coming from abroad the day of arrival does not count and notice cannot be given until the ninth day. For example, if arrival day is Tuesday, notice cannot be given until the following Wednesday.

Confused?  Giving notice can be a complicated process, so if you’d like some advice then please contact our ceremony advisors or you can book your appointment on line. 

4. Plan your ceremony 

Once you have booked your venue, the registrars, and organised your notice appointment, you can enjoy planning your ceremony. After booking the registrars, you will receive an options form where you can choose your legal declarations and personalise your ceremony with readings and personal promises.

There’s lots of different ways you can make your ceremony special to you and your guests.  Maybe you want to choose particular music, or read poems that mean something to you? Ask us and we will do our best to help you.

Please remember that civil marriage and civil partnership ceremonies cannot include any religious wording or music.

Once you have completed these four steps, you are now ready to get married or form your civil partnership!  

Here’s what couples say about getting married with us

Our registrar was really excellent. She was friendly, warm, and gave a carefully considered ceremony which made my family and I feel very special. Both my husband and I we very pleasantly surprised by how lovely the ceremony was.

The staff were super friendly and were amazing with dealing with how nervous me and my partner were. Thank you for putting us both at ease on such a lovely day.

We have had so many complements on our ceremony. Many said how personal it was with a few little laughs added in.         
Myself and my husband loved it and can’t thank the registrar enough for creating the perfect ceremony 🥰

Plan your wedding day with our Oxfordshire Registration service and speak to our friendly team who can answer your questions, to make your day special 

 Click Sign up to hear from us and receive the latest news and updates thanks to our fortnightly newsletter, Your Oxfordshire.

As part of the annual nationwide campaign, which runs from 20 - 26 September, Oxfordshire County Council, Cherwell District Council West Oxfordshire District Council, South Oxfordshire District Council, Vale of White Horse District Council and Oxford City Council will be holding a series of green events – both online and in person, including fairs, markets, discussions and roadshows.

This year’s theme is ‘Step It Up’ and focuses on the climate and carbon implications of not recycling correctly, or even at all.

 Recycle Week events in Oxfordshire include:

• Tuesday 21 September: Instagram Live Q&A with Oxford Recycles and Replenish Oxfordshire (8.30am - 9.30am)
• Tuesday 21 September: Thame Market stall (9am - 1.30pm)
• Tuesday 21 September: Oxford Brookes University Activist Fair (10am - 3pm)
• Wednesday 22 September: Henley Eco Business Fair (10am-3pm)
• Friday 24 September: Asda Wheatley Recycling roadshow (8am - 2pm)
• Saturday 25 September: Faringdon Green Day (10am - 2pm)

Councillor Pete Sudbury, Oxfordshire County Council’s Cabinet Member for Climate Change Delivery and Environment, said: “The climate emergency is finally at the forefront of the world’s attention, and Recycle Week is a great way of reminding us that lots of people making small, everyday changes can have a big impact on reducing our carbon emissions, as well as the way we use the Earth's resources.

“If we ‘Step It Up’ and recycle everything we can, Oxfordshire could reduce the amount of carbon dioxide released into the atmosphere by more than 60,000 tonnes every year – the same as taking nearly 40,000 new cars off the road.”

Oxfordshire has recorded the highest recycling and composting rate of any county in England for the last seven years – almost reaching 60 per cent last year – thanks to the great work being done by householders. But the aim is to improve that rate even further by encouraging people to keep what they dispose of in their rubbish bins to a minimum.

Councillor Lubna Arshad, Oxford City Council’s Cabinet Member for Parks and Waste Reduction, said: “This Recycle Week we want to encourage residents in Oxford to learn more about recycling and the impact making small changes can have on the climate. Working together with our partners we have organised a range of different events across the county, which will provide information and resources on what you can do to help reduce waste. I encourage anyone who is unsure about what can be recycled, or who wants to find out more to attend one of these events, or to take a look at our Oxford Recycles on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram over the next week for lots of information.”

Recycling bins with incorrect items included, such as disposable nappies, can contaminate the whole load. If a truck load of recycling is rejected because of contamination, it increases the amount of carbon dioxide released into the atmosphere by more than 12 tonnes.

To help combat this, Oxfordshire County Council is working with the registration service to provide new parents registering the birth of their child with a box of nappy sacks and a card with information to help them recycle correctly, pass items on, and keep disposable nappies out of the recycling bin. There is also help online for those interested in using real, reusable nappies.

Textiles and electrical items should also be kept out of recycling bins as they can get stuck in the machinery, causing tonnes of recycling to be wasted. In some cases, electrical items have even been known to cause fires, while food waste can also contaminate recyclable items.

Small electrical items which may only need a minor repair can be taken to one of six participating libraries. These are collected by local charities, tested, repaired and sold.

Any Oxfordshire residents unsure about how to, reuse, repair, refill, donate, recycle or dispose of an item should go to the Waste Wizard – the online tool which will help them decide which bin to use, where to take it, or how to avoid having to throw it away at all. More than 40,000 people have already searched for an item since it launched last year.

To make the week really shine, Christ Church, Oxford’s famous Tom Tower is expected to be lit up green during the evenings. This building is already illuminated at night, and the green lighting will use low-energy LED bulbs.

Last year Oxfordshire recycled:

• 24,000 tonnes of food waste
• more than 3,000 tonnes of textiles and small electrical items
• more than 35,000 tonnes of plastic bottles, trays, paper, card, drinks cans and food tins.

However, plenty of these materials still end up in the general waste bins. The more that this can be avoided, the higher Oxfordshire’s recycling rate will go – as will all the associated benefits, such as cutting carbon emissions.

Follow Oxfordshire Recycles on Facebook or Twitter for more information.

Click Sign up to hear from us and receive the latest news and updates thanks to our fortnightly newsletter, Your Oxfordshire.

Oxfordshire County Council is planning a phased approach to the reopening of public buildings with every precaution being taken to make sure that this happens safely for those staff who will work in them and members of the public who visit them.

On June 23 Prime-Minister Boris Johnson announced in parliament a number of changes to the UK’s response to COVID-19. These will be applicable from July 4.

Previous changes to lockdown arrangements in Oxfordshire have seen household waste recycling centres reopen and schools welcome back more pupils. All of the county council’s cultural services sites have been closed in Oxfordshire and elsewhere since late March.

Methodical and safe

Councillor Lorraine Lindsay-Gale, Cabinet Member for Education and Cultural Services said: “We will fully focus on each building before making decisions on re-openings to ensure that the work required to meet the latest social distancing guidelines is undertaken in a methodical way leading to excellent and safe arrangements.

“All of us at the council appreciate how highly valued our cultural facilities are and we join residents in looking forward to them all being reopened in a safe way in future times.

“The council is committed to keeping the public up to date whenever a new re-opening is due and we will update people on what arrangements have been put in place to keep visitors safe.”

In line with refreshed Government guidance, the council is now offering face to face birth registrations by appointment. Please note that in line with the General Registrars Office guidelines, births cannot be registered remotely by telephone or by video conference.

Registration services throughout the nation are currently going through the same process of reactivating birth registration. Birth registrations across the UK ceased during March due to the restrictions placed upon the country as part of the COVD19 pandemic.

A safe and COVID-19 secure space to register births at County Hall in Oxford has been set up to deal with appointments. Other locations may become available in due course.

There is currently a backlog of unregistered births and the council will register these chronologically, in order of the baby’s date of birth. Council staff are already contacting parents directly to make an appointment and the first batch of appointments to be released will be for parents whose babies were born up to March 9.

The first births were successfully registered at County Hall on Friday (June 5) with more appointments and registrations being set up over coming days and weeks.

Registrars can only register a baby if he or she was born in Oxfordshire. If a baby was born elsewhere, parents will be asked to contact the local registration service for that area, bearing in mind that they may not yet be operating appointments.

More detail on how the system will work

Oxfordshire County Council’s Registration Service receive a daily report showing all the babies which have been born in Oxfordshire, both in hospital and at home. The council will contact parents when taking appointments for the date when a baby was born.

Once an appointment to register the birth has been booked, parents will receive a confirmation email with important information about who should attend the appointment and what to bring. Please read this information very carefully.

Other useful information

• Certificates must be paid for when making your booking so please consider how many you wish to receive at your appointment. Certificates cost £11 each.
• Parents who are married or in a civil partnership should be aware that only one of them should attend the appointment. For those who are not married or in a civil partnership but who wish to include the father or second female parent’s details in the birth register, both parents should attend. It is requested that the baby should not be brought to the appointment.
• If any parents are self-isolating, living with someone else who is self-isolating or is showing any symptoms of coronavirus, they should not attend the appointment.

The council will continue to provide updates on its website relating to appointment slots for those babies born after March 10. Please refer to these updates and await a call from one of the team.

A total of 98 venues in the county are licenced to carry out such ceremonies. They are required to renew their licence once every three years so that they are able to carry on providing their services.

Examples of the venues involved include hotels, country houses, barns and museums.

Superintendent Registrar Alicja Gilroy said: “The Coronavirus outbreak has been a difficult time for all of us in what should have been one of our busiest times. However due to the social distancing rules there are no ceremonies taking place.

“We realise how important our ceremony industry is and how much it contributes to our local economy. As a result of this we have agreed to extend licences by one year. This means that if we have just issued a licence for a venue or such a venue is part way through its licence period, this period will last one year longer.

“If venues were about to apply for a licence we have advised them not to do so and just add another year onto the expiry date of their existing licence.”

Cllr Lorraine Lindsay-Gale, Cabinet Member for Education & Cultural Services said:

“We feel that giving our venues this extra latitude we are making a contribution to helping them make ends meet at this tough time so that we emerge from the current national situation we have a good chance of being able to hit the ground running in terms of providing a good service to the people of Oxfordshire.”

From Monday (June 10) Oxfordshire County Council will assist residents completing the ID verification process to the European Union Settlement Scheme (EUSS).

Oxford Register Office and 16 libraries across the county will offer the document validation service as Britain prepares to leave the EU.

Settled or pre-settled status will enable European Union, European Economic Area or Swiss citizens to continue living in the UK beyond June 30, 2021.

Support offered by Oxfordshire County Council’s Cultural Services is all part of the council’s commitment to thriving communities – helping people live safe, healthy lives and play an active part in their community.

Protecting rights of EU, EEA or Swiss citizens living in the UK 

Should Britain leave the EU with no deal on October 31, residents will have until December 31, 2020, to apply to the European Union Settlement Scheme (EUSS). If there is a deal, residents will have until June 30, 2021, to apply.

If your application is successful, you’ll get either settled or pre-settled status. This means you’ll be able to:

• work in the UK
• use the NHS
• enrol in education or continue studying
• access public funds such as benefits and pensions, if you’re eligible for them
• travel in and out of the UK

Identity verification 

To apply to the EUSS, residents will need a current valid EU, EEA or Swiss passport or a valid Biometric Residence Permit (BRP) for family members of an EU, EEA or Swiss citizen.

In addition to completing an online application, applicants are required to scan their identity documents using a compatible Android phone or tablet. This can be your own phone or tablet or someone else’s.

If your mobile phone or other device doesn’t have near field communication (NFC), you can drop into one of 16 libraries across the county, where you can make use of an Android device to complete the first part of the application process; scanning your documents. Once this is done, you will be able to complete the application yourself on any device or computer.

Libraries in Abingdon, Banbury, Bicester, Botley, Carterton, Cowley, Didcot, Headington, Henley, Kidlington, Oxfordshire County Library, Summertown, Thame, Wallingford, Wantage and Witney have android devices available for residents to use. Users will need to bring their own mobile phone to accept a pin verification code as part of the process.

Residents requiring assistance to scan their documents can drop into the Oxford Register Office, where staff can provide support. Users will need to bring their own mobile phone to accept a pin verification code for this service. There will be a £14 fee for non-Oxfordshire residents using this service at Oxford Register Office, so please bring along proof of residence.

Residents requiring support to complete the whole application can request this from the Home Office by contacting the Assisted Digital Service. Phone: 03333 445 675 Monday to Friday, 9am to 6pm, or Saturday, 9am to 4pm.

Cllr Lorraine Lindsay-Gale, Cabinet member for Cultural Services, said: “We’re delighted to be offering this service and hope that many people apply to the European Union Settlement Scheme and get that peace of mind.

“We’re such a diverse county and I’m sure our European citizens will welcome this support from our libraries and Oxford Register Office.”

‘Application process is incredibly simple’ 

Rikke Hansen, Head of Integration and Improvement in Community Operations at Oxfordshire County Council, has successfully completed the EUSS process.

She moved to Oxfordshire from Denmark in 2013 and explained: “I decided to apply to the scheme as early as possible because I knew I wanted to stay in this country and I wanted to get it out of the way and get peace of mind that it was sorted.

“For me, being able to participate in the democratic processes of the country I have made a home in is important and because of that I am also considering applying for citizenship, which you can do a year after being granted SS.

“The application process is incredibly simple. It literally takes about 10 minutes and I got a response about three weeks later.

“The only inconvenience is that it isn’t possible to scan your ID using an iPhone and won’t be until the end of this year. For the council to provide this service at Oxford Register Office and making Android phones available for use in the 16 libraries is a massive help.”

Information on who is required to apply for pre-settled or settled status can be found on the Gov.uk website.

And the popular member of Oxfordshire County Council’s Registration Service has no plans to retire any time soon.

Colleagues, family and friends attended a surprise party at Wheatley Register Office to celebrate her 40 years’ service.

“I thought I was being taken out for afternoon tea at the Crazy Bear in Stadhampton,” explained Julia. “We stopped off to check something at Wheatley Registration Office and when I walked up the steps I saw this table with balloons saying ‘40’ on them.

“It still didn’t dawn on me that it was to mark my 40 years in the Registration Service. It was so lovely and so unexpected.”

The council’s Registration Service oversees the registration of births, deaths, marriages, civil partnerships, citizenship and naming ceremonies among its many duties.

That service is all part of the county council’s commitment to thriving communities – helping people live safe, healthy lives and play an active part in their community.

‘It has changed dramatically since I started’

Born and bred in Oxford, Julia trained in accountancy and worked for Norwich Union Insurance Company in Beaumont Street.

She gave up work to raise sons Ian and David and when they started school she applied for a job in the Registration Service as additional registrar of weddings and deputy registrar of births and deaths.

Shortly after she became a registrar in her own right, spreading her week between Wheatley, Thame Town Hall and the living room of a house in Dorchester on Thames. In 2001 she transferred to the John Radcliffe Hospital.

Most Saturdays are taken up by weddings, although Julia remains tight-lipped over some of the more famous couples she has married.

She does hold the distinction of officiating at the first Oxfordshire wedding outside of a registry office, registering the service at a nightclub in Benson in June 1995.

“It’s an amazing job. It has changed dramatically since I started. Back then it was all done in fountain pen and ink. Now what you really need are competent IT skills.

“I think most of all, as a Registration Service we pride ourselves on doing everything we can to help people. We’re doing all we can in Oxfordshire to make the service perfect.”

‘I love the role too much to consider giving it up yet’

Julia, whose husband John passed away three years ago after a long fight against illness, doesn’t intend to give up her work with the Registration Service just yet.

“One day I’ll wake up and decide that I’ve had enough,” she said. “But registration is such a gratifying thing to be able to do and I love the role too much to consider giving it up yet.”

While Saturdays remain set aside for work, along with weekdays where required, Julia enjoys spending time with her family, including six grandchildren.

Then there’s tending to her allotment, greenhouse, three chickens, aviary of birds and a tortoise. And she remains a dedicated swimmer.

Having qualified as a swimming instructor in 1972 and receiving national recognitions from the Royal Lifesaving Society, Julia finally gave up teaching in 2014. But she still swims 80 lengths at least once or twice a week.

Going out of her way to help customers

Additional superintendent registrar Lorna Hind said: “Julia registered the birth of my twin girls in the John Radcliffe Hospital in December 2002. We paced up and down in the corridor outside the birth registration office on the maternity ward, wondering why on earth the registrar was taking so long.

“Eventually, Julia emerged, and apologised for keeping us waiting. Very sadly, she had been registering the birth of a stillborn baby. She registered our children’s births with calmness, kindness and professionalism, even though she had just had to deal with an extremely difficult situation, and both our daughters were screaming their heads off at the time.

“Ten years later, I joined the Oxfordshire Registration Service as a deputy registrar and my path crossed with Julia’s again. She was still as calm, cheerful and professional as I remembered her.

“She is known throughout the service for going out of her way to help customers, at both the happiest and the saddest times in their lives. We have all learned a great deal from Julia and hope to have the pleasure of working with her for many more years to come.”

Contact the Registration Service

The Registration Service operates out of offices in Abingdon, Banbury, Bicester, Didcot, Henley, Oxford and Witney. To find out more about registering a birth or death or to arrange a ceremony click here.

Archie Harrison Mountbatten-Windsor was proudly paraded to the world by Harry and Meghan yesterday.

The naming of Royal babies has always tended to influence parents in choice of first names for newly-born children.

Archie was the 25^th most popular boys’ name in Oxfordshire last year, with 32 babies registered. So far in 2019, 18 Archie’s have been registered.

Harrison was the 44^th most popular with 21 babies registered – three of whom had Harrison as a middle name. So far this year, six babies have been registered as Harrison, including one with Harrison as a middle name.

As well as births, the council’s Registration Service oversees the registration of deaths, marriages, civil partnerships, citizenship and naming ceremonies among its many duties.

That service is all part of the county council’s commitment to thriving communities – helping people live safe, healthy lives and play an active part in their community.

‘Modern names for a modern couple’

There were 7,745 births registered in Oxfordshire last year, with Oliver topping the boys’ name charts for the second year running. So far this year there have been 2,713 births.

Alicja Gilroy, Superintendent Registrar at Oxfordshire County Council’s Registration Service, expects the names Archie and Harrison to start creeping their way up the charts soon.

She said: “Royal births can have a fairly immediate impact on trends. Archie and Harrison are modern names for a modern couple. I think it’s nice that they’ve moved away a little from traditional Royal names.

“Archie means ‘bold’ or ‘brave’ and Harrison means ‘son of Henry’ or ‘son of Harry’. Both names fit the Royal couple well and we congratulate the Duke and Duchess of Sussex on the birth of their first child.”

• Parents who have recently welcomed a new addition to their family are reminded the little bundle of joy needs to be registered within six weeks (42 days) of the birth. For more information click here.

The 2018 Oxfordshire baby name league table (with 2017 for comparison)

Boys

Girls

It’ll be hearts and flowers all around as Oxfordshire County Council’s Register Office in Oxford hosts the wedding ceremonies on the most romantic day of the year.

Superintendent Registrar Alicja Gilroy said: “We feel that St Valentine’s Day is an extra special day and we always find that couples come in with that added extra sparkle.

“We’re really pleased that they’ve chosen the Dexter Room as their venue.”

The Dexter Room is by far the most popular wedding venue in Oxfordshire, averaging more than 400 ceremonies per year.

As well as marriages and civil partnerships, the council’s Registration Service oversees the registration of births, deaths, citizenship and naming ceremonies among its many duties.

That service is all part of the county council’s commitment to thriving communities – helping people live safe, healthy lives and play an active part in their community.

Alicja says she always enjoys her commute to work on St Valentine’s Day.

“I travel in on the train and it’s always lovely to see people holding cards and gifts with a real smile on their face. It’s a day full of romance and there’s still a tradition for showing how much we love one another.”

‘We’ve been married to each other before’

Barton couple Marina Lupton and Steve Tomkins have chosen St Valentine’s Day to get married for the second time.

They were originally married at St Mary’s Church, Barton, on July 14, 1990. They had six children but Marina said work commitments took a toll on their relationship and they separated in 2008, divorcing five years later.

Marina, 53, said: “He was working away and I was working nights and it just became difficult. But we stayed in touch because of the children and were always civil to one another.

“Then in 2015 I decided I couldn’t live without him. I’d known him since I was 17 and he was 27. I just rung him and told him I was coming home.”

Marina took the lead again when it came to tying the knot with Steve, 62, for a second time.

“I’d been going on about us getting married again so I just rang the Registration Office and booked it. Then I told Steve: ‘I’ve got some good news and some bad news. The good news is we’re getting married. The bad news is now we’ve got to pay for it!’”

Following their wedding in the Dexter Room the couple will be joined by 200 guests for a party at Oxford City Football Club.

‘He’ll never forget the date’

Bianca Samoila describes herself as a romantic and wanted her partner Yasar Pekgoz to remember the date of their civil ceremony forever.

“I’m a bit sneaky and was responsible for picking the date,” she said. “I thought if I picked St Valentine’s Day he could never forget it!”

Bianca, 37, an intensive care specialty doctor at the John Radcliffe Hospital, met Yasar, 38, through an online dating app in 2014.

“Destiny brought us together. I’m from Romania and he’s from Turkey. On the dating app there was a picture of him with a stethoscope around his neck and I knew I had to meet him,” she said.

The couple met for their first date in Oxford and 12 months later Yasar, a plastic and reconstructive surgeon based in London, was proposing at the Sheldonian Theatre.

Bianca explained: “We’ve been talking about the wedding ever since we got engaged. At the end of last year we started talking about setting a date so I contacted the Registration Service and they were really helpful.”

The couple decided on today’s civil ceremony before starting preparations for a full-scale wedding in Romania in 2020.

“My mum and dad really want us to have the big frilly wedding,” said Bianca. “They live in a city called Constanța on the shores of the Black Sea. It’s beautiful so we’ll be heading out there for the wedding in either May or September.”

About 100 guests will attend their big day in Romania, but the St Valentine’s Day civil ceremony in the Dexter Room will be a more private affair with 20 guests.

“My mum, Dorina, is coming over and we will be celebrating our special day with friends,” Bianca said. “Then afterwards we’ll all be heading for dinner at the Acropolis Greek Taverna in Headington. It’s going to be a celebration of love.”

‘Samba band brought us together’

Musical sweethearts Fran Wheare and Chris Whalen are getting married in the Dexter Room today before a non-religious blessing in Convocation House at the Bodleian Library on Saturday.

Fran said: “We’re calling the civil ceremony our marriage and the blessing our wedding. We do celebrate St Valentine’s Day and it’s nice that we can share it with family and friends.”

There will be 16 guests in the Dexter Room today, but more than 90 are expected to join them in Convocation House for a blessing conducted by family friend Rev Elaine Dando. A reception will follow at Wytham Village Hall.

Fran 37, and Chris, 35, met four years ago after being introduced by a mutual friend, Katherine Fletcher.

Fran explained: “I had only just moved to Oxford and was trying to meet people generally. I worked with Katherine and she was in a band with Chris. She suggested that Chris and I met and we hit it off straight away.”

After playing together with Oxford’s Sol Samba band, Fran and Chris have since gone on to join the Afon Sistema in Bristol and Carnaval Transatlantico in Birmingham.

Fran, a senior development executive at the Ashmolean Museum, and Chris, a search and analytics consultant at Torchbox in Charlbury, will enjoy a short break in Paris after the wedding before heading to Italy’s Amalfi Coast in September for a honeymoon.

Theo made his entry into the world as an early Christmas present on December 1, nearly six weeks before his expected arrival.

It meant proud parents Liam and Jessie had a little more on their plate to consider as they prepared for their wedding on December 8. But Theo proved a shining star and the big day at Didcot Registration Office went without a hitch.

The wedding was organised through Oxfordshire County Council’s Registration Service and was enjoyed by nearly 25 of Liam and Jessie’s family and friends.

Christmas and New Year weddings represent one of the busiest times of the year for the service, which also oversees the registration of births, deaths, civil partnerships, citizenship and naming ceremonies among its many duties.

That service is all part of the county council’s commitment to thriving communities – helping people live safe, healthy lives and play an active part in their community.

Emergency Caesarean

All was going according to plan for Liam and Jessie as they prepared for their wedding at Didcot Registration Office.

Jessie, 20, had felt a little unwell as she shopped for wedding bits on November 30 and had fallen asleep while Liam, 23, was playing on his Xbox.

She woke up and realised her waters had broken, prompting a drive to the Medical Assessment Unit at Oxford’s John Radcliffe Hospital.

Theo was in breech so he was born by emergency Caesarean at 4.03pm the following day, weighing 5lb 4oz. That meant an anxious wait to see if mother and baby would be allowed home from hospital in time to make the wedding a week later.

Jessie explained: “I was determined to go ahead with it and they kept reassuring me everything would be ok. Our family and friends had booked places to stay so I didn’t want to cancel.

“We eventually got out of hospital at 7pm on the Friday. That night we went out for a meal with all the family and the next day we were married.”

‘Everything we wanted it to be’

The wedding at Didcot Registration Office was followed by a reception at Boundary House in Abingdon.

“The wedding was everything we wanted it to be,” said Jessie. “Having Theo there made it even more complete. He was dressed in a little panda suit in his car seat and stayed silent through the whole service.

“Every time he woke that day it was like pass the parcel. Everyone wanted to have a hold. The whole day was just perfect.”

To round off a manic few weeks for the couple, on December 12 they moved to barracks in Didcot where Liam is a sapper with 11 Explosive Ordnance Disposal Regiment RLC.

Deputy Superintendent Registrar Sally Gardner, who conducted the ceremony, said: “Every wedding is unique but this was extra special.

“Liam and Jessie had wanted to get married and move home before the baby’s arrival, but in the event Theo preceded them both. He’s a beautiful little baby and it was a wonderful ceremony.”

Special time of year

This Christmas and New Year, nearly 30 weddings organised by the Registration Service will be held across Oxfordshire.

Two are taking place on Christmas Eve – in Abingdon and Oxford – with three on December 27, eight on December 28, 10 on December 29, one on December 30 and five on New Year’s Eve. None are scheduled on New Year’s Day.

Alicja Gilroy, Superintendent Registrar based at Oxford Register Office, said it was always an extra special time of the year to get married.

“Often people like to get married at Christmas-time because they have family and friends staying with them, or it’s easier for family and friends to get time off work,” she said.

“I think people also find it quite a romantic time of the year. There’s something quite magical about Christmas and we can dress up venues with trees, holly and decorations over the fireplace.

“Now you can get married at any time day or night there’s a lot more flexibility. Everyone is a little happier this time of the year, so why wouldn’t you get married?”

The Registration Service has conducted about 2,300 weddings across Oxfordshire this year, which Alicja said was a similar figure to 2017.

“We had a bumper year in 2016, when weddings went up to about 2,500, but we’re still not really sure why. It’ll be interesting to see what effect Brexit has on 2019, but we’re expecting a busy year in 2020 because it’s a special number.”

You can contact the Registration Service on 0345 241 2489 or click here for more information.

The couple from Marcham have just celebrated a fourth naming ceremony – this time for little Harper Willow.

The happy event took place at The Crown and Thistle in Abingdon and was organised through Oxfordshire County Council’s Registration Service.

The Registration Service oversees naming ceremonies throughout the year as one of its many duties (including Births, Deaths, Marriage & Civil Partnership Registrations and Ceremonies).

A special chapter about Naming Ceremonies is included in an updated version of The Oxfordshire Baby & Parenting Guide produced by the County Council.

The glossy guide contains a wealth of information for parents, including useful contact numbers and websites, and advice on everything from positive parenting and healthy babies to childcare options and safer sleeping.

It’s all part of the county council’s commitment to thriving people – we strive to give every child a good start in life and protect everyone from abuse and neglect.

Lisa, 38, and Carl, 35, took the decision to celebrate Harper Willow’s naming at six weeks, carrying on a tradition started with Lillimai, now 14, and followed with Maici, seven, and Chaice, six.

Ceremonies for Lillimai, Maici and Chaice were all held at Oxford Register Office, but having recently moved to Marcham, Lisa and Carl decided to switch venues to The Barn at The Crown and Thistle.

The Barn, complete with 17th century timber beams and stone walls, was decorated with banners, balloons, flowers and tea lights as 80 guests enjoyed the celebration.

Lisa said: “It was a lovely day. It was nice just to get our family and friends together and celebrate the arrival of a new baby.

“Naming ceremonies were always going to be the road that we went down. Neither of us are particularly religious and growing up it’s nice for the children to be able to choose if they want to adopt a particular faith. Whatever they want to be they can be.

“You have to make so many choices as parents but this is one you don’t have to take for them. Also, what’s the point in having them Christened if you don’t attend church?”

Personal touch

The ceremony was led by Oxfordshire County Council’s Deputy Registrar Celebrant, Sally Gardner.

Mentors, including Lisa, her three children and Carl’s dad gave readings. Guests then tucked into food and enjoyed a party before celebrations closed.

Sally said: “The Ceremony was very special as it was made very individual and personal after talking to the parents. They were able to put a lot of their own personal messages in.

“It’s a celebratory ceremony and it really is personal choice. There’s lots of flexibility and they were able to choose individual poems for the children and the grandfather to read.”

Sally said naming ceremonies appealed because they were non-religious.

“There are a lot of people who aren’t churchgoers so it doesn’t make sense to them to have a Christening. It’s nice to get everyone together, have a celebration for the baby and introduce him or her to the family.”

Baby & Parenting Guide

The guide is published about every 18 months and given to parents when they come to register a birth.

It features more than 25 chapters on a host of subjects ranging from breastfeeding to postnatal depression, playtime, speech and language development, and safety advice.

Head of Registration, Jacquie Bugeja, said: “It’s such a great publication. When you become a new parent you don’t suddenly get a manual on everything you’re supposed to do.

“Being a parent myself I didn’t always know where to turn to get the most up-to-date information, support and things happening in the area.

“This is a great opportunity to share valuable information with new parents where we can. There are so many services that support parents and young people and it’s great to have a publication where all these networks can be included.

“The guide has developed over the past four or five years. New parents need as much support as they can get and if we at the County Council can publish advice from people who work in those specialisms we think it’s a very worthwhile thing to be doing.

“Feedback from parents tells us that the publication is invaluable.”

A brilliant resource

Laura Edney, mother of Sidney, six, and Arthur, three, was given a copy of the Baby & Parenting Guide when she registered Arthur’s birth in the Witney Office.

Laura said “The guide has been a brilliant resource for me over the years and I have referred to it often. There is so much valuable information in it, and pointers of where to get more help, that I am sure I would not have found readily anywhere else.

“There are lots of interesting articles, and also ideas for days out and things to do with your child. I wish I had taken a copy when I had Sidney.” 

Food for thought

Despite becoming a mother for the fourth time, Lisa Verlander said there was still much to be learnt from the guide.

She said: “It’s a really great read. There’s plenty of information in there to give you real food for thought. If you’re new to the area it’s going to be really helpful. It’s got so much detail about different groups in it. It’s a really handy guide just to pick up.”

The Registration Service also offers glossy publications entitled Oxfordshire: The Place To Marry and The Oxfordshire Bereavement Guide.

To view the updated Oxfordshire Baby & Parenting Guide click here

As if it were a wedding or summer garden party, they come dressed in their finery – some wearing beautiful African traditional costume, some in kilts fashioned from ancestral tartan and others wearing the smartest Italian designer suits.

For them this unlikely looking gathering marks the end of a long, often difficult and expensive journey – but it also heralds the start of fresh beginnings.

They all have one thing in common that unites them and that is they are all about to become British Citizens.

The citizenship ceremonies are one of the duties performed by Oxfordshire County Council’s Registration Service. Since ceremonies began 14 years ago, 19,250 people have become fully-fledged Brits – bringing wide-ranging skills and acumen with them to enrich Oxfordshire’s thriving communities and economy.

Often there are scientists, nurses, doctors, surgeons, nannies, academics and business people among the changing weekly cohort – all vital in the running of our hospitals, universities and science industries.

Superintendent Registrar Alicja Gilroy, pictured, is one those who performs the ceremony in the Council Chamber each week at County Hall.

She said: “It’s one of the most uplifting, inspiring and privileged roles we carry out. Every individual has their own special reason for becoming a British citizen. They come from all over the world and some of their journeys have been quite harrowing. They help make this county such a vibrant and diverse place.”

This week under the watchful gaze of a portrait of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth, 20 soon-to-be Brits from 17 nations and their families eagerly filed into the Council Chamber to make an oath of allegiance (or an affirmation) and pledge to respect the rights, freedoms and laws of the UK.

They were welcomed by Felicity Dick, the Deputy Lord Lieutenant of Oxfordshire who was officially representing HM Queen. She told the crowd: “As a fellow citizen of Oxfordshire It is my privilege to formally welcome you into our community as a full citizen.

“In becoming a British citizen you are making a commitment to the local community; to Oxfordshire as well as the city, town or village in which you live.

“Britain has played many roles in the wider world and continues to do so. We have not always done so wisely or fairly, but I hope you will find this is remains a nation that has a bedrock of fairness, a strong respect for justice and the rule of law and a genuinely open and democratic system of government. We are a society in which free speech means what it says.

“We are a nation that allows people to express themselves and to better themselves. In the current situation of Brexit I don’t believe, and I very much hope, that the upheavals that might be caused won’t change these fundamental British traits.”

Each new citizen is presented with their naturalisation certificate and a specially commissioned book on Diverse Oxfordshire.

Once the formalities are over, it’s a chance for everyone to rouse to their feet and join in with the National Anthem. They belt it out with gusto and pride.

Among them was mum Sadia Gregory accompanied by her proud husband Tim, a Charlbury Primary School teacher, and eldest son Donel, 10, a Banbury United FC youth team player.

Zimbabwean-born Sadia, 35, came to the UK for a working holiday after completing a degree in Australia. She fell in love with Oxfordshire and her then husband-to-be and, with indefinite leave to remain status, never went back.

The Gregorys, who live in Banbury, are now blessed with three children and for Sadia becoming a British citizen is a dream come true. She said: “Britain is my home now and where we are raising our family.” And she joked: “Now I’ve done this my husband says I am more British than him now.”

Sadia and Tim, who planned to celebrate her new citizenship with a British traditional fish and chip supper, spent several thousand pounds navigating through a complex set of procedures on her citizenship journey.

Trips to Zimbabwe were required, a lawyer was hired, fees paid and the all-important Life In The UK test was studied for – and passed first time.

Everyone who applies to become a British Citizen must show their knowledge of the English language and of life in the UK in one of two ways. They can either take a special English for Speakers of Other Languages course, or they can take the Life in the UK test.

The test covers customs and traditions, history and the laws and political systems that govern the country. It is contains 24 multiple choice questions which are chosen at random by computer. People have 45 minutes to complete the test and the pass mark is around 75%.

Sadia said: “I studied at Banbury Library during the summer holidays when Tim was at home with the kids. For me the hardest part was the history behind the country. It wasn’t just recent history. I had to know all about the Stone Age and Iron Age, memorise all the Kings and Queens and know all Henry VIII’s wives in all the right order. It was tough, but I passed first time.”

Another ‘new’ citizen this week was New Zealander Gerald Sinclair, 75, accompanied by his wife Mary. Gerald, a former grammar school teacher and retired businessman arrived in England 69 years ago when he was just six years old.

“I came here in 1949 on my mother’s passport and have been living here on a NZ passport with the right to reside in the UK ever since.”

As a Commonwealth citizen Gerald, who lives in Oxford, applied for his British status through the Windrush Helpline –set up earlier this year after people were wrongly detained, denied legal rights, threatened with deportation, and, in around 63 cases, wrongly deported from the UK by the Home Office.

Many of those affected had been born British subjects and had arrived in the UK before 1973, particularly from Caribbean countries as members of the Windrush generation.

Gerald said: “My decision was based on changes in attitude by the Home Office but also a feeling that It was time I took the plunge.”

American Bruce McNaughton, wife Cathryn, son Andrew and daughter Emily arrived in the UK from New England in 1982, initially settling in Shiplake.

Now living in Oxford, Bruce said: "The funny thing is we never said we were emigrating. We always thought we’d go back. I love the culture here. I grew up in California where the oldest thing was 1940. You walk round Oxford and it’s a different ball game. It’s amazing and a real honour to be able to live here. I think we hit the jackpot when we settled in Oxfordshire.”

Cathryn added: “Becoming a British citizen means a lot and I shed quite a few tears during the ceremony. We went for citizenship because we started feeling nervous.”

Son Andrew, grew up in Oxfordshire but now lives in Edinburgh and wore a McNaughton tartan kilt to the ceremony. He agrees that being a fully-fledged Brit means he now feels secure.

“It means our immigration status cannot be changed now. Although I grew up here I can now fully participate in British life and I’m looking forward to finally being able to vote.””

TAKE THE TEST

Do you have what it takes to pass the Life In The UK test. Try it for yourself. You’ll have 45 minutes to answer 24 questions about British traditions and customs.

Visit http://www.officiallifeintheuk.co.uk/test

As the nation’s eyes fix on Gareth Southgate’s men, eight brides and grooms at approved venues across the county will be hoping their wedding guests will be more focussed on their special day rather than watching Harry Kane carry the Three Lions to victory in the first semi-final in 28 years.

Among them is Man United football fan Duncan Finch and his bride Lauren Ashford who will be exchanging vows and rings at the picture-perfect Merriscourt Barn in Chipping Norton – where the ushers have been told to confiscate all phones from the 65 guests.

Mr Finch, from Buckinghamshire, said: “We wanted a Cotswold-style wedding and when the 7^th came up as a potential date, I have to admit I thought of Beckham and his shirt number (He wore 7 for United and England). I thought it was a good omen.

“But no-one could have guessed that this match would happen on this of all days.”

Predicting a 2-1 win to England and no nail-biting penalty shoot-outs, Mr Finch said he and his wife-to-be were confident their close family and friends would be much more engaged in their nuptials.

While his ushers will be ready to dish out a red card to anyone sneakily watch the on-pitch action in Samara, Mr Finch is preparing to cater for the football supporters among the guests.

He spent today finalising preparations and ensuring the venue would install a big screen TV in a discreet location, so people can keep an eye on the score during the reception.

Jacquie Bugeja, Head of Registration for Oxfordshire County Council, said: “We wish Duncan and Lauren every happiness for the future and hope their big day tomorrow will be perfect in every way. Our registrars across the county will ensure everyone’s special moment is memorable for all the right reasons.”

She joked: “I am sure our team wouldn’t dream of speeding up the exchange of vows and promises so everyone can get on and watch the game…. only if they are asked to do so.”

Oxfordshire’s wedding industry is estimated to be worth around £63 million a year and one county council department is central to the success of this thriving economy – Oxfordshire’s Registration Service.

You’re born, you live, you die. They’re life’s three big certainties. And Alicja Gilroy has played an integral part in literally thousands of momentous events, seeing people at the pinnacle of happiness and the depths of despair.

You might not think it would be an Oxfordshire County Council employee at the heart of these life-altering occasions.

But Alicja is the county’s Superintendent Registrar and she, along with a band of 50 other registrars, is responsible for the recording of births, deaths, and civil marriages as well as carrying out a host of other legal ceremonies from civil partnerships, vow renewals, to citizenship events.

It’s a job she adores and a service of which she is passionately proud.

Her office at the Oxford Register Office in Tidmarsh Lane is packed with some of the service’s awards for excellence, items of memorabilia and photos with dignitaries – from the Princess Royal to Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson.

And, of course, there’s a pot of special ink on her desk – the same stuff that’s been used on marriage certificates since registrations first took place on July 1, 1837. The ink goes darker with age, does not fade and is used for beautifully handwritten entries in a green marriage register.

“It’s such a privilege to do my job and I get the best seat at every wedding,” beams Alicja. “I simply love speaking to people and helping them whether they come to us through a birth, death or a marriage or partnership. Registrars can make such a difference to clients’ experiences. We can help ease the distress of a loved one,” says Alicja.

Death registrations are now taken using an online system but Alicja enjoyed handwriting the entries as it was therapeutic for the family to watch the details being so carefully recorded.

“I remember speaking to a family whose mother had died and discussing the occupation to record for her. It turned out the lady had been a seamstress to the Royal family.”

Alicja has responsibility for ensuring that all statutory services and ceremonies within Oxfordshire are registered and delivered in accordance within current legislations.

It’s an ever-shifting landscape.

In her 13 years as Superintendent Registrar, the mum of two from Bodicote has witnessed a sea-change.

The Civil Partnership Act was introduced in 2005 and Alicja conducted one of the first in the UK. A request came for a licence just hours after the act came into force on December 5 by a male couple. One of the partners was battling a terminal illness and it was his dying wish to have a ceremony that confirmed their love and commitment to one another with legally binding vows.

“I was close to tears during the ceremony,” recalls Alicja. “It was such a moving experience but I was so happy that we were able to grant that wish for them.”

In 2014 new legislation was introduced to allow the conversion of same sex civil partnerships to marriages.

A landmark legal ruling last week means that heterosexual couples could soon be permitted to have civil partnerships too.

Within minutes of the news breaking, an Oxford dad-of-four who had been with his partner for 40 years, was at the register office to speak to Alicja about when he could book a ceremony.

“Marriage and partnerships should be for everyone,” insists Alicja. “We don’t know when this might become law but it will certainly be popular with couples who don’t want to enter into marriage but want their relationship to be officially and legally recognised.”

Weddings and civil partnership ceremonies in Oxfordshire– of which there were 2,412 last year - come in all shapes and sizes.

Themed weddings are popular and Alicja had conducted one in which all the guests were in all American Civil War costume.

She’s also married ‘Elvis Presley’ to a ‘Marilyn Monroe’ and had rabbits, dogs and even owls swoop in to present the rings.

Oxfordshire is fortunate in having more than 100 approved venues where people can marry or have a civil partnership and this attracts clients from all over the country bringing in millions to the local economy – supporting local businesses that provide cakes, flowers, photographers and venues for celebrations.

The Registration Service offers a Your Day Your Way package where couples can have an office ceremony followed by another in a venue of their choice.

As the daughter of Polish migrants who fled their homeland after the Second World War, citizenship ceremonies are another element to the job that Alicja has a particular interest in.

The ceremonies were introduced in 2004 and each week around 30 people from a multitude of nationalities take part in a ceremony at County Hall to become a British citizen.

Around 1,250 people became British in the last financial year. They all went through a stringent Home Office vetting procedure, meeting residency, knowledge of English and life in the UK requirements.

This week 17 nationalities were represented when. Each swore an an oath of allegiance or made an affirmation to respect the rights, freedoms and laws of the UK. At the end of the ceremony they received a certificate of British citizenship.

Before joining the registration team in 1999, Alicja used to work as a linguist for the Ministry of Defence, translating classified documents. She speaks many languages including Polish, French and Russian, but it is undoubtedly the language of love that she speak most fluently.

Registering marriages hasn’t changed for 181 years. The same ink and layout of the certificate has endured since early Victorian times.

It lists the names, ages, occupations and addresses of those getting married and the couple’s respective fathers’ names and occupations.

There’s not a mention of mothers anywhere.

“Ignoring mothers can be so distressing and upsetting. When a person has had no contact with a father their entire lives, there’s an expectation that the mother who has raised, nurtured and cared for them should be named on a certificate.

“But as things stand we cannot do that. I’ve had so many brides and grooms in tears over it. It really is time in the 21^st century and these days of equality that motherhood is properly acknowledged,” argues Alicja.

The find out more about a civil marriage or partnership ceremony

visit https://www2.oxfordshire.gov.uk/cms/public-site/births-deaths-and-ceremonies

FAMOUS BIRTHS, MARRIAGES & DEATHS

Hatched: Actor Hugh Lawrie, U2 bass guitarist Adam Clayton, Radiohead guitarist Ed O’Brien, theoretical physicist Stehen Hawking, tennis player Tim Henman, celebrity chef Rick Stein, nine-time World Motorcycle Champion & Formula 1 driver Mike Hailwood, rally driver Jason Plato, supermodel Yasmin Le Bon, champion jockey Lester Piggott, ­Prime Minister Winston Churchill – and the famous fiveski – Quintuplet Russian sisters Elizaveta, Alexandra, Nadezhda, Tatiana and Varvara Artamkin who were delivered 14-weeks prematurely by cesarian at the John Radcliffe Hospital in 2007,

Matched: Former PM Tony Blair and barrister Cherie Booth, Former PM and Witney MP David Cameron, T’Pau singer Carol Decker, Cockney rocker Joe Brown, Beatles musician George Harrison, actor Ben Kingsley, BAFTA-winning film director Paul Greengrass, the Sultan of Brunei’s son Bandar Al-Saud, 1996 Grand National winner Mick Fitzgerald ­- and modern day celebrity couple Marvin Humes and Rochelle Wiseman, singers with JLS and The Saturdays.

Dispatched: Singer George Michael, author Agatha Christie (aka Agatha Mallowan), actor Ronnie Barker, singer Dusty Springfield (aka Mary O’Brien), record-breaker Sir Roger Bannister, Beatles producer George Martin and Morse creator Colin Dexter – while Gulielmo Giovanni Bazetti Kalabergo, an Italian living near Banbury who killed his jeweller uncle with a bullet through the head, was the last person to be publicly executed in the county in 1852.

A total of 28 couples will be tying the knot at Oxfordshire County Council’s Registration offices throughout the county on Saturday, May 19 – the same day that Prince Harry marries Meghan Markle at St George’s Chapel.

Jon Sherwood, 33 will be marrying his Barcelona-born fiancée Mariona Casals-Caces, 34 at the Oxford Registration office on Tidmarsh Lane having proposed to her last May.

And Lizzie Lavender, 28 and Jason Flint, 31, will marry at Stratton Court Barn near Bicester having known each other since being teenagers - with an Oxfordshire County Council marriage celebrant overseeing proceedings.

Jon and Mariona work in the health sector - Jon as a scientist for Public Health England and Mariona for the NHS in Oxford as a Project Manager.

“We didn’t deliberately choose the same day as the Royal Wedding but it’ll be interesting to see how much of an influence it has on our day. We chose May because I proposed to Mariona last May,” said Jon.

“It’ll be interesting to see if there are any events in Oxford that’ll become part of the scenery of our day. It’s likely there’ll be lots of people around watching the television.

“There’ll be a reception at the Randolph Hotel following the ceremony – and it’ll have a theme of afternoon tea, which is obviously a very English thing. Mariona’s visiting family from Spain will enjoy that and they’re also very curious about the royals and excited that we are sharing a wedding date with them.”

May will also always be the special month for Lizzie and Jason who became a couple in May 2010, were engaged in May 2016 and will now marry in May 2018. They live together in Carterton.

“We’ve known each other since I was 14 and Jason 16 when we both played semi-professional paintball,” said Lizzie who is a Housing Officer for a Housing Association based in Witney.

“It’s lovely to be sharing the same day as the royal wedding – we’re quite relaxed about the whole thing, although one of our guests can’t attend because they are part of the armed forces who’ll be on duty at the event.”

Special day

Superintendant Registrar Alicja Gilroy said: “”We conducted 2400 ceremonies last year in Oxfordshire and overall the county council’s Registration Service has 100 venues licensed for weddings and civil partnerships.

“Oxfordshire is a beautiful county and we attract people who from outside our borders who want to marry at the amazing venues we have to offer. That brings income in to the county which helps the county thrive.

“I’m sure the 28 couples who will have ceremonies on May 19 will forever member that their special day was shared with that of the royal couple.”

The naming of royal babies has always tended to influence parents in choice of first names for newly born children. The name Charlotte leapt from a lowly position in league tables in 2016 to being the 14^th most popular name chosen for baby girls in Oxfordshire during 2017.

Louis, the name chosen for the new Prince, was 48th in the list of boys names in 2017 with 16 babies registered with this name (a further 10 were registered Louie). However the new Prince's middle name, Arthur, did surge to 5^th during 2017. A total of 7,672 births were registered in the county during 2017.

Alicja Gilroy, Superintendent Registrar at Oxfordshire County Council’s Registration Service, said: “Trends in the choice of baby names tend to change gradually but royal births can have a fairly immediate impact. That was definitely noticeable with the name Charlotte and it’ll now be interesting to see what happens with the name Louis when we add up the figures at the end of 2018 and 2019.

“Our congratulations go to the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge on the birth of their third child.”

Oxfordshire County Council’s Registration Service provides a caring and efficient service for registering births, deaths, marriages, civil partnerships and other celebratory ceremonies.

The service operates out of Registration Offices in Abingdon, Banbury, Bicester, Didcot, Henley, Oxford and Witney.

The 2017 Oxfordshire baby boy name league table (with 2016 for comparison)

A total of 7,672 births were registered in the county during 2017 with popular name choices by parents being broadly similar to those in 2015.

Royal baby effect

Alicja Gilroy, Superintendent Registrar at Oxfordshire County Council’s Registration Service, said: “Overall the trends haven’t changed much, but Charlotte is notable for an increase this year, making it to 14^th on the list for girls. Could this be the royal baby effect? It will be interesting to see what the forthcoming royal baby is named and whether this increases its popularity in Oxfordshire.

“Poppy is the girl’s name that has surged into the top ten in 2017 and there are a number of new names in the top ten for boys – Arthur, Alfie, Oscar, Jacob, Muhammed and Benjamin.

“Other notable recent trends are the use of hyphenated first names, and names that would once have been nick names from a longer name: Charlie, Albie, Archie, Ollie, Bobby, Reggie, Teddy, Vinnie, Ronnie, Freddie, Pippa, Maggie, Rosie, Ellie, Tilly are a few of the more popular ones.

"Old fashioned names are making a comeback as well – Stanley, Arthur, Wilfred, Evelyn, Elsie, Edith, Olive are all rising up the list. There are also quite a few names where the traditional spelling has been altered."

Caring and efficient

Oxfordshire County Council’s Registration Service provides a caring and efficient service for registering births, deaths, marriages, civil partnerships and other celebratory ceremonies.

The service operates out of Registration Offices in Abingdon, Banbury, Bicester, Didcot, Henley, Oxford and Witney.

The 2017 Oxfordshire baby name league table (with 2016 for comparison)

Girls

Boys

Oxfordshire County Council provides the county’s Registration Service – and while it’s marriage celebrants will be able to enjoy a break on Christmas Day and Boxing Day, they’re the only dates during the festive period that weddings won’t be taking place in the county.

There are 12 days of Christmas and there are 12 couples who’ll in years to come have reason to start their yuletide celebrations early with Christmas Eve and Christmas Day preceded by a wedding anniversary - there are a dozen weddings scheduled in the county for Saturday, December 23.

There are then four weddings set to take place on Christmas Eve – before there’s a break until December 27 when there’s one more wedding.

Things then really begin to ramp up with nine weddings scheduled on each of Thursday, December 28 and Friday, December 29. There’s then a further six on Saturday, December 30.

There’s no let up over the New Year period with five weddings planned for New Year’s Eve. Then there’s even one couple who will tie the knot on New Year’s Day.

Hollie Weeks, 30 and Paul Haddock, 42 from Little Faringdon in West Oxfordshire are one of the couples who’ll be getting married on New Year’s Eve – at the Old Swan in Minster Lovell.

Hollie, a scientist who works at Milton Park in southern Oxfordshire, said: “Paul proposed on a Summer’s morning in 2016 at Calcot Manor in the Cotswolds. When we started planning I said I wanted the wedding to be on New Year’s Eve and my family and friends wondered if it would even be possible to have a wedding that day.

“However when we got in touch with the county council’s Registration Service they were brilliant from the start – in particular Siobhan O’Brien who is the Registrar who has helped us so much. New Year’s Eve is always an excuse for a party and Paul and I will now always now have an extra reason to celebrate.”

Alicja Gilroy, Superintendant Registrar at the county council, said: “I guess people imagine that Christmas and New Year would be a quieter time for the Registration Service in terms of officiating at marriages – far from it! Our celebrants will be out and about on most of the days including Christmas Eve, New Year’s Eve and New Year’s Day.

“A wedding is obviously a lovely occasion at any time of the year but there’s an extra special feel about a Christmas wedding.”

“We pride ourselves on the ceremonies we offer in Oxfordshire. All our celebrants are trained to deliver a truly personal ceremony for the couple so whether you want something very elaborate or something very simple our team will work with you to ensure you get the day of your dreams.

“There are 105 venues in Oxfordshire where couples can marry so we believe we have something to suit everyone and every budget. From January 1 to the end of November 2017 we conducted 2,260 marriages in total.”

To find out more give the Registration Service a call on 0345 241 2489.

The Registration Service has a strong track record of promoting Oxfordshire as “the place to marry” and each year launches a new brochure in a bid to choose the county as a wedding venue and to residents to hold their ceremony in their home county.

Alicja Gilroy, Oxfordshire County Council’s Superintendent Registrar, said: “The strong increase in the number of weddings is a real boost to the local economy. By putting effort in to attracting people from elsewhere to hold their ceremony in Oxfordshire we bring trade for hoteliers, restaurants and a whole host of other tourism related ventures. All of that helps Oxfordshire thrive and we’re very proud of the statistics for the lasts 12 months.

“We’re clearly lucky to have so many spectacular places that attract people to Oxfordshire for weddings, such as Blenheim Palace, the Ashmolean and University related venues. However we do make the most of that advantage by promoting those places and others quite heavily. That is clearly reaping dividends.

“We’ve just recently launched our new wedding brochure and we will continue to do whatever we can to market Oxfordshire as the place to get married. Hopefully we will be able to build further on the 9.5 per cent increase in weddings we have seen in the last 12 months”.

Oxfordshire County Council’s Registration Service operates out of Registration Offices in Abingdon, Banbury, Bicester, Didcot, Henley, Oxford and Witney.

The Registration Service then received a certificate which officers complete and send on to the church.

The other two venues currently able to hold same sex marriages are the The Friends Meeting House in St Giles and Harris Manchester College Chapel, also in Oxford.

Jacquie Bugeja, Head of Oxfordshire County Council’s Registration Service, said: “Congratulations to Cumnor URC and we’re happy to have played a part in the process that has led to them being able to deliver same sex marriages.”

For girls, Amelia dropped to second place behind Lily while Ava, Sophia, Evie and Sophie entered the top ten in 2016.

For boys Jack leapt straight in to the top ten at number one with Joshua, Thomas and Samuel entering the top ten in 2016.

Alicja Gilroy, Superintendant Registrar at Oxfordshire County Council’s Registration Service, said: “It’s always interesting to gather the figures together and look at the most popular Christian names in Oxfordshire.

“This year we can see a continued trend toward very traditional Christian names – names that have stood the test of time and that our Grandparents or Great Grandparents may have been christened with in the first half of the 20^th century.

“There’s a temptation to refer to these names as ‘old-fashioned’, but given how popular they are in the here and now they are quite clearly the reverse.”

Oxfordshire County Council’s Registration Service provides a caring and efficient service for registering births, deaths, marriages, civil partnerships and other celebratory ceremonies.

The service operates out of Registration Offices in Abingdon, Banbury, Bicester, Didcot, Henley, Oxford and Witney.

The 2016 Oxfordshire Christian name league table (with 2015 for comparison)

Girls

Boys

The days of work will be flexible depending on ceremonies booked so the council is looking for people who are available and can give notice of advanced availability.

Alicja Gilroy said: “This is a great opportunity to be part of someone’s special day and in the past we’ve seen successful applicants go on to have a very rewarding and fulfilling time with us.

“You’ll need to be confident, well-presented, punctual and pay attention to detail as well as having good communication skills.

“Neat and legible handwriting is also essential and it may be that you are required to work at short notice. Full training for the post will be given.”

To find out more, please contact the registration service.

The trend for using what are normally seen as surnames for first names continues with Tyler, Brandon and Brooke to the fore.

The Registration Service is also noticing the reappearance of some very traditional names that had largely fallen out of use such as Ivy, Iris, Wilfred and Montgomery.

Jacquie Bugeja, Oxfordshire County Council’s Head of Registration, said: “When the calendar year draws to a close it is always good fun to have a quick look at the trends for the first names that parents are selecting for their newly born children.

“It is great to see what some might see as old-fashioned names making a bit of comeback. Perhaps Ivy and Wilfred will lose that old-fashioned tag if the trend for their increased use continues.

“George and Elizabeth are names whose continued comeback in popularity have now become well entrenched – and this might well have something to do with the Royal Family!”

Oxfordshire County Council’s Registration Service provides a caring and efficient service for registering; births, deaths, marriages, civil partnerships and other celebratory ceremonies.

The service operates out of seven Registration Offices in Abingdon, Banbury, Bicester, Didcot, Henley, Oxford and Witney and also out of the John Radcliffe Hospital in Oxford.

The contribution, the latest in a number of similar such gifts from the group to the council, is in line with its objective of making more information about baptisms, marriages and burials readily available to Oxfordshire's public.

Copies of the CD - which the society usually sells at £50 from its website - can now be used on free-to-access public computers at Abingdon, Banbury, Bicester, Carterton, Chipping Norton, Didcot, Goring, Henley, Thame, Wallingford, Wantage and Witney libraries.

The data can also still be viewed at Oxford Central Library and the county council's Oxfordshire History Centre in Temple Road, Cowley, via a master file accessible on the networked Heritage Service computers.

Wendy Archer, Chairman of the Oxfordshire Family History Society, said: "Our society is pleased to help family historians across the county in this way.  Our volunteers worked over many years to transcribe the old registers of the churches to generate this index."

Valued resource

Stella Wentworth, Oxfordshire County Council's Librarian for Reader and Information Services: Local and Family History, said: "This is a wonderful resource for anyone with Oxfordshire ancestors.  It can be very time-consuming to trace family records before the start of civil registration and an index like this one can save you hours of research.

"We are so fortunate that Oxfordshire Family History Society volunteers have given their time and skills to compile this index, and even more fortunate that Oxfordshire Family History Service has been so generous in making it readily available through the Library Service."

Councillor Lorraine Lindsay-Gale, Oxfordshire County Council's Cabinet Member for Community Services, said: "It is wonderful that the Oxfordshire Family History Society has donated these CDs to the council's Library Service and I am sure the information on them will prove useful to the many local people who are interested in finding out more about their genealogy."