CONFIDENCE and safety went hand-in-hand able for young cyclists in Oxford.

Bryony Wellman practises cycle safety

Pupils of Sandhills Primary School completed their cycle safety training course, organised by bicycle manufacturers Raleigh as part of its Get Set project.

Parents were invited on Saturday to see how much their children's ability and road knowledge had improved, having covered basic cycling skills, use of gears and an insight into various cycling displines.

Raleigh's course is aimed at providing a foundation for young people to learn about and enjoy cycling for sport and recreation, providing a safe and structured set of activities, and promoting the desire to continue cycling once the course has been completed. Meanwhile villagers in Uffington have been digging up the past to trace their ancestors' history.

Residents teamed up with Oxford Archeology to uncover what is believed to be an Iron Age settlement on the outskirts of the village.

The two-day dig, involving 143 villagers, was part of an ongoing community project funded by the Local Heritage Initiative. Pottery from the middle to early Iron Age and animal bones were found. Arts and community groups attended the launch of the seven-week-long Didcot Festival.

Nearly 30 events, ranging from kite-making workshops to the town's Christmas street fair, are planned at 14 venues in the area until the end of next month.

Mayor Ian Townsend is pictured with a caricature of himself drawn by Robin Williamson. Visitors to Oxfordshire's Museum Store were given the chance to view part of a collection of 50,000 birds' eggs.

The county council store at

Standlake opened its doors over the weekend to show off some of its collection, including the Jourdain Society Collection, which was given to the museum in August.

Curator of Natural Sciences John Campbell, right, was on hand to answer people's questions about the eggs on display. Pool players staged a 12-hour marathon to raise money for the Down's Syndrome Society.

Ten players took part in the fundraising event at Carterton Bowls Club, and hope to have raised more than £500. Dave Bastable, who organised the match, has raised tens of thousands of pounds for the children's cancer ward at the John Radcliffe Hospital in Oxford.