Circle Dancing in Bicester

It was a genuine privilege to support the Mayor of Bicester at her Civic Charity Dinner this week – an evening full of warmth, pride and just the right amount of joyful chaos.

Councillor Alisa Russell, elected in May 2025 as the Liberal Democrat Mayor of Bicester for 2025–2026, is based at The Garth. She also carries a distinction that matters deeply in a town like ours – she is the first Romanian citizen to hold this position in the UK. That fact alone says something hopeful about modern Britain and about Bicester: confident enough to celebrate heritage, and generous enough to embrace it.

Her chosen charities for the year – The Hummingbird Centre and FLAG DV – reflect a clear sense of compassion and practical solidarity with those facing cancer and domestic abuse. It felt entirely fitting that the evening was not only celebratory but purposeful.

It was also rather wonderful to see how strongly supported Alisa was. Civic leaders from across the county had gathered around her – including Deputy Lieutenant Miranda Markham, Chair of Oxfordshire County Council Mark Lygo, and Mayors from far and wide. That visible solidarity matters. Civic life can at times feel parochial or fragmented, but evenings like this remind us that, at our best, we show up for one another.

The venue was an inspired choice – the restaurant at the Heyford Hotel – intimate enough to feel connected, lively enough to carry a proper civic buzz.

Alisa wanted the event to have a twist, and she brought something of her Romanian heritage to the heart of it. We were treated to wonderful singing from an extraordinary young performer whose voice filled the room with both power and tenderness. Then came two brilliant folk dancers – energetic, precise and utterly captivating. They gave us a short demonstration and then, with a smile that suggested we had little choice in the matter, invited us all to join them.

Within minutes, the entire restaurant was on its feet in a great circle dance – a traditional Romanian hora – weaving its way between tables in laughter and mild confusion. It was glorious. There is something quietly profound about civic leaders persuading a room full of suited and booted guests to hold hands and move in rhythm together.

We were grateful to be guests of Bicester Village, the main sponsors of the evening, whose support for Bicester’s civic life is much appreciated.

And, in a final flourish of good fortune, we won a raffle prize – an evening of bowling at the hotel. So we shall be back before the summer to try out their bowling alley. I suspect the circle dance may have been the better display of coordination.

A lovely evening. A proud Mayor. Two important charities. Strong civic fellowship. And a reminder that community is built not only through meetings and motions, but sometimes by dancing together round a restaurant in Oxfordshire.