Five things from Oxfordshire

Here are five stories from Oxfordshire which have been attracting attention this week.

1. Oxford academic, 71, a champion powerlifter

Catherine Walter is not only an Oxford University fellow but, aged 71, she is also a world champion powerlifter.

She took the sport up only six years ago.

"It shows older people can be strong," she says.

2. Pullman loses his Dark Materials pen

Philip Pullman wrote and based His Dark Materials in Oxford

Author Philip Pullman has misplaced a beloved pen with which he handwrote the acclaimed His Dark Materials trilogy.

The Oxford-based writer has turned to Twitter in the hope that his pen case, a Montblanc ballpoint pen and a pencil, can be tracked down.

"I'm particularly attached to the pen, because I wrote His Dark Materials with it," he tweeted.

The author does not remember when he last had his lost materials.

3. Male only vicar job advert 'misogynistic'

"St Barnabas has always had a male parish priest and wishes to continue that tradition," the Diocese of Oxford said

An advert for a vicar's job which states only men can apply is the work of "crusty old misogynists", it has been claimed.

The advert is backed by the Diocese of Oxford and appears on its website.

"I was horrified to see this strange church persist with its antediluvian policy of opposing women priests," said councillor Susanna Pressel.

The Diocese said a small proportion of parishes believe on theological grounds that their vicar should be a man.

4. Low-calorie shakes and soup diets 'recommended for obese'

Diet replacement programmes made up of low-calorie soups, shakes and regular counselling should be a recommended NHS treatment for obesity, a BMJ study says.

People on the diets lost three times more weight than those given standard dietary advice by their GP, University of Oxford researchers found.

And their risk of developing heart disease and type-2 diabetes reduced.

But experts said it would work only if eating habits were changed for good.

5. 'Billy Bunter' deal sees Oxford publisher amass huge comic collection

The Comic Cuts strip dates back to the 19th Century

The rights to a catalogue of British comic titles dating back more than 130 years has been bought up by the publishers of cult comic 2000 AD.

Rebellion's acquisition of the archive of TI Media follows its purchase of the Fleetway archive in 2016.

It means the Oxford company now has biggest catalogue of English language comic book properties in the world.

The deal includes Billy Bunter, Sexton Blake, Valiant, Look-In, and the 19th Century title Comic Cuts.