Review Of The Year
30 December 2011, 15:00
We've rounded up the best bits from the Thames Valley for 2011...
Royal Wedding
On the 29th of April, Kate Middleton, from Bucklebury in Berkshire walked up the aisle to marry Prince William, becoming the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge.
Heart was in Bucklebury on the big day, celebrating with the locals and finding out what they had to say about it all.
Lynda Tillotson, who runs a small interiors shop in the village, said the village has been buzzing in the run up to the big day:
"It's been very exciting in the last couple of weeks and as we get very close to the day, enormous excitement for everybody.''
In her shop window are trinkets marking the wedding, with signs saying "Congratulations'', "Mr and Mrs, Just Married'' and "Happily Ever After''.
"The Middletons are super people, a really lovely family and it's going to be great day - a big grand royal wedding,''
Swinley Forest Fire
In May, 350 firefighters from across the South East help crews in Berkshire tackle huge fires that swept across Swinley Forest, near Ascot.
Several nearby schools were forced to close and water was pumped from the nearby military training academy in Sandhurst.
Photo credit to Forestry Commission.
More than 60,000 tress will be replanted in the forest in February 2012.
Roads in Buckinghamhshire get a facelift
In May, transport managers at Buckinghamshire County Council announced a £25million makeover for roads in the county over the next 2 years.
As of December, they has resurfaced the same amount of roads as 100 Wembley football pitches.
Peter Andre
Peter Andre paid us a visit in June, when he was helping to promote Thame's carnival, which had been declining for the past few years.
Pete was also lucky enough to meet Heart's drive time presenter Gareth James!
Rewind
In August, a world of 80s stars descended on Henley on Thames to 2011's Rewind Festival.
With Heart Breakfast's Michelle on stage introducing the likes of Hue and Cry, The Village People, Billy Ocean, Bananarama and Bucks Fizz on Saturday and Heart Drivetime's Gareth James on stage Sunday with the likes of Toyah, Go West, Candi Staton and The Human League, it was another amazing weekend.
Medical Research
In August, over £100 million in funding was awarded to a medical research partenership between Oxford University and the Oxford Radcliffe Hospital Trust over 5 years.
The money will be spent on looking into wide ranging subjects, including developing the better patient care.
Some of the funding was given to researching the use of smart phone apps for patients undergoing chemotherapy to monitor their own symptoms, to stop them having to go into hospital when they might not need to.
The nurses are also alerted if there is a problem.
At the moment the app is being trialed by patients in Oxfordshire, and so far developers have received positive feedback from both patients and medical staff.
Repatriations
In September, the repatriation ceremonies of fallen soldiers moved back to RAF Brize Norton in Oxfordshire, after taking place at RAF Lyneham in Wiltshire for four years.
A sunset ceremony marked the handing over of repatriations through Wootton Bassett, when the Union Jack on the high street was taken down. The next morning the flag was raised to the sound of a lone bugle in a newly-built memorial garden on the outskirts of Carterton.
