The Oxford Union
Formation	1823
Type	Student debating union
Headquarters	Oxford
Location	Frewin Court, Oxford, OX1 3JB
President	Isabel Ernst, St Catherines College
Affiliations	World Universities Debating Council
Website	http://www.oxford-union.org

The Oxford Union Society, commonly referred to simply as the Oxford Union, is a debating society in the city of Oxford, Britain, whose membership is drawn primarily but not exclusively from the University of Oxford. Founded in 1823, it is Britain's second oldest University Union (only the Cambridge Union Society is older), and has gained a worldwide reputation for the cut and thrust of its debate, proving a valuable training ground for many future politicians from Britain and other countries.

Status and membership[link]

The Oxford Union is an unincorporated association, holding its property in trust in favour of its objectives and members, and governed by its rules (which form a multi-partite contract between the members).

Since its foundation, it has been independent of the University: historically, this was because the Victorian University restricted junior members from discussing certain issues (for example, theology). Despite such restrictions since being lifted, it has remained entirely separate from the University, and is constitutionally bound to remain so.

Only members of Oxford University are eligible to become life members of the Union, but students at certain other educational institutions are entitled to join for the duration of their time in Oxford. These institutions are:^[1]

• Oxford Brookes University
• Oxford Centre for Islamic Studies
• Oxford Centre for Postgraduate Hebrew Studies
• Ripon College, Cuddesdon
• Ruskin College
• St Stephen’s House

Shorter membership is also extended to those participating in some visiting study programmes in Oxford.

The Union buildings are owned by a separate charitable trust, the Oxford Literary and Debating Union Trust.

Union buildings[link]

The Oxford Union buildings are located in Frewin Court, off Cornmarket Street, and on St Michael's Street. The original Union buildings were designed by Alfred Waterhouse and opened in 1879. This was about a decade after the completion of the Cambridge Union's premises, also designed by Waterhouse, and the exterior of the two buildings was very similar.

The Main Building

A debating chamber was subsequently added, but the Union's growing membership meant that it became too small, and is now the "Old Library". The Old Library is best known for its Pre-Raphaelite paintings by Dante Gabriel Rossetti, Edward Burne-Jones and William Morris, known as the Oxford Union murals. The current debating chamber, and several further extensions to the main buildings were added over the next forty years. The final extension was designed in a conventional Gothic Revival style by Walter Mills and Thorpe and built in 1910-11.^[2] It provides a dining room and a second library, together with basement library stacks.

Many of the rooms in the Union are named after figures from the Union's past, such as the Goodman Library, with its oriel windows, and the wood-panelled MacMillan Room with barrel ceiling. The buildings have gradually been added to with paintings and statues of past presidents and prominent members.

The Debate Chamber

The Gladstone Room also contains William Ewart Gladstone's original cabinet table, semi-circular in design so that he could look all his ministers in the eye as he held forth.

In the debating chamber there are busts of such notables as Roy Jenkins, Edward Heath, Michael Heseltine, George Curzon, 1st Marquess Curzon of Kedleston and William Ewart Gladstone. There is also a grand piano in the debating chambers known as the "Bartlet-Jones Piano" after the Oxford University Music Society president who found it dusty and forgotten in a cupboard in the Holywell Music Room and placed it on permanent loan to the Union. The piano was unveiled by Vladimir Ashkenazy, who famously refused to play it in front of the packed chamber because he "had not warmed up". The despatch boxes which continue to be used in Union debates are modelled on those in the House of Commons, and were offered to the House during World War II.

The buildings were used as a location for the films Oxford Blues (1984) and The Madness of King George (1994).

Leadership[link]

Officers of the Union, Trinity Term 2012

• President: Izzy Ernst, St Catherine's College
• Librarian: Dean Palmer, Jesus College
• Treasurer: Maria Rioumine, Christ Church
• Secretary: Jocelyn Poon, University College
• President-Elect: John Lee, Hertford College
• Librarian-Elect: Rajiv Dattani, St. Anne's College
• Treasurer-Elect: Joseph D'Urso, New College

Debating[link]

Debating at the Oxford Union takes two forms — competitive debating and chamber debating.

Competitive debating is the preserve of a minority of members of the Union. The Union's best debaters compete internationally against other top debating societies, and the Oxford Union regularly fields one of the most successful teams at the World Universities Debating Championship (which the Union hosted in 1993) and the European Universities Debating Championship. The Union also runs the prestigious Oxford Schools' Debating Competition and Oxford Intervarsity Debating Competition competitions, which respectively attract schools and universities from around the world, as well as running a number of internal debating competitions. The Oxford Union is currently only the reigning European and British & Irish Champion in University Debating, having lost the World debating title in the final against Sydney University Debating team at the recent World University Debating Championships in Turkey.

Chamber debating, including the debates (known as Public Business Meetings) with invited guest speakers for which the Union is best known, tends to be less formalised (even if more formal) than competitive debates, and the manner of delivery is closer to public speaking, with audience engagement far more important.

Public Business Meeting debates also have voting. At the end of the debate, the audience votes on the proposition by exiting the hall through a door, the right-hand side of which is marked 'ayes' and the left-hand side 'noes'. This follows the style of the British Parliament, which votes this way if it is necessary to "divide the House".

The Oxford Union has been described as the "world's most prestigious debating society".^[3]

The Union and the Student Union[link]

The Oxford Union is often confused with the Oxford University Student Union (OUSU). OUSU is the officially recognised student representative body of the University of Oxford. The Oxford Union, despite being composed largely of students, is not a part of the University.

OLDUT and OUS[link]

It is not generally recognised (either by the outside world, or the Union's members) that the Oxford Union Society does not own its buildings. The Oxford Union was never financially secure, and its position was not helped by its termly changes of junior (i.e. student) officers. There was also a significant level of historic debt, associated with the erection of its buildings.

Following a particularly bad period in the 1970s, the Union buildings were sold to a charitable trust ("OLDUT", the Oxford Literary and Debating Union Trust), and the Oxford Union Society was granted a licence to occupy the building.

Several parts of what were historically the Union buildings and grounds were subsequently either sold or made the subject of long leases, including an area of land around the rear of the debating chamber, part of the Union cellars (adjoining that now occupied by the Purple Turtle), and part of what was formerly the Steward's house (now occupied by the Landmark Trust). OLDUT has subsequently paid for the refurbishment and maintenance of the Union buildings, both from its own resources and by securing private donations and grant funding.

As a result of OLDUT's creation, the future of the physical Union is now secured, so that even if the Oxford Union Society were to cease to be, or to fail financially, the buildings would not be lost. In addition, OLDUT provides some financial support for the running of the Union in those areas where the Union undertakes activities which match OLDUT's charitable objectives - particularly the operation of the Union's library.

Despite the importance of OLDUT in preserving the fabric of the Union, the relationship between OLDUT and OUS has at times been strained. OLDUT is first and foremost a charitable trust, and it has objectives which do not always match those of what is primarily a student society.

Notable speakers[link]

The Oxford Union has a long history of hosting international figures and celebrities.^[4] Previous guests have included the Dalai Lama, Winston Churchill, Mother Teresa, former US Presidents Richard Nixon, Jimmy Carter and Ronald Reagan, US diplomat Henry Kissinger, former US Presidential nominee Senator John McCain, former Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf, former New Zealand Prime Minister David Lange, Russian politician and former finance minister Grigory Yavlinsky, notable barrister and prime-ministerial spouse Cherie Booth QC, Sinn Féin leader Gerry Adams, physicist Stephen Hawking, biologist Richard Dawkins debating creationist A. E. Wilder-Smith, savant Kim Peek, comedian and writer Stephen Fry, former US Attorney General and Senator Robert Kennedy, actors Johnny Depp, Pierce Brosnan, Clint Eastwood, Ewan McGregor, Martin Sheen, Malcolm X, O.J. Simpson, footballer Diego Maradona, rock star Jon Bon Jovi, pop star legend Michael Jackson, composer Burt Bacharach, televangelist Jerry Falwell, magician David Blaine, TV talk show host Jerry Springer, singer Barry White, puppet Kermit the Frog, actress Judi Dench, singer Gerard Way, fashion journalist Anna Wintour, international model Katia Elizarova, scientist Albert Einstein, musical humourist and conductor Gerard Hoffnung, porn star Ron Jeremy, pop star Shakira, UFC president Dana White, and the Islamic preacher Zakir Naik.

Free speech[link]

The Oxford Union has long associated itself with freedom of speech, most famously by debating and passing the motion "This House would under no circumstances fight for its King and country" in 1933.

What is generally forgotten (but arguably more significant as an example of the Union's commitment to freedom of speech) is that an attempt was made by several prominent Union members (including Randolph Churchill) to expunge this motion and the result of the debate from the Union's minute book. This attempt was roundly defeated — in a meeting far better attended than the original debate. Sir Edward Heath records in his memoirs that Randolph Churchill was then chased around Oxford by undergraduates who intended to debag him (i.e. humiliate him by removing his trousers), and was then fined by the police for being illegally parked.

More recently, controversial debates at the Union have included "This House Would Abolish the Welfare State" in 2011. The motion fell, but the debate was particularly well-attended on account of the high-profile speaker line-up and current government spending cuts.

Speakers denied a platform[link]

Harold Macmillan called the Oxford Union "the last bastion of free speech in the Western world", a quotation which continues to feature prominently in the Union's publicity. However, the Union's commitment to free speech has not enabled it to resist pressure to deny platforms to controversial speakers.

John Tyndall[link]

A debate that was to have involved the far-right leader John Tyndall was met with a campaign of resistance in 1998. This opposition, coupled with police advice following a series of racially motivated nail-bombings in London, resulted in the cancellation of the debate.^[5]

David Irving[link]

An invitation to the controversial historian and writer David Irving to speak in a debate on censorship in 2001 was met by a coordinated campaign by left-wing, Jewish, and anti-fascist groups, together with the elected leadership of the Oxford University Student Union, to have the invitation withdrawn. Despite the fact that there was no mechanism in the Union's constitution by which members could compel the President — who is responsible for organising debates — to either cancel a debate or withdraw an invitation to a particular speaker, attempts were made to pass a Union motion ordering her to do so. Following a particularly bitter meeting of Union members, and a subsequent meeting of the Union's governing body, the Standing Committee, the President decided the debate would have to be cancelled.^[6] However, Irving was allowed to speak at a Union debate in 2007.^[7]

Philip Nitschke[link]

In March, 2009, the Union withdrew an invitation to euthanasia campaigner Philip Nitschke after Nitschke had already accepted the invitation. Nitschke received a second email cancelling the invitation in the interests of there being a "fair debate", and was told other speakers were unwilling to speak alongside him.^[8] The debate topic was the legalisation of assisted suicide, a field in which Nitschke is prominent. The reason given by Oxford Union president Corey Dixon was that two other speakers "disagree with his particular take on [assisted suicide]".^[9] According to Dixon, the speakers who successfully pressured the Union to withdraw Nitschke's invitation were a member of the public, whose brother had undergone assisted death, and British euthanasia campaigner Michael Irwin.^[9][10] However, Irwin later denied that he had applied pressure to exclude Nitschke.^[11]

The Oxford Union then released a statement explaining the decision: "An administrative decision was made to ensure we had three speakers on each side of the debate, which was proving difficult due to Nitschke's attendance. It is always in the interests of the Oxford Union to ensure a balanced debate with as wide-ranging views as possible represented. There may have been miscommunication between the Oxford Union and Nitschke. We certainly hope that no offence has been caused. The Oxford Union is a politically-neutral institution and holds no opinion on Nitschke's views."^[8]

Nitschke commented, "This famous society has a long tradition of championing free speech. To suggest that my views on end-of-life issues are inappropriate simply because I believe that all rational elderly adults should have access to the best end-of-life information beggars belief."^[9] He also called the act "an almost unprecedented act of censorship".^[12] Nitschke gave a series of lectures across the UK at the time the debate was held.^[13]

Irving/Griffin controversy[link]

In November 2007, President Luke Tryl sparked controversy by inviting Holocaust denier David Irving and British National Party leader Nick Griffin to speak at a Union forum on the topic of free speech. Following protests by several student groups, a poll of the Union's members was taken and resulted in a two-to-one majority in favour of the invitations.^[14]

On the evening of the planned debate several hundred protesters gathered outside the Union buildings, chanting anti-fascist slogans and later preventing guests and Union members from entering the premises. Eventually succeeding in breaching the poorly-maintained security cordon, around 20 of the campaigners attempted to force their way through to the main chamber, whereupon some of the waiting audience blocked access by pushing back against the chamber doors. After students were convinced to yield to the protestors by Union staff, a sit-in protest was staged in the debating chamber, which prevented a full debate from occurring due to security concerns. A small number of the audience attempted to reason with the demonstrators. Because of a lack of security personnel, a number of students from the audience eventually came to take on the responsibilities of controlling events, in one instance preventing a scuffle from breaking out between a protestor and members of the audience, and eventually assisting police in herding protestors from the main hall. One student protestor interviewed by BBC News reported that fellow protestors played 'jingles' on the piano and danced on the President's chair [1] although the truth of the latter assertion is seriously questioned by eyewitnesses. Smaller debates were eventually held with Irving and Griffin in separate rooms, amid criticism that the police and Union officials had not foreseen the degree of unrest which the controversial invitations would arouse.^[15] The President of Oxford University Student Union, Martin McCluskey, strongly criticised the decision to proceed with the debate, claiming that providing Irving and Griffin with a platform for their extreme views afforded them undue legitimacy.^[16] Some students following the event criticised the Student Union for preventing Oxford Union members (as students themselves) from exercising the right to free assembly, and accused the Oxford University Student Union of hypocrisy in seemingly restricting the rights of free speech to those individuals whose views chimed with those of the Student Union leadership (although the decision to oppose the invite had been agreed by representatives of the Student Population at a Council meeting).^[17]

Governance[link]

The Oxford Union is run by the Standing Committee which is elected termly and is constituted by the Junior Officers (the current President, President-Elect, Junior Librarian, Junior Treasurer, Librarian-Elect, Treasurer-Elect, and the Secretary), five elected members and recent Junior Officers (who have chosen to serve). The Chairman of the Consultative Committee is a member of Standing Committee without vote, and the Returning Officer (responsible for the conduct of the Union's elections and for advising on the interpretation of the Union's rules), the Bursar, and the Chairman of the Debates Selection Committee are non-members with speaking rights. The Union also has two Senior Officers, the Senior Librarian and Senior Treasurer (generally Oxford academics but must be members of the Union) who advise the Standing Committee.

The Junior Officers each have specific areas of responsibility, such as debates (President), "speaker meetings" (President and Librarian), sponsorship and funding (Treasurer), and social events (Secretary). The Junior Officers-Elect spend a term preparing their area, before assuming their office.

A number of other committee run or advise the running of various aspects of the Union, including the Wines and Spirits Committee (the Union's bar), the Cellar Management Committee (responsible for liaison with the management of the Purple Turtle), the Library Committee (responsible principally for library acquisitions and disposals), the Finance Committee (which advises the Standing Committee on financial matters), and the Debates Selection Committee (which runs competitive debating). Two further committees, the Secretary's Committee and the Consultative Committee, are not, despite their names, committees in the traditional sense.

The Secretary's Committee consists of eleven members, elected on a termly basis in the same ballot as that for the Officer and Standing Committee, who assist at the Union's social functions, and is generally the first stage for any aspiring Union politician. Although considered a committee under the rules, it only ever meets informally, and is more akin to a group of people with a particular role, rather than a committee.

The Consultative Committee holds weekly public meetings during term time, at which members can informally question the junior officers and members of the elected committees on the performance of their duties. All members of the Union are considered members of the Consultative Committee, so meetings tend to be more like an open forum.

The Chairman of the Consultative Committee (who is elected termly, but not during the Union's main elections) is a member of Standing Committee with speaking privileges but without voting rights, responsible for the Union's publicity, website and archives; setting up the Union's rooms for events; chairing Consultative Committee, directing members of the Secretary's Committee, and bringing up any matters of concern at Standing Committee. The Chairman of the Consultative Committee is in this capacity the President's Executive Officer, carrying out much of the daily business of the society.

The Returning Officer is elected from a body of Deputy Returning Officers whose members have been approved by a scrutiny committee. He is responsible for running the Society's elections and is empowered (along with the President) to interpret the Society's constitution. It remains hotly disputed whether the Returning Officer wields disproportionate influence without an electoral mandate, or maintains an essential check and balance to the powers of the President.^{[citation needed]}

The day to day management of the Union is partly conducted by professional staff, principally the Bursar and the House Manager.

Past officers[link]

Notable past Presidents of the Oxford Union include:

• Tariq Ali
• Herbert Henry Asquith
• Lalith Athulathmudali
• Ruzwana Bashir
• Hilaire Belloc
• Tony Benn
• Benazir Bhutto
• Gyles Brandreth
• John Buchan
• Robin Day
• Michael Foot
• William Ewart Gladstone
• William Hague
• Michael Heseltine
• Edward Heath
• Christopher Hollis
• Anthony Howard
• Boris Johnson
• Lakshman Kadirgamar
• Cosmo Gordon Lang, Archbishop of Canterbury
• David Lewis^[18]
• Henry Edward Manning
• John Playfair Price
• Julian Priestley
• Montek Singh Ahluwalia
• Andrew Sullivan
• Jeremy Thorpe

Other Officers of the Union who have achieved political success include Ann Widdecombe, Edwina Currie, and Roy Jenkins. Harold Macmillan was Librarian of the Union before the First World War ended his university career in August 1914.

Elections[link]

The Union holds elections in the penultimate (7th) week of each University term, in order to allow members of the society to choose officers and committee members for the following term. The elections are held to fill the offices of President-elect, Librarian-elect, Treasurer-elect and Secretary, as well as five elected positions on the Standing Committee and 11 positions on the Secretary's Committee. In order to stand for election to the Secretary's Committee, members must make two speeches on different nights. For the other offices, this is increased to four. The election for the Chairman of the Consultative Committee is held at CC on Monday of 8th week. Only members who have attended four of the last eight meetings may either stand for election as Chairman or vote.

Notes[link]

References[link]

• BBC News (1999) BBC.co.uk, Racism debate scrapped after bombings, 27 April 1999, Accessed 4 June 2006 - Cancellation of the debate involving John Tyndall
• BBC News (2001a) BBC.co.uk,Oxford's star chamber, 5 May 2001, Accessed 4 June 2006] - Oxford Union history
• BBC News (2001b) BBC.co.uk, Oxford drops Hitler historian debate, 9 May 2001, Accessed 4 June 2006 - Cancellation of the debate involving David Irving
• Frei, Matt (2007) BBC.co.uk, Washington diary: Land of ideas, 2 May 2007, Accessed 4 June 2006
• Graham, Fiona (2005) Playing at Politics: an ethnology of the Oxford Union, Edinburgh: Dunedin Academic Press, ISBN 1-903765-52-8
• Leonard, Bill (2004) The Oxford of Inspector Morse : films locations history, Oxford: Location Guides, ISBN 0-9547671-0-1
• Oxford Union (2006a) Oxfordiv.org , The Oxford Union Intervarsity 2007, Accessed 4 June 2006
• Oxford Union (2006b) Oxfordschools.org.uk, The Oxford Union Schools' Debating Competition 2006/07, Accessed 4 June 2006
• Smith, Cameron (1989) Unfinished Journey: the Lewis family, Toronto : Summerhill Press, ISBN 0-929091-04-3
• Walter, David (1984) The Oxford Union: playground of power, London : Macdonald, ISBN 0-356-09502-9

External links[link]

• Official Web Site: Oxford Union

Coordinates: 51°45′11″N 1°15′35″W / 51.75306°N 1.25972°W / 51.75306; -1.25972

Oxford
—  City  —
Oxford skyline viewed from Boars Hill
Coat of arms of Oxford City Council
Nickname(s): "the City of Dreaming Spires"
Motto: "Fortis est veritas" "Truth is strength"
Shown within Oxfordshire
Coordinates: 51°45′7″N 1°15′28″W / 51.75194°N 1.25778°W / 51.75194; -1.25778
Sovereign state	United Kingdom
Constituent country	England
Region	South East England
Ceremonial county	Oxfordshire
Admin HQ	Oxford City Centre
Founded	8th century
Town charter
City status	1542
Government
• Type	City
• Governing body	Oxford City Council
• Lord Mayor – Deputy Lord Mayor	Cllr Elise Benjamin (2010–2011) (Green Party)
• Sheriff of Oxford	Jean Fooks (LD)
• Executive – Council Leader	Labour Cllr Bob Price
• MPs	Nicola Blackwood (C) Andrew Smith (L)
Area
• Total	17.60 sq mi (45.59 km2)
Population (2010 est.)
• Total	153,700 (ranked 121st of 326)
• Density	8,500/sq mi (3,270/km2)
• Ethnicity (2005 estimates)	73.0% White British 9.1% Other White 5.7% South Asian 3.0% Black 2.9% Chinese 2.7% Mixed Race 1.9% Other 1.8% White Irish
Demonym	Oxonian
Time zone	GMT (UTC0)
• Summer (DST)	BST (UTC+1)
Postcode	OX
Area code(s)	01865
ISO 3166-2	GB-OXF
ONS code	38UC
OS grid reference	SP513061
NUTS 3
Website	www.oxford.gov.uk

Oxford ⁱ/ˈɒksfəd/^[1] is a city in central southern England, the home of the University of Oxford. The city is the county town of Oxfordshire, and forms a district within the county. It has a population of just under 165,000, of whom 153,900 live within the district boundary. It lies about 50 miles (80 km) north-west of London. The rivers Cherwell and Thames (also sometimes known as the Isis locally) run through Oxford and meet south of the city centre.

Oxford has a diverse economic base. Its industries include motor manufacturing, education, publishing and a large number of information technology and science-based businesses.

Buildings in Oxford demonstrate an example of every English architectural period since the arrival of the Saxons, including the iconic, mid-18th century Radcliffe Camera. Oxford is known as the "city of dreaming spires", a term coined by poet Matthew Arnold in reference to the harmonious architecture of Oxford's university buildings. The University of Oxford is the oldest university in the English-speaking world.^[2]

History[link]

The Radcliffe Camera

Oxford was first settled in Saxon times, and was initially known as "Oxenaforda", meaning "Ford of the Oxen"; fords were more common than bridges at that time.^[3] It began with the foundation of an oxen crossing in the early 900 AD period. In the 10th century Oxford became an important military frontier town between the kingdoms of Mercia and Wessex and was on several occasions raided by Danes.

Oxford was heavily damaged during the Norman Invasion of 1066. Following the conquest, the town was assigned a governor, Robert D'Oyly, who ordered the construction of Oxford Castle to confirm Norman authority over the area. The castle has never been used for military purposes and its remains survive to this day. D'Oyly set up a monastic community in the castle consisting of a chapel and living quarters for monks (St George in the Castle). The community never grew large but it earned its place in history as one of the oldest places of formal education in Oxford. It is there that in 1139 Geoffrey of Monmouth wrote his History of the Kings of Britain, a compilation of Arthurian legends.^[4]

In 1191, a city charter stated in Latin,^[5]

"Be it known to all those present and future that we, the citizens of Oxford of the Commune of the City and of the Merchant Guild have given, and by this, our present charter, confirm the donation of the island of Midney with all those things pertaining to it, to the Church of St. Mary at Oseney and to the canons serving God in that place.

"Since, every year, at Michaelmas the said canons render half a mark of silver for their tenure at the time when we have ordered it as witnesses the legal deed of our ancestors which they made concerning the gift of this same island; and besides, because we have undertaken on our own part and on behalf of our heirs to guarantee the aforesaid island to the same canons wheresoever and against all men; they themselves, by this guarantee, will pay to us and our heirs each year at Easter another half mark which we have demanded; and we and our heirs faithfully will guarantee the aforesaid tenement to them for the service of the aforesaid mark annually for all matters and all services.

"We have made this concession and confirmation in the Common council of the City and we have confirmed it with our common seal. These are those who have made this concession and confirmation."

(There follows a list of witnesses, ending with the phrase, "... and all the Commune of the City of Oxford.")

Oxford's prestige was enhanced by its charter granted by King Henry II, granting its citizens the same privileges and exemptions as those enjoyed by the capital of the kingdom; and various important religious houses were founded in or near the city. A grandson of King John established Rewley Abbey for the Cistercian Order; and friars of various orders (Dominicans, Franciscans, Carmelites, Augustinians, and Trinitarians), all had houses at Oxford of varying importance. Parliaments were often held in the city during the 13th century. The Provisions of Oxford were instigated by a group of barons led by Simon de Montfort; these documents are often regarded as England's first written constitution.

The University of Oxford is first mentioned in 12th century records. As the University took shape, friction between the hundreds of students living where and how they pleased led to a decree that all undergraduates would have to reside in approved halls^{[citation needed]}. Of the hundreds of Aularian houses that sprang up across the city, only St Edmund Hall (c 1225) remains. What put an end to the halls was the emergence of colleges. Oxford's earliest colleges were University College (1249), Balliol (1263) and Merton (1264). These colleges were established at a time when Europeans were starting to translate the writings of Greek philosophers. These writings challenged European ideology – inspiring scientific discoveries and advancements in the arts – as society began to see itself in a new way. These colleges at Oxford were supported by the Church in the hope of reconciling Greek Philosophy and Christian Theology. The relationship between "town and gown" has often been uneasy – as many as 93 students and townspeople were killed in the St Scholastica Day Riot of 1355.

The sweating sickness epidemic in 1517 was particularly devastating to Oxford and Cambridge where it killed half of both cities' populations, including many students and dons.^[6]

Christ Church Cathedral, Oxford is unique in combining a college chapel and a cathedral in one foundation. Originally the Priory Church of St Frideswide, the building was extended and incorporated into the structure of the Cardinal's College shortly before its refounding as Christ Church in 1546, since when it has functioned as the cathedral of the Diocese of Oxford.

The Oxford Martyrs were tried for heresy in 1555 and subsequently burnt at the stake, on what is now Broad Street, for their religious beliefs and teachings. The three martyrs were the bishops Hugh Latimer and Nicholas Ridley, and the Archbishop Thomas Cranmer^{[citation needed]}. The Martyrs' Memorial stands nearby, round the corner to the North on St. Giles.

During the English Civil War, Oxford housed the court of Charles I in 1642, after the king was expelled from London, although there was strong support in the town for the Parliamentarian cause. The town yielded to Parliamentarian forces under General Fairfax in the Siege of Oxford of 1646. It later housed the court of Charles II during the Great Plague of London in 1665–66. Although reluctant to do so, he was forced to evacuate when the plague got too close. The city suffered two serious fires in 1644 and 1671.^[7]

In 1790, the Oxford Canal connected the city with Coventry. The Duke's Cut was completed by the Duke of Marlborough in 1789 to link the new canal with the River Thames; and in 1796 the Oxford Canal company built its own link to the Thames, at Isis Lock. In 1844, the Great Western Railway linked Oxford with London via Didcot and Reading,^[8][9] and other rail routes soon followed.

In the 19th century, the controversy surrounding the Oxford Movement in the Anglican Church drew attention to the city as a focus of theological thought.

Photochrom of the High Street, 1890–1900

Oxford Town Hall was built by Henry T. Hare; the foundation stone was laid on 6 July 1893 and opened by the future King Edward VII on 12 May 1897. The site has been the seat of local government since the Guild Hall of 1292 and though Oxford is a city and a Lord Mayoralty, the building is still called by its traditional name of "Town Hall".

By the early 20th century, Oxford was experiencing rapid industrial and population growth, with the printing and publishing industries becoming well established by the 1920s. Also during that decade, the economy and society of Oxford underwent a huge transformation as William Morris established Morris Motors Limited to mass produce cars in Cowley, on the south-eastern edge of the city. By the early 1970s over 20,000 people worked in Cowley at the huge Morris Motors and Pressed Steel Fisher plants. By this time Oxford was a city of two halves: the university city to the west of Magdalen Bridge and the car town to the east. This led to the witticism that "Oxford is the left bank of Cowley". Cowley suffered major job losses in the 1980s and 1990s during the decline of British Leyland, but is now producing the successful Mini for BMW on a smaller site. A large area of the original car manufacturing facility at Cowley was demolished in the 1990s and is now the site of the Oxford Business Park.^[10]

The influx of migrant labour to the car plants and hospitals, recent immigration from south Asia, and a large student population, have given Oxford a notable cosmopolitan character, especially in the Headington and Cowley Road areas with their many bars, cafes, restaurants, clubs, ethnic shops and fast food outlets. Oxford is one of the most diverse small cities in Britain with the most recent population estimates for 2005.^[11] showing that 27% of the population were from ethnic minority groups, including 16.2% from non-white ethnic minority ethnic groups (ONS). These figures do not take into account more recent international migration into the city, with over 10,000 people from overseas registering for National Insurance Numbers in Oxford in 2005/06 and 2006/07.^[12]

On 6 May 1954, Roger Bannister, a 25 year old medical student, ran the first authenticated four-minute mile at the Iffley Road running track in Oxford. Although he had previously studied at Oxford University, Bannister was studying at St Mary's Hospital Medical School in London at the time.

Oxford's second university, Oxford Brookes University, formerly the Oxford School of Art, then Oxford Polytechnic, based at Headington Hill, was given its charter in 1991 and has been voted for the last ten years the best new university in the UK.^{[citation needed]} It was named to honour the school's founding principal, John Henry Brookes.

Geography[link]

Oxford's latitude and longitude are 51°45′07″N 1°15′28″W / 51.75194°N 1.25778°W / 51.75194; -1.25778Coordinates: 51°45′07″N 1°15′28″W / 51.75194°N 1.25778°W / 51.75194; -1.25778 or grid reference SP513061 (at Carfax Tower, which is usually considered the centre).

Location[link]

Destinations from Oxford

	Worcester	Banbury	Bicester, Milton Keynes
	Cheltenham		High Wycombe, Aylesbury
		Oxford    East
	Wantage, Swindon	Didcot, Newbury, Reading	Slough, Windsor

Climate[link]

Oxford has a maritime temperate climate ("Cfb" by the Köppen system). Precipitation is uniformly distributed throughout the year and is provided mostly by weather systems that arrive from the Atlantic. The lowest temperature ever recorded in Oxford was −16.6 °C (2.1 °F) in January 1982. The highest temperature ever recorded in Oxford is 35.6 °C (96 °F) in August 2003 during the 2003 European heat wave.

The average conditions below are from the Radcliffe Meteorological Station. It boasts the longest series of temperature and rainfall records for one site in Britain. These records are continuous from January, 1815. Irregular observations of rainfall, cloud and temperature exist from 1767.^[13]

Economy[link]

Oxford has a diverse economy, which includes manufacturing, publishing and science-based industries as well as education, research and tourism.^[15]

Carmaking[link]

Oxford has been an important centre of motor manufacturing since Morris Motors was established in the city in 1910. The principal production site for Mini cars, now owned by BMW, is in the Oxford suburb of Cowley.

Publishing[link]

Oxford University Press, a department of the University of Oxford, is based in the city, although it no longer operates its own paper mill and printing house. The city is also home to the UK operations of Wiley-Blackwell, and several smaller publishing houses.

Science and technology[link]

The presence of the university has given rise to many science and technology based businesses, including Oxford Instruments, Research Machines and Sophos. The university established Isis Innovation in 1987 to promote technology transfer. The Oxford Science Park was established in 1990, and the Begbroke Science Park, owned by the university, lies north of the city.

Brewing[link]

There is a long history of brewing in Oxford. Several of the colleges had private breweries, one of which, at Brasenose, survived until 1889. In the 16th century brewing and malting appear to have been the most popular trades in the city. There were breweries in Brewers Street and Paradise Street, near the Castle Mill Stream.

The development of Oxford's railway links after the 1840s and the rapid expansion of Oxford supported expansion of the brewing trade in Oxford.^[16] As well as expanding the market for Oxford's brewers, railways enabled brewers further from the city to compete for a share of its market.^[16] By 1874 there were nine breweries in Oxford and 13 brewers' agents in Oxford shipping beer in from elsewhere.^[16] The nine breweries were: Flowers & Co in Cowley Road, Hall's St Giles Brewery, Hall's Swan Brewery (see below), Hanley's City Brewery in Queen Street, Le Mills's Brewery in St. Ebbes, Morrell's Lion Brewery in St Thomas Street (see below), Simonds's Brewery in Queen Street, Weaving's Eagle Brewery (by 1869 the Eagle Steam Brewery) in Park End Street and Wootten and Cole's St. Clement's Brewery.^[16]

The Swan's Nest Brewery, later the Swan Brewery, was established by the early 18th century in Paradise Street, and in 1795 was acquired by William Hall.^[17] The brewery became known as Hall's Oxford Brewery, which acquired other local breweries. Hall's Brewery was acquired by Samuel Allsopp & Sons in 1926, after which it ceased brewing in Oxford.^[18]

Morrell's, the Oxford based regional brewery was founded in 1743 by Richard Tawney. He formed a partnership in 1782 with Mark and James Morrell, who eventually became the owners.^[19] After an acrimonious family dispute this much-loved brewery was closed in 1998,^[20] the beer brand names being taken over by the Thomas Hardy Burtonwood brewery,^[21] while the 132 tied pubs were bought by Michael Cannon, owner of the American hamburger chain Fuddruckers, through a new company, Morrells of Oxford.^[22] The new owners sold most of the pubs on to Greene King in 2002.^[23] The Lion Brewery was converted into luxury apartments in 2002.^[24]

Bellfounding[link]

The Taylor family of Loughborough had a bell-foundry in Oxford between 1786 and 1854.^[25]

Shopping[link]

• Broad Street
• Clarendon Shopping Centre
• Cornmarket Street
• George Street
• Golden Cross
• The High Street
• Little Clarendon Street
• Queen Street, Oxford
• The Covered Market
• Turl Street
• Westgate Shopping Centre
• Oxford Castle
• Gloucester Green

Outside the City Centre:

• Banbury Road, Summertown, Oxford
• Botley Road, Oxford
• Cowley Retail Park, Cowley, Oxford
• Cowley Road, Oxford
• Iffley Road, Oxford
• London Road, Headington, Oxford
• North Parade, Oxford
• St Clement's, Oxford
• Templars Square shopping centre, Cowley, Oxford
• Walton Street, Jericho, Oxford
• New Botley

Theatres and cinemas[link]

• Burton Taylor Theatre, Gloucester Street
• New Theatre, George Street
• Odeon Cinema, George Street
• Odeon Cinema, Magdalen Street
• Old Fire Station Theatre, George Street
• Oxford Playhouse, Beaumont Street
• Pegasus Theatre, Magdalen Road
• O'Reilly Theatre, Blackhall Road
• Phoenix Picturehouse, Walton Street
• Ultimate Picture Palace, Cowley Road
• Vue Cinema, Grenoble Road

Landmarks[link]

The spires of Oxford facing Christ Church to the south (Christ Church Cathedral on the left and Tom Tower on the right)

Oxford has numerous major tourist attractions, many belonging to the university and colleges. As well as several famous institutions, the town centre is home to Carfax Tower and the University Church of St Mary the Virgin, both of which offer views over the spires of the city. Many tourists shop at the historic Covered Market. In the summer punting on the Thames/Isis and the Cherwell is popular.

The main quadrangle of University College

View from Carfax Tower

Oxford University Museum of Natural History

The Malmaison Hotel in Oxford Castle

The University of Oxford[link]

The University of Oxford is the oldest university in the English speaking world^[26] and one of the most famous and prestigious higher education institutions of the world, averaging five applications to every available place, and attracting 40% of its academic staff and 15% of undergraduates from overseas.^[27] It is currently ranked as fifth-best university in the world, according to QS World Rankings,^[28] behind its main UK rival, Cambridge, in first place.

Oxford is renowned for its tutorial-based method of teaching, with students attending an average of one one-hour tutorial a week.^[27]

Aerial view of Oxford city centre.

The city centre[link]

As well as being a major draw for tourists (9.1 million in 2008, similar in 2009),^[29] Oxford city centre has many shops, several theatres, and an ice rink. The historic buildings make this location a popular target for film and TV crews.

The city centre is relatively small, and is centred on Carfax, a cross-roads which forms the junction of Cornmarket Street (pedestrianised), Queen Street (semi-pedestrianised), St Aldate's and The High. Cornmarket Street and Queen Street are home to Oxford's various chain stores, as well as a small number of independent retailers, one of the longest established of which is Boswells, which was founded in 1738.^[30] St Aldate's has few shops but has several local government buildings, including the Town Hall, the city police station and local council offices. The High (the word street is traditionally omitted) is the longest of the four streets and has a number of independent and high-end chain stores, but mostly University and College buildings.

There are two small shopping centres in the city centre: The Clarendon Centre^[31] and The Westgate Centre.^[32] The Westgate Centre is named for the original West Gate in the city wall, and is located at the west end of Queen Street. It is quite small and contains a number of chain stores and a supermarket. The Westgate Shopping Centre is to undergo a large and controversial refurbishment; the plans involve tripling the size of the centre to 750,000 sq ft (70,000 m²), a new 1,335 space underground car park and 90 new shops and bars, including a 230,000 sq ft (21,000 m²) John Lewis department store. There is to be a new and improved transport system, a complete refurbishment of the existing centre and the surrounding Bonn Square area. The development plans include a number of new homes, and completion is expected in 2011, although this is being delayed due to the current financial climate.

Blackwell's Bookshop is a large bookshop which claims the largest single room devoted to book sales in the whole of Europe, the cavernous Norrington Room (10,000 sq ft).

Other attractions[link]

• Ashmolean Museum
• Bodleian Library
• Christ Church Cathedral, Oxford
• The Headington Shark
• Modern Art Oxford
• Museum of the History of Science
• Oxford Botanic Garden
• Pitt Rivers Museum
• Sheldonian Theatre
• St. Mary The Virgin Church

Parks and nature walks[link]

Oxford is a very green city, with several parks and nature walks within the ring road, as well as several sites just outside the ring road. In total, 28 Nature Reserves exist within or just outside of Oxford ring road, including:

• University Parks
• Mesopotamia
• Rock Edge Nature Reserve
• Lye Valley
• South Parks
• C. S. Lewis Nature Reserve
• Shotover Nature Reserve
• Port Meadow

Urban redevelopment[link]

The Westgate redevelopment is just part of a wider scheme proposed by the city council. This scheme includes a total redesign of the centre of Oxford to "pedestrianise" the city. The scheme, entitled Transform Oxford, is only a blueprint for public consultation at this stage, but county council officials are confident it will go ahead.

One of the key elements is the pedestrianisation of Queen Street, with bus stops removed next summer to make way for the eventual complete removal of buses from the street.

Pedestrianisation schemes in George Street and Magdalen Street should follow in the summer of 2010, with the removal of traffic from Broad Street the same year a possibility.

In 2011, highways engineers plan to remodel the Frideswide Square junctions near the railway station, removing traffic lights and introducing roundabouts to improve the traffic flow.

Transport[link]

Air[link]

A Stagecoach bus behind an Oxford Bus Company park-and-ride bus in Oxford.

In addition to the larger airports in the region, Oxford is served by nearby London Oxford Airport, in Kidlington. The airport is also home to Oxford Aviation Academy, an airline pilot flight training centre, and several private jet companies.

Buses[link]

The bus services are mainly provided by the Oxford Bus Company and Stagecoach Oxfordshire. Other operators include Thames Travel, Arriva Shires & Essex and several smaller companies.

Oxford has 5 park and ride sites with bus links to the city centre:

• Pear Tree (bus 300)
• Redbridge (bus 300)
• Seacourt (bus 400)
• Thornhill (bus 400)
• Water Eaton (bus 500)

There are also bus services to the John Radcliffe Hospital (from Thornhill/Water Eaton) and to the Churchill and Nuffield Hospitals (from Thornhill).

Hybrid buses, which use battery power with a small diesel generator, began to be used in Oxford on 15 July 2010, on Stagecoach Oxfordshire's Route 1 (Cowley, Blackbird Leys), followed by other routes.^[33]

Coach[link]

The Oxford to London coach route offers a frequent coach service to London. The X90 (formerly the Oxford Espress [sic]) is operated by the Oxford Bus Company. The Oxford Tube is operated by Stagecoach Oxfordshire. The Oxford Bus Company also runs the Airline services to Heathrow and Gatwick airports.

There is a bus station at Gloucester Green, used mainly by the London and airport buses, National Express coaches, and other long-distance buses including route X5 to Milton Keynes and Cambridge.

Rail[link]

Oxford railway station

In 1844, the Great Western Railway linked Oxford with London (Paddington) via Didcot and Reading;^[8][9] in 1851, the London and North Western Railway opened their own route from Oxford to London (Euston), via Bicester, Bletchley and Watford;^[34] and in 1864 a third route, also to Paddington, running via Thame, High Wycombe and Maidenhead, was provided;^[35] this was shortened in 1906 by the opening of a direct route between High Wycombe and London (Paddington) via Denham.^[36] The distance from Oxford to London was 78 miles (125.5 km) via Bletchley; 63.5 miles (102.2 km) via Didcot and Reading; 63.25 miles (101.8 km) via Thame and Maidenhead;^[37] and 55.75 miles (89.7 km) via Denham.^[36] Of these, only the original route via Didcot is still in use for its full length, although portions of each of the others remain.

There were also routes to the north and west. The line to Banbury was opened in 1850,^[38] and was extended to Birmingham in 1852;^[39] a route to Worcester opened in 1853.^[40] A branch to Witney was opened in 1862,^[41] which was extended to Fairford in 1873.^[42] The line to Witney and Fairford closed in 1962, but the others remain open.

Oxford has had three main railway stations. The first was opened at Grandpont in 1844,^[43] but this was a terminus, inconvenient for routes to the north;^[38] it was replaced by the present station on Park End Street in 1852 with the opening of the Birmingham route.^[39] Another terminus, at Rewley Road, was opened in 1851 to serve the Bletchley route;^[44] this station closed in 1951.^[45] There have also been a number of local railway stations, all of which are now closed.

Oxford railway station is half a mile (about 1 km) west of the city centre. The station is served by numerous routes, including CrossCountry services to as far away as Manchester and Edinburgh, First Great Western (who operate the station) services to London Paddington and other destinations such as Worcester and occasional Chiltern Railways services to Birmingham. The present station opened in 1852. Oxford is the junction for a short branch line to Bicester, which is being extended to form the East-West Rail Link to Milton Keynes, providing a passenger route avoiding London. The Varsity Line between Oxford and Cambridge is planned to link Bedford with a short gap to be reconstructed to Sandy then a rail link between the two cities will be restored via Hitchin.

River and canal[link]

Oxford was historically an important port on the River Thames, with this section of the river being called The Isis; the Oxford-Burcot Commission in the 17th century attempted to improve navigation to Oxford.^[46] Iffley Lock and Osney Lock lie within the bounds of the city. In the eighteenth century the Oxford Canal was built to connect Oxford with the Midlands.^[47]

Commercial traffic has given way to recreational use of the river and canal. Oxford was the original base of Salters Steamers and there is a regular service from Folly Bridge downstream to Abingdon and beyond.

• River Thames

A roads[link]

The city has a ring road that consists of the A34, the A40, A4142 and the A423. It is mostly dual carriageway and was completed in 1966.

The main roads that lead out of Oxford are:

• A34 – which leads to Bicester, the M40 north, Birmingham and Manchester to the north (although since the M40's completion it has disappeared north of Oxford and only re-emerged some 50 miles (80 km) northwards at Solihull), and Didcot, Newbury and Winchester to the south. Since the completion of the Newbury by-pass in 1998, the A34 has been entirely grade separated dual carriageway all the way from Bicester to Winchester.
• A40 – which leads to London and High Wycombe (as well as the M40 motorway south) to the east, and Cheltenham, Gloucester and south Wales to the west.
• A44 – which begins in Oxford and leads to Worcester, Hereford and Aberystwyth.
• A420 – which also begins in Oxford and leads to Bristol passing Swindon and Chippenham.

The M40 extension

Motorway[link]

The city is served by the M40 motorway, which connects London to Birmingham. The M40 approached Oxford in 1974 (the first section through Buckinghamshire opened in 1967) and went from London to Waterstock where the A40 continued to Oxford. When the M40 extension to Birmingham was completed in January 1991, a mile of the old motorway became a spur as the extension curved sharply north. The M40 comes no closer than 10 miles (16 km) away from the city centre, curving to the east of Otmoor. The M40 meets the A34 to the north of Oxford, the latter now being in two parts, the A34 restarting near Solihull, while the A41 (which previous passed through Banbury and Warwick) restarts in the same area.

Education[link]

Schools[link]

Oxford is home to wide range of schools many of which receive pupils from around the world. There are two University choral foundation schools, Christ Church Cathedral School and New College School, established to educate the boy choristers of the chapel choirs, and have kept the tradition of single sex education. Magdalen College School was also a school for choristers but later became a grammar school and then independent school. St Edward's is another leading independent HMC member school and is the one of the few fully co-educational public schools in the county. Other independent schools in Oxford include Oxford High School, Rye St Antony School and Headington School (all girls only), St. Clare's, Oxford (co-ed, international school), Greene's Tutorial College (post-GCSE) and two prep schools, Dragon School and Emmanuel Christian School.

Examination results in state-run Oxford schools are consistently below the national average and regional average. However, results in the city are improving with 44% of pupils gaining 5 grades A*-C in 2006.^[48] The city and its suburbs are served by two academies, three state schools and a voluntary-aided Catholic school.

Tertiary[link]

There are two universities in Oxford, the University of Oxford and Oxford Brookes University, as well as the further education institution Ruskin College. Oxford is also now home to the international headquarters of the SAE Institute, the world's largest creative media college.

Media[link]

As well as the BBC national radio stations, Oxford and the surrounding area has several local stations, including BBC Oxford, Heart Thames Valley, Glide FM and Jack FM on 106.8 along with Oxide: Oxford Student Radio^[49] (which went on terrestrial radio at 87.7 MHz FM in late May 2005). A local TV station, Six TV: The Oxford Channel was also available but closed in April 2009.^[50] The city is home to a BBC TV newsroom which produces an opt-out from the main South Today programme broadcast from Southampton.

Popular local papers include The Oxford Times (compact; weekly), its sister papers The Oxford Mail (tabloid; daily) and The Oxford Star (tabloid; free and delivered), and Oxford Journal (tabloid; weekly free pick-up). Oxford is also home to several advertising agencies.

Daily Information (known locally as Daily Info) is an events and advertising news sheet which has been published since 1964 and now provides a connected website.

Nightshift is a monthly local free magazine that has covered the Oxford music scene since 1991.^[51]

In 2003 DIY grassroots non-corporate media has begun to spread.^[52] Independent and community newspapers include the Jericho Echo^[53] and Oxford Prospect.^[54]

Culture[link]

Literature and film[link]

Well-known Oxford-based authors include:

• Oscar Wilde a nineteenth century poet and author who attended Oxford from 1874 to 1878.
• John Buchan, 1st Baron Tweedsmuir attended Brasenose College. Best known for his The Thirty-nine Steps, authored 32 novels and many more volumes of history, poetry and essays.
• Susan Cooper who is best known for her The Dark Is Rising Sequence
• Lewis Carroll (real name Charles Lutwidge Dodgson), Student and Mathematical Lecturer of Christ Church.
• Colin Dexter who wrote and set his Inspector Morse detective novels in Oxford. Colin Dexter still lives in Oxford.
• John Donaldson (d.1989), a poet resident in Oxford in later life.
• Siobhan Dowd Oxford resident; who was an undergraduate at Lady Margaret Hall, Oxford.
• Kenneth Grahame educated at St. Edward's School, Oxford
• Michael Innes (J. I. M. Stewart), of Christ Church.
• P. D. James who lives part-time in Oxford.
• T. E. Lawrence, "Lawrence of Arabia", Oxford resident, undergraduate at Jesus, postgraduate at Magdalen.
• C. S. Lewis, student at University College and Fellow of Magdalen.
• Alex Ryan, formerly an Oxford resident for many years.
• Iris Murdoch, Fellow of St Anne's.
• Iain Pears, undergraduate at Wadham and Oxford resident, whose novel An Instance of the Fingerpost is set in the city.
• Philip Pullman who was an undergraduate at Exeter.
• Dorothy L. Sayers who was an undergraduate at Somerville.
• J. R. R. Tolkien, undergraduate at Exeter and later professor of English at Merton
• John Wain, undergraduate at St John's and later Professor of Poetry at Oxford University 1973–78
• Charles Williams, editor at Oxford University Press.
• Brian Aldiss who lives in Oxford.

Oxford appears in the following works:

• "The Scarlet Pimpernel"
• "Harry Potter" (all the films to date)
• The Chronicles of the Imaginarium Geographica by James A. Owen
• Jude the Obscure (1895) by Thomas Hardy (in which Oxford is thinly disguised as "Christminster").
• Zuleika Dobson (1911) by Max Beerbohm.
• Gaudy Night (1935) by Dorothy L. Sayers.
• Brideshead Revisited (1945) by Evelyn Waugh.
• A Question of Upbringing (1951 ) by Anthony Powell
• Second Generation (1964 novel) by Raymond Williams
• Young Sherlock Holmes (1985) by Steven Spielberg
• Where The Rivers Meet (1988) trilogy set in Oxford by John Wain
• All Souls (1989) by Javier Marías
• The Children of Men (1992) by P. D. James.
• Doomsday Book (1992) by Connie Willis
• His Dark Materials (1995 onwards) by Philip Pullman
• "Tomorrow Never Dies" (1997)
• "The Saint" (1997)
• "102 Dalmatians" (2000)
• Endymion Spring (2006) by Matthew Skelton
• The Oxford Murders (2008)
• The Oxford Virus (2010) by Adam Kolczynski
• Mr. Nice (2010) The story of Howard Marks
• X-Men: First Class (2011)

Music[link]

Oxford, and its surrounding towns and villages, have produced many successful bands and musicians. The most notable Oxford act is Radiohead, who hail from nearby Abingdon, though other well known local bands include Supergrass, Ride, Swervedriver, Talulah Gosh and more recently, Young Knives, Foals and Stornoway. These and many other bands from over 30 years of the Oxford music scene's history feature in the documentary film Anyone Can Play Guitar.

In 1997, Oxford played host to Radio 1's Sound City, with acts such as Bentley Rhythm Ace, Embrace, Spiritualized and DJ Shadow playing in various venues around the city.^[55]

Sport[link]

The town's leading football club, Oxford United, are currently in League Two, the fourth tier of league football, and have enjoyed great success in the past in the upper reaches of the football league. They were elected to the Football League in 1962, reached the Third Division after three years and the Second Division after six, and most notably reached the First Division in 1985 – a mere 23 years after joining the Football League. They spent three seasons in the top flight, winning the Football League Cup a year after promotion. The next 18 years that followed relegation in 1988 saw their fortunes decline gradually, though a brief respite in 1996 saw them win promotion to the new (post Premier League) Division One in 1996 and stay there for three years. They suffered relegation to the Football Conference in 2006, staying there for four seasons before returning to the Football League in 2010. They play at the Kassam Stadium (named after former chairman Firoz Kassam), which is situated near the Blackbird Leys housing estate and has been their home since relocation from the Manor Ground in 2001. The club's notable former managers include Ian Greaves, Jim Smith, Maurice Evans, Brian Horton and Denis Smith. Notable former players include John Aldridge, Ray Houghton, Tommy Caton, Matt Elliott, Nigel Jemson and Dean Whitehead.

Oxford City F.C. is a semi-professional football club, separate from Oxford United. It plays in the Southern Football League Premier Division. Oxford City Nomads F.C. are another semi-professional football club, who ground share with Oxford City F.C. and play in the Hellenic league. Oxford Harlequins RFC is the city's main rugby team and plays in the National 3 South West league.

Oxford Cheetahs motorcycle speedway team has raced at Cowley Stadium on and off since 1939. The Cheetahs competed in the Speedway Elite League and then the Speedway Conference League until 2007, when stadium landlords Greyhound Racing Association apparently doubled the rent.^{[citation needed]} Speedway is not currently running in Oxford.

There are several field hockey clubs based in Oxford. The Oxford Hockey Club (formed after a merger of City of Oxford HC and Rover Oxford HC in 2011) plays most of its home games on the pitch at Oxford Brookes University, Headington Campus, and also uses the pitches at Headington Girls' School and Iffley Road. Oxford Hawks has two astroturf pitches at Banbury Road North, by Cutteslowe Park to the north of the city.

Oxford City Stars is the local Ice Hockey Team which plays at Oxford Ice Rink. There is a senior/adults’ team^[56] and a junior/children’s team.^[57]

Oxford is also home to the Oxford City Rowing Club which is situated near Donnington Bridge.

International relations[link]

This section needs additional citations for verification. Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. (March 2012)

Oxford is twinned with:

• Bonn, Germany
• Grenoble, France^[58]
• Leiden, Netherlands
• León, Nicaragua
• Perm, Russia
• Umeå, Sweden
• Saskatoon, Canada

See also[link]

England portal

Gallery[link]

• 

  The Sheldonian Theatre in 2009

• 

  Keble College, one of the constituent colleges of the University of Oxford

• 

  Night view of High Street with Christmas lights - one of Oxford's main streets

• 

  Floral display in Oxford city centre in 2001

• 

  All Souls College looking east up the High Street from St Mary's Church

• 

  The Bridge of Sighs links sections of Hertford College as seen from Catte Street leading into New College Lane.

• 

  The University Church of St Mary the Virgin as seen from Radcliffe Square.

• 

  A view of Broad Street, Oxford, showing the main entrances to Trinity and Balliol Colleges, and obliquely, the frontage of Exeter College from the Sheldonian Theatre.

• 

  Carfax Tower at Carfax, the confluence of the High Street, Cornmarket and St Aldate's streets in what is considered by many to be the centre of the city.

• 

  The High Street as viewed from St Mary's, looking east, with Magdalen College in the distant background.

• 

  Merton College as viewed from the Oriel Square entrance to Merton Street.

References[link]

Notes