Oxfordshire is a mostly rural county set on the Thames, outside Morse-style Oxford city. It’s home to many pretty villages including Thame, and one of the oldest seats of learning (some escaping students facing persecution founded Cambridge University). In recent years there has been controversy over animal testing, leading to scientific arguments for humane (non-animal) research instead.
a county of runners & boat rowers!
It was in Oxford that junior doctor Roger Bannister raced the first mile in under 4 minutes (his record lasted just just 46 days). Oxford and Cambridge participate each year in a well-known boat rate, which has been held since 1856 (bar the two World Wars). The rowing competition covers a 4.2 mile section on the River Thames (in 1912, both boats sank as they filled with water during poor weather). One former rower was Hugh Laurie, in the race when his team (Cambridge) lost, after clashing oars!
a sad legacy of for a riverside town
The pretty riverside town of Henley-on-Thames was voted one of the best places to live, due to its independent shops and boating regatta. However, it’s now more associated with former Prime Minister Boris Johnson who used to be the sitting MP before his most recent seat.
No matter what your politics, it’s evident that the man who decided he would be ‘World King’ caused immense anguish for those who ‘followed the rules’ while he and his chums partied. People will live to their dying day, knowing they never held the hands of those they loved at life’s end, while he just laughed his way out of his numerous lies.
a happy legacy for Oxford city!
A more happy local character is the fictional Inspector Morse (writer Colin Dexter actually studied at Cambridge but said he and Morse shared a love of Wagner, beer and crosswords). John Thaw was a lovely-looking man but did always look older than he was, due to his white hair (he was just 44 when he began filming and only 60 when he died). When the series finished, he was offered the famed Jaguar, but turned it down, saying it was ‘too slow and terrible to drive’.
