Crime & Safety
Historic attack jets in dramatic flight over Oxfordshire town
Multiple people in Bicester heard and saw the pair of BAC 167 Strikemaster Mk.82A jets on Saturday May 30.
Taking off and landing at North Weald Airfield near Harlow, the planes went to Stratford-upon-Avon and back, passing over Oxfordshire including Bicester.
READ MORE: RAF response as transport aircraft spotted low over Oxford
Their journey time was just over 45 minutes, taking off at 1.18pm and landing at 2.03pm.
On social media, Andy Stowe shared photos of the aircraft and said they came over Bicester at around 1.20pm, while noting that people may have heard them.
He added: “They were on the outskirts and moving pretty quick.”
Photos of a BAC 17 Strikemaster Mk.82A flying above Bicester (Image: Andy Stowe)
Others also said they saw and heard the planes with many seemingly delighted by the dramatic flyover.
The BAC 167 Strikemaster planes were produced by the British Aircraft Corporation and were first flown in 1967.
The model was typically marketed as a light attack or counter-insurgency aircraft but was also used to train pilots.
READ MORE: RAF update after transport aircraft spotted low over Oxford
Reportedly it did see combat service in Ecuador, Oman and Yemen with only around 150 having been produced.
Oxfordshire is well used to seeing unusual planes in the air, being home to RAF Brize Norton, the RAF’s largest UK airbase, but the air force said the Strikemaster jets were nothing to do with them.
Instead, according to flight radar, they are operated by Strikemaster Flying Club.
Crime & Safety
Christian Horner’s F1 comeback ‘vetoed’ with shock obstacle
The 52-year-old lives on the Oxfordshire border near Banbury with Spice Girl singer Geri Halliwell, whom he married in 2015.
Mr Horner had been team principal at Red Bull since 2005, overseeing eight drivers’ world championships and six constructors’ titles.
But this all came to an end last year when his team let him go mid-season over performance-related issues with the team.
READ MORE: Christian Horner finally secures new job after Red Bull departure
Mr Horner’s potential move back into Formula 1 has now reportedly been “vetoed” by Renault, following the latest twist in the ongoing Alpine stake sale saga.
A recent BBC report suggested that a proposed deal for Mercedes to acquire Otro Capital’s 24 per cent holding in Alpine has now collapsed, largely because of concerns over the valuation being sought.
According to those reports, Otro are said to be asking for around $720m for their stake, implying a total valuation of about $3b for Alpine.
Otro only bought the shareholding in 2023 for roughly $233m, while Mercedes is understood to view Alpine’s overall worth as closer to $2.3b.
The report read: “Renault is said to have decided not to continue with any further talks on the matter.
READ MORE: Pep Guardiola to snub Lionel Messi reunion with David Beckham
“The French brand has a power of veto over any sale of the Otro shares until September, and would have used that to block any sale to a group that had links with Horner.”
This comes amid the 52-year-old’s first new role since leaving Red Bull last year, as he has been engaged by Oakley Capital as an advisor on the firm’s investments in premium sports.
The London-based private equity firm said Mr Horner will work with its investment team to spot and realise deals in what is now one of the fiercest battlegrounds in Europe’s private markets.
Founder Peter Dubens said: “Christian Horner is widely recognised as a highly successful leader in global sport.
“His track record, expertise and commercial instinct will be invaluable as we continue to scale our sports portfolio.”
Crime & Safety
A422 speed camera – 97 drivers caught in two hours
A mobile speed camera van was parked up along the Hennef Way in Banbury, close to the M40, between 6.30am and 8.30am on Monday, June 1.
Police caught 97 drivers exceeding the 40mph speed limit of the A422.
The highest recorded speed was 81mph and two large goods vehicles were also caught speeding.
A Thames Valley Police spokesman said: “Speeding significantly increases the risk of serious collisions and puts everyone in danger.
READ MORE: TV legend’s home on sale amid ‘new chapter’ in life
“These figures highlight why our enforcement activity is so important.
“Please slow down, stick to the speed limits, and help keep our roads safe for everyone.”
Data reported on earlier this year revealed 69 per cent of speeding tickets handed out in Oxfordshire are from mobile speed camera vans.
Thames Valley Police caught 10,817 instances of speeding in the county for three months during the summer between July and September.
And of those, 7,512 vehicles were caught by somebody with a speed gun at the side of the road.
The worst area to get caught by a speed camera van is in the West Oxfordshire and Cherwell districts of the county, the data suggests, where 3,540 were caught in the three months.
Overall in Oxfordshire, fixed speed cameras flashed 3,305 times during the three months of summer, while mobile speed cameras recorded 7,512 instances of speeding.
Crime & Safety
Oxford University college buys £6.7m Stonemason House
St Hilda’s College completed the purchase of Stonemason House, 145 to 146 Magdalen Street, on Friday, May 29.
The building was purchased by the college from a vendor represented by Allsop.
It is being used for student accommodation with plans to house 44 St Hilda’s graduate students from October 2027.
READ MORE: Country home for sale at £1.5m after two cottages knocked into one
St Hilda’s College has purchased Stonemason House in Oxford. (Image: St Hilda’s College)
Stonemason House allows the College to house roughly 50 per cent of its graduate students, in addition to all undergraduates.
This then relieves some of the strain on the private rental market, says St Hilda’s College.
Bursar Chris Wood said: “The acquisition of Stonemason House is a landmark moment for St Hilda’s.
“It advances our commitment to providing accommodation for nearly half of our graduate students and represents a significant investment in the College’s long-term future.”
The future graduate accommodation has been placed to complement the College’s existing accommodation in Cowley Road and Iffley Road.
READ MORE: Cotswolds music festival named the UK’s must-visit summer event
St Hilda’s College has purchased Stonemason House in Oxford. (Image: St Hilda’s College)
This lively area of the city is popular with students and young professionals thanks to the wide variety of local restaurants and bars.
It is also within walking distance of the College on Cowley Place.
A statement regarding accommodation from St Hilda’s College reads: “We allocate accommodation for new graduates on a first-come, first-served basis once funding has been confirmed.
“We own several graduate houses where we can offer rooms to most first-year and some second-year graduates who want them.
“Many choose to rent privately. We have a small number of rooms for couples, but do not have accommodation suitable for families.”
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