Oxford News
When East Hagbourne village buildings went up in flames
The nearby village of East Hagbourne was virtually destroyed as fire swept through it in 1659.
Fire engines and equipment were non-existent in the 17th century and communities had to rely on buckets of water from local streams, ponds and wells.
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Hooks with long handles, like giant rakes, were used to tear off thatch from homes to prevent fire spreading from house to house.
These basic methods of firefighting were all that East Hagbourne villagers had to cope with one of the worst village fires in the country’s history.
Historian S Allen Warner writes: “A fire broke out in one of the houses in the east end of the village, near the present war memorial.
“Fanned by wind, the flames swept rapidly westwards among the thatched roofs of the little timbered houses, causing the destruction of nearly the whole village.
“Fire hooks were brought out of the church and hooks from other villages were borrowed but, despite all efforts, the fire leapt from house to house until the church itself was threatened.
“The church, being built of stone, resisted the flames and was spared and at last, the fire burned itself out.”
An appeal to help the village was made in every church in the country and with the help of numerous congregations, most of the houses were rebuilt.
Except for the church and a few houses and farm buildings, nothing of the present East Hagbourne dates further back than the time of the great fire.
As we recalled last week, Didcot railway station was badly damaged in 1886 when an employee dropped the contents of an oil lamp on to a fire heating one of the waiting rooms.
Station staff tried to contain the fire but soon realised they were facing an impossible task as the flames spread rapidly.
Didcot was then a village with no firemen or firefighting equipment, so crews from Oxford, Harwell, Wallingford and Abingdon had to be alerted by telegram.
The Harwell fire equipment arrived on a horse-drawn wagon.
One of the team had a wooden leg which fell off during the hazardous journey over uneven roads.
Despite his handicap, he fought the fire on one leg.
Harwell firemen, who took charge of the operation, were always known for their wit and when their ancient fire engine appeared at Didcot Carnival in 1934, with some of the original crew alongside, it bore the legend: ‘Fires attended anywhere, distance no object, send a postcard’.
Details of both fires were uncovered by historian and retired fire officer John Lowe, of Kidlington.
East Hagbourne is about a mile south of Didcot and was part of Berkshire until local government reorganisation in 1974, when it became part of Oxfordshire.
Stand By Me: Bob Harris – A Celebration Of Life In Music will take place in London on December 2.
The one-off show will also include performances by Rick Wakeman, Carly Pearce, Chris Difford, Beth Nielsen Chapman, Judie Tzuke, Kate Rusby, The Shires, Kezia Gill and Toby Lee.
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In June, it was announced that the broadcaster, who lives in Steventon, near Abingdon, was standing down from hosting his Radio 2 shows Sounds Of The 70s and Radio 2 Country because of ill health.
The radio veteran, 80, has prostate cancer and in April he revealed it has spread to his upper spine.
Mr Harris said at the time leaving his shows has been “one of the hardest decisions of my life”.
He added: “It’s incredible to think that my broadcasting career has spanned almost 56 years. I am very fortunate to have spent my entire working life doing something I love so much.
“I am a massive BBC loyalist, and I’m grateful that I have always been given the freedom to build my programmes in my own way.
“Most of my time on air has been spent with my fabulous family at Radio 2 and it has been such a joy to broadcast on this world-class radio station.
“I am so proud that the Radio 2 Country Show has played such a massive part in propelling country to become the fastest-growing music genre in the UK, and presenting Sounds Of The 70s on Sunday afternoons has been a real pleasure and made my time here the most special of my entire life.
“But more than anything, I want to say thank you to my listeners. I have put everything I have into every show I’ve ever done, and it’s all been because of you. Your love and loyalty mean more to me than words can ever say.
“I am so sorry that my health issues are forcing me to step down, but I realise that I must concentrate on getting myself well again.
“This has been one of the hardest decisions of my life, but I would never want to be doing programmes knowing that I am unable to give you 100 per cent.”
Following the announcement regarding the show, Bob Harris said he was honoured.
He told The Standard: “I’ve been blessed and honoured to have been there with all these artists right at the beginning of their careers, so we all have long working relationships and deep friendships.
“I truly love the Royal Albert Hall too. I first began attending concerts there in 1968, and it is, to me, the most beautiful and prestigious venue in Britain.
“So I feel so honoured to have these wonderful artists with me onstage at my favourite venue. Bringing this music together for Stand By Me is the realisation of a dream.”
The event will also feature broadcasting and music industry figures on stage to present the show and share their memories of Harris.
The daughter of former footballer David and ex Spice Girl Victoria lives with her family in Oxfordshire.
She had been working on a skincare line inspired by Korean beauty, initially branded HIKU by Harper and aimed at Gen Z and Gen Alpha consumers.
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However, according to cosmetics industry reports and US filings, the US Patent and Trademark Office refused her first application in July “because of a likelihood of confusion” with existing trademarks already registered in the country.
Documents cited by cosmeticsbusiness.com show that “Hiku” is already protected for personal care products and fragrances, while “Harper” appears on the register for cleaning products such as brooms and scrubbing brushes – blocking the path for “HIKU by Harper” in those categories.
Coverage of the setback notes that Harper had six months to respond to the provisional refusal if she wants to challenge the decision or narrow the scope of the American filing.
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Yet, now, she is pursuing a new brand, this time focused around make-up and called Harlo by Harper.
According to The Sun, the teenager has lodged papers with the US Patent and Trademark Office asking to be granted sole rights to use the name and with the UK’s Intellectual Property Office to trademark the brand.
The aim is to launch the brand at some point next year, as the only daughter of the Beckhams seeks to build a beauty empire.
A source for the paper added that Victoria has been “guiding her every step of the way”.
Contemporary clothing label Vuori has launched a store at Bicester Village this week, its first store outside of London.
To mark the opening of the store, Bicester Village welcomed guests to an exclusive Pilates session before the shops even opened their doors.
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Headquartered in San Diego and founded more than a decade ago, the brand has built a reputation for premium, performance-led leisurewear.
The new Bicester Village store will offer a carefully curated selection of bestsellers, including its Halo pants, the Vuori All The Feels collection and pieces from its popular Tom Holland golf collaboration.
Alongside those ranges, prices will be exclusive to the outlet, making it Vuori’s first UK discount boutique location and offering shoppers in Oxfordshire a chance to snap up the brand’s signature styles at lower prices than in its standard stores.
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