Oxford News
Doctor Who star Christopher Eccleston coming to Oxford University
The Manchester-born actor brought the iconic Time Lord back to television screens in 2005 with a hugely popular revival series.
Starring alongside Billie Piper’s Rose Tyler, the duo became two of the UK’s most famous faces, battling aliens and monsters throughout time and space each week.
Another iconic role of Mr Eccleston’s was in Our Friends in the North, with the actor also starring in films such as roles in 24 Hour Party People, 28 Days Later and Thor: The Dark World.
READ MORE: Colin Baker claims Billie Piper ‘can’t be the next Doctor Who’
This weekend, the legendary star will be coming to Oxford University’s Sheldonian Theatre to talk to fellow actor Paterson Joseph, known for Peep Show and Wonka.
The pair will chat as part of the Oxford Literary Festival, which will see Mr Eccleston discuss his book, I Love the Bones of You: My Father and the Making of Me.
“One of Britain’s best-loved actors and star of Our Friends in the North and Dr Who, Christopher Eccleston, talks about his life and acting career in conversation with the Chancellor of Brookes University and fellow actor Paterson Joseph,” reads the event preview.
“Eccleston was born into a working-class family in Salford and strongly identifies with his roots.
“He has often spoken about a feeling that his northern accent and background held him back. Eccleston’s early roles included a teenage convict in the 1991 drama Let Him Have It and as DCI Bilborough in the crime drama Cracker.
READ MORE: Matt Smith wants Doctor Who return after shock regeneration
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“His big breakthrough came in the role of left-wing activist Nicky Hutchinson in the award-winning BBC drama Our Friends in the North.
“His film work includes the title role in Jude, based on the Thomas Hardy novel, and roles in 24 Hour Party People and 28 Days Later.
“In 2005, he became the ninth incarnation of Dr Who in the opening series of the BBC revival of the science fiction programme, where he spoke with his natural northern accent.
“The role won him the Most Popular Actor award at that year’s National Television Awards.
READ MORE: Billie Piper becomes new Doctor Who after Ncuti Gatwa regeneration
“Eccleston’s awards also include an International Emmy for Accused and Best Actor in the Broadcast Press Guild Awards for Our Friends in the North.
“He is the author of I Love the Bones of You: My Father and the Making of Me, a portrait of the relationship with his father, Ronnie, that he says shaped his entire career.
“Paterson Joseph has starred in recent television series, including Vigil, Noughts and Crosses and Boat Story and in the 2023 film Wonka.
“His recent debut historical novel, The Secret Diaries of Charles Ignatius Sancho, was based on the true story of the man born on a slave ship who went on to be a writer, leading abolitionist and one of the first people of African descent to vote in a British parliamentary election.”
The talk takes place from 4pm until 5pm on Sunday (March 29) at the Sheldonian Theatre on Broad Street with tickets priced between £10 and £25.
We’ve made a gallery of pictures showing all the Oxfordshire spots which have been used for TV and film sets over the years.
Some of the biggest productions filmed here in Oxfordshire include Spectre in the James Bond franchise, which transformed Blenheim Palace in Woodstock into the Palazzo Cardenza in Rome.
READ MORE: Abandoned Oxfordshire home used as drugs den shut down
Many period dramas were also created in the county, like the BBC adaptation of Hilary Mantel’s Wolf Hall, which was partly filmed at Chastleton House in the Cotswolds.
Cotswolds villages have been repeatedly transformed and used as filming locations for their historical appeal, like the villages of Brill, Broadwell and Castle Combe.
Find all the pictures in this archive gallery of historic Oxfordshire filming locations here.
Three Year 10 pupils from Aureus School in Didcot travelled to London for the Royal Navy International Women’s Day event, held on HMS President during Careers Week and designed to showcase opportunities within the Royal Navy and beyond.
Students Antonia Pop, Ellie Swan and Tilly Mulvey are all taking part in the Duke of Edinburgh’s Award Scheme.
Ellie Swan said: “It was fantastic to see the possible career paths within the Navy.”
Rob Hayden, Duke of Edinburgh’s Award manager at Aureus School, accompanied the students to the event.
He said: “During the day, students had talks from individuals within the Navy and from guest speakers, including Hannah Botterman, who last year won both the Rugby World Cup and the Six Nations with England.”
He said: “Students also had the chance to network with the speakers and other attendees.
“The event showed the students a wide range of inspirational females within the Navy and other careers.”
Aureus School, part of the GLF Schools multi-academy trust, says its vision is focused on ‘cultivating ambition’ and ‘high standards for all’.
Headteacher Kirsty Rogers says the Didcot-based co-educational comprehensive has undergone a ‘transformative journey’, creating a community where students feel a strong sense of belonging. She emphasises inclusivity, high expectations, and a broad curriculum that encourages ambition, resilience and respect, supported by dedicated staff and diverse extra-curricular opportunities.
The flights mark a major boost to the airport’s connectivity ahead of the budget airline’s record Summer 2026 schedule.
The new routes form part of Ryanair’s expanded Glasgow programme for Summer 2026, which will see the airline operate over 100 weekly flights across eight routes.
The new double-daily London Stansted service further strengthens Glasgow’s access to the English capital, while the launch of the Warsaw service enhances Glasgow’s international offering.
Jonathan Ford, portfolio manager at AGS Airports, said: “It’s fantastic to see Ryanair’s new services to London Stansted and Warsaw take off today.
“The double-daily Stansted route offers even more flexibility for business and leisure travellers heading to and from England’s innovation corridor, while Warsaw provides a valuable new link that expands the international connectivity available to our passengers.
“These launches mark the start of what will be a record summer for Ryanair at Glasgow, and we look forward to welcoming even more travellers through our doors.”
Last month, Ryanair launched its 2026 plan for Glasgow with 10 routes, including holiday hotspots like Lanzarote, Palma de Mallorca, and Tenerife, as well as city break destinations like Barcelona and Pisa.
The budget airline will also operate extra frequencies on its Alicante, Faro, Pisa, Malaga and Murcia routes.
The new schedule is underpinned by Ryanair’s two Glasgow Prestwick-based aircraft.
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