Oxford News
Hollywood actress takes on ’emotional’ part in new slavery thriller
Witney-born actress Gugu Mbatha-Raw is set to star in a new five-part Sky series titled Possession.
The drama unfolds between Bristol and Jamaica stars u Mbatha-Raw as Claudia, a lawyer entangled in an inheritance dispute that leads her to confront buried family history and generational trauma tied to the legacy of slavery.
Mbatha-Raw, who went the The Henry Box School in Witney, has appeared in several high-profile films and television shows over her career, including Loki on Disney+ and Surface on Apple+ TV.
Gugu Mbatha-Raw, aged 43, said: “What the series is really about is much deeper.
“It explores identity, heritage and the enduring legacy of slavery between Bristol and Jamaica, as well as the impact of colonialism and how the past continues to shape the present.
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Gugu Mbatha-Raw as Claudia (Image: ©Sky UK Ltd)
“For Claudia, it becomes a journey back to her roots and an awakening to parts of herself she has long kept at a distance.”
The actress praised Karla Crome’s scripts for their originality and impact.
She said: “I was completely blown away by how bold they were.
“It felt like such a refreshing concept – I hadn’t seen a story that tackled the idea of reparations in this way before, especially one that was also so gripping, entertaining and thrilling.”
“It asks big questions about where we come from and how the past continues to live with us.”
Jamaican actor Sheldon Shepherd, who plays Cudjoe East, said the series offers a new way to understand the concept of reparations.
Mr Shepherd said: “The thing about reparations is that they’ve been talked about for a long time.
“People wonder what they actually look like.
“When I read the script, I realised it gave the issue an artistic expression, and that was very important to me.
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Jonny Lee Miller as Oliver Connaught (Image: ©Sky UK Ltd)
“It meant I could explore it through art rather than by standing in the street with a placard.
“I call it repairing the damage done, and if we look at it that way, perhaps the idea becomes a little easier to approach, more digestible, so to speak.
“When you think about the word ‘repair,’ it has a positive feeling to it.
“It suggests you’re doing something good.”
The project arrives amid renewed global focus on the legacy of slavery and colonialism, intensified by the killing of George Floyd in 2020 and subsequent global protests.
Jonny Lee Miller plays Oliver Connaught, the white British aristocrat tied to the disputed estate, while Bel Powley stars as Charlotte Connaught, his ancestor from the 18th century.
Bel Powley as Charlotte Desfriene (Image: ©Sky UK Ltd)
Mrs Powley said: “The show explores racial politics, identity and the legacy of colonialism, but it does so through a genre-bending lens.
“There are elements of suspenseful thriller, tropical noir and horror, but it always stays grounded.”
Possession premieres on Sky Atlantic and Now TV on Thursday, August 6.
Oxford News
Harper Beckham, 15, refusing to give up after brand setback
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.
Harper, David and Victoria Beckham (Image: PA)
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”.
Oxford News
Major US clothing brand opens in Bicester Village with unique ceremony
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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A Californian athleisure brand has opened its first ever discount store at Bicester Village this week, expanding on its three London stores (Image: Vuori)
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.
Oxford News
Heavy rock legend switches bands after car crash on way to hotel
The Deep Purple star was once the owner of The Springs Resort & Golf Club in North Stoke near Wallingford – now part of the Talacre-based Darwin Escapes portfolio
The rock singer’s guitar-shaped swimming pool is no more, but resort manager Ben Scholes said in 2024 renovations and new facilities – including the 1893 spa and Ridgeway Restaurant – have proved incredibly popular with visitors from across the UK and beyond.
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Ian Gillan has other strong Oxfordshire connections – one night early in 1983 a meeting at a different hotel in the county led to him joining heavy rock contemporaries Black Sabbath.
He told Mojo magazine’s Hello Goodbye column that he joined Black Sabbath after getting a call from Tony Iommi suggesting a drink somewhere between Birmingham and Reading.
Ian Gillan said: “We decided upon The Bear at Woodstock. I was driving an orange two-litre Fiat Mirafiori, which got rear-ended by a guy who was chasing me and didn’t see me stop at a junction.
“I pulled up outside The Bear with a wreck of a car.
“I can’t remember anything else until the next day when I had a call from my manager Phil Banfield.
“He said something along the lines of ‘Ian if you are going to be making major career decisions you should be talking to me first’.
“Apparently we had a few drinks and they (Black Sabbath) offered me the gig and I, who had nothing else on at the time, agreed.”
Ian Gillan in 2010 (Image: Aleksey Chalabyan Xelgen)
Ian Gillan told Mojo Black Sabbath then went straight to the Manor Studio in Shipton-on-Cherwell to record the Born Again album.
The singer added that during the recording sessions he was camping in the grounds in a small tent.
“I like camping and cooking my breakfast over an open fire. After breakfast I would go into the studio to hear what they had put down and then start work on the lyrics,” he told the magazine.
The singer left Black Sabbath after about a year, as it was agreed he should make one album and tour for a year.
He added: “I was incompatible, our backgrounds were chalk and cheese, musically and geographically.”
Ian Gillan rejoined Deep Purple in 1984 and remains a member of the band.
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