New street name plaques a reminder on estate leaders

Now in one part of the city, efforts are being made to remind everyone of their contributions to city life.

City councillor Ed Turner, who represents Rose Hill and Iffley, has arranged for plaques to be added to six street signs in his ward.

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They have been installed in Williamson Way, Constance Norman Way, John Parker Close, Norman Brown Close, Carole’s Way and Krebs Gardens.

Family members and residents turned out to join the six unveiling ceremonies, with warm tributes to those being remembered.

Canon Tony Williamson was one of Britain’s leading ‘worker priests’, combining his work as a forklift driver at the Cowley car body plant with his role as an Anglican priest.

He was a union leader, chairing the largest branch of the Transport and General Workers’ Union for 16 years.

As a city councillor, he chaired the housing committee and became council leader. He was also joint leader of Oxfordshire County Council.

As Lord Mayor in 1982-3, he mixed civic duties with clocking in at 7.15am daily at the Pressed Steel factory.

Connie Norman was head teacher at Rose Hill Primary School for more than 25 years and served as Oxfordshire president of the National Union of Teachers.

In 1974, she was presented with the Citizen of the Year award by the Lord Mayor, Barbara Gatehouse, for her service to the community.

Another community champion was city councillor John ‘Jack’ Parker, who worked at Morris Motors, was Lord Mayor in 1986-7, played in a brass band and was involved in youth football.

Norman Brown founded the Rose Hill Roundabout community newspaper and chaired the community association.

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Carole’s Way is named after Carole Roberts who, judging by a thick file of pictures in the Oxford Mail archives, had a busy year as Lord Mayor in 1998-99.

She also chaired the city housing committee and was the first manager of the Rose Hill and Donnington Advice Centre.

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Sir Hans Krebs was Whitley Professor of Biochemistry in Oxford and won the Nobel Prize for his work in 1953. He lived in Abberbury Road, Iffley.

Councillor Turner tells me: “It was very nice for people to get together and learn about those remembered. There is much appetite for more.”