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.”

North East-based Origin Tech, an AI and satellite technology specialist, has secured a 13-month contract with Thames Water to help detect and reduce water loss across its network.

The Origin Orbit system uses satellite imagery and artificial intelligence to pinpoint underground leaks within a 30-metre radius, offering a faster and more accurate alternative to traditional detection methods.

Shane Gloster, head of leakage at Thames Water, said: “A huge proportion of our leaks are never seen by customers, as they are underground and hard to find.

“To repair these as quickly as we can, it is vital that we use the latest innovative technology available.

“Partnering with Origin Tech, deploying their satellite data to detect leaks gives us a faster and more accurate indication of where the network has issues, enabling us to work more efficiently in our pursuit of bringing down water loss.”

The partnership, which began in March, builds on a successful 18-week trial that identified more than 800 leaks, saving an estimated 8.7 million litres of water per day.

Thames Water is now the first water company to fully integrate Origin Orbit technology into business-as-usual leakage operations.

Founded in 2019, Origin Tech currently works with 12 UK water companies, helping to prevent more than three billion litres of water leakage across the country.

John Marsden, co-founder of Origin Tech, said: “With one-fifth of all water in the UK being lost through leakage every year, the need for innovative solutions is evident.”

The visit, hosted by 99 Squadron, was part of activities marking the Month of the Military Child, which recognises the ‘resilience, strength and sacrifices’ of children from military families.

During the visit, more than 30 students from RAF families were given an inside look at a C-17 Globemaster, a long-range transport aircraft used in combat, peacekeeping and humanitarian operations.

Students explored all areas of the plane, including the cockpit, cargo systems, troop seating, defensive laser technology and even the on-board toilet.

Addison Page, 14, a year 9 student at Carterton Community College whose father serves as an RAF Mover, said: “I did want to be a pilot but I’ve decided to be a civvy truck driver.

“My passion is plane spotting and I’m planning to go to RIAT this year, at RAF Fairford.”

Addison spoke about the growing community of aviation enthusiasts, known as ‘avgeeks,’ at RAF Fairford.

He said: “It’s a total passion of mine.

“You just have to guess which aircraft are going to take off or land.

“You can certainly hear the American B-1s getting ready to fly.”

Brize Norton is the largest Royal Air Force base in the entire UK. It is located near the towns of Carterton and Witney.