2005

* Oxford to Cambridge in just 20 minutes – that’s the promise of 18-year-old entrepreneur Martin Halstead who has launched an airline to fly between the two cities.

* Pupils in Marsh Baldon returned to their village school almost a month after parts of the building were destroyed by fire.

1995

* The Duke of Marlborough has dropped plans to plant Christmas trees in the Glyme Valley, which villagers in Wootton, near Woodstock, say, would devastate rare plant life.

* Quick-thinking students rescued a drowning woman as she was swept along the Castle Mill Stream through the grounds of Oxford College of Further Education in Oxpens Road.

1985

* Two runaway horses brought terror to Westbrook Street, Blewbury, as children were leaving the village primary school – no-one was hurt.

* Building workers employed by Oxford City Council are getting a new bonus scheme, which includes free watches to help them improve time-keeping.

1975

* RAF Bicester will close, two Britannia squadrons at RAF Brize Norton will be disbanded and there will be big changes at RAF Abingdon under the Government’s Defence Review.

* Roger Herbert, a detective constable, and golfer Nicola Sparks will captain the Oxford teams in the popular TV sports game It’s a Knockout.

1965

* Mike Hailwood, of Oxford, the world champion motorcyclist, clocked the fastest qualifying time at 100.54mph to win a front row grid position in the US 500cc Grand Prix in Florida.

* Morris Motors Athletic and Social Club’s new £35,000 pavilion in Cowley, replacing one built in 1919, was opened by Mr CW Harriman, chairman of the the British Motor Corporation.

1955

* Oxford City Council is opposing an application to put up bus fares, but rejected a motion to “secure the municipalisation” of city bus services.

* Oxford ratepayers have paid in rates thousands of pounds more than the council needed, so £44,000 is being ‘returned’ by reducing this year’s increase.