Oxfordshire weekly round-up: 27 January – 2 February 2024

The "exceptionally rare" find of a 2,700-year-old Iron Age blacksmith workshop in the Oxfordshire countryside was among our most read stories this week in Oxfordshire.

A variety of local issues were featured on the BBC News website, BBC Radio Oxford and South Today.

We have picked five stories to keep you up to date.

Highly detailed images of 19 spiral galaxies have been released by Nasa.

They were captured by the James Webb Space Telescope and are being analysed by scientists from the University of Oxford.

The telescope was launched into orbit two years ago and is fitted with highly sensitive instruments that allow it to view older and more distant objects than Hubble.

The university said the "extraordinary images will provide several new puzzle pieces for astronomers and astrophysicists around the world".

A memorial service has taken place for a man who was a Lancaster bomber navigator during World War Two.

Cliff Storr, from Banbury, once survived a crash-landing, and emerged unscathed from 25 bombing raids, then volunteered to do 25 more.

His daughter Karen White said he "never thought of himself as being anything special or out of the ordinary".

He died last month aged 100 years old. His memorial took place at Banbury's St Mary's Church.

A GP practice said it had helped to ease NHS pressures by holding meetings to discuss vulnerable patients.

Manor Surgery in Oxford said the conferences, involving GPs, nurses and specialists, tried to anticipate needs.

It said demand for urgent care and multiple patient appointments had fallen as a result.

Buckinghamshire, Oxfordshire and Berkshire West Integrated Care Board said it hoped to introduce similar principles across the area.

The decision to demolish part of an Oxford college has been branded a "wanton act of vandalism".

Oxford City Council's planning committee approved the demolition of the porter's lodge and clock tower at Green Templeton College to make way for student accommodation.

However, committee member Andrew Gant said the 1980s-built structure added to the "character of north Oxford".

The college said redevelopment would "improve the facilities" for students.

A 2,700-year-old Iron Age blacksmith workshop unearthed in the Oxfordshire countryside has been described as an "exceptionally rare" find by experts.

The site was excavated at the headquarters of environmental charity Earth Trust at Wittenham Clumps, near Abingdon.

The dig found artefacts including hearth lining and an intact tuyere, part of the ironworking process.

The Earth Trust said it revealed "more of the ancient mysteries" of the area.

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