These latest photos from the Oxford Mail archive show some of Oxford United’s triumphs from the 1980s, and the devastation caused by the Great Storm of 1987, which hit the county.
There were also anti-war protests in Bonn Square following the bombing of Libya in 1986.
The Great Storm of '87 devastated parts of Oxfordshire and much of southern England.
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The storm caused an estimated £1 billion in damages as electricity supplies were cut off, trees were blown down, and parks, roads and schools were closed by winds up to 110mph on the night of October 15-16, killing 18 people.
The ferocious gales of 1987 affected Didcot the worst.
A roof was blown off a static home in Foxhall Manor Park.
In other parts of the town, a six-foot high wall collapsed across a public footpath between Sandringham Road and Balmoral Road.
And large tree toppled over by the gales landed right outside Bishop’s Wood, Cuddesdon.
Two dozen major roads and many minor roads were closed off because of fallen trees across the Thames Valley.
Iffley Road was partially blocked by a fallen tree and sheets of tarpaulin were blown across the bypass.
Five high voltage electricity lines were hit, affecting 1,500 residents from small villages and farms in the county.
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Tony Hadland, 68, remembered the scenes he saw on his way to work.
He said: "I was living in Peppard Common, South Oxfordshire, and commuting by train from Reading to Old Bailey in the City of London.
"Our house suffered some relatively minor damage, principally to the roof of a covered space adjoining the house.
"Lots of people had slates and tiles blown off their roofs and TV aerials damaged. And electricity and telephone cables were brought down in many places.
"I managed to get into work on the morning after without too much difficulty. What was surprising was how big trees had been blown over.
"In the woods and forests out of town, so many trees were blown down."
After Michael Fish, a TV weatherman, became infamous for scoffing at the idea of a hurricane coming to the UK at the time, it was a wake-up call for the Met Office.
It led scientists at the Office to consider how a storm of that nature could have been missed by the forecaster.
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Meteorologist Alex Deakin said in 2017: "(The storm) helped to identify gaps in severe weather forecasting capability and highlighted the need for better communication with partner organisations such as emergency services.
"We can’t say we won’t see another storm like the one in 1987, but we are able to better forecast and warn of severe weather, helping to minimise the impacts by working with our partners and emergency responders, and the general public."
Oxford United fans had plenty to celebrate in the mid-1980s as Jim Smith took the U's to the First Division, and the team triumped in the Milk Cup in 1986.
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About the author
Andy is the Trade and Tourism reporter for the Oxford Mail and you can sign up to his newsletters for free here.
He joined the team more than 20 years ago and he covers community news across Oxfordshire.
His Trade and Tourism newsletter is released every Saturday morning.
You can also read his weekly Traffic and Transport newsletter.
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