Osney Island has been called the Venice of Oxford. Its streets and homes have changed little since the days of the horse and cart. Cars look out-of-place in its tiny streets. It is a community where everyone knows everyone.

On September 15, the island beside the Thames marks its 150th birthday with celebrations and a mile-long race around the island. People from all over the city are invited to enjoy a taste of island life.

In September 1851, George Hester, a solicitor and the Town Clerk of Oxford, bought the island and laid out the streets and plots of what he called Osney Town, for sale to developers.

By the mid-1850s, most of the terraces of smaller houses in Bridge Street and East Street had been built, together with some of the east side of West Street. It was a time of unprecedented change. The railway had arrived in Oxford in 1844 and with it the need for affordable homes for railway workers.

The 1861 census showed that they made up the majority of residents on the island - a far cry from today when many homes are occupied by middle-class families.

During the island's 150-year history, a strong sense of community spirit has developed. It once had five pubs and several shops. Although only two pubs - The Waterman's Arms and Walter Mittey's - remain, there is still a feeling that the island is separate from the rest of Oxford.

Over the years, it has featured in several books including Joanna Trollope's The Men and the Girls and Tony Strong's The Poison Tree.

It hit the national headlines in 1986 after the death of St Hilda's student Olivia Channon, daughter of the then Trade and Industry Secretary Paul Channon.

It was over-run with reporters covering the account of her death, caused by a cocktail of alcohol and drugs. The story shocked many residents. They had got to know Olivia's friendly face during the time she stayed at the house.

Chris Willis, chairman of the Osney Island Residents' Association, says: "Osney Island is a unique part of Oxford and it is very special. Islanders have the same strong sense of community that people who used to live in small villages had."

Mr Willis recalls how that spirit came to the fore last December when the island was under threat of flooding.

This has been a regular event since the houses were built, but December 2000 saw the worst flood since March 1947, when a rapid thaw of deep winter snowfall was accompanied by heavy rainfall on to the frozen ground.

Sandbags were placed in the front and back doorways of homes in East Street, overlooking the river, and residents were in constant touch with the city council for advice on how to cope with flooding.

Mr Willis says: "Everyone was making sure that elderly residents were given help with sandbags and people were looking out for each other."

**The 150th birthday celebrations start at 1pm. Entertainments will include stalls and games, the Oxford Mail bouncy castle and a hog roast.