Famous Faces

Sister Frances
Born: 1942
Profession: Nun, nurse and charity founder
Local links: Took her vows in 1972 and became a Mother Superior just five years later. In 1978, when she was 35, she had a life-changing experience providing respite care for a family with a sick child and went on to found Oxford’s Helen House Hospice for children in 1982, the first hospice of its kind in the world. She later opened a second site, Douglas House and they are now run by the charity, Helen & Douglas House. A documentary series, The Children of Helen House, was shown on BBC2 in 2007. The charity also runs a chain of shops to help raise funds.

Raymond Blanc
Born: 1950
Profession: Chef
Local links: He and his former wife Jenny launched Le Quat’ Saisons restaurant in Summertown in 1977 and went on to open Le Manoir Aux Quat’ Saisons in Great Milton in 1984. The self-taught French cook who started his career as a waiter at the Rose Revived at Standlake has become one of the most respected chefs in the UK.
Le Manoir was awarded two Michelin stars in 1985, both of which it still holds. The first Maison Blanc patisserie appeared in Oxford in 1981 and has grown into a nationwide chain of 15. Has a flourishing TV career, including starring in reality TV programmes The Restaurant and Raymond Blanc’s Kitchen Secrets.

Colin Dexter
Born: 1930
Profession: Author
Local links: Lives in Summertown, north Oxford, with wife Dorothy. Worked for the University Schools Examination Board for 22 years. He transformed Oxford into the murder capital of the UK with his Inspector Morse crime novels, many set in and around the University. When the books were adapted for TV they attracted around eight million viewers.
Morse was played by the late John Thaw, with Kevin Whateley as his trusty sidekick Lewis. The 13th and final Morse novel, The Remorseful Day, was published in 1999. He is still a consultant for the TV spin-off series, Lewis, which launched in spring 2008.

Sir Roger Bannister
Born: 1929
Profession: Athlete and neurologist
Local links: Lived in Oxfordshire for many years after attending Oxford University.
An athletics legend who made history by running the first sub-four-minute-mile on the Iffley Road track in 1954. Also became European 1,500 metres champion and British Mile champion in 1951, 1953 and 1954. Missed out on Olympic medal when finishing fourth in final at Helsinki in 1952. Became a consultant neuro-surgeon and Master of Pembroke College. Was made a Fellow of Exeter, Merton and Pembroke Colleges.

Jeremy Clarkson
Born: 1960
Profession: TV presenter and motoring journalist
Local links: Lives in Chipping Norton with wife Frances and their three children. Was awarded honorary degree from Oxford Brooks in 2005.
Has presented the BBC TV programme Top Gear on and off since it began in 1988. Attracted criticism for his dress sense and controversial remarks, including describing Gordon Brown as a “one-eyed Scottish idiot” in 2009.
Known to despise caravans, vegetarians and diesels. Writes weekly columns for The Sunday Times and The Sun and has penned a number of best-selling books about non-motoring subjects, usually about things that annoy him.

Martha Lane Fox
Born: 1974
Profession: Entrepreneur
Local links: Former Oxford High School pupil and a graduate of Magdalen College. The co-founder of digital travel company lastminute.com, her father is historian Robin Lane Fox. Following a serious car accident in Morocco, she spent a year recovering in The John Radcliffe Hospital. She was appointed the UK’s Digital Champion in June 2009, with a brief to persuade more of the British public to use the Internet.

Yasmin Le Bon
Born: 1965
Profession: Model
Local links: Grew up in Oxford.
Yasmin Parvaneh had carved out a successful modelling career before marrying Duran Duran lead singer Simon Le Bon in 1985. She has appeared on the cover of Vogue many times and has modelled for leading brands such as Matthew Williamson and Marks & Spencer. She has recently joined forces with high-street chain Wallis to launch a range of clothing and jewellery called YSB. The Le Bons, who live in London, have three daughters.

David Cameron
Born: 1966
Profession: Conservative politician and Prime Minister
Local links: Studied at Brasenose College. MP for Witney and has home near Chipping Norton.
Has been MP for Witney since 2001 and held a range of Shadow Cabinet posts between 2003 and 2005 before being elected Leader of the Conservative Party in 2005.
Became Prime Minister after forming a coalition with the Liberal Democrats after the hung Parliament result of the General Election in May 2010.
Married to Samantha, they had three children but their eldest son Ivan, who was born with cerebral palsy, died in February 2009. The couple are expecting their fourth child in September.

Bob Harris
Born: 1946
Profession: DJ and TV presenter
Local links: Lives near Abingdon with wife Trudie and their three children.
A major player in the music industry for almost 40 years including time spent as a Radio One DJ and hosting the TV series The Old Grey Whistle Test for seven years.
Became known as ‘Whispering Bob’ and was one of the co-founders of London’s Time Out listings magazine.
Was diagnosed with prostrate cancer in 2007 but, following treatment, was given the all-clear a year later. Still presents regular music shows for BBC Radio Two.

Henrietta Knight
Born: 1946
Profession: Racehorse trainer
Local links: Trains horses at her farm at Lockinge near Wantage.
She has trained more than 100 point-to-point winners during her career. The most well-known of these is Best Mate who was first past the post at the Cheltenham Gold Cup on three occasions. Married to retired champion jockey Terry Biddlecombe.

Eddie Jordan
Born: 1949
Profession: Former Grand Prix team owner, now TV pundit
Local links: Had a home in Oxford but now lives in Ireland. Has links to Oxfordshire because of the Jordan Formula One team which he started and ran between 1991 and 2005.
The team achieved its best results in the late 1990s when Damon Hill and Ralf Schumacher came in first and second in the 1998 Belgian Grand Prix.
The following year, driver Heinz Harald-Frentzen was in the running to win the drivers’ championship, eventually finishing third. Jordan is now a regular commentator on F1 for BBC TV.

Andy Gomersall
Born: 1974
Profession: Rugby international
Local links: Started career with Bicester RFC Mini-section as a seven-year-old and attended the town’s Audley House Prep School.
England rugby scrum half nicknamed ‘Gomars’ who has also played for many top clubs. First played for the national side in 1996 and now has 35 caps for England. His most recent signing, for the 2009-2010 season was with Premiership side Leeds Carnegie.

Emile Faurie
Born: 1963
Profession: International dressage champion
Local links: Lives on a 50-acre estate near Milton-under-Wychwood.
Growing up in Cape Town Emile Faurie saved his pocket money for riding lessons and eventually moved to England in 1980 to take up a post as working pupil to a leading dressage rider.
He went on to represent Great Britain at two Olympic Games and three European Championships.
He is now a respected coach at national and international level and runs the Emile Faurie Foundation, which uses horse riding to help under-privileged young people.

Tim Henman
Born: 1974
Profession: Retired professional tennis player
Local links: Grew up in Weston-on-the-Green, near Bicester, and went to the Dragon School in Oxford. Played tennis for Oxfordshire as a schoolboy.
Father Tony is a solicitor who built up litigation firm Henmans in Oxford.
The former British number one was the first UK player to reach the semi-finals of the men’s singles at Wimbledon since Roger Taylor in the 1970s.
The highlight of ‘Tiger Tim’s’ career was in 2002 when, on reaching the semi’s at Wimbledon, he was beaten by the eventual tournament winner, Lleyton Hewitt and was ranked fourth best player in the world by the Association of Tennis Professionals (ATP). He received an OBE in 2003 and is still active in the sport as a coach, commentator and ambassador.

Professor Susan Greenfield
Born: 1950
Profession: Scientist and TV presenter
Local links: Studied at St Hilda’s where she switched from classics to science.
Brilliant neuro scientist who has managed to successfully communicate complicated concepts through TV programmes and lectures. Her specialist area of research is investigating the reasons why Alzheimer’s Disease may develop. She was director of The Royal Institution from 1998 until January this year, when she was made redundant after presiding over a £22m revamp of the organisation’s London headquarters that went hugely over budget.

Richard Dawkins
Born: 1941
Profession: Scientist and author
Local links: Lives in Oxford with his wife, former Doctor Who actress and illustrator, Lalla Ward. Held post of Simonyi Professor for the Public Understanding of Science in the University of Oxford between 1995 and 2008. Among his best-known books are The Selfish Gene and The God Delusion. As an atheist, he is a vocal critic of creationism.

Lord John Krebs
Born: 1945
Profession: World leader in zoology
Local links: Studied at Pembroke College. Former Royal Society research professor at Oxford University, Krebs was appointed chair of the newly formed Food Standards Agency in 2000 and four years later resigned to become principal of Jesus College. His research into the behaviour and ecology of animals, specifically birds, had led to many awards. Was granted a life peerage in 2007.

Rory Bremner
Born: 1961
Profession: Comedian
Local links: Lives in Eaton Hastings near Faringdon. His career began to take off when he was contributing to the satirical show Spitting Image and by the late 1980s he had his own TV show Now – Something Else. He later teamed up with John Bird and John Fortune to host Bremner, Bird and Fortune. Other TV appearances include Mock the Week and Whose Line Is It Anyway?

Rowan Atkinson
Born: 1955
Profession: Comedian, actor and writer
Local links: Post-graduate student at Queen’s College and has a home in Waterperry near Wheatley.
His brilliant perfomances in student revue in Oxford in the 1970s were a small hint of his future career success. Atkinson went on to co-write and star in TV hits of the 1980s such as Not The Nine O’ Clock News, The Black Adder and Mr Bean.

Lord Douglas Hurd
Born: 1930
Profession: Conservative politician and former Cabinet minister
Local links: Former MP for Witney and still lives in West Oxfordshire.
His late wife Judy was born in the Witney area and was a trustee of Cogges Manor Farm Museum.
He began his career as a diplomat with the Foreign Office before becoming an MP in 1974. Held a number of Cabinet posts including Home Secretary, Secretary of State for Northern Ireland and finally, Foreign Secretary from 1989-1995.
On being created Baron Hurd of Westwell, he joined the House of Lords in 1997.
He is the author of a number of non-fiction and fiction books, including political thrillers.