This is an editorial opinion piece which was recently published in The Oxford Times, sister paper of the Oxford Mail.
The British historian David Starkey has received mixed review for his likening of Brexit to the Church of England’s break from Rome.
Indeed, that ‘nothing is really new’ line appears to crop up over and over again in our own contemporary context. Not least in Oxford.
Living in the city, you might be led to think that paradoxically ‘everything is new’ as futuristic labs and districts of ‘innovation’ continue to crop up in the city – yet simultaneously, ‘nothing is new’ as we still have the same historic rivalries which span back centuries.
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That is the ‘town and gown’ sentiment we explore on our front page story.
Whatever you think about the observation, it’s hard to deny that it is quite remarkable how people are still talking about the same conflict which divided Oxford hundreds of years ago.
That is, the rivalry they see to exist between the ‘town’ of people who have lived in Oxford perhaps their whole life and the ‘gown’ of the university – including, of course, the students who are here to pick up their degrees and then probably leave to go into high paying jobs elsewhere.
It’s fair to say that Saj Malik, an Independent councillor for Temple Cowley is most proudly and emphatically ‘town’.
Mr Malik has some quite interesting theories on where he sees the future of Oxford.
Among them, he suggested Oxford University wants to turn the city into a glorified student campus – and that it has been allowed to determine the direction of the city for too long.
Of course, not everyone shares the same view. The founder of iScream Gelateria in the Covered Market, Graham Macdonald, is typical of many traders.
He knows the university contributes greatly to the economy and that this is a good thing.
And, of course, it must. Though Oxford remains, according to some studies, the least affordable place to live in the UK.
It’s fair to say a balance can probably be struck between progress and looking back at the past.
When we see the same rivalries cropping up again and again, particularly over novel concerns, surely it helps to look back at the root causes to determine how things can be changed.
Whether you are ‘town’, ‘gown’, or something in between, The Oxford Times is proud to be your paper – reporting on what is important to all those who live here and love it.
In the meantime, and on a different note, perhaps the city council can look into another one of Mr Malik’s concerns – that there are apparently only two public toilets left in Oxford.
The designation of spaces to fulfil our basic bodily functions is surely something we can all agree on.
Maybe that is what it takes to bring Oxford together.
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About the author
Noor is the Local Democracy Reporter for Oxfordshire who covers political stories from across the county.
She began working as a journalist in Oxford in September 2023 having graduated from the University of Oxford.
Noor was trained at the News Associates journalism school and can be found on X through the handle @NoorJQurashi
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