Oxford, May 1988

[@redabdab]

Thanks so much for sharing this. I was a student in Oxford at this time so it's great to remember how the place looked. There is remarkably little footage of this period. The whole area around Queens St and Oxpens has been totally redeveloped now and is unrecognisable, so it's really good to have this historical record. Thank you!

[@OXFORD486]

When you filmed this I was a hackney carriage taxi driver in Oxford... thanks for the upload

[@Thomashorsman]

Wow it’s amazing how Oxford is still virtually unchanged apart from the Westgate

[@brianthesnail3815]

I graduated 10 months before this video having spent the four happiest years of my life there. I met and fell in love with my wife there as a student and we are still together. We went back to live there for a while with our young children but it became expensive, dirty, crowded and frankly hostile so we left. Thank you for the lovely trip down memory lane though.

[@conorosullivan3135]

Great that you posted this, thank you. I was a student at Oxford Poly (now Oxford Brookes University) at this time. At the time of the video I was in the midst of degree finals (hence my non-appearance in the video). Lived in Oxford for 6 years and loved every minute of it. This brings back lots of happy memories. Was back there with a former college buddy a few years ago and, while there have been a lot of changes, the essential magic for me was still intact. Hope to get back there again soon.

[@thurstonhowell3569]

This is fantastic. The Westgate car park that always stank of piss. And that crazy hexagonal building behind it.

[@20thcenturygamingc64]

Wow. I left the north east with 3 mates to look for work in 88. After reading in a newspaper article stating Bicester had the least unemployment, we got a map out to see where it was, went there, spent the night in a pubs garden (The Fox), then asked for work in the job centre next day. Was informed we were best going to. Bigger city, got the map out and Oxford seemed close. Lived on the streets for 6 weeks, in the Shelter, the Night Cellar, until moving to Windmill House in zHeadington. Great hostel. Found work, lived in Butchers Arms pub, got a job at Unipart, and spent the 90’s in Oxford. I was probably in the city centre as this video was shot. Cheers.

[@venturabats]

We were back in Headington this past November, Oxford has changed so much.

[@craigevans7415]

I was 10 when you were driving about. My grandparents lived in headington and I lived in Oxford town so nice to see. Remembered the legs in headington. Was in headington yesterday actually. Closet thing to a Time Machine looking back 👍🏽

[@debbiemorgan5873]

I used to live northway. Walk to headington & bus to town. Great memory! Miss old days better than Nowdays I believe!

[@DIDCOTTWIST]

I was at secondary school in Abingdon in 1988.Love watching all these old videos of Oxford and love your great commentary on it 👍🏻

[@venturabats]

DIDCOTTWIST thank you so much! I have so many fond memories of the area.

[@Buggsy61]

Really enjoyed this. I had just started work at in Cornmarket then in a bank, which you drove past. Many years later I was driving in Tennessee at night, got lost and asked for directions in a petrol station. One of the customers in there immediately said "I know that accent" he had been based at Upper Heyford too and put me on the right path. Cheers,

[@grantpage2138]

This is amazing, looked so quiet and peaceful back then!

[@dylanevans2498]

This was filmed 20 years before I moved here. Fascinating to watch. Thanks for posting. I live in Headington and it's weirdly nostalgic even though I was in primary school in Wales at the time.

[@Beetlejooce01]

I wasn’t born yet but I agree

[@richardhayward475]

I used to go to Oxford a lot to visit family. I like looking at homemade videos that capture a place in time. I would have been 13 when you made this video. It's nice seeing all the old cars and how they sounded. Thanks for making / posting. A camcorder would not have been cheap back in the day. A sony vhs one cost £2,500 in 1984. Making this home footage quite rare. You must have had a good job!!?

[@coolmerlinmilk]

Thank you for video! I used to study in Oxford in mid 90s and it's so nostalgic to watch this video! As I've seen, not so many changes were made since 88 to 97-99.

[@venturabats]

Glad you enjoyed it!

[@colinmorris2604]

great to see worked in the camera shop in the high for 27 years.

[@TheWellington2006]

Great video and thanks for posting.Oxonian and proud. Loved the Headington part as my Nan and Gramp lived nearby in Northway.

[@Browncoat7969]

This is history right here

[@venturabats]

Thanks for your kind comments. My wife was raised on Lime Walk, and as a matter of fact, we were married in the Methodist church on Lime Walk!

[@mikehennessy7855]

Oh, wow!! This is so great! Thank you so much for posting this. I was there at this exact time as part of a semester overseas program through a small college in Moorpark, California -- from February to the end of May, 1988. I lived up in Headington (a little street called Bayswater Road, just the far side of the Headington roundabout) for the first part of the semester, and then a place at the top of Headington Park for the final weeks. It's hilarious seeing little iconic scenes like the shark and the striped-socking leg on the buildings -- even the Oxford Citylink bus and Oxford Minibus (which I road to class) that you can see a couple of times, as I do remember them. Our classes were held on High Street in the Examination Schools, almost right across from Magdalen College, so I'm glad you passed that by as well on your video tour. I also remember that 7-11!! Thanks again!

[@recall2880]

Used to work in the Westgage in Timpsons. Why they turned it from an indoor place to a semi outdoor wind tunnel I’ll never know! It’s cold af in there

[@puddycat2325]

Walk around Oxford every day. It looks so much better here than it ever has when I've been there. Certainly easier to drive through 😂

[@Peteroranje]

I moved to Headington 4 months after this was filmed. Used to play pool in the Bell, it was always empty - no wonder it has long gone!

[@lisarodgers425]

Dear Tim, first, thank-you!, Second: bugger! You were doing fine when you drove past my late mum's watering hole - known then as the Five Star bar in the Randolph, but you turned left at the bottom of Beaumont Street. I was hoping you'd go right down Kingston Road toward Walton Street, sort of quick left (after Jericho) and down the (the Port) meadow taking Longworth Road (not Walton Well Road) of course...although, was Lucy's still going strong in 1988? I was born at number 8, and had my ponies on the meadow for years. Thanks for the trip down memory lane, wonderfully nostalgic. I live in New Mexico US., and it ain't nothing like "home"! One doesn't appreciate what you've got, until you leave it. Cheers.

[@ozyuk9226]

I drive down Jericho every day to pick up my son from primary school on st Margaret’s road , Jericho end 😉

[@Mimi-zh7wc]

Thank you! It seems strange seeing the outside of the old Westgate Centre as it was pulled down around 4 years ago to make way for the new modern shopping centre, also known as The Westgate. Several shops have been knocked down in Cornmarket recently; there is going to be some kind of development, not quite sure what.

[@justinadcock4536]

Jesus college accommodation 👍

[@venturabats]

Hi and thanks for your kind words about my video of Oxford. Actually, we lived just around the corner from Osler Rd on London Road in the flat that was over the butcher shop that is no longer there (replaced by an estate agent and 7 flats). We were back this spring for a visit & saw lots of changes, but it was still the Headington I remembered and where my wife was raised. Good one on the Martyr's Memorial, I wish I would've thought of that prank when I lived there!

[@mercer1st]

Great stuff. Lived in England (Upper Heyford) from 89 - 94 (I was just a teenager then)! Used to take the bus into Oxford many times. Thanks for posting!

[@kanga888]

u did this on the day i was born

[@freeatlast1963]

this if priceless thankyou for posting it m8

[@venturabats]

Thank you mercer! I was stationed at Upper Heyford from Jan 85 unitil May 94 (2168 CS). My family & I went back in May 08 to visit relatives. Oxford hasn't changed much except for where traffic is allowed.

[@scruffysod]

Thanks for adding this video , I was 8 when you did this. Lived near kidlington so on the way to Upper Heyford. Most of Upper Heyford has gone now on the opposite side to the airfield and its now housing. I can remember going bowling at the sky lane or sky king alley there as a kid. As a kid from rural Oxfordshire it was like have people from the future with you guys around ! Also we knew a family called the Browns from the airbase , the father was called Dennis I think, he was a doctor or dentist if I remember .Ring any bells ?

[@simonstones1918]

I bet it’s changed now!

[@gavinTweedie-ic5zg]

know the Headington area, well was there in 2007 still looked the same in 2007 like it did here in 1988

[@bwabymafia]

I was born may the first 1988, so was 10 days old during the time of this video!

[@venturabats]

Thanks, makes me feel a little old! LOL!

[@bwabymafia]

@@venturabats lol

[@duanepark]

Loved it! The place looked the same 10 years prior, hadn't changed a bit!

[@RetroCrisis]

Other than the westgate, it looks almost identical to today

[@MarkThomas-nx1dg]

I was 17 when video recording

[@HenryHowlett]

Hi Tim, I would like to use some excerpts of your videos of Oxford from the late 80s to accompany a music recording made around that time - how would you feel about this? Best wishes Henry

[@venturabats]

Hi Henry, I have no problem with you using excerpts from my Oxford Video. I would like to have credit for me providing the video excerpt, and I’d love to see it when it’s completed. Best of luck with it.

[@JonesNoahT]

So this is what it looked like without being covered in trash.

[@fleshen]

Headington and the City Centre?

[@TM-xb3wy]

5:27 I remember that crystal golfball. It must have been knocked down in the late ninetees or 2000's

[@TM-xb3wy]

This is probably the only footage that exists of that golfball aside from my nostalgic memory

[@Jimnopody]

Hi Tim. I love this video and am planning to do a '31 years later' video and show yours side-by-side with mine if that's okay?

[@venturabats]

David Wallace Hi David, please do! Please tag me in the video. I'm looking forward to seeing it. We were last in Oxford in 2016.

[@Jimnopody]

@@venturabats Thank you Tim. I'll do it as soon as I can. You must come back again soon!

[@surreptitious6881]

5:00 Don Millers in background. Best lunch in town.

[@CamperVanPersie]

...Cheese Salad Bap....Lovely. About this time there was often a Rockabilly group busking.They were great if memory serves....

[@FelixIsMyName]

Not much has changed. Just loads more buses now lol.

[@jessicahowe4865]

Hello, my name is Jess and I work for a TV company in Bristol and Cardiff. I am making a BBC Wales documentary and looking for home footage of Oxford. I was hoping to speak with you regarding this footage. I did comment before with my email and think youtube may have removed it. I wondered if you would be happy to have a chat with me so I could tell you more? Many thanks, Jess

[@venturabats]

Hi Jess. I just saw this comment today. I would love to chat with you about my 35 year old Oxford video.

[@venturabats]

[e-mail] or [e-mail]

[@jessicahowe4865]

@@venturabats Thanks Tim, I have emailed you! Jess

[@samsonlifa6312]

Did Your car had air conditioning or not really?

[@venturabats]

Not in England!

[@samsonlifa6312]

@@venturabats but was it a fast car or a slow car?

[@francoisortola9651]

@7:30 "it's 50 points for the guy on the bicycle, get him the door instead of the bumper" ...

[@donaldremnant7018]

Oxford as it was.

[@freeatlast1963]

May 10th 1988 was a Tuesday

[@ichisanchi5334]

Brilliant! Not much has changed really, apart from the area around Westgate. The Black Boy in Headington is still there, great food! Although I am pretty sure it will have to change its name real soon what with the culture wars raging and everything!

[@venturabats]

We were back in Headington in September for two weeks for a family emergency, but we were quarantined for the entire time and couldn’t leave the house until the day we flew back to the States, unfortunately, we could only see a bit of London Road, to and from the bus stop.

[@ichisanchi5334]

@@venturabats - ah, that's a shame. I live in Summertown which is lovely...the only thing missing is a decent pub! (I notice from your video you were quite the fan if Oxford pubs!) A nice one did open up on Banbury Road near the shops in Summertown in 2019, but the pandemic killed it and it went out of business.

[@mrsose1872]

What happened to the dew drop?

[@ichisanchi5334]

@@mrsose1872 - The Dew Drop is still there.

[@wamamawpinoy9453]

Omg i loved that headington didnt change that much britania and 7 eleven well now its coffee nero and gym on the top

[@jasonway2632]

ha ha i live in oxford see you bypast blackbird leys 😂😂

[@ox1973]

Why didn't you mention the manor

[@venturabats]

I’m sorry, I didn’t even think about it at the time. I lived almost next door to the Manor Ground from 1986 to 1994, and I used to hate match days because I couldn’t find a place to park my car! Lol

[@metatron007]

Off down the Cowley road to score once again, hey, what no Cowley road, no drugs. What kind of folk are these.

[@pipotherium]

Hasn't changed much except for the Westgate.