Monday 11th August 2025
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Oxford’s boxing women step into the spotlight

Holly Fairgrieve
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Oxford’s boxing women step into the spotlight

The Oxford University Amateur Boxing Club (OUABC) held its first all women’s event last Saturday night. The historic event gave the female members of the club the recognition they deserve in a sport where women are often underrepresented. The women’s club at OUABC boast Lydia Welham as their captain, the holder of the National Development Champion 2018 award, along with co-captain, Rachel Wheatley, last year’s Sportswoman of the Year. The club competed against other women from a variety of esteemed clubs from across the country.

The night started with a brilliant fight from the junior club members, girls still in primary school. They displayed an advanced skill set, brilliant footwork, a great deal of courage and determination and set the tone for the historic night ahead.

Ella Penny displayed the same power and grit she exhibited at Town vs Gown last year, but her attempts to fight off the ropes met with varying results. Eventually, her opponents jabs to the face saw a bloodied Penny call the fight to an end after an display of extreme determination.

Kaya Axelsson and Sofia Lindqvust’s inter-club match was one of the most tightly fought of the night. The opening was marked by Axelsson’s assertive drives forward, but Lindqvust remainded unphased. She held her ground and although pursuing very different styles, there was little to separate them as neither woman was backing down. In the final round, Axelsson picked up pace and started to throw harder shots, but did not throw Lindqvust off balance and she continued to demonstrate great power. Although split, the judges ultimately declared Axelsson winner.

Both Jessica Lee and Zoey Zhang exhibited their skills in the ring, but both of them fell short of victory. Zhang’s opponent’s combination punching laid bare a difference in hand speed. Lee remained remarkably collected in her fight, displayed deft footwork and picked up pace throughout, but was undone by a lack of consistency in her attacks and failure to drive forward.

Rachel Wheatley and Lydia Welham’s contests were distinguished by the intensity of the physical and psychological intensity displayed. Wheatley’s varied style of attack moved her opponent backward and kept them off balance, enabling her to exhibit her powerful combination punching. Welham’s opponent was particularly formidable, speedy and confident. But Welham was able to counter the offensive and absorbed her opponent’s best shots with little apparent effect. Thudding punches from Welham prompted heightened levels of roaring in the crowd. Despite showing signs of fatigue, she continued to throw and land punches with a combination of power and accuracy. Wheatley and Welham boxed exquisitely in a series of skirmishes that took on the feel of bullet chess: it was a showcase of expert-level work from two of the clubs top operators.

The OUABC was founded in 1897 and is the second oldest active boxing club in the country. That it has taken significantly more than a century for the club to hold its first all female event is, however, more of a reflection on the attitudes to the sport within Britain, rather than the club itself. The number of “male chauvinists in Britain” is what Alan Kean, professional boxing coach has argued has caused women’s boxing in this country to lag behind other nations.

Until 1996 Amateur Boxing Association of England banned female fighters. It wasn’t until two years later, Jane Couch, a bouncer from Blackpool, became the first legal British professional boxer. Significantly, the first Olympics women’s boxing was included in was London 2012. In this light, the OUABC can be seen as relatively progressive for allowing women to join in 2003.

The boxers at the OUABC are helping give women’s boxing the appreciation the sport deserves. Not only have they reached national headlines, but they have held their audience with their sportsmanship, their passion and a palpable desire to prove themselves. In an era when everyone is talking about equal rights and equal pay it is great to see the OUABC putting women on the cards and creating space for them to get the same recognition as men. It’s just a shame it had to take so long.

Sportsmanship, solidarity and the Premier League

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Sportsmanship, solidarity and the Premier League

Of the most recent round of Premier League fixtures, it was not the star-studded clash of Arsenal vs Liverpool which most appealed to the hearts and minds of the football world. Nor was it the admittedly less-glistening Monday night spectacle of Huddersfield vs Fulham. Instead, fans and pundits alike were converging upon the Cardiff City Stadium, where Leicester had travelled to play their first competitive fixture since the tragic death of their owner Vichai Srivaddhanaprabha seven days previously.

Arriving at the stadium, I wasn’t greeted by the usual rowdy atmosphere of my fellow season ticket holders. The two elderly blokes who sit in the row behind me did not, as was tradition, harp on about their hatred of the away team of that particular match as the players warmed up in front of us. Today was different. The thoughts of everyone in the stadium, from the most docile of supporters in the family stand to the hardcore shouters, were on a man who transformed the fortunes of a football club and did so much for its wider community.

Eulogies from around the global football community have poured in for the Thai business mogul who showed that he was infinitely more than the usual uber-wealthy foreign football owner. Srivaddhanaprabha didn’t just transform Leicester from relegation favourites to Premier League champions and Champions League quarter-finalists in the space of two years, he also donated £2 million to a local children’s hospital and a further million to the university’s medical department. This is the legacy of a man who turned a cash-strapped, mid-table Championship side into Premier League regulars and who positively impacted the lives of thousands, a feat far greater than any sporting accomplishment.

His impact could most certainly be felt in the stadium last Saturday. Cardiff owner and friend of Srivaddhanaprabha, Vincent Tan, dedicated the start of the match programme to his Thai counterpart. The programme itself was toned down in design, simply featuring both club’s badges in front of a dark background. Before kick-off, a flag bearing the message “RIP Vichai” was passed from one end of the stadium over to the other end towards the Leicester fans, shortly followed by an emotional and well observed minute’s silence. The Leicester fans wore t-shirts reading “The Boss” accompanied by a picture of Srivaddhanaprabha, and when Demarai Gray brought the Foxes a 1-0 lead early in the second half, the winger ran to the ecstatic away fans to reveal a similar message to ‘The Boss’ under his shirt – “For Khun Vichai”. Where I was sat, some of the Cardiff fans began to applaud.

It would not have been unexpected if Leicester ended up unable to make their mark on the game after lengthy media scrutiny over the previous week. But the 2016 Premier League champions had the better of a game of relatively few chances throughout. They channelled the emotional energy of losing the man who helped earn much of the squad a Premier League winner’s medal into a disciplined and composed performance against a beleaguered Cardiff side. As a Cardiff fan, I have seen some awful decisions made by our owner Vincent Tan since he bought out the club in May 2010. Fiascos such as our one-time transfer policy of exclusively buying players who had the number eight, a symbol of luck in Malaysia, in their birth date or the scandalous and offensive rebranding of The Bluebirds’ kit and badge from blue to red spring to mind. It was clear, both to Cardiff fans and the football world at large, that foreign owners imposing their own culture on clubs with centuries of local tradition was going to lead to alienation.

Tan last week said of Srivaddhanaprabha: “I considered him a friend and somebody for whom I had the utmost respect and admiration.” It may be no coincidence, then, that right as the Leicester owner began to see success, Tan’s ownership strategy at Cardiff began to change for the better. He publicly apologised for his misgivings, reverted back to blue and since 2014 has converted 183 million pounds of Cardiff’s debt into equity. This season, Cardiff are back in the Premier League with the kit in blue and the finances in the black. It wasn’t too long ago when both were in red. Vichai Srivaddhanaprabha has set the benchmark for how football ownership should be done in the Premier League using sustainable development, smart and ambitious investment married with a respect for the history of the club and an appreciation of the wider community of the city as a whole. Here’s to hoping that the likes of Stan Kroenke at Arsenal and Mike Ashley at Newcastle will learn a thing or two from him.

We are all complicit in climate change

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We are all complicit in climate change

For a long time, I have thought myself undeserving of a place at Oxford. But now, it seems evident to me that it is possible that every student here, including myself, can make a difference. From the Veggie Pledge to canvassing for divestment, there are a number of ways that we can have a meaningful impact on the environment, and be at the forefront of saving our planet from climate change.

Indeed, whilst ground-breaking research is necessary, we can’t go around with fingers in our ears. Ignoring the true problems that lie before us, and choosing to, whether consciously, or unconsciously, disregard them, is recklessly irresponsible. Oxford has been a blind hypocrite for too long, and this needs to change. We need to change, in order to adapt and survive.

In May this year, Cherwell released an article about campaigns for divestment in Oxford, as the university as a whole had been maintaining its support for companies on the Carbon Underground 200 list. But what has truly changed since then? On its own webpage, the University claims to be a ‘world leader in the battle against climate change’. This can’t be argued with: Oxford undoubtedly provides cuttingedge research, focussing on essential areas such as climatechange mitigation. However, the University itself is not directly involved.

Similarly, just last week a Cherwell investigation revealed that Oxbridge colleges hold over £21 million of investments in oil and gas exploration, production, and refining companies. This is clear evidence that both Oxford and Cambridge have little regard for our environment, concerned instead about the bottom line. Both institutions are at the forefront of research, trailblazers in this field, but this blatant disregard for our environment is endemic, and any research is pointless if the University itself pursues investment in fossil fuels. We must demand that the University divest. Otherwise, our efforts to make small changes at the University are wasted, when on a macro level, the University is choosing to ignore the issue of climate change.

The sad truth is that, regardless of its intellectualism, Oxford does not heed its own words. Campaigns such as ‘Trashing: What A Waste’ merely create a front that the University utilises to suggest that it is ethically and environmentally sound. Following the recent IPCC Global Warming Report, there was a great increase in climate-change coverage in the media. I quickly noticed that a large proportion of this coverage quoted recent research from the University of Oxford. One such report, in the Guardian, contained a quote from Oxford environmental researcher, Joseph Poore, arguing that veganism is the single most efficient method in combatting climate change.

As I was reading this, during a Formal dinner at Exeter College, I felt a sad sense of irony; both the starter and the main included meat and dairy products. Oxford understands that its way of life is harmful to the environment, yet for the sake of tradition, it will not change. People are just doing nothing. And they are happy doing nothing. There is no desire to change for the sake of our environment.

However, whilst the majority remain hypocritical in their approach to climate change, some colleges are taking a lead. In May, LMH JCR passed a motion urging the college to divest from high fossil-fuel companies, allowing LMH to ‘align its investment with its ethical commitments.’ This motion was introduced due to an understanding that other universities, such as Edinburgh and Sheffield, are already well ahead in terms of divestment. A few other colleges have followed this example; St Hilda’s, for instance, is now ensuring that  business plans of companies in which they invest are compatible with the Paris Climate Agreement, and Oriel introduced a similar arrangement.

However, whilst all of these motions have been publicised in Cherwell, no other student bodies seem to have taken notice. What is, for me, particularly worrying, is the fact that Oxford’s larger colleges appear to be doing less. However, whilst the collective action of a college is important, the activity of the individual remains similarly significant. In the stress of everyday life, it is far too easy to forget to be environmentally aware.

But I beg you; the next time you are tidying your room, please don’t forget the presence of that recycling bin. And please, please don’t let your scout throw your recycled waste in with all the rest. Such actions may seem trivial now, but, sooner rather than later, they’ll hold more significance than you ever thought they could.

Updated: 3/12/2018

Blood Brothers Review – ‘truly exceptional theatre’

Katie Sayer
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Blood Brothers Review – ‘truly exceptional theatre’

I’ve never before experienced a moment of complete awe in a theatre before. A lot of plays in Oxford are thought-provoking, some are shocking, but never before have I seen an entire audience completely stunned into silence by a moment of pure dramatic brilliance. This moment came at the end of Blood Brothers, Willy Russell’s seminal musical, which has now been running for over 30 years in the West End and on tour.

In truth, it was a moment the audience had been anticipating from the off. The play begins with a prologue, in which the sardonic narrator tells us that we will hear the story of the Johnston twins, “who were born and who died on the self-same day”, and the advertising makes no attempt to hide the tragic climax – the poster outside the New Theatre even shows two men lying on the ground. The fact that you could hear a pin drop, in an audience packed with nearly 1,800 people, is testament to the sheer excellence of the production, which was outstanding from start to finish.

Blood Brothers tells the story of Eddie and Mickey, two twins separated at birth, and the contiguous lives they lead as one is raised on a council estate in Liverpool, and one goes off to university before becoming a politician. Although the story is about the Johnston twins, the play begins with their mother, who aged 25 is a cash-deprived single mum trying to raise seven children alone. After falling pregnant with twins, and threatened with having to send some of her children into care, Mrs Johnston makes an agreement to give one of the twins to the upper-class (and infertile) woman, whose house she cleans, to raise as her own. When the two children meet by chance and become firm friends, their two mothers can do nothing to keep them apart, even as their lives unfold in completely different directions.

It is a strength of the lead actors that they are able to play their characters as young children in the first half as convincingly as they are able to play their adult selves in the second half. Exceptional range is shown particularly by Sean Jones, who plays Mickey, whose command of vocals and ability to transform his stature is completely mesmerising. There is not a weak link in the cast, with the supporting roles often adding in some exceptional moments of meta-aware comedy (“I was your milkman, now I’m your gynaecologist” is how the production explains one of the ensemble multi-rolling in the same scene).

The stand-out role, though, is Mrs Johnston, played emotively by Linzi Hateley, and it is highly refreshing to watch a play with an older woman in the central spotlight. Mrs Johnston’s transformation from hopeful housewife to bereaved survivor is the core tragedy of the play, and it is an added note of the sardonic that we never find out her first name – she is only ever “Mrs Johnston” or “mum”.

In addition to the superb cast, the technical team behind the production have done an excellent job. The frequency of the set changes, and the use of highly ambitious lighting (including gauze) from Nick Richings, make for an urgency of tone that keeps you on the edge of your seat throughout, and the live orchestra bring Willy Russell’s exceptional score to life with vigour. It is clear to see why Blood Brothers has won every major Olivier Award.

The real draw of this play, though, is its message. Blood Brothers isn’t subtle about its presentation of class difference, but nor is it preachy, and the conceit of the parallel lives of the twins makes for some heart-wrenching moments of pathos. These work to demonstrate that nurture is everything in the nature vs nurture debate. Some particularly droll moments are the scene in which we are shown the boys in the classroom, which begins by satirising private schools, with Eddie, in his cricket gear, being grilled about his Oxbridge aspirations by a headmaster in a gown.

The same cast member then plays the scruffy teacher who takes a much larger class in Mickey’s underfunded state school, suspending Mickey for not answering an obscure question about geography that neither the teacher nor the students are at all invested in. The second moment comes when both boys are arrested for throwing stones; after returning them home a police officer warns Mickey’s mother to keep her son under control at all costs, before taking some whisky with Eddie’s father, and warning him to keep his son away from the riff raff. It is notable that both of these scenes depict the attitude of the establishment towards class, but it is also notable that both are unabashedly humorous – and indeed, Blood Brothers is a play that is consistently funny right up until the point of tragedy.

This is a play that debuted in 1983, but is as topical and relevant for 2018 as if it were written yesterday. The fact that the entirety of the New Theatre gave a minute-long standing ovation is testament to the calibre of the production, which draws you in with its endearing characters and tongue-in-cheek humour, before leaving you in tears as the curtain falls. Powerful, moving, and compassionate, this is truly exceptional theatre. I cannot recommend Blood Brothers highly enough.

When and why did Netflix movies get so good?

Jonnie Barrow
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When and why did Netflix movies get so good?

What a difference nine months makes. Back in February, Netflix revolutionised the way films can be distributed when they dropped the much anticipated sci-fi sequel The Cloverfield Paradox on its service mere hours after debuting the trailer at the Super-Bowl.

The entire process of promotion was truncated: the latest Hollywood blockbuster was suddenly available from the comfort of your sofa right after America’s biggest sporting event. There was only one, tiny issue: Paradox was a very, very bad movie. Coming mere weeks after their $100 million Will Smith-fronted sci-fi flop Bright, Netflix were quickly gaining a reputation for releasing films so bad that, even after watching them without buying a ticket, you’d be tempted to ask for a refund.

But after years of doing relatively well in the documentary categories during awards season, Netflix are gunning for major Oscars. And they’re starting to pick up the kind of films that cinephiles can really get their teeth into.

The first of these is Outlaw King, a bloody-’n’-muddy battle-epic about Scottish legend Robert the Bruce which reteams Chris Pine with director David MacKenzie after their highly underrated western Hell or High Water. Despite the similar subject matter and historical setting to Braveheart, comparisons don’t come easily; this is a more muted affair, with acts of violence more likely to inspire disgusted groans than cheers of exhilaration. Yet it’s backed up by incredible direction from Mackenzie, as the film’s natural lighting, detailed set and tactile costume design creates a cohesive, convincing evocation of the past. If nothing else, it’s worth watching at least the opening shot, an extraordinary nine minute single-take that establishes the stakes, tone and central personalities with grace and technical aplomb. 

The politics and personalities are generally far more important to this film than to Braveheart, as the violent political upheaval of Scotland is contrasted against the tender uncertainty of Bruce’s new arranged marriage (to the captivating Florence Pugh).

It’s also worth noting that many of the reviews you may see are of a very different film than the film you’ll see on Netflix. After premiering the film at Toronto’s film festival in September, Mackenzie felt compelled to chop 20 minutes off the runtime. The result has been met positively across the board; the film rarely bags, even if the uniformly sombre score does little to aid the onscreen action.

As much as I would love to dive into the epic sweep of the earth-shaking final battle, I must fulfil my contractual obligation to mention, as all other writers chronicling this film have, that Chris Pine’s penis makes an appearance. You should absolutely watch the whole film anyway, but if you want to skip ahead, the timecode is around ninety minutes in. You’re welcome.

Time, then, to look at Netflix’s other recent major release: The Ballad of Buster Scruggs. This latest Western from the Coen Brothers had a fascinating route to the screen. Originally conceived as a six-part miniseries, the Coens decided midway through making the project that they’d retool it as an anthology film. As such, it boasts an impressive cast – including Liam Neeson, Tim Blake Nelson and James Franco – and balances a wide array of Coen-esque comic and dramatic tones, linked by storybook interludes which tie each story to a deeply-felt metanarrative of myth-making that characterises this patchwork of tales from the New Frontier.

The lengths of the segments range between 11 and 37 minutes, but many of the longer segments are consigned to the back end of the film which makes the runtime feel a little overlong. As with any anthology film, it’s easy to prefer some segments over others; I particularly loved the fourth-wall-disregarding comic idiosyncrasy of Buster Scruggs’ opening story, but Tom Waits’ contemplative, tragic gold-prospecting adventure “All Gold Canyon” almost brought me to tears. Cinematographer Bruno Delbonnel’s use of colour is a stunning companion to the film’s varied tones, as is Carter Burwell’s characteristically textured score.

These releases are an elaborate but crucial warm-up for Netflix as they build towards releases from some of cinema’s most beloved and extraordinary talents. Roma, Alfonso Cuaron’s first film since 2013’s Oscar-winning Gravity, is coming to Netflix on December 14th. And 2019 will see the release of Martin Scorsese’s The Irishman, a $175 million historical epic starring Robert De Niro and Al Pacino, for which Netflix will be pulling out all of the promotional stops. Roma is hotly tipped to be a strong contender for Best Picture at next year’s Academy Awards, so they need to start pleasing the Academy to increase its chances of success. Screening their films in cinemas is the most surefire route to keeping those fickle Oscar voters happy.

Both Outlaw King and Buster Scruggs have been given limited cinematic releases. after Netflix spent years dragging their heels over that idea. I was lucky enough to see both in the cinema, and even you’re unable to see either film projected, it’s absolutely worth seeing both films as big as you can. Outlaw King’s complex and immersive sound mix would be lost on a laptop, while Delbonnel’s gorgeous visual compositions throughout Buster Scruggs are wasted on an iPad.

But the fact that both Outlaw King and Buster Scruggs can be seen by anyone with access to a Netflix account is hugely exciting. It democratises the medium of cinema, removing many of the financial barriers that can limit wide access to great art. As long as the quality of these films remain high, I think that’s something we can all get behind.

The gap is widening: weighing up a football ‘Super League’

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The gap is widening: weighing up a football ‘Super League’

The nature of the Premier League has undergone a significant change in recent years. Whilst previously it had a unique strength, in comparison to top European leagues, in its reputation as a competition in which ‘anybody can beat anybody’, this is markedly less true today.

After Manchester City’s record breaking points total last year and their subsequent influx of top talent in the summer, including club record signing Riyad Mahrez, they now look as unstoppable as last year’s formidable side. Liverpool and Chelsea join them as unbeaten so far this season, the first time since the 1978-9 campaign that the top three have remained unbeaten for eleven games straight. Additionally, Arsenal look stronger under new manager Unai Emery and are capable of contesting the top four along with Spurs and Manchester United.

Meanwhile, in the 23 away matches the other Premier League teams have played away against this ‘Big 6’ they have lost 22 and drawn one. Not one of the teams currently sitting in the bottom half of the table have been able to overcome a team in the top 5, either home or away.It is on this basis that I believe there is the potential to offer up a lukewarm defense of the formation of a so-called ‘European Super League’. This is in light of recent news released by German publication Der Spiegel that some of the biggest clubs across the continent have held secret talks to this end.

The 38 point target usually set for those teams who expect their season to consist of an arduous battle to survive is getting smaller. Current estimations expectant that a mere 30 points will be enough to avoid relegation. With such a gap growing between the haves and have-nots in the Premier League and with an even wider disparity in wealth and quality between the clubs from the top German, French, Italian and Spanish divisions, is it unfair for us to expect nothing to change in the future?

It seems to me that too many league fixtures have become formalities. Sides turn up to the Etihad or Anfield with little to offer other than perhaps a valiant effort to mute the multitude of attacking threats they are faced with for a short time before they are inevitably swept aside. The competitive essence of these fixtures which was once so tangible has faded. In the past we may have been able to expect these periods of dominance to be temporary but the financial backing of the largest clubs is so absurdly out of proportion with those currently languishing at the bottom that this is unlikely to become any more competitive in the foreseeable future. Only when we see Cardiff splash 50 million on a right back will we see a return to the cutthroat notoriety of our top division.

Real Madrid, according to the Der Spiegel report, have suggested that the Super League could be up and running as soon as 2021, with a number of authorities expressing their extreme disdain after the talks were leaked. Many have pointed to the Champions League as the franchise which more than quenches our thirst for the highest level of club football. I would argue however that largely up until the knockout rounds, at which point it is only the majority of teams invited to participate in the proposed European Super League left in the competition anyway, the same problems as seen in domestic leagues arise. Group stage games are rarely exciting, even those between two top quality sides often lack tension. This is usually because both teams know they are still likely to qualify for the next round if they are to come out second best, so long as they beat the weaker sides in the group. When it comes to the latter stages, however, as last year’s competition so emphatically proved, there is no better spectacle in football. That Manolas Header, that Salah chip in the second leg against City, that Ronaldo bicycle kick; this sort of drama may be what we come to expect week in week out if the rumours are true.

Ultimately, any such move towards a Super League would almost certainly be disastrous for the game at home. The UK government has confirmed its position against it, arguing that such a competition would greatly harm the culture of English football. Normal fans’ plights would be greatly increased as inevitably new TV deals would lead to a decreased interest in local football. I am also under no illusions that these plans only exist to make the rich richer and would greatly reduce revenue for clubs lower down the league ladder, further exacerbating the inequity which led to the tournament’s proposition in the first place. While I cannot advocate for its existence, I can highlight that these potential origins of a Super League are founded in a problem that is not going away and perhaps, although it would destroy all of the tradition and integrity that people love about the sport, at least the football would be pretty exciting.

Cup magic runs out for Oxford City

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Cup magic runs out for Oxford City

Under the BT Sport cameras, Oxford City’s magical cup run came to an end on Tuesday night, with a 0-2 defeat at the hands of Tranmere Rovers. First half goals from James Norwood and Paul Mullin were enough to send the League 2 side into the next round, where they will entertain Southport, of the National League North, at home at Prenton Park.

The first round FA Cup replay between Oxford City and Tranmere Rovers was played after their first meeting ended 3-3 in a thrilling tie. City had done exceptionally well to even reach this stage, having beaten Cray Valley, Dartford and Hemel Hempstead to book their place in the first round proper. And for a time the second round was beckoning, with Oxford City ahead going into the 90th minute of their game away at Tranmere, thanks to the hat-trick of striker Kabongo Tshimanga. However, in-form striker James Norwood equalised in the dying minutes for Tranmere, bringing about Tuesday night’s replay.

Oxford came out in droves to watch local stars pit their wits against league opposition. It was a sell-out at Court Place Farm, with the yellow of Oxford United also prominent in the crowd. However, despite the support, the game started terribly for City, with League Two top scorer James Norwood scoring for Tranmere after going through one on one with the goalkeeper, only six minutes in. From this point the discrepancy that was invisible in the first encounter between the two teams became evident, as Tranmere defended resolutely, restricting the Oxford threat.

It got worse for Oxford on 30 minutes, when defender Frankie Musonda got caught in possession on the edge of his box by Tranmere number 9 Paul Mullin, who then ably jinked inside and curled past Craig King in the Oxford goal to score Tranmere’s second. Mullin came close again minutes later with an effort from the edge of Oxford’s box, but this time King was there, showing great athleticism to tip the shot wide of the post. The first half ended 2-0 with City defeated and in need of some inspiration from manager Mark Jones.

The second half was far more even with Oxford rejuvenated and desperate to gain a foothold in the game. Their set pieces posed a real threat to Tranmere who struggled to clear their lines, but the ball never fell to a blue and white shirt to apply the finishing touch.

With time running out, manager Jones boldly made a triple substitution and in the nal minutes sent keeper Craig King up for a succession of corners, one of which almost ended in embarrassment as the Tranmere counter-attack failed to capitalise on the open goal that he had left behind.

The full-time whistle blew to the delight of the Tranmere fans who had travelled in good number. But there was nothing but praise for Oxford City, who had exceeded expectations in coming so far, and whose performance showed a grit and determination that will stand them in good stead for the remainder of the league campaign.

An Unexpected Visitor Review – ‘performed in a unique space but falls short’

Cassie White
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An Unexpected Visitor Review – ‘performed in a unique space but falls short’

As I walk into St. Peter’s JCR on a Tuesday evening, I have no idea what to expect from Mercury Theatre Productions’ An Unexpected Visitor. Comedy is difficult to get right – the timing, pacing, and dynamic all have to be perfect, and unfortunately they are the areas where this production fell short.

The narrative follows a group of protesters as they chair a meeting, expecting an undercover informant to share crucial details about an upcoming protest. One of the greatest strengths of the show is that it is set in the same location as its performance venue, which allows for an incredibly intimate and immersive setting. This immersion was maintained through audience interaction, including getting one audience member to minute the meeting which was an effective running joke throughout. Standout performances from Tommy Hurst as the underappreciated secretary Billy and Harry Berry as the unexpected visitor Jake must be mentioned, with Hurst’s comedic timing and dialogue making up for failings elsewhere.

Credit must also be given to Hamish Venters for a particularly well-acted meltdown aimed at Charly (Anna Jones), with the insult ‘walrus-fucking shit’ being a highlight of the evening. Georgia Rose Byrne, playing Sam, also effectively established the illusion of a meeting at the beginning by introducing audience members as part of the protesters’ group (and interacting with latecomers to extend a joke). In these specific moments, the potential of this show shined, and it is clear that the play could be a highly effective and hilarious piece.

Yet these perks couldn’t quite make up for the show’s downfalls, of which there were several. Jokes in general were dragged out for slightly too long, to the point where all humour they originally brought to the show was lost. The aforementioned meltdown from Eli, for example, was hilarious the first time – after sitting through the same joke for what felt like ten minutes, though, my original reaction wasn’t the same as that with which I left the ‘theatre’. The actors’ nerves were also very clear, with a few stumbles costing momentum, though opening night in an unconventional space makes this understandable.

Perhaps the main failing of the production, however, was the plot, which I only understand from having read the description on the Facebook event. Had the play been aiming to confuse its audience, this would be one of its greatest successes, though as it is branded as a ‘light-hearted and immersive piece’, I get the impression this was not meant to be the case. Much like its few jokes, the piece spent far too long on its exposition – which ultimately seems like wasted time when the narrative is so unclear throughout. Jake said it best halfway through the play: “I must admit, I’m really quite confused.” This ended up being the most relatably comic line of the night.

The piece is a perfectly acceptable first draft, and the ability to adapt to unique spaces is a great strength of Blanc’s writing and direction. However, the show sadly falls short in all of the areas that matter in a comedy, and so I can’t recommend seeing this show until it goes through another stage of redrafting.

OUCA elects first female president since 2015

Angus Brown
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OUCA elects first female president since 2015

Ellie Flint has been elected OUCA president for Trinity 2019, which will make her the Association’s first female president in four years.

Having run unopposed, Flint was one of five women elected, with the other nine available positions filled by men.

Charlie-Anne Plemming and Kia Owen were elected as Junior Officers, with both topping the list, while Melissa Orr and Tess Vartanian were elected to the Association’s committee.

Last term four of the Association’s elected positions were filled by women, with the positions of President, Treasurer, and Secretary won by men.

Flint told Cherwell: “I am delighted to have been elected as president of OUCA for Trinity 2019.

“I look forward to continuing the work of previous presidents to make student politics, OUCA, and the Conservative Party a more inclusive and welcoming place, and I hope seeing a woman in the most senior position will lead to a positive effect and encourage more women to get involved.

I look forward to working with all of the team for the next two terms.”

Current OUCA President Ben Etty told Cherwell: “The lack of female participation in student politics and in OUCA is a serious problem that many people have fought hard to tackle in recent years.

“Though long overdue, I’m absolutely delighted that we have elected another female president, who I’m sure will bring a fresh perspective to the Association and encourage more women to get involved.

“Ellie has been great to work with this term in her role as a Junior Officer, and I wish her all the very best for what I’m sure will be a fantastic term under her leadership.”

Since 2014, Oxford University Liberal Democrats have had five female presidents. In 2016, Oxford University Labour Club mandated that at least one of their co-Chairs must be “someone who self identifies partly or wholly as a woman or transfeminine”.

Updated 30/11/2018: The OULD have had five, not three, female presidents since 2014. 

Oxford hospitals introduce new app driven system

Cherwell News
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Oxford hospitals introduce new app driven system

Oxford University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust will be the first in the UK to introduce a digital system which will allow greater integration of third-party applications into day-to-day patient care.

The Hospitals Trust intends to draw on apps created in Oxford and elsewhere in the UK, which could potentially boost app developers’ visibility in the global market.

The system, which provides a common interface for the different apps, is deployed by American technology company, Cerner.

The system is currently live, and the Trust hopes to implement its first application in the new year.

Speaking to Cherwell, the Trust hoped that that the system would both reduce the cost and the time taken for “the most up-to-date digital technologies” to be implemented within its hospitals.

Patients will be able to become “joint participants” in their own care, with the new interface allowing them to access and update their own medical records, while clinical teams will be able to adopt specific apps appropriate to their specialism.

Such “open-source” technology is becoming more usual in the UK and is increasingly mandated as part of NHS digital programmes.

Two other Trusts in the UK, both  ‘Global Digital Exemplars’ like the Oxford Hospitals Trust, will be implementing similar technology in the coming months, with further Trusts in the Thames Valley also hoping to make reforms later in 2019.

A spokesperson for the Trust told Cherwell: “The research-led, innovation-focused nature of the Oxford healthcare ecosystem makes it an ideal place to test such technologies.”

They added: “The curriculum of all medical schools needs to adapt and change to accommodate the fast-paced transformation that new digital technology is enabling.”

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