Weekly round-up: Five stories you may have missed

Exterior of a postmodern Egyptian-style property, featuring a winged solar disc over the main entrance, tartan pattern tiling along the base, and black columns topped with terracotta circles, representing the hieroglyph for the rising sun — Image caption,
Sphinx Hill house was designed by John Outram Associates and built during 1998 and 1999

30 June 2024

A story about an Egyptian-inspired property becoming one of the youngest listed buildings in Britain was among our most read stories this week in Oxfordshire.

A variety of local issues were featured on the BBC News website, BBC Radio Oxford and South Today.

We have picked five of them to keep you up to date.

'Egyptian' house from 1990s becomes listed building

The landscaped garden at the back of the house with a watercourse representing the Nile

Phil Sayer / C20 Society

The property in Moulsford, Oxfordshire, recently sold for £2.3m

An Egyptian-inspired property has become one of the youngest listed buildings in Britain.

Sphinx Hill house in Moulsford, Oxfordshire, has been Grade II* listed by the Department of Culture, Media and Sport, external following an application by the charity the C20 Society.

It was designed by John Outram Associates and built during 1998 and 1999.

Gaza protest campsite at university dismantled

Demonstrator behind newly-erected fencing outside National History Museum wearing face mask

Protesters said they had no choice but to leave the camp after fencing went up

An encampment outside a museum where students were protesting against the war in Gaza is being dismantled.

A protest camp was set up outside the Museum of Natural History in Oxford on 6 May.

Oxford University fenced off the area on Sunday morning "in preparation for returning it to public use" and to "avoid further damage to the lawn".

When your university neighbour turns out to be a prince

The Japanese emperor Naruhito as a student at Oxford, speaking to Keith George. The future emperor is smiling and wearing a black top, underneath a brown jacket. Keith George wears a blue top and a brown jacket. In the background, a man in a grey coat is looking away form the camera. A smiling woman with a red scarf around her neck looks at Keith George

Kyodo

The future emperor (second left) and Keith George (right) as student friends

It's always something of a lottery who you end up living beside at university.

For Keith George, an American student at Oxford in 1983, it turned out to be the future emperor of Japan.

The crown prince, now Emperor Naruhito, was in the room next door at Merton College.

First UK-based Japanese Ekiden race gets underway

Ekiden starts with a group of about 10 runners departing from sunny Oxford, with residents and media cheering them on from the sidelines

About 180 runners formed 18 teams, including one from the University of Oxford

The first UK edition of Ekiden, a popular Japanese long-distance relay race, took place.

The competition followed a 76-mile (122km) route from Oxford to Windsor along the Thames Path.

Organisers said that from the university teams, University of Oxford had completed the race first in seven hours 48 minutes and 14 seconds, while Team Paris Marathon, which represented the running companies and clubs, crossed the finish line after nine hours 15 minutes and 7 seconds.

Safety warning to swimmers as heat warning issued

A man in a black jacket and trousers floating in water with his arms and legs spread out. He is wearing shoes and a hat and is demonstrating how to float if you get into difficulty in the water

Oxfordshire County Council

Swimmers are reminded to "relax, lean back and float" if they fell into water

A fire and rescue service has issued a warning to swimmers to "lean back and float" if they get into difficulty in open water.

Oxfordshire County Council Fire and Rescue (OFRS) has published the water safety advice following concerns about people using lakes and waterways during the hot weather.

It comes after yellow heat-health alerts have been issued in many parts of the country.