Update 3rd April - We can't thank you all enough for your fantastic support and wonderful name ideas. The money raised could fund Sobell House and all palliative care services both in the Hospice and the community for a whole hour, supporting up to 650 patients at any one time.

And now for the final name selection... the most popular suggestion, and in honour of Elvis Costello, Claire's favourite musician, Northern Lights will now be named 'Elvis'!

Thank you again for all your support and please do keep visiting Elvis

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Update 3rd March - Thank you so much for all your brilliant suggestions! Graeme is going to decide on the name on the 20th March so any more suggestions, please send them in by this date and an update on the chosen name will follow!

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The striking Northern Lights ox, sponsored by Darcica Logistics, spent last summer proudly stood at the front of Oxford’s Westgate as part of OxTrail, raising awareness and funds for Oxfordshire’s Sobell House Hospice. When the oxen were auctioned for the charity, Northern Lights was bought by Dr Graeme Hirst of Didcot and is now on show in front of the retired scientist’s Church Street home.

“My wife, Claire, died of cancer in January 2024” said Dr Hirst “and the environment and care provided by Sobell House couldn’t have been better. At the worst time of our lives we really needed the help of palliative and end-of-life experts. We were so lucky to have that but in the end the number of people the hospice can support depends on the resources they have and around a third of their funds are raised independently of the NHS. I wanted to contribute so when the chance came to bid in the auction I took it.”

“I hadn’t actually seen Northern Lights, except in photos, before I bid, but what a corker he’s proved to be! Kent artist David Cutts has painted the Oxford skyline with balloons and airships and the stars beyond, inspired by Philip Pullman’s His Dark Materials books. I can’t see myself getting much done in the garden now. Almost everyone who passes stops to chat about the new arrival.”

Whilst Northern Lights is a very apt name for Dr Hirst’s pride and joy, now he is in pastures new, the time has come for him to have a less formal name to go by, and Graeme would love to have input from the local community and beyond! Please make a donation and suggest a name for the official bovine naming committee to pick from!