Sir F
rank Williams CBE today unveiled the first sign to be positioned on the Didcot road which has been named in his honour. On Monday 15 October local dignitaries, residents and developers gathered together to see Sir Frank Williams CBE, Team Principal of Williams F1, unveil the road sign for “Sir Frank Williams Avenue”, the through road at the new Great Western Park development in Didcot. The road goes through the new development which straddles the Didcot/Harwell boundary, and is already used on a daily basis by the 100 plus residents who have so far moved on to the site. The suggestion for the name of the road was originally made by local resident Duncan Sabiston who recognised the contribution that Sir Frank has made to the local area since forming Williams Grand Prix Engineering at an empty industrial unit in 1977, just a short distance away from the site on which Great Western Park is now being developed. After receiving strong backing from the leaders of South Oxfordshire and Vale of White Horse District Councils, which have responsibility for supplying and installing street name plates at Great Western Park, the proposal was approved. It was then put to Sir Frank who graciously agreed to the move. Sir Frank Williams CBE, said: “I am humbled to have this road named in my honour. Williams has always tried to retain its local spirit and we are proud to call southern Oxfordshire our home. I have very fond memories of our time at Didcot where we achieved much success, and I would like to thank local residents and the Council for such a special tribute.’’ Anna Robinson, Shared Strategic Director, South Oxfordshire and Vale of White Horse District Councils, said: “Great Western Park will play a huge role in the future of Didoct as we continue the town’s transformation. It is therefore very fitting that one of the key aspects of the site should be named after Sir Frank, whose work and success has really helped to put this area on the map.” Darren McCormack, Sales and marketing director for Taylor Wimpey said: “With Sir Frank Williams’ well established links with Didcot it seemed a fitting tribute to name one of the roads at Great Western Park in his honour. He is such a well-known figure in the area and we’re delighted that he took the time to come along and personally unveil the road sign.” About Sir Frank Williams and Williams F1 Sir Frank Williams CBE has been a very important figure in southern Oxfordshire since 1977 when, along with engineer Patrick Head, he acquired an empty industrial unit in Didcot, just round the corner from the new Great Western Park site, and announced the formation of Williams Grand Prix Engineering. The team made its Formula One debut in 1978 and achieved the first of many milestones the following year when Clay Regazzoni picked up the team’s first Grand Prix win. Since their move to the area Williams F1 has competed in more than 500 Grand Prix, picking up 9 Constructors’ Championships, 7 Drivers’ Championships, 127 pole positions and 114 wins. In 1996 the team moved from their Didcot home, where they started with just 17 members of staff, to their current base in Grove which houses 500 staff. The company has expanded rapidly over the past few years, adding an advanced engineering division to compliment its Grand Prix racing operations. About Great Western Park Work at Great Western Park is ongoing, with the first phase of the development (313 houses) likely to be finished by 2013. It is anticipated that the entire development (including 3,300 houses and modern community facilities) will be completed by 2026.