Cry Me Arriva

[dvboy]

If you do get the Virgin service from Wrexham/Chester arr Crewe 0754, you should be able to catch the 0801 Virgin Crewe-Birmingham-Euston (from P5).
Change at Wolverhampton for the 0841 XC Manchester-Bournemouth (which overtakes the Virgin there) and you can be in Oxford by 1013 (no need to change at New St).
Journey planners miss this option because of minimum connection times at Crewe, but normally it's OK.

Yet another way is to stay on the Euston train as far as Rugby (0845/51), and then change into a VT Birmingham service there, and again at Coventry (0902/25) to pick up the same XC Bournemouth service arr Oxford 1013.

None of this involves going "via London".

The second option would be better. The 0841 from Wolves is not fun.