As social media channels were obsessed with snow in and around Oxford, here’s my weekly round-up of local news for 14 – 20 January.
The priest and congregation of Russian Orthodox church St Nicholas The Wonderworker in Ferry Road, Marston held their annual blessing of the waters at Parsons’ Pleasure on the Cherwell on Saturday. Facebook picture.
More information came out about Oxford County Council’s proposals for the London Road Improvments Stage 3 which I wrote about after a public meeting last month. Note that it says the new scheme “delivers much greater benefits to buses and other traffic; it also minimises the impact on cyclists and pedestrians”. Cyclists and pedestrians bottom of the priority pile again then.
A woman was killed when her car skidded and overturned on the Northern bypass between Marston and Headington on Friday night (the night after the snowfall). Anyone with any further information is asked to contact the police.
Two separate accidents on Sunday evening closed the Eastern by-pass at Horspath Driftway between Headington and Littlemore.
Headington Quarry resident Dr Julia Gasper, who stood for the City Council elections last May as UKIP candidate for Quarry & Risinghurst has quit her position as Chair of the Oxford branch of UKIP. She was investigated by her party after posting “extremist and offensive” homophobic opinions on the UKIP online Members’ Forum. The Mirror newspaper broke the original story last Saturday and reports of her loss of office started appearing on Thursday. The story made The Marr Show on BBC1 on Sunday when Nigel Farage confirmed Dr Gasper “has resigned”. It seems she remains a member of the party, which Farage said “believes in free speech”.
The Marr Show on BBC iPlayer is on this link. Farage is introduced at 20’45”, the issue of remarks on the Members’ Forum starts at 25’00” and Gasper is discussed at 25’57”.
Active topics on the Headington & Marston e-democracy forum this week:
- Eastern bypass resurfacing postponed
- Empty shops in Headington
- Osler Road junction
- Church Bells in Ferry Rd, Marston