Headington Headlines #2

TonyOX3

Here is my weekly round-up of Headington, Marston and Barton news for the week 28 February to 6 March.

Police raided addresses in Ash Grove and London Road, Headington on Tuesday 1 March in a major drugs operation. Seventeen people were arrested and police seized cocaine and cannabis, cash and a CS gas canister.

Patients leapt to the defence of the food at the Nuffield Hospital with an article in the @TheOxfordMail after a Channel 4 Dispatches report.

Signs appeared warning that Cuckoo Lane will be closed between Osler Road and Old High Street for 10 weeks from 7 March.

This was the weekend of Oxclean’s Spring Clean.

Documents for the public consultation on the future of children’s congenital heart services, including the unit at the JR Hospital, were published.

@The Oxford Mail reported the diamond (60 year) wedding anniversary of Barton couple Jean and Arthur Taylor, who married in St Andrew’s Church Headington.

Boutique microbrewery The Masons Arms, Headington Quarry, won a CAMRA award for Best Beer at the Wantage Beer Festival.

Community group @ThriveBarton appeared on twitter. Their website is here.

Active topics on Headington & Marston e-democracy forum (28 Feb – 6 Mar):

  • Should the Dorset House planning application get planning permission?
  • Online Survey about Forum Rules
  • Polish shop
  • Your testimonials about this forum needed to help earthquake community recovery in New Zealand

To feed into next week’s summary you can comment on this article, or tweet either with the hashtag #ox3 or @mentioning @TonyOX3.

Headington Headlines #1

TonyOX3

Here is my first weekly round-up of Headington news. I hope to make this a regular item. To feed into next week’s summary you can comment on this article or tweet, either with the hashtag #ox3 or @mentioning @TonyOX3.

The closure of Londis was tweeted several times as people caught up with the news, but it was a surprise to hear that Clovers in Windmill Road is to close after 30 years’ trading. The owner blames changing shopping patterns rather than rising costs. ThisIsOxfordshire website reported on the temporary closure of the Post Office at Underhill Circus, Barton, which shut on Friday, February 18. It is hoped to operate a temporary community shuttle service to Risinghurst to help pensioners collect their pensions.

The Oxford Mail reported that the City Council wants construction work to start on the controversial Barton West development by December 2013. I’m sure this won’t be the last we hear on this!

The Farmers’ Market was on Friday. @CompassBrewery seemed to be the only traders there who are active on twitter. @OxfordCityGuide, @FoodOfTheOx and @headingtonnews all advertised it.

@headingtonnews reported the results of the painting and drawing competition organised by Friends of Bury Knowle Park. In other park news a large tree outside the library was cut down (picture c/o @headingtonnews). @OxfordCity confirmed it was dying and dangerous.

Waxwings in Headington Hill Park and the Churchill Hospital, and a peregrine falcon in Bury Knowle Park and the Churchill, were reported by @oxonbirdnews.

Osler Road was blocked for a while when a No 10 bus couldn’t get past an illegally parked car  (picture).

Active topics on Headington & Marston e-democracy forum (21 – 27 Feb):

  • Should the Dorset House planning application get planning permission?
  • Clover’s to close
  • Abolition of Area Committees
  • Cycling in Marston
  • Oxcar in Headington
  • The Friar
  • Headington parking charges to rise
  • Oxfordshire “Big Society” fund
  • Londis corner shop in receivership

And last (and probably least) @TheOxfordMail report “Headington grandma, 69, ditches painkillers for pilates” was widely retweeted.

Weather forecast clichés

TonyOX3

A recent tweet by @OxfordWords on the subject of clichés reminded me how annoying the language used by most TV and radio weather forecasters is. Here are some common clichés that have me shouting at the screen or the radio:-

“wall to wall” – as in “wall to wall sunshine”
“it’s not all doom and gloom”
“from the word go”
“in charge” – as in “wet weather will be in charge”
“while you’re out and about”
“temperatures will plummet”
“spits and spots” – of rain, presumably meaning occasional light rain
“watch out for” – as in “watch out for those showers”
“disappointing temperatures” – who are you to tell me what temperatures I feel most comfortable in?

Not really clichés but still annoying:-

“always” – as in “temperatures will always be lower in the east”
“old” – as in “it’ll be a windy old day”

And one I heard a few days ago —
“watch out if you bump into one of those showers”

So it’s disappointing temperatures in the west, and watch out for those spits and spots of rain while you’re out and about. But it’s not all doom and gloom. In the east it’ll be wall to wall sunshine with high pressure always in charge from the word go.

Why do they do it? I can only think that by adopting this “chatty” style they want to present themselves as one of us, the viewers/listeners, who are ordinary people who talk in clichés and would be put off by “experts” just giving the facts. I find it élitist, patronising and grossly unprofessional, as well as being downright annoying.

How many more we can add to the list?

(added 18 Feb):
“at a premium” – as in “any brightness will be at a premium” meaning “it will be cloudy most of the day”
“waiting in the wings” – as in “there’s more bad news waiting in the wings” meaning “there’s more rain coming”. And while I’m on the subject, value judgements have no place in professional meteorology. Rain isn’t “bad news”, it’s rain.

(added 25 Feb):
“wet weather knocking on the doorsteps of London” – Dan Corbett, BBC Radio5live, 12:30 25/02/11