General

Headington Headlines #19

TonyOX3

Here is my weekly round-up of news for the week 27 June – 3 July.

BT may have introduced their Infinity fibre optic system in Headington exchange this week. Or they may not.

@OxfordCity used an interim management order for the first time in Oxfordshire to take control of an HMO (house in multiple occupancy). The house in Salford Road, Marston is an unlicensed HMO that contains six people. The landlord is not considered a fit and proper person to hold a licence after being prosecuted twice before for offences at HMOs in Craufurd Road and Marston Road.

Two men appeared at Oxford Magistrates’ Court on Friday charged with rape and other offences after an alleged assault in Barton.

@TheOxfordMail reported that the Sikh community evicted from Marston may have found a new site near Kidlington for a temple.

Joe Callaghan laid a foundation stone for a new library named after his grandfather, former Prime Minister James Callaghan, at Ruskin College. The Callaghan Library is part of a £5m refurbishment project.

The Cowley Road Carnival in South Park was on Sunday and seems to have been a success. @headingtonnews and @OxfordCityGuide posted these pictures. http://twitpic.com/5kos27 http://fb.me/UR8CPSOI

Re-tweets about a stolen husky dog filled my timeline on Sunday – here’s what to look out for.

Someone’s started using the twitter name @headington. He’s nothing to do with us – he’s from Hornsby. Not even Hornsby in Cumbria, but a suburb NW of Sydney, Australia. Seven tweets so far and all pushing a ‘Make money working from home’ scheme. So not very interesting then.

Active topics on the Headington & Marston e-democracy forum this week:

  • The Cavalier pub
  • Area Forum
  • Old Headington Conservation Area Appraisal Consultation
  • residential parking in the Radcliffe Hospital area
  • Noise complaints

I try to cover news from the OX3 postcode in Headington and out as far as Barton, Sandhills and Risinghurst (see map). 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 #17

TonyOX3

Here is my weekly round-up of news for the week 13 – 19 June.

The Londis saga continues. It now seems that it may be a Tesco Express, not a KFC. More information on the H&M e-democracy forum.

@headingtonnews reported a small fire in Headington Co-op on Saturday morning, and that the Quarry morris men were mentioned in the Guardian on Thursday.

A man was sentenced to two years in prison for a string of sexual offences against children in Headington in the 1980s.

The City Council has properties in Headington for sale, including the old dairy in Headington Hill Park.

Cuckoo Lane footpath between Osler Road and Old High Street is open again.

Retired pharmacist Ian Simpson from Old Marston was awarded an MBE for services to the College of Pharmacy Practice and the Guild of Healthcare Pharmacists.

The City Council plans to bring in regulations restricting to four the number of dogs which can be taken for a walk at one time. Not surprisingly two dog-walking businesses in Headington, Pinny & Paws and Walkies, are upset. I’m surprised the Council feels it’s good use of its time to develop policies like this as presumably there’s already legislation in place which would let them deal with any actual problems that arise.

Water getting into phone cables left many homes and businesses in Wood Farm without BT phone services. The trouble started on Thursday and services were still not fully restored over the weekend.

The Headington & Marston e-democracy forum has been busy this week. The active topics were:

  • Headington on local radio this morning.
  • CPZ (or similar) along Sandfield Rd
  • Headington property offered for sale by city council
  • Restaurant application for former Tote betting shop in Marston Road
  • Tesco appeal on The Friar Site
  • Clover’s to close
  • Londis corner shop in receivership

I try to cover news from the OX3 postcode in Headington and out as far as Barton, Sandhills and Risinghurst (see map). To feed into next week’s summary you can comment on this article, or tweet either with the hashtag #ox3 or @mentioning @TonyOX3.

How not to negotiate

TonyOX3

We bought a picture this week: an original oil painting, framed. It was by a local artist (local to where we were, not here in Oxford) and was one of a dozen by the same man on display in the bar of a hotel. We both liked it but went away to think about it.

The next day we both thought we would like to buy it, but I felt as a matter of principle we shouldn’t pay the ticket price. I phoned the hotel and asked if they could do a better price. The young woman on the phone said she’d check and call me back – which she did, saying the price was negotiable. I said we’d call the next morning to sort it out.

The following morning there was a young man in charge at the hotel. He didn’t seem to know anything about our interest in the picture but was willng to sell it. “How much do you want to pay?”, he asked. I said I’d really like it for nothing but would be willing to do a deal. “I don’t know anything about paintings, so I’ve no idea what it’s worth”, he said, adding “I’ve been here a couple of years and I think we’ve only ever sold two”.

Remembering all I’d learned first as a trade unionist then as a management negotiator, I named a figure which I thought was just about acceptable as a starting position. “Well, if the ticket had said £xxx we’d have bought it then and there.”

“OK, I’ll check with the owner”, he replied. It wasn’t clear who ‘the owner’ was – the hotel owner? The artist? A few minutes later he came back. “OK”, he said.

And that was it. I’ve no idea whether we could have bought it for a huge amount less. Maybe ‘the owner’ was happy to sell at any price, though I doubt it because the same artist has work in a proper gallery nearby, and even in a gallery in Woodstock, and the asking prices are much the same as in the hotel.

I actually felt a bit deflated. I’d been looking forward to a real negotiation but it was all over so quickly. But the good news is that we’ve got the picture home and it will look great in the hall!