morris dancing

Headington Headlines #398

TonyOX3

Your weekly round-up of local news for 10 – 16 December.

You know Christmas is just around the corner when @TheMasonsArmsHQ announces the Boxing Day Morris Mummers Play arrangements.

Pizzas, burgers, quizzes and live music are all planned for the Somerset pub in Marston if the people behind The Rusty Bicycle and Rickety Press complete their take-over deal. We must wait and see if they keep to their theme and rename it The Ramshackle Somerset.

Police have been issuing warnings to motorists using Elms Drive, Marston as a rat-run to avoid the Headley Way roadworks. £50 fines are threatened.

Following a public exhibition last Monday the city council has opened a consultation about the redevelopment of Underhill Circus in Barton. The consultation is via an online questionnaire. You have to register, or login if you’ve registered for consultations before.

Plowman’s Tower in Northway now has security guards to counter hooliganism and anti-social behaviour that has been ‘making residents’ lives hell’. CCTV is also being installed here and at Forester’s Tower in Wood Farm.

There were no new posts on the Headington & Marston e-democracy forum this week.

Headington Headlines #246

TonyOX3

Your weekly round-up of local news for 21 – 27 December.

A defibrillator has been installed outside Risinghurst Post Office

The first Hospital Energy Project liaison meeting was held on Tuesday evening. My report is here.

A nine year old was treated for smoke inhalation after a candle set fire to a towel in a home in Barton Village Road on Tuesday. Neighbours heard a smoke alarm and warned the family.

Barton Neighbourhood Centre served Christmas dinner to anyone wanting food and company on Christmas Day.

Twin baby girls – Francesca and Poppy – were born on Christmas day in the JR Hospital. “We had been planning to go to my Nan’s for the evening”, said father George Bishop.

Large crowds turned out to see the Quarry Morris men @HeadingtonQMD perform their traditional Boxing Day mummers’ play at the Quarry pubs.

Only one active post on the Headington & Marston e-democracy forum this week:

  • Disruption

Headington Headlines #15

TonyOX3

Here is my weekly round-up of news for the week 30 May – 5 June.

The Headington Festival took place on Sunday 5 June, and was well-attended despite the weather turning a bit damp during the afternoon. @HeadingtonNews posted some photos.

In yet another climb-down by the County Council, plans to introduce parking controls in Cheney Lane and Warneford Lane were dropped. “Controlled parking zones are not a priority”, Rodney Rose, council cabinet member for transport is reported to have said.

A blue plaque to famous Morris dancer and folk musician William Kimber was unveiled on Monday outside 42 St Anne’s Road, the house Mr Kimber built for his family in about 1908. The traditional bank holiday Morris dancing at Headington Quarry followed.

Laura Loves Flowers has closed after only a short time & has relocated to Sutton Courtenay (via @beccachaplin).

29 Old High Street made the news when it was put on the Save Britain’s Heritage At Risk register. This doesn’t require anything to actually happen about it.

The inaugural meeting of the Area Planning East Committee met in the Town Hall on Wednesday. Four out of 9 councillors on the committee represent ‘our’ wards: Mary Clarkson (Lab, Marston); Van Coulter (Lab, Barton & Sandhills); Roy Darke (Lab, Headington Hill & Northway); David Rundle (LibDem, Headington).

On Wednesday night thieves broke into the Helen and Douglas House charity shop in Windmill Road and raided the safe, taking about £250 in cash.

@DazzMullee reported there was a car smash outside the Britannia on Friday when a BMW was in collision with a driving instructor’s car.

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

  • 29 Old High Street
  • Planning applications: new arrangements
  • Library
  • Rosemary’s Restaurant

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.