Life in and around Headington & OX3 (mostly), and Oxford (occasionally)
"To every complex problem there is a simple solution, startling in its simplicity, piercing in its clarity, and hopelessly and completely wrong" - Gore Vidal.
Both Anneliese Dodds (Lab, Oxford East) and Layla Moran (LibDem, Oxford West & Abingdon) voted against the second reading of the EU Withdrawal Bill on Monday night.
The largest piece of public art in Headington, “Origin” by Julian Wilde, has been shortlisted for an award for “excellence in public sculpture”. It is installed on the Old Road Campus.
I’m thrilled to announce that my sculpture ‘Origin’ has been shortlisted for the Marsh Award for excellence in public sculpture. pic.twitter.com/vppEPvMoTK
A flyer from a local artist and writer, Michael Plockley, came through my letterbox advertising his portrait service. His website pockley.blogspot.co.uk/ shows he also paints landscapes.
Despite local concerns, @Oxford_Brookes arrivals weekend at Beech House seemed to go fairly smoothly. @Unite_Student had marshals on duty to help direct the parking.
My favourite Headington-related tweet:
In Headington, there’s a Greek restaurant opening, apparently to be called ‘Greek Restaurant’. #logic
I’m grateful to @mike_rat for pointing out before the election that all four main candidates in Oxford East hold Doctorates.
The Access to Headington work on Headley Way was on show in Northway on Monday. Preparation for this part of the scheme starts on 19 June – that’s next week – with actual work starting on the 26th. It will be at the junction of Headley Way, the JR entrance and Staunton Road. Meanwhile, work on The Slade continues. Read more here.
The County Council has produced new Guidelines for Walking and Cycling, setting standards for new developments and redevelopments. I asked how far Access to Headington complied with the guidelines for cycling.
A memorial to the men of Oxfordshire who died in the Spanish Civil War was unveiled on Saturday. It stands on the triangle of land at the bottom of South Park on the corner with Morrell Avenue. The memorial was funded by the International Brigades Memorial Trust (IBMT) @IBMT_SCW
Overjoyed that Oxford’s Spanish Civil War memorial was unveiled today in my ward. A fitting tribute to the brutal fight against fascism. pic.twitter.com/7PRGohIsHk
Oxford Brookes has denied any involvement with Frontier Estates on the developer’s attempts to acquire land at the top of London Road / Barton Road for a speculative student accommodation scheme.
My favourite Headington-related tweet:
Still get that giddy childhood excitement every time I go past the Headington shark on the bus
Your weekly round-up of local news for 29 May – 4 June.
I know of only one more hustings for Oxford East, and it’s today (Monday) at 6.30pm in the Sheldonian Theatre, organised by Oxford University Students’ Union. It’s open to all and you can register on Eventbrite.
The hustings organised by Churches Together in Headington was on Thursday (1 June). It was well-attended and four of the five candidates were there; only Labour’s Anneliese Dodds was missing due to a prior commitment. She was represented by City Council leader Bob Price. It was a polite affair at least up to the time when I had to leave, though I gather it got a bit livelier once discussion was thrown open to the floor.
Whether or not you’ve been to a hustings, or have been doorstepped or leafleted by any of the parties, and whoever you support please turn out to vote on Thursday.
Turning to other matters, for the record all the heatpipe roadworks are definitely over. Here’s the last road to be cleared, photographed yesterday.
Churchill Drive after the heatpipe work was completed, June 2017
Although Access to Headington work on The Slade is far from finished, the countdown to the next phase, Headley Way, has begun. There’s a public exhibition of the plans for the work today (5 June) at the Northway Community Centre, Dora Carr Close from 2.00 – 6.00 pm. Engineers from the County will be there to answer questions and listen to your comments but it’s not a formal consultation. No further significant changes to this phase of the scheme are likely.
The Headington Festival took place over the weekend. The extra-large Saturday market was busy in the sunshine and so were the stalls and entertainments in Bury Knowle Park on Sunday, even though the sunshine had given way to cloud.
After nearly two decades when private schools have dominated the competition, St Joseph’s Primary School on Headley Way has won the Oxfordshire Under-11 Chess League. They beat Magdalen College School to win the championship.
The disabled spaces at the JR car park No. 2 were closed off this week. A temporary steel structure and a large crane appeared. This is what the Hospital Trust said on their facebook page:
You may have noticed a very large crane – and the temporary closure of some spaces – in Car Park 2 on the John Radcliffe site. This is to allow vital replacement air handling units to be lifted onto the rooftop of the hospital over the next week. We’re sorry for the disruption and inconvenience and ask you to bear with us during this period.
The first phase of work will last until the evening of Monday 5 June. From today (Friday 2 June), the roundabout by the main entrance, as well as part of Car Park 2, will be closed to allow the crane to be brought in.
A second crane will be brought onto the JR site on Saturday 10 June to deliver steelwork and air handling units, which will then be lifted onto the rooftop of the hospital. This will affect the roundabout by the main entrance only.
Crane in JR car park
The Oxford Mail reports that The Grill House, opening where Connell’s estate agents used to be (next to Bury Knowle Park), is run by the same man who owns the Old Mill Coffee Shop in Chipping Norton. A good sign is that The Old Mill has a five-star hygiene rating.
The anger at the way Frontier Estates has been trying to acquire land to build more speculative student accommodation has been growing. Cllr Alex Hollingsworth has become involved, and apparently the draft new Local Plan for the City which will be out for consultation in the next few months includes an intention to curb such developments. The Oxford Mail ran the story, and to follow the local debate you need to go to the e-democracy forum.
My favourite Headington-related tweet:
Residents in Rock Edge, St Anne’s Rd and Gathorne Rd area looking forward to Endeavour filming in their area on 7 June.
