schools

Headington Headlines #89

TonyOX3

Here’s my weekly round-up of local news for 3 – 9 December.

Headington woke up to its first snow of the winter on Wednesday morning. Twitter predictably went mad for a while.

@Stagecoach_Ox‘s new buses finally started service on the no. 10 route alongside some of the old ones. From the outside at least they are much quieter than the old ones.

The bells at St Nicholas the Wonderworker in Marston, a gift from Voronezh in Russia, have finally been hung. Planning permission to ring the bells was granted in February this year after objections from some local residents.

Quarry School and Maggie’s Oxford @maggiesoxford both held Christmas Fairs on Saturday.

The section of Pullen’s Lane nearest Headington Hill got a badly-needed resurfacing on Monday.

My favorite Headington-related tweet this week:

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

  • Pullen’s Lane due to be closed today
  • Coffee with Cops today
  • Proposed Changes To Holy Trinity Church
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 #87

TonyOX3

After last week’s sparse Headington Headlines some more news for that week, all criminal, came to light.

Burglars stole identification cards, a large quantity of gold including chains, rings and bracelets and £2,500 from a house in Cherwell Drive on Tuesday 13 Nov. Police are appealing for any information.

A woman had her bag stolen by a man who attacked her on Friday 16 Nov. The incident happened at about 10:50pm on the corner of Gladstone Road and Trafford Road.

Sub-postmaster Shiv Singhal was attacked in Atkyns Road, Wood Farm near his home early in the morning of Saturday 17 Nov. The attackers threatened to kill his wife if he didn’t hand over his money, keys and phone then went to his house and stole his car.

And after a much more active week in OX3 here’s my weekly round-up of local news for 19 – 25 November.

Bill McCarthy, Baron McCarthy of Headington, who won a scholarship to Ruskin College before moving on to Merton and Nuffield, died on Sunday 18 November. He was a prominent part of the trade union movement and lived in Headington.

C S Lewis, who lived in Headington and is buried in Holy Trinity Churchyard in Quarry is to be commemorated with a plaque in Poets’ Corner, Westminster Abbey.

Meanwhile the dispute over proposals to alter the interior of Holy Trinity and build over part of the churchyard rumbles on in the e-democracy forum.

A significant step towards the realisation of the Barton West development was taken when the Inspector’s report was published, concluding that the Barton Area Action Plan provides an appropriate basis for the planning of the area. The report will go to the Council Meeting on 17th December with a recommendation that Members adopt the Action Plan. Oxford Mail report | Download the Inspector’s report in full.

Children at three schools in Headington – @WindmillOxford, St Andrew’s Primary and Headington Quarry Nursery dressed up as zebras on Tuesday as part of a campaign to get more zebra crossings installed. @greenoakoxford posted this picture and The Oxford Mail reported.

Concillors @RuthWilk and @DavidRundle held another Headington Ward Focus Meeting on Tuesday. Report here.

A Marston-based blog has started – @MarstonBlog run by @TimDavies. Among other things there’s a summary report of the Marston Community-Led Planning workshop held in Mortimer Hall, Old Marston on Tuesday.

Despite strong opposition expressed during public consultation, County officers are recommending that Windmill School should be expanded to be three-form entry. Documentation here.

A plaque was unveiled outside the library in Bury Knowle Park on Saturday, commemorating the planting of an oak tree as part of the Diamond Jubilee celebrations.

High water levels in the Cherwell flooded the gardens of the Victoria Arms @VictoriaArms in Marston. This picture was taken at 11.30 on Saturday morning.

Heads up, Highfield Residents’ Association! Someone’s claiming your ground! My favorite Headington-related tweet this week:

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

  • Proposed Changes To Holy Trinity Church
  • Hit and run on Headley Way
  • Thornhill Park & Ride: proposed charges for 11+ hours
  • Long-stay charging to begin at Park and Ride
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 #82

TonyOX3

Here’s my weekly round-up of local news for 15 – 21 October —

There was a Headington Ward Focus Group meeting in Osler House (on the JR site) on Tuesday evening. At the same time there was a meeting at Windmill Primary School with County representatives to discuss the proposals for making the school a three-form entry.

@106JackFM broadcast from @WindmillOxford on Friday morning.

Osler House (www.osler.co.uk) is the Oxford University club for clinical medical students. Or as their representative put it, “Somewhere medical students can get away from doctors, nurses and patients”. They have conference/meeting facilities for over 100 people, including a seminar room complete with modern A/V equipment, a lounge and a bar. The facilities are available for private hire and they are keen to attract more of this business.

Oxfordshire County Council’s cabinet meeting on Tuesday approved the introduction of long-term parking charges at Thornhill and Water Eaton park-&-rides. The fee will be £3 for stays longer than 11 hours.

Print and copy shop Oxford Design closed their shop on London Road on Friday. They re-open in Stanton St John on Monday. Londis (run by @sundersandher) has been placed in the UK Top 100 independent retailers by the Independent Achievers Academy. And Robert Stanley Opticians, who have been trading at 137 London Road for 40 years, have just refurbished their store. They are having a grand re-opening on Thursday 25 October from 6pm – everyone invited!

Cerian Townsend of the @ThriveBarton team will receive an award in the Oxfordshire Charity & Volunteer Awards at the Town Hall on Tuesday.

@ Headington’s Oxford Mail reporter Damian Fantato has moved to cover North Oxford instead. Debate continues over whether we think this is a promotion.

Councillor Mick Haines unveiled a plaque on Saturday commemorating the residents of Marston killed in the second world war.

Martin Young has formally withdrawn his candidature for the role of Thames Valley PCC.

@DorsetHouse_Ox has joined twitter.

I came across this Headington Heritage blog. I couldn’t see who’s behind it but the items in the ‘Blogs I Follow’ list are possibly significant.

The quest has started to track down Headington’s very own flag (if it ever existed). It might be somewhere in the city archives.

My favorite Headington-related tweet this week:

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

  • Should Windmill School grow to over 600 pupils?
  • Ruskin College open day on Saturday 27 October 2012
  • New cancer centre for Headington
  • Google StreetView has redone Headington
  • Proposed Changes To Holy Trinity Church
  • Job advertisement
  • Thornhill Park & Ride: proposed charges for 11+ hours
  • New Road being built through Northway
  • News about two Headington shops
  • Best places to eat in Headington?
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.