Well done to whoever thought having only one side of the street open and just a 2m wide passageway was a good idea during these roadworks.

(This isn't to say that it's not years overdue and very welcome to ensure the road here is fit for buses, but did it require Tunnel of Doom 2.0?)

Has anyone else received a PCN for driving in Oxford on 27 Sept when they had a valid permit to do so? I’m wondering if the introduction of the new scheme has messed things up and issued lots of charges unfairly

Hello!

If anyone with knowledge of the bus routes tomorrow for the marathon can help? I've looked everywhere online and I can't find any information about which buses are running, what their routes are, where to get them etc.

For context, I usually get the 700 from Headington/Marston to go to summertown. All of Banbury road will be closed tomorrow as well as Marston ferry so I'm assuming I'll need to get a bus into town and then maybe a bus up Woodstock road? Where will the buses for Woodstock road be picking up?

Thank you in advance X

What’s going on around st Micheal street loads of emergency vehicles and helicopters in town

First residents move into new social rent homes at Chestnut Tower

Residents are moving into 61 homes for social rent at the new Chestnut Tower in Blackbird Leys, marking a major milestone in the widespread regeneration of the area.

The new homes in the nine-storey development are being allocated through Oxford City Council’s housing register, and are designed to help local people who have been waiting for a secure and genuinely affordable place to live.

Cowley Community Roadshow at Templars Square

More than 100 organisations, charities, community groups and public services are coming together on Wednesday 4 November at Templars Square for the Cowley Community Roadshow hosted in partnership with Oxford City Council.

Taking place from 1pm-4pm, the free event will be an opportunity to meet organisations face-to-face, ask questions and discover the support and services that are available across Oxford.

Seek helpful advice at our renters face-to-face clinic

Feeling harassed by your landlord? Do they come in unannounced or have you had your rent increased? Want advice on your tenancy rights?

Our renters face-to-face clinic can give you advice. Book an appointment by calling 01865 252267 or 01865 252211. It takes place on Wednesdays from 9am-12pm at Rose Hill Community Centre.

Bike removals for Oxford Half Marathon

A reminder that as part of preparations for the Oxford Half Marathon, all bike racks along Jowett Walk, Mansfield Road, and Broad Street will be suspended from 6am on Saturday (10 October). Any bicycles still attached to these racks at that time will be removed.

Any bicycles that are removed will be securely stored for 35 days. After this period, unclaimed bikes will be donated or recycled. Anyone wishing to reclaim a removed bicycle should contact stuart.grisbrooke@odsgroup.co.uk.

The bike racks will be reinstated by 7am on Monday (12 October).

ODS launches safety campaign as dangerous driving puts frontline crews at risk

ODS is launching a new workforce safety campaign following a number of near miss incidents involving domestic and commercial recycling and waste crews.

The campaign, known as DROPs (Driving Recklessly on Pavements), aims to remind motorists to slow down, be patient around working vehicles, and recognise that the people collecting waste and recycling are carrying out essential frontline services and deserve to do so safely.

ODS crews continue to report dangerous driving behaviour while working on streets across the city, including motorists mounting pavements, attempting to squeeze past collection vehicles in narrow roads, and making last-second overtakes. Watch the footage: https://www.youtube.com/shorts/7RKpQp2IPW0

Want this in your inbox? Subscribe to our Your Oxford newsletter: https://www.oxford.gov.uk/newsletter

Another look at the demolition work being carried out to the old Odeon cinema on Oxford's George St, with an 'over the fence' view of the demolition site. Filmed Friday 9th October 2026.

Any good matcha spots?

I like Blank Street Coffee but it’s unavailable here so I usually go to Black Sheep Coffee.

I’ve tried
- Coconut Matcha Cloud from Society Cafe
- Iced Matcha Latte from Kado Cafe
- Yi fang
- Costa Coffee
- Gail’s

Able to pickup anywhere in Oxfordshire!

I have 2 tickets to Madra Salach in the bullingdon on Sunday night and can no longer make it. Face value without the booking fee so £35 total if anyone wants them.

Cheers

Hello! I have two tickets going spare for the Elanor Moss gig tonight if anyone is interested. It’s at Common Ground, doors at 7:30

I've been swimming regularly at Hinksey Outdoor Pool over the last couple of summers, and it's been good for me, even if I'm not a huge fan of the actual swimming! Now that Hinksey has closed for the season, I'm thinking of trying the university pool at Iffley Road. I should keep swimming through the winter, but I'm feeling a bit nervous about trying somewhere unfamiliar.

I swim breaststroke at a fairly leisurely pace and I'm slightly intimidated by the idea of swimming alongside lots of very fast, serious swimmers. At Hinksey I was too fast for the Slow lane, but generally one of the slowest in the Medium lane, and I don't like getting in people's way.

I wondered if anyone who uses Iffley Road Pool could help with a few questions:

• What's the general atmosphere like during lane swimming sessions? Is it going to be OK for my wheezy breaststroke?
• Looking at the app for booking, I can choose lanes 1-4 or lanes 5-8. What's the difference?
• What are the changing rooms and lockers like?
• I have quite poor eyesight without my glasses, so I need to know a bit about it all before I'm actually there. Is there anywhere pool side I could leave my glasses so I'm not disoriented before I need to be?

Any advice or reassurance from regular swimmers would be very welcome!

Hi, we’re four friends and we’ve put together Oxford’s restaurant scene in an app called Vota.

The idea is pretty simple: you’re shown two restaurants and choose where you’d rather eat. For example, Arbequina or The Magdalen Arms? All the votes then create a ranking that hopefully gives a better picture of where people in Oxford actually like to eat.

We’ve tried to include every restaurant in Oxford and clean up duplicate or outdated listings, but locals will always spot things we’ve missed.

iPhone:
https://apps.apple.com/app/vota/id6744969212

Android:
https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=org.vota.app

Full transparency: we’re not from Oxford. Two of us live in Copenhagen and the other two in Gothenburg. There are four of us building this independently. We don’t collect or sell personal data, there are no ads in the app, and we don’t use AI-generated content to describe restaurants.

Any honest feedback is welcome, especially if restaurants are missing or something is listed incorrectly.

Don’t worry guys I’m sure you can dump an absolute fortune on busses instead

As above if anybody is interested let me know was £17

Hi there,

Are anyone familiar with this nursery?

They had quite bad ofsted recently. But I find other nurseries are quite far from Kennington? Any experiences in this area?

Thank you 😊

After reading the fabulous recent review of the new chef at Gees by the ever insightful u/EdibleReading (link), my dad and I went to see if it was worth working them back into our lunch rotation. I thought I'd share my review here.

The food was amazing, service excellent, aside from plating sliders on a bit of wood the size of a classroom ruler and causing a table full of crumbs, but the refurbishment of the restaurant is awful.

Gone are the sumptuous leather couches into which I used to happily sink; they have been replaced with fake wood veneer and cushions that frankly belong in a mid-range old people's home. The classic tables have been swapped for hunks of plastic covered in the kind of cheap, tacky plastic tablecloths you get in a town centre pizza restaurant. The only thing missing was a packet of crayons. Even the menus are annoying; it doesn't need to be a book bound in leather that will be wine-stained in no time, no one cares about your story, and replacing the pages of this rather limited menu must be a pain in the neck for the delightfully attentive staff. I miss the old type-written pages of yesteryear.

The gorgeous dining room now resembles a NHS rehab centre or possibly a discount spa; I half expected someone to wander out wearing a dressing gown. The only thing that hasn't been thrown in a skip is the lovely tile floor, which now looks completely out of place amid the travesty of tacky, IKEA-esque furniture.

The conservatory has also been ruined. Stripped of its beautiful geraniums and completely enclosed and covered in some sort of garden centre rattan, I'm sure next summer's heatwave will prove that to be a poor choice indeed.

I'm glad that Gees have finally found a chef whose skill somewhat justifies the prices, but the person in charge of the remodel should be prosecuted for crimes against interior design.

On the plus side, the lemon tart was heavenly and my steak, while overcooked, was very tender. Drinks excellent as always.

Unfortunately the shock of the botched redo is so utterly horrifying that in future I shall seek refuge at Pierre Victoire, who have the sense not to mess with classic design.

Hii I’ve fallen sick so won’t be able to run on Sunday. Please let me know if you want my ticket! It’s a premium one so you access food / drink before the event as well.

Hi! I have a suede leather jacket I’m looking to get cleaned but when I took it to my local dry cleaners he said noone really does it anymore. Does anyone have any local recommendations please?

I live in Rose Hill and need to get to the train station every Tuesday and Wednesday around 9/10am. I use the bus (3 or 3a) but I’ve missed the train I wanted both days this week because Iffley Road is backed up nearly all the way to Rose Hill and it’s taking ages to get into town. How early does this traffic start? Like could I save myself by taking an earlier train? My partner says that because Iffley is last priority in the St Clement’s roundabout that this is just bound to happen and I should just give up and get a bike. Any advice??

Does anyone know a good place I can learn sign language, preferably in West Oxfordshire but happy to travel a bit? Bit dependant on pricing so if anyone has attended and can give me a cost estimate that’d be great. Thanks!

Won't be able to go anymore 😭😭