Including… Traditional stone wall in Headington Quarry has won a reprieve from plans to replace it with metal railings & Experts on rail, bus and urban design gathered to discuss designs for a new transport hub at Oxford railway station last week in an event organised by campaign group Oxon4Buses

*** Headington bench plaques *** The benches are a legacy from late OxPA member Keith Holly. Friends of Quarry and Cllrs Pressel, Fry & Upton also gave funds from their budgets. Please take a moment (or longer!) to admire & use them... Margaret Road Rec Green Road Trafford Road Pullers Lane

'Pedestrian Priority' signs have been painted on the ground along the Thames towpath in Oxford. Polly Friedhoff died in 2022 after being hit by a cyclist at Iffley Lock, where cycling is prohibited. Oxford Pedestrians Association called for the signs in response to the coroner's report.

The 13 benches provided by OxPA are now having their plaques fitted so we thought we'd show them off! The benches are a legacy from late OxPA member Keith Holly. Friends of Quarry and Cllrs Pressel, Fry & Upton also gave funds from their budgets. Please take a moment (or longer) to use them...

Pavements are for people. www.theguardian.com/technology/2...

Hot off the press 😉

Sociability is an accessibility app that helps disabled people find accessible cafés, bars, restaurants & social spaces. Their detailed accessibility information covers entrances, toilets, lighting, noise levels & more so you can plan visits with confidence. Find out more here www.sociability.app

Great explainer of the Botley Road rail bridge replacement project. 3 years of frustrations delivered concisely in 10 minutes. youtu.be/dYy5G93b0_U

Nine Oxfordshire parish councils have applied for ‘quiet lanes’, where a road is closed to through motor traffic to improve safety for residents, walkers and cyclists. Each one will go through an initial assessment and design phase and then, if selected, be trialled for 6–18 months.

Another small step on the lengthy journey to removing vehicles from pavements www.oxfordmail.co.uk/news/2621959...

ICYMI: Free Sunday morning park yoga sessions across South Oxfordshire and the Vale of White Horse returned in May, with over 2200 participants rolling out their yoga mats at 9.30 am in Abingdon, Thame, Botley, Didcot, Faringdon and Henley. The sessions are funded by the two district councils.

The Wolvercote and Wytham Midsummer Festival kicks off tomorrow with a circle dance which ''invites dancers to think about the threat that bind us all". Weekend events include the 'Scrufts' dog show & a summer serenade. Its far too busy for us to cover in a single bleat: wolvercote.org/festival/

Now as we know, I love visiting historic estates and grounds and I know how expensive they are to run and maintain, so I understand and support the entry fees, but I also know those fees are sometimes steep and not everyone has the budget but everyone should have access. Would you like a pro tip?

Oxford City Council leader Susan Brown says she is “deeply concerned” by a student debating society hosting Stephen ‘Tommy Robinson’ Yaxley-Lennon at their Wednesday event – and says the society “must meet the full costs of staging their event, rather than leaving taxpayers to pick up the bill”.

The Oxford Canal has been shut to through navigation at Thrupp, near Kidlington, after a “vehicle incident” at the lift-bridge which gives to the popular Annie’s Tea-Room. The Canal & River Trust says that “the bridge will be out of action for the foreseeable”.

Oxford’s first Nature Festival starts this coming weekend, with a week of activities culminating in a festival day on Saturday 27 at the Museum of Natural History. Events include writing workshops, surveying expeditions, and film screenings. thenaturefestival.org

Some very interesting (as always!) updates on changes to the county’s highways, byways and everything in between…

Oxford is getting a 24-hour vet service. Iffley Vets, on Iffley Road, will be staffed with three vets and three nurses overnight. At present, out-of-hours vet care is chiefly provided by practices outside Oxford. The new service is available to all pets whether or not registered with Iffley Vets.

A trial weekend bus service between Thornhill Park and Ride and Waterperry Gardens starts on Saturday 13th June and will continue until the end of August, stopping along the route in Wheatley. www.oxfordbus.co.uk/waterperry-g...

Essential local news…

Today MK… tomorrow Cambridge?

This weekend - not your average plant sale: Plants from the award winning RHS Chelsea Garden in aid of Parkinson's UK. Sunday at the JR hospital, 11.30am on Sunday 31 May until 3pm or until all the plants have gone. Plants will largely be priced at £10, £15 or £20.

Improvements to Friars Wharf playground in South Oxford are set to start next week. Following feedback from local residents about the lack of equipment for younger children, improvements will include two new multi-play climbers with slides, a swing for younger children, and seating.

Sale of perennial plants from the Parkinson's UK RHS Chelsea Flower Show garden on Sunday (31 May 2026), 11.30am to 3pm, opposite William Osler House at the JR Hospital. Some are large, so you may want to bring a trolley

This is also the context for Quiet Lanes. The Tories are already starting to fear-monger, just like they did over 20mph. But it'll help make areas that are still dangerous safer - like Blackthorn in my division, where a child died in 2024 and a woman was injured in 2025. Don't fall for it.

This is absolutely brilliant news. There is inevitably a lag in policies to address road safety showing results, but this shows they work. Families and communities are safer thanks to our policies news.oxfordshire.gov.uk/oxfordshire-...

Provisional data published yesterday by DfT shows the number of people killed and seriously injured on Oxfordshire roads at their lowest level since the motor car became popular. Measures branded as 'controversial' by some are proving their value in lives and limbs saved.

Oxfordshire is introducing quiet lanes to make some minor roads safer for walking, wheeling, cycling and horse riding. Schemes will only go ahead with local support and suitable alternative routes for drivers. Find out more and read the full story news.oxfordshire.gov.uk/new-quiet-la...

Essential weekend reading for Oxfordshire people 🗞️

Go and visit the Oxford Botanical Gardens. Go on do it. Beautiful & Interesting!

The roadworks in central Headington were cleared this afternoon (although work still has to be done on the pavement), so the traffic lights and bus stops are back to normal

Have you noticed quieter roads this week? 🚸 The school holidays have a MASSIVE knock-on effect on traffic, as you can see. 🚗 🚗 In some areas the school run has been reported to increase pollution and bus times by an enormous 50% compared to school holidays. How is it where you live this week?

Fuel prices keep going up. There's an alternative way to get around that costs nothing. And the only thing you need to fill up is your water bottle! Cycling's a great way to save money and stay fit. #BeatTheFuelCrisis 🌍💚🚴 @oxlivstreets.bsky.social @cohsat.bsky.social @lowcon.bsky.social

Banbury Road bike shop Summertown Cycles is to become Giant Oxford, selling bikes from Giant, the world’s largest cycle manufacturer. The shop is currently undergoing a refit and will reopen on Tuesday. www.giant-oxford.co.uk/gb

Bus stop has moved again: the Oxford Tube has just tweeted "The extension of roadworks at Headington Shops now mean our usual stop is out of service again. A temporary stop has been placed opposite Wharton Road, at the far end of Bury Knowle Park, and will be in place until Tuesday 26th May."

www.easyfundraising.org.uk/support-a-go... - easy way to donate to OMA is through using this chrome extension when you’re online shopping!! Comes at no cost to you & money for us!

NHS staff and teachers are to get free bus travel and Park & Ride parking in Oxford, funded by the city congestion charge. The plans were agreed at today’s Oxfordshire County Council cabinet meeting, which heard that schools and hospitals accounted for 42% of workplace parking within the ring road.

It’s tomorrow and there’s still time to sign up…

Good afternoon! It’s Oxfordshire County Council’s cabinet meeting today, being chaired by deputy leader Cllr Neil Fawcett after leader Liz Leffman has stepped down. On the agenda are quiet lanes, support for early years children, and how to invest income from Oxford’s congestion charge.

Abingdon’s Abbey Hall has been sold to the company that operates the Abbey Cinema in it. Husband and wife team Ian & Sue Wiper, whose family previously rescued the Regal in Evesham, have been running the cinema since 2018 – but they say short leases meant they could not invest in the building.

Oxford Artweeks started today. Here are the artists at Headington venues: www.artweeks.org/festival/sea...

Volunteer within a buzzing team to create new and exciting #SocialMedia campaigns, working to support the work of OMA as well as other groups providing support to individuals across Oxford. Read more about this role and sign up at www.oxfordmutualaid.org/remote-roles

Would you like to work for Living Streets? We’re looking for a Public Affairs and Policy Manager to help expand our influence and shape the future of transport, health and planning policy across the UK. Closing date: 31 May 2026 Find out more here: https://bitly.livingstreets.org.uk/4uIEiCy

WE’RE HIRING! Find out more at docs.google.com/.../1FAIpQLS...

"We were concerned that there were harmful elements that place the public at risk. It turns out that we were right". New study shows lead is being reintroduced into our air by #WoodBurning. Another reason to phase out unnecessary burning. #AirPollution

We are also looking for a Coordinator to keep things running smoothly and help put our 2026 ideas into action. Full details are on the Charity Jobs volunteer website here:https://www.charityjob.co.uk/volunteer-jobs/oxford-friends-of-the-earth/coordinator/1058265

🧵 1/2 May is #NationalWalkingMonth 🚶 Getting out walking or cycling burns calories, gets your heart pumping and works your legs and abs. It can also lift your mood, put a smile on your face and improve your general health and wellbeing.

Fantastic!

A footbridge across Oxford's ring road has closed at short notice. Oxfordshire County Council has closed the Cottesmore Road bridge, which links Rose Hill to Littlemore and Heyford Hill Sainsbury's, after a safety inspection. Diversions are in place. news.oxfordshire.gov.uk/diversion-in...