If you fancy blowing away the 'Twixtmas cobwebs, or you were lucky enough to have a #newbikeday over Christmas, from the Clarion archives, our pick of traffic free cycling in Oxfordshire. oxfordclarion.uk/cycling-with...

Emergency beds for rough sleepers are open in Oxford City and South Oxfordshire from 25 December due to a forecast of zero degrees overnight temperature. #SWEP

As is our custom- reposting once more for those who prefer their long reads at weekends / holiday times. Enjoy 👇🎄🤶

What book has a character that helped you think differently about how minds work? Next up at the Weston Library’s Space for Reading: Neurodiversity We’re looking for books that explore diverse ways of thinking, learning and creating. Nominate a book: https://forms.office.com/e/bRHBxTXBSY

A tale of two Oxfords, two days before Christmas, taken in the space of two hours today. The first...

It’s the Clarion Christmas newsletter! Featuring: 🚠 Cable cars for Oxford 🫡 Remembering Ian Hudspeth 🗳 Elections to be postponed? 🧀 Queuing for cheese 🎶 Beautiful Oxfordshire Christmas music Read online or by email: oxfordclarion.uk/the-clarion-...

2025 will be the second hottest year on record in the UK according to the Met Office, second only to 2022, as human emissions heat the planet causing increasing heatwaves, flooding, storm damage and wildfires (2025 was a record for UK wildfires).

Thames Valley Police have announced the name of the pedestrian who died after being hit by a car in Bladon. Matthew Pring, 23, was described by his family as "loved by all and it was amazing how quickly he could light up a room" www.thamesvalley.police.uk/news/thames-...

Are you ready for our final newsletter of the year? It's a beaut - our Christmas gift to you. Coming out at lunchtime (or whenever the editor has finished buying cheese). Sign up here to get it in your inbox oxfordclarion.uk

Oxford United have sacked manager Gary Rowett after “a disappointing run of results”, one year and one day after he was appointed. Chairman Grant Ferguson thanked him for his service, saying “We have had to take this decision in the best interests of the club.” www.oufc.co.uk/news/club-st...

A statue to celebrate the 100th anniversary of the manufacture of the first MG car by Cecil Kimber, former general manager of Morris Motors, could stand in New College. The former Morris Garage is now part of the college who have applied for consent for its installation in the Morris Garage Quad.

A statue to celebrate the 100th anniversary of the manufacture of the first MG car by Cecil Kimber, former general manager of Morris Motors, could stand in New College. The former Morris Garage is now part of the college who have applied for consent for its installation in the Morris Garage Quad.

Long queues formed outside the Covered Market and on to Market Street as shoppers waited patiently for the ingredients for their Christmas cheeseboard. The Oxford Cheese Company said it would be handing out mince pies and mulled wine tomorrow to customers in the queue, to thank them for waiting.

Stars from Oxford United Football Club visited Oxford Children's Hospital on their annual Christmas visit. Men’s team stars Cameron Brannagan, Will Vaulks & Mark Harris joined Women’s team players Ellie-Mae Richardson, Lucy Trinder, Maisy Barker & Holly Turner to deliver gifts and festive cheer.

A hoard of 21 silver pennies, dating back to the mid-7th to 8th centuries, has been saved for Oxfordshire’s museums following a successful community fundraiser. Villagers from Stoke Row, together with local businesses, raised £1,300 to acquire the treasure. news.oxfordshire.gov.uk/stoke-row-co...

Tolkien’s Merton College desk fetched £330,200 at auction, almost seven times the estimate. Christies say it is likely that “he managed the proofs of The Fellowship of the Ring, The Two Towers, and The Return of the King” from the desk: “the roll-top formed part of his daily editorial practice”.

An Indian craft beer giant has taken a stake in an Oxfordshire brewery. Kati Patang has bought 23% of Chadlington Brewery and their brewery tap, the Tite Inn. The Oxford Drinker reports that Kati Patang was attracted by Chadlington’s new lager facility. oxforddrinker.camra.org.uk/2025/12/brew...

Another outbreak of bird flu (H5N1) has been confirmed in Oxfordshire. A backyard flock at Tusmore, near Bicester, has been culled and a 3km-radius controlled zone established. www.gov.uk/animal-disea...

Oxford University Hospitals Trust has refurbished 17 abandoned bicycles for its staff to use. Bikes left on hospital grounds are repaired by prisoners in Aylesbury and Peterborough as part of a corporate social responsibility scheme called Recirculate. www.ouh.nhs.uk/news/article...

Oxfordshire County Council says it is “stepping up the removal of flags and unauthorised items” from streetlights given the windy weather. “Placing flags near highways can create safety hazards including reduced visibility for drivers, cyclists and pedestrians, and increased risk of distraction.”

74 new homes are proposed to be built beside the canal marina in the sought-after village of Cropredy, near Banbury. The low-density development by Pegasus would comprise 48 open-market homes (18x 2-bed, 19x 3-bed, 9x 4-bed) and 26 affordable. Plans are with Cherwell District Council.

Public service journalism: festive bin news, a short thread. Here are the collection days across the county. Oxford www.oxford.gov.uk/recycling-wa... Cherwell www.cherwell.gov.uk/news/article... West Oxfordshire www.westoxon.gov.uk/bins-and-rec...

The Social Mobility Commission’s State of the Nation 2025 report identifies Oxfordshire as a ‘hotspot for innovation, growth & opportunity’. Places like this show that targeted investment and strong local ecosystems can improve opportunity, and are described as ‘magnets for international businesses.

For the weekend long read crowd, a short thread of reading. First, this week's best news & events👇

A 65-year old man from Stroud has been arrested on suspicion of causing death by careless driving and failing to stop at the scene of a collision. He remains in custody. Police are still appealing for witnesses and dashcam footage.

A pedestrian in his 20's has died following a collision with a car in Bladon. While two drivers stopped at the scene and contacted ambulance services, police are appealing for witnesses in what they are calling a 'suspected fatal fail to stop road traffic collision'.

Three protests converged in Oxford today, separated by a cordon of 10 police on bicycles and police van.

Ian Hudspeth, former leader of Oxfordshire County Council has died. He became the Conservative County Councillor for Woodstock in 2005 and was council leader between 2012 and 2021. He was awarded an OBE in 2021 for services to local government.

Former prime minister David Cameron has applied to build “a modest-sized swimming pool” in the grounds of his house in Dean, near Chipping Norton. The planning application to West Oxfordshire District Council also includes an extension and garden room. An earlier application was withdrawn in 2020.

Flooding: a short thread. 1. Oxfordshire County Council's list of links and resources including where to find flood alerts news.oxfordshire.gov.uk/heavy-rain-i... 2. Is it safe to go in/ let your dog in the water or have water companies been discharging sewage? www.sewagemap.co.uk

For the weekend long read crowd, a short thread of reading. First, this week's best news & events👇

A new brewpub is set to open in Witney in January - with a mission to support and work with ex-service personnel. Jason Bolger, who, as a former brewer at Tap Social, is no stranger to brewing with a social cause, will run the brewpub called Scarlet River with his partner Niki.

Oxford City elections should continue, say Oxfordshire's Lib Dems. In a statement Layla Moran MP and Councillor Chris Smowton said:“With local government reorganisation delayed and democratic mandates fading, voters deserve their say on the local Labour administration and Keir Starmer’s leadership.”

All the Oxfordshire news in your last Clarion Weekend newsletter before Christmas. Featuring: 🗳 City elections could be cancelled 🏛 Banbury Museum at risk 📚 Oxford books for Christmas 🎄 Festive things to do 🕵️‍♂️ CSI Lewis 🍜 Noodles! Read online or by email: oxfordclarion.uk/clarion-week...

Oxford City could cancel its May elections, after the government offered councils impacted by local government re-organisation the option to apply to cancel. In a statement the city council said: "We received the letter yesterday (18 December) and are carefully considering our response”

Blue Badge misuse is a criminal offence, as a driver caught using a stolen one in Oxford had to learn. He was sentenced to pay £1,636 in fines, surcharges and legal costs by Oxford Magistrates Court on 12 December, just two weeks after another was fined for using their late grandmother’s badge.

LONG READ: Do you know your Blavatniks from your Bukhmans, your Saïds from your Schwarzmans? We take a look at Oxford University’s 21st century donors – and ask whether billionaires should pick and choose how they contribute to society. oxfordclarion.uk/oxfords-new-...

South Central Ambulance Service (SCAS) is reminding people to keep 999 free for life-threatening or serious emergencies on Friday before Christmas – one of the busiest nights of the year. The appeal comes as figures show that on 8 December, SCAS took 1,987 calls – the highest in 2025 so far.

Oxford City's waste and recycling (among other things) company ODS has won the APSE Performance Networks Award 2025 for ‘Best Performer in Street Cleansing’. Cllr Nigel Chapman commented “Yet again ODS are showing that they do good for Oxford.” #whatcouncilsdo www.oxford.gov.uk/news/article...

How do you empower a new generation of Oxfordshire girls to access sports and reach their full potential? According to Oxford United Women’s Captain, Naomi Bedeau, by inspiring them through thought provoking workshops aimed to help them discover more about themselves and what’s important to them.

Oxford Brookes University research is rethinking fashion. Dr Rebecca Beech studied the UK fashion rental market to explore balancing growth and sustainability. Fast fashion creates waste, emissions, and microplastic pollution. Rental offers a circular alternative for consumers and brands.

Berinsfield residents aged 19 and over can enrol in a free eight-week Improving Skills course starting in February next year. The course will cover upskilling, confidence building, starting your own business and more. abingdon-witney.ac.uk/berinsfield-...

Oxford’s Hop-On Hop-Off bus offers a magical elf trail for families this Christmas. Find five cheeky elves across the city and solve riddles to reveal a festive sentence that will net you a sweet reward at the City Sightseeing Oxford visitor information points. www.citysightseeingoxford.com/elftrail

Cornerstone Arts Centre in Didcot (cornerstone-arts.org) and The Beacon Arts, Entertainment and Community Centre in Wantage (www.beaconwantage.co.uk) have launched redesigned websites that feature improved usability and accessibility.

A “fresh look at the financial case” is needed at the Oxpens Bridge project, says the city’s Liberal Democrat group, following the news (reported in Tuesday’s Clarion) that contractors Balfour Beatty have pulled out. The party says the £14m cost could be spent on other city cycling infrastructure.

A new brewery and taproom in Osney Mead promises to revive the ‘Oxbrew’ name. Aaron Baldwin founded Oxbrew in Enstone in 2016, but it ceased independent operation after a merger with another West Oxfordshire brewery, Little Ox.

The twisting A417 road from Lechlade to Goring-on-Thames could have its speed limits cut as part of an Oxfordshire County Council road safety initiative. New limits from 30mph to 50mph would be introduced. letstalk.oxfordshire.gov.uk/lechlademoul...

The Duke of Marlborough’s court hearing for three charges of intentional strangulation has been adjourned, according to national reports. Although Charles James Spencer-Churchill, aka Jamie Blandford, lives at Blenheim Palace, it has been controlled by a charitable trust since the 1990s.

A man has been charged in connection with the robbery of £1.5m of cryptocurrency, a luxury watch and several phones from five people travelling in North Oxford. Abdul Malik Cali, 24, has been charged with five counts of conspiracy to commit robbery. www.thamesvalley.police.uk/news/thames-...

Following the news that Paris has launched a cable car, a councillor is calling to explore this in Oxford. Green City & County Councillor Emily Kerr said “Cable cars are cheap, fun, and low-environmental impact. We should be following transport innovators like Paris in considering all options."