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Clarion Weekend, 19 December 2025

Clarion Weekend, 19 December 2025
A metaphor for the last week before Christmas? (Photo by Roger Close.)

’Twas the Knight before Christmas... yes really. We start our penultimate newsletter before Christmas with a note from a Clarion correspondent who reports the sighting of a knight in Summertown:

“He was having a little difficulty with the pelican crossing when I caught up with him. Pressing the button is tricky when you’re wearing metal gauntlets. When I congratulated him on his brave fashion statement, he replied ‘I’m going swimming’ and clanked off towards the Summertown pool. I called there the following day to ask how often they had visitors in armour but the young lady on the desk had not been on duty for a while and did not know.”

Further knight sightings welcome at the usual address. Please don’t send us photos of logs that look slightly like crocodiles.

This week’s long read

Do you know your Blavatniks from your Bukhmans, your Saïds from your Schwarzmans? In our second long read on Oxford’s benefactors, we take a look at the university’s 21st century donors.

Oxford’s new billionaires
Do you know your Blavatniks from your Bukhmans, your Saïds from your Schwarzmans? We take a look at Oxford University’s 21st century donors. For centuries, Oxford’s university buildings have each been adorned with the name of a benefactor: Radcliffe, Rhodes, Nuffield, Templeton and Green. In Part 1, we
Oxford ClarionOxford Clarion

This week’s top stories

Oxford City Council elections in May could be cancelled after the Government offered councils impacted by local government reorganisation the option to apply to cancel. In a statement to the Clarion, a council spokesperson said: “We received the letter yesterday (18 December) and are carefully considering our response.”

Under local government reorganisation, Oxfordshire’s councils will be abolished in 2028. Elections are expected to be held in Oxford in 2027 for a shadow council, which will help establish the new unitary council covering the city. Local elections in Oxford cost about £250,000, mainly on postage and staffing the polling stations and count.

Cherwell and West Oxfordshire districts are in the same situation with elections scheduled for May. None are planned for South Oxfordshire, Vale of White Horse, or Oxfordshire County.

Banbury Museum, in the Castle Quay centre.

Banbury Museum says a proposal to end council funding could mean the closure of the museum. Cherwell District Council’s budget consultation includes the option of ending museum funding. A statement by the museum said: “Whilst we anticipated that the proposed shake up of local government would bring changes to the way that we work, the immediateness of this proposal and lack of guidance from Cherwell District Council now leaves us facing an incredibly difficult decision.”

Cllr Chris Brant, a Liberal Democrat councillor on Cherwell’s executive (cabinet), said “The proposal to end Cherwell District Council’s funding for Banbury Museum is just that — a proposal, not a decision. It has not arisen suddenly. The museum has seen its funding reduce over many years under previous administrations of the council, reflecting long-term underfunding of local authorities by successive Governments. Ending council funding is one of several options in the consultation and is not a foregone conclusion.”

Banbury MP Sean Woodcock said any cut to museum funding would be “damaging for our town”, but Chris Brant responded “he should be pressing his own Labour Government to properly fund local authorities, rather than criticising councils for consulting on the consequences of insufficient central government funding”. Cherwell has extended the consultation deadline until 23 December “due to high levels of public interest”.

Oxfordshire’s councils are digesting the implications of reduced Government funding. The ‘Fair Funding Review’, published this week, broadly means less money for southern shires and more for northern cities. The new funding formula is strongly weighted to deprivation statistics (which we covered in a long read last month), though rural counties like Oxfordshire will get a small boost from a new ‘remoteness adjustment’ for adult social care costs. The net loss to Oxfordshire County Council is forecast at £13m. At district council level, a report in the Times (£) suggested that Government expected West Oxfordshire to recoup £2.3m of the shortfall by charging increased council tax on second homes, and Cherwell £1.6m.

Around the city

  • Thames Valley Police has announced facial recognition vans will be in Oxford city centre on Monday. They say the vans will be clearly marked, with posters and leaflets being handed out in the area, notifying people of live facial recognition (LFR) and how it works – by comparing a live camera feed of faces against a predetermined watchlist to find a possible match that generates an alert. TVP say the technology is used to “support policing in the identification of persons wanted for priority offences”.
  • 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. He has now applied to operate the Oxbrew Taproom at Symm House on Osney Mead, saying: “It will be more than just a place to enjoy excellent beer and locally sourced food prepared freshly on-site; it will be a cornerstone for social interaction, community engagement and fostering new business.” Plans include food and drink festivals, markets, cycling and running clubs, plus co-working spaces and meeting rooms. An application lodged with Oxford City Council envisages opening from 9am to 12.30am on weekdays, and 1.30am at weekends. Live and recorded music would be played. Symm House was formerly the headquarters of Oxford builder Symm & Company, which traced its ancestry to the building contract for Hertford College in 1820; it ceased trading in 2020.
  • 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. The robbery was carried out against two men and three women travelling in a car from Oxford to London on Tuesday 4 November. Five other people have been arrested in connection with the investigation and currently remain on police bail.
  • 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. Cllr Dan Levy said: “People who abuse the blue badge system deny vital parking spaces to people who rely on it to help them remain mobile and independent,” and promised that the council will continue to crack down on blue badge misuse so that people with valid blue badges can access these spaces.
  • 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. Cllr Chris Smowton said: “It is deeply concerning that Balfour has abruptly abandoned the project. We must look with fresh eyes at the financial case for a bridge that only cuts 300m off a trip compared to the nearby gasworks rail bridge.” He said the Oxpens bridge was “severely behind schedule”. Among the alternatives they propose are upgrades to cycling facilities on Woodstock and Banbury roads, a bridge across the A40 at Barton Park, and a bridge across the Thames at Jackdaw Lane, “giving cyclists an alternative to going round the Plain”.
  • The third annual ‘Best of Botley’ awards took place on Sunday. Awards were given to the people and groups who made a real difference to the community over the last year. The big prize, Community Group of the Year, went to Botley’s own community magazine The Sprout. Among the other winners were Rikki Therivel who works locally and across Oxford to ensure that people facing problems and homelessness get food and support through the ‘Food for Charities’ network and the Botley Bikers who deliver food parcels. Lorna Berrett, Chair of Botley and North Hinksey Parish Council which runs the awards, said: “We had over 40 nominations for these awards. It's great to live in a place that has so many people doing good things for their community and their neighbours.”

Festive ambulance warning (SCAS); Clarkson’s pub; boxing coach Suzanne Vjestica-Brown.

Around the county

  • House prices are falling in Oxford. The average sale price in October was £504,820, down 2% from £515,145 a year previously. Prices across Oxfordshire, however, increased by 3.2% (to an average £424,754). The sharpest rise was in Vale of White Horse, where the average shot up by 8.9% year-on-year. Cherwell remains the cheapest place to buy a home in Oxfordshire, with an average sale price of £357,847 – 30% less than in Oxford. Figures come from HM Land Registry’s UK House Price Index.
  • 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. They commented: “This year, we are also seeing record numbers of people admitted to hospital with flu and that adds even more pressure on the system across the board.”
  • Witney's Marriotts Walk Shopping Centre saw footfall up 50% year-on-year for its Christmas Market, timed to coincide with the Witney Christmas light switch on. The event at the council-owned centre showcased 40 stalls and operated across four days, drawing crowds from Witney and beyond. Cllr Duncan Enright for WODC said: “The Marriotts Walk Christmas Market has become a standout feature of Witney’s festive season. Witney is thriving and we’re excited about the experiences and plans we have lined up for Marriotts Walk. We’ll continue working hard to fill the remaining units in 2026 and ensure the town centre remains vibrant for all.”
  • The repatriation of Lance Corporal George Hooley of the Parachute Regiment took place on Wednesday. Lance Corporal Hooley died in Ukraine, according to the MoD, in an accident whilst observing Ukrainian forces test a new defensive capability. He was 28 years old and attended the Oratory school in Woodcote. The cortege left RAF Brize Norton and travelled through Oxfordshire to the John Radcliffe Hospital, with roads closed to facilitate movement of the cortege.
  • Speed limits could be cut once again outside Jeremy Clarkson’s pub, as a result of what Oxfordshire County Council calls “intensification of use of retail/commercial premises, including the construction of a new access to a car park”. The road past the pub car park would be restricted to 30mph. The speed limit along the B4047 from the pub to Witney would be cut to 50mph, except in Minster Lovell village where it will be 30mph. The plans are open for consultation until 16 January. Clarkson has previously expressed disdain for British speed limits and claimed “It’s fine to drive at 80 in France”, perhaps not realising that French signs are actually in kilometres per hour.
  • The twisting A417 road from Lechlade to Goring-on-Thames could also have its speed limits cut as part of an Oxfordshire County Council road safety initiative. New limits of between 30mph and 50mph would be introduced at several locations: the road, which passes through Faringdon, Wantage and Blewbury, has a long-running record of fatalities and serious injuries. Consultation is open until 16 January.
  • Councils across Oxfordshire are looking to collaborate on recycling in a new Oxfordshire Waste & Environmental Services Programme, with forecast savings of over £100m in 10 years. Features include consistency of waste collections across the county, sharing vehicles and depots to cut costs and exploring new ways to enhance and maintain parks and open spaces. For West Oxfordshire District Council, Cllr Lidia Arciszewska, said: “Waste services are some of the most visible and vital council functions. With major changes expected in local government, we are not waiting to be shaped by events. By backing this programme now, we are driving long-term improvements." (A Bins Tsar is surely inevitable…)
  • A new Public Spaces Protection Order (PSPO) has been approved to prevent illegal pony and trap racing along the A40 between Witney and Burford, following serious safety concerns raised by residents and Thames Valley Police. The request followed 19 recorded incidents since 2020, many of which involved racing taking place without warning, and vehicles pulling onto verges to unload horses and traps. For WODC, Cllr Geoff Saul said: “This is a practical step to help prevent a dangerous activity that puts drivers, riders and animals at serious risk. We’ll continue to work closely with the police to maintain public safety.”
  • 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. Cllr Robin Bennett said: "It's great that we can offer these opportunities for free, to improve skills, knowledge and long-term prospects of residents.” The course is run by South Oxfordshire District Council together with partners including Abingdon & Witney College, UKAEA and Williams Jet Tenders.
  • Cornerstone Arts Centre in Didcot and The Beacon in Wantage have launched redesigned websites that feature improved usability and accessibility. Online booking is now available for events (the Christmas pantomime at The Beacon opens tomorrow!), classes and workshops, and venue hire.
  • The Duke of Marlborough’s court hearing for three charges of intentional strangulation has been adjourned. National reports say that the alleged victim was his estranged wife. Although Charles James Spencer-Churchill, aka Jamie Blandford, lives at Blenheim Palace, the World Heritage Site has been controlled by a charitable trust since the 1990s. Spencer-Churchill, 70, is also a Woodstock Town Councillor and member of the town’s Christmas Lights Working Group.
  • Two Oxfordshire boxing coaches have been highlighted in a new ‘Women in Coaching’ series by UK Coaching and England Boxing. New data shows a decline in the number of female coaches, from 44% in 2022 to 38% in 2024. Suzanne Vjestica-Brown is described as a “beacon of light” in the coaching community; the first ever female boxing coach both at the University of Oxford and now Blackbird Leys Boxing Club, she's also had to overcome a breast cancer diagnosis and treatment. Harriet Brennan overcame struggles with alcohol and now co-owns Brennan’s Gym in Carterton, where she supports people facing addiction, bullying, and mental health struggles.
  • 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. The 25-year-old pro athlete set up non-profit organisation Beat the Block and, jointly with Oxford United in the Community, held one of 6 identity workshops at St Mary’s Primary School in Banbury. “To have a women’s footballer come in is really empowering for our girls,” said teacher Kelly Bullard.

Books

Looking for a last minute gift? We asked Xander Cansell from Caper Bookshop for his local recommendations.

  • Death of an Englishman: An Oxford Mystery (Anna Beer). A quest for a valuable manuscript turns into a hunt for its author’s killer. Meet Oxford’s Eve Brook, literary detective, as she tackles her first mystery. Set against the backdrop of Oxford’s colleges, long train rides, quaint villages, and a tantalising cast of suspects, this is cosy crime with a very contemporary edge – it could almost have been written for Clarion readers.
  • The Mystery at Rake Hall: CS Lewis Investigates (Maureen Paton). In 1947, with rationing still biting and the black market thriving, university don C.S. ‘Jack’ Lewis finds himself pulled into a mystery straight from one of his friend Dorothy Sayers’ novels. Susan Temple, his brightest student, has hidden herself away at Rake Hall — a hostel for unmarried, outcast mothers – and hasn’t been heard from since. (Surely a missed opportunity to call it ‘CSI Lewis’.)
  • Taste Tibet: Family Recipes from the Himalayas (Julie Kleeman and Yeshi Jampa). Magdalen Road's acclaimed Tibetan restaurant shares their secrets. Recipes and food stories from a civilisation that has not yet lost touch with how to eat.

Three Thousand Restaurant; Hoyles.

Independent retail

An occasional new section with our finds around Oxford and Oxfordshire. Recommendations welcome at news@oxfordclarion.uk!

Three Thousand is on the site of the old Nosebag in pedestrianised St. Michael's Street. Bitten Oxford has done a longer review but it was new to us – a noodle joint that's the real deal with huge portions and melt-in-the-mouth beef brisket. We'll never make restaurant critics but happy to pass on a recommendation to our readers.

City centres slowly move over time, and Oxford’s has been heading west since the opening of the Westgate. That’s a shame for those businesses at the opposite end of town, particularly at the east end of the High (right next to the Queen's Lane bus stops) where there are three spectacular indies who can solve a last-minute Christmas dilemma. Pens Plus has everything from the reluctant Mini Clarion writer to the high end fountain pen for that person who has everything; the staff’s knowledge is incredible and they are very patient. Next door, Hoyle's will sell you board games, jigsaws and quality stocking fillers. There’s often a queue but it’s worth the wait. A few doors down is Babylon, for ceramics, jewellery and wonder. (It could do with a few more bike racks nearby, if anyone in the council is reading this…)

Oxfordshire independent media

  • The Oxford Sausage has been on the hunt for mistletoe.
  • For the Mini Clarions (or forever Mini Clarions), Little Oxplorers is clueing us in to the Christmas Lights at Poplar Grove in Kennington. They weren't wrong with their Besselsleigh recommendation (the village that literally has “sleigh” in its name). Oh, and you all know about Millets Farm, right?
  • Cherwell says American academics, faced with a Trumpian world, are finding a new home in Oxford. (Welcome, if you're reading this!)
  • The Oxford Student claims that “the meet-cute at Oxford does not work. At all”.
  • Ox in a Box reports that the Back Lane Tavern in Woodstock is “still full of surprises”. Brussels sprout bhajis with a cucumber raita!
  • The Witney Gitzette (still a parody) reckons “Oxfordshire Population Struck by ‘Super Flu’ Just in Time for Christmas: A Convenient Excuse for Festive Bingeing and Staying Home.”

This weekend

Events for Christmas and New Year

Notes from Clarion HQ

This week, the political world has been breathlessly sharing Prospect’s profile of Labour’s modern-day Rasputin, Morgan McSweeney, which has the somewhat surprising assertion that “Labour hadn’t simply taken a wrong turn with Corbyn, but since the Second World War: that was when the party lost its way”. We would love to hear what Clarion founder and irascible independent socialist Robert Blatchford, who died in 1943, would have said about that. Perhaps what Britain really needs is a revival of the Clarion movement? (We may be biased.)

We have had some lovely ‘Christmas cards’ in the inbox of late telling us how much the Clarion has meant. Huge thanks to those of you that have written – it means a lot to our writers who set early alarms to cram it all in. The Clarion would love one more Christmas gift from you, if we might be so bold; if we help inform, amuse, or just cheer up your weekend, please share with an Oxfordshire friend or two. We are all the Clarion, and while the times they are a-changing, an informed public matters.