Clarion Weekend, 6 March 2026

Water, water, everywhere… and not a drop to drink. If you’re in West Oxfordshire, that is. Also this week: new tourist attractions at Oxford Castle, another Larry Ellison endeavour in Littlemore, pubs, walking, cycling, and our curated selection of events and weekend reading. Read on!

This week’s long read

Spring is in the air, and for gardeners, that’s seed planting time. If you've ever been tempted to grow your own food – to reduce food miles or just food bills – here are some tips for starting out by our resident expert Amandine.

A beginner’s guide to growing your own food

Have you ever thought about growing your own food? To reduce food bills, or for the joy of using a few fresh basil leaves or a tomato that has real tomato flavour? We asked the Clarion’s resident horticulturist, Amandine Lepers-Thornton for her tips on starting out, whether you have a

Oxford ClarionClarion guest contributor

This week’s top stories

A burst water main in Eynsham, near the toll bridge, has caused interruption to water supplies across West Oxfordshire – with schools in Burford and Carterton closed today.

The burst pipe caused a sink hole in a field and Thames Water had to use divers to access it, before draining the site and creating a safe space to work. Initial attempts to repair the pipe failed, until a new part was finally fitted on Thursday evening and the supply could be (slowly) refilled. In the interim, three bottled water stations opened in Witney and Carterton, and Thames Water delivered supplies to those on their Priority Register.

Local MP Charlie Maynard seems to have been permanently on site since early this week, providing multiple updates via his Facebook page, including this one at 6am today sharing the good news of water going back on and this one which is worth a watch for the sheer level of detail on how you repair a burst water main, if that's your jam. (Top flight MP-ing, no notes.)

Billionaire Larry Ellison is proposing to convert the chapel and lodge on Armstrong Road, in Littlemore, to a restaurant where “Oxford’s greatest minds can share a drink, enjoy a meal, and connect”.

Ellison, worth around $200bn, is building the Ellison Institute of Technology campus between Littlemore and Oxford Science Park. The chapel and lodge, built in the grounds of the Littlemore pauper asylum in the 1880s, were recently used as offices. Architects Foster+Partners have drawn up plans for a public ground floor restaurant in the chapel for “seasonal lunch and dinner”, with up to 120 covers around a central brass bar, plus private dining and lounge facilities. Outdoor elements include a walled kitchen garden and woodland walk. An application is with Oxford City Council.

Fittingly, given the chapel location, a 2003 biography of Larry Ellison was entitled The Difference Between God and Larry Ellison: God Doesn't Think He's Larry Ellison. (We looked at Ellison’s plans for the Eagle & Child in 2024.)

Around the city

• An attempt to navigate a narrowboat up-river against strong water flows on the Thames has resulted in it being stuck against the piers of Folly Bridge. The boat was under tow on Wednesday in fast-flowing conditions. The river at Folly Bridge has strong cross-currents downstream from the Grandpont bend. The boat-owner was escorted from the boat by emergency services but the boat itself remains wedged. All locks on the River Thames are closed with red boards being displayed, which does not forbid navigating between locks but makes it inadvisable, especially by narrowboats which are designed for still waters and have less powerful engines.
• Students could go to the Library earlier and stay later if a new licensing application is approved. Current opening hours are 4pm to midnight; the application requests 11am to 2am on weekends. Consultation is open until 27 March. (The venue in question is, of course, the pub on the Cowley Road.)
• OUFC has announced a new Chief Operating Officer, with a lead role in delivering the new stadium. Aimee McKenzie comes from Fulham FC, where she delivered their new Riverside Stand, and had overall responsibility for operational delivery of matchdays and their 27-acre training facility.
• A fraudster has been jailed for nine years after falsely claiming to be an Oxford professor, a millionaire, a pharmaceuticals magnate, and an oil and gas trader. Neil Stafford, who in reality lived on an estate next to Doncaster Airport, defrauded seven victims of £882,000. The money was spent on what Thames Valley Police called “an extravagant lifestyle”. A jury at Oxford Crown Court unanimously found him guilty of seven counts of fraud by false representation.
• A 12-year old cyclist is in hospital after being struck by a hit-and-run driver on Sandy Lane West, between Blackbird Leys and Littlemore. Thames Valley Police are appealing for witnesses or dashcam footage of the collision, which involved a red car, at around 3.25pm on Thursday.
• 140 new electric vehicle charging points are coming to Oxford. The installations are part of a deal to transfer responsibility for on-highway chargers from Oxford City Council to Oxfordshire County Council. The ‘Go Ultra Low Oxford’ project, launched in 2013, has been effectively paused since 2022. The City Council is transferring unspent GULO funding, together with the 50 charging points already installed, to the County; their contractor Connected Kerb will then install the 140 new chargers as part of a roll-out across the wider county.
• Oxford's Castle Quarter looks set to get two new tourist attractions. Virtual Oxford is billed as “a revolutionary way to see the city”, using virtual and augmented reality to experience the history of the city, and Oxfordshire's creative, scientific & technological contributions. Fuel, by the same owners, is set to feature a Pit-Stop Café, Adrenaline Lounge and Car Corner, celebrating Oxfordshire’s motoring heritage with state-of-the-art racing simulators, motor-sport themed exhibits, live sports on 30 screens, and F1 watch parties. The outlets will be co-branded as Oxford Unwrapped, according to two licensing applications, and are set to open this summer. The applications request an alcohol, film and music licence. Consultation is open until 24 March.
• A bronze statuette of a Hindu saint, acquired by the Ashmolean in 1967, has been returned to a temple in Tamil Nadu. The Ashmolean had been alerted to doubts around its provenance in 2019 and voluntarily approached Indian authorities for an investigation.
• No trains will run to London Marylebone from Oxford, Bicester or Banbury next weekend, 14 and 15 March. Chiltern Railways services from Oxford will terminate at Gerrards Cross, and those from Banbury at Bicester North. Tickets will be accepted on GWR trains into Paddington.
• And in ‘not news’ news, it was announced this week that a Harry Potter flagship store would open on Oxford Street, London. Rumours had been circulating that Warner Bros would open an Oxford outlet in the former Waterstones store on Broad Street. However, Mountain Warehouse this week received planning permission for signage there, so we guess hiking boots, not broomsticks are in order.

Around the county

• Banbury politician Cassi Bellingham has been elected to the central executive committee of Your Party, the new socialist party. She stood as part of ‘The Many’, a Corbynite slate which won 14 seats vs the 7 won by Sultanaite slate Grassroots Left. The committee has two representatives from each region plus four ‘public office holders’, including Jeremy Corbyn and Zarah Sultana. Cassi Bellingham said: “We want to end the internal wrangling and start campaigning on the issues that matter – from the housing crisis and poverty pay, to fighting racism and Britain's complicity in genocide.”
• Utility firms will be charged by the day for roadworks on Oxfordshire’s roads from May, when a long-awaited ‘Lane Rental Scheme’ comes into effect. The scheme aims to minimise the length of road closures by incentivising companies to work more quickly, or in off-peak hours. Fees will vary by how busy the road is and could be up to £2,500 per day. Around 9% of the road network is covered, including principal roads in Oxford and the county’s market towns, together with major routes such as the A40, A420 and A41. Similar schemes operate in London and other counties. Oxfordshire County Council’s highways chief Cllr Andrew Gant said: “If they know they are going to be charged for the length of time they spend there, it is an incentive to complete the job as swiftly as possible. We look forward to being able to reap the benefits for everyone in Oxfordshire.”
• RAF Brize Norton has announced a major defence training activity, Exercise Agile Warrior 26. The exercise is designed to test the RAF's ability to protect the United Kingdom at short notice, in the context of volatile global security.  Personnel at the base will practise rapid dispersal, improvised command-and-control arrangements, base defence, sustainment and recovery activities, ensuring the RAF could continue operating even when under sustained pressure from enemy activity. (We looked at the implications of the Government's Strategic Defence Review for the county, and the role the county might play within UK military strategy, in a long read last year.)
• The North Star in Steventon, one of only two pubs in Oxfordshire to have a three-star rating for its heritage interior, could reopen in September this year. CAMRA’s Pub Heritage Bulletin reports that “significant repair works” are required to the roof. The pub has been closed since September 2025. CAMRA’s Tom Chapman writes: “The main room at the North Star is one of the finest pub rooms in the country consisting of a snug formed by high backed settles centred around the fireplace, and the pub itself is one of only seven traditional pubs without a bar counter.”
• Planning whoops: A West Oxfordshire pub is seeking clarification that it is, in fact, allowed to operate as a pub. The Harcourt Arms at Stanton Harcourt received permission in 2015 to build a village shop in the grounds, with West Oxfordshire District Council writing in their permission letter: “The premises shall be used for A1 retail as specified in the application and for no other purpose.” The owners of the Harcourt Arms are now belatedly asking WODC what they mean by “the premises”, worrying that it could be applied to the whole site.

Walking and cycling

• Developers seeking to build a 9,000-home new town at Heyford Park have been told their cycling plans need to be better. Oxfordshire County Council says that the site has a high risk of car dependency, but that a proposed bridleway route to Bicester would not be adequate “due to its width, unsealed surface and lack of lighting”. Instead, they are asking for a “commuter-suitable, utility cycle route to Bicester” via Middleton Stoney and then alongside the B4030. Meanwhile, the route to Heyford station via the canal towpath would be “indirect, very isolated, and a significant proportion of cyclists would not use it because of personal security concerns”: again, OCC ask for a high-quality all-weather route. The Canal & River Trust says upgrading the towpath would cost between £850,000 and £1,972,000. The application is with Cherwell District Council, and could come before its planning committee this month.
• Guidelines for wild camping have been set out by the Ridgeway National Trail office. They say: “We know that some people will choose to wild camp along the Ridgeway. While we cannot endorse illegal camping, we want to help you do it in a responsible way that protects the Trail, its heritage, and the natural environment.” They point out that burying toilet waste may not be appropriate due to the archaeological sites along the way; ask walkers to respect farmers’ work; and advise “arrive late, leave early”.
• Oxfordshire County Council wants ideas for cycling and walking in Henley. It is drawing up a Local Cycling & Walking Infrastructure Plan to identify potential improvements around the town, plus connections to nearby villages. Suggestions already posted include cycleways to Sonning Common and Shiplake.
• The Thames Path celebrates its 30th anniversary this year. It’s also 100 years since the “father of the Thames Path”, David Sharp, was born on 1 March 1926: as part of the Ramblers, he spearheaded the creation of the trail and wrote the first guidebooks. Kate Ashbrook wrote about his life and work in 2015.
• A new pedestrian and cycle crossing is proposed for Copenhagen Drive in Abingdon. Consultation is open until 3 April.

Books

• Important fiction news: Children are writing about capybaras more than ever, according to Oxford University Press. The annual Children's Language Report is compiled from 500-word stories sent into the BBC. 'Book', 'comic' and 'novel' all appear more than in 2015, while 'Kindle' is down 77%.
• Tamesis by Ed Hall is a “lyrical journey along the River Thames” from Oxfordshire to London, a collection of riverside verse by a sailor and RNLI lifeboatman. Ian McKellen called the poems “lines that Armitage would be proud of, or Betjeman too”, and who are we to argue with that? Published by Chiselbury.
• And our regular recommendations from Xander at Caper, Magdalen Road’s indie bookshop:
  • The Amazing Generation by Jonathan Haidt and Catherine Price (teens). A practical guide for teens – learn the tricks and traps of social media, and how to break them. Use technology as a tool, don’t let it use you.
  • There Is Not Usually a Hole by Daisy Hirst (young kids). Betsy is on a rescue mission after her best friend Philippa disappears down a mysterious hole. An underground adventure, full of strange encounters – and plenty of snacks.
• Between Two Rivers by Dr Moudhy Al-Rashid (non-fiction). In ancient Mesopotamia, people began writing things down for the very first time – a record of leaps in human ingenuity as well as the pleasingly mundane.
• A Stranger In Corfu by Alex Preston (fiction). Former members of MI6 are involuntary retired to the island of Corfu, out of sight and out of mind. Slow Horses, but with Greek sunshine.
• The Dangerous Stranger by Simon Mason (fiction). The latest instalment in the Oxford-set DI Ryan (& Ray) Wilkins series. Pacy, taut and very engaging, as always from Simon Mason.

This weekend

• Super Science Saturday, University Museum. Build a bug hotel, listen to whale sounds, and find out why scientists wear white coats.
• Mullets (£), Sat, Caper. Rhyming storytime with Nick Sharratt.
• Reptiles, Sat, Proof Social Bakehouse. Launching a thriller set in 'Thames Reach' aka Kennington, followed by the chance to meet Radley's Toad Patrol.
• The Crown of Life (£), Sat, Queen's College. Launching the choir's new album of twentieth-century sacred works by English composers: Leighton, Clarke, Holst, and Darke.
• Everyday Wonders (£), Sat, Worcester College. For International Women's Day, three choral pieces in solidarity with refugees.
• Death of the Maiden (£), Sat, Florence Park Community Centre. Premiering new album Maybe She's Born With It, Maybe It's Sertraline for International Women's Day, with local over-50s punks The horMones. Profits to Medical Aid for Palestinians.
• Choral Evensong, Sat, Christ Church Cathedral. A rare chance to hear Oxford’s three historic choral foundations (Magdalen, New and ChCh) singing together as part of the Cathedral Music Trust’s national gathering. Music by Cheryl Frances-Hoad and Judith Weir for International Women’s Day. 6.05pm, because Christ Church.
• Retune Festival, Sat 7–Sat 14. A week of classical and new music “celebrating underrepresented voices in a bid to make the musical world a more equitable and diverse place to be” – from choral contemplations at Somerville to doom metal at the Nest. Equitable doom metal, only in Oxford.
• International Womxn's Day Gala (£), Sun, The Nest. Get dressed up for mixed-media expression. Proceeds to Gendered Intelligence UK and Survivor Space Oxford.
• Rock & Roll with Ruby Thompson (£), Sun, Caper, Magdalen Road. Interactive kids’ workshop with Ruby Thompson to celebrate the release of her new picture book.

This week

• Women Stronger Together (£), Mon 9 Mar, East Oxford Community Centre. Come and sing protest songs for International Women's Day with Sea Green Singers.
• Dorothy Hodgkin Memorial Lecture, Tue 10 Mar, Somerville College. The life and legacy of Oxford's Nobel chemistry laureate told by her biographer, for International Women's Day.
• Black Coffee (£), 10-14 Mar, Old Fire Station. Agatha Christie's first play, featuring Hercule Poirot and (according to the content warning) 'outdated views'.
• The Dangerous Stranger book launch, Tue 10 Mar, Caper, Magdalen Road. Simon Mason in conversation with award-winning novelist Carolyn Kirby, discussing his latest instalment in the Oxford-set DI Ryan Wilkins series.
• Over the Hills to Glory (£), Wed 11 Mar, Museum of Oxford. Lunchtime talk on the Ascott Martyrs, 16 women imprisoned for supporting an agricultural strike in 1873.
• Fail, Wed 11 Mar, Green Templeton College. Why innovation requires failure.
• Manic Street Preachers Song by Song (£), Wed 11 Mar, Curio Bookshop. 344 songs in a single book launch. Everything must go!
• 42 Men of South Oxford, 12-30 Mar, Westgate Library. Expanded version of last year's Second World War exhibition (now including New Hinksey).
• Oxford Human Rights Festival, 13-20 Mar, Oxford Brookes. A student-led programme of films, performances, talks, workshops, exhibitions and more.

Dates for your diary

A selection of events in future weeks which we think might get booked up.

• Daffodil Day (£), Sun 22 Mar, Shotover House. Annual opening of these private gardens in Shotover to raise money for the parish church and children's centre.
• ATOM Festival of Science & Technology, Abingdon, 14-25 Mar. Power, predators, and pellets.

Oxfordshire’s independent media

• New Civil Engineer writes about how the Oxford Station bridge was delivered. One for the engineer and rail geeks.
• The Oxford Sausage seeks out St Sepulchre’s Cemetery in Walton Manor.
• Abingdon Blog looks at Abingdon 100 years ago, telling the tale of the Borough Council looking to impose a 10mph speed limit for automobiles, and mandatory 'sanitary dustbins'. (Some things never change.) And they wrote a letter to the Royal Commission on mining, recommending the discontinuation of the use of pit ponies.
• Daily Info raves about ‘Quiz’, the cough heard around the world, at the Old Fire Station. The last night is tomorrow.
• Cherwell has a private view of the ‘Responding to AI’ exhibition at Christ Church.
• Bitten Oxford has a pint of garlic dough balls at East Oxford's The Star. (I think we've found our next editorial meeting venue.)
• The Oxford Blue reports from a student journalism summit, hearing that the Substack age is “really no different to old media, but it’s made digestible on our phones”.
• Ox in a Box previews the 20th anniversary of Dancing Oxford, the spring dance festival.
• Edible Reading has been to Summertown's Pompette.
• The Oxford Student meets Oxford’s furry community.

Notes from Clarion HQ

As the weather tentatively turns, we’ve been struck how Oxford is taking to outdoor dining (and drinking) – and that maybe the much debated street redesigns are really starting to work. Crowds from the White Horse now regularly spill over into Broad Street. St Michael’s Street is becoming an outdoor dining hotspot, ‘hot’ being the operative word for some of the spicier offerings at Three Thousand Noodle. Market Street is set to come into its own when the Covered Market entrance is rebuilt.

Given the crowds outside a few East Oxford pubs when we passed last night, we suspect there’s going to be pressure for more of this in the months to come. Streets for people, not cars! (The Clarion would like to suggest Ship Street next… mostly because then we might be able to get a table at Tse Noodle.)

Have a great weekend – see you on Tuesday.