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Clarion Hallowe’ekend, 30 October 2026

A new Market Quarter and tourism on the up – enough ‘ghost town’ already. But this week’s news is dominated by news of an elected mayor and a ruling on Oxfordshire’s councils. A fairy tale ending or a real-life horror story? Read on and we’ll try to clear

The Hell of the North (Oxfordshire)

Our county is to be split into three parts. But can little Northern Oxfordshire survive on its own, separated from Oxford’s innovation economy? LibDem Cllr Dan Levy, Oxfordshire’s cabinet member for finance since 2023, sounds the alarm. The Government’s reasoning for the split into three unitary authorities,

Oxford Market Quarter: “We want to encourage people to explore further”

Four Oxford colleges have a plan to reinvent the city centre as a haven of independent retail. Alex Spain, Bursar of Lincoln College, explains the ‘Oxford Market Quarter’. Oxford has always been a city where history and everyday life sit side by side. Nowhere is that more evident than in

The Clarion, 27 October 2026

Pubs, poplars, a penny farthing, public transport, (free) parking, the best of politics. Give ‘P’s a chance with your ever-varied Clarion this Tuesday lunchtime. This week’s long read Deep in the South Oxfordshire countryside lies a country estate which makes regular, intriguing appearances in the Clarion’s event

Behind the scenes at Braziers Park

Deep in the South Oxfordshire countryside lies a country estate which makes regular, intriguing appearances in the Clarion’s event listings. Song weekends. International film festivals. Art exhibitions. “Experiences out of the mainstream.” What, exactly, is going on at the mysterious Braziers Park? Anand Madhvani tells all. When a member

Clarion Weekend, 23 October 2026

This week, some cows, kittens, unicorns, and a new water treatment plant for a data centre. One of these things is not like the others. This week’s long reads Looking for a pet-friendly rental in Oxford? Out of 500 properties advertised, only seven were showing as “pets allowed”. We

Renting with pets? You must be kitten me…

A new law, the Renters’ Rights Act, came into force in May with the promise that pet owners would no longer be frozen out of rental properties. As we find out, the reality is different. Over half of households in Oxford are renters – a third privately, and another 20% or

What have we been missing? Oxford discovers Charlotte Sohy

An evening of film and live music introduces a neglected French composer — and asks what we might gain by listening beyond the familiar names. Stacy Olive Jarvis previews an event on Friday... You cannot fall in love with music you never get to hear. On Friday 23 October, the Maison

The Clarion, 20 October 2026

This week: Beer to change the world, enough owl news to wish we were still on Twitter, queues for Stornoway, and all the redevelopment news in our fast-changing city. Let’s start with two contrasting long reads… This week’s long reads A new wave of Ukrainian refugees is asking

Ukraine’s second wave of refugees

A new wave of Ukrainian refugees is asking for shelter in the UK. Oxford-based aid worker, campaigner and organiser Justin Robinson asks how people in Oxfordshire can help this Christmas. Since the beginning of the full scale invasion of Ukraine, 2,887 Ukrainians have found sanctuary in Oxfordshire. Many have

Fur-ever starts here

The weather is cooling down (finally), and you know what that means? It means it’s time to cuddle some animals to keep warm. Obviously. If you’ve been on the fence about bringing someone new into your family, please let us present some of the delightful little dudes currently

Clarion Weekend, 16 October 2026

This week: the latest kerfuffle over cheese, there's a shortage of homes and lab space in the city, we're not decarbonising fast enough, but on the plus side there's a shiny new recycling centre and the best school story we've ever seen

The Clarion, 13 October 2026

This week, a huge new solar farm, drama in the LibDems, Oxford congestion, the return of the Cake Shop, a T-Rex head, and some free pizza. We're running out of synonyms for eclectic... This week's photo story 15,000 runners of all abilities raced through the

Oxford Half Marathon 2026

15,000 runners of all abilities raced through the streets of Oxford yesterday for the fifteenth edition of the Oxford Half Marathon, raising over £1.3m for charity. Our photographer Roger Close was out on the course. University Parks was transformed into a bustling event village with 20,000 spectators

Clarion Weekend, 9 October 2026

Oxford is changing fast and this weekend’s edition demonstrates it: new university buildings on Little Clarendon Street and Osney Power Station, a stunning glass dome at the EIT, new social housing in Blackbird Leys, and a very welcome return for the Turl Street Kitchen. Plus your essential events roundup

The Clarion, 6 October 2026

All change in Oxford city centre at the Castle and the Odeon – and will Banbury be far behind? Plus trams, new OED words, and Eminem… This week’s long read Does being prepared for emergencies mean stocking up on dismal tinned food? Not necessarily. We assembled some experts for a

Grow it, forage it, preserve it

Does being prepared for emergencies mean stocking up on dismal tinned food? Not necessarily. We look at growing your own food – for emergencies, for self-sufficiency, or simply for fun. To great media alarm, the Government recently announced a campaign to prepare the UK for emergencies. This follows a recommendation from

Clarion Weekend, 2 October 2026

There’s nothing the Clarion likes more than new cycling routes, and this week Oxfordshire delivered. Plus new houses, political goings-on, brilliant Bicester kids, and the latest in the OUFC stadium saga. This week’s long reads The Oxford Preservation Trust has announced the shortlist for its 2026 awards – from

Oxford Greenways: a cure for congestion?

How far would you be prepared to cycle to work? Research suggests that, for most people, 2 to 5 miles is the sweet spot – or a little further on an e-bike. That's 10 to 30 minutes each way. Enough for health benefits, but not too tiring. Enough to

Heritage old and new: Oxford’s 2026 awards line-up

Any Clarion reader who stepped through Oxford Open Doors in September has the Oxford Preservation Trust to thank. But the popular annual event is just one part of the charity’s mission to preserve and enhance the historic city. Each year OPT holds an awards ceremony, recognising projects across the

The Clarion, 29 September 2026

Traffic filters, college barges, venture capital and an “innovative dog capability”. It can only be the midweek Clarion… This week’s long reads After a meticulous restoration and a challenging tow up the Thames, Eddy, the oldest surviving Oxford college barge, is back on the city’s waterways and in

Traffic Filters vs Congestion Charge : Contest or Evolution?

The Oxford Traffic Filters switch on this morning, and we've just got used to the congestion charge. Oxfordshire Liveable Streets are a not-for-profit organisation working alongside residents across Oxfordshire to imagine and build streets and neighbourhoods that work better for everyone. Today we open the pages of the

Kidical Mass rides again

180 riders took part in a joyous ride through the streets of Oxford today. Oxford’s Kidical Mass is just one of the many rides under this banner around the UK and worldwide this week. Our photographer, Roger Close, was there to capture the action. Can you spot yourself? Feeder

Twelve easy hacks to beat Oxford’s Traffic Filters

Want to travel in Oxford, but worried about the traffic filters from Monday, 28 September 2026? We got you. Here's the tea on how you can avoid the traffic filters entirely, and still visit all your favourite places in the city centre. There's an official website

All hands to the pumps: rescuing an Oxford college barge

After a meticulous restoration and a challenging tow up the Thames, Eddy, the oldest surviving Oxford college barge, is back on the city’s waterways and in search of a permanent home. We spoke to its owner, Bruce Heagerty. For all their importance in Oxford’s river history, the surviving

Clarion Weekend, 25 September 2026

Live music at the Museum of Oxford, happy 30th to Little Clarendon Street’s French bistrot, miscounted sheep, city centre bike repair, rural LTNs, and stadium news. All this and more in Oxfordshire’s ever eclectic newsletter! This week’s top stories £23m is to be spent on improving Oxfordshire’

The Clarion, 22 September 2026

We’ve waited a long time for this photo. But it’s not all Botley Road this week: we have a secret BBC monitoring station, “spooky action at a distance”, a glorious Cowley Road mural, and the latest from the tinpot republic of Piddington… This week’s top stories Botley

Clarion Weekend, 18 September 2026

All the news from city and county in a week where the world’s media descended on an obscure Oxfordshire village – and our take on the controversy. Plus mobile reception in the city centre, moth sculptures, quiet lanes, and very posh cheesecake. This week’s long reads East Oxford’s

East Oxford Farmers Market celebrates its 20th anniversary

The East Oxford Farmers & Community Market marked its 20th anniversary over the weekend with a visit from the Lord Mayor of Oxford. Visitors were treated to a bumper market including all the basics of a weekly shop such as veg, milk, cheese, meat (and cake!). Mushrooming up on Saturday

The Clarion, 15 September 2026

At last – Botley Road is ready to reopen. Plus disappearing cats, an MP petting a cow, a story of bravery from a Banbury councillor… and a bit of a Clarion landmark. Read on! This week’s photo story This weekend was Oxford Open Doors. Our photographer Roger Close was on

Oxford Open Doors 2026

Oxford's heritage weekend comes but once a year, with chances to glimpse sites usually closed to the public. Our photographer Roger Close was on a mission to visit as many locations as possible (he is now rather tired). Did you spot him? The Painted Room The Painted Room

Clarion Weekend, 11 September 2026

C.S. Lewis goes glamping, a tourist tax is floated for Oxford, Didcot gets new cycling signs and Debenhams catches fire. Plus your essential events round-up and weekend reading. Starting with… This week’s long reads Oriel College is 700 years old this year – the oldest college which still uses

Floreat Oriel

The city we live in, shop in, walk through, work in, is full of history, much of it hidden to many residents who glide through its beautiful streets. The Clarion is on a mission to uncover the ‘gown’ for the ever-changing residents of the ‘town’ – starting with a college which

The Clarion, 8 September 2026

You thought Oxfordshire’s cheese saga was over? The story with more wrinkles than a particularly good Stilton is back. Plus coffee, buses, Pope Leo and the return of our politics section after summer recess. This week’s long read Oxford Open Doors is this weekend. With so many fantastic

Oxford Open Doors

September 12-13 is the Oxford Preservation Trust's annual event, where the doors of historic sites all across Oxford are flung open for the public. We asked architectural historian Madeline Odent to curate a short list of her "can't miss" options, and here they are!

Clarion Weekend, 4 September 2026

Did you miss us? It was unusually quiet over the Bank Holiday and then the news came back with a vengeance – we’ve pretty much filled next Tuesday’s edition already. But let’s not get ahead of ourselves… This week's long reads We know our readers love

Five challenges with Oxford gardens… and how to turn them into opportunities

With the summer over, and the merciful reappearance of rain, our thoughts turn to gardens – as we move to a more outside-in lifestyle to accommodate the changing climate. We asked our resident horticulturist Amandine Lepers-Thornton for her thoughts. I’ve lived in Oxford for over a decade but I really

Oxford pets to steal your heart

We at the Clarion are clearly fans of animals – the at-home sorts, the farm sorts, and the outside don’t-touch-me sorts. We also know that we feature a lot of cats, because. Well, because. But in an effort to broaden animal representation and location (not just cats in colleges!), we

Clarion Weekend, 28 August 2026

It's the Bank Holiday weekend. Were you expecting some light-hearted froth? You know us better than that. Today our cheese-eating correspondents bring you the latest on "future Oxfordshire", plus LTN fines, a new Vietnamese restaurant, East West Rail vol. 927, and much much more… This week’

Clarion readers write…

Last week we put out our first ever readers’ survey. We wanted to know what you thought of the Clarion and how to make it better. An astonishing 12.5% of subscribers filled it in. Thank you, everyone, for taking the time to make your views known. Here's

The Clarion, 25 August 2026

A monastic cafe, a 900-year old chapel, white storks, unexploded grenades, open-water swimming, community pubs, new bus routes and rural co-working. Where else but your midweek Clarion newsletter? This week’s long reads Oxford’s medieval Bartlemas Chapel celebrated its nonacentennial* on Sunday. We captured the event on camera and

900 years of Bartlemas

Sunday was the eve of the Feast of St Bartholomew. If you were on Cowley Road, perhaps grabbing a takeaway from Sunny’s, you would have spotted an extraordinary procession heading to the hidden hamlet of Bartlemas. Our photographer Roger Close joined the procession. Bartlemas chapel and its associated hospital

Clarion Weekend, 21 August 2026

It has rained. Let joy be unconfined. Here is some equally refreshing news, brought to you by the news-maxxin’, inbox-crushin’, mango-lovin’, free-wheelin’, cat-botherin’, council-watchin’, live-postin’, number-crunchin’, bus-ridin’, cool-fizzing err... volunteer team at the Clarion. Cheers to you all. (We spent far too long on this intro.) This week’s top

The Clarion, 18 August 2026

Two graphs, three puppies, but there’s only one Ozymandias. Plus our first ever readers’ survey. Read on… This week’s top stories The benefits to Oxfordshire from the proposed Puy du Fou theme park near Bicester have been “overstated by a large margin”, according to a take-no-prisoners independent report.

Clarion Weekend, 14 August 2026

Your weekend roundup of city and county news, lovingly sliced and diced by our volunteer writers and then baked for several days at 35°C. Read on for playgrounds, cafés, poetic fingerposts, clean air and (sadly) less clean water… Photo special What felt like half of Oxford was out in

Throwing shade on Oxford

What felt like half of Oxford was out in the various parks and meadows to see the eclipse last night. Our photographer Roger Close captured the atmosphere at South Park where Oxford University's Space & Astronomy Society held a watch party. Can you spot yourself? This stunning image

The Clarion, 11 August 2026

We’ve always wanted to lead the newsletter with a photo of the Headington Shark, and this is its week. Plus political whippets, wild swimming, conspicuous bike theft, local gin, a canalside cafe, and – wait for it – East West Rail. All in your midweek roundup… This week’s long-ish read

How to see the eclipse in Oxford

The last total solar eclipse visible from Oxford was in 1715… and it was cloudy. That makes the solar eclipse on Wednesday 12 August a big deal. While we aren't in for a full solar eclipse, it’s close at ~92%, and the weather is predicted to be

Clarion Weekend, 7 August 2026

Traffic filters latest, a £60,000 utility bill, 40 toilets, 1000 mini-adventures, one horse, 250 hens, and a baby alpaca. All in your twice-a-week roundup of the latest in Oxford and Oxfordshire. This week’s long reads As the EHRC Code of Practice comes into force, we’ve compiled a

Oxford public toilets: Where to go when you need to go

We are all the Clarion – and, sometimes, we all need the loo. And especially if you're pregnant, have an unreliable postnatal pelvic floor, are looking after children, or just need to spend a penny without spending a penny, your choices are fewer than they used to be. Sometimes

The Clarion, 4 August 2026

We're doing a rain dance. You? While we wait for some sorely needed water, here is some news, not all of it cheerful. Including less than savoury details about Raise the Colours; celebrating Oxford City's first female councillor; Oxford Brookes’ racing triumph; and Marston residents petitioning

Clarion Weekend, 31 July 2026

Our news this week spans Barton to Moreton and Hook Norton to Hinksey, with tales of food poisoning at Truck, one of the UK's largest sheep sales, a surprising amount of Trading Standards and (checks notes) one million new homes. All this plus events, low cost summer holiday

The Clarion, 28 July 2026

Car-free housing, hubs beyond measure, new restaurants, a whole bunch of AI, plus university, train and bus news. All in a weekend’s work for your Oxfordshire volunteer newshounds. Read on! This week’s long read An unprecedented cross-party coalition is developing in north-east Oxfordshire to oppose a military base

MOD Bicester: an unlikely coalition?

An unprecedented cross-party coalition is developing in north-east Oxfordshire to oppose a military base being turned into asylum seekers’ accommodation. Principled opposition or dressed-up NIMBYism? We listen to the arguments. Calum Miller, MP for Bicester & Woodstock, hosted a ‘town hall’ in the village of Langford, near Bicester, on Saturday.

Clarion Weekend, 24 July 2026

Rumours that the first vehicle under the new Botley Road bridge will be Santa’s sleigh have not yet been disproved. But in better news: Watlington is buying its high street, parents and carers at the JR are getting free meals, and as we click ‘Send’, Arbequina is a few

The Clarion, 21 July 2026

While we are waiting to see if Oxfordshire’s two Labour MPs get the call from the PM, here is the very best of the city and county news: new roads, new homes, new hit (we hope) singles, a new post office and a whole lot of AI. Oh, and

Up the swans

The King’s Swan Marker visited Abingdon yesterday for the centuries-old tradition of Swan Upping. Once established to verify ownership of swans on the Thames, this tradition now focuses on swan conservation, welfare, and education. Our photographer, Roger Close, assisted by the Clarion's Abingdon correspondent, went along to

Clarion Weekend, 17 July 2026

Another fine mess? It’s fair to say not everyone is delighted by the cheeseboard set out by the Government yesterday. We take a closer look. Plus a bumper crop of walking and cycling updates, all the news across city and county, and your essential weekend events and festivals. This

The final cut: it’s three councils

Sharpen the cheese knife and wheel out the Oxford Blue. The future shape of Oxfordshire has been announced, and it’s three councils. In place of the two-tier system we have at the moment – an overarching County Council which does the big-money items of social care and transport, and smaller

The Clarion, 14 July 2026

Royal visits, Union Flag Minis, illegal ‘e-bikes’, shop comings and goings, and the Deputy Lord Mayor’s cat. All in a week’s work for your trusty local newsletter… This week’s long reads His Majesty The King visited Oxford on Friday, officially opening the Schwarzman Centre for the Humanities

Regnante Carolo

King Charles III visited Oxford today, officially opening the Schwarzman Centre for the Humanities, and paying visits to Oriel College and University College. The Clarion was invited to photograph His Majesty's first official visit to Oriel, and as an Oriel alumna and sometime Clarion guest contributor, I was

Clarion Weekend, 10 July 2026

Pour a cold drink, settle down for some calming (or maybe not) reading. We have a world record, CCTV coverage at the Plain (or not), new ways to repair potholes, family days out by bus in Oxfordshire and a cracking set of events in this incredible county of ours. This

Spinning around

Oxford is a city of wheels – the cars and bicycle wheels of William Morris, the mill wheels of the Thames and Cherwell that powered the medieval town. But it has never before seen wheels like Ariel Dempsey’s. Ariel Dempsey is an exponent of the Cyr wheel, an acrobatic, gyroscopic

The Clarion, 7 July 2026

A bumper crop of Oxford shop and cafe news for you this week, lab space, conservation areas, and politics. Plus we cast a design eye over the postcards sent by Oxfordshire’s contenders to become Town of Culture. (Spoiler: far too much AI.) This week’s top stories The debate

Clarion Weekend, 3 July 2026

Oxford’s traffic filters are happening: we have the full details. Plus the flag conflagration continues, hard truths for the John Radcliffe’s maternity provision, and a whole lot of house-building. In lighter news: an all-night croquet match, 1903 cycling… and it turns out there is such a thing as

Book Review: Le Great British Tour de Cake

Me: Do we do book reviews? Clarion editor: Errr… Me: It’s about bike rides. Editor: Hmm… Me: And cake, lots of cake. Editor: Mmm… This is a chatty book. (Possibly more chatty than our editor.) You will often feel that Heth Miller, the author, is right there nattering to

We need devolution

Labour councillor Duncan Enright writes for the Clarion on why he believes a Thames Valley devolution deal is essential. “Good growth in every postcode. Hope in every heart.” Andy Burnham spells out his vision for Britain under devolution – passing power from Whitehall to the nations and regions. From Stornoway to

From 0 to 1497 in 12 hours

How long does it take to learn intricate Renaissance polyphony – and bring it up to performance standard? For one Oxford choir, the answer is “just a couple of days”. Paul Flather finds out more. 25 years ago, Joanna Tucker decided on a whim to bring some of her close singing

Oxfordshire's maternity care: the findings

Oxford University Hospitals’ maternity departments are institutionally arrogant; the buildings are dirty and barely fit for purpose; and while frontline staff care desperately about their patients, the staffing is unsustainable. The wider NHS maternity system in the UK is crumbling, insensitive, institutionally racist, discriminatory, has questionable oversight, is operationally and

The Clarion, 30 June 2026

You're a Clarion reader, you were always cool… but hopefully slightly cooler now. In today’s edition we have local dispatches from the climate emergency (we'll keep covering it, even if everyone else seems to be illustrating their heatwave pieces with bikini-clad women enjoying themselves on

It's an emergency, dammit

It's getting hot in here (Oxfordshire). And while your Clarion correspondents are loosening their cravats, donning their culottes and hydrating like Poseidon and Amphitrite themselves, we recalled that our councils had declared 'Climate Emergencies' a few years ago. It felt an appropriate time to check on

Clarion Weekend, 26 June 2026

We have many fans. Not as in “happy Clarion readers”, but as in the array of air-circulating devices currently pointed at the editors’ desks. In today’s edition: County Council 1, flaggers 0; quiet lanes; forever chemicals and beer (hopefully not in the same glass). Plus some cracking events and

The Clarion, 23 June 2026

Red hot news from (ahem) cool writers. Including this week: the climate emergency, cows that are far away, Oxford's first Hindu temple, a new strategy for SEND, Ozymandias, an owl, two unicorns, two sheriffs, and lots of advice on how to stay safe in the heat (we can

Cool spaces for hot days

We’re in to our second heatwave this year, and it's only June. With predicted summer heat becoming more frequent and severe, residents and tourists may find that there’s a need for accessible, reliable cool spaces. Prolonged exposure to high temperatures can be risky, particularly for older

FloFest & GloFest rock Florence Park once again

The much beloved local festival, FloFest & GloFest, rocked Florence Park this weekend. Running since 2013, the annual festival brings together live music, community groups, and local residents for a day—and night—long event. Our photographer Roger Close was there to capture the atmosphere. FloFest is the daytime event,

Clarion Weekend, 19 June 2026

It is midsummer, and for your weekend reading pleasure here is our 'cheesiest' newsletter yet. But if local government re-organisation isn't your jam, we also have the latest on flags, potholes, and other bin fires, together with some incredible events for the sunny weekend and book

Reasons to be Cheeseful, Part 3

Is Oxfordshire’s local government reorganisation all over bar the shouting? The Secret Cheesemonger looks into his crystal ball of Edam… Predicting the near future is usually a losing game. Either you are right, and in retrospect everyone agreed with you and it was obvious all along, or you’re

The Clarion, 16 June 2026

Amid furrowed-brow news on planning, polemics and prisons, we have plenty of reasons to be cheerful this week: South Park’s distillery, an Internet of Birds, the world’s largest display of origami frogs, and an outbreak of Councils Doing Nice Things. Read on… This week’s top stories Cherwell

Local business support in West Oxfordshire

Why are West Oxfordshire businesses receiving visits from mystery shoppers? And how do local shops with minimal staff survive in an age of unforgiving, instant-judgement online reviews? In a guest post for the Clarion, West Oxfordshire District Council explain their new programme to support local businesses. What if better customer

Clarion Weekend, 12 June 2026

The sun’s out again and Friday’s Clarion is everything you need to read for the coming weekend. Featuring the Covered Market, tortoise races, solar farms, and Mick Jagger. Plus we pontificate about local news a bit. This week’s top stories Oxford’s Covered Market will have a

The Clarion, 9 June 2026

It’s a busy week for m’learned friends, with legal bills stacking up in the bids to halt Oxford United’s stadium and building on Iffley’s Horse Fields, never mind Campsfield Immigration Removal Centre. But we also have coffee shops, a restored 14th century pub, EV chargers, and

Oxford Pride 2026

Pride may have had a soggy start, but the weather gods saw fit to bring out the sunshine for the parade. Our photographer, Roger Close, was there to take some gorgeous pictures. While political parties remained banned from the parade, organisations from across the city and county marched in support

Clarion Weekend, 5 June 2026

City centre mobile reception, wheeling to Cambridge, footy scran, £26.5m country estates, coffee horsebox, plus all Oxford’s finest events and some otter-ly brilliant nature news. If there’s a more varied news update anywhere in Britain, we’d like to see it. Step this way… This week’s

The Clarion, 2 June 2026

New town! New bookshop! New science! This way for all the city and county news you need… This week’s long reads Saturday saw the culmination of Oxford’s Summer Eights, the annual college rowing races on the Thames (or rather, the ‘Isis’). Our photographer, Roger Close, was there to

Summer Eights

Saturday saw the culmination of Summer Eights, the annual college rowing races on the Thames (or rather 'the Isis'). Crowds lined the banks from Iffley Lock to Folly Bridge, cheering on the eight-member crews as they attempted to bump each other's boats. Several college boathouses sported

Volunteering in Oxfordshire

Volunteers make this county tick – carers for people, for the environment, for buildings, for the arts, you name it. (There’s even a volunteer online newspaper.) For Volunteers’ Week, which this year runs from 1–7 June, we spoke to Jenny Bowley, Deputy CEO of Oxfordshire Community and Voluntary Action

Clarion Weekend, 29 May 2026

Relentlessly reporting on the local impact of the climate emergency even if everyone else ignores it... Plus OCC on the move, a new coffee shop, playgrounds, the Kidlington dump, and all your weekend reading. Long reads This seems like a good time to reshare our article, from Oxford horticulturist Amandine

The Clarion, 26 May 2026

A quiet news weekend? Pretty much… apart from the small, unremarked matter of Eynsham Park & Ride. But we do have a bumper crop of amazing research news, the heat death of the universe, and some alpacas. This week’s top stories The amber heat health warning for Oxfordshire remains

Clarion Weekend, 22 May 2026

Councils, cabinets, closure orders. Quarries and quiet lanes. It's been an eventful week in Oxfordshire: here's what you need to know… This weekend’s long(ish) reads Every bookshop in Oxford, listed. From Blackwells to Barkers, Caper to Curio, and many more: new, secondhand and remaindered.

Every bookshop in Oxford

Oxford is a city of books and bookshops. Reporting on a new opening in the city centre encouraged your Clarion team to think about their favourites ... Independent bookshops Caper, Magdalen Road Children's books, cookery books, and more in East Oxford's Magdalen Road Village since 2023. There’

Making the Mayor

Oxford has a new Mayor, Chewe Munkonge – the first black Lord Mayor of Oxford. Our photographer Roger Close attended last night's mayor making ceremony. Councillor Chewe Munkonge grew up in Zambia. He moved to the UK in 2003 and then to Oxford, to be closer to his wife,

The Clarion, 19 May 2026

A dispute over a bridge, another Bridge arrested, a row over rowing, a bumper crop of university news – and how active is your MP in Parliament? Plus the return of Ozymandias to brighten your week. This week’s top stories Labour will continue to run Oxford City Council after recent

Clarion Weekend, 15 May 2026

It’s one of those weeks where almost everything qualifies as a top story. Read on for changes at the top of Oxfordshire’s councils, an imminent start date for direct trains to Bristol, Reform candidate controversy, a bung (money, not plug) for Abingdon Reservoir and much more… This week’

Voles in the Vale… and friends

Council biodiversity reports might not seem the most thrilling reading. But underneath the dry pages of figures is a promising story of rewilding and recovery. The Vale of White Horse and South Oxfordshire District Councils recently released new biodiversity reports, which (perhaps surprisingly) offer an encouraging look at the regions’

An orchid orchestra – bringing back Oxfordshire’s flowers

Pandas are the poster child for endangered species, with their picky diet of bamboo and their habitat being lost, but a species nearly as as exotic and threatened lives right here in Oxfordshire. It’s just that it’s the plant kind. Oxfordshire’s conservationists are quietly holding the line

The Clarion, 12 May 2026

All the fallout from last week’s elections, plus trains to Bristol, college beehives, a new blue plaque and Europe Day. And two photo specials! Read on… This week’s photo stories Can you spot yourself in either of the two mass events in the city on Sunday? Our ace

Town and Gown, May 2026

Six thousand runners of all speeds took on the Oxford Town and Gown 10k in aid of Muscular Dystrophy UK on Sunday. Our photographer Roger Close was out on the course. The day started with a guided warm up, and a 3k junior race. A fast, flat course on closed

Kidical Mass, spring 2026

They came on balance bikes, cargo bikes, tandems, bikes with stabilisers, bikes with doll seats, and just plain bikes. But they filled the city with energy, and joy, and the tinkling of bicycle bells. Organised by cycle campaign group Cyclox, Kidical Mass claimed the streets of Oxford for the afternoon

Clarion Weekend, 8 May 2026

Election fever! Our editorial fingers have barely stopped moving since the small hours. This week’s newsletter is brought to you by coffee, adrenaline and sheer bloody-mindedness. Read on for the latest… This week’s top stories The Green Party was the big winner in the Oxford City Council elections

The Clarion, 5 May 2026

It’s a short week, but a long one. (Can we really call it a “midweek” newsletter on the first working day of the week?) All the Oxfordshire news you need in our election week roundup… This week’s top story Elections for Oxford City Council, West Oxfordshire and Cherwell