Hot Air Ballooning In Oxford Today

With all the great weather we are having at the moment in Oxford the Hot Air Balloons have been making the most of this last good weather. I don't think we had Hot Air Balloons over Oxford last late in the year, last year?

Love Clear Crisp Days In Oxford

Just a nice easy photo of the two trees on the mound at the Oxford Castle in the city centre with Nuffield College in the back ground. Great day for walking around the city centre, wish I was on holidays.

Kingdom Of Wessex Standard Fly's St Georges Tower

Flag of the Kingdom of Wessex flying on St Georges Tower to commemorate the 1010th anniversary of the death of King Alfred who ruled over the Kingdom of Wessex which included modern day Oxfordshire, Gloucestershire, Hampshire, Dorset, Devon, Somerset, Berkshire and Wiltshire. Click here for a close up.

Don't Forget To Turn Your Clock Back

British Summer Time has ended for another year, Oxford is now on GMT, which I think is good. I am not a big day light savings fan. I am not sure who turns the clock back at Carfax, but it was correct when I went past at 1447hrs.

Support For Postal Staff Widens

Along with postal staff this morning out side Royal Mail House in Oxford a number of students for Oxford University, Local Government employees, and general members of the public braved the early morning weather and show concern about the deterioration of Royal Mail Service. Strike action today in Oxford by postal staff is part of a national postal strike which started on Thursday morning with processing staff walking off the job.

Protests Outside BBC Oxford Offices

At about 5pm this evening protesters started to gather outside BBC Radio Oxford office on Banbury Road over the airing of an interview with the national leader of the British National Party, Nick Griffin. There have been large demonstrations in London this afternoon over Nick Griffin's appearance on the BBC's Question Time tonight.

Tootsies Under Administration

Was around the Castle Development in the City Centre this afternoon and notice that Tooties Burger Grill had not lights on. On further investigation I could see that the whole place was empty and a notice on the front doors saying the company was in Administration. Looking in it was very strange, as it looked like the place could reopen at any minute, with all the tables set, tables out the front. This is the second business to close in this new development, the first was HaHa Bar.

Sarah Outen Indian Row Boat

Sarah Outen who rowed from Fremantle, Australia across the Indian Ocean to Mauritius in this specially designed row boat this year, was in Oxford to giver her first public lecture about her time on the water and her 3 world records. Serendipity, her boat for the trip was at St Edwards School where the talk took place, according to her website, Sarah took 124 days to row the 4000 miles alone across the Indian Ocean. Looking at her boat it definitely was not a pleasure trip.

Tim Minchin Signs For Fans After Show At New Theatre

After performing to a sold gig at the New Theatre last night the Australian musical comic Tim Minchin spent about 45min at the stage door autographing posters, tickets and canvas shopping bags for fans. Clearly this fan was pleased to have Tim sign one of his "Canvas Bags".

Hotel Choolat Opens In Oxford

I think this spot on the Oxford High Street was a bank before the recession, with so many bank smaller banks going by the wayside, this is freeing up space on the crowded british High Streets. If banks are leaving the High Street because the public has no money, the next best business to fit into that store, a luxury high end chocolate retailer. These Hotel Chocolat stores are starting to pop up in all major retail centres, I have a feeling that our unique High Street is starting to become a mirror other larger towns.

Where Do Retired Piano's Go?

What happens when you need to retire your old piano? Remember all those tunes you played and songs you sang before you traded up? I feel kind of sad looking at this piano, outside rotting away..

Oxford City Council's Parking Shame

Tell me that the Oxford City Council is only interested in making money out of it's contract with the company that enforces the restrictions. In Oxford you will get a fine very quickly for over staying in a parking bay, even by a few minutes, but you can park like this driver all day and not even be noticed by the parking attendants. People like this, the ones who don't think, really get me going. Wonder what Bill Heine fro m BBC Radio Oxford would think?

Merry Christmas To All Our Customers

Spotted this a week or so ago, and could not believe it, a Christmas greeting on a sign so early in the year. Why would we be even thinking about advertising Christmas in the middle of October?

Bring Your Own - Seat

Not sure if this lady fully appreciates all the money that Oxford City Council have spent improving Bonn Square, apart from the additional lighting and street art the council has installed a lot of seating in the Square at considerable expense. Even with the new seating in the square this lady is happy with her old plastic stool that she provides herself, even when the bench was empty, you never know what you might catch from sharing a bench, eh!

Oxford Union Poster Sale Last Day

Today in the last day to take advantage of the Poster Sale that the Oxford Union organise at the start of the academic year. You don't have to be an student to have a look at what is on offer, I go every year for a look, got a nice world map one year at a very good price. Just have a wonder down St Michael Street off Cornmarket to the back of the Oxford Union and you will see all the posters, you never know what you might find.

Happy Thanks Giving, Canadian Style

Visited the Oxford Union this afternoon to get a few photo's of the annual poster sale, love Oxford Traditions, and spotted this little note of the door of CCCU-UK saying "Happy Thanksgiving eh!" with a turkey waving a Canadian Flag. I guess that a staff member or student is Canadian and was proudly wishing everyone a Happy Thanksgiving. Not knowing a lot about thanksgiving I did not know that there was a different date for the Canadian and USA, the things you learn from this blog.

Oxford United 5th Goal Against Greys Athletics

While in three minutes of extra time Oxford United's Jack Midson scores Oxford United's fifth goal of the match to make the final result Oxford 5 Greys Athletics 0. Great weather at the Kassam Stadium this afternoon, and the 6150 who attended witnessed five goals from Oxford United which puts them at the top of the league with a lead of nine points.

Reds and Greens On Boars Hill Oxford

Was up and about around Boars Hill this afternoon, when it rained a little the colours of the season really stood out. I would like to have this as a drive way to my place!!

Top Gear And Jeremy Clarkson Film South Parade Oxford

South Parade was awash with TV camera crews and students from the nearby schools when the team from BBC's Top Gear stopped off in the North Oxford parade this afternoon. Filming for an up coming episode of Top Gear the three co presenters Jeremy Clarkson, Richard Hammond and James May parked what looks like an experimental car in South Parade partly blocking the road as the public looked on. This driver is trying to squeeze past the Top Gear car but manages to just clip her wing mirror on the parked car, while Richard Hammond and James May look on.

Clarkson looks on as his experimental car is clipped by a passerby.

St Therese of Lisieux Visit To Oxford

Part of the poster advertising the visit of St Therese of Lisieux's relics to Oxford for just 22 hours over the course of this evening and tomorrow. Already 100's of people have waited in rainy Oxford conditions to see the relics at the Oxford Oratory on the Woodstock Road. The Oratory expect that 1000's of people will visit the relics over night, I have not seen them yet but am planing on a visit early tomorrow morning.

New College Year Starts This Week

Lots of new Oxford College Students in town this week for what I believe is the first week of Michaelmas Term, so the streets of the city centre are going to be busy with new students, not sure when Freshers Weeks is, next week I would assume. This photo is of the entry into New College from Queens Lane, Mind Your Head.

Windy Saturday Damage

We had our first windy Autumn day on Saturday, the first real wind for a long time. When walking along Mill Stream today I noticed this tree down near Park End Street, it was not like that a couple of days ago, so can on imagine that the wind on Saturday had pushed it in to the stream. How long will it block the stream for? and how much rubbish is going to build up before it is removed?

Bell Graffiti In Oxford

Did you hear random bells ringing as you walked around Oxford today? I did hear a couple in Bonn Square, including a guy ringing a fire bell, then I noticed this lady with a largish brass bell close by. Apparently it was part of an event called "Bell Graffiti" I asked what it was all about and it was just an opportunity to bring your bells in to the city centre and ring them with others, sounds like a good idea. I did see a few people working around with mini recorders also

Just having a look at a few of the older photo's on Oxford Daily Photo's and I noticed that today is the third anniversary of the very first Oxford Daily Photo way back on the 4th of October 2006. Happy Birthday!!

These Are The Best Days Of Your Life

Oh if we could only turn the clock back to our carefree youth, looking back I think most would say that there teenage years where the best in their life. No responsibilities, no mortgage to worry about, who cares about interest rates, pensions, stay out late and get up even later the next day was the rule at my place, and always with your friends. I would go back tomorrow.

Exeter College Chapel

I am not sure where Inspector Morse died, but I have been told that it was in the quod of Exeter College, near the chapel. If this is true when this is the spot, the Chapel has recently been restored and the stone work is looking very bright and clean, well worth a look if you are in the city centre.