All That Water Is Moving Fast

As you can see from this photo, it has stopped raining in Oxford, well for a little while anyway.  However with al that rain of the past couple of days we have a lot of water in the Rivers and Streams, and they are full and flowing fast. This photo taken this afternoon, on Paradise Street shows how high the Castle Mill Stream is, last week there was very little water in this Stream and there was a couple of ducks nesting in the middle it was what low. More rain expected over night, going to be a wet May Day in Oxford this year.

Rain And Flood Warnings Everywhere

A couple of weeks ago I was writing about the hosepipe band that had been put in place, and the drought that we were in. Today and this weekend we have seen a lot of rain, and along with very strong winds, resulting in a lot of water sitting around not being able to run away.  The met off have issued 172 Flood Alerts, which means Flooding possible, be prepared, and 32 Flood Warnings, which means Flooding is expected immediate action required. Luckily none of these have been issued for the Oxford area as of Sunday, but please keep and eye on the Environment Agency website for any changes.

Goodbye AnnaBelinda

As the sign in the window says, End of an Era.  Just been reading the achievements over the 40 years that this Oxford based dress makers and designer has had, it is incredible, have a look. For over 40 years, starting with a couple of sewing machines and £100, this business has been successfully creating and trading out of a this small premises next to the New Theatres stage door.  Oxford is losing all our unique sole traders, soon we will just like anyone city in the UK, undefinable.

Oxford Shark

The famous Oxford Shark, which is coming out of the roof of a residential house in Headington.

Sorry for the lack of posts the last couple of days, I  have been away but I had taken a few photo's and loaded them into the blogspot to be posted while I was away, but I see this has not happened.  Think I will have to relook at what I did wrong.

Great View Of Oxford

If you are visiting Oxford and it is a sunny day, take a nice walk up to the top of South Park, in Headington for a great view over Oxford.  It is from up here that you can see how small Oxford really is, and lucky we are to have so much country side around us.

Richard Fords Second Hand Store

Love these old second hand stores that we have around the place, you never know what you will find in them.  Richard Ford in Headington always has a variety of stuff, many items that you may have never seen before or in a long time.

Lord Of The Flies At Oxford Mound

Still getting used to this new blogger update that blogspot have put in place, I am going to set the photo a little larger to see how it works on the blog.

This is an amazing photo of the Oxford Mound taken while the first ever theatre production is being performed on and around this medieval site.  Lord Of The Flies which is being staged at the site until the 28th of April, uses the Oxford Mound as a stage.  The play is happening in the top left of this photo.  If you manage to get along to see Lord of the Flies at the Oxford Castle, please let me know how this unique setting was used to help the storey.

Record Store Day

For those who didn't know today is a special day, apart from being HM The Queen's 86th birthday it is also Record Store Day.  We only have one independent record store that I can think of in Oxford, and that is Truck Store on the Cowley Road, and in the tradition of supporting this important day, they have been having local bands perform in store. Over 400 artists have got behind todays 5th annual Record Store Day, with today being the release of of more than 400 new vinyl items, many in limited numbers.

Short Bursts Of Rain

The weather is crazy at the moment, we are having periods during the day where is it lovely and everyone is walking around like it is a nice Spring day in the sun shine, and then very quickly it is raining so hard that the water can not get away.  Just look at this giant puddle that is car has ended up in.  Crazy because after this intense rain, it is back to nice Spring day.

Drought This Summer In Oxford

I was reading in the Oxford Mail last week that we could be in for a tuff summer if the current drought continues. Water restrictions will be in place if the current predictions are correct, but why is this the case when it is always raining? This was Cornmarket this after, every other person had an umbrella and others had the typical "Oxford" thing to do when you don't have an umbrella, use a book. The forecast is rain for the rest of the week, so get those welly's out!

More Scaffolding And A New Hotel

Just off George Street above Jamie's Restaurant there is going to be a new budget hotel, the name of this new hotel is Bocardo, and it is opening on the 1st of May. There has been a lot of work happening in the space above the restaurant to turn the space in the hotel accommodation. To have this work done there has has been a lot of scaffolding around the building, which was being taken down this afternoon.

Oxford Road Old Marston

This is the entry into Old Marston, as you are coming off the Marston Ferry Road. Marston is only about 3km from the city centre and you can easily access the University Parks from here via the cycle ways.

Marston played an important role in the Civil War, as it was here that the parliamentary forces set up camp and where Oliver Cromwell signed treaty of surrender of Oxford in 1646. I will have to get a photo of the house where this took place for a future Oxford Daily Photo.

Oxford's Titanic Link

As I am sure all readers will know today is the 100th anniversary of the sinking of SS Titanic. With this historic date, I started to ask if Oxford had a connection to this event and found out that one of the eight musicians who continued to play while the ship was sinking, was from Headington in Oxford. John Wesley Woodward was the cellist on the ship, taking his best cello for the maiden voyage from his mothers home at 15 Windmill Road. This photo is of a brass plaque at the Methodist Church in Lime Walk Headington, where Wesley attended, Oxford Titanic connection. More information on Woodward here.

Road Works Continue On The Iffley Road

Look at this, no cars on the Iffley Road. There has been road works with all the delays and inconvenience that major works like this cause since the 9th of January. I am sure that the residents and users of this major arterial road will be glad with the Olympic Torch arrives in the UK, that is when all road works in the UK must be completed by. Didn't know that the original name of Iffley Road was Henley Road.

Byron's Backside

About ten days ago I photographed a building from George Street, where there is going to be a new restaurant, Bryons. There was not date for the opening of this hamburger restaurant on any of the notices at the front so I decided to walk around the back to see what was going on, and boy did I get a surprise. Look the whole back of the building is under construction, so I am not sure when this new eatery will be opening, but I would be right in saying, not this month.

Queen's College Oxford

Queen's College was the Oxford college that Rowan Atkinson's attend while he was studying in Oxford. It is on the High Street in Oxford, and a number of busy High Street bus stops are along its High Street side. There is a small lane that runs down the side of Queen's College, Queen's Lane that leads to the Bridge of Sighs. This lane has no traffic and is a nicer way to get into the City centre if you are travelling by foot or bike from the High Street.

Walk In Christ Church Meadows

What a nice way to end the Easter Long Weekend with a stroll around the Meadow's while the weather was clear, which it was for a couple of hours this afternoon. Not the best of days for all the visitors to Oxford this weekend, but a couple of hours of no rain is time to get out and enjoy it.

Oxford Street Food Festival

Not a large festival, the Oxford Street Food Festival in Gloucester Green has a couple of interesting food vendors that I have not seen before. The Hungarian Chimney Cake was a new one for me, so I had to try it and it was very nice, sweet, a variation on the donut I am sure. Have a look at the making of pages here for more photo's

The Kings Arms

Well, if you can not get to London to see "The Boat Race" the next best place to watch this annual rowing race between Oxford and Cambridge University has to be The Kings Arms. However this years race did not finish as planned for Oxford University the favourites to win this years race, as 8 minutes into the event, having a slight lead, the race was stopped as a protester swam into the path of the Oxford boat.

Australian Trenton Oldfield swam in the path of the Oxford boat, and the race was stopped for 30 minutes, and a restart called, just after this restart the Oxford Boat broke one of there oars, resulting in Cambridge winning the 158th Boat Race.

Ahead Is On Your Left

Saw this sign on the junction of Turl and Broad Streets, but I am not sure why there is an arrow on it? Ahead in Oxford must mean on the, or to the left? Strange don't you think?

End Of The Day

This photo was taken today, honestly. Living in Oxford at times you could be mistaken for being in the early 1900's, especially around the colleges.

Byron Hamburgers Will Soon Be In Oxford

Bryon, a mainly London based hamburger chain will soon be opening in George Street, Oxford. It is going to be just a couple of doors down from the Gourmet Burger Kitchen, which is going to be interesting. I think this location on George Street will be good to Byron's as it is a large unit and I think this chain is going to be a popular addition to the other restaurants in this part of town.

Oxford Literary Festival Tent

Today is the final day of the Oxford Literary Festival which has been taking place over the 10 days in and around the city centre, with the main events taking place in this giant tent in front of Christ Church College. Apart from the lecture space in this tent is an annex of Oxford's Blackwell's Bookshop, a Bar and Jamie's Italian Restaurant. If you missed it this year, sign up for more information on the Festival website.