Connect with us

Oxford News

Oxford record shop may close as redevelopment plans lodged

Published

on


Riverman Records has been successfully run by long-time record shop owner Andy Tucker in Walton Street, Oxford, since 2019.

But a planning application submitted by the landlords of the premises to Oxford City Council has revealed a proposal to turn the shop into a one-bedroom flat.

READ MORE: 1,000 Bicester homes could damage Roman site near A41

Mr Tucker said the plans ‘didn’t come as shock’ as the building owner advised him that he was exploring the change due to new environmental standards for commercial properties coming into force.

Andy Tucker, owner, Riverman Records, Walton Street, OxfordAndy Tucker of Riverman Records on Walton Street (Image: Andy Ffrench)

The shop owner said: “I knew that change was on the horizon.

“The business has had to cope with a number of changes and challenges during its 20 year run, and I’ve always embraced those changes and risen to the challenges.

“This time is no different, and over the next year I’m sure a plan will come together to allow me to keep trading in some capacity. Watch this space.”

The current lease for the record shop in Walton Street expires in March 2027, and Mr Tucker said he will continue trading at least until then.

He added that when he signed the current lease, due to the changes in the environmental standards legislation, he “knew it would not be extended” beyond then.

READ MORE: Oxford – Ex-childminder to face trial after alleged rape of toddler

But there’s no bad blood with the landlord.

“We’ve always had an excellent relationship, he’s kept me informed of developments on the planning front, and I’ve liaised with the architect on details of the application, so that’s all good,” Mr Tucker said.

The plans for the four-storey, mid-terrace building, which is made up of the ground-floor shop with a basement used for storage and three flats above and behind the shop, propose adding a new ‘self-contained unit’ on the ground floor.

Riverman Records on Walton StreetRiverman Records on Walton Street (Image: Matthew Evans)

Its shop frontage and ‘oversized’ signage would be removed and a traditional single-door entrance would be reinstalled.

New metal stairs, ‘conservation-style’ cast iron railings and a light-well would be installed to provide access to the flat.

READ MORE: Oxford teacher who fiddled grades wants banning order ended

The planning application said: “This proposal represents a highly sustainable, policy-compliant development that achieves two key objectives for Oxford City Council.

“It delivers a high-quality residential dwelling to help meet critical housing targets, and it significantly enhances the character and appearance of the Central Conservation Area by restoring a traditional architectural rhythm to Walton Street.”

Mr Tucker added that the future of the shop remains undecided while the planning application is considered by the council, though formal pre-application advice indicated the principle of turning the shop into residential accommodation is ‘acceptable’.

Riverman Records is one of just two independent record retailers in the city, along with Truck Store in Cowley, and trades mostly in more obscure, second-hand vinyl.





Source link

Continue Reading
Click to comment

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Oxford News

Jeremy Clarkson has to pay for his own Amazon Prime account

Published

on



The 52-year-old said that neither she nor her boyfriend receives a free subscription from Amazon, even though they front one of the streamer’s biggest British shows.

Ms Hogan made the admission in an interview with content creator Lucas Stewart on his YouTube channel.

Asked directly whether she was given a complimentary Amazon Prime or Prime Video account, the Irish former model and actor replied: “I share my son’s.

READ MORE: Jeremy Clarkson and Christian Horner team up to raise over £1m

“We don’t get any goodies.”

She went on to explain that sharing subscriptions is simply how many younger viewers now choose to spend their money.

“Children nowadays are just like, ‘Yeah, I’ll just get this subscription,’ and that’s their way of spending money whereas we used to buy cigarettes and more alcohol,” she said.

“This is their spending money, so I share it with him.”

Clarkson’s Farm, which follows Mr Clarkson’s attempts to run his Diddly Squat farm in the Cotswolds, has been one of Prime Video’s breakout UK successes since it launched in 2021.

READ MORE: Jeremy Clarkson’s girlfriend reveals his ‘true colours’ amid ‘misconceptions’

Ms Hogan has become a key part of the series, often seen running the Diddly Squat Farm Shop and appearing alongside Mr Clarkson and farmer Kaleb Cooper.

In the interview, she also reflected on how the attention from the show has changed her life, but the Independent report focuses on the unusual fact that one of Prime Video’s best‑known on‑screen personalities still relies on a family login.

Amazon Prime currently costs £8.99 a month in the UK, with membership including access to Prime Video, music, deliveries and other services.

The company has tightened its rules on account sharing in recent years, but Ms Hogan’s comments suggest that, inside the Clarkson household at least, the stars are still paying customers.





Source link

Continue Reading

Oxford News

Jeremy Clarkson and Christian Horner team up to raise £1m

Published

on



Mr Clarkson, who lives in Oxfordshire, hosted a fundraising auction for Sir Chris’s Tour de 4 charity at a clay pigeon shoot in Northamptonshire, organised by Mr Horner, who lives near the Oxfordshire border close to Banbury.

The event, held at the Marston Estate, raised £1 million in a single afternoon, with much of the final total coming from an extraordinary intervention by Mr Clarkson, as The Times reports.

Speaking on his Sporting Misadventures podcast, Sir Chris, 50, said: “Jeremy Clarkson did the auction at the Tour de 4 clay shoot that Christian Horner put on and we raised £1 million in an afternoon.

READ MORE: Jeremy Clarkson’s girlfriend reveals his ‘true colours’ amid ‘misconceptions’

“We got to £850,000 with all the tickets and the tables and the auction, and they wanted to hit £1 million.”

At that point, Mr Clarkson turned to the guests who had flown in by helicopter and asked for £10,000 from each of them.

Sir Chris revealed: “Jeremy said, ‘Right, there are people here who have arrived in helicopters.

“‘Everyone here who has got a helicopter, I want ten grand.’ So he went around the room going, ‘Ten grand from you, ten grand from you,’ and he got £150,000 from people, and that’s what made it up to £1 million.

“It was astonishing. I don’t think anybody else would have got away with doing that, but he has that presence. It was a fantastic afternoon, really good fun.”

READ MORE: Brooklyn Beckham vows to ‘always protect’ his wife in new statement

Sir Chris, a six-time Olympic gold medallist, founded the Tour de 4 cycle challenge after being diagnosed with stage four prostate cancer.

He has since become a high-profile campaigner for better screening and awareness, using the event to “change the perception” of what it means to live with an advanced cancer diagnosis.

Mr Clarkson, known for Top Gear, The Grand Tour and Amazon’s Clarkson’s Farm, revealed earlier this year that he had undergone surgery for an aggressive form of prostate cancer after it was picked up in a routine medical.

He has since said he is in remission and urged men to get checked.

READ MORE: King Charles strips 10 people of honours in 2026 – check the list

Tour de 4 will return to Glasgow this September, starting and finishing at the Sir Chris Hoy Velodrome.

The inaugural ride attracted more than 5,000 participants and raised over £3 million for cancer charities, with this year’s event again supporting Macmillan Cancer Support, Breast Cancer Now, Cure Leukaemia, Prostate Cancer UK and Maggie’s.

Mr Hoy has said his diagnosis has changed the way he looks at each day. Speaking earlier this year, he reflected: “I never imagined that I’d be able to get to this point where I’m actually just living life and not just living life, but actually appreciating it more than ever.

“It’s just about appreciating the mundane fun of life, the mundane elements of life which can be wonderful.”





Source link

Continue Reading

Oxford News

‘Devoted’ husband and father killed in Cotswolds fire

Published

on



The blaze broke out on Monday (August 3) in fields behind houses in Chipping Campden, just across the Oxfordshire border in Gloucestershire.

74-year-old gardener and landscaper Francis Owens died at the scene after a large fire erupted in dry fields behind Berrington Road and Castle Gardens.

Emergency services received multiple 999 calls at 5.38pm reporting a fast‑moving blaze.

Gloucestershire Fire and Rescue Service said 13 fire engines were deployed at the height of the incident.

READ MORE: Drone shots show new £24m luxury Cotswolds holiday resort opening in 2027

Deputy chief fire officer Nathaniel Hooton said: “We were called at 5.38pm on Monday 3 August following multiple reports from members of the public about a large fire in fields behind Berrington Road and Castle Gardens in Chipping Campden.

“As a service, we extend our sincere condolences to the family of the deceased and to the wider community.

“At the height of the incident, 13 fire engines were in attendance. This was a multi‑agency response.

“We worked extremely hard with colleagues from neighbouring fire services to bring the fire under control.”

Gloucestershire Constabulary confirmed that Mr Owens, from the local area, was declared dead at the scene.

READ MORE: 80s singing legend to headline music festival amid bid to save historic pub

A police spokesperson said: “Following a fire in Chipping Campden last night, a man in his 70s from the local area was sadly confirmed dead at the scene.

“His family and the coroner have been informed, and our thoughts remain with all those who knew him at this time.

“Police do not suspect any third party involvement in the death.2

Speaking to The Independent, Mr Owens’ son Patrick described his father as “the Renaissance man of Chipping Campden” and an “amazing father” who had been devoted to his wife Mandy for 50 years.

The cause of the fire has not yet been established, and Gloucestershire Police and the fire service say investigations are continuing.





Source link

Continue Reading

Trending