Oxford News
Oxfordshire Post Office given ‘farcical’ offer to stay open
A petition organised by the shop called on the Post Office to reverse its decision and advertise for the job.
In a letter to Mr Barber, Blair McDougall, minister for small business and economic transformation, announced the reversal of the decision.
However, the post office is only being offered the chance to run under a ‘local model’.
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This means the non-profit community shop would have to take on up to 70% of the staffing costs for the Post Office.
The shop previously ran under a ‘community model’, where the bulk of the costs were covered by a government grant.
Matthew Barber, police and crime commissioner, said: “Thanks to the efforts of everyone who backed the local campaign to save East Hagbourne Post Office – there is hope – but the fight isn’t over yet.
“I wrote to the Post Office Minister back in March to raise the impact of the decision not to recruit a new sub-postmaster. I have received confirmation from the Minister that there is some movement, but not a viable solution yet.”
In a letter to Mr Barber Blair McDougall, minister for small business and economic transformation, said: “Post Office Limited has now decided to advertise the opportunity to operate the East Hagbourne branch.”
The community shop, run entirely by volunteers, has hosted the well-used Post Office counter for more than 20 years.
Sally Barksfield, chair of the East Hagbourne Community Shop Committee, said: “They closed us on the resignation of the recent Postmaster, without informing the shop.
“This meant we lost the community grant which supported a dedicated Postmaster.
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“What they then advertised for was a retailer to take on the Post office in the village without consultation with the shop.
“As we are the only retail business apart from the pub in the village this was farcical.
“This would be under a “local model’ where a retailer must take on the management, liability and staffing of the branch.”
The Post Office placed a notice on March 4 stating that, following the resignation of the postmaster, they “are not looking to replace East Hagbourne Post Office at this time”.
Following the announcement of the closure, MP for Didcot and Wantage, Olly Glover, received dozens of emails from concerned customers, volunteers, and community organisations describing how vital the Post Office and shop are to village life.
The Post Office placed a notice on March 4 stating that, following the resignation of the postmaster, they “are not looking to replace East Hagbourne Post Office at this time”.
Thames Valley Police issued an update around midday today (Monday, May 5) to say officers are “still appealing for help from the public” following the arson attack.
The blaze happened on a 5G mast close to the dual carriageway of the Eastern Bypass between 11.10pm and 11.35pm last Wednesday (April 29).
No one was injured during the incident, which was located close to the Rosehill and Littlemore roundabout and Sandy Lane West.
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Officers are keen to hear from motorists who were in the area at the time and may have captured crucial evidence.
A spokesperson said: “We are still appealing for help from the public following this arson.
“We are keen for any drivers with dash-cams in the area to check their footage in case they captured anything that could help us.”
People can contact Thames Valley Police by calling 101 or making a report online, quoting the relevant reference number 4326021071.
This is the second time in less than two months that a 5G mast has been set on fire in Oxford after a previous incident brought major disruption to the A40.
The first incident happened when one or more people broke into a compartment of a mast near Cutteslowe Roundabout last month.
They then used an unidentified liquid to start a fire, and again, no one was injured during the incident.
Mark Dignam found a hoard of coins dating back to the reign of Elizabeth I in a field in Claydon, near Banbury.
A member of the Oxford Blues Metal Detecting Club, he also found a hoard of old coins in Stanton St John.
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Mr Dignam said at the time: “I found one hoard – the Elizabeth I coins – in the parish of Claydon, and the other in Stanton St John.
“I search for relics using a metal detector – I have been detecting for many years.
“With the Elizabeth I coins, I thought it was only one coin and then got another signal, and it was another coin then another and so on – there were 18 in total in an area of two square metres.”
Mr Dignam added that the Stanton St John hoard was found on a club dig with his metal detecting club with the coins all discovered in one hole.
A gold object was also found at Cuddesdon on a dig.
The detectorist said the coins found in Claydon have been classified as treasure under the Treasure Act, and he has been told that they will be purchased.
The Aylesbury-based Metal Detectives Group is also active in Oxfordshire, and its members last month found some Roman brooches. The location has not yet been revealed.
If a metal detectorist finds coins and those coins meet the criteria outlined in the Treasure Act of 1996 for England and Wales, they are classified as treasure.
This means the find is not the property of the detectorist, but belongs to the Crown.
The Treasure Act applies if the coins are at least 300 years old and there are at least 10 of them in the find.
This means the find is not the property of the detectorist, but belongs to the Crown.
Finders of treasure must report it to the local coroner within 14 days.
The Crown becomes the owner of the treasure, and museums can then acquire it.
However, if you find treasure you may be in line for financial compensation from the Government.
In England, Wales and Scotland, you need permission from the landowner to go metal detecting, unless the site is historically protected, in which case all metal detecting is illegal.
The popularity of the BBC comedy drama series Detectorists is likely to have encouraged more people to try out metal detecting.
Starring Toby Jones, who was a pupil at Abingdon School, and Mackenzie Crook, Detectorists ran for three series between 2014 and 2017.
The series is set in the fictional small town of Danebury in north Essex.
The plot revolves around the lives, loves and metal-detecting ambitions of Andy and Lance, members of the Danebury Metal Detecting Club.
The main filming location for the series was Framlingham, a small market town in Suffolk.
Christmas specials were screened in 2015 and 2022.
In 2024, a ‘magical’ medieval ring found in a field near Abingdon raised thousands of pounds at auction.
The Drayton Medieval gold ring set with a sapphire and bearing an inscription dated from about 1200 -1300AD.
The ring was found by Chris Weir, who was out with his metal detector near Drayton, in 2018.
The 50p coin in question was released in 2009 to mark 250 years since the opening of Kew Gardens in 1759.
Just over 210,000 copies of the coin were produced by The Royal Mint, which lists the anniversary Kew Gardens coin as one of its rarest.
The coin features the Chinese Pagoda at the Royal Botanic Gardens on the tails side and a portrait of the Queen.
After being listed on online auction site eBay, the 50p coin attracted 13 bids before selling for £149.16 over the weekend.
Until recently, the Kew Gardens 50p coin was the rarest of its kind in circulation in the UK.
A 50p depicting the Atlantic Salmon and bearing the King’s portrait is now rarest 50p coin in circulation, the Royal Mint has confirmed.
Just 200,000 of the Atlantic Salmon 50ps have been released to UK banks and post offices, 10,000 less than the 2009 Kew Gardens coin.
Five Incredibly Rare and Valuable British Coins
What makes a coin valuable?
The 50 pence piece has become the most valued and collected coin in the UK, with many collectable designs appearing on its heptagonal canvas.
Its 27.5mm diameter makes it the largest of any British coin, and allows space for decorative pictures. It has often been used to celebrate big events over the past 50 years of British history.
The rarest coins tend to be of the greatest value, with the mintage (number of coins with each design made) being the fundamental attraction for collectors.
Along with the design, other aspects of the coin which increase value are the condition of the coin and whether it has an error in its design.
The way in which it is sold can also determine the coin’s value – while some coin collectors will bid vast amounts of money on eBay or at auction, others opt for more robust valuations by selling via a coin dealer.
Royal Mint top 10 most valuable 50p coins
Here is a list of the top 10 most valuable coins, when they were made and how many were minted:
- Atlantic Salmon (2023), 200,000
- Kew Gardens (2009), 210,000
- Olympic Wrestling (2011), 1,129,500
- Olympic Football (2011), 1,161,500
- Olympic Judo (2011), 1,161,500
- Olympic Triathlon (2011), 1,163,500
- Peter Rabbit (2018), 1,400,000
- Flopsy Bunny (2018), 1,400,000
- Olympic Tennis (2011), 1,454,000
- Olympic Goalball (2011), 1,615,500
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