Crime & Safety
Abingdon pub seeks operator less than year after new manager
Last July, Melia Harriss stepped up to be general manger of the Greene King pub College Oak in Peachcroft, Abingdon.
The pub, which generates around £624,000, is to become a new ‘Hive Pub’, a Greene King franchise designed for experienced pub managers.
The model allows them to run their own ready-to-trade business with low setup costs and comprehensive support.
A Greene King spokeswoman said: “We have plans to refurbish the College Oak in Abingdon and turn it into a Hive Pub – one of our growing pub franchise concepts.
“As part of this, we are currently looking to recruit an experienced pub operator to run the College Oak as a franchisee and actively encourage those interested to apply.
“The pub remains open and trading as usual, ready to welcome customers in to enjoy the summer of sport.”
An advert published by Green King says the successful operator will sign a five-year contract with the pub.
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It says the operator will earn a guaranteed income of £20,000 per annum (paid at £385 per week), plus a percentage of net food and drink sales.
Opportunities for up to £7,500 in bonus per year are also possible if the business is successful.
Earnings are uncapped and can increase or decrease dependent on franchisee performance, Greene King added.
In addition, there is an entry cost of £5,000, including legal fees and training costs, which is payable on change day.
An extra £3,000 will be required as working capital, to ensure there is sufficient cash flow in the business before Greene King makes its first payment.
Ms Harriss took on the College Oak as general manager at the beginning of July, enjoying a highly successful first summer in the role.
But she is no stranger in the pub trade as her father has been a general manager of a pub in Abingdon his whole life, the Roaring Raindrop (previously known as The Midget).
Miss Harriss has worked in various venues in Wallingford and Buckinghamshire, and was offered her first general manager role at the age of 20.
Greene King said she is free to apply for the operator role once it becomes a Hive pub.
The pub has changed hands more than once since previous managers Eddie and Carol retired and moved away.
The College Oak pub is in Peachcroft Road and is open from 11.30am until 11pm Monday to Thursday, until midnight on Fridays and Saturdays, and until 10.30pm on a Sunday.
Greene King has been asked if Miss Harriss will remain at the pub.
Some 15 police cars were spotted beside the HGV on the motorway between junctions nine and 10 near Bicester on December 11.
The force also added that the 51-year-old driver of the vehicle was arrested on suspicion of immigration offences.
Home Office officials also got involved with the investigation.
In an update, a police spokeswoman said the police bail for the arrested driver expired on June 3, but he is now under investigation as enquires continue.
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She said: “He has been released from police bail but remains under investigation. Our investigation is ongoing.”
It has not been made clear where the lorry or indeed the driver came from.
Images from social media at the time appear to show foreign plates on the white lorry.
Motorists reportedly saw officers leading a row of men out of the trailer and onto the hard shoulder.
The Home Office did not comment on the specifics of the Oxfordshire case when approached for comment.
A spokeswoman for the Home Office said: “The Home Secretary has announced the most sweeping reforms to tackle illegal migration in modern times which will make Britain a less attractive destination for illegal migrants, and will make it easier to remove and deport them.
“Our Borders Act allows Government and law enforcement agencies to work with the DVLA to intercept threats when a suspicious vehicle enters the UK.”
Photos shows broken panes and glass across the floor at Woodlands bus shelter on the high street of Standlake village, with the cause of mess not yet known.
Local woman, Sara Willis, said today (Thursday, June 4) that they had cleaned up much of the broken glass but advised residents to “take care” when walking past.
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She added: “Please take care if you’re walking near the Woodlands bus shelter.
“At some point today, the glass in the bus shelter shattered, leaving broken glass scattered across the ground.
“We’ve done our best to clear up as much of the glass as possible, but there may still be some small pieces remaining.”
Standlake Parish Council has been contacted for comment.
The UK’s largest water company released a new statement just before 9pm today (Thursday, June 4), alerting residents to potential water loss amid an ongoing incident near Didcot.
Thames Water has provided updates about the incident, affecting Fulscot, the OX11 postcode, having first communicated the issue at 9.30am.
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A repair crew identified a burst water pipe and worked to dig down to the damaged section to carry out the repair.
However, it has proven a complex repair job – in part because of the “challenging ground conditions” – and the company has promised to provide another update tomorrow morning.
This evening, a spokesperson for Thames Water said: “Our teams remain on site and continue to excavate around the damaged water pipe.
“Due to the location of the burst and the challenging ground conditions within the field, the excavation is taking longer than originally anticipated.
“However, our teams are making steady progress and will continue working until they can safely access and repair the damaged section of pipework.”
Already the incident has proven disruptive with Hagbourne Church of England Primary School having to close suddenly today.
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The spokesperson added: “To help minimise disruption, we’ve moved water around the network to maintain supplies to customers while the repair is ongoing.
“Most customers should continue to have water, although some may experience low pressure and a temporary loss of water for short periods while work continues.
“Thank you for your continued patience while our teams work to complete these repairs.”
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