The Eagle and Child in St Giles, renowned for its links with fantasy writers JRR Tolkien and CS Lewis, closed in March 2020 and has not reopened since.

Renovation work is taking place and builders have fenced off the parking bays outside the pub.

READ MORE: Renovation work at historic pub well under way

Now the fencing is being used to show passers-by what the historic pub is expected to look like when it reopens in 2027.

How the Eagle and Child could look in 2027 (Image: Ellison Institute of Technology)

Artists’ impressions show how the pub will be modernised, while retaining its links with the past.

New owner, American science company the Ellison Institute of Technology (EIT), has been moving ahead with plans to revamp it, and expects to welcome customers again in 2027.

The technology institute, owned by billionaire Larry Ellison, is reported to have paid $10.7m for the pub – about £8m – when it was sold by St John’s College in 2023.

How the Eagle and Child could look inside (Image: Ellison Institute of Technology)

The institute is working with the company owned by world-famous architect Norman Foster for the redesign of the pub.

The area at the front of the building has been fenced off, with a sign telling pedestrians the pavement will be shut off “from September 2025 until March 2027”, and scaffolding has been erected.

The institute has said previously the pub is expected to reopen next year.

How the Eagle and Child could look inside (Image: Ellison Institute of Technology)

Dave Richardson, a spokesman for the Oxford branch of CAMRA (Campaign for Real Ale) said earlier this year: “I understand there is now quite a lot of work going on, particularly where you can’t see the building from St Giles.

“I hope the pub is on course to reopen on schedule next year. We have missed the pub and I know Tolkien fans have missed it as well.

“From our point of view we would like to see an independent operator hired to run the Eagle and Child.

“The fear is that if a large chain is given the role it will then put its corporate stamp on the place.

“We want to see it thrive and it would be good to see it in independent hands.”

How the Eagle and Child could look inside (Image: The Ellison Institute of Technology)

Working closely with heritage architects Donald Insall Associates, Norman Foster’s practice is employing “a conservation-led” approach to restoring and preserve as much of the original building as possible.

There will be “light-touch” interventions within the pub’s two historic parlour rooms and famous ‘Rabbit Room’, where the Inklings group once met, maintaining a sense of familiarity.

Gerard Evenden, head of studio at Foster and Partners, said earlier: “The design preserves the unique character of The Eagle and Child and respects its many layers of history.

“Our sensitive interventions will create an all-day meeting place by introducing an adjacent café and inspirational workspaces for EIT across the upper levels.

“The scheme is stitched together by a newly landscaped garden and restored passageway between the café and the pub – new social spaces that transition effortlessly from day to night.”

The Ellison Institute of Technology has been contacted for comment.

Russell & Bromley’s store at the Westgate shopping centre has been left empty after the huge UK shoe brand collapsed into administration.

Oxford residents believe traffic measures have resulted in the major brand being forced to leave the shopping centre.

Reader Ryan Judd said: “If Oxford wasn’t so car unfriendly and encouraged people to travel into the city centre then things may be different for the Westgate.

READ MORE: Disabled parking bay changes approved at multiple areas across Oxfordshire

“The trouble is park and rides are pricey, restrict you to timetables, and take ages because they keep stopping. Maybe Oxford should consider opening back up to cars.”

Another comment from Ashley Cooper added: “The congestion charge is a factor. Reduced customers.

“Not that this was predicted. Oxford will be a ghost town soon with graffiti and coffee shops. Vape shops and barbers next.”

Russell & Bromley is closing at the Westgate. (Image: Newsquest)

Shopper Mark Storey reminisced on the previous character of the high street.

He said: “Oxford was great back in the day with free parking in St Giles on a Sunday. I used to love wandering around. It is too much of a pain to take the car to Westgate now.”

READ MORE: Wildlife park warns visitors from Oxfordshire

However, some residents disagreed about the traffic measures being the main reason.

Shopper Katie Cooke said: “This literally has nothing to do with Oxford’s congestion charge and the council.

“It’s people no longer buying Russell and Bromley’s horrible expensive shoes. It had shops all over the country, not just Oxford.”

Another comment from Harriet Whittam said: “They should have reduced their ridiculous prices. It’s a shame to see any business collapse.

“I feel sad for the individuals and the workforce, but they had fancy ideas, really very ordinary shoes and highly inflated prices.”

Similarly, Josh Brewer said: “This is nothing to do with local conditions and everything to do with the fact that a UK company has collapsed because shoppers have moved online.”

Karen Franklin urged visitors and residents alike to “just get park and ride, or normal buses. See the sights, colleges, river, pubs, and the theatre”.

Earlier in 2026, the business announced all but three of its 36 stores were at risk as they had not been bought in a rescue deal.

Next snapped up the luxury footwear business from administration in a rescue deal, but the future of most of the brand’s stores and 440 staff remained uncertain.

Closing signs then appeared at the Oxford-based Russell & Bromley store.

The unit, which is on the bottom floor of the retail location near John Lewis, now only has a paper notice on the door as a reminder alongside the Russell & Bromley signs.

More Russell & Bromley shops are closing in the coming weeks as the 146-year-old retailer winds down its operations under new ownership.

Absa has expanded its use of FICO technology for fraud prevention, fraud investigations and debt-collection communications, improving fraud handling and collections results.

The South African lender now uses WhatsApp to contact customers when it detects suspected fraudulent card or digital transactions, allowing them to confirm activity quickly. If a customer does not have a smartphone, the system can fall back to a recorded voice note or SMS.

The approach increased self-solve cases by 47% for digital and card fraud and improved fraud-investigation customer communication by 121%.

Containment rates also rose after the WhatsApp rollout, with card fraud containment up 29% and digital fraud containment up 33%. Absa defined containment as resolving fraud at the initial point of contact.

Alongside its fraud work, the group has applied the same communications system to collections. It uses voice and WhatsApp channels to reach customers in financial distress, while segmenting them by risk profile to determine different treatment paths.

According to figures released by Absa, promises to pay more than doubled after WhatsApp was added to its collections strategy. Amounts collected also rose between 2024 and 2025, with year-on-year growth more than doubling.

Fraud response

The fraud process is tied into Absa’s existing fraud-detection systems. When suspicious activity is identified, the communications platform sends an interactive WhatsApp message within milliseconds so customers can indicate whether a transaction is genuine or fraudulent.

If a customer confirms fraud, a fraud representative is automatically brought into the conversation. The aim is to shorten response times while reducing the need for staff involvement in straightforward verification cases.

“Absa serves 13 million customers across Africa, and therefore recognized the critical need for constant adaptation and innovation in fraud prevention strategies. Absa operates within a dynamic banking environment shaped by rising fraud risks, customer vulnerabilities, and mounting regulatory pressures. To protect our customers and support them when they need us most, we needed smarter, faster ways to communicate,” said Ally Mafunzwaini, Executive of Absa Fraud Solutions at Absa.

Absa described itself as the first among South Africa’s five biggest banks, and the only pan-African bank, to use WhatsApp both for fraud prevention and for communication throughout the fraud case journey.

Collections focus

The collections work comes as South African consumers face pressure from inflation and higher interest rates. Banks across the market have been looking for lower-cost ways to maintain contact with borrowers while directing more intensive support to customers struggling most with repayments.

At Absa, this has meant using digital prompts for some customers and more hands-on restructuring support for others. More granular segmentation has helped it tailor communication methods and collection strategies more closely to customer circumstances.

“Together, these initiatives powered by FICO have transformed how Absa engages with customers during moments of financial stress and fraud risk,” said Moremi Mabe, Head of Collections, Absa Home Loans. “Customers now experience timely, personalized, and empathetic communication.”

FICO said the work at Absa received a 2026 FICO Decision Award, judged by an independent panel. The award recognised the bank’s results in fraud management and debt collection.

Nikhil Behl, President of Software at FICO, pointed to the broader use of digital communications tools in banking customer contact. “Absa’s fantastic results demonstrate the power of deploying intelligent omni-channel communications technology across the credit lifecycle,” he said. “Their commitment to innovation and customer protection exemplifies the kind of forward-thinking leadership we celebrate with the FICO Decision Awards.”

One of the judges also highlighted the reported impact on customer communication. “The judges were impressed by Absa’s strong results improving customer communications across the business,” said Lisa Morgan, technology journalist and contributor at InformationWeek. “Absa has clearly improved customer trust using FICO’s technology.”