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Oxfordshire: All the store closures in the last year

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Russell and Bromley

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.

The store at the Oxford Westgate shopping centre closed in April

WHSmith in Oxford Station, one of the travel hub stores unaffected by the rebrandWHSmith in Oxford Station (Image: Newsquest)

TG Jones

Fears are growing for the future of UK Oxford’s TG Jones store after its owner reportedly drew up plans that could see up to 100 of its 480 branches close across the UK.

The Retail Gazette said the private equity firm is said to be preparing a major restructuring in a bid to avoid the chain’s potential collapse.

Claires' at the Westgate in Oxford.Claires’ at the Westgate in Oxford. (Image: Newsquest)

Claire’s Accessories

In April this year Claire’s has shut all its 154 high street shops across the UK and Ireland.

Administrators for the fashion accessories chain said that around 1,300 workers will be made redundant as a result.

At the end of last month both the Witney store and the Oxford store were closed for good.

READ MORE: New cycle lane in Oxfordshire town brandished ‘laughable’ by residents

The Longwall Beefeater in CowleyThe Longwall Beefeater in Cowley (Image: Oxford Mail)

Beefeaters and Brewers Fayre

Whitbread, which owns the Premier Inn hotel chain, has unveiled plans to shed around 3,800 roles in the UK and Ireland.

This will see it phase out its remaining Beefeater and Brewers Fayre restaurants as it redraws its five-year business plan in the wake of tax increases.

The Beefeaters in Oxfordshire are the Longwall in Cowley, the restaurant serving Kidlington near the airport, and the Applecart Beefeater next to the Premier Inn at Didcot.

River Island currently has more than 220 stores across the UK and Ireland and employs around 5,500 people.River Island (Image: PA)

River Island

The brand’s bosses said the closures of 33 stores were part of a radical restructuring plan in a bid to reverse recent heavy losses due to a slump in trading.

The Oxford store closed on Sunday, January 18, while the Didcot shop shut permanently on Saturday, January 31.

Lloyds is closing three more banks in Lancashire between May 2026 and March 2027Lloyds bank in Lancashire (Image: Yui Mok/PA Wire)

Lloyds Bank

Lloyds bank is set to close its Didcot branch in June, driven by a shift towards digital banking and declining in-branch visits.

The bank is set to close over 150 branches between early 2026 and March 2027, with most of these primarily concentrated in Birmingham,

The Lloyds Banking Group also runs Lloyds, Halifax and the Bank of Scotland.

Cancer research in BanburyCancer Research UK in Banbury (Image: Google Maps)

Cancer Research UK

Cancer Research UK recently announced plans to close 88 of its charity shops by May 2026 as part of a restructuring to streamline operations and protect funding.

The charity aims to maintain around 320 high-performing shops and plans to open 12 new ‘superstores’ by 2028.

The closures include the store on Parsons Street, in Banbury.

NatWest in AbingdonNatWest in Abingdon (Image: Andy Ffrench)

NatWest

Following a move to online banking and less in person customers, NatWest is set to close 32 branches from May 12, 2027.

The branch in Market Place, Abingdon and Manorsfield Road, Bicester, have been affected with closures occurring last year.

Following these closures community pop up centres will be established to provide customers with help.

GAME, Poundland, New Look, Franco Manca, William Hill, Topps Tiles, Santander and The Original Factory Shop have all announced store closures recently.

However, no Oxford branches are affected yet.





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Oxford beer festival cash helps causes at home and abroad

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The Oxford Brewers Alliance, a non-profit group of breweries, raised the funds through its Oxford Beer Bash festival, which was held at the Oxford Distillery over several years.

Helen & Douglas House, a hospice for children with life-limiting and terminal conditions, will use its donation to fund craft materials, play and music therapy, and bereavement support.

Earth Trust, based in Little Wittenham, said the funding will help them create new walking routes, develop the ancient woodland, and enhance working farmland with nature-friendly practices.

The third beneficiary, North Oxfordshire Aid, supports people in Ukraine by delivering humanitarian supplies such as vehicles, clothing, and food.

The alliance’s donation will go towards purchasing and equipping a fire engine for emergency use in Ukraine.

The fourth charity, the Licenced Trade Charity, has supported people in the licensed drinks industry since 1793.

It helps those facing crises related to mental health, housing, and finances with practical advice and support.

Both the alliance and the Beer Bash committee, including members James Clarke of Hook Norton, Christian Aldridge of NFU, Russ Taylor formerly of XT Brewing, and Anneli Baxter of Loose Cannon, thanked all involved in making the donations possible.

The Oxford Brewers Alliance said the donations were made possible by funds raised through the Oxford Beer Bash and sponsorship from NFU Insurance.





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Jeremy Clarkson issues health update amid cancer battle

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The broadcaster, 66, issued the plea after revealing he is in remission from an “aggressive” form of the disease.

The revelation came in recent episodes of Clarkson’s Farm, which follows life on his Diddly Squat Farm near Chipping Norton.

He said: “This is why I have to say to everybody who’s reading this, please, please, please go and get checked.

“It’s not uncomfortable, it’s not undignified, and it’s a no-brainer.

“I did, and that’s why I’m sitting here talking to you.”

His daughter, writer Emily Clarkson, echoed the call on social media, tagging Prostate Cancer UK in her post, encouraging men to get tested.

In an interview with The Sunday Times, Mr Clarkson revealed he has since formed a support group with others who have also experienced the disease.

He said: “I was talking to David (Cameron) about it earlier this morning.

“He said the amount of people that come up to him is mostly in public conveniences and say, if you hadn’t owned up to it, I wouldn’t have got checked, and they wouldn’t have found it.

“So now there’s a group of us, (food writer) Giles Coren, David, me, one or two other people, and we meet for lunch every so often.”

Mr Clarkson said the diagnosis took an emotional toll, despite his typically stoic public persona.

He said: “I’ve seen so many people die of cancer.

“It doesn’t bear thinking about what it must be like to live knowing that an illness is going to kill you.

“It must be very, very, very distressing.”

He said: “I don’t know the history of what happened to (former Olympic cyclist) Chris Hoy, but to be told your cancer is inoperable and to still carry on, you’d have to be incredibly brave.”

During the season finale of Clarkson’s Farm, Mr Clarkson is seen in a hospital bed describing complications during treatment.

He told The Times these were the result of mistakenly resuming blood-thinning medication for existing heart and vascular issues.

He said: “That was horrific and it was all my own fault.

“I’d been on drugs for heart issues and I had to come off them during the cancer treatment.

“Two or three weeks after the cancer operation, I thought I’d better put myself back on those blood thinners.

“Big mistake, huge.

“It (resulted in) a very big emergency in the middle of the night.

“I’m not even going to go into the treatment that was required as a result of that, because it was horrible.”

Mr Clarkson previously underwent a heart procedure during which he was fitted with two stents to improve blood flow.

In a column for The Sun at the time, he said his doctor advised him to give up work and take up golf instead.

He also gave up smoking after contracting pneumonia while on holiday in Spain.

Posting on the X account of his pub, The Farmer’s Dog, Mr Clarkson reiterated the importance of early detection.

He said: “The reason why I’m fine is because the doctors caught the prostate cancer early, and they caught it early because I got tested.

“Now, I know a lot of you will say, ‘I don’t want to be tested because it means someone will have to put their finger in me’, but it’s just a blood test these days.

“Look, 10, 12,000 people, men, to be honest, men, die every year in the UK from prostate cancer.

“Don’t be one of them, get tested.”

Do you prefer Clarkson’s Farm or Top Gear? Let us know in the comments





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South Oxfordshire residents invited to review proposals

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South Oxfordshire District Council has launched a second public consultation on final proposals for parish boundaries, councillor numbers and ward arrangements in several towns and parishes across the district.

Maggie Filipova-Rivers, leader of South Oxfordshire District Council, said: “We had a great response to our initial survey and made several changes following the comments we received.

“We’re now giving residents the opportunity to have their say on the updated proposals before they are finalised ready for the 2027 elections.

“Community governance arrangements play a vital role in ensuring that local councils reflect the communities they serve, so it’s important that people have their say.”

The recommendations include increasing the number of parish councillors in Ewelme and Stoke Row, adjusting warding arrangements in Didcot, Henley and Thame, and revising parish boundaries between Shirburn and Pyrton and between Thame and Great Haseley.

If approved, the changes would come into effect in time for the May 2027 local elections.

Residents can review the full proposals and share their views through an online survey at southoxon.gov.uk/CommunityGovernance.

The consultation is open until 11.59pm on Thursday 30 July 2026.

Those unable to access the survey online can call 01235 422 425 for support.





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