Crime & Safety
Roundabout Buddha looking lonely without wooden monk
Now, following its collapse after it rotted over the years, only a small Buddha statue remains at the busy roundabout on the Marcham Road, where drivers can access Abingdon Tesco Extra and Fairacres Retail Park.
New Union flags and Cross of St George flags were recently reposted on the roundabout at the junction of Marcham Road and Nuffield Way.
READ MORE: Final resting place of wooden monk
For drivers entering the town from the A34 Marcham interchange, the stone Buddha statuette is one of the first things they see.
But the Buddha may not be lonely for too much longer.
Town councillor Gwyneth Lewis, a former mayor of Abingdon, said there are plans for a monk to return soon.
“A monk will be brought back – I think the plinth is there already.”
A long-serving wooden monk statue was removed last year after it rotted and fell to the ground and it has not yet been replaced.
There has been no official announcement so far about a possible replacement.
The wooden monk was a prominent reminder of an important element of the town’s history – the large abbey which existed until Henry VIII’s dissolution of the monasteries in 1536.
The monk statue was installed as part of an advertising campaign in 2002 and became a popular landmark for drivers heading for the A34 Marcham Interchange, or arriving back in town after a break.
Last year, Alastair Fear, whose popular Abingdon Blog has reached its 20th anniversary, revealed the wooden monk’s “final resting place” to be Boxhill Walk Woods.
Mr Fear, a former town councillor, reported that the town council had given the monk a new purpose as a “bug hotel”, placing it among the naturally decaying tree trunks in the woods.
The sculpture was originally created for a Britain in Bloom project, commissioned by the town council and sponsored by the Abbey Press. People used to dress it up for festive occasions.
Last year it emerged that the town’s historic Abbey Buildings have won a £4m restoration grant from the National Lottery.
The National Lottery Heritage Fund grant is expected to cover a substantial part of the cost of a once-in-a-generation improvement project.
The rural crime police found and recovered a red Ducati Monster in the Cane End area of south Oxfordshire, close to Reading.
According to officers, the bike was involved in an incident last month where it failed to stop for blue lights and made off in a “dangerous” manner having crashed into a police van.
It was found on Wednesday evening, May 13.
The Ducati Monster is a popular motorbike made by the Italian manufacturer since the early 1990s.
Some 350,000 Ducati Monsters have been produced since the model’s introduction in 1993, making it the best-selling and longest-running motorcycle in Ducati’s history.
Its often credited in the motorbike world as being the one that ‘saved Ducati’ due to its popularity and cheap development costs
The Rose & Crown in Ratley, a village new Banbury on the northern tip of the Cotswolds AONB (Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty), shut down unexpectedly ahead of the festive period in December 2024, due to personal circumstances, according to the owners.
The village pub and restaurant, 10 miles north of Banbury, is now set to be reopened under new owners after more than a year on the market.
READ MORE: Oxford locals unimpressed by city ‘pod’ hotel plans
In a statement released to introduce themselves, new owners Dee and Norm Knight-Barrett said: “We wanted to reassure everyone that we intend to reopen The Rose & Crown as a traditional British ‘pie and pint’ pub.
“There is quite a bit of work to do internally in particular the cellar and kitchen.
“We want to offer the best beers and pies that we can so we need to carry out some upgrades. We will keep you posted with regard to progress so please bear with us.
“We are looking forward to meeting you all and making lots of new friends.”
READ MORE: TV legend’s daughter selling £3.95m Oxfordshire mansion
The new owners revealed the plans include theme nights, pizza, curry and barbecues, live music, a pool table and sports games, and has invited further suggestions from the village.
The property is a grade II listed, detached building which is believed to have operated as a pub for more than 250 years.
No opening date has yet been announced and works to renovate and refresh the venue are ongoing.
Green Templeton College’s long‑running Management in Medicine Programme has been shortlisted for the Empowering People Award.
The university‑wide awards celebrate outstanding contributions across Oxford’s collegiate community, with nearly 170 entries submitted across 13 categories this year and more than 1,000 individuals nominated.
Shortlisted as one of the five nominees in the Empowering People category, the Management in Medicine Programme is recognised for empowering medical students and healthcare professionals to develop their management and leadership potential.
The programme helps those working in and around healthcare build the skills and knowledge needed to navigate today’s complex health and care systems.
READ MORE: Plans for 750 homes near Bicester met with objections
Programme lead Dr Nicholas Hicks said: “This recognition reflects the commitment of everyone who contributes to the programme, including our speakers, participants and colleagues across Green Templeton and the wider university.”
The Management in Medicine Programme offers workshops, seminars and a shadowing scheme focused on healthcare leadership, service improvement and the practical challenges facing NHS and other health organisations.
The Management in Medicine team will present their work at the Vice‑Chancellor’s Awards Showcase at the Schwarzman Centre for the Humanities on Tuesday, June 2.
The winners and highly commended nominees will be announced at the awards ceremony on Thursday, June 4.
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