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Wolvercote Waterabbits support John Radcliffe Hospital

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The group from North Oxford are seen above in 1989 presenting their latest cheque – for £4,000 – to the children’s ward at the John Radcliffe Hospital.

That brought to £25,000 the amount they had raised for young patients in 10 years.

READ MORE: New cafe opens in town creating 20 jobs

We see in the picture above Janice Stewart, Jane Trinder, and Sandy Leuridan, with staff nurse Doreen Tiffany and unit sister Alison Young.

The money had been raised throughout the year at jumble sales, dances, discos, tombolas, pram races, medieval evenings, Arabian nights and fete stalls.

One member told the Oxford Mail: “In the past, we have bought ventilators, special beds which monitor babies’ blood pressure and specialist pieces that the hospital could not meet from its own funds. We always support the hospital’s children’s ward.”

This isn’t the first time the Waterabbits have featured in Memory Lane.

In 2009, we reported how they organised an annual rail trip to the seaside.

More than 600 people, including many children, would pack 10 coaches of a special train and head to the coast for a day out.

Former member Colin Smith, of George Moore Close, Donnington, wrote: “The train had a brake van in the centre so that people could walk from the front and rear to get beer, lager and soft drinks. There were many flavours of crisps and nuts.

“I can recall getting all the beer from the Co-op in Iffley Road on a sale-or-return basis and taking it to Oxford station the night before we went.

“The crisps would be delivered to my house in about 14 boxes by Smith’s. They would be put in pallets and stored by the railway platform staff who also helped to load them on the morning of departure.

“A lot of hard work was done by a few committee members, on the outward and return journeys, but nothing went back to the shop.

“Sixty-four tickets would be issued for every coach so that everyone knew when the train arrived where they were sitting. They were good days and good trips.”

Earlier, Pamela Tuckell, of Rosamund Road, Wolvercote, had revealed how the group was formed – over a Friday night drink in a local pub.

She wrote to Memory Lane: “Out of the conversation came talk of forming a group to have fun in and around Wolvercote and raise money for a good cause. We chose the children’s ward at the John Radclife Hospital

“We started in 1978 and the charity was dissolved in 1995 due to a lack of volunteers and an inability to recruit new blood.

“The final cheque we gave was for £1,297. We raised about £50,000 in total. The Oxford Mail printed many pictures of our events. To advertise them, we often had a member dressed as a large rabbit.

“My husband Gerald, who was chairman for many years, once grew a beard and moustache, had half his face shaved and walked around like that for a week, sponsored by our charity.”





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Crime & Safety

Oxfordshire residents urged to check ahead of road closures

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Across Oxfordshire, residents and drivers are being urged to check ahead for full details.

Garsington:

Temporary speed restrictions are being introduced on the B480 Lower Road and on Chiselhampton Hill as work gets underway to upgrade the electricity network.

From April 22, the stretch of the B480 from 190 metres south of Kings Copse Park to near the entrance to South Oxford Business Centre – approximately 1,900 metres in length – will be subject to a reduced 30mph limit, down from 50mph.

These works are expected to last three weeks.

Meanwhile, Chiselhampton Hill will see a similar reduction in speed, also from 50mph to 30mph, from April 29.

This will affect the stretch of the B480 passing Marylands Farm—between 110 metres north of the entrance to Hill Copse and 80 metres south of the entrance to Lower Farm, covering approximately 300 metres.

This temporary speed restriction will be in place 24 hours a day.

Both measures have been implemented to ensure safety during the excavation works.

Wytham:

The public footpath FP No.419/1/20, carried by Wytham Mill Bridge, will be closed from May 1 to allow for strengthening and repair works to the footbridge.

While the closure is expected to remain in place through August, an alternative route will be signed locally to the south of the affected section to ensure continued access for pedestrians.

Milton:

Sewer pipe repairs on Sutton Road will require a 24-hour closure of the section east of High Street and Milton Road from April 20.

Works are scheduled to continue until May 18.

A diversion route will be set up via Sutton Road, Milton Road, Harwell Road, Sutton Courtenay Road, Park Drive, and High Street.

Access for emergency services will be maintained, as will access for cyclists and pedestrians.

Abingdon:

Essential communications works by Openreach will see Winsmore Lane closed to vehicular traffic between 8am and 6pm from April 6 to April 14.

The closure will apply to the section between 10 Ock Street and 16 Neave Mews.

Pedestrian and cyclist access will be maintained, with exemptions for emergency services and residents requiring access.

West Oxfordshire:

A raft of traffic measures is due to be introduced in Asthall Parish, including a new 20mph limit in Fordwells replacing sections currently designated as national speed limit (60mph).

The affected roads are:

  • The unnamed road through Fordwells, between the southern boundary of Sunny Cottage and a point 375m north of its junction with the unnamed road to Leafield.
  • The unnamed road to Leafield, covering a 25m stretch northeast from its junction.
  • The unnamed road to Swinbrook, extending 135m southwest from its junction.

Additionally, the existing 20mph speed limit zone on the unnamed road through Asthall Leigh will be extended by approximately 435 metres north.

This will replace a section of the 60mph limit, leaving only a 300m stretch of national speed limit between Asthall Leigh and Fordwells.

Objections and comments on the proposals can be submitted in writing by May 1.

Swinbrook:

As part of fibre broadband ducting works, a closure will be in place on the road leading south from Swinbrook to the A40 between April 20 and May 8.

The closure applies to all traffic, with exemptions for emergency services, works vehicles, and residents whose properties are only accessible from that section.

A diversion route will be signposted locally for affected vehicles.

The full public notices, including the official documents for each Order, are available from the Traffic Regulations Team, Environment and Place, County Hall, Oxford, OX1 1ND.

Members of the public are advised to check the status and specific dates for each proposed change online and plan their journeys accordingly.

To keep up to date with all the latest public notices, please visit: https://publicnoticeportal.uk/





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Crime & Safety

A34 crash inquest for teenage delivery driver from Latvia

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Vladimirs Pavuks, 19, who was born in the Baltic country, was declared dead at the scene of a road traffic collision on Saturday, October 25 last year.

The teenager died after crashing into a parked lorry which meant the road was closed for most of the day, reopening mid-afternoon.

A full inquest will be held at Oxfordshire Coroner’s Court on Tuesday, April 21 at 10am.

When the inquest opened last year a post-mortem gave the cause of death as “massive trauma” resulting from the crash on the A34 northbound between Islip and Weston-On-The-Green.

READ MORE: Lorry overturns on Oxfordshire A43 roundabout with driver trapped

Paramedic Richard Martin verified death at 5.50am on October 25 and Mr Pavuks’ body was identified by attending police officers using circumstantial evidence found at the scene.

Though born in Latvia, he resided in Coventry in the West Midlands.

The opening statement said: “It is reported that he was involved in a road traffic collision and was declared deceased at the scene.”

The purpose of an inquest is to determine the identity of the deceased and how, when, and where they died.

An inquest is a public inquiry to establish the facts of the death without assigning blame.

Inquests may also be held for other legal reasons, such as determining the value of found treasure in Oxfordshire.





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Oxfordshire country pub applies to build 6 flats in car park

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The Evenlode, also known as the Firehouse BBQ and Bar, in Old Witney Road, Eynsham, has submitted the application.

Its owners, Prospect Pubs and Bars Ltd, want to build six two-bed flats with seven new car parking spaces, a covered cycle store and an enclosed bin store.

A total of 12 car parking spaces would move to serve the pub.

So far no members of the public have submitted comments in support or objection to West Oxfordshire District Council.

READ MORE: Relief in Wallingford as ‘unwelcome’ 400 homes plan refused

The scheme’s planning statement said: “The Evenlode was built as a road house in the 1930s and run by H and G Symonds Ltd, a Reading based brewery, but since the 1960s has been owned by other companies, at one time operating as a Beefeater eatery.

“It is now privately owned and trades as a multi-functional public house or restaurant with guest visitor accommodation on its first floor.”

It added: “It is proposed to erect, in the south east corner of The Evenlode’s existing customer car park, a two storey block of 6×2 bedroom flats, with second floor accommodation in the roof space. The development would front and be accessed from Old Witney Road.

“A replacement car park for customers and staff of 12 spaces, for those lost by the development, would be provided adjacent to the A40 entrance to The Evenlode.

“It will provide six two-bedroom flats that will help make a contribution towards meeting identified local housing needs in a sustainable location.”





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