Alice Day

Today was Alice Day in Oxford. This lively theatre company called Mad Dogs from Shiplake College performed a promenade performance of scenes from Alice in Wonderland inside the Botanic Gardens.

Giant Wooden Hand

This interesting wooden installation is in the Grandpont Nature Park. I think the site was something to do with the old Oxford gas works.

OCS Boot Repair Department

OCS Boot Repairing Department 1933 - St Marys Road, East Oxford

A simplistic Cape Dutch style building set back off St Marys Road. The squatters have moved in and the flytippers deposited. The building in front has been demolished leaving this facade visible.

What was the OCS Boot Repairing Department? Can anyone help with any further information please?

Abandoned Bikes

Abandoned bicycles clogging up the bike racks. Ever found it difficult to lock up your bike? It doesn't just happen in the city centre. These photos were taken on the Iffley Road and The Plain. I gather there is a scheme afoot to remove bikes at the end of the term as students leave, and recycle them.

At present the council tags them, to warn of their impending removal. Sometimes the tagged bikes just get left behind and are still there the year after.

Lets hope this new scheme is more effective.

Osney Lock

Derelict building behind Osney Lock

Allotments on the river edge

If you are going to have an allotment this has to be the best place, on the bank of the river. The shot above is a crop of the photo below, which has more river (and more poppies).

Stone Bridge

I like the crumbling stonework on this bridge that carries the Botley Road over the river thames.

A Scheduled Ancient Monument

Old LMS swingbridge behind the Said Business School

This dates from the time of two railway companies bringing trains into Oxford. The Buckinghamshire Railway Company (later became the LMS) could not get agreement to come in to Oxford via the Great Western Railway lines, so they had to come into Rewley Road station (now under the Said Business School) via new lines over a variety of channels. The swingbridge was one of their solutions. It is now listed as an historic ancient monument - take a closer look at the sign below:

The swing bridge has recently been cleared of vegetation. It looks like they are planning on doing something with it. I wonder what it could be .

Street Art

This large mural is on a house near the Cowley Road. A diffilcult image to comment on really. It conjours thoughts of the old communist block - farm communes and the like. Or maybe that's just the scythe looking like the old USSR flag.

The Outdoor Pool

The outdoor swimming pool at Hinksey.
A sunny lunchtime and look at the numbers of swimmers! A lovely facility and apparently Fusion are going to invest in the re-lining of the pool over the winter.
Today it could be renamed 'The Green Plunge' due to the harmless algae bloom the pool seems to grow after heavy rainfall.