C&A, BHS, Saxone, Dasco.. all gone Today Beale’s and Boswell’s face closure. Oxford’s oldest independent department store will be no more.. I had a lovely morning in their hand made chocolate department and wandered up to write this short poem .. Staff like friends Play let’s pretend As plastic soldiers Guard the stairs In a […]
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Walking along the Strand in London to Trafalgar Square to try on a costume I become someone else. Through the darkness I sense the character of a lady of Henley who met her death hung on holy ground in 1757. Mary was not granted the right to appeal her conviction for poisoning her father. She […]
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My friend is like that. She is very stubborn. She will not back down even if we are walking around in loops. That is why I invented this walking tour. You plug in your phone. However many you are and you get on with your life. You see all there is to see. You don’t […]
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During this sunny weather I visited a beautiful site, once believed to have been the home of Wayland, the Saxon god of metal working. Human remains found on the site show an earlier burial structure was here between 3590 and 3550 BC. Between 3460 and 3400 BC a second larger barrow was constructed on […]
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The story of the 2002 Cowgate fire is told through the lives of 3 fragile lives shattered by the event. ‘Succinct’ – Paul Vale of ‘The Stage’ Etcetera Theatre, Camden High Street – July 30th 12.30 – £7 (£5) Book Now Flames burn for 52 hours after a spark devastates a city. A young girl […]
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The young dancer captured above prompted me to see the young dancers of my home county in the community pantomime where I learnt about the history of a pantomime story. The moral of this story, to help listeners utilise their own power, goes back 5000 years. Rooted in a group of stories classified as ‘The […]
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Outsized heads stand up as characters. Gender fluid perceptions result from the clean outlines of features of Nicolas Party’s work. Inspired by Japanese Noh masks and Egyptian Sarcophagi the faces project a bold expression. The eyes are open and seemingly absorb the room in this exhibition of ‘Speakers’. The former graffiti artist Nicolas Party […]
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I felt inspired by too much time in coffee shops due to the grey skies (the weather has been so random!). With so much time people watching I penned a small selection of poetry during a 30 day challenge to put smiles on peoples faces (and help us all brave the weird weather!). A […]
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When I moved to Oxford from Wales I wanted to be near greenery that connected me to a childhood past. The budget did not stretch to a chic property overlooking one of the prominent parks however I did notice that there were some neighbourhood conservation areas in progress that held some promise (although even […]
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On a muggy day the history of the architecture in a University town can feel at odds with what is going on the world. The Palladian architecture in the shot below can seem detached from our fast paced disposable living. In the background is the Radcliffe Camera, a building of Oxford University designed by James Gibbs […]
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