Please note that this is an archived page, left here for historical interest only.
Each year, our new Oxford Christmas and New Year Information Page goes live online at the start of December, and is clearly signposted from our homepage: www.dailyinfo.co.uk.
Merry Reading!
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Daily Info over Christmas and New Year
Holiday sheet dates:
Saturday 5th December, Friday 11th December, Friday 18th December (paid ads for the 18/12 edition will last till 8/1/10 in print and online). The deadline remains 10am the day before the edition you want.
The first sheets of 2010 will be Friday 8th January, Friday 15th January, and then back to Tue/Thu/Sat from Tuesday 19th.
Our last printed sheet of 2009 will go out on Friday 18th December, covering the following three weeks. You'll have to wait until 8th January for the next printed edition of Daily Information! The deadline for Friday 18th is 10am Thursday 17th. The website will continue to be updated during the Christmas season.
Placing Adverts Over Christmas
You can continue to put adverts & event listings up on this website yourself, both paid and unpaid. Just click here to place an advert or here to place an event listing and follow the instructions. You can also email us with requests for box or line adverts. Any problems, email info@dailyinfo.co.uk.
Shopping (Opening Times)
Shopmobility (the City Council's centre for loans of electric scooters and electric or manual wheelchairs to people with mobility problems) have extra openings for Christmas events and shopping. Their normal hours are Monday to Friday (except Bank Holidays) from 9am until 4.30pm and Saturdays 9.30am until 4pm. On Fri 27th November they will be open from 9am-6.30pm for the Christmas Lights event. On Sunday 13th and 20th December they will open from 10.30am to 6.30pm for Christmas shopping. Users of the service are entitled to free parking at the Westgate Car Park in the Shopmobility area. Tel. 01865 248737 or visit Level 1b in the Westgate Car Park. Booking is absolutely essential.
Gloucester Green Farmer's Market, Gloucester Green
Thu 3rd & Thu 17th: 9am-3pm
East Oxford Farmer's and Community Market, East Oxford Primary School (behind Tescos, Cowley Road)
Sat 28th, 5th, 12th, 19th: 10am-1pm
Christmas Market, Cowley Road, James Street Tavern Garden, James Street, off Cowley Road
Sat 5th, 12th, 19th: 1pm-11pm
Great Green Christmas Market, Town Hall, St. Aldates
Friday 18th-Monday 21st: 9am-5pm
Oxford Castle Christmas Market, Oxford Castle, New Road
Thu 10th-Sunday 20th: 10am-8pm
North Parade Christmas Fayre, North Parade Avenue
Thu 17th: 6-9pm
The Clarendon Centre (01865 251493) (Individual shop times may vary)
Thu 3rd: 9am-9pm
Fri 4th: 9am-6.30pm
Sat 5th: 9am-6pm
Sun 6th: 10.30am-5pm
Mon 7th-Wed 9th: 9am-7pm
Thu 10th: 9am-9pm
Fri 11th: 9am-7pm
Sat 12th: 9am-6pm
Sun 13th: 10.30am-5pm
Mon 14th-Wed 16: 9am-7pm
Thu 17th: 9am-9pm
Fri 18th: 9am-7pm
Sat 19th: 9am-7pm
Sun 20th: 10.30am-5pm
Mon 21st-Wed 23rd: 9am-9pm
Thu 24th: 8am-5pm
Christmas Day: CLOSED
Boxing Day: 11am-5pm
Sunday 27th: 11am-5pm
Mon 28th: 10am-5pm
Tue 29th-Wed 30th: 8am-6.30pm
Thu 31st: 9am-4pm
New Year's Day: 10am-4pm
Hours revert to normal from Sat 2nd January 2010
The Westgate Centre (01865 725455) (Individual shop times may vary)
Mon 14th-Sun 20th: 9am-7pm, Thu 9am-8pm
Mon 21st-Wed 23rd: 9am-9pm
Thu 24th: 8am-5pm
Christmas Day: CLOSED
Boxing Day: 11am-5pm
Sunday 27th: 11am-5pm
Mon 28th: 11am-5pm
Tue 29th-Thu 31st:9am-7pm
New Year's Day: CLOSED
Hours revert to normal from Sat 2nd January 2010
The Covered Market (01865 250133) (Individual shop times may vary)
Mon-Sat: 9am-5.30pm
Sun: 10am-4pm
Christmas Day: CLOSED
Bicester Village Shopping Outlet (01865 725455) (Individual shop times may vary)
Mon-Sat:: 10am-7pm
Sun: 10am-6pm
Friday 27th November, Thu 3rd, 10th, 17th: 10am-8pm
Christmas Eve: 10am-5pm
Christmas Day: CLOSED
Boxing Day: 10am-8pm
Mon 28th-Wed 30th: 10am-8pm
New Year's Eve: 9am-7pm
New Year's Day: CLOSED
Hours revert to normal from Sat 2nd January 2010
Supermarkets
Sainsbury's Local |
Sainsbury's Westgate Centre 01865 722179 |
Tescos
Cowley Road 01865 447600 |
Co-Op London Rd Headington 01865 766132 |
Co-Op Walton St Jericho 01865 511884 |
Marks & Spencers Summertown 01865 316873 |
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Christmas |
Christmas |
Christmas |
Christmas |
Christmas |
Christmas |
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| Sun 20th December | 11am-5.15pm | 11am-5pm | 10am-4pm | 10am-4pm | Check back next week | 10am-4pm |
| Mon 21st December | 7am-11pm | 6am-10pm | 6am-12pm | 8am-10pm | Check back next week | 8am-9pm |
| Tue 22nd December | 7am-11pm | 6am-10pm | 6am-12pm | 8am-10pm | Check back next week | 7am-9pm |
| Wed 23rd December | 7am-11pm | 6am-10pm | 6am-12pm | 8am-10pm | Check back next week | 7am-9pm |
| Thu 24th December | 7am-9pm | 6am-6pm | 6am-6pm | 8am-6pm | Check back next week | 7am-5pm |
| Fri 25th December | Closed | Closed | Closed | Closed | Check back next week | Closed |
| Sat 26th December | 9am-7pm | Closed | Closed | Closed | Check back next week | Closed |
| Sun 27th December | 11am-5pm | 11am-5pm | 10am-4pm | 10am-4pm | Check back next week | 10am-4pm |
| Mon 28th December | 9am-11pm | 9am-7pm | 6am-12pm | 8am-10pm | Check back next week | 8am-8pm |
New Year |
New Year |
New Year |
New Year | New Year | New Year |
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| Thu 31st December | 7am-9pm | 7am-7pm | 6am-6pm | 8am-6pm | Check back next week | 8am-5pm |
| Fri 1st January | 9am-7pm | Closed | Closed | Closed | Check back next week | Closed |
| Sat 2nd January | 7am-11pm | 7am-8pm | 8am-10pm | 8am-10pm | Check back next week | 8am-9pm |
Family Events and Museum Opening
Here are a selection of family events taking place over the Christmas and New Year period. For more suggestions, try our Family Events page.
Ashmolean Museum:
The Ashmolean will reopen fully on the 2nd December. Some galleries are still being completed, but it is currently open.
Tue-Sun: 10am-6pm
Wed 2nd Dec: CLOSED until 1pm for re-opening (by the Queen!).
24th-26th Dec: CLOSED
New Year's Day: CLOSED
University of Oxford Botanic Garden:
Delightful selection of flowers and plants from around the world, with warm greenhouses to escape winter dreariness.
Mon-Sun: 9am-4.30pm
Christmas Day: CLOSED
Till 3rd January: The Big Botanic Christmas Tree. Naturally decorated Christmas Tree. Look for spices in the Glasshouses. 10am-4pm. Adults £3, children free
Science Oxford Live!
Currently showing: Wildlife Photograper of the Year competition finalists, and loads of fun activities for kids.
Mon-Sat: 10am-5pm
Sun: CLOSED
24th-28th CLOSED
1st January 2010 CLOSED
22nd-23rd: Christmas Science Decorations. Come to the Discovery Zone this Christmas to make some decorations with a difference. 11am-5pm. Free with DZ entry
30th: Owls Galore!- Come along to discover the fascinating world of owls. 11am & 2pm. £3 or £5 with DZ entry
Museum of the History of Science
Currently showing: Steampunk, the first ever museum exhibition of Steampunk art. Read our review!
Mon: CLOSED
Tues-Fri: 12-5pm
Sat: 10am-5pm
Sun: 2-5pm
24th-28th: CLOSED
Tue 29th-Wed 30th: 12-5pm
30th Dec-1st Jan 2010: CLOSED
Dec 12th: Celestial Planisphere Family Friendly Drop In. Make a special dial to show the stars based on a c17th map. 2-4pm. Free
University Museum of Natural History
Dinosaur skeletons and an exhibition on Charles Darwin: something for everyone!
Mon-Sun: 10am-5pm
24th-27th: CLOSED
30th Dec-1st Jan 2010: CLOSED
Pitt Rivers Museum
Fantastic gothic curiosity shop masquerading as a museum of anthropology.
Mon:
Tue-Sun: 10am-4.30pm
24th-27th: CLOSED
31st Dec-1st Jan 2010: CLOSED
Museum of Oxford
Oxford City Council's Musuem of Oxford history.
Tue-Sat: 10am-5pm
Sun-Mon: CLOSED
24th Dec: 10am-4pm
25th Dec-1st Jan 2010: CLOSED
Modern Art Oxford
Currently showing Miroslaw Balka: Topography and Pawel Althamer: Common Task.
Tues-Sat: 10am-5pm
Sun: 12am-5pm
Christmas Eve: 10am-2pm
25th-28th: CLOSED
1st January 2010: CLOSED
Also:
St. Michael at the Noth Gate, 12th December: Card Aid Christmas Fun Day Card Aid. Biscuit decorating, card making + charity Christmas card shop. All profit to charity. 11am-3.30pm. Free
Oxford Bus Museum, 12th & 13th December: Santa's Grotto Bus - Visit Santa and receive a superb Xmas gift. £2.50 plus normal entrance fee
Eating Out on Christmas Day
This is not a comprehensive listing of restaurants open on Christmas Day! However, we have tried to give a range of options. To browse for other possibilities, look at our Oxford restaurants page. If you'd like us to list your Christmas Day opening here, please contact us.
A surprising number of Chinese, Indian and Thai restaurants are closed on the 25th, so don't count on being able to find something by wandering hopefully up and down the Cowley Road.
We advise booking as far in advance as possible! Most places require a deposit for Christmas Day lunch, often refundable if there's a cancellation up to 48 hours in advance.
The King's Arms, Corner of Parks Road and Holywell Street- Open 12am-2pm for lunch from a reduced menu. No bookings taken. This is possibly the only place to eat in Oxford where you can just turn up for lunch on Christmas Day. If you know of any others, why not contact us?
The White Horse, Broad Street- Open 12am-3pm for lunch from full menu. 01865 204801. Menu here.
The Oxford Thai, Cowley Road - Open 1pm-3.30pm for a 2-course Christmas lunch at £5.95/head. Price includes a glass of champagne. Booking required, no deposit. Menu here. 01865 203763
Al Salam, Park End Street - Open from 12am for Lebanese Christmas meal at £15/head. Booking required. 01865 245710
Everest Nepalese, Howard Street - Open 12am-11.30pm for a 4-course Christmas dinner at £14.95/head. Booking required. 01865 251555
Brown's, Woodstock Road - Open 12am-2pm for a 4-course Christmas lunch at £45/head. Booking required, no deposit. Menu here. 01865 511995
Quod, High Street - Open 11.30am-2.30pm for 3-course Christmas lunch at £45/head plus 12.5% service charge. Booking required. 01865 202505 Menu here.
The Fox Inn, Boar's Hill - Open 12am-4pm for a 4-course Christmas lunch at £55/head. Booking required, £10 deposit. 01865 735131
The Trout Inn, Wolvercote - Open 12am-1.30pm and 2.45-4pm for a 4-course Christmas lunch at £60/head. Booking required, no deposit. 01865 510930 Menu here.
Mal Maison, Castle Complex - Open 12am-3pm for a 3-course Christmas lunch at £75/head. Booking required, deposit taken. 01865 268400
For more possibilities, check out our Oxford restaurants page.
Christmas Carols and Services
This section will be continuously updated throughout the Christmas period. In the mean time, why not check our Concert and Worship event listings for details of upcoming Carols and Services in Oxford?
Sun 13th Dec:
Carols by Candlelight, St Ebbes, 3.30pm
St Columba's URC (Alfred Street), 10:45am
Carols by Candlelight: St Aldates, 6pm
Fri 18th Dec:
Manor House String Quartet:
Winter & Christmas Classics (Vivaldi, Corelli, Bach, fun popular carols, etc.), St Michael at the North Gate, Cornmarket, 7.30pm, £7/£5(concs). on door
Sat 19th Dec:
Open air carols service: Bonn Square, 4pm
Carol Concert by Candlelight: St Michael at the North Gate, 8-9.30pm, Tickets £7/£9
Sun 20th Dec:
New Road Church, Bonn Square, 4.30 pm
University Church of St Mary the Virgin, 6pm
'The Christmas Story': Oxford Community Church (The King's Centre), 6pm
Carols by Candlelight: St Aldates, 6pm
Wesley Memorial New Inn Hall Street, 6.30pm
St Mary Magdalen, 6:30pm
Carols by Candlelight: St Ebbes, 7pm
Carol Service: St Giles' Church, 6.30 pm
Mon 21st Dec:
Blenheim Singers Carol Concert, St Michael the Northgate, 8-10pm
Wed 23rd Dec:
Children's Crib Service with donkey (TBC), St Michael the Northgate, 4-5pm
Thu 24th Dec:
'Wee Worship' Christmas Eve gathering for young children and their parents/carers,
St Columba's United Reformed Church, 3:30pm
Vigil Mass with carols, St Aloysius, 6.30pm
Midnight Mass:
St Michael the Northgate, 11pm
St Aldates, 11pm
St Aloysius, 11.15pm - Carols & Readings (followed by Mass at midnight)
Most churches will have a morning service on Christmas Day.
Walking Tours over Christmas
The Oxford Tourist Information Centre (01865 252200) is running walking tours throughout the festive season, including Christmas Day.
University & City Tours:
Adults £7, Senior Citizens £6.50, Children £3.50
Every day (including Christmas Eve): 11am & 2pm
Saturdays (including Boxing Day): 10.30am, 11am, 11.30am, & 2pm
Christmas Day: 2pm
New Year's Day: 11am
Inspector Morse Tours:
Adults £7.50, Senior Citizens £7, children £4
Saturdays (including Boxing Day): 1pm
Tickets are available from the Walking Tour desk at 15-16 Broad Street or from the guide directly outside the centre. Booking in advance is advised.
The Tourist Information Centre will be open on Thu 24th December, 9.30am-5.30pm, closed Fri 25th - Mon 28th December, open 10am-3.30pm 29th-30th December, closed 1st January and open normally from 2nd January.
Postal Dates and Deadlines
Last Postal Dates to Make Sure Things Arrive by Christmas:
Special Delivery: Wed 23rd December
First Class: Mon 21st December
Second Class: Fri 18th December
Standard Parcels: Tue 15th December
Royal Mail also have a handy Last Posting calculator. The general result seems to be "You should have posted last week."
There will be no Deliveries or Collections:
Fri 25th December - Mon 28th December inclusive
1st January
For more information, try our Last Post and Post Office Opening hours page or Royal Mail's Christmas Page.
Public Transport
Local Buses
Monday 21st - Wednesday 23rd December: Normal service on both Stagecoach and Oxford Bus Company routes.
Thursday 24th: Oxford Bus Company services (including Brookes Bus, Park & Ride and the Airline) run at normal times, but with early last buses; last buses depart between 7 and 8pm depending on route. Likewise, last buses on Stagecoach services will depart between 5pm and 7.30pm. Make sure you can get home!
Christmas Day: Stagecoach is running an hourly service on Route N1 (Blackbird Leys - City) every hour 9am - 5pm (excluding 1pm). They're also running an Oxford Tube service from Oxford to Headington.
Boxing Day: "Special" [ie. reduced] service on both lines.
Sunday 27th - Monday 28th: Sunday service times on both lines.
Tuesday 29th - Thursday 31st: Saturday service times on both lines; Oxford Bus Company services have early last buses on 31st.
New Year's Day: Reduced service on both lines.
January 2nd onwards: Normal service resumes.
More detailed information is available from the Stagecoach and Oxford Bus Company Christmas timetables.
Coaches to London and Elsewhere
Monday 21st - Wednesday 23rd December: Normal service on both Oxford Tube and Oxford Espress routes.
Thursday 24th: Espress and Airline services run at normal times, but with early last buses. Likewise, last coaches on Oxford Tube services will depart at 7.30pm from Oxford and 9.55pm from London.
Christmas Day: The Oxford Tube is running a special Oxford - London service, calling at Heathrow Airport.
Tubes leave 6am-5pm every hour.
Coaches will not call at Hillingdon and a premium fare of £25 single will apply. No service on the Espress.
Boxing Day: The Oxford Tube and the Espress & Airline are running a special Oxford - London service, every half-hour. First and last coach times vary by location and line.
Sunday 27th - Monday 28th: Sunday service times on both coach lines.
Tuesday 29th - Wednesday 30th: Saturday service times on the Espress and Airline. Normal service on the Oxford Tube.
Thursday 31st: Oxford Tube runs a Sunday service until 3am (Oxford - London). Espress and Airline will run to Saturday schedule, but with early last coaches.
New Year's Day: Reduced service on both coach lines.
January 2nd onwards: Normal service resumes.
More detailed information is available from the Stagecoach and Oxford Tube Christmas timetables.
Trains
There are no trains running through Oxford on Christmas Day or Boxing Day. Beyond this, we enter the labyrinthine world of railway companies, each with their own schedule, website and uninformative telephone number. Your best bet is probably to check your journey details on the Trainline, or the National Rail website, and see whether it will offer you any tickets. Best of luck!
Chemists
The 10 O'Clock Pharmacy, 59 Woodstock Road (01865 515226): Open Christmas Day 4pm-7.30pm, open New Year's Day 4pm-7pm. All other days open 9am-7pm as usual.
Boots, on Cornmarket (01865 247461): Open 8am-8pm, Mon 30th November to Mon 14th December; then open 8am-9pm to Wed 23rd. Open 7am-6pm Christmas Eve, closed Christmas Day. Open New Year's Day 11am-5pm.
Boots, on Cowley Road (01865 243633; try the pharmacy number to actually get an answer): Open 9am-6pm, closed Christmas Day. Open 9am-5.30pm Christmas Eve, and 10am-4pm on Sundays and Bank Holidays.
Jenners, Manzil Way Health Centre (01865 248963): Closed Christmas Day, Mon 28th December, and New Year's Day. Otherwise open 8.30am-6pm Mon-Fri and 9am-1pm Sat (closed Sun).
Petrol Stations
Blenheim Service Station, 93 Woodstock Road, Kidlington (01865 375373): Open 6.30am-9pm Christmas Eve, closed Christmas Day, open 8am-8pm Boxing Day and New Year's Day. Otherwise, 6.30am-10pm weekdays, 7am-10pm weekends, as usual.
Hartwell Ford BP Petrol Station, Seacourt Tower West Way, Botley (01865 791798): Closing early (depnding on demand) Christmas Eve and New Year's Eve. Closed Christmas Day, Boxing Day and New Year's Day. Otherwise, 7am-9pm weekdays, 8am-9pm Saturday, 10am-5pm Sunday, as usual.
Blenheim Service Station, 93 Woodstock Road, Kidlington (01865 375373): Open 6.30am-9pm Christmas Eve, closed Christmas Day, open 8am-8pm 28th Dec and New Year's Day. Otherwise, 6.30am-10pm weekdays, 7am-10pm weekends, as usual.
Murco Service Station, Between Towns Road (01865 714377): Open 6am-11pm every day. May open an hour late on Christmas and New Year's Days, and will probably close an hour or two earlier as well.
Rubbish Collections
Garden Waste and Bulky Collection will be suspended from Monday 21st December 2009 to Friday 1st January 2010. Normal collections for these services will resume on Monday 4 January 2010. Visit the Council's website for more information on Refuse Collection dates and whether you live in a blue or a red house. If you live in a greenhouse, note the suspension of garden waste collection, above.
| For Blue Households (North Oxford) |
Normal Collection Date | Revised Collection Date |
| Green Recycling Box | Fri 25th Dec | Mon 28th Dec |
| Refuse (Green Wheelie) | Fri 25th Dec | Tue 29th Dec |
| Blue Recycling Box | Mon 28th Dec | Normal collection day |
| Blue Recycling Box | Tue 29th - Thu 31st Dec | Normal collection day |
| Blue Recycling Box | Fri 1st Jan 2010 | Sat 2nd Jan 2010 |
| For Red Households (South Oxford) |
Normal Collection Date | Revised Collection Date |
| Blue Recycling Box | Fri 25th Dec | Mon 28th Dec |
| Green Recycling Box | Mon 28th Dec | Mon 28th Dec |
| Refuse (Green Wheelie) | Mon 28th Dec | Wed 30th Dec |
| Green Box & Wheelie | Tue 29th - Thu 31st Dec | Normal collection day |
| Blue Box/Bin | Fri 1st Jan 2010 | Sat 2nd Jan 2010 |
Buying Christmas Trees
Varie-Trees
The increasingly popular Nordmann has thickish dark green needles, and is non-drop. Blue and White Spruce have very pretty, thick, blunt needles but tend to shed them a little. Scots Pine holds its needles well, and its strong branches can cope with heavy decorations. Small Fraser Firs can be bought potted, rather than cut, meaning they don't shed and have a rather pleasant fruity smell. Norway Spruce, while the most satisfyingly traditional-looking of all, is a dedicated shedder. If you choose a tree that makes free with its needles, the best thing to do is to give it plenty of water and try to keep it in the coolest part of the room. You can also purchase anti-drop chemicals from places like B&Q.
This environmental site has some interesting information about the benefits of a living rather than a plastic tree, which, if memorised, may enable you to astound your friends and confound your relations.
Places to Buy
Kingston Fruiterers, 14 Kingston Road, OX2 6RQ - entrance just round the corner in Longworth Road. They have Nordmann trees at all sorts of heights.
Waterperry Garden Centre at Wheatley (01844 339226) have a range of species - 4ft Norways live in pots, Nordmann firs, 125-250cm, and also Blue Spruce, and 10ft Norways.
Blenheim Palace (christmastrees@blenheimpalace.com / 01993 813196) has Norway Spruce, Serbian Spruce, Nordmann Fir and Scots Pine for sale at the Palace, outside the main gift shop, 10am - 5.30pm until 23rd December. Or you can go to the fountainhead at the Blenheim Sawmill at Combe: 8am - 4pm daily until 23rd December.
The Garden, 99-100 Covered Market, OX1 3DY, 240709, have Nordmann trees of 3-11 feet, Norway Spruces of 4-7 feet, and pot grown trees, i.e. living ones with roots and everything.
The Sea Cadets have trees for sale in Meadow Lane, off Donnington Bridge Road, from 8am - late (between 8 and 9pm, usually), every day. Norwegian Spruces.
Open Fires
If you are lucky enough to live in an area and a household which allows you to have fires, you will be able to luxuriate in front of blazes as Dickensian as your ecological conscience will allow.
Wood
You can get FSC-approved (Forest Stewardship Council) hardwoodlogs fairly easily: A.W. Mobbs, London Road, Wheatley do it from £4 a bag, as do many more local suppliers. The aforementioned company will deliver large loads to your door at
a discount. This isn't totally sustainable but it's better than nothing and helps wildlife a bit.
You can buy log offcuts from Eynsham
Park Sawmills,
Cuckoo Lane, North Leigh (off the A40 to Witney). Their wood is £15 a 'box' (bootload)
- it is softwood, so it doesn't last as long as hardwood, which is available from Barlow and Son (Hermitage
limited) at Blenheim Sawmills, Combe. A hardwood bootload from Blenheim Sawmills costs about £38,
and might be better in proper woodburning stoves.
Skip-raiding is also a very cheap and effective
option, but you ought to put the wood beside your stove to dry it out before burning. Wood that isn't
kiln-dried or well-seasoned is going to burn at lower temperatures and will therefore produce more particulates.
A. W. Mobbs is open Mon - Fri: 7.30am - 5pm, Sat: 7.30am - 12pm. 01865 872691.
Eynsham Park Sawmill is open Mon-Fri: 8am-5pm, Sat: 9am-12pm. 01993 881391.
Blenheim Sawmills open Mon-Fri: 8am-5pm, Sat: 9am-12pm. 01993 881206.
Chestnuts
Chestnuts are easy [for you to say]. With a small, sharp knife, cut across the round side of each chestnut, getting through the shell but trying not to go too far into the nut (if you don't do this and then microwave them, they explode, which can be fun too). Then roast them on a baking dish at 180 - 200°C for about half an hour. They are ready when the cut in the side splits open and leaves a gap at the side of the nut. An alternative method is to slit all except one, put in the oven/stove as above. When the unslit one explodes they're done. Messy but authentic. Mind the shrapnel.
Recycle Your Christmas Tree, Cards & Presents
Greener Trees
The City Council will be collecting Christmas trees as usual; we have been asked to stress that this is for once-living trees only! If you have a plastic tree, keep it for next year. You can drop off your ex-tree from Mon 4th to Thu 14th January 2010, at any of the following locations:
- Alexandra Park Tennis Courts
- Atkyns Road, Wood Farm
- Blackbird Leys Leisure Centre car park
- Bury Knowle Park, North Place car park
- Cutteslowe Park, Harbord Road car park
- Elizabeth Green, Northway
- Florence Park, Cowley
- Green Road, Risinghurst
- Hinksey Park, Abingdon Road
- Long Lane, Littlemore
- Manzil Way Gardens, Cowley Road
- Margaret Road Recreation Ground
- Meadow Lane Recreation Ground, Jackdaw Lane
- Oatlands Recreation Ground, car park
- South Park, Morrell Avenue
- Sunnymead Recreation Ground, by play area
The council will turn your fir tree into wood chippings to be used in the city's parks, so in due course you may find yourself walking on the very tree you once put your presents under.
Recycle Your Presents
If you are unlucky enough to have received any presents for which you are not truly thankful, you can always unload them at the Orinoco Swap Shop, held at the Bullingdon Community Centre on the second Saturday of every month, or the Low Carbon Headington Swap Shop, held in Gladstone Road on 23rd Jan. These are cashless exchange events, where participants do not need to bring anything to pick stuff up and vice versa. Much better to exchange your unwanted gifts for something useful than have them end up in a landfill!
See a brief description of the Swap Shop, or visit their website and that of Oxford Community Action Group.
Recycle Your Cards
The Woodland Trust and Recycle Now have organised a card recycling scheme. Between January 2nd and 31st you can take your used cards to any branch of Tesco, WH Smith or TK Maxx for recycling. Every tonne, we hear, saves 17 trees.
New Year's Events
Most clubs and many bars and pubs will be holding some form of New Year's Eve party, but these usually won't be that different to their ordinary nights, except perhaps for louder music, rowdier clientele and higher prices. Here is a selection of some of the more unusual New Year's Eve events happening in the Oxford area:
New Year's Eve Murder Mystery, Candyfloss Dynamite: Murder Mystery, 3 course meal, overnight stay, bucks fizz brunch, disco. £175 per person. 6.30pm - 1.00am. Hawkwell House Hotel, Iffley
Isis New Year's Eve Party: Much more fun than Jools Holland on your sofa. Tickets in advance only. The Isis Farmhouse, Towing Path, Iffley Lock
Green Onions, the UK Blues Brothers Tribute Band: New Year's Eve Party with the classic Blues Brothers cover band on a mission from God. 8.30pm, £12. Folly Bridge Bridge Inn, Abingdon Road
New Years Celebration, Cockadoo Bar & Restaurant: Sumptuous food, champagne at midnight, live music. 7.30pm-1am, £60 per person. Cockadoo, Nuneham Courtenay, Oxfordshire, OX44 9NX
Salsa Pyjama Party: Salsa the new year in! Fun games and dancing. All welcome. Come dressed for bed! 8pm. £18 incl drinks/nibbles. Holton Hall, Holton, Oxon OX33 1PS
New Year's Eve Back to the Future: Films, 3 rooms, party like it's 1985. Your Song, Transformation, Trashy and Room 101. 8pm. 02 Academy, Cowley Road
F**k New Year's Eve: Em Williams, James Weston, Andy LeFord and more. Baby Simple, Back Room @the Bully, Cowley Road.
Dinner and Dancing at Fallowfields Hotel: Dancing to live music from singer/pianist Theo Jackson, a seven course meal and a glass of bubbly. Fallowfields House Hotel.
This section will be continuously updated in the run-up to New Year. In the mean time, why not check our New Year's Eve event listings for details of gigs, concerts, parties and the like? Or if you know of an event we've left out, why not contact us and we'll put it up?
New Year's Dining
Many restaurants will be opening with special menus on New Year's Eve, but expect them to be busy and require booking. We'll put up more information as it becomes available, but in the meantime:
Oxford Thai, Cowley Road - New Year's Thai banquet (all you can eat) for £17.95 per person. Menu here. 01865 203763
Al Salam, Park End Street - Open as usual from 12am. 01865 245710
Brown's, Woodstock Road - Open until 8pm for ordinary dining, then a 3 course set menu until midnight, for £35 per person. Menu here. 01865 511995
Quod, High Street - Open until 1am for a special New Year's dinner. 01865 202505. Menu here.
Brasserie Blanc, Walton Street - 4 course meal for £45 per person. 01865 510999. Menu here.
Mal Maison, Castle Complex - Masquerade ball with standing buffet, champagne and free house wine before 9.30pm. £130 per person. 01865 268400
For more possibilities, check out our Oxford restaurants page.
Year Planners
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Organise yourself in 2010! In fact, as our superb A2 Year Planner runs from Oct 2009 - Dec 2010, you can organise yourself right now! It has days you can write on and all the major holidays and Oxford events marked on it, including term dates for both Universities. You can download it here, or we can send you a beautiful shiny A2 copy - free! Just email us at planner@dailyinfo.co.uk with your name and address and we'll put one in the post to you free of charge. We have to fold them to get them in the envelopes, so if you'd like a pristine one, you could always drop by our offices (First floor, 121 Cowley Road) and pick up a rolled-up one instead. If you live outside Oxfordshire you need to pay £2: click here to go to our Year Planner page and pay by Paypal. We can also provide boxes of them for colleges, offices etc - just give us a call on 01865 241133. |
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Advent Calenders
Here are a few free online advent calendars which we thought were rather fun.
There's a rather devout one at smmp.com.
Penelope Schenk's cat calender should be appearing soon. In the mean time, past ones can be found here.
A calender with questions about Christmas around the world from Woodlands Junior School, Kent.
Oxford indie band Inlight are doing a trendy video advent calender at their website. Expect new song clips and interviews with band members.
And finally, it's not exactly an advent calendar, but you can view the story of Jesus told through the medium of Lego here.
Warming Winter Drinks
Here is the distilled [ho ho ho] wisdom of the staff at Daily Info on the subject of warming winter beverages. If anyone has any suggestions for further exploration in this area, do let us know.
Techie's Really Fabulous Mulled WineAfter a few hours staring at a string of code, you need something to take the edge off life. [I know I could do with a drink.]
Boil one and a half pints of water and dissolve in it 4 heaped tablespoons of the darkest brown sugar you can find. Add 1-2 cinnamon sticks, about 5-10 cloves, star anise, a few cardamon pods. Stir and simmer for 15 - 30 mins, depending on patience.
Roughly chop 3 oranges, 1 lemon, apple if you like that sort of thing. Turn down heat to a low simmer. Add fruit, simmer 5 - 10 mins.
Remove all fruit & spices through a sieve, returning the syrup to the pan (spices can be retained & reused).
Turn heat down low, add wine (1 bottle, red). Stir, warm wine through but do not boil (loses alcohol). Can add dark rum (or brandy) at the last minute. Serve immediately.
Norfolk Punch
A non-alcoholic alternative to your usual seasonal mulled beverage, this bottle is based on a traditional recipe made by Benedictine monks and contains all sorts of wild and wonderful herbs and spices. The office tee-totaller gave this 9/10 for its sheer proximity to mulled booze, and others felt similarly until asked to consider its resemblance to warm cola. Available from Holland and Barrett (£3.19), Uhuru (Cowley Rd), etc.
Hot ToddyQuick toddy: Half a lemon, tablespoon of honey, shot of whisky per person. Squeeze the lemon into a cup, add boiling water, melt the honey in it (stop here if you don't want the whisky, or) add whisky and drink.
Slow, loving toddy: Grate some root ginger into a saucepan, about 1 tbsp per person. Add however many cups of water you want, dark brown sugar to taste, an orange (or an apple) stuck with cloves (like a pin-cushion - we don't think it changes the taste much but it looks authentic) and a cinnamon stick. Bring to the boil once, then simmer for about 15 minutes. Drain into cups and add whisky and the juice of half a lemon for each person.
A useful tip if you have a disastrous toddy-making enterprise: you can salvage a cup of it for a very cold person by adding a slosh of Rochester's ginger wine (£3.19 from Holland and Barrett).
Suggestions?
Have we forgotten your event?
Not advertised your special offer?
Left out your favourite cartoon?
Got something wrong?
Contact us with suggestions and requests at info@dailyinfo.co.uk or phone us on 01865 241133.
You can also list your event or advertise your special offer- both for free.
