Witney

What's The Big Idea?

Most people would like to be more active – so why do so many of us jump in the car when we need to get somewhere? This was the question asked in What’s The Big Idea?, a thought-provoking presentation about the way we travel in town. 

Kevin Hickman of  Witney Bike User Group  (Witney BUG for short) told us that 40% of car journeys in Witney are 5km or shorter, while nearly 25% are less than 2km. Why are nearly a quarter of people getting in their cars to travel distances of less than a mile?

Not a lawyer: making a request under the Freedom of Information Act

I’ve always tried to avoid blogging about the law. I’m wary of looking like That Guy, the one who thinks that a mixture of received wisdom and googling makes you practically a barrister because hey, this law stuff is easy. It’s a fine line between contributing to an online debate and suddenly turning into the Queen’s Counsel of the Comments Section, saying things like “I think you’ll find that’s technically assault,” when you really have no clue. It’s easier to steer clear of the whole subject. But... you can guess what’s coming next, can’t you? I’ve changed my mind.

Will the CAMarathon get mainstream media attention?

We did it!

It’s been reported extensively elsewhere, but I’ll add my own voice to the joyful chorus: the Cogges Link Road is dead!

The long-anticipated report arising from the public inquiry found that the scheme did not meet the test of “overwhelming public interest” that would have justified compulsory purchase of the land from the Mawle Trust.

In which I fisk a whole news story

I wrote recently about the poor reporting of the Cogges Link Road inquiry. Now Oxfordshire County Council have begun work on the road without waiting for the outcome of the inquiry, and the Oxford Mail ran a story on it today after local anti-road campaigners Witney First protested on site yesterday.

The unmet demand for quality reporting

Last autumn I spent an unexpected amount of time in Witney Methodist Church. No, I hadn’t suddenly become religious; I was reporting a public inquiry into a local planning issue and the Methodist Church was where it took place.

The model behind the curtain

Jeremy Hunt has now announced plans to give out licences for local television stations. Ofcom has identified 65 towns and cities where local terrestrial TV is technically possible and these places will be invited to bid for licences.

Robert Dyas again: BROKEN

I popped into the Witney branch of Robert Dyas today. Yeah, maybe I am a glutton for punishment. I found the can of WD40 I was looking for within minutes, so this isn’t another thrilling tale about my epic search for something-or-other.

The good news station

“I liked The Stig. He came round my house, he had drinks... and all the time he was writing a book.” For the first time since “Stig-Gate” unfolded, Jeremy Clarkson publicly shared his feelings of betrayal. But the interview wasn’t with a national paper or broadcaster. He was talking to Witney TV, an online news station that didn’t exist six months ago.

Feeling fungicidal at Robert Dyas

Welcome to the first in an occasional series of anecdotes about usability problems. It sounds a bit grand to call them case studies because they’re really just stories, so I’m calling them Real Life Tales of Usability Fail.