Performing with Horns of Plenty
Music in Oxford - performing with the street band 'Horns of Plenty'
I have played the alto saxophone since joining the Horns of Plenty street band in February 2008. The band kindly gave me some free lessons with professional saxophonist / flautist Pete McPhail to get me up to speed. After a couple of years I changed to baritone, a bigger Eb saxophone and moved to the rhythm and bass section of the band.
I was with the HOP for 3-4 years performing personally with the band at over 50 gigs; although the band did many more than this. One of the biggest events I was a part of was 'Street Band Gathering'. Jo Ross organised this for us as part of an Oxford Contemporary Music initiative. Jo invited street bands from all over the country to come and join us in Oxford for the weekend. On the Saturday we did workshops at a hired educational centre and then performed at Oxford castle quarters in the evening.
On the Sunday we were joined by the Ambling Band from Bristol. They played for us at the educational centre on the lawn as well as performing with us on Broad Street with all the other bands as part of a mass gathering. We played a symphony together which had 5 verses. The sound was amazing!
The attraction of playing with the HOP was being exposed to a lot of vibrant music and the excitement of going on trips out and meeting other bands. The HOP were and still are a street band comprising 12-20 people, playing a lively mix of township, jazz, New Orleans, Afrobeat, Soul, Reggae and Balkan music.
Museum of Oxford
2008-2011
Graham West
Letter of thanks to Jubeen
The Covid-19 Pandemic and Oxford
This is a letter from Libby and the Community Cupboard team thanking Jubeen for her help securing Halal food for the muslim families supported through the community cupboard.
Libby
Museum of Oxford
Letter of thanks to Hassan and Leonard
The Covid-19 Pandemic and Oxford
This is a letter from Libby and the Community Cupboard team sent to Hassan and Leonard. It thanks them for their support during Ramadan supporting the more vulnerable families in Oxford.
Libby
Museum of Oxford
Rose Hill News May and June editions
The Covid-19 Pandemic and Oxford
Community Newsletter put together by residents, community organisations and Oxford City Council community workers. This item includes both the May and June editions.<br /><br /><p>"Covid 19 has really shown local communities responding to support those who are more vulnerable within their own communities. Also there has been good joint working between communities, community, and voluntary and statutory organisations within Oxford and Rose Hill is a good example of this." Alan Foulkes, Locality Officer for Oxford City Council. </p>
Alan Foulkes
Museum of Oxford
May and June 2020
The Bury Knowle Park Snake
The Covid-19 Pandemic and Oxford
Bury Knowle is a park located off of London Road in Headington. If you are lucky enough to take a socially distant trip there during lockdown you might find the Bury Knowle Park Snake. Started by Oxford Rocks UK, the snake is (currently) made up of over 300 lovingly hand painted rocks! Some rocks give thanks to "our NHS heroes" and others bear supportive messages such as "there's always a rainbow after a storm."
At the front of the line lies a rock painted as the head of the snake along with a sign which states "be a giver, not a taker" and encourages residents to add to the Covid-19 snake by bringing their own painted rocks and pebbles.
Museum of Oxford
The photographs belong to Tony Gillie and Roger Christiansen.
The Bury Knowle Snake was started by Claire Waldron and #OxfordRocksUK.
Lockdown in OX1
Reflections from a resident of OX1
The three 'closed' signs are in Little Clarendon Street. The empty thoroughfare is St Giles .
Of course, we miss seeing our friends and family, particularly the grandchildren, who grow up so fast that six weeks may seem a lifetime slipped away. However, last Sunday we had for the first time, 'Story time with Grandma and Grandpa' courtesy of Zoom. I took the main role of Mrs Fluff (a squirrel) in 'Mrs Fluff's Brandy Balls' with Michael, my leading man, as Bruin the Bear. We also played various other rabbits and the occasional stoat who bought the sweets from Sleepy Hollow Store. M played the dastardly thief with aplomb. The children seemed to enjoy it and wanted a longer story next time. We forgave them for changing our code name surreptitiously to The Oldies.
The greatest benefit of lockdown is certainly the lack of traffic. For once we can gaze at the mighty Horse Chestnut tree directly opposite our front window and the roses, hollyhocks and poppies planted by me and my next-door neighbour, without the sight parked cars and white vans and the noise of industrial cranes, skip removers, concrete mixers etc used by builders employed by St John's college on their endless works. The obituary in the New York Times of an American philosopher who had been our neighbour described him as living in "a rural lane". Until lockdown it was more like a building site.
In my walks through the strange, less frequented University Parks I drink in cool, fresh air untainted by traffic fumes. Although ,keeping our social distance, we greet each other or smile as you do abroad when you hear people speaking English. Trying to avoid my fellow man I have stumbled upon previously unknown beds of deliciously scented or subtly colour-coded flowers, pink and blue. Once, following a young man with a dog who seemed to know his way about, I wandered along a dirt track through an unsuspected dark copse.
In the glorious weather we eat most meals under our garden vine and marvel at the peace. Even the four merry children who play at the bottom of the garden (much nicer since they stopped screaming all the time) are mainly indoors.
We know our peace and quiet has been earned at a terrible price and never forget those who grieve. But I have to admit to a fellow feeling with Byron's Prisoner of Chillon :-
In quiet we had learned to dwell,
My very chains and I grew friends
So much a long communion tends
To make us what we are:- even I
Regained my freedom with a sigh.
Jane Allingham
28/04/2020
Museum of Oxford
Text
English
The Oxford Hub Raises Funds For Local Coronavirus Response
The Covid-19 Pandemic and Oxford
<p>Oxford Together, created by the Oxford Hub, is raising money to fund volunteer coordination within the community. With a target of £15,000, all donations will help Oxford Together support at-risk residents by providing much needed supplies, such as food and medicaiton. </p>
<p>Their fundraising campaign can be found on Just Giving at <a href="https://www.totalgiving.co.uk/appeal/oxfordtogether">https://www.totalgiving.co.uk/appeal/oxfordtogether</a></p>
Museum of Oxford
Oxford Hub
Oxford Together
Website
Deserted High Street/St Aldates
The Covid-19 Pandemic and Oxford
"Been out for a walk on my own as have barely left the house in 3 weeks and needed the exercise . Although it was nice to see that people are isolating it was also so weird seeing Oxford city so empty, I have never in my whole life seen it like this!"
Kelley Spacey
This entry was posted in 'Oxford Community' Facebook group.
Museum of Oxford
31st March 2020
Photographs and text by Kelley Spacey.
Clapping for Carers at Derwent Avenue
The Covid-19 Pendemic and Oxford
Applause at Derwent Avenue, Headington, Oxford on the 27th of March 2020.
Jackie Bradshaw
27th of March 2020
Clap for Carers: a community united
The Covid-19 Pandemic and Oxford
We live in a small community of students and their spouses. I only learnt one of our neighbours' partner is a Doctor because the virus meant we were making sure everyone was looked after and could get in touch if they needed anything.
At 8pm we left our dinner and went outside to join the chorus of clapping, cheering, drums and whistles to honour and show support for our NHS heros and key workers who are taking risks and making huge sacrifices to help us all in this time of unprecedented crisis.
I looked up to see my neighbour clapping with us too. She took pictures as well - I wonder if it was to show her boyfriend who may well have been at work at the time.
It must be strange being alone in the flat all day waiting for your partner to return from treating sick people, desperately hoping they will be ok and not bring the virus home with them.
8pm March 2020