Hi! I'm looking to start going to the gym as I don't see any downsides to starting exercise. Goals are to gain weight + muscle and improve general fitness and cardio. Any recommendations? Especially ones that are inclusive (ideally LGBT friendly) and beginner friendly (I've never been to the gym before and don't even know where to start). Thanks in advance :)

I'm based in the Cowley area but am willing to travel for the right gym

I have two adjustable dumbells with plates and a treadmill that I am looking to get rid of for free.

Collection only in botley area.

Hey guys, argh I (28F) feel so silly. I got a job in Oxford and was so excited. I stupidly viewed a place via the WhatsApp video call. It's in Cowley. About a 5min walk from the police station.

I currently live in Birmingham in a very nice modern flat. So when i eventually went to see the place in person I was utterly disappointed and so devastated. It's not nice, the road is not nice, the house too. The area just seems soooo rough😭😭😭 and not clean😭😭

It's got an over head shower which I really hate because it's not efficient for me. I prefer a detachable one which I can remove. The house It's just small and eerie. It's not homey, it's just dark and not nice. I feel like I'll get so depressed living there😭😭

I'm so unhappy and all that excitement for moving has faded. I'm left wondering if I made the right decision.

I'll be making £51k a year, but I still can't afford to live alone or live in the nice luxurious apartments😭😭

Is there a place I can live at , but still commute to work from? I'll be working at Churchill hospital, so need a commutable nice area to live, that will be nicer than the house in cowley😭😭

Oxford

We found Jason’s US passport on a bench outside of town hall and handed it in to St Aldgate’s Police Station - hope it gets reunited with its owner.

We are visiting for the week and would like to go out and watch the England game. Anyone know which pubs or restaurants are going to be open? I know that they have permission granted, but the ones I've asked aren't open.

Hi all,

I recently bought a car which it was not handed over to me yet and I am researching on parking options until I receive parking permit as my flat does not have a parking space. My questions are;

1. How long usually does it take to get the park permit?

2. Parking platforms like RingGo, Justpark etc would be quite expensive to park until I get the permit so what would you recommend for cheapest option?

Thanks in advance!

Amy ideas of good pubs to watch the game tonight in? Preferably in city centre

I have recently left the film and TV industry working in the art department, due to stability with freelancing and working for a few months a year.. 😅 However I have found it a struggle to find any Graphic Design or entry level creative work anywhere in South Oxfordshire. It seems impossible! I am working elsewhere at the moment to bring money in, but I feel like my soul is being destroyed by not being in a creative field. Has anyone else found the job market absolute pants!?

I visited for the first time today and wow what a charming, beautiful and picturesque city you live in.

I was so taken back by the old world traditional style of the buildings. The sand coloured buildings, the gothic (?) style architecture of the buildings, the vibe and energy also just felt positive and relaxing.

As a Londoner it was a nice change not to see modern minimalist buildings everywhere. I felt like I'd stepped back in time.

I didn't even get to see some of what I wanted, like the Cathedral, the museums and the Library properly.

I will definitely be back in August to do those. I really enjoyed my day trip - just wanted to say how great your city is.

Sorry for the unhinged question but we live abroad and would like to make sure that we are not moving to a “dodgy” area with our kids. We have an option to rent a two bed near the San barnabas school/play park. Do you consider this area safe ? Also, do you know if the traffic gets heavy at drop off time ? Many thanks in advance !

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Hi folks. Maybe a bit of a shot in the dark but I'm (M27) fairly new to Oxford as I've just moved from Bristol and I'm not familiar with the music scene much here. I'd love to be able to build a great network of musicians in the area who are interested in similar styles of music to myself and folks who can show each other new music they've not heard before.

If there's a community of musicians out there then please shoot me a DM! (bonus points if you're into bands like Sumac, Chat Pile and Big Brave!!)

TL;DR: Looking for recommendations for reputable nanny agencies, companies or websites in Oxford for occasional early-morning help for my two boys (around 10 mornings a year, with after-school collection the same day). Also wondering about cameras in the home, whether the same nanny each time is realistic, and what the going rate is.

Hi everyone,

I’m just trying to work out the best (and safest) way to find someone when the time comes, and I’d really value recommendations for reputable agencies, companies or websites.

A bit of context…
I’m a single mum to two boys, and they are They’ve both been through enough already emotionally with my divorce, so whoever came into our home would need to be incredibly child-focused, consistent and someone I could build trust with over time. (Dad is not aloud to see the kids due to court order)

I work in a profession where, around 10 mornings a year, I may have unavoidable work commitments and sometimes need to travel for work. On those occasions I’d ideally need someone to come to my house in the morning, help the boys get ready for school, take them to school, and then do after-school collection the same day if I’m away. After school I’d most likely just use the school’s after-school club, so it really is only those mornings and occasional same-day collection when I have to travel for work.

I know this is probably me overthinking (hello anxiety 🙃), but am I completely mad for wanting cameras in the communal areas of the house?

I’d be completely upfront about it with any nanny, but I don’t know if that’s considered normal or I’m over thinking.

I’m also finding myself feeling quite conflicted. Part of me wants to be ambitious and continue progressing in my career, but another part of me feels guilty even thinking about leaving my boys for those couple of hours. Rationally I know that having a trusted adult helping them for two hours, around ten times a year, isn’t unreasonable… but mum guilt is real.

So my questions are:

Which agencies in or around Oxford have you had genuinely good experiences with?

Are there any agencies or companies you’d avoid?

Has anyone had particularly good or bad experiences with temporary or ad hoc nannies?

Is there anything you wish you’d asked before hiring someone?

Is wanting the same nanny each time a realistic request?

What’s the going rate these days for this sort of arrangement in Oxford?

Im not at all in a rush and this isn’t an urgent need. I’m just trying to do my homework well in advance so that if work comes up, I already have a safe, reliable plan in place rather than panicking at the last minute.
Any recommendations, advice, experiences (good or bad), or links to agencies/websites would be hugely appreciated.
Thank you!