Your guide for your
GROUP
Didcot, Wallingford & Thame Thursday, March 22 - Wednesday, March 28, 2018
Out& About around Oxfordsh
ire
Touching tales from First World War
Indian with a modern twist
Cinnamon Kitc hen review – three course set lunch
oxfordshireguardian.co.uk
Fight for drug gets support from MPs
Weekly leisure guide for in and around Oxford
leisure time in &
Free
Today’s the day! Orchard Centre phase 2 opens
New campaign highlights online risks
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Pages 6&7
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Looking for Didcot? Turn right at Narnia, left at Emerald City... By Owen Hughes MOTORISTS could have been forgiven for thinking they were driving into fantasy lands rather than a garden town as road signs took an unusual direction. Taking a right turn towards the A4130 could land you in Middle Earth sooner than Wallingford, or making a left towards Sutton Courtenay could put you face to face with the wicked witch of the west in Emerald City. Quick trips to Neverland to hang out with Peter Pan, or a snowy jaunt through Narnia with Aslan, are only just around the corner. Councillor Tony Harbour, cabinet member for Didcot Garden Town at South Oxfordshire District Council, quipped: “I was following the yellow brick road for 15 minutes before I realised I wasn’t in Oz.” The anonymous culprit might want to avoid following their own directions to Gotham City as Batman and Robin might bring them to justice for defacing the street signs. Didcot Mayor, Cllr Jackie Billington, said: “It would be lovely if the fantasy names could remain, however, a road sign has been vandalised and as such the person concerned may be fi ned, so perhaps they best remain anonymous.” The perpetrator’s actions on Friday
have certainly put Didcot on the map as the stunt has attracted national attention. But the anonymous man has since said he wanted to change people’s perceptions about the south Oxfordshire town which last March was named the ‘most normal town in England’. He said there is no such thing as normal, describing it as a “fun, funky place”. Photos posted on Facebook by Karl Harris on Sunday morning went viral, with the pictures shared more than 2,000 times on social media. Cllr Billington added: “I, for one, am intrigued to fi nd Narnia or Neverland. “However, a tourist visiting for the fi rst time, potentially may take several hours driving round in circles trying to fi nd Gotham City. “Whoever did this must be delighted by all the interest caused by their actions. “The fantasy names do not look out of place on any of the road signs, hence maybe why they were put up last Friday. “It has certainly caused a lot of talk around the town and many people are driving to the signs just to be able to see them fi rst hand.” She added: “We are not just a ‘normal’ town, but quite unique.” Charlotte Westgate wrote: “I saw
Pictures: Karl Harris someone doing this Friday afternoon... hadn’t realised they had got to so many signs.” Fellow Facebook user Karl Gibbons wrote that he saw someone “in a high
vis putting these up on Friday”. Oxfordshire County Council said that while the signs were amusing, they could prove to be distracting to motorists.
The authority added the rogue names will not be removed until after potholes on the area’s roads have been fi lled in with the signs not being the ‘most pressing concern’.
More printed copies than any other weekly newspaper in Oxfordshire (16,103 audited JICREG pending)
g n i r u o l o C r e t s Ea Competition
Enter our colouring competition and you could win an Easter prize! Visit any of our high street offices and collect your entry form to return by the 23rd March for judging.