A Tale of Two Spaces

Woodstock citizens surely applaud WOBL’s concern for the greening of Woodstock’s public spaces, as seen in its recent support for the St Mary Magadlene Churchyard, now flourishing again.

Currently, WOBL’s readers might like to reflect on a different tale of spaces in Woodstock, actually a tale of two adjacent spaces in the Hensington Road.

The Memorial Garden

One is of ex-wasteland, the old Hensington House Memorial Garden, but now totally transformed thanks to the amazing efforts of John Banbury and his helpers. It is now cared for by Woodstock Chapel Trust, on the site of the former Hensington House Chapel, part of the old Victorian Workhouse. ‘Beautiful’ does not begin to describe it.

The derelict old Library site

The second story is also one of wasteland, but in this case totally untransformed, left by Oxfordshire County Council to become a pointless derelict space, reminding some of Eastern Europe during the Cold War. To be honest, it would be better as a carpark than the scrubland it is now. OCC’s uselessness is a scandal which illustrates how a local authority makes changes for the worse (like pulling down the Library) but only rarely for the better. Perhaps OCC will ask John Banbury for his thoughts.