HEADINGTON residents will be able to enjoy historic stories about their area with a series of new ‘listening benches’ and audio units.
The listening benches will feature wind-up and solar powered audio devices that will play recordings about the history and stories of Headington.
Oxford City Council will install the devices in eight locations across the area – including Headington Road, London Road and Bury Knowle Park – during April.
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People will be able to use the devices to listen to local history, the history of the Headington Shark, which landed on 9 August 1986, and how a football team called Headington United – a village team founded in 1893 and known as ‘the boys from the hill’ – became Oxford United.
The benches are being positioned and will include a bespoke cut-out shark and inset wind-up audio unit on the corner of London Road and New High Street.
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Marie Tidball, cabinet member for supporting local communities, said: “Oxford has a rich and diverse history, and photographic boards across the city have been used as a visible record of it. The Headington listening benches are an innovative way of bringing back the oral history tradition and a wonderful way for people to learn about their local area.
“As well as describing significant figures who resided there they will preserve the stories of the origin of important local landmarks like the Headington Shark.”
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