Cherwell

[Edward Adcock]

Not heard this story Mark, but his recording studio was in Shipton on Cherwell. I think his actual house was in Kidlington but not sure. Somerton now has a couple of resident otters I believe.

He lived in Mill End House in Kidlington near the Cherwell. The otters which supposedly escaped were the smaller Asian variety according to The Independent. I saw my first otter on the Cherwell in 1992 while fishing at dawn in the University Parks. I wasn't aware of it at the time but I had digs next door to some of the group who released otters in Oxfordshire...

 

[Mark Swaby]

In the 80's we were told he lived in the big Manor house with the lake and swimming pool on the right as you walked down the alley to the canal at Shipton. There was a pair of Irish wolf hounds that would often escape and be bouncing around. In summer almost every weekend live bands would be playing at big parties long into the night. Catering companies and all sorts of lorries would often make parking difficult. Then all the parties stopped and the dogs went, we then heard he had moved to Kidlington . It might have been his recording studio and the locals got the parties stopped though.

 

[Chris Guy]

That was a very big fish for the Cherwell at the time Paul, big anywhere back then in fact.

The Ivel is a very small river and so is the Ouse at Adam's and they produced some of the biggest fish in the country.

 

[Neil Smart]

I made contact with a mate I havent seen or spoken to in nearly 50 years, via facebook, to cut a long story...he worked for Branson in the British Virgin Islands, up until the huge storm that flattened the Islands, Nick my mate ran what was called the Poker Run..a yearly event that attracted the rich and famous to the island racing fast speed boats and 'cats' from nearby Miami, of course these boats had a proper job in the week in avoiding customs. A long way from our fishing adventures in our 14ft clinker in South Devon.

 

[Alex Gowney]

The Ivel is a very small river and so is the Ouse at Adam's and they produced some of the biggest fish in the country.

Quite so Chris. Back in 1981 I think it was, the Water Board found a very large barbel dead, that they think was hit by a dredger, on the Cherwell at Kirtlington. A photo was taken and a friend, who worked for the water board at the time, saw the photo and said it was a huge fish. The picture was also seen by the late Tony Miles, who knew a bit about both big barbel and the Cherwell, and he estimated it to be between 15-18lbs. This was at a time when the national record was shared by three fish of 14lb 6oz. and any double figure barbel was headline news.