High Street
Oxford, OX1 4BG
Cast iron boot scraper, right hand side of back door Westminster Bank (fronts onto High Street, Oxford)
DAILY MIRROR TIP
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THOSE bits of muslin which cover the milk Jugs are just "foot-scrapers" for flies. Trying to scrape through the muslin. they put in germs. Always cover the opening with the cap if any milk is left in the bottle. Another "foot- scraper " for flies is the wire mesh meat cover. The best place for meat is a fridge or ice-box.
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DailyMirror
Friday 17th July 1959 p.10
Bear Baiting
Thomas Bracebridge, a 16th century Puritan mentioned a Bear Garden in Banbury(Oxfordshire) and a little to the south, in Oxford. Bear baiting took place at the Bath Place area (Turf Tavern) and at St. Clement's. Oxford also knew many bull rings (Carfax, Headington, Cowley Marsh and Northgate) but it's not certain that bear baiting events were also held there.
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Could the landlord's pet bear at the Bear public house, Bear Lane have been used in the spectacle of bear baiting?
Ref. canine heritage.weebly.com 25th May 2020
Bear Lane, Oxford
The Bear Public House, Bear Lane, Oxford
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The current building dates back to the 1700s, although there’s been an inn of some form on the site since 1242, and over the centuries its tucked-away charm has made it the bolt hole of choice for everyone from judges to royal commissioners. It’s decidedly small, which adds to the slightly eccentric appeal, but manages to keep on display more than 4,500 neck-ties, on the walls, by the bar, even on the ceiling. On a similarly unconventional note, the story has it that the pub’s name came about as the result of a pet bear owned by an early landlord.
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Ref. Rough Guides. Image taken 2nd February 2019