h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

Witney is indeed a market town on the edge of the Cotswolds. However, the advice "get out or get drunk" is a little unfair.

Ok, so the town has one of the highest "pubs per 1000 population" figures in the UK, which means getting drunk is easier than in some places, and it also has a decent bus service, making getting out easier than it used to be, but oddly enough it might be worth staying, and staying sober.

I might be biased - I went to school there for 2 years and worked there for a further 2 - but Witney has got more to offer than just alcohol. The leisure centre has good facilities and an Olympic-sized pool; something the inhabitants of Oxford envy. Witney Town FC, recovering from the homelessness that dogged them for a while (how can they build supermarkets on football pitches?), are not a bad little team, considering. There are some good shops (including Waitrose, something every town should have), and it's a nice place to work. You're never more than 5 minutes from anything in the centre of town. Geographically there are some lovely aspects - the river walk along the Windrush, Langel Common and the path to Cogges, Cogges Farm Museum (venue for many school trips), the Bishop's Palace (if you can find out when the opening times are), the Leys, and the general air of being close to the countryside at all times. You're never more than 5 minutes drive from a green space, no matter where you live. Walking around Witney is also a nice green experience. The Church Green is very popular in summer, especially with the kids from my school (where Robert Llewellyn also went to school, btw, about 19 years earlier than I did).

There are bad points. The eastern end of the High Street has more or less died, and shops have been replaced by restaurants in the last couple of years. Apparently they're quite good restaurants, but that doesn't compensate for the ironmongers and butchers' shops. The "squaddie" problem has eased in recent years since the USAF base closed, but there is still occasionally trouble with the RAF/Town clashes. The nightclub is pretty poor, and the cinema is both a few weeks behind national releases, and amateurish (it's in the Corn Exchange, a few nights a week). But it's better than a lot of places, even so.

I choose not to live there any more, but I would feel that it's certainly a good base for visiting the Cotswolds and Oxford, if you don't want the hassle or expense of staying in the city, or B&B in the countryside. I still go there regularly, if only so my parents can take me shopping. We see Douglas Hurd in Waitrose a lot, and apparently there are a lot of other notables living in the area.

I like Witney! My folks live thier too, although I've emigrated to Birmingham. I also went to Henry Box, about 20 years ago, I didn't realise I was THAT old! I think rural communities have alot to say for them, and it's certainly more pleasant than the urban wastes of a major city