LOSING a friend – old or new – is hard. Part of you can be left feeling exposed. In this case it was my head.

It was the fault of Tuesday’s hurricane-force winds. Walking over the totally exposed footbridge at Osney Lock, my relatively new cap, a dashing piece of headgear that would not have been out of place sported by the saintly Stirling Moss behind the wheel of an open-top Ferrari, was removed from my follically challenged dome.

It was deposited about 30ft away in the Thames below and was heading downstream at quite a pace.

“You’ve lost that,” this unshaven, woollen-hatted know-all stated the obvious as he peered over the parapet. “It’ll be at Folly Bridge before you know it and I wouldn’t recommend trying to fish it out down there.”

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I assured him nothing would persuade me to even try.

“You’d have been better off with a wool hat instead of that fancy grey thing,” he added.

Further conversation seemed best abandoned. The temptation to grab his hat and cast it to the winds – or water – was resisted.

THE sight of a couple, well-stricken in years, yet fighting the elements, restored my better feelings. Determination, particularly on his part, was not too strong a word.

Although bent by years, he guided her speedily by the elbow as they crossed the busy High Street to find shelter in the Covered Market. She was first to speak, being clearly heard above the traffic and the wind.

“You silly old b*****! Are you trying to get us both killed?”

Sarcastic cheers from two teenage lads were appropriate if a little unkind. IT has never been the intention of Cabbages & Kings to stick the boot in. But whoever decided it was a good idea to turn visiting Oxford into a never-ending nightmare on the road deserves six of the juiciest from a size 12. I will not trouble readers with my frustrations. Comments from visitors are enough.

“I don’t like Wycombe, but anywhere is better than this.” (Thame grandmother.) “You can forget Oxford for our Christmas shopping.” (Anon.) These were comments heard aboard a park-and-ride bus. Driving to Water Eaton had already been enough to dull their enthusiasm. I imagine the story might be the same from Thornhill, Redbridge and the rest.

But it was the final comment that hit home, leading me to question how much will city businesses have lost when pre-Christmas sales figures are totted up. So often these determine whether the year has been a success or a failure.

Sorry to end on a serious note. Back to normal next time – I hope.

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