WITHOUT doubt Summertown's finest are mourning the loss of their beloved Wine Café in South Parade. My only surprise was that it lasted so long.

In 2008 I was charged £2.20 for a small takeaway black coffee and a friend of mine was charged £5 for a bottle of beer – herein lies the problem.

Summertown in particular and North Oxford in general are renowned for their rather pretentious attempts at exclusivity and high prices – a trait that affects current as well as past outlets, or should I say ‘boutiques’.

Summertown could also do with the services of an image consultancy. Check out the ghastly decor at the front of Barefoot Books or the tacky scribbling on the front of whoever has taken over the Guitar Gallery.

North Oxford also suffers from a lack of variety of amenities and facilities. In Banbury Road and South Parade (Oxford’s Kings Road) there are established restaurant-bars such as Cibo, Mamma Mia and Portobello’s. Everyone knows what a wine bar and a café is – but the concept of a 'Wine Café' leaves me a little confused.

SWC had to close for the same reason that The Guitar Gallery and the Big Bang in Jericho had to close – they did not do enough trade as they were too exclusive and expensive for their own good. There is already too much competition in the restaurant trade in Oxford and it would be nice if maybe a pub or a fish ‘n’ chip or even a post office could open in Summertown.

Oxford City Partners – please take note.

BOB HOWSE, Botley Road, Oxford