Here we look back at photos of the year 2002 from the Oxford Mail archive.

It was the year when Far From The Madding Crowd, a new pub, opened in the city centre, speedway at Oxford Stadium was popular, and there were concerns about 3G masts.

Twenty-one years ago Far From The Madding Crowd opened in Friars Entry and remained popular until 2015 when it closed. 

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Also in 2002, the Horse & Jockey pub closed, and some residents were not sorry to see it go.

Far from the Madding Crowd in Friar's Entry was popular until it closed in 2015.

Staff served the last customers after a 13-year spell in the city.

Oxford Mail:

Landlord Charles Eld said it had been struggling since 2011 and blamed a number of factors including a change in the culture of drinking and the rent.

He said at the time: “It is a very sad day but the support we have received from our customers on Twitter has made a difficult time more bearable.”

The 63-year-old former manager of Morrells Brewing Company added: “I’m getting old now and I don’t think at my age I’d consider reopening the pub in another location.”

After establishing itself as a place for a multitude of locally-sourced ales, it was awarded the Campaign for Real Ale’s (CAMRA) Pub of the Year Award in 2009, 2011 and 2012.

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Mr Eld added: “What has caused a massive issue is minimum alcohol pricing, which puts a great strain on pub owners.

“The culture of drinking has changed too and we can’t compete with supermarket pricing of alcohol.”

Not all pubs, were universally popular with local residents and in 2002 some campaigned for the closure of the Horse & Jockey pub in Woodstock Road.

Oxford Mail:

The campaign was successful and it shut its doors soon afterwards.

Tilly Flynn who lived opposite the pub kept a diary of disturbances to her peace for more than two years.

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She and Peter Strong, a former chairman of the Walton Manor Residents Association, celebrated the closure.

Morrells of Oxford said at the time it had tried to save the pub and restaurant since it took it over, but failed to improve slumping sales.

People living in nearby St Bernard's Road, Belsyre Court and Plantation Road frequently complained about noise and disturbance from the 18th-century pub.

Morrells commercial manager Peter Long said at the time: "This is a large pub which isn't popular with its neighbours."

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About the author 

Andy is the Trade and Tourism reporter for the Oxford Mail and you can sign up to his newsletters for free here. 

He joined the team more than 20 years ago and he covers community news across Oxfordshire.

His Trade and Tourism newsletter is released every Saturday morning. 

You can also read his weekly Traffic and Transport newsletter.