THE demise of iZi marks the end of an era.
I know many will see it as just another bar gone to the wall but it was more than that. Prior to izi, there were only late-night drinking joints.
It was no city centre super-club but it was more than a pub with a dance floor. It offered the young – and the not-so-young – a chance to dance, drink late and have a bit of fun in the town without having to travel into Oxford.
It was a bit noisy and occasionally rowdy, but it was well-managed and also catered for a much more genteel clientele during the day. Then the rates were hiked up and, of course, the arrival of Wetherspoons, with its cut-price drink, was the final straw.
It’s difficult to compete with national chains that have huge purchasing power.
I wonder what will replace it – another charity shop? It would be ironic if the greed of the people setting the rates resulted in a new tenant taking the site that pays no business rates at all.
And a little bit more of the old character of Witney is lost forever.
Duncan Wood
Crawley Road
Witney
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