Moules Vendredi
2025-01-10 17:00 - 21:00, 2025-01-17 17:00 - 21:00, 2025-01-24 17:00 - 21:00, 2025-01-31 17:00 - 21:00, 2025-02-07 17:00 - 21:00, 2025-02-14 17:00 - 21:00, 2025-02-21 17:00 - 21:00 (Europe/London) | The Old Bookbinders, 17-18 Victor Street, Oxford, Oxfordshire, OX2 6BT, United Kingdom
Moules Marinière at the Old Bookbinders
Served every Friday evening from 5.30pm
(Subject to supplier availability)

C’est Bon.
Booking a table is highly recommended

Oxford On Board weekly meetup
2025-01-12 12:00 - 18:00, 2025-01-19 12:00 - 18:00, 2025-01-26 12:00 - 18:00, 2025-02-02 12:00 - 18:00, 2025-02-09 12:00 - 18:00, 2025-02-16 12:00 - 18:00, 2025-02-23 12:00 - 18:00 | James St. Tavern, 47-48 James Street, Oxford, Oxfordshire, OX4 1EU, United Kingdom
Every Sunday (apart from the last of the month!)
We invite you to a wholesome day of playing board games at the pub – lots of games to choose from, all organised by Oxford On Board
From about midday. All players from 8 to 100 are invited!
I like Catan.

Cuckoo's Nest
2025-01-14 19:30 - 22:00, 2025-01-21 19:30 - 22:00, 2025-01-28 19:30 - 22:00, 2025-02-04 19:30 - 22:00, 2025-02-11 19:30 - 22:00, 2025-02-18 19:30 - 22:00 | James St. Tavern, 47-48 James Street, Oxford, Oxfordshire, OX4 1EU, United Kingdom
Weekly evening of short films, beer, and pies!

Philosophy In Pubs - The Seasons
2025-01-15 19:30 - 22:00 | James St. Tavern, 47-48 James Street, Oxford, Oxfordshire, OX4 1EU, United Kingdom
Philosophy in Pubs is a community philosophy group addressing big questions on a variety of topics in a relaxed, informal environment. We hold discussions twice a month in central Oxford and once a month. No experience of philosophical enquiry is necessary – the idea is that it is possible to talk about philosophical ideas without having to know a lot about what the ‘great’ philosophers thought about things. We are more interested in making progress through sensible conversation than having a heated debate where there are ‘winners’ and ‘losers’. We welcome anybody from any background, age, gender, faith, ethnic group, educational or social background etc.
The Seasons
It is cold and dark. In six months it won’t be.
Is that all seasons are, changes in the weather? Well the lack of daylight and the cold has an impact. It’s effect is hard wired into us on multiple levels, and the impact isn’t just a Northern European thing but occurs in different climates too, such as those countries with rainy seasons. It effects our bodies, our moods and our susceptibility to different diseases.. Seasons matter.. We, as animals, require the earth to produce food for us, which requires the growing cycle. But would seasons still have relevance when everything can be grown year-round in light and heat controlled poly-tunnels? With so many of us living in centrally heated houses and shopping in air conditioned superstores, what of seasons in 2025? There is certainly a clear cultural legacy of spring as a time of new beginnings, of autumn of death and decay. It is what lies behind many religious festivals. Jim Rohn, an American thinker (don’t let the Wikepedia description of him as a ‘motivational speaker’ put you off too quickly). developed a philosophy of the seasons of life. He used the changing seasons as a way to describe how life and businesses ebb and flow. People also use the seasons to describe different stages of life. But philosophically, does the reality of a cycle of growth, maturation then death tell us much beyond an inherited legacy of humanity’s particular moment, in the longer sweep of evolutionary history, of life on this particular planet? Materialists would likely say no. It’s obvious, we are a result of (and an integral and inseparable part of) the material circumstances that surround us. Plato, who thought that there were ideal forms of everything outside of our direct physical world (assuming the seasons being one such form) which were fixed and unchanging. So he, and most religions, would likely take a different view to the Materialists.
A thought experiment then, to stretch our thinking on seasons. If a fertile planet had several suns that equally heated and constantly lit that planet’s surface, could one assume that life would not evolve needing a growing then dying then re-growing cycle? With no winter, or night, would animals need to hibernate or sleep? Would/could life-forms be immortal? Does our seasonal conditioning blind us to very different biological possibilities that perhaps the Transhumanist movement could help us overcome? Transhumanism being the merging of our biology with manufactured technology. Bionic arms, chips in our brains etc. Or are we forever trapped within a seasonal cycle? . So, the seasons, and the cosmologically defined months, weeks, days… are they now, in essence, little more than whimsical cultural reference points, with fleeting and superficial biological influence, tenuously linked only to aesthetical philosophy? Or do they still have real significance, and if so, why and how? Do the seasons reflect a wider biological birth/death cycle implicit in nature, making it legitimate for Metaphysical inquiry and core to the material understanding of our particular existence? Would or could our evolutionary legacy be further overcome through Transhumanism and if so, what could a complete severing of our link to any seasonal rhythms result in?
Seasons greetings then, as we welcome you to this first session of 2025 in the James Street Tavern, the back room.
Anyone can attend. No experience in philosophy or knowledge of the subject is required in advance. Just come along and enjoy. Our events use the the 4Cs of community philosophy:

Caring for others, making space for their contributions
Collaborating to get a better mutual understanding rather than scoring points
Critically assessing what we say, clarifying what is meant and asking what reasons support assertions
Creatively coming up with alternative perspectives, rather than dogmatically sticking to our initial positions

We welcome everyone of a wide range of ages, social and educational backgrounds etc. Don’t worry if you don’t have a qualification in philosophy – almost no-one does. Occasionally, attendees will be asked to watch, read or listen to a short piece of material in advance of the session (as the ‘stimulus’ for discussion), but this will be minimal and will be made clear in the description of the session.

JST Comedy Open Mic
2025-01-16 20:00 - 22:30, 2025-01-23 20:00 - 22:30, 2025-01-30 20:00 - 22:30, 2025-02-06 20:00 - 22:30, 2025-02-13 20:00 - 22:30, 2025-02-20 20:00 - 22:30 | James St. Tavern, 47-48 James Street, Oxford, Oxfordshire, OX4 1EU, United Kingdom
The first (and best) Comedy Open Mic in Oxford, JST’s Open Mic is the spot to see new emerging talent performing alongside tried and tested semi-pros! Every Thursday join our hosts Kryten Wolfgang and Torin Pocock and watch the hottest comedy from a mixture of old local favorites and some fresh-faced performers just starting out. You might even find the Next Big Thing right on your doorstep!

Fancy giving it a go? Want to come and try out new comedy material? Stand-Up? Sketch? Musical Comedy? Whatever you’ve got we want to see it. Feel free to message us with any questions you might have.

Note to performers: The best way to test new material is in front of a good crowd, so if you’d like to perform on the mic please share on social media, spread the word, and bring people along! The bigger and friendlier the crowd the better the show!

ART CLASS - Linocut [Advanced]
2025-01-18 11:00 - 16:00 | James St. Tavern, 47-48 James Street, Oxford, Oxfordshire, OX4 1EU, United Kingdom
Reduction linocut workshop

£75.00

In this workshop you will learn the ‘reduction’ technique of linocut printmaking – making a print with multiple colours, using just one block of lino.
You will produce prints featuring up to four colours: the white of the paper, plus two or three colours of ink.
This workshop is suitable for those who have had a go at making one-colour prints and would like to try a more advanced technique. Please note: I won’t be going through the basics in this class, due to time constraints, so if you haven’t tried linocut before please book onto my introductory class.
Prior to the class I will be in touch to help you plan your design. In the class you will transfer your design to your lino block, and then carve and print a series of colours, resulting in a set of prints to take home. I will explain how to register your lino block and paper, so that the printed layers line up accurately.
To ensure I can give each person enough individual attention, the class is limited to five participants.
The workshops will take place in the pavilion space at the James Street Tavern, just off Cowley Road.
Venue: James Street Tavern, James Street, Oxford OX4 1EU
Dates:
Saturday, 18th January 2025 – 11am-4pm
£75, equipment and materials supplied.

Tickets via Sally’s Website
www.sallyannestewartprints.co.uk/workshops/p/reduction-linocut-class

Live Lounge
2025-01-31 20:30 - 22:30 | James St. Tavern, 47-48 James Street, Oxford, Oxfordshire, OX4 1EU, United Kingdom
Our monthly Live Lounge!
3 amazing local acts hand-picked by our resident Music Man, Lee. this night never disappoints!

Check out or social media for this month’s lineup!

Midwintre - A Live and Peculiar Cabaret
2025-02-05 19:30 - 22:00 | James St. Tavern, 47-48 James Street, Oxford, Oxfordshire, OX4 1EU, United Kingdom
From Rain Stops Play Productions, a brand new Live and Peculiar comedy cabaret – ‘Midwintre’! Come in from the cold and warm yourself in the glow of critically acclaimed mirth and music, from Oxford and beyond. On chilly winter nights, when the mist descends upon the city and brings its myths and secrets to life, there’s no better place to be…
We have a crop of critically acclaimed comedic talent you can’t afford to miss, all in the cozy setting of the James St. Tavern – including headliner Cameron Sinclair Harris, Catriona Dowden [Comedian’s Choice Best Newcomer Nominee 2024 – ‘A special talent…remember her name’ (Chortle)], Fab Goualin [Comedy Bloomers LGBTQ+ New Comedian of the Year Finalist 2024, Gilded Balloon SYTYF Finalist 2024], and many MANY more! Along with the laughs, enjoy live music from Jamie Mykaela [RVK Fringe Impact Award 2024 – ‘a true comedy rockstar’ (Daily Info)], Antonia, Miranda Elloway and the Mark Atheron Band, and peruse the Live and Peculiar pop-up museum, which showcases work by local artists… plus some specially made displays on Oxfordshire’s dark legends and folklore…
ONE NIGHT ONLY – ONE TICKET GETS YOU EVERYTHING – RESERVE YOUR SEATS NOW BEFORE IT’S TOO LATE!
