Changes

This is now a residential property.

When the Uhuru wholefood business &nbsp;moved across the road, the building was used as a women's centre and accommodated helplines which included Rape Crisis, Lesbian Line and Oxford Friend. &nbsp; As well as holding weekly women only discos, there was also a brief period of time when there was a women's only cafe, but the building by this time was becoming increasingly unsafe with rickety stairs and crumbling plaster complete with a spidery outside lavatory! &nbsp;  Many of the women were very politically active and organised Reclaim the Night marches and support for the Greenham Common camp, as well as producing the women's magazines, Lillith, which was sold in local newsagents. &nbsp;The glass front of the Women's Centre was still as seen in the photo below, and Disco attendees were not safe from late night drunken youths trying to force entry. &nbsp;The Women's Centre disco disbanded once Jackie Sunderland and Kim Williams started up the Early Gaze Disco in the Coop Hall (at [[190|190 ]] Cowley Road), now the O2 Academy. &nbsp; Shortly after this, in the late eighties, the building was renovated and made into a men only Mind House. &nbsp;Oh the irony!<br/>  A quote from Andy Panton's book: "Whole Meal Café 35 Cowley Road. Miss Oakley writes:- We opened on 5th September 1983... it is a vegetarian vegan wholefood café"<ref>Andy Panton, Fare Stage for Bartlemas, p 120</ref> == 1973 - 1980s == [[File:BackStreetBugle1977-12no.3p.10 Uhuru 600px.png|frame|December 1977: Advert for Uhuru in Backstreet Bugle radical newspaper. No. 3, p.10. Courtesy Backstreet Bugle Collective.]] [[File:BackStreetBugle1978-01no.4p.7 Uhuru DonationList 600px.png|frame|January 1978: In response to controversy over rising prices at Uhuru, a list of good causes supported by the shop was published in the Backstreet Bugle, No. 3, p.10. Courtesy Backstreet Bugle Collective.]]

== 1973 [[File:BackStreetBugle1977- 1980s == 12no.1 womensCentre 600px.png|frame|December 1977: This article in the Backstreet Bugle reports on the key role of no. 35 Cowley Road as an organizing hub in the active feminist movement of the 1970s. (The Womens Centre opened in nearby Bullingdon Road.) Issue No.1. Courtesy Backstreet Bugle Collective.]]

[[File:backStreetBugle1977This was the Uhuru wholefoods co-12no.3p.10 Uhuru 600px.png|frame|December 1977: Advert for Uhuru op, in Backstreet Bugle radical newspaper. No. 3, p.10. Courtesy Backstreet Bugle Collectivea shop unit now demolished.]]

[[File:backStreetBugle1978-01no.4p.7 John Clarke (on right in 1975 photo) used a windfall to found Uhuru DonationList 600px.png|frame|January 1978: In response , but gave over control to controversy over rising prices at the Uhuru, Collective. It was a cafe and a list of good causes supported by the shop was published for 3rd world crafts. The wholefood sales had been a buyer's co-op in Wellington Square since the Backstreet Buglelate 1960s, Noit was passed on to Uhuru. A photo from 1974 can be [https://www. 3, poxforduniversityimages.10com/results. Courtesy Backstreet Bugle Collectiveasp?image=OHC002711-01&itemw=4&itemf=0001&itemstep=1&itemx=2 seen here.]]

[[File:backStreetBugle1977Jane Kilpatrick took the 1975 photo and was a member of the Workers' Co-12nooperative who owned and managed Uhuru.1 womensCentre 600px.png|frame|December 1977: This article 2 other members of the Co-op are also in the Backstreet Bugle reports on the key role of nophoto, John Clark (R) and Linda nee Viney (L) now Lumb. 35 Cowley Road as an organizing hub in the active feminist movement John was one of the 1970s. Issue No.1. Courtesy Backstreet Bugle Collectivefounding members in 1973, by 1975 there were about 6 or 8 people.]]

This was the Uhuru wholefoods The shop sold crafts from co-op, before it moved across the road to its current location. The shop unit has now been demolished, and large cherry trees now grow on the spot shown operatives in the photo. John Clarke developing world (on right in photousing fair trade principles) used a windfall to found Uhuru, but gave over control to the Uhuru Collectiveand whole foods. It was a The cafe sold cheap and cheerful vegetarian food, and a shop for 3rd world craftswelcomed many customers other establishments would have thrown out. The wholefood sales had been a buyer's co-op in Wellington Square since the late 1960s, After hours it was passed on to Uhuru. A photo from 1974 can be [https://www.oxforduniversityimages.com/results.asp?image=OHC002711-01&itemw=4&itemf=0001&itemstep=1&itemx=2 seen hereused for meetings of political groups like Oxford Women’s Liberation.]

Jane Kilpatrick took the 1975 photo and was a member of the Workers' Co-operative who owned and managed Uhuru. 2 other members of the Co-op are also in the photo, John Clark (R) and Linda nee Viney (L) now Lumb. John was one of the founding members in 1973, by 1975 there were about 6 or 8 people. The shop sold crafts from co-operatives in the developing world (using fair trade principles) and whole foods. The cafe sold cheap and cheerful vegetarian food, and welcomed many customers other establishments would have thrown out. After hours it was used for meetings of political groups like Oxford Women’s Liberation. The shop over the road at 48 Cowley Rd was rented from the City Council by Uhuru in 1976 so that the whole foods could be expanded and to make more room for the cafe in No 35. Uhuru started selling Campaign Coffee which they imported from a Co-operative manufacturing instant coffee in Tanzania. Uhuru also started packaging the whole foods with information about their country of origin and the conditions of the workers etc.

There is a history of the early days of Uhuru, called ‘A Working Collective’ written by members of the collective - does anyone have a copy for reference? (There are 2 copies at Oxford History Centre). Annie Skinner’s history of the Cowley Rd is also a record of that era and Uhuru’s development.