68 & 66A London Road on the right (now a pair of hairdressing salons)

No. 66A is actually the right-hand divided-off portion of No. 68, which was built as a single shop. It was given the number 66A, however, to keep in sequence the numbers on the London Road, which run from west to east. Sometimes it is wrongly numbered as 68A, or even as 66 (which is the Oxford Brookes Catholic Chaplaincy)

This whole building was erected in 1926 as a single salon for Herbert William Strange (1876–1940), a hairdresser of Market Street in Oxford. It was built by Messrs Coppock & Son under the direction of Messrs Wells & Son. A photograph of the new building can be seen in the Oxford Journal Illustrated of 22 December 1926 (p. 3).

In the early 1930s No. 68 was divided into two hairdressing salons. Cyril Watson (1906–1976), who lived at 9 Rock Edge, had the ladies' salon at No. 68 on the left, and Marcus White (1893–1970), who lived at 38 St Leonard's Road, the gentleman's salon at No. 66A on the right.

It remains a pair of hairdressing shops at the present day.

70 London Road in the middle (Mirabai, then Bhoomi restaurant)

This shop was built in c.1926, probably at the same time as the hairdressing salon next door. It was Cooper & Boffin's, bakers & confectioners from 1927 to 1952, and then Archers, grocers & confectioners, from 1954 to 1973 (photograph). By 1979 it was a shop called “As You Like It”.

In July 1983 planning permission (83/00300/NF) was granted to turn this shop into a restaurant, and the Mirabai Indian restaurant opened here in 1984. It was advertised for sale from 2018, and it closed in February 2020. The premises are now occupied by the Bhoomi restaurant.

72 London Road on the left (now Kwik-Fit)

The Headington Garage, run by Smith & Tolley, is listed on this site in Kelly's Directory from 1928 to 1968. Their receipted bill below, sent to Mr Davis of Banbury, is dated April 1931.

Photograph of the garage in 1957.

In August 1971 planning permission (71/24758/A_H) was granted to Albany Tyre Services Ltd for “Demolition of existing garage and shop and erection of a single storey brick building to form a reception/shop, fitting bays and stockroom”.

In the 1980s Kwik-Fit (founded in Edinburgh in 1971) moved into these premises.