Useful numbers

Who needs Yellow Pages?
Why bother with that huge slab of mulched trees known as the Yellow Pages?
Let Oxford City Life's fingers do the walking for you.
Here we present you with your definitive list of numbers for everything you could possible want or need in and around Oxford.

Banks

Alliance & Leicester plc have a branch on George Street. 01865 248484
Barclays is on Cornmarket Street and Little Clarendon Street 01865 442000
Cheltenham & Gloucester is on George Street 01865 244551
HSBC is just by Carfax Tower 0845 740 4404
Lloyds TSB is on Broad Street 01865 249284 at Carfax 01865 0845 072 3333
The Royal Bank of Scotland is on St Giles 01865 310200

The main post office

The main post office is in St Aldate's.

Police stations

There are police stations in St Aldate's, Oxford, 01865 266000, and Oxford Road, Cowley, 01865 266000. The Thames Valley Police headquarters is at Kidlington 01865 846000 Citizens Advice Bureau.

For non-emergency calls, the number to call is 08458 505505.

Citizens Advice Bureau

If you're battling a dodgy landlord or drowning in debt, this is a good first port of call.

The Citizens Advice service provides free, independent and confidential advice to help people resolve legal, financial and other problems.

There's no catch and no agenda every bureau is a registered charity reliant on trained volunteers and donations. Oxford's branch is at 95-96 St Aldates. Advice is available over the phone between 10am and 4pm, Monday to Friday. 0870 2200608.

Family planning

The Alec Turnbull Family Planning Clinic is in the Radcliffe Infirmary on Woodstock Road. No appointment necessary - just drop in for information, advice and free condoms.

You can discuss emergency contraception as well as contraceptive implants and injections. All completely free.

Open 9.30am - 7.30pm Monday to Friday and 9.30am-noon on Saturdays 01865 456666.

Nightline

A completely confidential listening service run by and for students in Oxford. (both Oxford University and Brookes). 01865 270270 any time between 8pm and 8am. Open for the whole of the OXford University term and one week either side.

If you're calling from an Oxford (01865) number, they can ring you back; if you're calling from inside the Oxford University network, just drop the dialing code and the 2 and dial 70270, which means it will be free. Or come to their office at 16 Wellington Square, near Little Clarendon Street, for a chat over coffee and biscuits.

You don't have to have an earth shattering problem to call them; you're free to call any time you need a chat, and they have an information bank with things like timetables too.

NHS Direct

Health advice over the phone. Call 0845 46 47 or see www.nhsdirect.co.uk

Samaritans

Sometimes you don't know where to turn, but you know you have to talk to someone. The Samaritans offer a 24-hour listening service which is completely confidential.

The national helpline number is 08457 90 90 90.

There is an Oxford branch which can be contacted on 01865 722122. You can also drop in to the premises between 8am and 10pm for a chat, without any need for an appointment. You will find them at 60 Magdalen Road, diagonally opposite the Pegasus Theater.

You could also e-mail jo@samaritans.org and receive an e-mail reply. The Samaritans phone service is available 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

Tourist Information

Oxford Information Canter is at 15-16 Broad Street, near The Oxford Story. Call 01865 726871, send an e-mail tic@oxford.gov.uk or visit their website www.visitoxford.org

Oxford Conception Study

You might be able to help us find out whether new monitor devices help women get pregnant call 01865 226709 or e-mail conceptionstudy@dphpc.ox.ac.uk

Life

Do you think you could be pregnant? Life offer you someone to talk to for support, accommodation, a free pregnancy test and help after abortion call 01865 202435.