Community spirits

As Britain braces itself for 24-hour pub opening, it's heartening to see one hostelry putting something back into the community.

The Lamb and Flag, run by St John's College, Oxford, opened its doors at 10.30am this week for the first ever reception to mark Lamb and Flag Studentships, funded from the pub's profits. The pub opened in 1695, and has served generations of students, including J. R. R. Tolkien, C. S.

Lewis, Graeme Greene, Bill Clinton and Tony Blair. Studentships, launched in 2000, are awarded to outstanding students who lack the £17,000 a year to complete a DPhil.