Ruth Dorso, owner of Jericho Cafe, Oxford. Picture by Tim Hughes So what is the attraction of the Jericho Café? “The thing that makes the café so special is that it holds a really important place in the local community,” says Ruth, a former teacher at St Alfred’s, Wantage, who has been involved in the life of the café since her Breton-born husband took over as manager in 1988, shortly after arriving from France. The couple bought the place outright in 2001. “We have seen most of the neighbourhood come through our doors at some point or other over the last 20 years,” she says.