Archive
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Trust set for £33m saving
A hospital trust is on course to make a £33m saving this year despite figures forecasting a multi-million pound deficit. Figures published by the government today predict the Oxford Radcliffe Hospitals Trust, which runs the Radcliffe Infirmary, John
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Police praised after inquest
Police praised after inquest Police officers have been praised for their actions during a struggle in which a man died in an Oxford churchyard. A jury at an inquest into the death of Paul Lewis, 42, who died in SS Mary and John churchyard, in East
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Woman trapped in car
Firefighters spent an hour supporting the body of a severely injured elderly woman as she was cut free from the mangled wreck of her car. Fire station manager Chris Wilson, from Rewley Road in Oxford, has described the aftermath of the car smash at
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FOOTBALL: It's unlucky 13 for Abingdon
Abingdon United made it 13 goals conceded in two matches as they lost 5-2 at home to Burnham on Tuesday in the second round of the Berks & Bucks Senior Cup. Micheas Herbert put Abingdon ahead, but Burnham levelled through Saunders, and a Lunn header
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FOOTBALL: It's Newport next for Didcot in Trophy
Didcot Town saw off Chippenham 3-1 after extra time in their FA Trophy 2nd qualifying round replay on Tuesday to book a home tie against Newport County on November 25. Extra-time goals from Stuart Beavon and Jamie Brooks did the trick after the teams
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ROWING: City juniors in the medals
City of Oxford juniors captured four medals in the part in Henley Sculling Head last weekend. Pride of place went to Richard Steele, competing in the under 14 single sculls event who secured an excellent second place. City's under 15 women's quad
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HOCKEY: Hawks are grounded
Oxford Hawks remain rooted to the foot of the National South Division table after suffering two defeats in two days. They went down 4-0 to University of Birmingham on Saturday, and then lost 4-2 at Bromley and Beckenham on Sunday. James Neilson and
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CRICKET: Taylor made for Kidlington
Much-travelled all-rounder David Taylor is looking forward to a fresh challenge after being appointed director of cricket and captain at Kidlington. The 31-year-old big-hitter (pictured right), who played for Undercliffe in the Bradford League last
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Today's local shares (PM)
AEA Technology 98 BMW 2935 Electrocomponents 287.5 Isoft Group 34.25 Oxford Biomedica 30 Oxford Instruments 197 Oxonica 161.5 Reed Elsevier 598.75 RM 182 RPS 242.5 Torex Retail 45.25 Courtesy of Redmayne Bentley, Abingdon
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Status Quo rock into town
FRANCIS Rossi and Rick Parfitt, members of MEMBERS of rock band Status Quo, will be signing copies of their new book Status Quo: The Official 40th Anniversary Edition, at Waterstone's in Broad Street, Oxford, on Friday, November 17, at 12.30pm. The
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Boys injured in street robbery
TWO teenagers suffered facial injuries after a violent street robbery in Oxford. Five friends had left a party and were in Cornwallis Road at 1.30am on Saturday, November 4, when they were attacked by two men, believed to be in their late 20s or early
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Ancients’ holy site revealed
AN ARCHAEOLOGIST surveying Northmoor has accidentally discovered a sacred landscape' created in the Bronze Age. Robin Brunner-Ellis was amazed when he stumbled upon a pattern of features in the landscape made by ancient people to communicate with their
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Revamp for shopping precinct
AFTER 18 years of complex negotiations, an agreement has finally been struck over refurbishing Abingdon's Bury Street shopping precinct. Work on a £1.7m cosmetic makeover of the rundown 40-year-old precinct is expected to start next year. The agreement
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Bus route to JR back in service
ABINGDON'S direct hospital bus service to Oxford is being revived after 18 months off the road. The hospital service was dropped last year because of poor passenger figures. But it is being restored because of the shift of hospital services from the
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Bio fuel trial may spark fleet conversion
A COMPANY'S entire bus fleet could be converted to run on environmentally-friendly plant oil within a year. The move by Thames Travel follows a successful five-month trial of a vehicle, pictured, converted to run on soya oil. In conjunction with Oxford
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Art show
AN EXHIBITION and sale of Susan Keeble's original framed illustrations for children's book The Cheetah's Tale, by Julia Johnson, takes place at the Garden Centre Gallery, Burford, from today to November 25. Ms Keeble will also be at the gallery demonstrating
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Pond fans gathering
POND lovers will meet to discuss their favourite topic at a special conference in Oxford on Saturday, November 25. The event marks the end of the second successful year of Oxfordshire Ponds for People. The group raises funds to help enthusiasts look
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Mother fears further tragedies
A GRIEVING mother who lost her son in a road crash is attracting major support for her campaign to get safety improvements before another life is lost. Jan Embling's son Grant was killed in a motorcycle crash on the A4130, near the A34 Milton Interchange
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Arts centre ready in 2008
BUILDING work will start on Didcot's long-overdue arts centre project next month after construction contracts were signed this week. South Oxfordshire District Council said the £7.3m centre should be completed by Spring 2008. The complex - being built
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Sergeants take on lawyers' duties
PROSECUTION solicitors will spend less time in Oxfordshire's police cells as sergeants become responsible for charging offenders. The number of days Crown Prosecution Service lawyers spend in police stations will be cut from a net 12 to eight a week
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Explore criminal history
VISITORS can take a tour of Oxford's old Crown Court and the secret tunnel to the former Oxford Prison when it opens its doors for charity this weekend. Tours of the court at the old County Hall in New Road, which was built in 1841 and is now used as
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More delays on railways
RAIL passengers are being advised to allow extra time for their journeys over the weekend, due to engineering work. Buses will replace First Great Western and Virgin CrossCountry trains between Oxford and Didcot Parkway from 8.45pm on Saturday until
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Cost of weather
We are not convinced by Oxfordshire County Council's claim this week that climate change has cost it £16.4m. Its attempts to put a figure on what is being billed as the biggest challenge to our future wellbeing and prosperity is laughable. It adds very
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A nettle to grasp
We have been speculating for several years about what the Government really thinks about the Green Belt around Oxford and the scale of housing that is required in the region. Ministers have delivered several messages to the South East England Regional
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Ofsted blames 'bad' teachers
Poor teachers and inconsistent standards are the root cause of poor discipline, says a new study. TIM ROSS reports Ofsted inspectors have blamed bad teachers for the discipline problems that have hit some schools. In secondary schools where behaviour
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Red Bordeaux case, £96
2004 Chateau du Pin-Franc: This Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon and Cabernet Franc blend is dry and leafy with some nice blackcurrant fruit and dusty tobacco. Light medium in body, this provides delicious drinking claret for everyday purposes (12.5% ABV)
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Jackson — creator of modern Oxford
A new book puts the spotlight on the forgotten architect of Oxford, writes CHRIS KOENIG Who designed the Bridge of Sighs in Oxford, or the ornate New Examination Schools, or the former High School for Girls in St Giles, with its apparently perfect
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Fun at the theatre
The Wolves in the Walls Oxford Playhouse It's described as a musical pandemonium, but is far more than that. It's a real cracker of a show suitable for all those children who aren't easily scared. The Wolves in the Walls, based on the cult book
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Magic of Meadows
Choose your seeds carefully for a truly native spectacle, writes VAL BOURNE Establishing a meadow is probably the hardest thing of all to achieve in a garden. It can take years of effort. Yet it's thoroughly worthwhile because having native wildflowers
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Local author
Pat White, who was an executive director of the Oxford Radcliffe Hospital NHS Trust from 1991-9, has written a book of short stories in aid of Sir Michael Sobell House, Someone Else's Shoes (£6.50). Production costs were met by the High Sheriff of Oxfordshire
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What links bananas and Panama hats?
Sitting in the QI bookshop in Turl Street, Oxford, listening to owners John Lloyd and John Mitchinson exchange quick-fire information about bananas, it is easy to understand the success of the TV show which they write - QI, which stands for Quite Interesting
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History book choice
Gatty's Tale Kevin Crossley-Holland (Weidenfeld and Nicolson, £12.99) Spawned by the Arthur trilogy, this is a masterful celebration of the medieval world, following the adventures, or more likely misadventures, of a feisty field girl beloved of previous
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Book-related events
TUESDAY oBook launch: Richard Dawkins launches his latest book The God Delusion, with readings by his wife Lalla Ward. Oxford Union Debating Chamber, 8.30pm. Tickets, £3, from Blackwell Customer Services (01865) 333623 or email customers.ox@blackwell.co.uk
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Edinburgh behind the guidebooks
THE NAMING OF THE DEAD Ian Rankin (Orion, £17.99)This is likely to be Ian Rankin's penultimate Inspector Rebus novel, which seems a shame, because it is one of the best in the series. Det Insp John Rebus is reaching the end of his career, and his followers
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Chef from a humble background
HUMBLE PIE Gordon Ramsay (HarperCollins, £18.99)If you are looking for a comfortable, easy read, Gordon Ramsay's expletive-laden biography is not for you. His early life was dominated by a violent alcoholic father and as a small boy he was afraid,
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A Socialist in the Senate!
Congratulations to Bernie Sanders, the newly elected senator for Vermont. Senator Sanders is the brother of Green Oxfordshire County Councillor Larry Sanders, who has been helping in Bernie's campaign. He is the first SOCIALIST ever to be elected to
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Bordeaux bargains
There are times when I think that the world's greatest wine region is losing the plot. One of those times was earlier this summer when the Bordeaux's world-famous chateaux released their 2005 vintage to consumers and collectors. Two things were remarkable
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Talented Oxford author
AN OXFORD author described as "a hugely talented writer" who recently had his first novel published has died. Luke Bitmead, of Summertown, fell from a car park in Swindon on October 27. He later died of his injuries. The 34-year-old former student
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Talented Oxford author
AN OXFORD author described as "a hugely talented writer" who recently had his first novel published has died. Luke Bitmead, of Summertown, fell from a car park in Swindon on October 27. He later died of his injuries. The 34-year-old former student
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Respected football administrator
A MAN renowned for his commitment to Oxfordshire football has died, aged 76. Doug Watts, the chairman of the Oxfordshire FA referees' committee, was a highly-respected member of the Oxfordshire FA and was considered a friend and a mentor to all referees
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Girl with quiet presence
PORTRAIT OF AN UNKNOWN WOMAN Vanora Bennett (HarperCollins £15) When Vanora Bennett saw Holbein's revolutionary pen-and-ink drawing depicting the family of Sir Thomas More gathered informally at home she decided to write the story of Meg Giggs, the
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Council counts cost of climate change
CLIMATE change has already cost Oxfordshire County Council £16.4m, it was claimed this week. More than 260 costly weather related incidents have been recorded by Oxfordshire County Council over the last ten years. Damage has resulted from flooding
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Green power plan for West End
A NEW greener energy system to deliver heat and power to Oxford's West End is being investigated by Oxford City Council. The council is pressing ahead with a feasibility study to see whether a regenerated West End could be supplied by a combined heat
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New threat to city's Green Belt
THE GOVERNMENT is preparing to reopen the debate on the future of Oxford's Green Belt and the number of homes that the county should absorb. In its assessment of the South East Plan, the Government suggests that the Green Belt may not be left untouched
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Picking up climate change bill
The environmental costs of the way we live are becoming clearer by the day and Oxford-based environmental charity Earthwatch tackled this in a debate in London, writes THERESA THOMPSON Have you read your electricity meter today? No? Will you tomorrow
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The portrait of the artist as pure genius
The quest for knowledge is possibly the most inspiring quality in the V&A Leonardo da Vinci exhibition, writes SYLVIA VETTA "What immortal hand or eye could form thy fearful symmetry?" William Blake had a tiger in his mind's eye. Interpreting
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Today's local share prices (AM)
AEA Technology 99 BMW 2942 Electrocomponents 287.5 Isoft Group 34.25 Oxford Biomedica 30 Oxford Instruments 196.5 Oxonica 163 Reed Elsevier 599.75 RM 175 RPS 241 Torex Retail 45.25 Courtesy of Redmayne Bentley, Abingdon
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Raiders target business
Raiders have stolen thousands of pounds worth of equipment from a Didcot business, including two Ford Transit vans. Police appealed for witnesses this morning following a burglary at Thames Fixings in Didcot in the early hours of the morning. Thieves
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Dancing angels could prove a revelation
DAVID BELLAN talks to the co-founder of Stan Won't Dance troupe about a new production at the Oxford Playhouse Stan Won't Dance was formed in 2003 by Liam Steel, fellow performer Robert Tannion and the producer Ellie Beedham. They had worked together
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Disabled permits stolen
Parking permits for disabled people have been stolen in a series of car break-ins across Oxford. Four drivers, who had parked in Cowley, Headington and Littlemore, had their windows smashed and their blue badges, as well as other valuable items, removed
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Teen suffers sex attack
A 14-year-old girl was sexually assaulted in Oxford yesterday as she waited for a bus. The girl was at the bus-stop at the junction of Cowley Road and St Nicholas Road, Littlemore, at about 8.40am. A man approached her and grabbed her by the shoulders
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£20,000 vans stolen in raid
RAIDERS have stolen thousands of pounds worth of equipment from a Didcot business, including two Ford Transit vans. Police appealed for witnesses today following a burglary at Thames Fixings in Didcot in the early hours of the morning. Thieves broke
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Raiders target disabled parking permits
DISABLED parking permits have been stolen in a series of car break-ins across Oxford. Four drivers, who had parked in Cowley, Headington and Littlemore, had their windows smashed and their blue badges, as well as other valuable items, removed from the
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Girl, 14, sexually assaulted at bus stop
POLICE today appealed for witnesses after a 14-year-old girl was sexually assaulted in Cowley Road, Littlemore. The girl was at a bus stop at the junction with St Nicholas Road, in Littlemore, at about 8.40am yesterday. A man approached her and grabbed
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Raw deal
As a new play challenging public perceptions of asylum-seekers heads for Oxford's Pegasus Theatre, NICOLA LISLE talks to playwright Sonja Linden Asylum-seekers generally get a raw deal in the press. Many are viewed by the public with suspicion and
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Royal task for business school
PRINCE Charles has asked the Said Business School in Oxford to find ways of encouraging businesses to adapt 'greener' practices, for example with a league table of firms' carbon emissions. Prof Anthony Hopwood, of the Sad Business School, who has been
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The wrong chemistry?
Kids - don't you just love 'em! When Prime Minister Tony Blair chose Oxford as the place to launch a keynote speech about the importance of science, his specially invited audience poured cold water on his ideas. Students at Cheney School who listened
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Switch off lights for a jam-free city
It seems reasonable to suppose - Tory that he is - that the county council's traffic supremo David Robertson reads the Daily Telegraph. I wonder if he read it on Saturday when my one-time colleague David Millward, now the DT's transport correspondent,
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Life on the chain gang
If asked to name my favourite holiday destination, France would be pretty high up the list. Despite being a vegetarian, I always manage to eat amazing food, albeit with a bit of a sneer from French waiting staff. So going on a cycling in holiday in
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The Sahara, Wheatsheaf Yard, Oxford
I had been registering the steady - seemingly rather slow - progress on creating the new Sahara bar and restaurant on my evening bike rides through the city centre. "Opening in September" was the legend on a large banner outside the premises at the bottom
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Young author was big talent
An Oxford author who died after a fall from a multi-storey car park has been described as "a hugely talented writer" by his publisher. Luke Bitmead, of Summertown, whose first novel, White Summer, was published in May, was found at a car park in Swindon
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Eating the World is Yummy in Brummy
When a lunch invitation calls for an hour's train ride to get to your destination, you have to think twice about accepting. But the organisers were insistent. "You can eat the world in Birmingham and that's what we aim to do," they promised. How could
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Police 'tried to save man’s life'
Police searching the graveyard of SS Mary & John Church in March Police officers battled in vain to save a man's life after he stopped breathing during a struggle in a graveyard. Paul Lewis, 42, died after officers tried to restrain him at St Mary &
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Zabaglione recipe
Zabaglione is said to have originated during the 16th-century in the kitchens of the court of the Medici in Florence. Those early versions of this delicious pudding were enjoyed as a drink made from wine thickened with egg yolks. Today's version is usually
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Double Dose of Gallic subversion
As a professional viola player, writer-director Denis Dercourt has a rare insight into the musician's psyche. Consequently, The Page Turner, his account of Deborah Franois's steely determination to exact her revenge on Catherine Frot - the self-absorbed
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The Prestige and Starter for Ten
'Are you watching closely?" The greatest illusion in Christopher Nolan's labyrinthine thriller about feuding magicians in late 19th-century London, is the film itself. The Prestige pretends to be an intricately constructed web of intrigues, a chronologically
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Guys and Dolls, Picadilly Theatre, London
Guys and Dolls defines a type of cool that's just not fashionable any more: the kind of cool that wears pin-stripes, and sees nothing wrong with slapping the secretary's bottom. For unapologetically unreformed males like myself, it's about the most comfortable
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Gilad Atzmon, The Spin
While discussing what to play next, Gilad Atzmon turned to the audience then changed his mind. "Why should I ask you?", he said, "You paid to suffer". There was an irony in this typical Atzmon remark as, sitting on a stool, he explained he had recently
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Chorus Exeter College Chapel
'Welcome to the visitors from afar," begins Karanga, by New Zealand composer David Hamilton. The words are underlined by the deep sounds of a conch shell (expertly played by Mark Prowen). It all made for a fitting start to this unusual mix of music from
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What's On, jazz and contemporary music, Nov 10-17
There are three significant events this week. First, as described last week, the free improvisation end of jazz, brings together some of the best in both the UK and the US at a gig tonight in the Jacqueline du Pr Music Building. The performance will feature
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The Memory of Water, Oxford Theatre Guild, Keble College
'It's quite tricky, being nice, isn't it?" Mary says pointedly to her sister Teresa. The relationship between them is far from close, and they have gathered for their mother's funeral. Soon they are joined by younger sister Catherine, who clonks in on
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Janet Boulton, Said Business School
Walking into an art exhibition is like walking into the artist's mind. Some are easy to read and understand; others, such as Janet Boulton's exhibition of paintings and reliefs, are so amazingly complex that it's impossible to absorb the qualities in
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Merrie England, Oxford Operatic Society, Holywell Music Room
While rehearsing for their forthcoming production of West Side Story, members of the Oxford Operatic Society took time out to celebrate their 60th anniversary with an exuberant selection of highlights from Merrie England and White Horse Inn. I have
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Phoenix Dance, EverymanTheatre, Cheltenham
Phoenix Dance Theatre, appearing under their new artistic director Xavier de Frutos, presented four interesting and well-crafted works on Tuesday night. The programme is called Stories in Red, though how the scheduled Snow White in Black would have fitted
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Residents lose willow battle
Residents of Oxford's Osney Island lost their battle over the felling of riverside willows in East Street when city council workers turned up to finish the job. A last-minute hitch in obtaining an injunction against the city council meant that workers
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Swan Lake on Ice, Milton Keynes Theatre
A skater's gracefulness of movement bears an obvious similarity to that of a swan. Both glide. An ice show based on Tchaikovsky's great ballet Swan Lake would therefore seem to be a match made in heaven. And so, indeed, it proves. Packed houses this
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Link road safety bid builds up
A grieving mother who lost her son in a road accident is attracting major support for her campaign to get safety improvements before another life is wasted. Jan Embling's son Grant was killed in a motorcycle crash on the A4130, near the A34 Milton Interchange
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The Nutcracker, St Petersburg Ballet Theatre, Wycombe Swan
The Nutcracker, the traditional Christmas ballet, is with us early this year in an enjoyable version by St Petersburg Ballet Theatre. This is a straightforward and unshowy interpretation. Almost nothing of Ivanov's original choreography has survived,
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Stripes turn to Squares: Daniel Buren at Modern Art Oxford
The natural sunlight that casts its rays across the Upper Gallery, at Modern Art Oxford, adds a shimmering transparency to conceptual artist Daniel Buren's latest work Intervention II, which is suspended from the Victorian crossbeams in the ceiling -
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Hopping on board latest craze
Forget the bus, more and more children are using 'push power' to get to school in style on today's latest must-have accessory - the scooter. The two-wheeled foot operated vehicle is back in fashion, with many pupils opting to scoot to school instead
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Safe sparkles
This year's bonfire weekend celebrations in Oxfordshire were one of the safest in years, say fire chiefs. The county's Fire and Rescue Service was called out to 15 incidents from November 3 to November 5 - 12 of which turned out to be false alarms.
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Ready to quit
Two Oxfordshire district councils eager to become a unitary authority covering the south of the county are ready to ditch their plans. The leaders of both South Oxfordshire District and the Vale of White Horse District councils say the Government White
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Bus route to JR back in service
Abingdon's direct hospital bus service to Oxford is being revived after 18 months off the road. The hospital service was dropped last year because of poor passenger figures. But it is being restored because of the shift of hospital services from the
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A curate's egg of a council
In an ideal world, our councils would be highly efficient and low spending, delivering first-class services and imposing low levels of council tax. In the real world, however, they rarely reach such dizzy heights. In the case of Oxford City Council
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We're tired of being bullied
I gather Britain is due to launch itself into the vanguard of the fight against climate change with green taxes - just like we pay for compliance with every EU directive which other member states ignore and just like we jump into every US-initiated war
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Three-star service
I would like to clear up any misunderstanding surrounding the position of tenants who wish to exercise their right to buy on the Webbs Close and Jordan Hill estates in Oxford, following Robert Knight's letter, One star service (Oxford Mail, October 31
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The Insider: November 9, 2006
DOES anyone else's heart sink with despair on hearing Christmas songs a good month-and-a-half before the actual event? This year's award for premature celebration goes to Sports World, in Cowley, for preposterously pumping out Noddy Holder and company
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Ali takes big step forward
An Oxford woman has completed a 2,500-mile trek across Europe - 18 months after she baffled doctors by being unable to walk forwards. Ali McKay spent seven months walking every step of the way from Oxford through 13 countries to arrive in Athens, Greece
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Revamp at last
After 18 years of complex negotiations, an agreement has finally been struck over refurbishing Abingdon's Bury Street shopping precinct. Work on a £1.7m cosmetic makeover of the rundown 40-year-old precinct is expected to start next year. The agreement
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'Consult again on Horton'
Two councillors have demanded another full public discussion on the future of Banbury's Horton Hospital when amended proposals are released. The new plans will be out in the new year and campaigners George Parish and Kieron Mallon have called for another
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Ancients’ holy site revealed
An archaeologist surveying Northmoor has accidentally discovered a sacred landscape' created in the Bronze Age. Robin Brunner-Ellis was amazed when he stumbled upon a pattern of features in the landscape made by ancient people to communicate with their
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Tory idols
Forget Strictly Come Dancing, these are the four Tory A-listers who will battle for the public vote and the chance to represent Oxford West and Abingdon after the next General Election. The so-called 'Tory Idol' contest includes a martial arts expert
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Asbo nuisance faces new ban
A man who became the first in the county to be named and shamed in a poster campaign about his Asbo has been banned from more areas of Oxford. Posters of Ian Joseph, of no fixed address, were put up around Oxford city centre and in Cowley two years
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GOLF: Results round-up
FRILFORD HEATH Ladies' October Par Competition - Div 1: 1 P Kendall +4, 2 J Simpson level, 3 M Glennie -2 (cb). Div 2: 1 J Stringer +4, 2 M Wilson +1, 3 C Chapman -1. CHIPPING NORTON Professional's Medal - Div 1: 1 C Murray 75-11=64, 2 T Reynolds 69
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Coffin demo sparks row
A row erupted yesterday over the use of a child-sized coffin in a campaign for a pedestrian crossing. About 40 mothers and children gathered with placards at the junction of Iffley Road, Donnington Bridge Road and Boundary Brook Road, while mother-of-one
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GOLF: Burford just miss out
BURFORD were denied top spot in Section 2 of the Shaw & Co Oxfordshire Foursomes League after a 2-1 loss at The Oxfordshire. The defeat in Saturday's re-arranged match meant they finished half a point behind North Oxford, but both were already assured
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Going solo
King Alfred's Community and Sports College will become Oxfordshire's first foundation school. Governors at the 1,700-pupil school in Wantage have this week voted to break away from the county and take control of its own admissions policy and ownership
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Pepperell's England call
FRILFORD HEATH junior Eddie Pepperell has been named in the England Under 18 squad after some excellent display in 2006. The 15-year-old, from Abingdon, who successfully defended his Faldo Series title last month, is one of 12 players called up. They
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Soap drives into trouble
THE 15,000th episode of radio soap The Archers was an everyday tale familiar to Oxford folk as a key character got caught up in city traffic. The landmark episode hinged on whether character Ruth Archer would have a romantic liaison with herdsman Sam
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Murder suspect's 'strange behaviour'
An alleged murderer told his co-accused to "shut up" in front of police as Guy Thomas, lay on his sofa with a head wound, a jury was told yesterday. Pcs Rebecca Burley and Anthony Kirby were called to Mr Thomas's flat in Pound Way, Cowley, on Thursday
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Murder suspect's 'strange behaviour'
AN ALLEGED murderer told his co-accused to "shut up" in front of police as Guy Thomas, right, lay on his sofa with a head wound, a jury was told yesterday. PCs Rebecca Burley and Anthony Kirby were called to Mr Thomas's flat in Pound Way, Cowley, on
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My loo hell
Getting stuck in a toilet is no lav-ing matter, as Jennifer Fox found out after spending eight hours trapped in one. The 50-year-old charity worker, from Sandford-on-Thames, tried frantically to escape after the door jammed while she was in the loo
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Poor value
Oxford has been revealed as one of the poorest value-for-money district councils in the country. A league table of civic spending has shown the Town Hall to be among the highest in areas like recreation, environmental health and benefit administration
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FOOTBALL: United youth bow out to late goal
FA Youth Cup: Leyton Orient Youth 2, Oxford Utd Youth 1 Oxford United's promising run in the FA Youth Cup came to an end last night when they went down in the first round away to Leyton Orient. But Darren Patterson's lads did not bow out without
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FOOTBALL: Hodges on fire
Morrells of Oxford Sunday League: Jamie Hodges hammered a hat-trick for Star Wanderers as they won 5-0 at Rose Hill in the Premier Division, writes GEOFF BOWER. Stuart Tarr gave Star the lead with a cool lob. After the break, a four-goal burst in
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FOOTBALL: Sandman wreck Jackass run
Autotype UTV League: Sandman wrecked Jackass Inn's unbeaten start to their Division 1 campaign with a 3-2 success. Izzy Sidibeh struck twice for Sandman before Adam Reynolds fired home their third. After the break, Ross Tyler and Lee Hedges reduced
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BOXING: Victorious Vince is just so handy
Wolvercote light heavyweight Vince Sessegnon stormed through to the quarter-finals of this year's ABA championships after demolishing Bushey rival Miles Shinkwin inside two rounds. And what makes the victory more remarkable is that his Hertfordshire
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TABLE TENNIS: Misseldine and Hamilton prove less is more
Two men proved better than three for St James A as they defeated Rutherford 7-3 in Division 1. With a full team, St James lost 6-4 to Vikings A despite a hard-fought maximum from Andy Misseldine. But Misseldine and Brian Hamilton more than made up
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BAR BILLIARDS: French saves face for Demos
Brian French saved Democrats A from an embarrassing defeat at the hands of their B team in Section 1. The was nothing between the sides going into the final match, but French held his nerve to rack up a 7,050-break and give the A side a 3-2 verdict.
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BAR BILLIARDS: Title joy for Horse & Harrow
Horse & Harrow, West Hagbourne, are celebrating after winning the National Team Championship. In an exciting final at Reading, the Wallingford League side overcame Brighton's Brewery Tap. Star of the show for Horse & Harrow was Phil Collins, who won
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Motorists injured in blackspot crash
POLICE closed a road after a car crash near where a 21-year-old was killed at the weekend. A Peugeot 206 ended up on its roof after a collision with a Peugeot 406 on the A415 near Ducklington, at the turning for Hardwick shortly after 4.30pm yesterday
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Council 'poor value for money'
OXFORD has been revealed as one of the poorest value-for-money district councils in the country. A league table of civic spending has shown the Town Hall to be among the highest in areas like recreation, environmental health and benefit administration
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FOOTBALL: Marks upset odds
Ten-man CR Marks Kirtlington pulled off one of the shocks off the second round as the UTV League Division 3 side knocked Division 1 outfit Standlake Garage out of the OFA Sam Waters Cup with a 4-1 victory. On the half-hour mark CR Marks's goalkeeper
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Student wins media accolade
A STUDENT from Oxford University has won a media award for his work as critic for the student paper Cherwell. Ben Lafferty's writing was described as fluent, confident and entertaining by the judges of this year's Guardian Student Media Awards. As
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Man faces fight to keep wind turbine
A MAN may have to take down his wind turbine if his neighbours find it too noisy. Craig Colliass, 46, spent £1,500 on the device for his home in Membury Way, Grove, near Wantage, to help the global warming problem and cut fuel bills. But Vale of White
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Safety call over roundabout danger
COUNCILLORS have demanded improved safety at Witney's busy mini-roundabouts after two serious accidents last week. A 17-year-old boy was treated for concussion at the John Radcliffe Hospital, Oxford, after being knocked down while walking along a pavement
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Path closes for resurfacing
A BUSY cycle path will be closed for the next two weeks while its pot-holed surface is replaced. The off-road path between Ferry Road in Marston and South Parks Road has been closed since Monday, when work began to lay a new foundation on the stretch
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Angelis are flying high
FORGET Robbie Williams and Girls Aloud, pupils at Wallingford School are loving Angelis instead. One of the stars of the new pop/classical crossover group is 11-year-old Amy Dow from Cholsey who performed in front of her schoolfriends at the school.
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Raiders snatch £70,000 clothing from farm
BURGLARS broke into a farm building and stole thousands of pounds of outdoor clothing. About £70,000 worth of Hunter-branded boots and shooting jackets were stolen from a 30ft-long container at Greenwell Farm, Fritwell, near Bicester. The burglary
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Death toll on the roads continues to grow
THE death toll on Oxfordshire's roads this year has now reached a total of 50. This is ten more than the total for the whole of last year, when the death toll reached 40. Thame Valley Police and county council road safety officials have now appealed
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MPs vote for Gatsos
Cash plea for 'effective deterrent' MPs have demanded more speed cameras to prevent deaths on Oxfordshire's roads. The county already uses cameras at 107 sites - 74 where cameras are fixed in place and 33 policed by mobile patrols. Last week the
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Man died after crashing into digger
A DRIVER died after crashing into a stationary digger while driving through roadworks on the A34 while more than four times the legal drink-drive limit. An inquest at Oxford Coroner's Court heard that 56-year-old John Perry, of Field Street, Bicester
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ICE HOCKEY: Stars gun down Spitfires
OXFORD City Stars bounced back to winning ways with an 8-3 victory at bottom club Romford Spitfires in the English National League South Division. Stars were boosted by the return of captain Darren Elliott from a two-match ban he picked up against Spitfires
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Oh dear what can the matter be . . .
CHARITY worker Jennifer Fox was stuck for eight hours in a lavatory. The 50-year-old, from Sandford-on-Thames, tried everything possible to escape after the door jammed while she was in the loo at her office in Stone's Court, St Clements, on Monday.
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Nakajima signs as Williams test driver
THE Grove-based WilliamsF1team have named Japanese driver Kazuki Nakajima, 21, as a team test driver. Nakajima, who is racing in the Formula 3 Euro Series with Manor Motorsport, will take up his place as an official test driver after he finishes his
