Archive
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Sue among Queen's Birthday Honours
Barton stalwart Sue Holden could be forgiven for having an extra spring in her step at today's Barton Bash. She has been awarded an MBE for her community work in today's Queen's Birthday Honours. For 35 years she and husband Barry ran Holden's News
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Man quizzed over alleged rape
A man was tonight being held after police launched a rape investigation. The suspect, aged 30, was arrested today after officers were called to West Way in Botley, Oxford shortly after 10.30am. Two marked police cars and a forensic van were parked
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Highest priorities
I WOULD like to thank the Oxford Mail for its recent accurate coverage of the complex issue of hospital infections and C.difficile mortality. However, the Oxford Radcliffe Hospitals NHS Trust is misquoted by your correspondent, Ben Beaumont, when he
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Cycling to get £440,000 fillip
OXFORDSHIRE County Council worked closely with Cyclox and Oxford City Council in drawing up the bid to Cycling England for Oxford to become a Cycling Demonstration Town (Oxford Mail, May 26). We did our best and are all disappointed that we were not successful
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Respect them
Most soldiers returning home from active service overseas do so incognito. For all we know, as we walk around the supermarket today we could pass one, two or several brave servicemen who are back home on leave. But while we go about our busy lives,
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Patto's thrilled by glamour games
Manager Darren Patterson believes Oxford United's glamorous pre-season friendlies will be "great occasions" for the club. And he thanked the work that director Jim Smith and chairman Nick Merry had put in to make the attractive fixtures against a Manchester
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Firework arson pair face jail
Two teenagers whose 'prank' with a firework gutted a family's home were today warned they could be jailed. Trainee butcher Lewis Colwell, 18, and Jamie Matthews, 19, set fire to a rocket in the letterbox of the house in Ramsay Road, Headington, Oxford
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'Ludicrous' fine for my scooter
A father-of-four is willing to do battle in court to fight a parking fine he received because his environmentally friendly scooter was too small for an on-street parking bay. Robin Swailes, who fell foul of wardens when he was ticketed for putting his
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Funeral date for drowned teen
The funeral of Max Sullivan-Webb, who drowned after getting trapped in a storm drain, will be held at St Mary's Church, Cogges, on Monday. The 17-year-old former Wood Green School pupil, also known as Max Weeden, died on June 3. His funeral will
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Residents told to fill their own sandbags
Flood victims in the Vale of White Horse are demanding more protection from the district council to keep rising waters at bay. Residents say they are poorly served by the council, which urged them to find and fund their own flood defences again this
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Jews celebrate as ritual bath is opened
Jewish women in Oxford will be able to fulfil a key part of their faith for the first time in hundreds of years, following the construction of a ritual bath. It is the first time the city has had a so-called mikvah bath, since medieval times. The
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Rockers reunite for memorial gig
The surviving members of an 1980s band which lost two of its musicians to cancer earlier this year are playing a gig in their memory. Kidlington-based rockers Fast Livin' split up about 30 years ago, and surviving musicians Keith Matthews and Dave Bosher
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Low turnout for by-election
Turnout for Thursday's by-election in Holywell was lowest in Oxford City Council's history, it emerged last night. Liberal Democrat candidate Mark Mills held the seat vacated by Richard Huzzey, who quit the council to take up a teaching post at Yale
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Plea over tennis court sale
Tennis players who regularly use council-run courts in Oxford have issued the latest rallying cry for the facilities to be kept open for the public. Solicitor Graham Willis and wife Linda are the latest tennis enthusiasts to voice their concern about
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Burned-out garage attracts kids
The crumbling remains of a garage destroyed by fire five months ago has become a playground for young people, residents claim. People living close to Sutton Courtenay Tyres, in High Street, have called for the owners to properly secure the site after
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Young children attacked fire station
Children aged as young as six are thought to be responsible for vandalism at a fire station, when windows were smashed. Bricks were thrown at The Slade fire station in Oxford from a nearby recreation ground and play area in Hollow Way last week. Windows
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Flood work is in the pipeline
A residents' group set up to campaign for flood relief action in Oxford has won a victory after the Environment Agency agreed to fix two well publicised pinchpoints south of the city. In April the Oxford Flood Alliance pitched its three point plan to
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Today's local share prices (PM)
AEA Technology 76.5 BMW £26.12 Electrocomponents 156 Nationwide Accident Repair 142.5 Oxford Biomedica 22.5 Oxford Catalyst 168.5 Oxford Instruments 237 Reed Elsevier 614 RM 203.5 RPS Group 313.75 Courtesy of Redmayne Bentley, Abingdon
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Events for Refugee Week start
The plight of refugees and asylum seekers is set to take centre stage with a week of special events in Oxford. Refugee Week starts tomorrow and runs until next Sunday. A host of events are planned, including plays, film screenings, a meeting featuring
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Man held in connection with rape
A 30-year-old man has been arrested in connection with an alleged rape at an address in Botley, West Oxford. Police were called to the property shortly after 10.30am today. Thames Valley Police spokesman Claire Gourlay said: "Police were called at
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Bad air zone is getting bigger
A zone in Abingdon identified as having high pollution levels may have to be extended to other areas in the town. The centre of the town - including Stratton Way, Stert Street and parts of High Street, Ock Street, the Vineyard and Bridge Street - was
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Shop aims to give Third World sporting chance
A Didcot shop has introduced a new product to complement its Fairtrade range of products - footballs. Didcot Fairtrade Group has joined forces with Didcot Sports, in Lower Broadway, to sell the Fairtrade balls. Shop owner David Hawkins said: "As far
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Residents fear for area's diversity
An Oxford community fears for its shopping area's future as fast food chain Subway prepares to open a store there. Subway has confirmed it will be opening the new outlet in London Road, Headington, on Monday as it feels there is "sufficient demand"
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Man admits murdering ex-soldier
A 26-year-old man has admitted murdering a former soldier outside an Oxford pub. Christopher Philp admitted at Oxford Crown Court killing Stephen Pinker, a retired member of the Royal Green Jackets, outside the Corner House pub in Hollow Way on March
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RUGBY: Larkrise are up for the cup
YOUNGSTERS at Larkrise, Oxford, had the thrill of seeing the Guinness Premiership Trophy on show at their Boundary Brook Road primary school. The most prestigious piece of silverware in English club rugby was brought along by London Wasps community
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CRICKET: Super Smith is the hero
Seam bowler Harry Smith returned figures of 5-1 to give Warriner (Bloxham) a 26-run victory over Magdalen College School (Oxford) in Daily Telegraph Under 15 Twenty20 Cup quarter-finals. Smith's stunning spell, backed up Adnan Iqbal (2-3) saw MCS crash
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SHOOTING: County marksmen are south east champions
Oxfordshire's marksmen were bang on target to win the Clay Pigeon Shooting Association (CPSA) South East Region Skeet Team Championships at Dartford. The five-man Oxon team posted an impressive score of 486 out of 500. They then had to endure a two-hour
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CRICKET: Oxon slide to cup defeat
Oxfordshire Under 14s slipped to a five-wicket defeat against Wales in their ECB Cup clash at Kidlington. Batting first, Oxon lost opener Ben Boddington for a duck in the third over, but a decent second-wicket stand between Ross Barrett and Richard
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CRICKET: Super Seacole is on song for Swifts
Nationwide Under 15 Club Championship All-rounder George Seacole left Witney Swifts to an eight-wicket victory against Eynsham in Group A. Seacole took 3-3 as Eynsham were held to 104-8 from their 20 overs, before hitting 50 not out to steer Swifts
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CRICKET: Pennington's haul is in vain
Louis Pennington's fine haul of 4-17 was not enough to inspire Oxfordshire Under 11s to victory against Berkshire. After winning the toss and electing to field, Pennington's fine opening spell and Nick Lancaster kept the Berkshire batsmen in check.
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CRICKET: Burton leads the way
Girls cricket Caitie Burton led Oxfordshire Under 13s to a 140-run victory on the Isle of Wight. The girls won the toss and batted first, rattling up 158-9 from their 30 overs, with player-of-the-match Abi Currie top-scoring. The Isle of Wight, who
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Searl the hero for Rowant
A dazzling display of bowling and fielding by Aston Rowant A left Combe shell-shocked as they were shot out for just 23 in the Ron Maudsley Under 13 Trophy. Luke Searl led the assault, taking 4-3, and Rowant required just 5.1 overs to pass the total
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Beard stars for Oxon Under 15s
Promising all-rounder Michael Beard played a starring role with bat and ball to inspire Oxfordshire Under 15s to a 15-run victory over Wiltshire in their opening ECB County Cup fixture of the season at Stonesfield. Beard fell one short of a half century
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GREYHOUNDS: Ruthless Joker trumps rivals
Lenson Joker, unbeaten throughout the William Hill Cesarewitch, stamped his authority on Tuesday's final with a blistering display to land the £5,000 booty before a decent crowd at Oxford Stadium. The rest didn't have a look in as Joker set out his
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GREYHOUNDS: Staff hit heights!
The Oxford Retired Greyhound Trust (ORGT) are to receive a donation of more than £500 from the racing office staff after they completed the Three Peaks Challenge. They scaled Mount Snowdon, Ben Nevis and Scafell Pike just 12 minutes inside the 48-hour
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ANGLING: Everything set for new start
Monday sees the start of the new coarse fishing season on our rivers, so I hope you have all sorted your tackle and licences and are ready for the off. Rivers around Oxford are still carrying a little extra water, but hopefully this should all run off
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ANGLING: Harrison way out in front at Rolf's
There was a good turn-out of 27 matchmen for Kinloch AC's match on Rolf's last Sunday, and they were not disappointed as plenty of fish were caught. After the heavy rain, the lake was well up, but that didn't stop Fred Harrison putting 136.14.0 of carp
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SWIMING: Young guns shine for City
City of Oxford's youngsters put on a super show to steer the team to third place in the first round of the Milton Keynes Junior League. The nine-year-old boys' age group led the way, with William Cross and Joseph Addy taking first in the 25m breaststroke
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SWIMMING: Witney off to a flier
Witney's youngest swimmers got off to a great start in the Milton Keynes Junior League with victory in the first round at Leighton Buzzard. Nine-year-old Larissa Dalgarno stormed to first place in her freestyle and backstroke events to earn the swimmer-of-the-match
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Kitchen equipment stolen
Burglars broke in to two new homes in Carterton and Witney and stole a fitted kitchen and two cookers. Between 4.30pm on Friday, June 6, and 6am on Monday, June 9, burglars forced their way into a property in Ashcombe Crescent, Witney and stole the
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Girls’s abduction claim ‘was made up’
Police have dropped their investigation into a suspected abduction outside Larkrise Primary School in Boundary Brook Road, Oxford. Officers now believe that the incident, which reportedly happened outside the school gates shortly before 9am on Thursday
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Mini plant shut until Monday
Workers at the Oxford Mini plant in Cowley will not be able to return to the production line until at least Monday night. Union bosses have revealed the entire weekend shift, due to start tonight, and Monday's early shift will not be working due to
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Production halted at BMW plant for 72 hours
Workers at the Cowley Mini plant will not be able to return to the production line until at least Monday night. Union bosses have revealed the entire weekend shift due to start tonight and Monday's early shift will not be working thanks to the fuel
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Today's local share prices
AEA Technology 76 BMW 2571 Electrocomponents 153.75 Nationwide Accident Repair 142.5 Oxford Biomedica 22.5 Oxford Catalyst 168.5 Oxford Instruments 236 Reed Elsevier 610.25 RM 203.5 RPS Group 312.75 Courtesy of Redmayne Bentley, Abingdon
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Comradely discussion
Sir - I am sorry to disappoint your correspondent Paul Blay (Letters, June 6). The city council's review of leisure covers the leisure centres and the swimming pools, but does not at this stage include the extensive provision of outdoor sports facilities
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Firebugs cleared of intent but convicted of arson
Two teenagers have been cleared of intending to endanger a family when an arson attack gutted a home in Oxford. However Jamie Matthews 19, Lewis Colwell, 18, have both been warned they face jail after being convicted of the lesser charge of arson being
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Sporty team raises 3,000 UKP for Pegasus campaign
Alison Partridge, Pegasus trustee talks about the lengths she goes to for Building The Future... We did it!! Our fantastic team of 4 women tri-athletes + a relay team of 3 all made it round the Blenheim triathlon course on the 7th June - and all emerged
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DRAW DADDY: Correction
The telephone number in Thursday's Draw Daddy supplement is wrong. The number should be 090 1159 and then the four-digit code under the picture of your choice. The incorrect number had been supplied to the Oxford Mail by a central source and published
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Runaway machine causes A420 smash
A PREGNANT woman, an elderly couple and three netball players escaped serious injury when a runaway cement mixer skidded across a busy road causing mayhem. The machinery flew off the back of a trailer, which had been approaching the A420 from the
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Cyclist robbed of cycle
TWO men robbed a cyclist in High Street, Oxford, and stole his mountain bike and cash. Police today appealed for witnesses following the robbery on Tuesday at 1.45am. The victim was on his way back from the city centre, pushing his bicycle along the
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Man robbed of bike
Two men robbed a cyclist in Oxford High Street and stole his mountain bike and cash. Police today appealed for witnesses following the robbery on Tuesday at 1.45am. The victim was on his way back from the city centre, pushing his bicycle along the road
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Festival to boost skatepark plan
HUNDREDS of music-lovers and clubbers will descend on a south Oxfordshire farm this weekend to support plans for a new skatepark. The Out to Graze Festival, features more than 40 of the county's favourite bands and DJs, and will raise funds to build
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Villagers mourn popular Marine
DALE Gostick, the Royal Marine killed in Afghanistan just days short of his 23rd birthday, was laid to rest in his village churchyard yesterday with full military honours. A Union flag-draped coffin topped with his Royal Marines helmet was driven through
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Army chief honours troops
A SOLDIER who discovered a roadside bomb was honoured for his heroics, along with 89 others in Abingdon yesterday. Brigadier Chris Murray, the British Army's director of logistics, presented medals at Dalton Barracks to the troops from 6 Close Support
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Tempers rise as mobile comes down
A BUSINESSMAN has angered residents by winching a mobile home off his roof - only to park it a few yards away on a forecourt. It took 50 minutes for nine men to winch the 34-foot caravan off the roof of Computer Assistance in Cleveland Drive, Cowley
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Whole city may be 20mph zone
OXFORD could become the first city in the UK to introduce a near-blanket 20mph speed limit. Councillors are to consider extending the 20mph speed limit to most roads in Oxford. Even the main arterial routes into Oxford, such as the Banbury, Botley
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Merry delight at U's pre-season
OXFORD United have hit the jackpot this summer with both Manchester United and Portsmouth agreeing to visit the Kassam Stadium for glamorous pre-season friendlies. It will be a Manchester United XI, probably without most of the European and Premier
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Misplaced glow could be remedied
Sir - County council leader Keith R Mitchell tells readers that four critical letters in a single issue has left him with a "warm glow". Whilst he is basking, the rest of us wince as his party's new parking tax demands drop on the doormat. Families
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Will drivers agreee 20 is plenty?
There is no doubt there is growing support for 20mph zones. Many people are becoming fed up with drivers having it all their own way - racing along the streets in cars and lorries, as if no-one else on the road or pavement matters. Oxford could become
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Magic wand
Anyone who thought the county council commissioned report into the traffic changes in Abingdon would wave a magic wand and make the jams go away will have been disappointed by a reading of it. The report concludes that the strategy has been reasonably
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Modern Art director steps down
ANDREW Nairne is standing down as director of Modern Art Oxford after seven years. Mr Nairne is leaving to become an executive director at Arts Council England, responsible for arts strategy. He will take up his new position in September. During
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Safer city for cycles
Sir - Oxfordshire County Council worked closely with Cyclox and the city council in drawing up the bid to Cycling England for Oxford to become a Cycling Demonstration Town. We did our best and are all disappointed that we were not successful. The
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Twenty20
The administration at County Hall is poised to bowl a googly to all those who think it is dominated by a fraternity that thinks only of the car. It is set to turn radical on us and introduce a blanket 20mph speed limit across Oxford. Some motorists
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Fight against super clinics
DOCTORS and patients are fighting against plans to create a GP 'super surgery' in Oxfordshire. The Government has asked every primary care trust in England to set up at least one so-called polyclinic - a surgery housing up to 25 doctors and offering
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Twenty really is plenty
An ambitious bid to make Oxford the first place in the UK to introduce a city-wide 20mph speed limit was last night welcomed by campaigners. Highways chiefs are considering giving every residential street a 20mph limit - including the main routes into
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Safe crossing needed
Sir - Trying to cross the busy A4074 road to the Berinsfield bus stop is a hazardous business. Despite years of asking, no road crossing has been put in. Further down this road near Crowmarsh, an island road crossing has been built to allow a few
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Mitchell-free zone?
Sir - As it seems that Mr Keith Mitchell uses the slightest excuse to occupy your letters page (and you allow him this publicity), perhaps it would be nicer for your readers if you offered him his own column elsewhere in the paper, thus allowing the
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Riverside rubbish
Sir - I was on the Thames on Sunday, May 25, cruising past the boathouses before Folly Bridge and was appalled by all the rubbish left on both banks but especially outside the eights headquarters, mostly consisting of beer cans and bottles, most of
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Real opportunity
Sir - Walking through the Westgate Centre recently, I found it a bit depressing with a number of businesses having closed down. The reason for these closures is, I imagine, the uncertainty about the future of this area. I would like to say that
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Tory leader's lock concerns
TORY leader David Cameron has thrown his weight behind the campaign to save lock-keepers' homes. The Witney MP fears the sale or lease of 22 lock-keepers' properties in the region could leave local people more vulnerable at times of flooding. And
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Tweaking won't work
Sir - I was astonished to hear the Conservative county councillor in charge of Abingdon's traffic, Ian Hudspeth, quoted as saying that only "minor tweaks" would be needed to solve the town's traffic problems. A full review of the new traffic system
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Sceptical of motives
Sir - Following the scenes of chaos that resulted from the implementation of the AbITS scheme in Abingdon, the county council announced that it had commissioned an independent review of the system that was supposed to regulate traffic flows through
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Missing a treat
Sir - What's wrong with Nick Utechin? He did a desservice to A Doll's House and now he's given a desultory three out of six to The English Game (Weekend, June 6) - which he apparently enjoyed? He patronisingly refers to "the easy stereotypes" and
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Cyclist completes 1,300-mile charity ride
A cyclist is enjoying a well earned rest at home after a mammoth cycle ride across Europe in memory of a friend and work colleague who died of cancer. Iain Forbes finished his 1,300-mile ride through Sweden, Denmark, Germany, Holland, Belgium and the
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Floods are complex
Sir - I read with interest the various reports concerning flooding in the Vale. Since July 20, last year, we have experienced localised flooding on what now seems a regular basis. Indeed, instead of being an event in 100 years, flooding appears to
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No distinction
Sir - Readers in North Oxfordshire and surrounding areas may have wondered about the omission of the Horton Hospital in Banbury from the list of hospitals included in your article (May 30) about Academic Health Sciences Centres. This was an oversight
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Brookes names new chancellor
THE WOMAN spearheading opposition to the Government's plans to hold terror suspects for up to 42 days is to become the new chancellor of Oxford Brookes University. Shami Chakrabarti, director of Liberty, was named today as the woman who will succeed
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Pool procedures
Sir - I am afraid that I must disagree with Bob Spray (Letters, June 6). For customers at Hinksey Pool, it was unacceptable to have to queue in high temperatures when the pool was at certain times less than half full. It was also unacceptable that
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Horrified at proposal
Sir - As the local councillors for Alexandra Courts, we support very strongly Paul Blay's call (Letters, June 6) for this area to be retained as a public park, not handed over to a private club. Summertown is short of accessible green space, and
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Runaway cement mixer causes smash
A pregnant woman, an elderly couple and three netball players escaped serious injury when a runaway cement mixer skidded across a busy road causing mayhem. The machinery flew off the back of a trailer, which had been approaching the A420 from the Bampton
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Prezza recalls Oxford years
WHEN a panic-stricken John Prescott fled down Walton Street, it may have felt like something of a turning point in his life. As a seaman who had witnessed serious violence and shown some early potential as a boxer, he was hardly a shrinking violet
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Au pair heads for stardom
A DREAM of putting on her own play is set to become a reality for one Wheatley au pair. Nineteen-year-old Linn Johanssen is hoping to write and stage a play about capital punishment. The au pair, originally from Sweden, applied for funding from the
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Setting an example
Sir - Those in positions of public responsibility could be expected to obey the rules, even traffic regulations but this is not always the case. On a recent Sunday evening, the Commissioner of the Metropolitan Police, Sir Ian Blair, gave the sermon
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Last Post sounded for Dale
Dale Gostick, the Royal Marine killed in Afghanistan just days short of his 23rd birthday, was laid to rest in his village churchyard yesterday with full military honours. A Union flag-draped coffin topped with his Royal Marines helmet was driven through
