Archive
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Hook Norton has half a million reasons to go green
HOOK Norton last night looked set to become one of the greenest communities in the UK after the village was given £500,000 towards projects aimed at slashing its energy use. Villagers in the village, near Banbury, set up Low Carbon Hook Norton in February
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Battling Sarah given funeral fit for a princess
A SEVERELY disabled woman who defied medical experts for more than two decades was given a funeral fit for a princess today. Two black horses tookSarah Swanborough’s white coffin through her home town of Didcot, and on to St Andrew’s Church, East Hagbourne
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Didcot bomb regiment says farewell to hero
DIDCOT’S 11 Explosive Ordnance Disposal Regiment will tomorrow bury Captain Daniel Read, who was killed in Afghanistan last month. Capt Read, 31, died defusing a roadside bomb while on foot patrol in the Musa Qala region of Helmand province. Just weeks
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Haiti appeal striks chord with Didcot girl
A TEENAGER has released an album recorded and produced in her own living room to raise money for Haiti earthquake victims. Didcot Sixth Form pupil Lizzie Payne, 17, started recording her own songs two years ago to help fund a school trip to Ecuador.
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Eynsham pupils box clever to aid appeal
CHILDREN had a chance to take a look at some of the emergency supplies that will be sent out to victims of the Haiti earthquake. Pupils from Eynsham Primary School learned about aid being sent to the Caribbean country. A shelterbox – containing emergency
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Hanborough boys go on run to aid Haiti
THREE schoolboys put on their trainers and ran 10 miles to raise money for earthquake victims. Luke Coles, Dan Burgess and Eddie Gronbech, all Year Six pupils at Hanborough Manor School, in Long Hanborough, collected more than £180 for the appeal. The
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SEX ABUSE TRIAL: Alleged victim 'did not want to live'
JURORS heard today that the sexual abuse suffered by a six-year-old girl made her “not want to live”. The jury in the trial of 35-year-old Edward Wakelin at Oxford Crown Court was played a video of the girl’s police interview from January last year.
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Traders make use of online farmers' market
THREE Oxfordshire food producers have swapped the high street for cyberspace to sell their wares through a new online farmers’ market. Oxford Fine Foods, Upton Smokery, based in Burford, and city-based sweetmakers Burnt Sugar have set up online stands
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ICE HOCKEY: Stars quick to exact revenge
Oxford City Stars bounced back from a 6-4 defeat at Cardiff Devils in English National League Division 1 South to beat their Welsh rivals 5-4 at home in their latest double-header. Stars were without Andy Cox and Dax Hedges for the game in
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AUNT SALLY: North Oxford capture title
North Oxford Conservative Club are the Kidlington Indoor League champions – despite being walloped 6-0 by Gin’ll Fix It in their last game. Gin’ll Fix It’s Alan Goodgame was the league’s top scorer with 135 dolls. Garsington Sports A
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GOLF: Simpson starts in style
Bill Simpson surpassed his own expectations when he drove in as Frilford Heath’s new men’s captain. Simpson, who has been a Frilford member since 1991, had simply hoped to make contact with the ball in front of a 120-strong crowd. But
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BAR BILLIARDS: Trafford delivers
Kennington’s Mark Trafford ran out the clock with a brilliant 20,530 to set up victory over Didcot's Stuart Florey in the Men's Individual quarter-final at the Gladiators. The Didcot man replied with 13,290 – including a break of 9,000 – in
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Revealed: £10m vision of college
St Anne’s College’s facade on Woodstock Road, Oxford, is set to be transformed as part of a £10m scheme. The college plans to build a new library and learning centre and demolish two existing residential buildings, which it says are no longer
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BOWLS: Oxon in heavy loss to champs
Oxfordshire A crashed out of the English Short Mat Association Inter County Competition with a 33-7 drubbing by defending champions West Sussex in the first knockout round. The tie was played at a neutral venue in Croydon, and Oxon lost 235
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Little Clarendon Street plan set to be refused
A £15m regeneration scheme aiming to revitalise Oxford’s Little Clarendon Street looks set to be rejected by city councillors tomorrow. Officers have recommended that the council’s north area committee refuses permission to demolish a landmark property
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Gym'll fix it for Jim
FORMER Lord Mayor Jim Campbell is looking forward to using new equipment at a revamped sports centre in North Oxford – after learning to ride a bike again. Mr Campbell, 70, is recovering from a hip replacement operation in November. For the past four
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RACING: Iris eyes Aintree
Iris De Balme, the star of Sean Curran’s Hatford stables, near Stanford in the Vale, is set to take the first step on the road to Aintree when he makes his long-awaited comeback at Wetherby on Saturday. The ten-year-old, a shock 66-1 winner of the 2008
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The Insider
Wait... what’s this? Could 2010 be the year of the political comeback? After a barren few years in the political wilderness, news reaches The Insider that former Labour Oxfordshire county councillor Mick McAndrews is eyeing May as the date for a much-hyped
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Blair's bluff
TONY Blair managed to bluff his way with excuses through the questions put to him at the Iraq inquiry. But one question was not asked. As both he and President Bush declared war against Iraq on false claims of WMDs, what gives them the right to say
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Pedestrians’ plans must boost safety
IN the past 100 years, Oxford’s population has trebled, visitor numbers have risen to about nine million a year and the amount of pedestrians has increased greatly. Many pavements are now too narrow and some cannot take a wheelchair. Most of the proposals
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Secure release
IN response to Mr Wilson’s letter (Tuesday’s Oxford Mail), there appeared to be a few misunderstandings concerning the beleaguered Chandlers (kidnapped by pirates in the Indian Ocean) that need to be clarified. Firstly, there is the idea that paying
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Deadly intent
THROUGHOUT his evidence at the Chilcot Inquiry, Tony Blair was not cross-examined to any great extent. Instead he made erroneous statements which were neither questioned or challenged. He tried throughout to attempt to link the illegal invasion and
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Woman flown to hospital after Bicester crash
A WOMAN was flown to hospital by the air ambulance after two cars collided at the entrance to a Bicester supermarket today. The accident, near the Bicester Village shopping complex, caused major traffic problems in the area. The woman
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Jam-busting road on way for Bicester
WORK to build a relief road which could ease congestion on a key route through Bicester could start later this year. Builders will move in to start work on the South West Bicester housing development in March. But councillors said construction
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DJs clubbed together for cancer charity
SOME of Britain’s best known DJs have helped an Oxford chef raise thousands of pounds for charity. Dean Laidler, 29, from Kennington, persuaded international names such as Danny Rampling and Xpress 2 to perform for free to raise money for Bowel Cancer
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Chuffer fades away.......
This week’s blog is written with a heavy heart as my old mate Chuffer died suddenly on Sunday afternoon. Chuffer, better known as George Pulley, was a member of the Kingston Bagpuize Drama Group way back in the 1950’s and rejoined again in the 80’s.
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Plans for 3,200 homes unveiled
A SITE to the west of Witney is being lined up for 1,000 new homes. West Oxfordshire District Council has set out where 3,200 homes could go across the district in the next 15 years. A total of 4,100 dwellings have already been built or are planned
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Woodland project fears impact of Vale council cuts
NATURE lovers fear a project to preserve the county’s woodlands will be axed under council funding cuts. Vale of White Horse District Council wants to stop supporting The Oxfordshire Woodland Project. The project, which receives £5,000 a year from the
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Students row the distance for stroke research
STUDENTS at an Oxford college rowed a metre for every person who suffers a stroke each year in the UK, to raise money for the Stroke Association. The students at St Peter’s College, New Inn Hall Street, were inspired to organise the ‘Stroke for Stroke
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Local shares (PM)
AEA Technology 23 BMW 2760 Electrocomponents 183.3 Gladstone 27.25 Nationwide Accident Repair 88.5 Oxford Biomedica 11.6 Oxford Catalysts 48 Oxford Instruments 251.5 Reed Elsevier 503.25 RM 177.75 RPS Group 199.3 Courtesy of Redmayne
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FOOTBALL: It's home, sweet, home for Abingdon
Abingdon United, playing their first home fixture in nearly two months, made it worth the wait by seeing off Taunton Town 3-0 in the Zamaretto Southern League Division 1 South & West on Tuesday. United looked rusty against a lively Taunton outfit in
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UPDATE: Woman airlifted to hospital after crash
A WOMAN has been airlifted to hospital after two cars crashed at the entrance to a Bicester supermarket. Police have appealed for witnesses after the woman's Fiat Punto and a Mercedes driven by a man collided near Tesco car park in Pingle Drive. The
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On the allotment
Here I am, happily planting up my allotment last year, and I do thank my lucky stars that I have one just a short walk away. I use it my column for Grow It, called The Organic Allotmenteer, and I manage to grow lots of potatoes, sweetcorn, globe artichokes
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Bat is winging its way back
Rare lesser horseshoe bats are gradually making a re-appearance in Oxfordshire after being virtually absent for decades. At one time, this species of bats was common across England, but it retreated to Wales and the West Country as habitats and sources
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What's Up Folk
It’s heartwarming for folk enthusiasts like me, of a certain age and worried about the succession, to hear about the increasing number of young people becoming involved in traditional music and dance, bringing with them a revitalising energy and new influences
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GEOFF HEDGE: Writer who knew property business
TRIBUTES from friends, family and colleagues have been paid to Geoff Hedge, chief property writer with The Oxford Times, who died suddenly last week. Mr Hedge, 58, who had worked at the Oxford Mail’s sister newspaper for 20 years, was brought
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Playwright Tom Stoppard talks about his play The Invention of Love which is coming soon to the Oxford Playhouse
From February 17-20, an Oxford University student production of Tom Stoppard's The Invention of Love is coming to the Oxford Playhouse. Daniel Rolle, a student of Modern Languages, and marketing manager of the production, spoke to Stoppard about
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PETER UPTON: Winning awards for his photos
AMATEUR photographer, lecturer and judge, Peter Upton, has died aged 75. From the studio at his home in Longfields, Bicester, he sent photographs to exhibitions all over the world. He won awards from the Federation of International Artistic
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RUGBY UNION: Braced for impact
Oxford’s Elio Recchia shows the strain as he is tackled by a Broadmoor Staff player during Saturday’s 15-10 defeat in the BB&O Premier Division. The result leaves Oxford playing catch up as they seek the title in their centenary season. Picture
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RUGBY UNION: Academy's Kiwi link-up
Youngsters from the Leadbitter Oxford Academy will get the chance to develop their skills in Bay of Plenty, New Zealand this summer. A partnership has been set up, which will see Oxford players stay at the Bay of Plenty academy and turn out
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PETER FRANKLIN: Carpenter was man of many talents
PETER Franklin, who has died aged 82, had a varied career as a carpenter, soldier, and bellringer. He came from a well-known Kidlington family and lived in the village all his life. He attended the old village school in School Road,
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RUGBY UNION: Stoop's switch pays off
Sam Stoop has no doubt he made the right decision to leave social rugby and join Chinnor. The versatile back spent the previous three seasons with pub team Blue Boar despite having had a professional contract at Wasps and appearing for England
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I stupidly fell for email tax rebate scam
Sunday was the last day for the online submission of income tax forms. So with this subject in the forefront of many people’s minds, the tax authorities put out a timely warning concerning an Internet scam in which people were told they were in line for
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WILLIAM CLARK: Butcher noted for his tasty sausages
WANTAGE butcher William Clark has died at the John Radcliffe Hospital in Oxford, aged 76. Mr Clark died on January 29 from pneumonia after a long illness. Mr Clark, known as Bill, owned and ran WE Clark & Sons, at 16 Mill Street,
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Radio 2 stars ought to stay tuned in
‘You don’t hear enough Alma Cogan on the radio,” Michael Ball told his Radio 2 audience on Sunday before playing the singer’s version of The Beatles’ Eight Days a Week. Afterwards, he said something else which implied this had been a very rare event.
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ROGER SMITH: Florist would not sell land
GARDENER Roger Smith, who turned down a £30,000 offer from a builder for a plot of his land, has died aged 86. When he retired, Mr Smith bought an allotment to extend the back garden at his home in Banbury Road, Bicester. But when a developer was
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Head proud of school changes
THE acting headteacher of Didcot Girls’ School believes his strict line on behaviour and uniform has improved pupils’ academic performance. Fernand Dierckens said the school had made dramatic improvements since he took over last September, following
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RUGBY UNION: Brooks bemoans poor display
Grove coach Nathan Brooks was left bemoaning his side’s poor start after their 48-13 defeat at Amersham & Chiltern. The loss left Brooks’s men six points off the promotion positions in Southern Counties North with a game in hand. He said: “It was our
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Magnificent portraits are stars of the show
The heads did it for me, at The Royal Academy’s magnificent exhibition, The Real Van Gogh: The Artist and His Letters. I loved the portraits, to the creation of which the artist himself attached the utmost importance. “What I am most passionate
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The Hollybush, Corn Street, Witney
When I was chuntering last week about the many peculiar omissions of the 2010 Michelin Guide, I partly had in mind the situation in Witney. Here, if the Michelin Man is to be believed, there exists but one pub serving good food (the admittedly
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Recipe for puri (makes ten)
You will find Phuchka stalls in the streets of Kolkata selling puffed up crisp little balls named puri, piled high and ready to eat. Alongside the basket of puris you will find various fillings, including potato that can be mashed with chickpea and special
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Tastes of India at an English abbey
The night was dark, the path was muddy, but sparkling lights illuminating the main door helped guide our way towards the main hall of the Abbey at Sutton Courtenay. My friend and I had been invited to attend an evening celebrating the street food of Kolkata
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Airfield's role in aviation history
now fulfilling a commercial role closer to that intended by its original founders than at any time in its 75-year history. Oxford City Council bought the now-familiar airfield lying between the Woodstock and Banbury Roads in 1935 in order to establish
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Invictus
On February 11, 1990, when Nelson Mandela walked free from Robben Island after more than a quarter of a century of incarceration in his eight feet by eight feet cell, he discovered a country divided by apartheid. His release lit the touchpaper on civil
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ATHLETICS: Hawtin sisters in family affair
OXFORD City’s Hawtin sisters achieved fantastic podium finishes in the South of England Cross Country Championships at Parliament Hill Fields, London. There were individual bronze medals for Beth and Melissa, while Lauren led home the under 15 girls
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ATHLETICS: Super England gets off to a flier
Oxford City’s Hannah England started 2010 in brilliant style by winning the Millrose Games women’s mile in New York on Sunday. England took the women’s race in 4mins 31.48secs to beat American Sarah Hall and Kenyan Sally Kipyego. She said: “I was able
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Emma Johnson: Sheldonian Theatre
One of the few clarinettists to forge a successful solo career, Emma Johnson has built her reputation on her eclectic programming and sublime powers of expression – as she vividly demonstrated on Saturday. This was more that just a mere recital; this
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ATHLETICS: Ashton set to lead Oxon
MATHEW Ashton looks set to represent Oxfordshire in this year's Inter-Counties Cross Country Championships at Cofton Park in Birmingham. Witney Roadrunner Ashton (pictured), whose first-claim club is Aldershot, Farnham & District, will
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Victory or Death: The North Wall
The 50 posters on show at the North Wall are part of the world’s third largest collection of its kind. It has been gathered by Mike Stanfield with help from Milly Diaz. He has collecting OSPAAAL posters (the Organisation of Support for the People of Africa
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Twenty Twenty: O2 Academy
Essex power pop threesome Twenty Twenty are a band who can’t seem to decide what they want to be. On the one hand they seem to lust after being fully fledged pop stars, quite happily sharing stages with Miley Cyrus and McFly, touring the UK’s schools
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Preview of the Iffley Festival
Iffley may be surrounded by Oxford, but it is still very much an individual village. It comes complete with its own music festival, which this year will be staged in Iffley Church Hall from February 12-14. The festival is the brainchild of Iffley resident
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Jasmin Vardoman: Wycombe Swan
Jasmin Vardimon is an Israeli choreographer who has been based in the UK for more than a decade. Her style is violently, often dangerously physical, and, at its best, fascinating to watch. Dancers hurl each other around or dive across the floor
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Cosi Fan Tutte: Royal Opera House, Covent Garden
first staging in 1995, and now returns to the Royal Opera House directed by Daniel Dooner (although the presence of Miller at the first night curtain calls suggests he might have had a hand in the changes). Set in a world of suited city boys and
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Matthew Bourne's Swan Lake: Milton Keynes and touring
Matthew Bourne’s career-defining, worldwide hit is now in its 15th year, but has lost nothing of its gripping impact. Bourne has refreshed it with a hands on production, but apart from very minor changes it’s the same work. A major misconception,
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Jo Caulfield: The North Wall
I was glad to see a full house at the North Wall last week for Jo Caulfield. She’s not in the front line of stand-ups, nor an acquired taste with a faithful following. She succeeds off the back of Edinburgh Fringe appearances and regular Radio 4 series
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Ensemble 45: Christ Church Cathedral
Ensemble 45 is a relatively new addition to Oxford’s rich choral scene. Judging by last Wednesday night’s concert at Christ Church Cathedral, its current home, the group is set to become more widely known. The 28 singers are conducted by Will Dawes (
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Ducere Clarino: Holywell Music Room
‘Lead with trumpet” is the English translation of Ducere Clarino. So, not surprisingly, this early music group is led by a trumpeter, Simon Desbruslais. The group’s mission is to search dusty corners for neglected gems from the baroque repertoire. Ducere
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Snow White on Ice: New Theatre, Oxford
With a new take on a classic tale, the Russian Ice Stars were back with their latest spectacular, Snow White. Exploding on to the iced-over New Theatre stage with thrilling skating, it also featured lush costumes and sets, plus some cunning theatrical
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Equus: OFS Theatre, Oxford
In the 1970s we were surprised, albeit pleasantly, by on-stage nudity; today audiences are as likely to be fazed by the actors smoking. The sight of concerned shrink Martin Dysart (Edward Fortes) enjoying late-night cigarettes with horse-blinding
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Helicopter in Tesco car park
THE Thames Valley & Chiltern Air Ambulance is currently in the car park of Tesco near Bicester Village. The helicopter crew are working with emergency crews to free a woman who is trapped in a car. Once she is free it is expected she will
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test please ignore
test please ignore
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Local share prices (AM)
AEA Technology 23 BMW 2770 Electrocomponents 184.1 Gladstone 27.25 Nationwide Accident Repair 90.5 Oxford Biomedica 11.75 Oxford Catalyst 48 Oxford Instruments 250.25 Reed Elsevier 503.75 RM 176.5 RPS Group 200.4 Courtesy of
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Virgin Racing launch F1 car
The new Virgin Racing Formula One team, one of the sport’s four new entrants for the 2010 FIA Formula One World Championship, has unveiled its debut race car - the VR-01. The VR-01 is the first of a new breed of race car designed entirely in
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Ethnic minority students 'under-represented at Oxford'
Students from ethnic minorities are still under-represented at the UK's elite universities, research suggested today. Both Oxford and Cambridge are still recruiting fewer black, Asian or minority ethnic (BAME) students than the average in other
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Pensioner killed in crash
A pensioner has been killed in a car crash. A green Honda CRV collided with a stationary Vauxhall Agila on the A4130, near Nettlebed, in South Oxfordshire, at around 7.30pm yesterday. The driver of the Vauxhall, an 80-year-old man from Woodley, in
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Man, 80, dies in A4130 crash
Police are appealing for witnesses to a collision near Nettlebed yesterday in which a man died. At about 7.30pm, a green Honda CR-V collided with a stationary silver Vauxhall Agila on the A4130. The driver of the Vauxhall, an 80-year-old
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Ethnic minorities under-represented at Oxford University
Students from ethnic minorities are still under-represented at the UK's elite universities, research suggested today. Both Oxford and Cambridge are still recruiting fewer black, Asian or minority ethnic (BAME) students than the average in other
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Report: Dementia care underfunded
Dementia costs the country £23 billion per year and more than cancer and heart disease combined but receives a fraction of the funding, according to a "wake up call" report out today. The number of sufferers at 822,000 is also 17% higher than has previously
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RUGBY UNION: Browne at the double
Two tries from speedy winger Will Browne saw Oxford University overturn an 8-0 half-time deficit to beat the Royal Navy 15-8 at Burnaby Road, Portsmouth, last night. A try by Greg Barden and drop goal from Tom Glover put the servicemen in command at
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Oxford United going for league and cup double
MANAGER Chris Wilder is confident that Oxford United can do what few Conference clubs have managed before – and succeed on two fronts. The U’s are chasing promotion to the Football League and are through to the quarter-finals of the FA Carlsberg Trophy
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Fair on Asbo brothers
IT IS good to see the Gerken brothers have had their antisocial behaviour orders lifted early in recognition for their behaviour. Some may argue that if the Asbos have seen problems fall in Risinghurst it would do no harm for them to be left in place
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We're all relying on you, Anita
TODAY we put our faith in Anita Higham and the Oxfordshire Link, a community watchdog for our local health services. NHS Oxfordshire, the primary care trust, has confirmed there are four GPs on duty each weekday night after midnight to cover the entire
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Singing proves surprise treatment for Parkinson's
SINGING has proved to be a surprise treatment for a Parkinson’s sufferer who insists songs have helped control her symptoms. Sandra King astounded doctors by turning down pills in favour of singing with Blackbird Leys Choir in a bid to keep control of
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Forest Hill Asbo brothers have orders reduced
TWO teenagers are the first in Oxfordshire to have their antisocial behaviour orders (Asbo) removed because of their good behaviour. Callum Gerken and his brother Jake were aged 16 and 14 respectively when Oxford Magistrates’ Court banned them from Risinghurst
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Concern rises over out-of-hours GPs for Oxfordshire
FOUR GPs handle out-of-hours cover on weekday nights for Oxfordshire’s 600,000 residents, it emerged last night. From midnight to 8am, Monday-Friday, four GPs are on hand to give on-call medical attention to the whole of the county. NHS Oxfordshire,
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University minority alert
Students from ethnic minorities are under-represented at elite universities, including Oxford, a report said today. At Oxford University, 11.1 per cent of students are from minority backgrounds, according to the Race for Opportunity campaign. Overall
