Archive
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Cool models for summer
SPANISH car-maker SEAT is continuing its 50th birthday year celebrations by introducing a new range of special edition Ibiza and Cordoba models to be called 'dot cool', priced from 7,995, writes David Duffy. They all have standard air conditioning and
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Queen honours 'Mr Mini'
JOHN Cooper, the Grand Prix race-car constructor and father of the Mini Cooper, was presented with the OBE for services to the motor industry, writes David Duffy. Cooper, 76, was a leading race car constructor in the 1960s and his team produced many race-winning
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Car-makers under fire from report
THE Competition Commission slammed the actions of the 17 leading car companies in the UK for actions that had led to higher prices, writes David Duffy. The companies had deterred dealers from obtaining cheaper new cars from dealers in other EU member
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Motoring briefs
Top award THE Renault Megane Scenic has been named Britain's best used car in the annual Auto Express used car honours. The car also picked up the award in the best used compact multi-purpose vehicle category. Box of bits MOTORISTS hunting for those essential
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The quickest Kwak
IT happens to everyone who has ever slung their leg over a bike. At some point, they will make a complete ass of themselves in front of an appreciative audience, writes John Gilbride. Whether it's an inadvertent leg-flapping wheelie away from the traffic
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May the fourth be with you...
Well, that was that, then. Fourteen hours and 24 minutes that will change the world and the lives of everyone in it for ever. It happened between 5.54am and 8.18pm on May 3. What do you mean, you missed it? asks George Frew. Tut, tut, we are talking astrological
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Falling standards fears at University
The former head of an Oxford business school has hit out at falling standards at Oxford University. John Kay, who resigned last year as the head of Oxford's Said Business School, warned that if the decline continued, the University would not be able to
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Football: Weekend league results
Intermediate, Suburban, Courage Combined, Oxfordshire Senior league, R T Harris **OXFORDSHIRE INTERMEDIATE CUP 2nd round: Ardley Utd Res 1, Henley Tn Res 4; Charlton Utd Res 3, Easington Spts Res 2; Sonning Comm 1, Middle Barton Res 1 (Sonning won 4-3
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Horse Racing: Super Bleu is hat-trick hero
Edredon Bleu, the star of Henrietta Knight's West Lockinge stables near Wantage, produced a brilliant front-running display to win the Victor Chandler Peterborough Chase at Huntingdon on Saturday for the third year running. Jumping fast and accurately
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Football: City leave it too late
After being second best for the first 70 minutes of Saturday's Ryman Division 1 game, Oxford City could easily have taken all three points from visitors Ford. It was only the legs of goalkeeper Chapman, plus the woodwork, which denied them in a frantic
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Football: Weekend league results
**OXFORD MAIL BOYS LEAGUE Under 10 Cup 2nd round: Wheatley 7, Berinsfield 3; Summertown 0, Littlemore 6; Grove 3, Abingdon 2; Kidlington 15, Wantage 0; Goring 3, Northway 2. League A: Didcot A 3, Cumnor Minors 2. League B: Garden City 1, Crowmarsh 5;
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Football: Weekend league results
**GILES SPORTS WITNEY BOYS LEAGUE Friendly East League: Cumnor Minors 8, Bloxham 0; Deddington Colts 7, Kingham Jnrs 1; Easington Spts 2, Steeple Aston 0; Highfield 0, Launton 1. Friendly West League: Chipping Norton Swifts 2, Carterton Rgrs 6; Ducklington
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Football: Super Saints catch Ardley on the break
Oxfordshire Senior Cup **Marston Saints 2, Ardley Utd 1 Marston Saints, from the Oxfordshire Senior League, claimed the scalp of Hellenic League Division 1 high-fliers Ardley in Saturday's first round tie. Ardley started strongly on a pitch that was only
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Graduate starts up e-jobs firm
Former Oxford Union president Lucy Aitkens has launched an Internet recruitment firm exclusively for Oxbridge graduates. The St Hilda's College student, who was accused of 'dumbing down' the debating society by inviting pop stars as guest speakers, has
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How to be a dot.com millionaire
Budding tycoons are being invited to Oxford to get the lowdown on becoming an Internet millionaire. As the Government scooped a 22bn windfall from the next generation Internet-ready mobile phone licences, a special conference is being held to turn the
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Net rewards for two firms
Business Link Heart of England TEC sponsored two rapidly growing Oxfordshire companies at a top level e-business conference in Oxford. The companies are the Ortho Group, of Kimber Road, Abingdon, which makes and supplies artificial limbs to the National
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Village gets on the web
A village has entered cyberspace. Benson has laid claim to its 21st century credentials with the opening of its first Internet cafe. Copykatz in Old London Road, owned by Alison Hatton and Richard Mountford, has been refurbished with new wooden floors
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Free Web sites for schools
Schools and colleges in Oxfordshire are being offered the chance to build their own Web sites for free with CommuniGate, a new Internet initiative from Newsquest digital media. Although many schools are already online, most school Web sites require specialist
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Eye-catching Icon
MAZDA has launched a new special edition of the MX-5 sports car called the Icon, writes David Duffy. Finished in a dark red mica paint, the car has distinctive polished alloy wheels and the interior is trimmed in oatmeal leather. The 19,200 two-seater
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44,000 lorry haul
The entire 44,000 load of a lorry parked overnight near Kidlington has been stolen. The articulated lorry, on its way from Reading to Liverpool, was parked in a lay-by on the A34 near the Hampton Poyle turn. When the driver awoke and checked the lorry
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Popular bookie, 87, dies
A former farmer who turned his back on agriculture to open a chain of betting shops has died. Frederick George Hudson, of Kennet Close, Grove, was a well-known figure in Wantage and Didcot, where he ran two bookmaker's. Before this he farmed 164 acres
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Novelist's papers for sale
Manuscripts and personal documents belonging to Oxford detective novelist Dorothy L. Sayers go under the hammer on December 19. Dorothy L Sayers The sale at Sotheby's in London has attracted worldwide interest and is expected to raise £35,000 from the
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Football: Weekend league results
**AUTOTYPE UTV LEAGUE Ridgeway Cup 1st round: The Dolphin 3, Oxford Insts 1; Long Wittenham 4, Supersonic 1; The Vine Cumnor 2, Benson Harts 4; Horseshoes v Standlake Garage pp; Crown Marcham 2, Brewery Tap Res 3; Wheatley Park 0, Exiles 2000 3; Forest
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Football: Abingdon pay the price
Jon Blencowe's first match in charge as Abingdon Town manager after a spell as caretaker boss ended in a disappointing defeat at Wingate in Ryman League Division 3 on Saturday. But it could all have been so different if the visitors had taken one of the
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Rugby: Saturday league results
**ENGLISH NATIONAL LEAGUE Div 1: London Welsh 20, Henley 15. **ENGLISH CLUBS CHAMPIONSHIP Midlands Div 1: Banbury 39, Newbold 8. South West Div 2 East: Abbey 3, Chinnor 11; Witney 13, High Wycombe 15. Southern Counties North: Bicester 0, Grove 17; Buckingham
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Football: Weekend league results
**WITNEY AND DISTRICT FA Fred Ford Cup 2nd round: Hailey 9, Minster Lovell 8; Alvescot 0, Chadlington 2; Eynsham A 2, North Leigh A 4; Adlestrop 1, Ducklington 4; Carterton Tn A 2, Bampton Tn 4; Brize Norton 4, Hanborough 2; Stonesfield 3, Kingham AB
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Football: Weekend league results
*CHERRY RED RECORDS HELLENIC LEAGUE RPM Records Supp Cup 1st round: Binfield 4, Penn & Tylers Green 2. Premier Div: Almondsbury Tn 2, Wantage Tn 1; Brackley Tn 2, Cheltenham Saracens 0; Cirencester Acad v Highworth pp; Fairford Tn 1, Tuffley Rov 3
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Review: Galaxy Quest
Dean Parisot's fond lampoon of sci-fi series like Star Trek should even have the most ardent Trekkie smiling in self-recognition. Less aggressive and mercifully less scattershot than the Airplane! spoofs, the film actually borrows its premise from the
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Review: Ghost Dog The Way of the Samurai
There is the unmistakeable influence of underrated French film-maker Jean-Pierre Melville on Jim Jarmusch's off-beat indie, Ghost Dog: The Way of the Samurai, writes David Parkinson. It's 20 years since Jarmusch made his directorial debut, with Permanent
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Spookwatch: Diary of the prison vigil
Mike White offers a blow by blow account of a night spent monitoring ghosts in Oxford Prison **The vigil gets under way. Pairs and small teams of investigators take up positions around the main block and at various places in the surrounding grounds. *
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Camera-shy Bailey calls the shots
An indication of Oxford supermodel Laura Bailey's current fame is that getting an interview with her is harder than squeezing into a pair of size eight jeans, writes Katherine MacAlister. But then the 27-year-old model, actress, columnist and would-be
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Anna's a virtual newsreader
Who needs real people to read out the Web news bulletins? asks David McManus? Reading stuff on the Web is all very well and good, but when you want the latest news in a hurry, scanning lines of text can be a bit of a chore. What we want from the Net is
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The joys of text and Zaplets
With Internet Explorer and Netscape Navigator pre-installed on so many new computers these days, many people do not realise that, by default, an e-mail sent from Internet Explorer or Netscape's bundled mail packages, will actually be composed in HTML,
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Shop proves glittering success
A shop in Witney has proved to be a goldmine for its owners who are celebrating five years in business. Bill and Nikki Maddocks run the goldsmiths and craft shop We Three Kings in Bridge Street, and have been named as one of the top shops in the country
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U's hang in as Den blows top
By Jon Murray A ROLLICKING from Denis Smith inspired Oxford United to fight back and earn a 2-2 draw at Bristol City yesterday and a second division lifeline. United's manager, furious at the way his team had let slip a one-goal lead to trail 2-1 at half-time
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Motorway helps business
The M40 is moving business in Oxfordshire into top gear, according to a survey. The spring market survey, published by property consultants FPD Savills, says strong economic growth in the region last year had a positive impact on both office and industrial
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Opportunity knocks
David Duffy finds out how business angels are backing Oxfordshire's cutting-edge entrepreneurs There are half a dozen different definitions of the word angel, and the most important to businesses in Oxfordshire is not among the front runners. Business
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Desperately seekingold friends
From: Sarah Parrott (parrott@tmba.design.net.au) Hi, my name is Sarah Parrott (Porter) and I moved to Queenland, Australia 11 years ago. I'd like to get in touch with any old friends, especially Bryony Kingsland and Richard Eato who moved to Oxford (I
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Trust has priority in buying hospital
A trust set up by campaigners who unsuccessfully fought the closure of a hospital has made important breakthroughs in its push for a nursing home on the site. Watlington Hospital Charitable Trust has been given priority purchaser status by the NHS which
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Tree-planting project bids for cash
A project to maintain a new Millennium wood could be among those to win cash from the Oxford Mail and British Gas Community Chest Award. The Leafield Community Woodland indigenous tree planting project is already well under way with hundreds of new trees
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Guide criticises Blanc's city eaterie
Oxford's curry houses and restaurants serving foreign cuisine have come in for praise in a new guide, writes Emma Henry. But other non-ethnic restaurants, including Raymond Blanc's Le Petit Blanc in Walton Street, are blasted for being second-rate in
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Workmen unearth town's Roman past
Further evidence of Witney's Roman past have come to light during excavations for a new water pipeline. Coins, brooches, metalwork and pottery have been unearthed by archaeologists on a site just north of the town. Excavations have revealed the settlement
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OPEN GARDENS
Your weekly guide, during the spring and summer months, to gardens opening their doors to the public. SATURDAY, MAY 6 Sutton Courtenay: Eight gardens open, flower festival in 12th century church. Cream teas. 2-6pm. Part of village millennium celebration
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Guide criticises Blanc's city eaterie
Oxford's curry houses and restaurants serving foreign cuisine have come in for praise in a new guide, writes Emma Henry. But other non-ethnic restaurants, including Raymond Blanc's Le Petit Blanc in Walton Street, are blasted for being second-rate in
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Reynolds roars into Superbike race lead
JOHN Reynolds extended his lead in the British Superbike Championships after Sunday's races at Donnington Park, writes John Gilbride. The Scotsman powered his Ducati to victory in the third round and then took second place behind Chris Walker's Suzuki
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Motoring briefs
Best 4x4 THE Land Rover Freelander has been awarded 'Best 4x4' by Fleet News for the second year running. Freelander, the best selling 4x4 both in the UK and Europe, is available with different body styles and a choice of engines. The competition judges
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Sneak peek
THE motorcycling Mayor of Didcot, Trevor Louch, had a sneak preview of the Victory motorbike when he visited E.P Barrus in Bicester. The Victory was shown in the UK for the first time at the International Motorcycle Show, Birmingham, and will be launched
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The shape of things to come?
HYUNDAI has unveiled a vision of its family car of the future, writes David Duffy. Called the HCD 5 Crosstour, Hyundai shows how the family car will need to be more closely linked to the family's lifestyle than ever before. Designated as a sporty five-door
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We love you, yeh, yeh, yeah
BEETLEMANIA is back more than half a century after Volkswagen put the original car on sale, writes David Duffy. Its conception began as a dream in the early 1990s, when Volkswagen's designers built a futuristic show car they called Concept 1 and unveiled
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Gigs in Oxfordshire, May 4-10
E-mail your details to our Listings Editor Wendy Broadway (wendy.broadway@nqo.com) THURSDAY, MAY 4: Rosita, Mikabomb, Hannon, The Kooler at The Bullingdon, Cowley Road (through to 2 am every Thursday); Poozies, Disques Vogue, Zodiac, Cowley Road, 01865
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Mystery of body in the canal
Police are still trying to establish the identity of a middle-aged man found dead in the Oxford Canal, writes Paul Warner. One theory being investigated is that he may have been a jogger who slipped and drowned while running along the muddy towpath. The
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Inner city students visit Hertford
Teenagers from four inner London boroughs sampled student life in Oxford on Saturday on a visit to the University's Hertford College. Prominent academics, including the college's principal, Sir Walter Bodmer, and the poet in residence, Jamie McKendrick
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School in top 100 list of improvers
An 18 per cent rise in GCSE results over the past three years has earned an Oxfordshire secondary school a place on the Government's list of 100 most improved schools. Performance tables published by the Department for Education revealed The Marlborough
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Football: Carterton aces off to Cornwall again!
Carterton Town marched into the third round with a superb display to see off St Blazey from Cornwall at Kilkenny Lane in Saturday's second-round replay. And they had to come from behind against the Jewson South Western League leaders to book another trip
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Football: Battling Thame go marching on at top
Runaway leaders Thame United were made to roll up their sleeves before running out winners at Romford in Ryman League Division 1 on Saturday. Mark West was again to the fore with another two goals to take his tally in the league this season to 20 as Thame
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Football: Four-goal Witney end home hoodoo
Witney ended their three-month run without a home victory by putting four goals past St Leonards in the Dr Martens League Eastern Division on Saturday. Although it proved a scrappy match, the 90 minutes were enlivened by some cracking goals. In the first
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Football: Weekend league results
Oxfordshire Junior Shield, North Berks, Lord Jersey, Banbury, Sam Waters **OXFORDSHIRE JUNIOR SHIELD 2nd round: Tackley 4, Aston 1. **NORTH BERKS LEAGUE Nairne Paul Cup: Harwell International Res 2, Faringdon Tn Res 1; AFC Wallingford A 4, Long Wittenham
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Trading club set to help net work
An internet trading club is due to be launched next month for businesses in Oxfordshire. The e-purchasing community would involve companies in one sector, such as electronics and telecommunications, clubbing together to seek savings on buying supplies
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History set to go online
Historic buildings in the county are to be photographed and the pictures recorded in an Internet archive. They will form part of the Images of England scheme, run by the National Monuments Record, the public archive of English Heritage. Volunteer photographers
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Bike set on fire
Vandals are believed to be responsible for a blaze outside another house in Abbey Road, west Oxford, early on Saturday. A Yamaha motorcycle parked outside the property off the Botley Road was set alight, and flames damaged exterior brickwork and cracked
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Blaze caused by lamp
A standard lamp too close to curtains is believed to have caused a house fire in Oxford at the weekend. Three fire crews from Rewley Road and Slade Park tackled the blaze in the ground-floor lounge of the property in Warwick Street, east Oxford, shortly
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Preview: Calamity Jane at the Oxford Playhouse until November 25
Oxford Operatic Society brings the musical comedy Calamity Jane to the Oxford Playhouse this week, writes Chris Gray. Adapted from the Warner Bros' film starring Doris Day and Howard Keel, Calamity Jane is packed with well-known musical numbers The Deadwood
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Football: Wally move up to fourth
Wallingford ran out comfortable winners against a Walton side lying two places above them in the Courage Combined Counties League table. The win, which moves them up to fourth, was based on a confident display from the defence which limited the home team
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Football: Weekend league results
FA, Ryman, Dr Martens, Carlsberg, Youth Alliance, Oxfordshire Senior League **FA CUP 1st round: Macclesfield 0, Oxford Utd 1. **RYMAN LEAGUE Div 1: Oxford C 1, Ford Utd 1; Romford 2, Thame Utd 4. Div 3: Wingate & Finchley 4, Abingdon Tn 0. **DR MARTENS
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Football: Wantage on the up
Wantage came from behind to gain a vital victory over fellow strugglers Almondsbury and move out of the bottom two in the Premier Division. Watts put Almondsbury ahead before Chris Roche equalised on 35 minutes from the impressive Ben Spiero's cross.
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Football: Weekend league results
FA County Youth, OFA Under 16, Elsevier Youth league, Vale Boys league **FA COUNTY YOUTH CUP 2nd round: Oxon v Hampshire pp. **OFA UNDER 16 CUP 2nd round: Goring Robins 0, Oxford City 7; Thame Ath v Crowmarsh pp; Apollo 22, Oxford Utd SC Colts 2; Launton
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Review: Cradle Will Rock
While his acting career, frustratingly, keeps stalling in such cinematic backwaters as Arlington Road and Mission to Mars, Tim Robbins's reputation as a director continues to burgeon, writes David Parkinson. Eschewing the intense intimacy of his acclaimed
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Review: Ralph Fiennes is everywhere
Everywhere you look at the moment, there's a film featuring Ralph Fiennes. First there was Onegin, then The End of the Affair and, now, this week, there are two more - Sunshine and The Miracle Worker, writes David Parkinson. Sunshine has already won seven
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Spookwatch: The prison's ghostly history
The Oxford Castle and prison site has always been associated with a number of ghost stories. Here are just a few: **THE MURDERESS MARY BLANDY: This young Henley girl killed her father when he refused her permission to marry her soldier lover. She was
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Spook watch at Oxford Prison
Oxford Prison was recently plagued by film fans hoping for a glimpse of Brad Pitt. But the building also has a number of unwelcome guests, according to one man with more than a passing interest in the paranormal. Andrew Ffrench reports . . . . By day,
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What's so frightening?
George Frew finds Ann Widdecombe is not as formidable as she seems Feeling like one of Lord Raglan's doomed 600 Cherrypickers charging into the Valley of Death, I enter the swish portals of Oxford's Randolph Hotel to make my appointment with the formidable
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Oxbridge exchange
Civil and structural engineers Ian Howdill and Associates. of Oxford, has transferred its practice to Cambridge civil engineering company Hannah Reed and Associates. Hannah Reed director Philip Secker has moved to Oxford to manage the office, which will
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Visitors glimpse the future
A ground-breaking centre for small businesses, could help shape the future of start-up businesses in Japan. A delegation of economic advisers from the Japanese government travelled to the Thames Valley Business Advice Centre, on the Grove Technology Park
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Brewery scores organic double
Brewers WH Brakspear & Sons scooped first and second prizes in the UK's first organic beer contest. First prize in the Society of Independent Brewers (SIBA) Organic Beer Competition 2000 was Brakspear Live Organic, created by Peter Scholey, the Henley
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Group heads UK jobs table
More than 200 jobs in 35 new companies have been created through a £7m Oxfordshire business angels network making the county a UK leader. The Oxfordshire Investment Opportunity Network was awarded a Certificate of Merit from Business Link Heart of England
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Sweet charity from Joey
JOEY Beauchamp took time out from Oxford United's relegation battle to open a new betting shop in the city and promptly donated his appearance fee to charity. The 29-year-old winger officially opened River Racing's smart new shop on Park End Street yesterday
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Knight keeps hopes alive
Bristol City 2, Oxford Utd 2 By JON MURRAY STEVE Davis chose the perfect time to pop up with his first goal of the season at Ashton Gate yesterday to give Oxford United real hope of avoiding the drop. The U's were lucky to still be in the game after Bristol
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Campfire feasts get la carte treatment
Think of Scouts cooking and you will probably conjure up images of the open air where bangers and beans are bubbling away in a billycan precariously balanced over a wood fire, writes Helen Peacocke. Few would imagine Scouts cooking in the prestigious
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Searching for Yates, Allen and Wheeler
From: Carole Smith (caz@clear.net.nz) Hi, My name Is Carole Smith. I live in Hamilton NZ, and was born in Oxford. I left UK in 1976. Recently I have been rediscovering my family, and desire to contact all descendants of Ivy Violet Evelyn YATES and Walter
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Falling standards fears at University
The former head of an Oxford business school has hit out at falling standards at Oxford University. John Kay, who resigned last year as the head of Oxford's Said Business School, warned that if the decline continued, the University would not be able to
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Green day for school children
Children in Oxfordshire will become more environmentally aware thanks to a new science project. The Oxford Trust and the South Oxfordshire Education Business Partnership have teamed up with Esso to provide a valuable new resource for schools which they
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Disease centre award
Oxford University has won a prestigious award for its contribution to the fight against tropical diseases. The Queen's Anniversary Prize, established in 1994 to recognise outstanding achievements by British universities and colleges, was given to the
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Ringing phone led to assault
Two men attacked a man in his home, knocking out two teeth and injuring an eye after a row over a mobile phone ringing. Sean Butcher, 28, of Stonesfield, Didcot, and Lee Redhead, 24, of Queensway, admitted assaulting Robert Lightfoot, Oxford Crown Court
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Village works so the kids can play
North Kidlington is a step closer to having better sports and leisure facilities after plans for a community youth project were unveiled. A model showing how the Park Hill recreation ground in Benmead Road could be developed under a proposed £350,000
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Post office opening a victory
One of a village's oldest residents cut a red ribbon to officially open its new sub post office. Mary Quarterman, 86, who did the honours, can certainly claim to be its most loyal customer after triggering a protest at the sudden closure of Little Milton's
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United face probe after FA Cup fracas
Oxford United face a possible FA probe after crowd trouble marred their 1-0 win at Macclesfield on Saturday, writes Jon Murray. The Football Association are likely to want to study York referee Matt Messias's report into the FA Cup first-round tie. The
