Archive
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RACING: What a week at Aintree for Waley-Cohenss
The Waley-Cohen family, from Edge Hill, near Banbury, are having a week to remember at Aintree. Even though they will not feature in today's Grand National, the father-and-son team of Robert and Sam, have already exceeded all their expectations. After
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GYMNASTICS: Emily in golden joy
Ten-year-old Emily Foxton took the gold medal in the Oxfordshire Grades at the Phoenix Gym, Maidenhead. Emily competed at grade four, and passed with a high score of 44.15, performing a perfect floor routine and a well-controlled range and conditioning
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BOXING: Robbie's a bit of all Wright
Berinsfield's Robbie Wright delivered the performance of his career in the third round of this year's ABA Junior championships at the Chatteris Sports Centre, Cambridgeshire, but it wasn't quite enough for victory. Facing Anthony Agogo, a gold medal
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SCHOOL SPORT: Henry Box net hat-trick
Badminton players from Henry Box (Witney) served up a hat-trick of titles at the Oxfordshire Schools League finals at the Vale of White Horse Leisure & Tennis Centre in Abingdon. The team of Holly Cox and Alison Campbell, Alice Saltmarsh and Cath Campbell
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SNOOKER: Fieldhouse crush Riley
Fieldside boosted their hopes of a top-two finish in the Builldbase Oxford & District Premier Division as they crushed third-placed Riley B 5-1. Karl Walker got them off to a flier when he beat Malcolm Bough 63-46, 85-23. Paul Robinson then accounted
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CYCLE SPEEDWAY: Horspath off to a flyer
Defending champions Horspath Hammers opened their 2006 British Premier League campaign with a 98-79 win over Southampton Saints at the village. Despite the damp conditions, the racing was top class, and the three Horspath riders making their Premier
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ANGLING: Tony bags double chub
Tony Gee, manager of Acorn Angling in Didcot, visited Waltonian's new lake at Shillingford over the weekend and bagged two more big chub of 6.9.0 and 6.2.0. Both the fish fell to maggot on the pole. The water has great potential and can only be accessed
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GREYHOUNDS: Horseshoe is pinged out
Trafalgar Cup winner Horsehoe Ping was among some fancied hounds that bowed out of the William Hill Pall Mall in the opening heats at the Stadium last night. Taking a hefty bump on the first bend in heat four, the black dog was never able to get in
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FOOTBALL: Reynolds tastes England glory
Brize Norton teenager Carl Reynolds is keen for a taste of more representative honours after helping England Under 18 Schoolboys to at least a share of the Centenary Shield. The 17-year-old midfielder played his part as a substitute in England's three
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ROWING: Williams hails Oxford coach
OXFORD University president Barney Williams hailed coach Sean Bowden after the Dark Blues tamed the angry River Thames to hand favourites Cambridge a decisive beating in the 152nd University Boat Race on Sunday, writes Mike Rosewell. The Dark Blues
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RESULTS April 7
RESULTS FOOTBALL COCA-COLA LEAGUE TWO Mansfield Tn 1, Oxford Utd 0. PONTIN'S HOLIDAYS COMBINATION Midweek Central & East Div: Oxford Utd Res 1, MK Dons Res 1. SOUTHERN LEAGUE Saturday Premier Div: Banbury Utd 1, Salisbury 2. Div 1 West: Sutton
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TENNIS: Henman feeling revitalised
TIM Henman is feeling revitalised, despite his slide down the world rankings. Henman, from Oxfordshire, has slipped seven places to 63rd in the latest ATP standings, but his competitive edge remains with recent victories over Lleyton Hewitt and Marat
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HOCKEY: Hawks sign off with win
OXFORD Hawks signed off their Men's English League South Division campaign on a high note with a 4-2 win away to Ipswich which lifted them up to eighth in the table. Nick Styles, Gareth Parker, Matt Baggs and Jack Wells were on target. Abingdon, who
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HORSE RACING: McCoy out to break hoodoo
IT'S the John Smith's Grand National tomorrow and much of the attention this year will focus on whether Tony McCoy can finally win the big race. The ten-times champion jockey, who lives at Kingston Lisle, near Wantage, has captured National Hunt's
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RUGBY: Wallingford lift Oxfordshire Shield
GREATER precision and attacking flair saw Wallingford finish worthy winners in an entertaining final at Iffley Road on Saturday. Their excellent half-back pairing of Derek Viljoen and skipper Olli Henderson created plenty of space to exploit, but crucially
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RUGBY: Reeves stars for Henley
BARRY Reeves inspired Henley Hawks to a 21-12 home victory over Manchester and ended their National Division 2 relegation fears. The fly half scored one try and made another on his comeback after three months out with an arm injury. Full back Mitch
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RUGBY: Grove victorious
GROVE defeated Beaconsfield 29-12 in a re-arranged Southern Counties North game at Cane Lane. They successfully challenged the original result, which saw the match finish with uncontested scrums after Beaconsfield could not field a front-row replacement
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FOOTBALL: Thame relegated
THAME United were relegated after suffering their heaviest defeat of the season 8-0 to Sutton Coldfield Town in Saturday's Division 1 West clash. Relegation has been inevitable for most of the season, for the Oxfordshire side, who found themselves
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FOOTBALL: Baird eyes return
Striker Andy Baird is set to return for Banbury United when they travel to Premier Division rivals Team Bath. The ex-Wycombe frontman missed last week's defeat by Salisbury to attend a wedding. Kevin Brock's side are set to be at full strength.
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FOOTBALL: Banbury go down
BANBURY United went down 2-1 to an 89th-minute goal from Salisbury substitute Robert Matthews in the Premier Division on Saturday. Kevin Brock's side now face a near-impossible task to make the play-offs. After Stuart Bridges went close in the 20th
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FOOTBALL: City regain winning thread
OXFORD City got back to winning ways, but had to come from behind to secure a 2-1 win over Tring Athletic and extend their lead at the top of the Spartan South Midlands League Premier Division to five points. Tring took the lead against the run of play
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RUGBY: Bicester turn up heat
Bicester will be without back-row forward Christian Wright as they look to boost their hopes of clinching the final promotion slot by beating county rivals Wallingford in their last Premier Division home game of the season, tomorrow. Wright, who has
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Plato fired up for Brands clash
Oxford touring car driver Jason Plato has brushed aside comments made about him by "cocky" Tom Chilton and instead says he's hungrier than any of his rivals to win this year's Dunlop MSA British Touring Car Championship crown. Plato, the 2001 BTCC champion
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Led Zeppelin legend and Texas will headline festival
LED Zeppelin frontman Robert Plant and Scottish bands Deacon Blue and Texas have been confirmed for this year's Cornbury Festival, which takes place on Saturday July 8 and Sunday July 9. Cornbury is Robert Plant's only scheduled UK date this year. Plant
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The Dark (15)
Based very loosely on the novel Sheep by Simon Maginn, The Dark is a supernatural thriller almost entirely devoid of shocks or scares. Indeed, the most distressing aspect of John Fawcett's film is the lacklustre lead performance of the usually mesmerising
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Tyred menu
Are there any places as soulless and uniform as motorway service areas? Of course there are airport terminals, for instance. In both cases, finding a bargain verges on the near-miraculous, and quality never seems high on the agenda. But I was prepared
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Soul man
Debbie Waite is charmed by singer Craig David during his world tour. The arrivals lounge at Heathrow isn't the most orthodox place to interview the UK's most successful soul writer, but when you're trying to catch Craig David in between Japan and Rome
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Cornbury line-up confirmed
Led Zeppelin frontman Robert Plant and Scottish bands Deacon Blue and Texas have been confirmed for this year's Cornbury Festival. Cornbury is Plant's only scheduled UK date this year. Also in the Saturday, July 8, line-up are one of the all-time great
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Cars to increase with new surgery
More than 2,200 cars could drive up and down a narrow Oxford street when a new super surgery is opened in the city centre, according to experts. London-based travel consultants firm Steer Davies Gleave has estimated that 46 per cent of the patients
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Grants offered to community groups
CHARITIES in Oxfordshire are being offered a helping hand by the parent company of the Banbury Cake with thousands of pounds on offer. The Gannett Foundation's grant scheme gives good causes the chance to bid for between £1,000 and £5,000 for community
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Grants offered to community groups
CHARITIES in Oxfordshire are being offered a helping hand by the parent company of The Oxford Times with thousands of pounds on offer. The Gannett Foundation's grant scheme gives good causes the chance to bid for between £1,000 and £5,000 for community
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FIXTURES: The week's sporting calender
SATURDAY FOOTBALL COCA-COLA LEAGUE TWO Oxford Utd v Chester City. SOUTHERN LEAGUE Premier Div: Team Bath v Banbury Utd. Div 1 West: Thame v Willenhall FOOTBALL LEAGUE YOUTH ALLIANCE SOUTH CENTRAL CONFERENCE Under 18: Newport Co v Oxford Utd
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FOOTBALL: Boss Foley fires up Ardley troops
GLS Football Hellenic League Pete Foley has backed his Ardley United troops to reach their second final of the season by beating Tytherington Rocks in the semi-finals of the GLS Challenge Cup. Victory over the two legs, the first of which is tomorrow
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FOOTBALL: Miller returns
Spartan South Midlands League Leaders Oxford City welcome back striker Justin Miller when they travel to Premier Division rivals Langford tomorrow. The former North Leigh man missed last Saturday's win over Tring Athletic, when Andy Lyne's side extended
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RUGBY: Chinnor coach calls for calm
Chinnor coach John Brodley wants the whole club to "relax and savour the occasion" as they host Maidenhead in South West 1 tomorrow (3). o Victory over the Berkshire side will guarantee Chinnor the title and promotion to National Division 3 South.
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RUGBY: Hawks eye tactical changes
Henley Hawks have named an unchanged side for their trip to Stourbridge in National Division 2, but could make some tactical changes. Leading try scorer Chris Simmons could be more involved as he has had little opportunity to shine since his return
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BADMINTON: Headington Redefield are crowned top dogs
Headington Redefield A have established themselves as the county's strongest club by winning the Five Disciplines League. Having won the title for the last two seasons as Redefield, a merger has done little to stop their progress. They swept aside
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CRICKET: Daggett and Knight shine bright
Oxford University soon found themselves up against it when they enterained Warwickshire 2nd on the opening day of their two-day match played under UCCE competition rules. After winning the toss they were shot out for just 91 as medium pacer Lee Daggett
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POINT-TO-POINT: Four back for more
Four winners from the last Mollington meeting, near Banbury, return to the course eyeing more glory at the Bicester with Whaddon Chase Hunt tomorrow. Bolide du Aunay, who landed the intermediate race at last month's Grafton Hunt meeting, has been entered
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CYCLING: Lloyd is the one to catch
TOP local cyclo-cross rider Paul Lloyd retained his 100 per cent winning record as the fastest Didcot Phoenix member in the first ten-mile time-trial of the 2006 season. His winning time of 25mins 39secs over the Brightwell-cum-Sotwell course was 19
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Mum's plea to save hospital's baby unit
PREMATURE baby Charlie Clarke is living proof of the need for full children's services at Banbury's Horton Hospital. Charlie was born 14 weeks early in the Horton's maternity ward on Christmas Day last year. He was rushed in to the nearby special
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Pensioner recovers after mugging
A 77-year-old woman needed seven stitches in a head wound after being robbed on Bretch Hill. Barbara Landamore was walking along Edmunds Road at about 3pm last Thursday when a mugger snatched her handbag knocking her to the ground. Speaking this
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TENNIS: Woodstock hold on
Woodstock won a final-rubber thriller to beat Witney 5-4 in Men's Division 1. Despite leading 4-2 going into the final round of matches, Woodstock looked in danger of suffering a shock defeat. Wins for Dave Hilliard and Pete Kemp made it 4-3, and
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Banbury MP: Come clean over NHS cuts
MP Tony Baldry has asked county health bosses to come clean over cuts to mental health services in Banbury. He wants to know if cuts are being made because of financial pressures and not, as claimed, because of restructuring. Mr Baldry has written
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Club's appeal as it marks 75 years
BANBURY United is celebrating 75 years as a top football club with an appeal to local businesses for support and sponsorship. Club officials are also working behind the scenes to avoid being left with nowhere to play when the ground is claimed for redevelopment
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Can you help the police solve these local crimes?
BURGLARS stole £5,000 in cash and cigarettes from Arden News on High Street, Banbury. Police believe a rear door was forced open between 9pm and 10pm on Wednesday night. Local people are being warned to be on their guard after eight burglaries in the
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Vision for children
A PLAN to promote the well-being of children in Northamptonshire has won the support of more than 30 local groups. The Children and Young People's Partnership Plan was drawn up in response to the Children's Act 2004. The Act requires the director
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Loneliness of the round-world sailor
HE has not seen any sign of life for six weeks but yachtsman Adrian Flanagan has found plenty to entertain him out at sea. Mr Flanagan, who is attempting to sail solo around the world via the polar regions without stopping, has not seen "a single sign
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Plea for railways review
A CALL for an integrated transport system in Oxfordshire has come from Banbury MP Tony Baldry. He wants rail, road, and bus services to be included in a countywide travel strategy as part of a plan to encourage 'community" train services. Mr Baldry
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County's farmers fear panic over bird flu
THE worst fears of Oxfordshire poultry breeders have been confirmed with news that the dead swan found in Scotland was carrying the deadly H5N1 bird flu virus. A three-mile exclusion zone has been set around the scene in Fife, Scotland, where the bird
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Cannabis plant haul could be biggest yet in city
HUNDREDS of cannabis plants were found in two East Oxford houses yesterday in what could be the biggest seizure of homegrown drugs in the city. Police discovered the first cannabis 'factory' after they saw two of the plants being used to prop open the
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Cabbages and Kings: April 7, 2006
SPRING has arrived in Oxford. To be precise, the almond blossom is in full bloom outside the University Church of St Mary the Virgin in High Street. To most of us, that is the same thing. Its appearance quickens the step and brings a smile to the
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Trees felled to make way for hospital buses
TWO trees and a listed wall have come down at the John Radcliffe Hospital, Oxford, to make way for buses. Residents in Headington had strongly opposed their removal at the Osler Road entrance to the hospital. But the Oxford Radcliffe Hospitals NHS
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Speedy . . . and not so speedy
Of course, Cyclox, the cycling pressure group, was wrong to put up a sign warning of the dangers at a junction near Oxford railway station. There would be chaos if people were allowed to put up signs wherever they chose. But one can sympathise with
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Man charged with murder of Thame man
THE family of a Thame man stabbed to death in a blazing bungalow in Northamptonshire on Wednesday described him as "a gentle man with a kind and generous spirit". Richard Flippance, 44, was found in the house in Brampton Ash, near Market Harborough,
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Excellent care
Through your paper, can I thank all those who helped me when I collapsed at home last Thursday? The care given to me by the ambulance staff and the doctors and nurses at the John Radcliffe Hospital was excellent and I cannot thank them enough. John
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Narnia is not under threat
I was concerned to read that Ronald Brind, whose organisation uses the CS Lewis nature reserve in Risinghurst, Oxford, to conduct tours for American tourists, was disgusted' by the efforts of local people and the BBOWT wildlife trust to improve and enhance
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Owners face fines for walking too many dogs
DOG owners in Oxford could be fined for walking too many dogs at the same time, as part of a package of new powers for councils. Under the Government's Clean Neighbourhoods and Environment Act, which comes into force next week, councils will be able
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Drunken Boat Race star spells night in cells
DRUNKEN celebrations following Oxford University's boat race victory landed two students in trouble with the police this week. Barney Williams, 29, the Oxford University Boat Club president, was one of the oarsmen who beat Cambridge in the 152nd Boat
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Cinemas April 7 to April 13
CINEWORLD, MILTON KEYNES: Scary Movie 4, TBC, Thurs only, 11am, 11.55, 1, 2, 3.10, 4.10, 5.20, 6.20, 7.30, 8.40, 9.40pm. Junebug, TBC, Wed only 7pm. Ice Age 2: The Meltdown, U, 11am, 11.30, noon, 1.15, 1.45, 2.15, 3.30, 4, 4.30, 5.45, 6.15, 6.45, 8, 9
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Walton Street will be swamped with traffic
MORE than 2,200 cars could drive up and down a narrow North Oxford street when a new super surgery is opened in the city centre, according to experts. London-based travel consultant Steer Davies Gleave has estimated that 46 per cent of the patients
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It's time these spaces were disabled
It is more than three years since I began getting cheesed off by the number of disabled parking spaces in my neighbourhood and I am sure it applies across the county that stand empty and unused because the people for whom they were designed had stopped
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My teenage days as a tinpot tyrant
The Lord Chamberlain's licence for this play is conditional upon the phrase 'Party of Dynamic Erection' throughout the play being changed to 'Party of Dynamic Insurrection' The words above appear, exactly as I reproduce them, on the first page of my
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Recipe: Purple sprouting with duck and orange dressing
Late-picked purple sprouting is one of the most nutritious vegetables around at the moment, especially if you buy it from a farmers market or farm shops such as Millets at Frilford where it's harvested fresh from the field every day. A 100g portion of
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Henley prepares to celebrate local food
Helen Peacocke reports on the first Henley Food Festival taking place over two days at the end of the month Who said we don't care about the food we consume? Despite all the gloomy reports on the way we eat, child obesity and the staggering amount of
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'We want to be part of Berkshire again'
STANDING proudly in front of a 'Royal County of Berkshire' sign in Oxfordshire and pointing to a map of 1804 historian Nikolai Tolstoy declared: "We saw off Napoleon and will see off Oxfordshire County Council." Count Tolstoy from Southmoor formerly
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Concern at plans for Brookes housing
DEVELOPMENT plans for a university campus have caused concern among neighbours who fear existing parking problems will be exacerbated. Oxford Brookes University has applied to build a new research building at its School of Health and Social Care in
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Base protesters could be 'terrorists'
PROTESTERS who enter an RAF base in Oxfordshire will be treated as "potential terrorists" and could face up to 51 weeks in jail. Anyone trespassing at RAF Brize Norton will be breaking a new law which came into force last weekend. The new offence,
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Protests against Jerry Springer at theatre
CHRISTIANS from different churches and organisations came out to protest against a musical they described as depraved and offensive. Protesters from Wood Farm Church were gathered with placards outside the New Theatre in George Street, Oxford, which
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Pilot scheme for county jobseekers
JOBSEEKERS in Oxfordshire are to be given an ultimatum either attend a compulsory course in moving from welfare to work, or lose your benefit. A spokesman for the Department of Work and Pensions said that the Jobseekers Mandatory Activity (JMA) programme
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Consulting on pollution zone for city centre
ENVIRONMENTAL consultants have been hired at a cost of £24,000 to examine the possibility of creating an exclusion zone around Oxford city centre to ban high-polluting traffic. Oxford's air pollution problem is so bad city council leaders think a low-emission
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'Mental lapse' led to smash
A careless driver who lost control and veered across a road killing himself, a woman and her elderly mother-in-law suffered a 'lapse of concentration', an inquest ruled yesterday. Father-of-two Giles Morris, 36, of Graham Close, Blewbury, died after
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Service to mark Bishop's retirement
A SPECIAL service is being held to mark the retirement of the Bishop of Oxford, the Rt Rev Richard Harries. His farewell forms part of a service of Holy Communion which will be held at Christ Church at 11am on Tuesday. The service is an annual event
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Tributes to crash driver
The family of a man who died in a head-on car crash has paid tribute to him as a wonderful, caring and kind person. Andrew Bradford, 42, was only weeks away from celebrating his 20th wedding anniversary and birthday when he was killed in the accident
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No cycles in the cycle lane please
YOU won't get wet while waiting for your bus, but you could get hit by an oncoming cyclist. Situated in Grove Road, Wantage, this cycle lane is highlighted on Warrington Cycle Campaign's website as one of 60 examples of bafflingly designed cycle facilities
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Voluntary organisations face threat
VOLUNTARY organisations across Oxfordshire face tougher times finding helpers after cutbacks at the county's key recruitment centre. The main umbrella organisation for the voluntary and community sector in Oxfordshire has failed in its bid to win an
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City residents face fines over rubbish
LEAVING wheelie bin lids open or putting rubbish out on the wrong day could bring a fine of up to £75 under measures by Oxford City Council. The council will adopt a "softly, softly" approach to enforcing new recycling arrangements from October, but
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Hundreds of cannabis plants found
Hundreds of cannabis plants were found in two East Oxford houses yesterday in what could be the biggest seizure of homegrown drugs in the city. Police discovered the first cannabis 'factory' after they saw two of the plants being used to prop open the
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Saddam's former adviser comes to town
A FORMER adviser to Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein has urged people to support British troops still operating in the Middle Eastern country. Georges Sada has spoken in an interview by telephone from the USA with The Oxford Times ahead of his visit to
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'We fear panic over bird flu'
The worst fears of Oxfordshire poultry breeders have been confirmed with news that the dead swan found in Scotland was carrying the deadly H5N1 bird flu virus. A three-mile exclusion zone has been set around the scene in Fife, Scotland, where the bird
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North Oxford residents campaign for post-box
RESIDENTS in North Oxford are demanding the return of their missing post-box. The post-box at the Londis store in First Turn, Wolvercote, was removed last year during building work to refurbish the shop, which contains a sub-post office. Residents
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Bike sign uses 'shock tactics'
Cycling campaigners have teamed up with a construction company to put up a shocking warning sign at an accident blackspot. But Oxfordshire County Council has branded it 'illegal' and say it will have to come down. Cyclox, the Oxford cycling campaign
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Taking action
Every household in Oxford can set policing priorities for their doorsteps, streets and local communities now that a new neighbourhood scheme is being extended citywide. Twelve new Neighbourhood Action Groups (NAGs) will be set up in Oxford following
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Bus driver spotted using mobile
A FORMER soldier has complained after he saw an Oxford bus driver using his mobile phone at the wheel. Hugh McManners, 53, spotted a Stagecoach driver texting as he drove through the junction of Banbury Road and Marston Ferry Road towards Summertown
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Hooligans strike at old tower
Vandals scaled scaffolding on an ancient Oxfordshire church tower before ripping stones from the parapet and lobbing them at floodlighting. The damage, at St Mary's Church, Garsington, has disrupted a £200,000 restoration programme. It is not known
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Gardeners get £15,000
Years of campaigning to transform derelict garages into a community garden have been rewarded with a £15,000 grant from the city council. Four years after people in Cowley suggested turning litter strewn garages into a garden, they are celebrating
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Grants offered to community groups
Charities in Oxfordshire are being offered a helping hand by the Oxford Mail's parent company with thousands of pounds on offer. The Gannett Foundation's grant scheme gives good causes the chance to bid for between £1,000 and £5,000 for community projects
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Buses win battle
Two trees and a listed wall have come down at Oxford's John Radcliffe Hospital to make way for buses. Residents in Headington had opposed their removal from the Osler Road entrance to the hospital. But the Oxford Radcliffe Hospitals Trust said they
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Fresh new look for little Mazda
Mazda has launched a new-look Mazda2 with a nine-strong model range and a choice of three petrol and one diesel engine. The range has new front and rear lights, new exterior paint colours and black C-pillar, two new trim levels and three equipment levels
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Epica marks Chevrolet mid-size debut
The new Chevrolet Epica is the company's first mid-size model to be launched in Europe and will come with a choice of two transversely mounted engines one a 2.0-litre. straight six, the other a new 2.0-litre. four-cylinder common rail direct injection
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Paperbacks
John, Cynthia Lennon, (Hodder, £7.99) Cynthia Lennon has had plenty to say over the decades about her ten years in the sixties as wife of the famous Beatle. Unfortunately, she repeats much of it here, in cliches which must surely have been honed by
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Local author
Veronica Stallwood, a former Oxford college librarian, has taken over the mantle of Colin Dexter with her Oxford-based detective Kate Ivory. In her latest book, Oxford Letters (Headline, £6.99), Kate investigates a mysterious couple who seem to be trying
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Miss Winifred 'Aggie' Simpson: Former shorthand and typing teacher
WINIFRED Simpson, who has died aged 100, taught shorthand and typing to hundreds of Oxford school pupils. Known affectionately as 'Aggie', she was a teacher at the old Secondary Technical School in St Ebbe's, Oxford, in the 1940s and 1950s. One former
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Turning point
The Government has got itself into an extraordinary mess over the health service. A huge amount of extra money has gone into the NHS over the last few years and yet, in Oxfordshire, we are facing a funding deficit of £82m. It would be easy to blame
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Concrete jungle
Sir I was horrified to see in the winning architect's plans for Bonn Square published in your paper, March 10, that at least two more beautiful mature old trees will disappear. Trees of this size take over 100 years to grow and provide essential natural
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Unfailing care
Sir In the light of the current debate about the care of the elderly in the NHS I am writing to you about my recent experience. On Tuesday, March 7, at about noon, I was walking along the pavement in Summertown near the Nat West Bank. It was pouring
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Lakes destruction
Sir I wonder if all your readers are aware of the scale of destruction which will occur if the RWE npower application to fill Lake E at Radley with ash from Didcot Power Station is approved: 1: Over 1,000 trees chopped down There are over 2,000 trees
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Recycling aim
Sir It comes as no surprise that 95 per cent of Oxford residents, who took part in the city council survey, support more recycling. But I'm thrilled that nearly threequarters (72.5 per cent) back the particular scheme we are proposing to start in October
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Cycling danger
Sir In response to a recent request for a progress report on the Botley Road railway bridge, following a 2,000-signature petition submitted last year, county councillor David Robertson has responded: "Options for providing some degree of cycling facility
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Backward looking
Sir I am absolutely appalled at how researchers, who insist on using animals in their research, deceive the public every time they are interviewed. After watching a re-run of John Stein's interview (Professor of Psychology at Oxford) in which he categorically
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Mediterranean message of acceptance
Two stories run parallel to each other in this novel, only merging towards the end when the boy becomes a man and the woman learns to face her ghosts. Hungry Ghosts is based in part on the true story of an 11-year-old boy who had never been to school
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Vonnegut returns to turn his wit on Bush
This roller-coaster ride through the mind of one of the United States' most celebrated authors will leave many readers relieved that they are not the only sane person on the planet. Kurt Vonnegut is best known for his novel Slaughterhouse 5 a graphic
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Nissan goes pink
Nissan has bowed to pressure from car buyers and launched a pink version of the C+C coupe-convertible. Following the success of the recent C+C TLC Tour in support of Breakthrough Breast Cancer when Nissan covered its latest model in the charity's colours
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Amica makes comeback as Hyundai starter model
The just-launched Hyundai Amica is a prime example of a little car that offers a lot. Economy, equipment, and sensible pricing for the Amica from £5,995 is the type of package buyers increasingly want to see, especially at a time when rising energy
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Mr Peter Moss: Former Lord Mayor of Oxford
TRIBUTES have been paid to Peter Moss, the former Lord Mayor of Oxford, who has died aged 73. Mr Moss, of Circus Street, East Oxford, died at his home on Saturday of a suspected heart attack. He leaves a wife, Margaret, and two children, Sarah and
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Italian star makes BTCC debut
Fabrizio Giovanardi, regarded as the best touring car driver in the world, will fly in from Italy today for his Dunlop MSA British Touring Car Championship debut at Brands Hatch on Sunday. Giovanardi is Vauxhall's big new weapon, replacing Frenchman
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Pooling resources
Oxford City Council has got itself into a pickle over its decision to allow all under 17s in the city free swimming at its pools. It has now had to accept that European Court rulings mean that free swimming must apply to all under 17s whether they come
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Harvey has high hopes for Brands
Former BTCC Champion and GT racer Tim Harvey, of Woodstock, has high hopes for 2006 as he prepares for the opening rounds of the Porsche Carrera Cup GB at Brands Hatch this weekend. Harvey had a mixed 2005 campaign and heads up a strong squad at Motorbase
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Shop close to home
Sir The city council has been asked to explain why it wants to increase traffic to Oxford, but it stays silent. It seems that our councillors cannot find justifications for their policy on Westgate that they feel can stand the light of day. Expanding
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Solar communication
Sir In this age of instant communication, should not the 400 delegates attending the Second Solar Cities Congress (Report, March 31) be communicating their ideas by the Internet, rather than travelling from Japan, Australia, Korea, Brazil, or even North
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Something new
Sir My colleagues and I were pleased to read that your correspondent A.Watson (Letters, March 24) had enjoyed many of the events that Oxford Inspires has promoted. Following the success of the Evolving City programme last year, which generated considerable
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Nothing to say
Sir On the question of permitting mobile phone masts on school sites, Burford School head Patrick Sanders says: "There's no reason why we shouldn't renew it . . . Nobody will know for many years about the safety of them" (Report, March 31). Quite so:
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Unjustified claim
Sir Your front page headline, Trauma of two-tier switch 'worth it' (Report, March 31) is extremely misleading by implying that all city schools have benefited from the re-organisation. The 2005 results show for the first time the impact of the National
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Royal Mail's curious standards
Sir Poor postal delivery in Oxford seems to be back in the news again. I am feeling frustrated, irritated and frankly, amazed at the service, or lack of service that we are receiving. As a GP surgery, as for most businesses it is desirable to have
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Unrewarded choice
Sir Spring is in the air and anyone who drives along Marston Ferry Road is sure to notice and presumably feel cheered by the masses of daffodils emerging along the bank which seperates the road from the cycle track. But if you cycle this way, perhaps
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Equal treatment
Sir It appears somewhat disingenuous of the St Margaret's Ward Liberal Democrats to put into their April 2006 newsletter this sentence "And for those of 60 or over, bus travel within the city after 9am is now free!" without the acknowledgment that this
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Vulnerable site needs sensitive handling
Sir I was very concerned to read that Ronald Brind, whose organisation uses the C.S. Lewis Nature Reserve in Risinghurst to conduct tours for American tourists, was disgusted' by the efforts of local people and BBOWT to improve and enhance this beautiful
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Imaginative proposal
Sir Christopher Schenk (Letters, March 31) is right: the Reformation took place a long time ago and it is time for forgiveness and reconciliation. I was present at a meeting of Churches Together in Oxfordshire in October 2003 when the Lord Lieutenant
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Limit speed to 20mph
Sir The county council has withdrawn a plan to convert a pavement outside St Ebbe's School in Whitehouse Road to shared use for pedestrians and cyclists. All able-bodied children should be encouraged to walk or cycle safely to school, both for their
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Breadth of vision
Sir I write to suggest some 'joined-up government' in the realm of animal rights. While taking a constitutional walk past the University science buildings this week, I was assailed by various unwashed types, who fill their seemingly endless leisure
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Hairy Bikers' books to be won
Following on from this year's popular Hairy Biker BBC Two television series, the two big bearded bikers Dave Myers and Simon King are preparing to recreate their mixture of motorcycle tales and delicious delicacies from around the world with the launch
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Biography - Michael Scott
The history of this book is almost as interesting as its subject. The first serious attempt to write a biography of campaigning priest Michael Scott was made by Observer journalist Cyril Dunn in the spring of 1974. Dunn interviewed Scott but abandoned
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Changing the world
If you had to name 12 books that changed the world, which would you pick? Broadcaster and writer Melvyn Bragg has written his own book on the topic, and his list will become a TV series. It includes the Football Association Rule Book and advice about
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Female Indiana Jones in search of a legend
Mary Zacaroli talks to archaeological artist Clara Semple about the mythical silver coin known as the Maria Theresa thaler Archaeological artist Clara Semple has spent more than 40 years working in numerous Arab countries on both sides of the Red Sea
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Roadtest: Matiz makes a splash
Most iconic motoring brands conjure up an instant vehicle vision. For me, the name Chevrolet means big, bold and brash. It's a shock to find the name fixed to the rear of one of the quintessential round-town tiddlers, the Matiz. A product of Korean
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Something for every folk fan
Folk music fans are in for a treat when the third Oxford Folk Festival opens today. Now in its third year, the festival promises music, marching bands, street puppeteers, strolling minstrels, children's crafts, family entertainers, hobby horses and
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Get set for the big run
All roads lead to Blenheim Palace on Sunday as hundreds of runners take on the picturesque five-mile course in the grounds of the stately home to raise money for the new Oxford Children's Hospital. More than 1,000 people, a record number, have signed
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Book of walks a tribute to 'eco farmer'
A tribute in book form is being made to farmer Paul Warburton killed in a farming accident nearly two years ago. Profits from the sale of a book of walks will go to the Thames Valley and Chilterns Air Ambulance which airlifted him to hospital after
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Pakistani minister swaps churches
Moving from Lahore, a city in Pakistan with a population of more than eight million, to the village of Long Hanborough population 2,500 is a challenge the Rev Asif Karam has risen to over the past six months. His family have had to adapt to a different
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Taxi ambition is tall order
A would-be cabbie has been told he may not get a licence for a specially converted disabled access minibus because its roof is not high enough. Michael Gough, of Town Close, Finmere, near Bicester, paid £6,000 for the Nissan Primera minibus, which
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900-house plan branded ‘daft’
Plans for a development of 900 houses, a primary school and shops on land just outside Bicester have been submitted to Cherwell District Council. The proposals look set to be opposed by residents in Caversfield, which would almost double in size if
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Funding fears for volunteers
Voluntary organisations across Oxfordshire face tougher times finding helpers after cutbacks at the county's key recruitment centre. The main umbrella organisation for the voluntary and community sector in Oxfordshire has failed in its bid to win an
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Oliver! offers stage stardom
Hundreds of young people will flock to auditions in Oxford tomorrow for the chance to star in the country's largest youth production. About 200 people, aged nine to 25, have applied for on-stage or behind-the-scenes roles in a production of Oliver!,
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Funds bring more child care
A new nursery is to open in Oxford's Blackbird Leys estate providing 20 extra childcare places for the city. The Imagine Co-operative Childcare nursery, based at the Cuddesdon Corner Family Centre, opens on Monday. It was added to the family centre
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How I took on my leukaemia
Kate Birkbeck, 11, of Hornton, near Banbury, was nine when doctors discovered she had leukaemia on Christmas Eve. Here, in her own words, is her story. Just like the accounts of all the other courageous, sick youngsters featured in the Oxford Mail,
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Solberg cannot wait for Corsica
Banbury's Subaru World Rally Team driver Petter Solberg is looking to erase memories of a painful Rally Catalunya with a podium on the Tour de Corse this weekend. The former world champion was again out of sorts two weeks ago as Subaru's struggles continued
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The French connection
Just outside Henley-on-Thames, in the Newton Business Park, there is a very fine and, I have to say, brave, wine merchant. Lake Wines is owned and run by Adrian Lake, a man who fervently believes that French wines are indisputably the world's best. His
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The art of texting
Text messaging was a fairly new phenomenon when I wrote a Wordplay article about it in April 2002. Now it seems that half the population is sending text messages. For those unfamiliar with texting, on many phones the keys for each number from two to
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Restoration and conservation
In recent months, I have been seeking expert advice for Oxfordshire Limited Edition readers with an eye to collecting. April is here and rejuvenation is in the air. If you cast a fresh eye over your most cherished possessions and decide they are looking
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Keeping it in the family
During the 1950s and 60s, the BBC TV Sports programme Grandstand sent a regular outside broadcast team to cover international motorcycle scrambling, or MotoCross as it came to be known. Among the stars being televised at the time was the Oxford rider
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Secrets of Stonor
Tucked away in a Chilterns valley five miles from Henley on Thames, Stonor possesses both a grandeur and a seclusion well-suited to the needs of the family who have lived there for over 800 years. The magnificence of the house, with its park, beechwoods
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Playing the game
"Best fish and chips I've ever had," the man behind us remarked to his wife, as he wiped his mouth on his napkin, unaware he was in the presence of greatness. Marco Pierre White leaned forward and whispered: "You see that's what makes it all worthwhile
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Breathe easy
Many people with asthma or rhinitis have simple allergy to dust, house dust mites, pets or moulds. Skin tests, though far from perfect, often succeed in identifying specific triggers. Dust mites thrive in a warm, humid environment such as modern, well
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Rockin' chair blues
Life can take some strange twists and turns none more so than for Chris Baylis, founder of The Real Wood Furniture Company, based in Woodstock. From Berkshire pole vault and triple jump champion at 16 an athletics career cut short by injury to guitarist
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Ceramic magic
When you next find yourself with time on your hands, idly browsing through the ceramic selection at one of the National Trust outlets, the well-stocked shop at Blenheim Palace, or perhaps even London's world-famous Fortnum & Mason store, do take a closer
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Room for a view
If one was to pick a site from which to survey the landscape of Oxfordshire, Wittenham Clumps is an ideal spot. Rising to some 400 feet above the relatively flat lands of the county and in a strategically commanding position, overlooking the River Thames
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Master of industry
In April 2004, a plaque was unveiled at an apparently insignificant house at 16 James Street, Cowley. What few may appreciate, even now, is that this was the childhood home of William Richard Morris, one of Oxford's greatest industrial pioneers. From
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The St Clare's story
Anne Dreydel, co-founder of St Clare's, Oxford, is a renowned educationalist and has been a leading champion of international relations for over 60 years. To those of us lucky enough to have also had our lives personally touched by her hand, she is an
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Goodbye friend
When I first met Lorna she was confined to a wheelchair. She had a small army of helpers but her only constant companion was Gigi, a toy poodle. Gigi lived to a pampered old age and when she died, Lorna found the flat very empty without her. Despite
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While the city sleeps
The Ashmolean presents a unique vision of Oxford in this series of black and white photographs by independent photographer Norman McBeath revealing a timeless city of stories where everyday places assume the magic of stage-sets. Introducing the exhibition
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Tales of war
The English Civil War of the 17th century was a traumatic period. Family members and friends often found themselves on opposing sides, and there was much unhappiness, distress and fear. Perhaps because of this there are many tales connected with this
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Dainty Woodlanders
This year we stand a good chance of having a proper full-blown spring because the cold, wintry weather we've recently suffered has held everything back. When spring does arrive, on a wave of warmth, it will probably be here to stay and there are several
