Archive
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United say farewell to David
Staff from Oxford United Football Club turned out en masse yesterday to pay their respects to groundsman David Wedge. About 100 people attended the service of thanksgiving at Oxford Crematorium where former head groundsman Mick Moore described Mr Wedge
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'We need police camera action'
Pensioner Mick Boodell has called for road safety managers to switch on a speed camera in Oxford on a more regular basis to protect OAPs from dangerous drivers. Only 10 per cent of the 74 speed cameras in the county are 'live' at any time, with Thames
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Schools get clean-up money
Schools affected by last month's flooding will receive money from the Government to help clean up in time for the start of term. More than 20 of Oxfordshire's schools were forced to close at the peak of the floods and 13 of those will get a share of
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Checks net bad drivers
Police stopped 49 motorists at road checks on Thursday. Thirty were stopped for not wearing seat-belts. All chose to see an educational video to avoid a £30 fine. The checks were held in Kings End and Middleton Stoney Road. Twelve drivers were handed
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'No going soft' on bad parking
DRIVERS in Oxford have been reminded they face a fine if they park illegally on the city's streets. The warning came from Ian Hudspeth, Oxfordshire County Council's cabinet member for transport, after the Government issued new guidelines to local authorities
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Parents' thank you to new hospital
The parents of the first patient to be admitted to the £30m Oxford Children's Hospital are staging an angling competition to raise funds. In January, the hospital opened after a £15m fundraising drive but the Oxford Children's Hospital Campaign still
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Entertainers fight to save BunkFest
Singers, dancers and pubs have rallied round and are giving their time and space free in a bid to save the popular Wallingford BunkFest. The 2007 festival, due to take place at the end of August and beginning of September, was cancelled because of a
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Gang drives man from home
TEENAGE arsonists have driven a vulnerable man out of his Oxford home. The youths have started two fires at the Rose Hill flat of Graham Foster - and on one occasion tried to create an explosion using household chemicals and a microwave. Last Friday
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'No going soft' on bad parking
Drivers in Oxford have been reminded they face a fine if they park illegally on the city's streets. The warning came from Ian Hudspeth, Oxfordshire County Council's cabinet member for transport, after the Government issued new guidelines to local authorities
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Lack of young helpers closes centre
A valued neighbourhood advice centre has closed - because of a lack of younger volunteers to help run it. The Carterton centre, at the town's Methodist Church, in Burford Road, has been operating for more than 20 years. Former mayor Mary Johnson performed
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Residents back market scheme
Shoppers will be able to buy fresh produce straight from growers if plans to hold a new monthly farmers' market in Oxford get the go-ahead. Oxford City Council now has the final say on the scheme to hold a market on the fourth Friday of every month
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Today's local share prices (PM)
AEA Technology 121 BMW 2954 Electrocomponents 249.25 Isoft Group 64.5 Nationwide Accident Repair 143.5 Oxford Biomedica 37.25 Oxford Instruments 233.25 Reed Elsevier 587.5 RM 185.5 RPS Group 330.75 Courtesy of Redmayne Bentley, Abingdon
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Businesses queue up for flood aid
More than 50 business in Oxfordshire have applied for grants of up to £2,500 after being hit by flooding. A total of 56 firms have contacted Business Link which is working with the South East England Development Agency (SEEDA) to distribute the cash
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New designs to reduce traffic
After plans to narrow Abingdon's High Street were shelved for a year, attention has now turned to improving a stretch of Marcham Road. Designs are being drawn up to widen part of the road between the Nuffield Way and Colwell Dive roundabouts and create
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Racing round to win barrel
It would probably be banned now under health and safety laws, writes Jean-Michel Lavest. But in 1965, barrel racing through the streets was an acceptable form of enter- tainment. This event took place at Wood Farm in Oxford. The picture shows members
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Pupils sehr gut at foreign languages
Primary schools in Oxfordshire are surging ahead in a bid to end the British shyness for learning foreign languages, new figures show. A Government survey reveals 81 per cent of primary schools across the country are giving seven to 11-year-olds the
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Murder inquiry witness found
One of three men police believe may hold vital information in an unsolved murder investigation has come forward after an appeal in the Oxford Mail. Police issued photographs of three men seen speaking to Enayit Khalili, 26, in an Oxford bookmakers only
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Man guilty of driving van at teenagers
MARK Newcombe, the man accused of driving his van at four teenagers who he thought had vandalised it, has been found guilty of grievous bodily harm, attempted grievous bodily harm and dangerous driving. Newcombe, 35, formerly of Jerome Way, Shipton-on-Cherwell
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Vandal 'victim' convicted of GBH
Mark Newcombe, the man accused of driving his van at four teenagers who he thought had vandalised it, has been found guilty of grievous bodily harm, attempted grievous bodily harm and dangerous driving. Newcombe, 35, formerly of Jerome Way, Shipton-on-Cherwell
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Khalili murder: Man traced
POLICE said this afternoon that they had traced one of three men they want to speak to following the murder of Enayit Khalili. The details of the men were released to media on Tuesday and one of the men - shown in the bottom image - has since come forward
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Scrat the cat
Scrat is a really affectionate 7 year old domestic shorthaired male cat. He absolutely loves a fuss and a good cuddle. He is a little nervous of new people, however, he's very friendly once he knows you. Unfortunately Scrat has a medical problem and
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£800,000 aid for flood zones
THE county is to get more than £800,000 in aid as part of the Government's £6.2m flood recovery package in the aftermath of last month's crisis. The extra cash for four district councils was announced by Government minister Baroness Andrews on a visit
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A40 reopens after crash
The A40 has now reopened following a serious accident involving two lorries in west Oxfordshire early today. The two lorry drivers were in a critical condition this morning following a head-on collision near the Oxfordshire-Gloucestershire border.
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Jim's non-plussed
Jim Smith says he can't understand why Oxford United are being forced to play twice in less than three days. The U's manager knows his side will be at a disadvantage at Burton Albion on Sunday afternoon because they played at Cambridge last night, while
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Water under the bridge
Hurrah, at last, the city council is proposing to do something to improve its dated leisure facilities. We could even be getting a leisure pool with slides to rival those in other nearby towns and cities. But, wait a minute, before we get too excited
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Window dressing
We have never been a fan of Oxford City Council's area committees. Their judgements on planning applications have proved costly to the taxpayer and their necessarily parochial outlook can deflect the council from its strategic vision. This week, the
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Coming events to October
TO find out more details of the events listed below, contact Business Link Solutions on 845 606 4466, or visit the website www.businesslinksolutions.co.uk unless otherwise stated. AUGUST 22: Seminar, Microsoft CRM, The Core Business Centre, Milton
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Inspiration for arts
OXFORD: Law firm Henmans has won the brand identity section of the Arts & Business Southeast awards. The prize was awarded for the company's work with the Ashmolean museum in Oxford. The relationship started with a sponsorship deal but the firm's
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Movers and shakers
HARWELL: Building services firm Elementa Consulting, based at the Harwell Innovation Centre, has won the Consultancy of the Year title at the annual Building Services Journal awards. The judges commented: "Elementa Consulting is doing everything right
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Going for the double
AN office supplies company has undergone a double expansion in just a few weeks. Alan Aston, managing director of Aston & James Office Supplies, liked his new premises at the £4m Nimrod Development in Witney so much that he bought the unit next door.
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Monumental decision
A new £1m office centre in Chalgrove is being equipped with leading-edge environmental technology as part of a major drive by the owners of the Monument Business Park. Property Management company Jennings, has invested in the new office centre, Ashgrove
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Taste of Thailand
Life is full of surprises and one of the most interesting for me recently was the discovery of a centre for top quality Thai food in the Oxfordshire countryside. I had heard of the Crazy Bear Hotel before - it seemed to have a reputation for being slightly
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Eddie vows to put one over his twin
Midfielder Eddie Hutchinson is convinced Oxford United will finish above his twin brother Tom's club Woking. "Tom has signed a new two-year deal there but I think we'll definitely finish above them because they've got a young team, I've heard, so they
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Depressed GP killed himself
A POPULAR GP who had suffered from depression since his 20s asphyxiated himself with a plastic bag, an inquest in Oxford heard. Father-of-two Dr David Scarfe, 47, who had worked at the Marston Medical Centre, in Cherwell Drive, Oxford, had twice attempted
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Campsfield chaplain suspended
MYSTERY surrounds the suspension of the chaplain at Campsfield House, Father Seraphim Vanttinen-Newton. Father Seraphim has been addressing pastoral needs of detainees for more than five years. Father Seraphim, who lives in Witney, and GEO, which
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Alfred takes ten top grades
TEENAGER Alfred Artley staked a claim to be one of the brightest students in the UK after achieving ten top A-Level grades. The Magdalen College School pupil, from Winchester Road in North Oxford, gained seven A grades - and three distinctions in Advanced
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Michael wants to raise U's standing
Michael Standing, who kicked off his career at Brighton, believes there are similarities between the south coast club and Oxford united. The U's actually have a much bigger ground than Albion, whose Withdean Stadium could only hold 8,000, at a squeeze
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Lorry crash on A40
Two lorry drivers were in a critical condition this morning following a head-on collision near the Oxfordshire-Gloucestershire border. The crash happened at 1.50am on the A40 west of Burford, and one driver was trapped in his vehicle before he was taken
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FOOTBALL: Good start is vital says boss Peace
Didcot Town manager Stuart Peace wants his side to forget about their below-par pre-season displays when Division 1 South & West campaign starts tomorrow with the visit of Gosport Borough. Town have won just one of their eight games and that was a 2
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FOOTBALL: Fuller return boosts Banbury
Banbury United's new boss Kieran Sullivan has hailed the return of defender Ady Fuller as they look to get their Premier Division campaign off to a good start. Fuller, who left Banbury for Leamington last season before joining Woodford United, has decided
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FOOTBALL: Bicester chief rallies fans
Bicester Town chairman Nick Rowles-Davies has called on local people to get behind the team when they host Milton United in the FA Cup Extra Preliminary Round tomorrow. Town are desperate for a good result having lost both their opening Sport Italia
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ROWING: City's regatta beats the flood
Despite the recent floods, high river levels and rapid streams, this weekend's Oxford City Royal Regatta & Sprint will go ahead almost intact. With other clubs having to cancel their summer racing, this weekend is bound to draw the best of the region's
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SPEEDWAY: Cheetahs out to keep Cleveland at bay
Oxford Cheetahs continue their push for a play-off spot when they take on Cleveland Bays at the Stadium tonight (7.30pm). It will be the first time the clubs have met and Cheetahs will be out to mark the event with another victory on the back of their
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RUGBY: Quins captain joins Chinnor
Oxford Harlequins captain Owen Gustafson has joined county rivals Chinnor in a bid to play in his preferred position of scrum half. Gustafson, 23, lifted the Oxfordshire Cup as Quins skipper last season, but spent most of the campaign at fly half with
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CRICKET: Harrison looks to squad depth
Oxford captain Jason Harrison has had to make three changes for tomorrow's Division 1 derby clash with Banbury at Roman Way. But he says they will be no weaker for what should be a big test of their title pedigree. Joe Porter, John Williams and Jack
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CRICKET: Rivals in turf war
Sommers Home Counties Premier League The war of words between Aston Rowant and Thame Town continued ahead of tomorrow's matches in Division 2 West. Rowant were less than happy with the pitch during last week's defeat at Church Meadow, so capatin
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FOOTBALL: Merritt fired up for new season
Oxford City player-manager Justin Merritt says everything has been put in place - on and off the field - to make this season's Division 1 South & West a successful one. One of their biggest signings is Jermaine McSporran who has returned to the club
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FOOTBALL: Slater's men eye play-off challenge
Abingdon United boss Andy Slater said his side are capable of reaching the play-offs when they start their Division 1 South & West campaign away to Winchester tomorrow. Slater, who starts his fourth full season in charge at Northcourt Road, feels that
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FOOTBALL: Launton duo sit it out
Sport Italia Hellenic League Launton Sports will be without strikers Adam Hodgson and Lee Blossom as they look to make it three wins in a row in Division 1 West when they host Purton. Hodgson, who damaged an ankle, is unavailable anyway while Blossom
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TENNIS: Woodstock's second pair deny Thame win
Thame's first string of Nigel King & Doug Struthers were unbeaten, but they had to settle for a 4.5-4.5 draw at home to Woodstock in Men's Division 2 of the 3-Pair League. King and Struthers beat Woodstock's first and third pairs, but could only draw
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CRICKET: Downs out to maintain Findon's semi-final woe
OXFORD Downs will be out to continue Findon's semi-final jinx when the sides clash in Standlake on Sunday (2pm). Sussex champions Findon have reached the competition's last four in three of the past five seasons without making it to a Lord's final.
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CRICKET: Hawtin aiming to finish on a high
Ian Hawtin has urged Oxfordshire to end their season ON a high in their final Western Division match against Devon at Exmouth starting on Sunday. Oxfordshire captain Hawtin believes his team can beat last season's champions and push for second place
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Brookes makes the top 50
OXFORD Brookes University has broken into the ranks of the UK's top 50 universities, according to the The Times Good University Guide 2008. The university is ranked 49th in the guide, published yesterday. Oxford University is ranked top in the guide
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Farcical involvement
Sir - May I take a few lines to offer my congratulations to Rufus Burdett (Report, August 3) for enlivening the dreary and seemingly both endless and pointless TV flood reports. It was noticeable that the reporter smiled at the time, but sadly retreated
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Humiliating assault
Sir - Christopher Gray has probably never had his bottom pinched, or he would realise that far from being a way of brightening up a dull and depressing situation (Gray Matter, August 3), it is a humiliating sexual assault. Whatever his view of the
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Pat on the back?
Sir - The county council boasts proudly of its remarkable achievement in turning much of its administration around and achieving excellent status from the Audit Commission. First, on announcing this exploit, the authority made 20 pledges: one of these
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Valuable service lost
Sir - I went last week to Oxford station to book a ticket for future travel and was surprised to see the advanced booking office closed. When I asked when it would be open, the staff said it was closing permanently from September. I have always
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Whose expense?
Sir - It was good of councillor Jean Fooks, the rubbish Czarina of Oxford, to answer in your columns (Letters, August 3) the many people who have been complaining to her. However, her long letter does not seem to actually answer the complaints that
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Mixed emotions
Sir - On Friday, I put my blue and green recycling boxes out, having diligently separated envelopes from other paper, tins from glass etc. I was therefore amazed, nay astonished, to see the man doing the collection, tip the contents of both boxes
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Creating chaos
Sir - You report that the council has discovered months after fortnightly rubbish collections were rolled out that thousands of flats in the city do not have space for recycling bins and boxes (Report, August 3). Councillor Fooks assures us "there
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Innocent stream
Sir - Most of old Abingdon narrowly escaped in the recent floods, thanks to the extensive water meadows in the floodplain. Residents on the banks of the River Ock were not so lucky but then its floodplain, once allotments and fields, now is the home
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Detailed help needed
Sir - While I suspect that the Environment Agency may have done a spectacularly good job in minimizing flood damage in terms of flood water flow control, the same cannot be said of its performance in terms of information outreach. When I accessed
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Defying gravity
Sir - When I saw the title of the book Can Oxford Be Improved, as reviewed by you on July 27, I thought, yes, something needs to be done about flood defences, Frideswide Square needs redesigning, perhaps a concert hall, and Oxpens is a mess, not to
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Plenty of choice
Sir - As a buy-to-let landlord I was amazed to read the article Floods spark scramble for temporary homes (August 3) saying demand for Oxford rental properties is "exceeding an already stretched supply". This may have been true in 2006, but is definitely
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Bizarre scepticism
Sir - Michael Heavey's letter (July 27) implies that we scientists are cynically stoking the issue of man-made climate change in order to gain research funds. What this tired old argument overlooks is that what every scientist wants, more than anything
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Ringing in the ears
Sir - Do other residents of Oxford find the noise from the Oxford ring road unpleasantly intrusive? I, like many Oxford residents, live within a mile of the Oxford ring road (in my case just over half-a-mile from the north east section). Since moving
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Mockery of democracy
Sir - Having gone through the process of consultation, the county council transport decisions committee decided to implement the North Summertown Controlled Parking Zone. This was in direct contravention of the expressed opposition to the scheme by
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Bid for lakes
THE Save Radley Lakes campaign is holding a 50-50 auction tomorrow at Radley village hall. Goods have to be registered from 10am on the day and bidders between noon and 1pm. The auction starts at 1pm. Fifty per cent of the proceeds will go to
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Parking changes could add to flooding
Sir - On July 19, I listened with great concern to the county council's decision to implement a Controlled Parking Zone in North Summertown, all of which is in the catchment area of the Rivers Thames and Cherwell. One reason for my opposition is based
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New rink must be close to centre
Sir - Oxford Ice Rink improves the fitness and social development of many youngsters. It makes a loss, but one reason is that it is too small for top competitions. I praise Oxford City Council for planning a new, bigger rink. But why are councillors
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Pub reopens after flooding
A PUB in Sandford-on-Thames has reopened after being flooded twice following the recent torrential downpours. The King's Arms, which is on Sandford Lock, was the only property in the village to be flooded out. Now landlord Malcolm Monks wants to
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Jericho appeal won
PLANS to knock down a garage in Cardigan Street, Jericho, and replace it with a three-storey block of flats have been allowed on appeal. The plan would also see a rear extension knocked down and an existing home converted into two one-bedroom flats
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Dyed pool stays closed
OXFORD City Council is still waiting to hear whether Hinksey Pool is safe to use again. The outdoor pool, in Hinksey Park, near Abingdon Road, was dyed purple by vandals on Friday night and has been closed since Saturday. A microbiological test was
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Cycle bandits strike in city
MUGGERS on cycles have struck five times in seven days in Oxford stealing handbags and mobile phones before making a quick getaway. Now police have set up a dedicated team to catch the thieves before they strike again. In one theft, a cyclist rode
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Faiths meet to discuss independence
PEOPLE from Oxford's many different faiths are to meet to discuss the anniversary of Indian Independence Day. Christians, Hindus, Sikhs, Buddhists, Jews and members of the Bahá'í faith will talk about the lessons that can be learned from the fight
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Fountain to flow again?
THE landmark Victorian fountain in the middle of The Plain roundabout is closer to springing back to life. Plans to restore the water to the Oxford fountain will be discussed next month. It is the third attempt to bring the fountain, which was built
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Fun day planned in memory of father
THE widow of a man killed in a car crash almost two years ago is holding a family fun day tomorrow in his memory. Joanna Buddin, was five months pregnant with her third child, when her husband Adam died in October 2005. Mr Buddin, a former Lance Corporal
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Police hunt muggers on bikes
Muggers on bikes have struck five times in seven days in Oxford, stealing handbags and mobile phones. Police have set up a team to catch the thieves before they strike again. In one theft a cyclist rode up behind a woman in Gillians Park in Blackbird
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Summer Specials Mixed Case, £60
Now that the season finally seems a little more deserving of the word summer here's a selection of classic wines to go with all things al fresco. There's something in this case for everyone, from a crisp southern French white to a rich Aussie shiraz/cabernet
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Parking permit row over signs blunder
A signage blunder created a parking free-for-all at Oxford United's first game of the new football season. Sub-contractors working for Oxfordshire County Council failed to change adjustable signs informing fans about match day parking restrictions.
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A-LEVELS: Star pupil's 10 top grades
When it comes to the pub quiz, there is no doubt everyone will want this man in their team. Yesterday Oxford teenager Alfred Artley staked a claim to be one of the brightest students in the UK after achieving a staggering 10 top A-Level grades. The
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We deserved to lose, says United boss
Oxford United boss Jim Smith said his team got what they deserved as they crashed to a last-minute defeat at Cambridge last night. Leading at the interval through Gary Twigg's second goal in two games, the U's conceded early in the second half and then