Archive
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GREYHOUNDS: Thursday's Oxford results
7.40: 1 PIN SEEKER 7-4 fav, 2 Cauldron Magic 5-2. (3x4). Trainer: Wills. Time: 27.49. 7.55: 1 BLUE JAY 3-1, 2 Solid Faith 4-1. (6x5). Trainer: Bicknell. Final Rinmore (3) 6-4 fav. NR: Crownville Cosmo (2) trap vacant. Time: 27.10. 8.10: 1 SCARLETT OTARA
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Life Down Under
The sun, sand and sea of Australia do not disappoint. Life Down Under is all I thought it would be - and then some. I've been here just over a week and, although the legacy of 24+ hours of travelling saw me turn into a zombie for a good few days, I'm
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Rushden & Diamonds 5, Oxford Utd 0
Just when you thought things couldn't get any worse, Oxford United produced a performance that quite frankly, would have embarrassed an under 9 team. Unable to string two passes together, they handed Rushden a 3-0 lead inside 14 minutes with an inept
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United crash to 5-0 defeat
Oxford United crashed to their heaviest defeat of the season with a 5-0 hammering at Rushden & Diamonds in the Blue Square Premier on Thursday night. United were 3-0 inside 14 minutes with Simeon Jackson, a Matt Day own goal and Craig McAllister netting
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Optimism
Official figures show a dramatic rise in the superbug Clostridium difficile in Oxfordshire's main hospitals. But the Oxford Radcliffe Hospitals NHS Trust remains optimistic. It says the number of cases is dropping and thanks to a raft of new measures
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United's nightmare start
Oxford United made a nightmare start to their Blue Square Premier match at Rushden & Diamonds on Thursday night, going 3-0 down inside 14 minutes to strikes by Simeon Jackson, a Matt Day own goal, and Craig McAllister. HT: Rushden 3, United 0.
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Alex back to tackle Rushden
Alex Jeannin returns from suspension as Oxford United get back to the nitty gritty of the Blue Square Premier at Rushden on Thursday. But the defender's return is one of the few bright spots as Jim Smith contends with a crippling injury list ahead of
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Pools shut early
Staff shortages at Temple Cowley pools in Oxford forced the closure of the swimming pool an hour early tonight, shutting at 9pm rather than 10pm. Last month, Oxford City Council, which runs the pool, had to shut the Barton and Ferry sports centre pools
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Fireworks alcohol warning
Do not mix alcohol and fireworks is the message from Oxfordshire's firefighters in the run-up to Bonfire Night. The service has launched a safety campaign, including posters, leaflets and an Internet site - at www.365alive.co.uk - to help celebrations
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No poppies on sale
Poppies will not be on sale in Abingdon until the weekend - just a week before Remembrance Sunday. An unfortunate series of events has meant the traditional red flower, worn in memory of the war dead, is not available in the town, which has a strong
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Rise in infections bucks UK trend
Cases of a potentially-fatal bug have rocketed at Oxford's John Radcliffe and Churchill hospitals, bucking a national trend. Infection control staff at the Oxford Radcliffe Hospitals NHS Trust last night warned the onset of the cold season could be
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Crash causes chaos on A34
Traffic was brought to a standstill on the A34 throughout Oxfordshire today after a crash between a tanker and a lorry carrying flour. One driver needed hospital treatment after the two lorries collided near Bicester. The accident happened at 11.30am
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Fireworks 'caused serious house fire'
POLICE are treating a serious fire at a house in Headington early today, which is thought to have been caused by fireworks, as arson. Fire and Rescue Service Fire Investigation Officer Guy Dunkley said: "Young people need to be aware of the consequences
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Eco-town bid submitted
PLANS have been submitted to the Government to create an eco-town in a disused quarry north of Kidlington. The company behind an ambitious scheme to create at least 5,000 homes in a self-sustained community at Shipton Quarry has bid to become one
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Today's local share prices (PM)
AEA Technology 118.5 BMW 3123 Electrocomponents 245.75 Nationwide Accident Repair 149.5 Oxford Biomedica 30 Oxford Catalyst 162.5 Oxford Instruments 225 Reed Elsevier 619.75 RM 204 RPS Group 390.25 Courtesy of Redmayne Bentley, Abingdon
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RUGBY UNION: Chinnor warned of banana skin
Chinnor director of rugby Lynn Evans has warned his players they face a banana skin when they visit Cleve in South West 1 tomorrow. Having disposed of Bracknell last week to take over top spot, Chinnor will be high on confidence. But Cleve have also
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BADMINTON: Campbell and Torgersen seal it
Oxfordshire 2nd bounced back from their defeat the previous week to beat West Glamorgan 9-6 in their Inter-County Championship Division 3 B match at Radley College. Richard Beal and Jonathan Campbell took their singles, while Paul Casey and Campbell
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Old quarry could be 'eco-town'
Plans have been submitted to the Government to create an eco-town in a disused quarry near Kidlington. The company behind an ambitious scheme to create at least 5,000 homes in a self-sustained community at Shipton-on-Cherwell has bid to become one of
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Estate agent fined over safety
An estate agent has been fined £3,250 for health and safety offences. Robert Eyles, trading as E Gordon Hudson and Co, failed to comply with orders to carry out work to reduce the risk of people tripping up at his premises in Friars' Entry. Notices
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Teenager raped near churchyard
An 18-year-old woman was raped while walking past a graveyard in Great Milton. Police are appealing for witnesses to the incident, which happened at around 5pm yesterday while the woman, who cannot be named, was walking past the graveyard of St Mary's
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Didcot boss Peace in keeper dilemma
Didcot Town manager Stuart Peace says he may rest Michael Watkins for their Division 1 West trip to Slough because of the speculation surrounding the goalkeeper. Watkins, 23, who is wanted as No 2 to Billy Turley at Oxford United, is having a week's
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Celebrities sign up to support school
CELEBRITIES from around the world are helping a Banbury school raise money for a refurbishment. Pupils at Blessed George Napier School in Addison Road need to raise £25,000 by early next year - and have written to famous people asking for autographs
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FOOTBALL: Witney youngster Riddy can shine
Witney United assistant boss Andy Leach says the future looks rosy, if the standard of their youngsters is anything to go by. One such player is Jed Riddy, 17, who scored a brace - his first goals for the club - in their 4-1 midweek Floodlit Cup against
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FOOTBALL: Abingdon lifted by fit-again duo
Abingdon United manager Andy Slater will be able to call on defender Dean Moss and striker Anaclet Odhiambo for tomorrow's FA Trophy second qualifying round against Maidstone. Moss has been sidelined for a month with a knee ligament injury, while Odhiambo
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Gadgets reveal fake ID
PUBS and bars in the centre of Oxford have vowed to stamp out underage drinking with the aid of a new gadget. Teenagers have been buying fake driving licences for £10 on the Internet and then using them to try to gain access to pubs and clubs. More
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Speed van creates roadside hazard
I write about the inappropriate positioning of camera vans on double yellow lines and cycle lanes. This picture was taken on Friday, October 26, at 9.30am. The camera van is parked on the cycle lane on the Oxford Eastern Bypass heading towards Headington
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Broken promise
In the last few weeks, my mother, along with many over 60s, has received a letter from the Vale of White Horse District Council stating that it is scrapping many of the discretionary elements of the free bus pass scheme. No longer are Vale residents
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"Please help our twin town'
OXFORD residents are being urged to help refugees from floods in the city's central American twin town. The government of Nicaragua has declared a state of emergency after heavy rain damaged primitive sanitation systems and displaced thousands of people
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Cheers, doc!
So Government experts now tell us that one glass of wine a day is excessive and bad for our health. My doctor, however, advises me to drink one glass of red wine with my evening meal to aid reduction in cholesterol. So who am I going to listen to?
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Cyclists have it free and easy
So James Styring would like the council to provide and fund training for adult cyclists (Oxford Mail, October 29). Why do cyclists have the idea that everything should be done for them with no cost to themselves? Unlike the driver or motorcyclist, who
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Gadget sheds light on fake ID
Pubs and bars in the centre of Oxford have vowed to stamp out underage drinking with the aid of a new gadget. Teenagers have been buying fake driving licences for £10 on the Internet and then using them to try to gain access to pubs and clubs. More
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Tourist town loos 'disgusting'
A top Oxfordshire tourist attraction has been panned by one visitor - because it had the worst public toilets she has ever been in. Margaret Barclay was so disgusted by the ladies' loo at High Street, Burford, she complained not just to West Oxfordshire
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'Please help out our twin town'
Oxford residents are being urged to help refugees from floods in the city's central American twin town. The government of Nicaragua has declared a state of emergency after heavy rain damaged primitive sanitation systems and displaced thousands of people
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Longer term
For the first time I seem to have a painful injury I cannot shake in a couple of weeks and am not sure what to do. The arch of my foot becomes very sore if I try to run and I can feel all the fitness I have built up in the past 12 months literally just
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Gas deal will save £600,000
AN OXFORDSHIRE company which produces a revolutionary hard coating to increase the life of drills used in the oil business, has signed a contract which should save it £600,000 in three years. The agreement with gases company BOC will ensure the constant
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Hotel wins award
A COUNTRY house hotel in Kingston Bagpuize has carried off the top prize for the second time in a prestigious competition. Fallowfields Country House Hotel and Restaurant, owned by Anthony and Peta Lloyd and once the home of Begum Aga Khan, won the
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It's Oxford's Vermin-ator
Earlier this year, academic Dr Frances Kennett appeared in court for withholding a month's council tax after she found rats at her Oxford home. She called for the city council to return to weekly bin collections. The council insists that fortnightly
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Hollie explores enterprise
TEENAGER Hollie Higa took part in a top-level European conference after winning a business competition for young people. Hollie, 16, a pupil at the Cherwell School, in Oxford, travelled to Brussels to sit on a panel of experts to review and assess enterprise
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Old chapel turns into restaurant
It might not be the resurrection its original occupants had in mind. Nor would they have taken kindly to patrons chalking their cues or ordering cocktails. But the team of investors and management who have converted a former chapel into a trendy wine
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Help end the sound of silence
Youth workers in Rose Hill are looking for a part-time teacher to help music fans living on the estate. More than 50 members of Rose Hill Youth Club are missing out on thrice-weekly recording sessions because of they have no one to show them how to
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TV appeal over test pilot
An appeal for information on a Wallingford test pilot has been made by the producers of a Channel 4 documentary. John Sidney Andrews, an RAF test pilot, was killed in a flying accident in March 1945. Programme producer Adam Jessel said: "We know he
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Comic book heroes back in the city
The world of comic books and the world of cinema are not that far apart - superheroes have been leaping out of pages on to the silver screen for decades. And now, in Oxford, the superheroes of page and screen will be side by side at a Cowley Road shop
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Make your vote count
Tomorrow is the last chance to vote for the Oxford Mail Baby of the Year.o We are searching for the bonniest baby or toddler in the county - as chosen by our readers. We recently printed photos of more than 800 babies in a special supplement - and
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Skills challenge
OXFORD joinery lecturer Paul Tierney is spearheading a campaign to improve Britain's skills for the future. He is heading to Japan next month for the WorldSkills competition with the UK's potential champions. As training manager of the UK team, Mr
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Update: Smash causes A34 delays
THE A34 north of Oxford has reopened to traffic following a crash this morning between a tanker and a lorry carrying flour. One driver needed hospital treatment after the two heavy goods vehicles collided near Bicester but his injuries were not life-threatening
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Appeal issued on cricket club arson
POLICE this afternoon appealed for witnesses after a fire at Challow and Childrey Cricket Club. Two outbuildings at the club were set on fire and police are treating the cause of the fire, which broke out in Vicarage Road, Wantage, at about 7.40pm
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Opportunity knocks?
The great cooling towers of Didcot Power Station were framed in my windscreen this week as I drove away from a conference on Climate Change, held at the Rutherford Appleton Laboratory, with the words of a speaker from the United Kingdom Climate Impact
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Bordeaux mixed case offer, £69
Probably the best known wine area on the planet, Bordeaux have been producing top quality wines for centuries, and despite very high prices at the top end, more affordable cuvees are now being made that one can enjoy immediately without having to
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Bordeaux moving with the times
I HAVE just been listening to a rather daft wine feature on the radio. It was irritating on several counts. Firstly, there was a rather outrageous suggestion that at the £5 price bracket consumers should only buy their wines from the supermarkets,
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A34 reopens after crash
The A34 north of Oxford has now reopened to traffic following a crash this morning between a tanker and a lorry carrying flour. One driver needed hospital treatment after the two heavy goods vehicles collided near Bicester but his injuries were not
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Boy with magic powers
Elizabeth Garner's love of Oxford infuses her second novel, The Ingenious Edgar Jones. Set in the mid-19th century, it is the story of a porter's boy who has great gifts for invention and metalwork. As a child, while working at a blacksmiths in Jericho
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History choice
The Last Days of the Incas Kim McQuarrie (Portrait, £25) The tourists still flock to Macchu Pichu, celebrating it as the centre of the legendary Inca empire. But this splendid book of exploration tells another story. The Spanish conquest of Peru was
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FIXTURES Nov 2
SATURDAY. FOOTBALL. FA TROPHY. 2nd qual round: Abingdon Utd v Maidstone Utd. BRITISH GAS BUSINESS SOUTHERN LEAGUE. Premier Div: Hemel Hempstead Tn v Banbury Utd pp. Div 1 South & West: Oxford City v Winchester, Slough Tn v Didcot Tn. SPORT ITALIA
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Local author
Children's writer Dennis Hamley moved to Oxford last year after his wife died. Several of his books are being republished following the success of his First World War story Ellen's People. The War and Freddy (Catnip, £4.99) is based on the author's memories
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Cabbages and Kings
I WAS killing time - an hour in which to twiddle my thumbs, find a café or stretch my legs. I chose the last, heading for Shotover Country Park, last visited when my near 40-year-old son was in his pushchair. The morning was fresh and dry, yet except
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Book-related events
TONIGHT Poetry evening: John Hegley and The Popticians with Inflatable Buddha and Steve Larkin. 7:30-11pm, The Oxford Academy, £10. Contact Hammer & Tongue, 01865 420 042, for further details. TOMORROW Bookfair: UK Fine Press Bookfair 2007. Presses
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Joy of old age
THE LONG LIFE Helen Small (Oxford University Press, £25)At what point in a life can we measure its happiness? asks Small in her latest publication, The Long Life. Can it only be measured when it is over and has been closed well? Should a long virtuous
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Cathedral cities
Tourists who wander bewildered around Oxford asking: "Where's the university?" might well also ask: "Where's the cathedral?. For Oxford's cathedral is not at the heart of the city, as in Winchester, Gloucester or Salisbury, but inside Christ Church, looking
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More city buildings to be floodlit
The centre of Oxford is set to get even brighter this winter, with yet more historic buildings being illuminated. The Wesley Memorial Church in New Inn Hall Street and Exeter College in Turl Street are to be in the next wave of celebrated buildings
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Prize pooch needs your vote
A dog owner wants Oxford Mail readers to back her body-boarding pet's bid to become Britain's Superdog. Dog mad Sarah Dugdale, from Falcon Close, Blackbird Leys, Oxford, has been showing off her pet Mason at every opportunity since she bought him as
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Cycle project needs TV votes
Didcot could get a new cycle path, if a scheme wins the backing of viewers of a TV show. Plans to provide a new path and tunnel under the railway line embankment, connecting it to the extensive network of routes on either side, could win funding from
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Death at a Funeral (15)
Comedy/Drama: Matthew Macfadyen, Rupert Graves, Jane Asher, Keeley Hawes, Daisy Donovan, Alan Tudyk, Ewen Bremner, Kris Marshall , Andy Nyman, Peter Vaughan, Peter Dinklage, Peter Egan DEATH can be a laughing matter. Frank Oz's very British black
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30 Days of Night (15)
Horror/Thriller: Josh Hartnett, Melissa George, Danny Huston, Mark Rendall, Ben Foster, Manu Bennett, Mark Boone Junior, Joel Tobeck, Elizabeth McRae, Megan Franich, Andrew Stehlin Spare a thought for the lonely plight of vampires. Cursed to loiter
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Elizabeth: The Golden Age (15)
Drama: Cate Blanchett, Clive Owen, Samantha Morton, Geoffrey Rush, Tom Hollander, Abbie Cornish, Eddie Redmayne, Jordi Molla, Adam Godley When Gwyneth Paltrow sobbed as she accepted the 1999 Academy Award for Best Actress, a more deserving winner sat
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JAMALS: there's naan better
Indian restaurants are, let's be honest here, ten-a-poppadom. One is pretty much like another - and bizarrely, the establishments that target the 'higher end' of the market often forget what it takes to make an Indian meal great... Over the years
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Country boys
The Epstein are different. They know it. and, what's more, they are proud of it. While gig-goers are bombarded by wave after wave of sound-alike guitar bands full of skinny lads in tight black jeans, this Oxford-based band represent a total alternative
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A34 smash sparks tailbacks
One driver needed hospital treatment after two lorries collided on the A34 this morning. The accident happened at 11.30am on the northbound carriageway between the Islip turn and junction nine of the M40. The air ambulance was called to the scene but
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Pool to close early
STAFF shortages at Temple Cowley Pools have forced the closure of the swimming pool an hour early tonight. The pool will close at 9pm rather than 10pm.
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Pool to close early
Staff shortages at Temple Cowley Pools have forced the closure of the swimming pool an hour early tonight. The pool will close at 9pm rather than 10pm. Last month under-fire Oxford City Council, which runs the pool, had to shut the Barton and Ferry
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Driver bailed after death crash
A 19-year-old van driver arrested after a crash in which a 79-year-old woman died has been released on bail. The victim, who is from Buckland, died in the crash at 9.40am yesterday on the B4508 at the junction with Bow Road. The teenage can driver
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Crash driver released on bail
A 19-year-old van driver arrested after a crash in which a 79-year-old woman died has been released on bail. The victim, who is from Buckland, near Faringdon, died in the crash at 9.40am yesterday on the B4508 at the junction with Bow Road, and was
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Gentle tales with a twist
By her own admission, Meg Rosoff doesn't go in for exhaustive research. But no matter - she can write a thoroughly good story, and What I Was (Penguin, £10.99) is a very atmospheric tale of love and friendship. The story is told by a teenage boy who
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You could be the person to help a grieving child
SeeSaw is a charity which gives vital support to bereaved children and young people in Oxfordshire. Volunteer support workers visit children in their homes and through friendship and activities strive to reduce the distress of grieving children and their
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County's claim on father of agriculture
Jethro Tull, inventor of the seed drill, lived much of his life near Crowmarsh, writes CHRIS KOENIG Why would a pop group founded in 1968 take the name of an Oxfordshire agriculturist born in the 17th century? I wondered this as I stared at a cairn
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Estate agent fined
AN Oxford estate agent has been fined £3,250 for health and safety offences. Robert Eyles, trading as E Gordon Hudson and Co, failed to comply with orders to carry out work to reduce the risk of people tripping up at his premises in Friars' Entry, off
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Grim for pumpkins
VAL BOURNE says this year's cool, wet summer has led to a crop failure I expect you have been trick or treated' in the last few days. I always escape this dubious pleasure because I have always lived in houses with dark, unwelcoming drives. But
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A34 smash causes delays
Paramedics were called to the A34 in Oxford this morning following a collision between two cars on the northbound carriageway. The accident happened at 8.45am, between the Hinksey Hill and Botley interchanges. A spokesman for South Central Ambulance
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Deluge of complaints to water companies
Written complaints to water and sewerage companies in England and Wales were up almost a third in 2006/07, according to new figures. The Consumer Council for Water said most came from customers of three firms - including Thames Water, as well as United
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Appeal to save curlew country
The wildlife trust is appealing to the public to help them find the final £150,000 by December 1 to buy wetland to save curlews, writes fundraiser MATTHEW CHAMBERS A total of £850,000 could see the doubling of a wetland haven where the curlew, a rare
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Seeker of quality across the arts — a tribute to the late Jeannine Alton
The Oxford Times lost one of its finest and most versatile writers with the death this week of Jeannine Alton. In hospital for investigation of a brain tumour, she suffered a serious haemorrhage from which she died on Tuesday morning. She leaves two sons
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Estate agent fined over health and safety offences
An Oxford estate agent has been fined £3,250 for health and safety offences. Robert Eyles, trading as E Gordon Hudson and Co, failed to comply with orders to carry out work to reduce the risk of people tripping up at his premises in Friars' Entry, off
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From just 2,000 paintings and 50,000 prints...
An exhibition exploring a rich American's passion for British art leaves visitors spoilt for choice, writes THERESA THOMPSON Spoilt for choice. That's how the curators at the Royal Academy of Arts must have felt selecting the works to be shown at
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CRICKET: Udal joins Henley
Sommers Home Counties Premier League Former England spinner Shaun Udal will play for Henley next season after agreeing a deal with the Division 1 club. Udal, 38, retired from First Class cricket with Hampshire in September and played for England
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Much to Ponder in Family Drama
The repercussions of the invasion of Iraq continue. They might be compared to the spreading ripples caused by a stone thrown into a pond - except that, in this case, the waves seem to get progressively higher, not smaller. There is not only the increasing
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999 crews called to A34 crash
PARAMEDICS were called to the A34 today following a collision between two cars on the northbound carriageway. The accident happened at 8.45am, between the Hinksey Hill and Botley interchanges. A spokesman for South Central Ambulance said the extent
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Water complaints rise
WRITTEN complaints to water and sewerage companies in England and Wales were up almost a third in 2006/07, according to new figures. The Consumer Council for Water said most came from customers of three firms - Thames Water, United Utilities and Severn
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Passionate steps to the dark and soulful jondo
Amarita Vargas, founder of the Oxford Flamenco Academy, presents her Flamenco Fiesta at the Pegasus Theatre next week and DAVID BELLAN asked how the dance changed her life Amarita is a respected flamenco dancer. Tall and powerfully built, she is a
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Tail coats
GILES WOODFORDE goes backstage in Welsh National Opera's touring productions of Cinderella, The Sacrifice and Il Trovatore One thing's for sure: working in a theatre wardrobe department keeps you fit. As I climbed four flights of stairs to the
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DISTANCE LENDS ENCHANTMENT: 4500 MILES FROM DELHI, PARK END STREET, OXFORD
Let us first pay a little attention to the name: 4500 miles from Delhi. When I first saw the words spelled out above the plate-glass windows as the new restaurant in Park End Street began to take shape a few months back, I remember thinking: "That doesn't
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Enjoy a good ale with your food — and in it
Beer behaves differently from wine when enjoyed with food, as it lacks acidity and tannin, the two qualities wine has in abundance. However, beer has other equally positive qualities, as Fiona Beckett and Will Beckett, authors of An Appetite for Ale (
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Follow the Brakspear's Oxford ale trail
Let's raise our glasses to the innovative Wychwood Brewery, Witney, who have now come up with an imaginative scheme to help beer lovers keep fit while supping one of the two Brakspear beers that they brew. The Brakspear Oxford Ale Trail, which will
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IN THE SHADOW OF THE MOON, MANUFACTURING DISSENT, LAGERFIELD CONFIDENTIAL AND NEVER APOLOGIZE
There's a documentary feel to the current cinema release schedule, with the pick of the bunch being David Sington's wonderful memoir of the Apollo space programme, In the Shadow of the Moon. Anyone with fond memories of the BBC's coverage of the moonshots
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ELIZABETH: THE GOLDEN AGE
When Gwyneth Paltrow sobbed her little heart out as she accepted the 1999 Academy Award for Best Actress in a Leading Role, a more deserving winner sat serenely in the audience, smiling politely for the cameras. Cate Blanchett should have been standing
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BLACK MARIA, LILIAN BAYLIS THEATRE
Last week Oxford choreographer Susie Crow premiered her new, full-length work in London, and it proved to be an entertaining evening. The piece is based on a novel by Diana Wynne Jones, which Crow and her team have simplified, leaving us with a still
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Terms of Endearment, the Everyman Theatre, Cheltenham
'How could you get pregnant without consulting me?" wails Aurora. "What man would want a grandmother?" Aurora has spent much time trying to micro-manage her daughter Emma's life. Needless to say, Emma's choice of husband met with almost automatic disapproval
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PREVIEW: Sweet Witchery, Mansfield College
There could hardly be a better city to lend itself to a bit of gothic spookiness than Oxford, and director Abigail Anderson, a graduate of Oxford University, knows that well. As she says: "The Victorian Gothic architecture of Mansfield Chapel is the ideal
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PREVIEW: Sanctuary, the University Church
Saxophonist and composer Christian Forshaw will be premiering Sanctuary, the first of a series of commissions for his ensemble tonight at 7.30pm at the University Church of St Mary the Virgin, High Street, Oxford. The work being performed is the first
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A Night in Provence, The Mill at Sonning Dinner Theatre
The Mill delighted audiences in August and September with an impeccable production of Robin Hawdon's Don't Dress for Dinner (from Marc Camoletti's French original) in which all manner of marital highjinks occur in a converted farmhouse in the French countryside
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PREVIEW: Angels in America, the Oxford Union debating chamber
If you choose a really beautiful and historic location in which to produce a play, there is no need for the kind of backdrop called for in a conventional theatre. This is the philosophy of producer Will Young, of Wadham College, who has been working on
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Walker Dance, Park Music: THe Oxford Playhouse
The title of Fin Walker's striking piece - 5 2 10 - is not, as I suspected, text-speak for some significant time, but a reference to the work's components: five duets, two solos, and the ten instruments required by Ben Park's compelling score, played
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The 'sick man' of the county
Oxford City Council looks like the sick man of the county after staff absence rates continued to rise. In the six months from April to September, almost 8,000 days were lost to sickness. Council leaders blamed "something inside the culture" for the
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Chatrooom and Citizenship, the National Theatre, the Oxford Playhouse
Teenagers - they're all gun-toting hoodies, teenage mums and socially inept mobile phone addicts, right? Of course not, but Chatroom and Citizenship - two one-hour plays from the National Theatre - do little to challenge the stereotypes. Written for the
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Sylvia Plath: A Celebration, the Oxford Playhouse
There was a distinctly festive air at the Playhouse for this gala evening celebrating the life and work of Sylvia Plath who, had she not died so tragically young, would have been enjoying her 75th birthday. But though Plath's life contained dark sadnesses
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The Snow Queen, English National Ballet, the New Theatre
Michael Corder's The Snow Queen is a work full of contrasts. Contrast between the icy magnificence of the Snow Queen's palace and the drab village which is home to Kay and Gerda. Contrast between the gloomy ponderousness of much of Prokofiev's score and
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Cohesion 2007: Jacqueline du Pré Music Building
Freedom lives" could be the neatest description of this two-day festival of free jazz, new music and more. On Friday evening a double bill of saxophonist Evan Parker in duo with Stephen Grew and the Invisible String Trio of Phil Wachsmann, Bruno Guastalla
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Oxford Chamber Orchestra: Sheldonian Theatre
With all the classical music on offer in Oxford at this time of year, what better choice for a Friday evening than listening to Mozart's last and finest symphony in the Sheldonian's matchless surroundings? The appreciative audience were treated to beautifully
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Illumination of city buildings extended
THE SCHEME to illuminate historic buildings in Oxford city centre is to be extended this month. The Wesley Memorial Church in New Inn Hall Street and Exeter College in Turl Street are to be in the next wave of celebrated buildings to be lit up as part
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Women hold science day
WOMEN in science will be the topic for a conference being held at Oxford University's Said Business School today. One hundred young female scientists will be taking part in the conference to discuss how science policy will impact on their futures.
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Pair escape kitchen blaze
Fire crews were called to a house in Ramsay Road, Headington, shortly before midnight after a fire started in the ground-floor kitchen. Two people who escaped the blaze were treated by paramedics after they inhaled smoke. A spokesman for Oxfordshire
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Blaze at cricket club
FIREFIGHTERS were called last night to a blaze at a cricket pavilion in a village near Banbury - the second suspected arson attack on a cricket club in two days. The fire broke out in the 5m x 15m single-storey pavilion in Bloxham, at 10.55pm, causing
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Estate revamp wins approval
THE redevelopment of Rose Hill was given the go-ahead last night by city planners. The decision paves the way for 97 dilapidated Orlit homes to be demolished and replaced with 254 new homes. However, some concerns were raised about drainage and the
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Latest cancer drug bid denied
A MAN dying of cancer has branded NHS managers "mean spirited" after they decided not to give him life-prolonging drugs. Scientist Stephen Dallison, 33, of Iffley Road, Oxford, has been given 12 to 18 months to live, and is at the centre of a postcode
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City council sick days rise
STAFF absence rates at Oxford City Council are continuing to rise. In the six months from April to September, almost 8,000 days were lost to sickness. Council leaders blamed "something inside the culture" for the trend, but have failed to pinpoint
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'No plans for refuse penalties'
JEAN Fooks, the city councillor in charge of Oxford's controversial fortnightly waste collection service, has ruled out introducing a controversial pay-as-you-throw scheme. Changes to the draft Climate Change Bill published on Monday allow local authorities
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A34 plans go on show
THE Highways Agency is hosting a public exhibition tomororw and Saturday to show the latest proposals for replacing the Wolvercote Viaduct on the A34 at Oxford. The existing viaduct, constructed during 1960-61, needs major maintenance work to ensure
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Book fair focuses on quality work
A BOOK fair for "fine press" will be held at Oxford Brookes University, Gipsy Lane Campus, on Saturday, November 3 and Sunday, November 4. There will be 63 international private presses at the event, along with bookbinders, papermakers, leather sellers
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Fire cadets blaze a trail
TWO Wallingford School pupils are blazing a trail as young firefighters. Darryl Stock, 15, from Mill Lane, Benson, and Blake Hallam, 14, of Sinodun Road, Wallingford are both award-winning cadets with Watlington retained fire crews. Darryl won the
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Youth back in court
A YOUTH has admitted unlawful wounding, handling stolen goods and breaching his antisocial behaviour order (Asbo). Luke Williams, of Preacher's Lane, in St Ebbes, Oxford, hit 21-year-old Jimmy Wu over the head ten times, before stealing his wallet
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Children plant a field of hope
A FIELD of Hope will help Banbury residents remember loved ones - and raise funds for Marie Curie Cancer Care. A small plot of garden near the People's Park's Horsefair entrance has been taken over by the charity and passers-by have been invited to
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Leisure centre holds free fun day
WITNEY'S Windrush leisure centre is opening its doors for a free family fun day on Saturday. Activities include plenty for children, from parachute games and roller disco to football session and family float session in the swimming pool. But centre
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Invite to come dancing in city
RESIDENTS are dusting off their dancing shoes in preparation for the second Oxford dance festival. Venues across Oxford will come alive to the rhythms of salsa, flamenco, ballroom and hip hop during the two-month long event. The festival - Dancin
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Sick patient in need of surgery
We have every sympathy with people who genuinely cannot work because of long-term or short-term illness. But it seems strange that sickness levels at Oxford City Council are so out of step with other local authorities and with most businesses. City
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Immigration remarks spark debate
DAVID Cameron's plans to reduce immigration have come in for support - and criticism - in Oxfordshire. The Witney MP and Tory leader said limits on immigration were needed to protect public services, the environment and communities from a looming population
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Latest cancer drug denied
A man dying of cancer has branded NHS managers "mean spirited" after they decided not to give him life-prolonging drugs. Scientist Stephen Dallison, 33, of Iffley Road, Oxford, has been given 12 to 18 months to live, and is at the centre of a postcode
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Mothers make model students
PARENTS on an Oxford estate can expect more support following the 'graduation' of a group of model mothers. More than a dozen women living in and around Rose Hill have completed a certificate in Parenting in the Community. The three-month course
