Archive
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Viaduct work starts
Work has begun to replace the Wolvercote viaduct. The Highways Agency started clearance work at the site on Monday in a bid to avoid disturbing birds which nest in the area during the Spring. Overnight lane closures are expected on the A34 in coming
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Inquest opens into death-crash
INQUESTS have been opened into the deaths of seven people killed in a head-on car crash, including a man from Chipping Norton. Gloucestershire coroner Alan Crickmore opened hearings into the deaths of two drivers and five of their passengers in the
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Teenager on drugs charge
A teenager has appeared in court after a series of drugs raids on an Oxford estate. Police raided three homes in Elder Way, Knights Road and Falcon Close, in Blackbird Leys on Wednesday. Hayden Griffiths, 18, of Falcon Close, in Oxford, was charged
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MP celebrates second child
Conservative MP Ed Vaizey has become a father for the second time. On Wednesday his wife Alex gave birth to a girl Martha, who weighed six pounds and three ounces - a brother to two-year-old Joseph. The shadow arts minister said: "She's gorgeous."
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Ten face drugs charges
Ten men, including seven from Oxfordshire, appeared at Oxford Crown Court accused of being part of a cocaine-dealing gang. The group, who have been charged with conspiracy to supply class-A drugs, are due to appear again on June 19. They are Stephen
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Buns are recipe for a good Easter
Thousands of free hot cross buns are to be handed out in a bid to remind people of the Easter story. And the Right Rev John Pritchard, the Bishop of Oxford, launched the campaign by helping children at Appleton Primary School, near Abingdon, make the
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Working 40 years without a day off
Conscientious cook Sue Dotchin took a temporary job in an Oxfordshire primary school kitchen - and ended up staying for 40 years without taking a single day off. Now her dedication to her work has been recognised with a top honour from Oxfordshire County
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Group calls on dads to join
A cooked breakfast and better employment prospects are among the benefits promised by the organisers of a support group for dads in Blackbird Leys, Oxford. The creators of Dad's Zone have appealed for more fathers to bring their children to a weekly
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Ex-officer claims RAF gave him war disease
A former RAF officer has called for a Government investigation into Gulf War Syndrome which he says has ruined his life - despite not seeing action in the 1991 war. David Bratley, of West Hanney, is convinced 17 injections he had over 17 days before
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FOOTBALL: Didcot duo sink old pals
Didcot Town's former Andover strikers Ashley Vine and Vinny Rusher will be aiming to shoot down their old teammates when they travel to the Hampshire club for Saturday's Division 1 South & West clash. Vine joined the Railwaymen at the start of the season
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Leisure hand-over could boost pool hopes
Hopes of a new multi-million-pound ice rink and swimming pool in Oxford could be boosted by proposals to hand over council-owned leisure facilities to a charitable trust. The city council's executive board will move forward with plans to hand over the
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Balloons mark kidney donor event
Dozens of balloons were released into the Oxford sky yesterday in Broad Street to raise awareness of World Kidney Day. Sponsors, fundraisers and Inspector Morse writer Colin Dexter got involved to collect donations and sign up new donors. Mr Dexter
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School cook honoured for 40 years' service
CONSCIENTIOUS cook Sue Dotchin took a temporary job in an Oxfordshire school kitchen - and ended up staying for 40 years without taking a single day off. Now her dedication to her work has been recognised with a top honour from Oxfordshire County Council
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Pupils quiz MPs on Iraq and aid
Pupils at an Oxford school gave MPs a grilling today as part of a current affairs debate. Oxford East MP Andrew Smith and Douglas Alexander, the Secretary of State for International Development, faced questions from teenagers at Oxford Community School
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FOOTBALL: Abingdon wait on defensive pair
Abingdon Town are waiting on the fitness of defenders Robbie Eason and Paul Alder as they look to boost their hopes of escaping relegation against Pegasus Juniors at Culham Road tomorrow. The Sport Italia Hellenic League Premier Division match was scheduled
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School holds reunion on 75th birthday
Pupils past and present are gearing up for a grand reunion at Kidlington's secondary school tomorrow. Gosford Hill School is throwing open its doors between 2pm and 6pm in celebration of its 75th anniversary. Two new school buildings are set to be
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Eyeing up diners
Mirabai, London Road, Headington, Oxford Mirabai's website proclaims: "Whether you are watching television at your home, window shopping in your local town, catching fish at the lake, WE are always with you". No doubt that is meant to be upbeat,
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Parking 'makes life impossible'
Cars parked on the pavement are making it impossible for youngsters in wheelchairs, being cared for at Helen and Douglas House hospice in East Oxford, to get around. Hospice founder Sister Frances Dominica described the parking situation around the
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The Whine Column
Dear Jessica: I have head lice, what do I do? Jessica uncorked: Comb your hair, and for God's sake stop trying on hats from the charity shop! Seriously though, you are not alone, about three million people in the UK get head lice every year. The
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RUGBY UNION: Forster wants discipline
Henley Hawks director of rugby Jason Forster is calling for discipline when their National 2 survival battle continues at Southend tomorrow. Hawks lie 12 points from safety with five games to play and have won only once since November, but they still
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Independent school Heads calm fees fear
INDEPENDENT schools in Oxfordshire have moved to calm fears about the implications of new rules to boost places for children from poorer background. Fears that private schools could face legal action to force them to offer more free places were sparked
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High and dry
For a chain that makes a concerted effort to appear touchy-feely, Giraffe throbs with a capitalist beat. At which other restaurants do you see toys, CDs and clothing touted on the menu? (Mightily freaky-looking toy giraffes, incidentally - they look
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SPEEDWAY: Nielsen to make rare appearance
Oxford Speedway's all-time legend Hans Nielsen will make a rare public appearance in this country at the weekend, writes ROBERT PEASLEY. The Dane won three of his four World Championship titles during an impressive nine-year spell with the Cheetahs
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Pooling ideas
First came the river, then the prison, the Mini factory, a Belgian mirrored tent and Robert Maxwell's old place, but now Creation has surpassed itself by using an old Victorian swimming pool as the location for its next Shakespearian showpiece. For
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BADMINTON: Windrush clinch second
Windrush clinched the runner-up spot in Division 1 of Oxfordshire's premier team competition, the Five Disciplines League, with a 247-161 defeat of nearest rivals Evenlode. The Witney-based club completed the season with 1,409 points, just six adrift
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Today's local share prices (PM)
AEA Technology 67.75 BMW 25.45 Electrocomponents 166.75 Nationwide Accident Repair 134 Oxford Biomedica 23.5 Oxford Catalyst 155 Oxford Instruments 193.75 Reed Elsevier 624.25 RM 206 RPS Group 301.75 Courtesy of Redmayne Bentley, Abingdon
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Max power
We keep being phoned up by the newspapers for quotes because we are so topical at the moment," Bob tells me, "because all that stuff with Rowan Williams, the Kosovo nationality issues and the citizen's ceremony all feature in the play. "But as for what
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Stolen bike was sick baby's lifeline
A mum from Witney is heartbroken after a bicycle she bought to improve the health of her seriously ill baby was stolen by thieves. Victoria Parnell's bike, which she bought to alleviate the effects of cystic fibrosis suffered by her 11-month-old son
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Quad squad
Oxford University's quadrangles and dreaming spires will soon echo to the sound of bobbies on the beat. The university is paying half the cost of four new Police Community Support Officers (PCSOs) to work the beat on its private grounds and inside its
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What a relief
Across the county fundraisers are gearing up for an action-packed weekend of exercise - all in the name of Sport Relief, a spin-off of the annual Comic Relief. Supermarket staff at Sainsbury's, in Kidlington, have already been getting sweaty for the
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You're wrong, police chief tells MP Boris
Henley MP Boris Johnson claimed the problem of Oxfordshire police officers jumping ship to join the better-paid Metropolitan force had largely been resolved - only to be contradicted by Thames Valley Police. The Tory candidate for London Mayor, appearing
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'£5m Bodleian renovation depends on depository'
AMBITIOUS plans to redevelop the Bodleian Library in Oxford will have to be put on hold if its new book depository does not get the go-ahead. Last week, Julian Blackwell, president of Blackwell's, donated £5m towards the redevelopment of the New Bodleian
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Into the west
Tourism in Oxfordshire is not all about the university colleges and dreaming spires of Oxford. There is big business behind the rolling west Oxfordshire countryside too. British Tourism Week runs until Tuesday - and west Oxfordshire has been singled
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FIXTURES: March 14
SATURDAY. FOOTBALL. BLUE SQUARE PREMIER. Stafford Rgrs v Oxford Utd. BRITISH GAS BUSINESS SOUTHERN LEAGUE. Premier Div: Banbury Utd v Gloucester City. Div 1 South & West: Abingdon Utd v Marlow, Andover v Didcot Tn. TOWN v GOWN. Oxford City v
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Back in action
Philip Pullman fans across Oxfordshire are counting the days until the publication of his new book, Once Upon a Time in the North. Mr Pullman, the award-winning author of the His Dark Materials trilogy, was thrilled to see Northern Lights, the first
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Get hooked on reading with our club
After the launch of our new Book Club last week, Waterstones in Oxford and Witney have both reported a significant surge in sales of our first Book of The Month, Getting Rid of Matthew by Jane Fallon. Oxford Mail Books Editor Andy Ffrench said of this
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Post Office closures 'flawed'
THE POST Office has been told its closure plans for Oxford are based on deeply-flawed information. Proposals to shut sub-post offices at Grandpont, Iffley and Wolvercote are being challenged by Oxford City Council, which has submitted a scathing assessment
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Fined £100 for 26 minute stay
A family hit with a parking fine of £100 after staying for an extra 26 minutes have labelled the charge a swindle. Lorna Buckwell, 58, from Wytham Close, Eynsham, received the three-figure penalty after she went over her ticket time in Abbey Place car
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Finding treasure underground
Firstly, I would like to thank Elsie Bainbridge for getting in touch to point out that The Elms in Rottingdean, the former home of Rudyard Kipling, is not preserved by The Rottingdean Preservation Society, but the Kipling Gardens next to it is. I hope
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10,000 BC (12A)
Director Roland Emmerich has spent half his career trying to obliterate Planet Earth and humankind with blockbusters such as Independence Day, Godzilla and The Day After Tomorrow, a film which imagined the return of the Ice Age. Emmerich's brain must
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HANNAH MONTANA & MILES CYRUS: BEST OF BOTH WORLDS TOUR (3-D) (U)
If you're not already a devotee of perennially perky Miley Cyrus (daughter of 'achy breaky' Billy Ray Cyrus) and her Disney Channel show, then Bruce Hendricks's film won't convert you. Shot in eye-boggling 3D during the recent US tour, this is a 75-
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Narcissists at Baby Love bar
Calling all pretentious indie-kids! Narcissists at Baby Love bar is a bit of a strange night to get your head around. It's very much the Oxford University take on what an indie, electro and dance night should be about - which may indeed lead many of
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THE COTTAGE (18)
Every once in a while, an exciting British talent emerges from nowhere, searing on to our memory with a work of audacity and invention. Two years ago, Paul Andrew Williams was that saviour with his impressive debut, London To Brighton, an explosive
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Foals gold
It makes you proud. It really does. In a little over two years Oxford's best kept secret have become the hottest buzz band of the year. As well as packing out venues around the world, they have been voted best new band in poll after poll, feted by the
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Gabriella offers support
As well as Sugababes at the New Theatre on Monday, comes support act Gabriella Cilmi. Like the headliners, the Aussie songbird shatters the image of the vacuous pop star. Her voice is equal parts animal snarl, vocal might and jazz slyness, and she
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Refined Suga
In this age of instant fame, it is refreshing to find a pop band that not only stands the test of time, but actually improves. Pop fans have become accustomed to the ever familiar flash-in-the pan syndrome - savouring their favourite acts for as long
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FOOTBALL: Yemi put on the list
Yemi Odubade and Joel Ledgister have been transfer-listed by Oxford United. Odubade has been in and out of the side this season, sometimes operating on the right wing and sometimes up front. His name will be circulated to other clubs along with Ledgister
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Pickled or eaten?
If you've ever wondered what happens to your body after you die, then Melanie King's first book is a good place to find out. In The Dying Game: The Curious History of Death, she looks at all the things that can happen to a corpse - whether biological,
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Eating and drinking — Spanish style
It's the morning after the 24th Investiture dinner of the Gran Orden de Caballeros del Vino at the Four Seasons Hotel in London and I'm happy to report that I am pretty fresh and (remarkably) hang-over free. The Gran Orden de Caballeros is a group that
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Local author
Cork-born Bernard O'Donoghue's poems sing with his homeland's lilt, but sometimes they touch on his exiled life in Oxfordshire - larks on Otmoor, the death of a fellow Irishman living in Divinity Road. He will read from Selected Poems (Faber, £12.99)
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Seat of learning
THIS SECRET GARDEN: OXFORD REVISITED Justin Cartwright (Bloomsbury, £9.99)Hundreds of books have been written about Oxford, most prompted by the city's reputation across the globe as a historic and architecturally beautiful seat of learning. My favourite
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House that isn't there
A PARTISAN'S DAUGHTER Louis de Bernieres (Harvill Secker, £16.99) Reading this book, I was reminded of an old friend, with whom I have now lost contact, who pointed at a patch of London sky and explained that that was where she used to live. The area
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Kureishi goes metropolitan
SOMETHING TO TELL YOU Hanif Kureishi (Faber, £16.99)Kureishi's first novel, The Buddha of Suburbia, was a coming-of-age tale, and his most successful story, the filmscript My Beautiful Launderette, was a portrait of youthful rebellion and racism in
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Paperback choice
The Alchemist's Secret Scott Mariani (Avon, £6.99) Mariani has a modern languages degree from Christ Church, Oxford, while his hero, private detective and former SAS man Ben Hope, studied ancient history there. However, he does speak French and Spanish
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Flood-hit boxing club back on its feet
A boxing club is up off the canvas after last summer's floods almost dealt it a knockout blow. Witney Boxing Club lost thousands of pounds worth of equipment at its premises at Newland Sports and Social Club last July. But it's now back with a bang
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Nursery's 'Mary Poppins' bids farewell
A nursery school has been saying its goodbyes to one of its longest-serving teachers, fondly described as the 'Danish Mary Poppins'. Children and staff at St Thomas Nursery in Oxford are bidding a tearful farewell to Sigrid Cooper, who is stepping down
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Peak trek tribute to brother
A woman is hoping to tackle one of the world's tallest peaks in a bid to raise thousands of pounds for a charity close to her heart. Sally Kingett, office manager at King Alfred's Sports and Community College in Wantage, will scale a 4,200m Andean Peak
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Election has one candidate
Election red tape is causing confusion in north Oxfordshire today as villagers turn up to vote in a parish poll... with only one real candidate. The poll has to go ahead for legal reasons, even though one of two candidates has called on the electorate
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'Drugs seized' in police raids
Police believe they seized a "significant amount" of drugs in raids on three homes in Oxford yesterday. Drugs were seized from houses in Elder Way, Knights Road and Falcon Close, in Blackbird Leys, during the morning operation. A 35-year-old woman
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HGVs crash on A34
ONE driver was treated for minor injuries following a crash between two heavy goods vehicles on the A34 near Bicester today. The accident happened at 10.51am on the northbound carriageway, between the Weston-on-the-Green turn and junction nine of the
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Drugs seized in raid on homes
POLICE seized a "significant haul" of drugs in raids on three homes in Oxford yesterday. Drugs were seized from houses in Elder Way, Knights Road and Falcon Close in Blackbird Leys during the morning operation. A 35-year-old woman and an 18-year-old
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Off the perch
This time last year, I pointed out that in Abingdon, the Lesser Spotted Liberal and the Common Crested Conservative had once again returned after their four-year hibernation and I correctly stated that they would go after a few weeks for another four
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Compulsory reading
John Maden's letter, Left powerless (Oxford Mail, March 4), ought to be compulsory reading for all Cabinet Ministers, MPs and politicians. In accepting the Lisbon Treaty, they will ruin democracy as thoroughly as if the country had been handed over
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Get it right
I am sorry to see city councillor Ed Turner take my criticism of the Rose Hill Labour News personally, as it was meant to stir the consciences of his fellow Labour councillors that complacency could lose them a safe seat (Oxford Mail, March 3). I have
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Watchdog in bed with post chiefs
Oxfordshire Pensioners' Action Group is very concerned about the latest round of post office closures, with its serious effects on pensioners. It is one of the topics which we shall discuss at our annual meeting in Oxford Town Hall on Wednesday, April
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Cabbages and Kings
Until God's relative in the retail world, better known as Sir Stuart Rose, one-time manager of Oxford's Marks & Spencer Queen Street store, and now chairman and chief executive of the whole M&S shooting match, declared plastic bags were bad medicine,
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I'm doing it for his honour
Libby Purves explains to NICK UTECHIN why she is speaking at the Oxford Literary Festival about her son's death The broadcaster, novelist and columnist Libby Purves comes to the festival with a real challenge: to speak of her own son's death. Nicholas
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Sleaze and the truth that sticks
REG LITTLE talks to Oxford Literary Festival guest Martin Bell about his new book on New Labour It would be almost disappointing if Martin Bell were to arrive at the Oxford Literary Festival from a holiday break in the Cotswolds or book signing
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Words free from inhibitions
HELEN PEACOCKE profiles the life of former publisher Diana Athill, a guest of the Oxford Literary festival, who is still writing at the age of 90 There is a postscript to Diana Athill's book Somewhere Towards the End which is worth reading first
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The Romantic Age
MARY ZACAROLI celebrates Mills and Boon's 100th birthday as part of the Oxford Literary Festival 2008 The publisher Mills & Boon celebrates its 100th anniversary this year. Started by Gerald Mills and Charles Boon in Covent Garden, having published
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Lorries crash on A34 near Bicester
One driver was treated for minor injuries following a crash between two heavy goods vehicles on the A34 near Bicester this morning. The accident happened at 10.51am on the northbound carriageway, between the Weston-on-the-Green turn and junction nine
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The Bod and bad
We warmly welcome the Bodleian's plans for a redevelopment that will open up more of its treasures to public view. It can only be a good thing if more people are encouraged into this world-class library to view manuscripts that are an integral part
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A clean sweep
This weekend, 1,500 people volunteers will be on the march in Oxford cleaning up the best part of 100 litter-strewn sites. It is a fantastic response to the Oxclean spring clean organised by Oxford Civic Society and supported by this newspaper and Oxford
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Missing miles
Sir - I can reassure your correspondent from Islip (Letter, March 7) that his village has not moved farther away from Oxford in the last 80 years. My neighbour, Mrs Bulpitt, and her sister walked to Webber's from Islip Road in Summertown. It seems that
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No stars for cheating
Sir - It's such a pity that Delia Smith's new book cannot be accepted for what it is (Helen Peacocke, Weekend, March 6) - a cheat's guide to cooking "which won't win you any Michelin stars". By her own admission it is a "cut corners" approach to cooking
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Sticky
Hurrah for running. I'm enjoying it more and more now the injury (touch wood) seems to be subsiding. It makes me feel all healthy and out-doorsy and Famous Five. Now if only the summer would hurry up so my trainers don't resemble wet, brown diving boots
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Where there's light
VAL BOURNE says crocus has responded to the sunniest February on record I have just been to a Crocus Day held at RHS Wisley. The first speaker, John Grimshaw, voiced the opinion that crocus should be just as popular as snowdrops. John is a well-known
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Water voles thrown lifeline
Last month Defra announced that they are finally going to give the threatened mammal the vital protection it needs to survive, writes JULIA ARMSTONG The plop' of a water vole launching itself into the clear water of a river or stream was once
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Obey the limit
Sir - I would advise Mr Munday (letter, March 7) and anyone else concerned about speed cameras to simply slow down and obey the legal speed limit for this stretch of road. He would then be unlikely to get caught by any speed cameras, hidden or otherwise
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Church karaoke
Sir - What a wonderful idea to remove the pews from Fernham church, so that it can be used as a community building, with the altar hidden away, "so that people who come to watch a film and have a beer don't have religion shoved in their face" (February
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Silent witness
Sir - Your issue of February 29 reports on an exciting scheme to widen the use of the beautiful church of St John the Evangelist, Fernham. Sadly, Neil Sutherland of "Project Inspire" seems anxious only to belittle the role of this building as a place
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Diplomatic rows — don't miss the bigger picture
The From Russia exhibition at the Royal Academy caused controversy before it arrived but one look at the stunning work on view helps to explain why, writes SYLVIA VETTA This landmark exhibition at the Royal Academy arrived with overtones reminiscent
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Fair effort
Sir - Fairtrade Fortnight has been celebrated in a big way in the city during these past two weeks. There were some 20 events, ranging from coffee mornings and tastings to a trail through the Botanic Gardens to a film and exhibition at Christ Church.
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Some safe routes
Sir - Dr Carl Heneghan (Letters, March 7) asks for a "safe" route from East Oxford into town. He's right: the council must make Cowley Road, the Plain and High Street safer still. Having said that, with proper training, most children would have the ability
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A strain for train
Sir - Hugh Jaeger's letter (March 7) raises two challenges. First, he refers to the rebuilding of junction ten on the M40 as if it were a success. In fact, it is a catastrophic failure because it sets the two major traffic flows - west off the M40 and
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Leaving late
Sir - My wife and I recently travelled to Bordeaux on a three-stage rail journey: Oxford-London-Paris-Bordeaux. Two of the three trains departed and arrived exactly on time. I leave your readers to guess which one didn't. But I have to say that the
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Combining art and science
Banbury Museum hosts the first hologram exhibition in the UK for 20 years, writes SYLVIA VETTA Banbury Museum has done it again. On show until May 5 is an exhibition in stunning three dimensions - the exhibits move or change as you walk up to
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Let's share space
Sir - As a cyclist who regularly crosses the junction of Parks Road and the Broad, I would like to support very strongly the proposal to replace the lights with a designated shared space for pedestrians, cyclists and traffic. At present, vehicular traffic
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Post offices are news
Sir - I am astonished that The Oxford Times has over the last weeks given so little space to the serious matter of the closure of post offices across the city and the county, despite protests by communities and by some of our Members of Parliament.
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Social sins
Sir - This week the Vatican has declared pollution to be a 'social sin'. It "has installed photovoltaic cells on buildings to produce electricity and hosted a scientific conference to discuss the ramifications of global warming and climate change, widely
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Not satisfied
Sir - I have a copy of Oxon News. I was puzzled by the foreword from Keith Mitchell. My wife and I have had interactions with Oxfordshire social services which were far from satisfactory. In anticipation of my wife's major operation, I telephoned
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No knowledge
Sir - Your editorial on March 7 stated that you have "never detected a groundswell of opinion against the Westgate scheme" and that you "believe most people will warmly welcome the redevelopment" especially the John Lewis store. The vast majority of
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In despair
Sir - I am in despair that we shall manage to trash a city even as beautiful as Oxford. Through obeying Government directives and individual or corporate materialist aims we are despoiling our city of greenery, clean air, beauty and serenity. Poor
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Opposition times ten
Sir - I read your editorial about the redevelopment of the Westgate Centre in Oxford with some surprise. You say the attendance figure at the protest meeting of only 70 people does not count as "serious and substantial opposition". I believe that MPs
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State of A34 'a disgrace'
Sir - Your OxClean campaign is commendable but let us not forget that it is the local authorities that have the responsiblity, under Section 89 of the Environmental Protection Act 1990 and its associated Code of Practice, to keep our streets and countryside
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Story that gives me déjà vu
Every few weeks (or so it seems) the Daily Telegraph reports how some oldie is hanging on to his or her long-cherished family home in Sandbanks, Dorset - one of Britain's most expensive places to live - instead of realising the many millions it is now
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When student revels set the social tone
Few if any events during the Oxford Literary Festival will be taking place in a venue more suited to the subject under discussion than D.J.Taylor's talk on his book Bright Young People (Chatto & Windus, £20). As Taylor tells us in his hugely entertaining
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More really useful plugs for Lloyd Webber
Much of what the BBC does causes me surprise and anger. Showing endless hours of sport - because the lads and ladettes who run the corporation happen to like it - represents one disgraceful abuse of the viewing public. But this is perhaps a venial sin
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Focus on issues of immigration
The BBC's 'White' season is controversial, to say the least. It purports to examine why "some white working-class people feel marginalised in their community". It is actually misnamed, as some of the programmes suggest that the subject is much wider than
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Classic hot cross buns are a real Easter treat
Some childhood memories last for ever. Nothing diminishes them; even smells and tastes can be recalled with amazing clarity. One such memory haunts me every Easter as I walk past the mountains of hot cross buns sitting on supermarket shelves, wrapped
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Stage acclaim for Oxford actor
Oxford actor Tom Hiddleston was named the Best Newcomer in a Play at the Laurence Olivier Awards in London. Mr Hiddleston received two nominations in the category for his role as Cassio in Othello at the Donmar Warehouse and for his performance as Posthumus
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Motorists are 'flouting law'
MOTORISTS are still ignoring road safety messages, Thames Valley Police have claimed. Last month the police conducted 106 roadside checks across the region, focusing on seat belt use, mobile phones and excess speed. As a result 1,520 seat belt offences
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Recipe for Navarin of Lamb — serves 4-6
British lamb is the perfect meat for the Easter weekend and navarin of lamb the perfect dish to cook a day in advance. This saves work on the day, and allowing the dish to sit in the refrigerator overnight enhances its flavour. There are so many different
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Motorists 'flouting the law'
Motorists are still ignoring road safety messages, Thames Valley Police has said. Last month, police carried out 106 roadside checks across the region, focusing on seat belt use, mobile phones and speeding. As a result, officers detected 1,520 seat
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10,000BC and The Cottage
Director Roland Emmerich has spent half his career trying to obliterate planet Earth and humankind with it in blockbusters such as Independence Day, Godzilla and The Day After Tomorrow, a film which imagined the return of the Ice Age. Emmerich's brain
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Hiddleston named best newcomer
OXFORD actor Tom Hiddleston was named the best newcomer in a play at the Laurence Olivier Awards in London on Sunday. Mr Hiddleston received two nominations in the category for his role as Cassio in Othello at the Donmar Warehouse and for his performance
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We Are Together, Water Lilies and Children of Glory
A South African tweenager slowly pulling tongues at the camera in Paul Taylor's We Are Together will be one of this critic's enduring images of 2008. It's not a rude gesture, but a charming sign of the growing confidence that Slidile Moya feels in dealing
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DNA and The Miracle Baby Girl: National Theatre's New Connections
'Dental college is part of the plan. Dead people are not part of the plan!" When a group of school kids accidentally bully their bantamweight classmate to death, they turn, in desperation, to a peripheral acquaintance, Phil. Phil (Sam Crane) has been
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Cleaning up
It must make sense. You come from a country rich in everything, and which economists everywhere say will one day realise its potential; you take a job here, in a country rich in skills and know-how, but where few natives want to do menial jobs. You earn
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An English Serenade: St Nicholas' Church, Abingdon
Last Sunday's recital in the glorious setting of St Nicolas' Church, Abingdon, was the first in the 2008 Abbey Chamber Recitals series, which runs throughout the year and includes a wide variety of music performed by local professional and amateur musicians
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BADMINTON: Windrush clinch runners-up spot
Windrush H clinched the runner-up spot in Division 1 of Oxfordshire's premier team competition, the Five Disciplines League, with a 247-161 defeat of nearest rivals Evenlode. The Witney-based club completed the season with 1409 points, just six adrift
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Ain't Misbehavin', The Oxfordshire Touring Theatre Company
With their latest production, Ain't Misbehavin' - The Fats Waller Musical Show, Oxfordshire Touring Theatre Company said that they were setting out to "transform Village Halls around rural Oxfordshire into Manhattan nightclubs". When I went to see them
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The Oxford Gang Show, New Theatre, Oxford
The boys and girls are back to town to present the annual feast of song, music and dance. The Oxford Gang Show opened on Monday night and the scouts, guides and their adult helpers are wowing the young, and young at heart, with catchy numbers and comedy
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ROWING: Casey competes trials treble
Helen Casey spearheaded a strong Oxfordshire challenge in the Great Britain final trials to uphold her claims for a place in the Olympic team for Beijing, writes Mike Rosewell. Lightweight Casey, from Wallingford, won the sculling trials for the third
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RACING: Bradstock has high hopes of Carruthers
Carruthers, from Mark and Sara Bradstock's Letcombe Bassett stables, near Wantage, bids to continue his fairy-tale rise to stardom at Cheltenham on Friday. The five-year-old gelding, who tackles the Albert Bartlett Novices' Hurdle, has emerged as one
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Swan Lake, Birmingham Royal Ballet, New Theatre, Oxford
I must start by partially eating my words in my preview, when I warned that there is no lake in this production. Viewed this time from the circle, there are indeed a few wavelets to be seen behind the steps that hide them from those in the stalls. However
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Don Giovanni, Oxford Philomusica, Sheldonian Theatre
Oxford Philomusica's semi-staged performance of Don Giovanni had an extra protagonist: the orchestra itself. Usually relegated to the role of a mere accompanist, and hidden away in the pit, here the orchestra was given equal prominence with the singers
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Chinse State Circus, Wycombe Swann
This is a show that looks great . . . the costumes are sumptuous, and the acts flow smoothly through the services of a remarkable little man who introduces himself as "The Monkey King". His cat-like face is made up in a traditional Chinese monkey design
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The Oxford Bach Choir, Handel's Messiah, Sheldonian Theatre
From the very start of the Bach Choir's performance of Handel's Messiah last Saturday, I felt as though I were hearing this music almost for the first time. The whole piece sparkled with clarity and freshness as though it had been taken apart, scrubbed
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BRADLEY SMITH COLUMN
I'VE just arrived back home from Qatar with a super new Tissott watch, but I would willingly swap it for 25 World Championship points. Of course, I'm still really bitterly disappointed about the problems we had when I was leading a Grand Prix for the
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Voters polled in 'one-candidate' election
ELECTION red tape is causing confusion in north Oxfordshire today as villagers turn up to vote in a parish poll . . . with only one real candidate. The poll has to go ahead for legal reasons, even though one of two candidates has called on the electorate
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Village speed check catches six drivers
SIX motorists were caught breaking the 30mph speed limit during a two-hour police operation in Hailey, near Witney, this morning. Just one of the speeding motorists was given a fixed penalty notice after being caught driving at 44mph on the B4022 Delly
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The Art of Recycling: Bampton Gallery
Unconventional and unusual materials, shining with colour and humour, have transformed the Bampton Gallery. You would not think that Val Hunt's latest shining, patterned fish and birds were made out of drink cans. Many are imprinted with traces of residual
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As You Like It: OFS Studio, Oxford
Disguise, ambiguity, deception and love lie at the heart of Shakespeare's great pastoral comedy, served up with large helpings of wit, rhetoric and innuendo. Oxford Triptych Theatre brings all these ingredients together in a production that shimmers with
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Our Friends in the North
Two-thirds of the way through this production, I find my notes read: "Grim, spare." As the long (3hr 40min) evening draws to a close, the audience must feel so sad as they watch every character on stage bared to their bones. For the characters themselves
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It's showtime for gang
For many of the hundreds of people - young and old - who take part in the Oxford Gang Show, it is the highlight of the year. Singers, dancers, writers and stage-hungry performers spend months preparing for the annual event, which is supported by the
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BBC launches f-word investigation
BBC Radio Oxford editor Steve Taschini has launched an investigation after a broadcaster swore live on air this morning. Some listeners were stunned by the London-based travel presenter's f-word outburst at about 7.40am. Breakfast show presenter Phil
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Speeders caught in police operation
Six motorists were caught breaking the 30 mph speed limit during a two-hour police operation in Hailey, near Witney, this morning. Just one of the speeding motorists was given a fixed penalty notice after being caught driving at 44mph on the B4022 Delly
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Miss Oxford Mail deadline looms
Young women who want to enter this year's Miss Oxford competition are being reminded that tomorrow is deadline day for entries. This year, the Oxford Mail has joined forces with the organisers of Miss England to choose this year's Miss Oxford Mail.
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BBC apologises for F-word outburst
BBC Radio Oxford boss Steve Taschini has launched an investigation after a broadcaster swore live on air this morning. Some listeners were stunned by the London-based travel presenter's f-word outburst at about 7.40am. Breakfast show presenter Phil
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Lewis looking for reaction
Mickey Lewis says that the mood in the Oxford United camp is one of wanting to prove the doubters wrong. The U's assistant manager (pictured) admits that he was hurt "big time" by Saturday's 3-0 home defeat against Burton. But ahead of the game at
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Benefit cheat swindled £10k
A BENEFIT cheat was caught swindling benefits just seven months after being slapped on the wrist for the same offence. Mark Tracey, of Frilsham Street in Sutton Courtenay, was given a three-year conditional discharge for benefit fraud in March 2005.
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Have a go
Full marks to Oxfordshire County Council for at least considering taking over some of our threatened post offices. The Post Office has made a poor job of it, so if it can't do it, let someone else have a go. It is clear that the threatened wave of
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Our chance to become a lifesaver
Today we all have a chance to make a difference by supporting World Kidney Day. Medical expertise in recent decades, much of it accomplished in Oxford, has meant that patients needing new kidneys (and other organs) have a chance of a longer and fuller
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Westgate protesters stage meeting
The Oxford Against Westgate Expansion group is staging its second public meeting tonight at 7pm at Oxford Town Hall in St Aldate's. Campaigners are opposed to plans for the £300m redevelopment of the Westgate shopping centre, with work due to start
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Accident revives school-parking fears
AN accident which hospitalised a primary school pupil has re-ignited a row over parents parking directly outside school gates. Parents, school staff, police community support officers (PCSOs) and parking enforcers have been fighting a losing battle
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Teenagers turn lives around
SIX teenage tearaways yesterday proved how they have turned their lives around through sport. The former troublemakers have all been expelled from school for bad behaviour including fighting, vandalism, not respecting teachers and playing truant.
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Exeter hall reopens
A LIVE music venue which closed suddenly after a licensing dispute has reopened under new management. The Exeter Hall pub, in Oxford Road, Cowley, shut without warning on Thursday, January 17 after former manager, Al De Boss, was declared bankrupt and
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Council could rescue threatened post offices
Oxfordshire County Council is looking into the possibility of taking over the running of 22 under-threat Post Offices. The move follows a decision by Essex County Council to negotiate taking control of some threatened branches within its area. It
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Tearaways show they can run football tournament
Six teenage tearaways yesterday proved how they have turned their lives around through sport. The former troublemakers have all been expelled from school for bad behaviour such as fighting, vandalism, not respecting teachers and playing truant. But
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A long wait to live a new life
Seventeen-year-old Jasmine Parker is one of dozens of people in Oxfordshire waiting for a new kidney. Every Monday, Wednesday and Friday she and her mother Diane Wincott make the 56-mile round trip from their home in Banbury to Oxford and the Churchill
