Archive
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School gives cycling a boost
OXFORDSHIRE'S most bicycle-friendly school took another leap towards getting 1,000 of its pupils on their cycles today. The Cherwell School, in Marston Ferry Road, Oxford, already has 47 per cent of pupils cycling into school - 20 times the national
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School gives bicycling a boost
Oxfordshire's most bicycle-friendly school took another leap towards getting 1,000 of its pupils on their bikes today. The Cherwell School, in Marston Ferry Road, Oxford, already has 47 per cent of pupils cycling into school - 20 times the national
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'No confidence in ambulance service'
The scrutiny committee of West Oxfordshire District Council has passed a vote of no confidence in the ambulance service. It learned that, for category A emergency call-outs, where an ambulance should at the scene in eight minutes, the success rate in
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Darts tribute to knife victim
FAMILY and friends paid tribute to a doorman who died outside an Oxford pub - by winning the local darts league. Stephen Pinker, 43, died from a knife wound outside the Corner House, in Hollow Way, Cowley, on Tuesday. On Thursday evening, Mr Pinker's
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Darts tribute to stab victim
Family and friends paid tribute to a doorman killed outside an Oxford pub - by winning the local darts league. Stephen Pinker, 43, died after he was slashed across the neck outside the Corner House, in Hollow Way, Cowley, on Tuesday. On Thursday evening
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'I was out when police raided'
A MAN accused of fleeing a police raid on his home told a court he was at his sister's house. Triston Lawrence, 23, denied at Oxford Crown Court four charges of possession with intent to supply after drugs were found during the raid in Berry Close,
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Update: More trouble on M40
A CRASH involving two lorries brought further misery to the M40 tonight after an earlier pile-up closed the motorway. The exit slip road on the northbound carriageway at junction ten, at Ardley, leading to the A43 was closed. Emergency services are on
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'I was out when police raided home'
A man accused of fleeing a police raid on his home told a court he was at his sister's house. Triston Lawrence, 23, denied at Oxford Crown Court four charges of possession with intent to supply after drugs were found during the raid in Berry Close,
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Skaters look set to win park fight
THE end of the road is in sight for a group which has been campaigning to bring a permanent skate park to Oxford for more than a decade. A report on plans for a new, purpose-built facility on Cowley Marsh Park is due to be discussed next week - and
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Middle age spread
Investigating the relevant collections at the Museum of Oxford in anticipation of its Medieval Day for families on April 17, and wondering what had been on this site (at the junction of St Aldate's and Blue Boar Street) in the Middle Ages, I stumbled
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Best brews
T ipples Brewery, which is just a few miles from Norwich, was founded in 2004 by Jason Tipple. The brewery uses a traditional full mash method to create an exciting range of bottle conditioned beers. Ginger ABV 3.8% £1.95 Fresh ginger is added
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Magic organic
I had slightly different plans for this month's column. I had hoped to be writing about the wines of California but I am sorry to say those I tasted didn't give me anything positive to say about the latest products from the home of American wines.
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Raymond would be proud
Those of you who watched it will know that Jane and Jeremy Hooper (pictured) were the winners of the popular reality TV show The Restaurant masterminded by Raymond Blanc. Contestants were whittled down week-by-week in X-Factor style until there was
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Tale of two peaches
T hey are quite different, but, after dining at The Fleece in Witney and The Fishes in North Hinksey, Oxford, I can confirm that both pubs obviously have a winning formula. They are part of the seven-strong stable of foodie pubs across middle England
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The curse of perfection
W e all fail. That is because we're fallible human beings just doing the best we can. Isn't it ironic though - perfectionists fail' more often than the rest of us! That is because of the way perfectionists think - in their minds they will never
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All roads lead to Audi
T he new Audi A4 saloons will be competing against the BMW 3 Series and the new Mercedes-Benz C-Class - all from German manufacturers. Which of these Teutonic challengers will come out on top? The new Audi A4 is longer and wider than its main
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No ifs, just Butts!
J udy Hancox freely admitted that farming is in the blood. "My father was a farmer, so I was brought up to it. I did try other things, I worked in London and abroad, but the love of farming was too strong, so here I am doing what I do
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Forum J's Development crown
Forum J are the Development League table tennis champions. A 5-0 win over Forum N sealed the title, with Matt Cooper and Chris Smith ending the season as the top and third-placed players respect- ively. Forum L cemented the runners-up spot with a
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Tulips from Amsterdam
Last spring I was lucky enough to visit the Keukenhof at Lisse on the outskirts of Amsterdam. This display garden, which is conveniently near the airport, only opens in spring and it showcases the entire range of spring bulbs produced in Holland.
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Magical meadows
April, often a cruel month with its promises of warmer weather to come, interspersed with harsh reminders that winter is only just at our backs. However, it is a month of change in the world of nature and these changes are both exciting and short-lived
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Barley Hill star in tag festival
Barley Hill (Thame) turned on the style to record a double at the London Wasps/Highland Spring Tag Rugby Festival at Chinnor RFC. With 12 teams representing seven schools, the festival acted as a culmination to a coaching scheme which the London Wasps
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Opportunity for young achievers
Young people to be proud of who live in the Vale of White Horse will be honoured at a special lunch. Residents of the area can nominate individuals to attend the district council's celebratory lunch on Saturday, April 26. It will recognise successes
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Pinch me
Last night - cried for about 60 seconds - stopped - snored for 13 hours. Perfect.
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Guardian of tradition
In 1958, one of the most comprehensive and authoritative histories of Banbury was published, after many years of meticulous research. Fifty years on, it is still regarded as the definitive work on the history of the town. The author was William Potts
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Big band, big sound
Bellowhead are coming home - headlining at the Oxford Folk Festival next weekend (April 11-13), the very event which, in 2004, saw the band explode on to the folk scene. Since then they have won a string of awards, including best live act at this year's
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Young to help shape estate
Teenagers in Oxford have been invited to learn computer skills which will help them to shape the future design of their estate. The Leys Remix Project aims to get 25 people, aged 14 to 18, involved in a year-long training course dedicated to improving
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Dave makes most of Last Chance
Beehive AC fished their Last Chance Cup at long last on a snowy and windy Lower Court. The conditions made presentation difficult for anglers but a few fish were caught. Presenting a pellet waggler to a slack area at the back of the island, Dave Simmons
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Faith in the future
The word timeless is overused, but it is the word that inevitably comes to mind looking out at the rural view from Hanborough's Church of St Peter and St Paul, which reaches the 900th anniversary of its founding this year. "Down there is a single track
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Hearts of oak
I t is splintery and grey, and seems to have some dark stains on it - a hefty slab of seasoned oak that looks not merely old but second-hand, as if it has been ripped out of a building. It doesn't even look as good as the rough planks you can buy
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Sports centre fight wins support
A campaign to halt cuts in the opening hours of Didcot's Willowbrook Leisure Centre stepped up a gear this week, as two petitions with more than 800 signatures were presented to town councillors. A dozen people wearing 'Save Our Willowbrook' T-shirts
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A real racer
B rian Cook is one of those competitors who would go racing just to take part as much as to win. Yet this modesty belies his achievement. Like John Surtees, Mike Hailwood and Damon Hill, Brian progressed the hard way by racing motorcycles first
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Glitter and the gold
Oxford Brookes University is the most successful of the universities created from former polytechnics. This academic year saw the arrival of Professor Janet Beer to become the University's first female vice-chancellor. I hope she has many glittering
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Skaters look set to win battle for park
The end of the road is in sight for a group which has been campaigning to bring a permanent skate park to Oxford for more than a decade. A report on plans for a new, purpose-built facility on Cowley Marsh Park is due to be discussed next week - and
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Why we must save Nuffield Place
It was in the brick-built Oxfordshire villa pictured below that William Morris, founder of Morris Motors, lived from 1933 until his death 30 years later. Featured in Simon Jenkins's England's 1,000 Best Houses, the building survives as the complete, furnished
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Building for the future
Retirement villages offer flexible living solutions to meet the changing needs of later life. Oxfordshire will have two prestigious retirement villages in key locations within the next three years. These will be built by Richmond Villages, the leading
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Classic Cotswold home
When Nick and Lyn Middle could not find the home of their dreams in the Cotswolds, they considered building their own property, until they discovered a house that had the perfect mix of traditional and modern features. Nick said: "We had been looking
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Progress
Most people will be astonished to learn that Oxford has so many forced marriages. According to latest figures, as many as 60 took place here last year. Some may turn out to be very happy and lasting relationships, but we all know from bitter experience
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Brothers complete hat-trick of wins
Brothers Alastair and Matthew Rushforth enjoyed a triple triumph at the MG Car Club's opening meeting held at Donington Park, Leicester- shire. The motor racing duo, from Wantage, won all three races, with Alastair taking the two MG Trophy events, while
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Out of your car and on your bike
We all know what a pain the School Run has become. Hundreds of cars ferrying children to their classes cause chaos outside schools and on the routes to them. You always notice the difference when it is holiday time - everyone else has a virtual clear
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Short memories
Ken Jones says that the Chancellor gave a measly £50 in his Budget to the over-60s towards their heating allowance for this year, making it £250, and £100 for the over-80s, making theirs £400 (Oxford Mail, March 18). When the Tory Government was in
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No English pride
As usual, we are left celebrating St Patrick's Day, which is OK for me because I have Irish origins and my wife is Irish. However, the 75 per cent of me that is English would like my Englishness, as distinct from Gordon's political ideas of Englishness
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Bossom makes history
Nigel Bossom won the Arthur Cook Billiards Cup for the fourth successive year with victory over Pom Merola. The Thame player (+30) edged into a 100-85 lead over Merola (+10), from Oracle. But then a number of decent breaks saw him cruise to a 200-
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Two-way bet
What's the difference between the Oxford Mail and the House of Commons? Andrew Smith MP says he's against post office cuts when he's in one and for them in the other. Christmas cracker jokes aside, you reported in 2007 that councillors had backed
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Security fear
I topped up my Oxford Bus Company Key Card and asked for my email address to be changed as I wasn't getting any emailed notifications. Now I'm getting them, I'm shocked that my full personal details are on the confirmation mails - name, full postal
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Beer drinkers being hit hard
So the Chancellor, Alistair Darling, has increased the price of beer by 4p in his Budget - he's no darling of mine. The price of bitter at the bar has increased by 15p and some other drinks by as much as 25p. This brewery greed and the smoking ban
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Fieldside ease to cup glory
Fieldside retained the Simonds Snooker Cup with a 4-0 win against Riley. Despite the scoreline, it was a keenly-fought contest and Chris Stone came close to winning the opening frame for Riley. Leading 44-28 against Karl Walker, Stone needed the brown
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City alleyways to be closed
OXFORD is to get its first antisocial behaviour gates, to lock criminals and vandals out of two of its most notorious alleyways. The historic Bulwarks Lane, in the city centre, and an alleyway between Windale Avenue and Pegasus Road, in Blackbird Leys
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Sign up for OX5
Organisers of this year's OX5 Run, in aid of the Oxford children's hospital, are hoping hundreds of runners will sign up next week for the race. So far, about 450 people have applied to join the five-mile run at Blenheim Palace, on Sunday, April 6,
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Alley closures given go-ahead
Oxford is to get its first antisocial behaviour gates, to lock criminals and vandals out of two of its most notorious alleyways. The historic Bulwarks Lane, in the city centre, and an alleyway between Windale Avenue and Pegasus Road, in Blackbird Leys
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M40 northbound reopens after crash
The northbound carriageway of the M40 beyond Banbury has reopened after being closed this morning by a multi-vehicle pile-up. However, the southbound carriageway is still closed between junction 15, near Leamington Spa, in Warwickshire, and junction
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Club told to crack down on trouble
ONE of Oxford's biggest nightclubs - the Bridge - has been ordered to clean up its act as part of a "tougher stance" on night-time violence. Last week, the nearby Imperial club's licence was suspended for six weeks, after the police said it had become
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Today's local share prices (PM)
AEA Technology 73 BMW 2735 Electrocomponents 181.75 Nationwide Accident Repair 133.5 Oxford Biomedica 23 Oxford Catalyst 154 Oxford Instruments 186 Reed Elsevier 641.75 RM 200.5 RPS Group 324.5 Courtesy of Redmayne Bentley, Abingdon
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Get Carter and find Kipling
You meet lots of interesting people in my line of work and after a thoroughly pleasant encounter with US civil rights leader Jesse Jackson last year I got lucky with the Yanks for the second time. My mission the other day was to Get Carter — or to get
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Club told to get tough on yobs
One of Oxford's biggest nightclubs - the Bridge - has been ordered to clean up its act as part of a "tougher stance" on night-time violence. Last week, the nearby Imperial club's licence was suspended for six weeks, after the police said it had become
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Get trucky!
Music lovers in Oxfordshire are once again being given first chance to snap up tickets for one of the country's best-loved festivals. Over the past decade, Truck Festival, which is held at Hill Farm, in Steventon, near Abingdon, has grown into a showcase
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Parking rules a farce
Traffic wardens patrolling Bicester's first residents' parking scheme are powerless to fine motorists flouting the new rules, officials have admitted. Cherwell District Council is unable to slap charges on motorists ignoring the restrictions - and no
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Crash closes M40
Police have arrested a motorist after a multi-car pile-up on the M40. The M40 southbound between junction 12, near Gaydon, and junction 11, at Banbury, remains closed after five cars collided at 10.20am. Two lanes northbound are also closed and there
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Rent revolt
A flower seller trading from a pitch outside Oxford's Westgate is facing a rent hike from the city council of nearly 50 per cent. Darren Oretagu, who has been selling flowers from his stall since September, said that the increase will cause his rent
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Drug firms's losses grow
Biotech firm Phynova, which develops drugs derived from traditional Chinese plant medicines, has slipped further into the red. Latest financial figures show the company based at the Blenheim Office Park, Long Hanborough, made a loss of £2.9m for the
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Today's local share prices (AM)
AEA Technology 73 BMW 2720 Electrocomponents 183.75 Nationwide Accident Repair 132.5 Oxford Biomedica 23 Oxford Catalyst 154 Oxford Instruments 187.5 Reed Elsevier 634.5 RM 200.5 RPS Group 328 Courtesy of redmayne Bentley, Abingdon
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Rail firms best and worst
OXFORDSHIRE rail services are at the top and bottom of the league for punctuality, according to the latest official figures. Chiltern Railways, which links Banbury and Bicester with London Marylebone and Birmingham, is top of the table, with 95.6 per
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Topsy turvy rail report
Oxfordshire rail services are at the top and bottom of the league for punctuality, according to the latest official figures. Chiltern Railways, which links Banbury and Bicester with London Marylebone and Birmingham, is top of the table, with 95.6 per
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Man remanded on murder charge
A 25-YEAR-OLD man charged with murdering a father-of-two was remanded in custody today. Christopher Philp, of Leiden Road, Wood Farm, Oxford, appeared at Oxford Magistrates' Court shortly after 10am charged with murder. The charge relates to the death
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Man in court over pub murder
A 25-year-old man charged with murdering a father-of-two was remanded in custody this morning. Christopher Philp, of Leiden Road, Wood Farm, Oxford, appeared at Oxford Magistrates' Court shortly after 10am charged with murder. The charge relates to
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IT for teachers
Most adults of a certain age will admit their children have more information technology knowledge in their little finger than they could possibly hope to learn in a lifetime. That is accepted, but the difficulty comes at school when those same adults
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Jason's hat-trick
Some people are happy with their lot. They find a career, do reasonably well, make a comfortable living and then retire. They may not have changed the world but then they had no particular desire to do so. Then there are the Richard Bransons of this
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Witney traveller in Heathrow chaos
A WITNEY man was one of hundreds who endured "chaotic" scenes at Heathrow's new Terminal Five . British Airways was forced to suspend all baggage check-in at the flagship £4.3bn facility yesterday following a series of problems wrecked what should
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Man injured in barn blaze
FIREFIGHTERS tackled a blaze in garages and a barn conversion in Cuddesdon last night. They were called to fire in The Lane, which destroyed 75 per cent of the roof of the two-storey building. One man was treated by paramedics for minor burns following
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Heathrow headache for local traveller
A Witney man was one of hundreds who endured "chaotic" scenes at Heathrow's new Terminal Five yesterday. British Airways was forced to suspend all baggage check-in at the flagship £4.3 billion facility yesterday following a series of problems wrecked
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Allotment blaze
FIRE crews were called to Cripley Meadow allotments off Walton Well Road, Oxford, on Wednesday after a moped was set alight. The incident happened shortly after 5am. No one was hurt and the police were informed.
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Parking zones branded 'farcical'
HOUSEHOLDERS who have paid up to £75 to park their vehicles in residents' parking zones in Bicester have branded the scheme a farce after learning that traffic wardens are not allowed to issue tickets. The Cherwell District Council wardens have been
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One man injured in barn blaze
Firefighters tackled a blaze in garages and a barn conversion in a village outside Oxford last night. They were called to fire in The Lane, Cuddesdon, which destroyed 75 per cent of the roof of the two-storey building. One man was treated by paramedics
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Push on shared equity housing schemes
Hundreds of families have been helped on to the housing ladder in Oxfordshire through Government schemes since their introduction nearly two years ago, official figures have revealed. Between April 2006 and the end of January this year, 395 contracts
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Knife victim due to marry next year
KNIFE victim father-of-two Stephen Pinker was described by his fiancée as a man loved by everyone he met. The 43-year-old died from a knife wound outside The Corner House pub, in Cowley, Oxford, in front of his fiancée Rebecca Holmes, 28, who he was
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Westgate suffers big delay
WORK to progress the new £330m Westgate Shopping Centre, in Oxford, came to a stop this week as developers abandoned plans for a 2011 opening. Faced with a prolonged legal challenge, the developers called a halt to preliminary work in the multi-storey
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Charity night quiz haul
ALMOST £400 will be shared by the Banbury and District Multiple Sclerosis Society and the NSPCC after a quiz night at Chicago Rock, Banbury, last week. Sixteen teams took part. Deputy mayor Ann Bonner thanked the club for providing the venue free
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Steady Eddie shining bright
EDDIE Anaclet's resurgence is being used as a shining example of how Oxford United's players can prove they still have a future at the club. The right-sided midfielder has come through a torrid time, when his confidence seemed to be rock bottom, to
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Space required
Sir - In your piece Burial plots running out (March 14), there is one issue which is not raised, which is the demand on Oxford cemeteries from those resident outside the city. I understand that Londoners and others prefer plots in Oxford because (
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Value for money?
Sir - In the winter issue of Oxon News, councillor Keith Mitchell has summed up in seven penitential "small words", the grounds, as he spins it, for our contentment with council activities: "Low taxes, real choice, value for money." Locally, we have
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Appalling suffering
Sir - Your correspondents John and Barbara Bunyan lament the failure of their campaign to set up "a living museum" for Bomber Command and its members' "enormous work and sacrifice". A few years ago, the decision to erect a statue to 'Bomber Harris
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Brave group
Sir - Following on from Wg Cdr A J Wright's letter (February 1) regarding the continuing official refusal to recognise those who served in Bomber Command. I am of a younger generation who like many of your readers have thankfully not known a world war
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Danger of yet more dithering
The news that the new Westgate development is facing another delay will cause delight in some quarters and despair in others. Objectors to the £220m scheme will no doubt be encouraged to intensify their campaign. But traders and others who were looking
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Order books open for 'practical supercar'
SIMS GT-R, Oxford, is one of ten dealers nationwide who will be taking orders from next week for the Nissan GT-R. Buyers will face a wait until March of next year for the car, priced from £52,900, which is billed as the world's most practical supercar
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Fully appreciated?
Sir - To those of us living out in the county's stygian wilds, Oxford seems to be eager to promote itself as a city of culture, with a surprising proportion of its population claiming to be writers, artists or academics. Yet whenever I and my friends
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'Solve parking problems our way'
PEOPLE affected by a long-standing parking problem have said it could be solved cheaply and easily - if only Oxfordshire County Council would listen to them. People living in Chillingworth Crescent, in Wood Farm, Oxford, said cars parked on both sides
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Eco-town benefits
Sir - Councillor Mitchell (Letters, February 29) is worryingly ambivalent about Parkridge's huge "Weston-on-Otmoor" town proposal, and his March 14 letter does not clarify whether he thinks M40 Junction 9 could cope with the proposed 15,000 new homes
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Dance date
GET your dancing shoes on for the Vale and Downland Museum's Annual Barn Dance in Lain's Barn, near Wantage, today. Tickets cost £15 from the museum and Visitor Information Centre, with all proceeds going towards the museum.
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Toyota targets 'urban all-road' market
TOYOTA has given its new small sports utility vehicle, the Urban Cruiser, its European debut at the Geneva Motor Show, the latest addition to its 4x4 vehicle heritage. The new model is aimed at the 'urban all-road' market, where European sales have
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Hyundai has eye on future
Hyundai has taken the wraps off a new concept car which hints at a future people carrier production model. The HED-5, named "i-mode" is a six-seater people carrier that incorporates high-tech materials and state-of-the-art communication technology
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Flexible working
Sir - Keith Mitchell's response (Letters, March 14) to Hugh Jaeger's challenge for evidence of the unsustainability of transport arrangements at the proposed eco-town of Shipton-on-Cherwell seems slightly unrealistic. He expects some 12,500 people
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Roman solutions
Sir - Thank you for your article describing Mike Hamblett's valiant efforts to map the flooding dangers around Oxford in his canoe and his comment that small jobs done cheaply can be as effective as grand schemes which cost too much. If you will look
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Ex-Scouts called to reunion
ONE of Oxford's oldest Scout groups is trying to track down former members and leaders to help it celebrate its centenary year. The 4th Oxford Scouts, based in Arnolds Way, Cumnor, is hoping to hear from as many past members as possible so the unit
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Negative impacts
Sir - I read with interest the letter (March 14) from Bruce Heagerty about air pollution in Oxford and its negative impact on health. Four years ago last month, my partner and long-standing Green city councillor Mike Woodin was diagnosed with lung
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Hints of new Ibiza
SEAT's SportCoupe Bocanegra concept, revealed at the Geneva Motor Show in Switzerland, could provide a strong hint at the design direction the new family hatchback, the Ibiza, will take when it debuts in 2009. Key features of the 2008 Bocanegra -
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Sanctity intact
Sir - I was very disappointed to see the article Church might apply for alcohol licence, February 29, in which my name is printed. The article misrepresents the lengthy conversation I had with your journalist in which I made it clear that the building's
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Portable solution
Sir - Having just returned from a hugely successful 'OxClean Womble' with the Summertown Wombles from Summer Fields School, could I recommend the use of Porta-Womble-Bins to collect litter on playing fields. On the playing fields that border the Marston
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Time to stock up
Sir - On Thursday, March 13, I went into St Aldate's post office. There is still no information in the porch, months after I first complained. If you go inside, you will see no information about postal rates, but lots of commercial adverts. Still
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New Jaguar for the few
Jaguar's fastest production XK yet, the XKR-S lightweight sports coupe, goes on sale here in the summer, and will be limited to a production run of just 200 cars for the whole of Europe. Pricing will be disclosed closer to the launch, and the coupe
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Disastrous impact
Sir - I endorse the comments (Report, March 14) about the flawed proposal to close certain Post Offices. It is a disgrace that such important community facilities should be in jeopardy, especially when the current emphasis of the Government and many
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Soviet-style queues unacceptable
Sir - The indifference of national government to the closure of local post offices, a service universally valued by their communities, shows how far our elected representatives have become detached from the everyday concerns of their electorate. I
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Chicane sparks town debate
A CHICANE in Bicester has split locals over whether it should be removed. A number of drivers have called the safety measure, in Buckingham Road, a hazard. But, despite a campaign and petition to get rid of it, other residents in the town want it
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End speed warnings
Sir - As I walked my children to school this morning, the first thing I noticed was much less traffic, driving much more slowly. The second thing was a policeman standing by the side of the road, letting every driver know a speed trap was operating
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Nissan heading for Infiniti
INFINITI - the luxury arm of Nissan - comes to Britain in April next year, and it will be interesting to see how it fares here against the world's leading luxury marques in what has become a fiercely competitive market. Sales of Infiniti models will
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Roadtest: Family-friendly 4x4
The combination of the words Vauxhall and 4x4 in the same sentence has not, up to now, been a particularly happy mix. The firm's foray into the off-road world in the 1990s produced the Frontera. It received a bad press, topped by TV motoring presenter
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Fun day gives academy insight
THE principal of Oxford's planned academy school has invited parents to come and find out more about the future of their children's education at a fun day. Mike Reading, principal designate of the Oxford Academy, will meet and greet families and neighbours
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Keeping theatre in the spotlight
Weighty duties were not long in coming when Michelle Dickson took a job at Oxford Playhouse. She well recalls being accosted by a slightly miffed Falstaff backstage. As his dresser, she had failed in her duty to fasten the fat knight's belt properly
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Honour at last for 'boy' miners
AN OXFORD man who battled claustrophobia to dig coal for Britain during the Second World War has been thanked for his efforts by Prime Minister Gordon Brown. Eighty-two-year-old Dan Duhig, who lives in Lime Road, Botley, was one of 27 so-called Bevin
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Last appeal to stay in contest
A LAST-DITCH attempt is to be made to save Oxford's entry in the prestigious Britain in Bloom competition. Oxford could miss the competition for the first time in 23 years after Oxford City Council cut £40,000 from its budget because of its financial
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Blooming farce
It is farcical that Oxford's Britain in Bloom organisers are having to go round Oxford City Council's area committees, cap in hand, to persuade them to support this year's floral displays. Our entry into this prestigious competition should not rely
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My fiance was a fantastic guy
Killed father-of-two Stephen Pinker was last night described by his fiancée as a man loved by everyone he met. The 43-year-old was slashed across the throat outside The Corner House pub, in Cowley, Oxford. Mr Pinker died in front of his fiancee Becky
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MP expenses
We are pleased to see that Witney MP David Cameron is happy for details of his expenses for a second home to be released. It is disgraceful that the House of Commons is disputing a ruling by a Freedom of Information tribunal that the expenses of MPs
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Westgate fears
We are concerned by delays to work to redevelop the Westgate Centre. Thus far, the developers have been happy to progress the scheme in anticipation that a public inquiry into a compulsory purchase order will go their way. Our planning system is notoriously
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Squatters leave house in squalid state
SQUATTERS left behind a trail of rubbish after finally being evicted from a home, up for sale at £1m, in a sought-after area of Oxford. The eight squatters abandoned the three-storey house, in Walton Street, Jericho, after living there for more than
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Thames beaver mystery remains
STAFF at England's only wild beaver colony denied that a European beaver which has set up home on the River Thames, near Oxford, is a fugitive from their estate. Experts say the mysterious arrival is from a new source of beavers, and not one of the
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Westgate revamp on hold
Developers have halted work towards the new Westgate Shopping Centre - meaning the £330m project will not open in 2011. Because of a prolonged legal challenge over buying up neighbouring land, the Westgate Partnership has called a stop on preliminary
