Archive
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UPDATE: Toilet spy with gay porn fetish fined
A man who admitted spying on another man while he was on the toilet had a fetish for homosexual toilet pornography, a court was told. Christopher Mansford, of Marlborough Gardens, Faringdon, admitted a charge of voyeurism over the incident at a public
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Big day at cafe
A breastfeeding club in Rose Hill celebrated its first birthday on Tuesday. The Baby Cafe, which meets at Rose Hill and Littlemore's Children's Centre, in The Oval, offers advice on breastfeeding to mothers. Pictured blowing out a candle on the birthday
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More help for village youth
Facilities for youngsters living in a "forgotten" council ward are set to be vastly improved. Littlemore could gain two new youth clubs, holiday play schemes and a street-sports site in the new year. The newly formed Littlemore youth
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Golden girl opens sports centre
Olympic sailing gold medallist sailor Pippa Wilson, in blue, was in Oxford today to open a school's new £2m sports centre. Miss Wilson took the medal she won in the Yngling class at Beijing Games as she unveiled the plaque on the new Tim Morton Sports
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Drink driver killed friend
The driver of a car which was smashed in half after hitting a tree would have faced criminal charges had he survived, an inquest heard today. Lee Parker, a 28-year-old builder from Moorland Road, Witney, was more than twice the drink-drive limit and
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Child porn soldier's jail sentence cut
A former soldier caught with hundreds of child pornography images on his home computer has had his prison sentence cut on appeal. Carl Rogerson, 36, of Cholswell Road, Abingdon, was discharged from the Army after he admitted possessing, distributing
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C difficile drops by 23 per cent
The number of cases of superbug clostridium difficile found in Oxfordshire hospitals fell by almost a quarter in the past year, new Department of Health figures show. In the three months to June, the bug struck 173 times across the county's wards —
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Survivor gives history lesson
Students at an Oxford school were transported back to the horrors of the Second World War today. More than 100 teenagers at Cheney School in Headington attended a talk by Holocaust survivor Joanna Millan, organised by the Holocaust Educational Trust
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FOOTBALL: Witney net Curtin in transfer swoop
Witney United manager Andy Lyne has boosted his side's FTL Futbol Hellenic League Premier Division title aspirations with the signing of Abingdon United midfielder Ryan Curtin. Curtin had made 11 starts for Abingdon this season, scoring twice. He
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FOOTBALL: Didcot suffer Allaway blow
Didcot Town boss Stuart Peace will have to leave defender Ricky Allaway out of his plans after he signed for British Gas Business Southern League Division 1 South & West rivals Slough Town. The centre back is the second defender to leave the Railwaymen
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FOOTBALL: City cashing in on the Cup
Oxford City could add another £12,500 to their prizemoney pot should they upset the odds and beat Eastbourne Borough on Saturday. So far they have netted £13,500 from the most famous competition in the world. It would have been more,
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FOOTBALL: Fancy a flutter
Oxford City are 11-4 to win Saturday's FA Cup tie at Court Place Farm, according to league sponsors Blue Square, with Eastbourne Borough 4-5 and the draw 12-5. And just up the road, Oxford United have been made 8-13 strong favourites to beat Hayes &
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FOOTBALL: Unlucky Baird says upset is possible
Injured striker Andy Baird says Oxford City are more than capable of pulling off an upset when they take on Eastbourne at Court Place Farm on Saturday. Baird, 29, who is ruled out with an ankle problem, is in a good position to judge, having seen it
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FOOTBALL: Keep it low key
Oxford City's management team are looking for a low-key approach to Saturday's game. They are starting their pre-match preparations at the Oxford Hotel as they did in the FA Cup last season. Player-boss Justin Merritt said: "We will
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Strikers Constable and Guy find it's good to talk
James Constable revealed how a meeting of the strikers and the coaching staff a week ago played a big part in their good showing against Burton Albion. Jamie Guy and he started to combine much better, with Constable bagging his fifth goal of the season
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FOOTBALL: Merritt's men go for glory
Oxford City player-manager Justin Merritt has promised the fans his side will have a real go in Saturday's big match. Although Southern League Premier Division City are two levels below their Blue Square Premier opponents, City have been in good form
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United must be wary of upset
Oxford United get their Cup campaign under way at home to Hayes & Yeading on Saturday – and must be careful not to under-estimate their Blue Square South opponents. They don't exactly have a good record against part-time opposition. With United's
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Couple foil £1,000 bag snatch
A couple from Oxford have warned shoppers they might be unwitting targets of a gang of professional thieves operating in the city centre. Julia Keddle and her husband Martyn Hobbs, of Crescent Road, Cowley, believe they were "marked" by a gang member
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Extra time for walkers
Charity walkers are being urged to make the most of Sunday's extra hour — when the clocks go back — to raise money for Oxford's new £109m cancer centre. More than 240 people have signed up to take part in It's Not Just a Walk in the Park on
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'Be patient over bin changes'
People are being asked to show patience when changes to waste collections come into place next week. The Oxford Mail reported last month that Oxford City Council planned a shake-up of the current complicated and inefficient collection rounds. From
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Rail firm issues apology
Chiltern Railways has apologised to passengers who were stranded on a train just outside Bicester for more than three hours on Monday. The 7.30pm train from London Marylebone to Birmingham Snow Hill experienced problems with its safety systems as it
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Just imagine
Absolutely amazing! The joyously unnerving theatricality of The Rocky Horror Picture Show meets the beautifully astute voyeuristic observations of Amélie forged with the freedom of imagination let loose in The Blair Witch Project — this is no ordinary
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Action demanded on rural crime
South Oxfordshire MP John Howell is demanding urgent action on rural crime after a spate of problems on estates and common land across the constituency. He has written to Thames Valley Police Chief Constable Sara Thornton calling for a meeting to discuss
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Barnstorming stuff
Skinny jean-clad North London geezers bring their barn-storming joyous indie-rock to the Oxford Carling Academy on Thursday, as part of a thrilling five-head extravaganza. Cheery, fiddle and harmonica- soaked pop The Holloways uplifting dance-inducing
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Pipetting hot
Fifties-inspired, snappily-dressed girl group The Pipettes are back — and armed with a polka dot handbag-load of infuriatingly contagious songs. The harmonic Sheila's Wheels girls have been through the odd line-up change but remain fun, with a healthy
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Joyous indie rock
It's been a busy old year for Surrey quintet You Me At Six. And they have no sign of slowing down. A 21-date sold-out UK tour, was topped by slots at Reading and Leeds Festivals, and an even bigger tour — which pitches up at the Oxford Carling Academy
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Devon sent
Seth Lakeman looks out over the bleak wilderness of his native Dartmoor — a landscape which inspires everything he does. "I'm very much influenced by this area," the songwriter tells The Guide. "I'm quite lucky to live in such a beautiful place
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Aping about
Direct, brutal, no holds barred, synth-twisting, ear-shredding, frenzied nutters. Fight Like Apes are not for the sensitive listener. They do, as the advert says, exactly what it says on the tin. They scrap hard and they scrap dirty. But without the
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Cabbages and Kings
The tartan, four-wheeled, shopping trolley appeared on the crown of Botley Road river bridge before its owner. It is understandable because Kate Massey would struggle to reach the 4ft 6in mark. But what can be guaranteed to hit a different mark with
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Pray and display
The Rev Toddy Hoare recently had published (Oxford Mail, October 18) a polite request to the county council 'traffic elite' for his local regular worshipers and/or churchgoers to be allowed to park on nearby city streets for a little longer than the two
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Part to play
The Oxford Mail has reported in detail in the past few weeks, the turmoil in the world money markets, and what it will mean for the lives of ordinary people in Oxford in terms of lost jobs, repossessed houses and pensions made worthless. The Tories
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Put brakes on traffic plans
Oh no! Not another half-baked traffic scheme dreamed up by our local councils ("Traffic Ban Will Transform City", October 21). The incompetence of our traffic planners has been obvious ever since the Oxford Transport Strategy made such a mess of things
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Cutting it
Ralph Leavis (Oxford Mail, October 10) is quite right — I do accuse the Tories of making cuts to the Health Service and in many other areas. That is historical fact. Infections of all kinds, including MRSA and C Diff, have risen significantly in our
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Oxford may get 'super buses'
Giant 'super buses' ferrying people through the city centre could hold the key to plans to pedestrianise much of central Oxford. Transport managers say the way to reduce bus numbers coming into the city is to have super buses picking up passengers
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Lecture has real i-nterest
An Oxford University lecture on the credit crunch is topping the global iTunes chart for education. As reported in the Oxford Mail, the university has started posting some of its lectures, videos and audio files on the iTunes site for people to download
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Weekend workshop tackles gang culture
A two-day workshop for teenagers on knife crime and gang culture is being held at a Cowley church this weekend. The event, part of Word Fountain Christian Ministries' children and youth programme, will also tackle issues relating to drugs and
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The devils' dis-cycles
Up to 100 cyclists dressed as ghosts, ghouls and things which go bump in the night are set to take to the streets of Oxford tomorrow. It is the latest of 'alleycat' cycle rides, a bicycle treasure hunt in fancy dress, and is due to start in
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Flood work survey to cost £345K
Abingdon is to be given £345,000 to determine whether flood prevention measures could work. In July, the Environment Agency decided not to apply for a Government grant for its preferred flood prevention options as Abingdon was not one of the worst-hit
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Heads celebrating GCSE improvement
Headteachers are celebrating news that Oxfordshire GCSE results have exceeded the national average. In February, a failure to improve local schools resulted in Oxfordshire County Council being stripped of one of its ranking stars. And the county's
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Alan Bennett gives papers to Bodleian
Writer Alan Bennett has donated his personal papers to Oxford University's Bodleian Library. A history graduate of Exeter College, Mr Bennett's writing career began with Beyond The Fringe in 1960s. The archive includes original manuscripts, typescripts
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Lavatory voyeur fined
A man who spied on another man while he was using a public toilet has been fined. Christopher Mansford, of Marlborough Gardens, Faringdon, was charged with voyeurism after the incident at a public toilet in Faringdon in August. The 45
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Book marks church’s 50th birthday
A new book has been published to celebrate the 50th anniversary of a Botley church, delving into the rich history of the area. Botley's Golden Era has been released to commemorate the landmark birthday of SS Peter and Paul in Church Way while capturing
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Pc wins award for youth work
An Oxfordshire policeman has won a top award for his initiatives in tackling youth crime. Pc Simon Collins gained his National Justice Award — one of just 15 handed out by Attorney General Baroness Scotland — at a ceremony in London. He was one of
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RUGBY UNION: Cathcart crocked
Chinnor fly half James Cathcart faces a spell on the sidelines after dislocating his shoulder in training. Cathcart, who has been the club's first-choice kicker, was taken to hospital after the injury on Tuesday night. Ben Hewitt is set to to take
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RUGBY UNION: Quins focused for Brodley bow
John Brodley begins his reign as Oxford Harlequins coach tomorrow with a home game against Chippenham in South West 1. Brodley has gone for experience by restoring Anthony Cope to his customary scrum half position, with Mark Forth at fly half and Andy
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Today's local share prices (PM)
AEA Technology 36.75 BMW 1483 Electrocomponents 138.25 Nationwide Accident Repair 111.5 Oxford Biomedica 5.7 Oxford Catalyst 170.5 Oxford Instruments 192.5 Reed Elsevier 514.75 RM 161.25 RPS Group 176 Courtesy of Redmayne Bentley, Abingdon
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FIXTURES: October 24
SATURDAY FOOTBALL FA CUP 4th qual round: Oxford City v Eastbourne Borough, Oxford Utd v Hayes & Yeading. BRITISH GAS BUSINESS SOUTHERN LEAGUE Div 1 South & West: Andover v Abingdon Utd, Didcot Tn v Taunton
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BADMINTON: Plucky Patrick captures Oxon singles crown
Former county schools' champion Nicola Patrick notched her first Oxfordshire restricted ladies' singles title at Oxford University. Known as Carder before she married, the Windrush player recorded three-game wins in both the semi-final against Natalie
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Follow your nose when choosing wine
I am very fond of my beautician; she is an enthusiastic foodie with the common sense not to ask banal questions about my long-forgotten holiday. Today’s chit-chat was all about smells because both of us kept getting whiffs of buttered popcorn
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Rogues gallery
What do Graham Greene, Howard Marks, Robert Maxwell and Bill Clinton have in common? They are all Oxford rogues, according to a new book written by one of the city's tour guides, Rob Walters. Mr Walters, who is also the author of the acclaimed
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BAR HA HA, OXFORD
I thought Ha! Bar was a pretty stylish place to find myself drinking on a busy Saturday night. Some of my friends tell me they see through the thin disguise and that actually it's no more than a chat-up shop for those who have delusions of grandeur.
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How I came to know the Oxford Playhouse founder
During the more than four decades that I have been a regular visitor to the Oxford Playhouse, it had never once occurred to me that I might have known the theatre's founder. But such, indeed, turns out to be the case. And even if I cannot be sure
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Cabaret: Milton Keynes Theatre
Sold out performances of John Kander and Fred Ebb's Cabaret at Cheltenham's Everyman theatre this week provide more evidence, if further were needed, of the widening spread of celebrity culture. Many people are surely there for the merits of the
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Spooktacular line-up at the Phoenix, Oxford
It's enough to make you scream... A horror-themed late-night Halloween film festival which is: FREE for students!* Includes a FREE beer or glass of wine! FREE Introductory Student Membership to the Phoenix Picturehouse cinema! A bar
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SEACOURT BRIDGE INN, WEST WAY, BOTLEY
It's always upper case and italicised, white on a black background, featuring the dreaded words ‘Sky Sports’ or ‘Setanta’. It’s the writing on a pub chalkboard (usually an A-frame outside the premises) and it spells trouble. Whatever the
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BITE-SIZED REVIEW: Rumblin Tums, A40 near Eynsham
For a place that serves up what might be described as fast food, Rumblin Tums is somewhat laid back. It has Internet terminals and (a few) comfy chairs, but the powerful smell of chips that washes across the eatery and the fact that tea comes
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What I would change about SAHARA, BLUE BOAR STREET, OXFORD
Sahara's website proclaims: “Come along and have a look, we would love to see you.” You bet they would — a place that attracts only three diners in 90 minutes on a Wednesday night is desperate to see anybody. I visited out of curiosity,
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Supporting the small
If there is one subject that acts like a red rag to a bull where small traders are concerned, it is local councils' policies of collecting business rates (and council tax, too, on residential lets, come to that) on empty properties. I have never seen
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Recycling firm's top turnover
A firm which specialises in collecting and recycling wood has produced a six-figure turnover in just three years. Oxford Wood Recycling was started by Helen Porter and Richard Snow as a social enterprise employing volunteers and those facing barriers
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Troops get welcome home parade
Didcot's war heroes on duty in Iraq and Afghanistan are to be welcomed home for the first time by the town. Marching soldiers from the 821 Squadron of the 11 Explosive Ordnance Disposal Regiment of the Royal Logistic Corps, based at Vauxhall Barracks
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Toilet voyeur fined £300
A man who spied on another man while he was using a public toilet has been fined. Christopher Mansford, of Marlborough Gardens, Faringdon, was charged with voyeurism after the incident at a toilet in the town in August. The 45-year-old, who is deaf,
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Boss reveals pain of credit crunch
A top boss at Cowley-based builders' merchants Buildbase has delivered a heartfelt assessment of how the credit crunch is impacting on the business. Kevin Middleton, until recently chief executive at the firm, says 2008 has been the most difficult period
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Police hunt hare killers
Police are appealing for witnesses and urging residents to be vigilant after a recent increase in incidents where people have been killing livestock and destroying fences, hedges and crops across South Oxfordshire. At about 8.30pm last night, people
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Man jailed for carrying knuckleduster
A man who was found by police carrying a knuckleduster has been sent to prison. Ryan Kane, 23, from Foundry Street, Banbury, was caught with the weapon near licensed premises in West Bar, on September 27. Kane was imprisoned for 56 days
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Today's local share prices (AM)
AEA Technology 38.25 BMW 1513 Electrocomponents 140.25 Nationwide Accident Repair 111.5 Oxford Biomedica 5.7 Oxford Catalyst 171.5 Oxford Instruments 195 Reed Elsevier 503.5 RM 166.5 RPS Group 179.5 Courtesy of Redmayne Bentley, Abingdon
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Mardi Gras comes to town
This weekend sees one of the most unusual - and exciting - free festivals to have taken place for many a year. London's O2 arena will be transformed into the 'Big Easy' this weekend, with a cultural spectacular celebrating the best of New Orleans
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Knuckle duster leads to jail sentence
A man who was found by police carrying a knuckle duster has been sent to prison. Ryan Kane, 23, from Foundry Street, Banbury, was caught with the weapon near licensed premises in West Bar, on September 27. Kane was imprisoned for 56 days at Banbury
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Arsonists burn car
Firefighters were called to Kennington Road, Oxford, last night after arsonists set a car on fire. The incident happened near Templeton College at 6.35pm and Thames Valley Police have been alerted. No-one was hurt.
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Arsonists set car alight
Firefighters were called to Kennington Road, Kennington, last night after arsonists set a car on fire. The incident happened near Templeton College at 6.35pm and Thames Valley Police were alerted. No one was hurt.
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Councils to share leader
West Oxfordshire District Council has agreed to share its chief executive with Cotswold District Council for an initial six-month period. Under the new arrangement, West Oxfordshire's chief executive David Neudegg will divide his time between
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FOOTBALL: Gardner hoping for third time lucky
Oxford City winger Jon Gardner is hoping to make it third time lucky when the British Gas Business Southern League underdogs take on Blue Square Premier Eastbourne Borough in Saturday's FA Cup fourth qualifying round tie at Court Place Farm.
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Osborne out of Cup tie
FORMER Oxford United striker Andy Scott may have given a helping hand to Oxford City ahead of Saturday's big Cup tie against Eastbourne Borough. The Brentford boss has refused permission for Eastbourne to play former Oxford United defender Karleigh
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Cumnor shopkeeper shuts up shop
A real-life Albert Arkwright is hanging up his price gun after almost 40 years behind the counter. Open All Hours fan Mick Niblett will be closing Cumnor Village Stores for the last time today as he prepares to hand over his business to its
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Real life Arkwright says 'g-g-g-goodbye' to shop
A real-life Albert Arkwright is hanging up his price gun after almost 40 years behind the counter. Open All Hours fan Mick Niblett will be 'c-c-c-closing' Cumnor Village Stores for the last time today as he prepares to hand over his business
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The Insider
Never mind the politics, here’s a bit of showbiz to kick off this week’s column. One eagle-eyed reader sent in this snap of Orlando Bloom, looking for a new motorbike at a certain North Oxford BMW garage. So what will one of the Pirates of the Caribbean's
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Dig deep for Poppy Appeal
Please dig deep and remember our war heroes. That is the impassioned plea from Oxfordshire Royal British Legion (RBL), which tomorrow launches its 2008 Poppy Appeal. People are being urged to help beat last year's countywide fundraising effort
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Revamp at our convenience(s)
OXFORD'S "grotty" public toilets could receive an overhaul following a major review of the city's loos launched last night. Oxford City Council announced plans to develop a public toilet strategy — after a senior councillor admitted it could do better
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Thieves target trailers
Police are appealing for information after a series of trailer thefts across the Henley area. Between Friday and Sunday, a trailer and horse trailer were stolen from a property in Sheephouse Lane in Harpsden. At some time between 6pm on Monday