Archive
-
Date
Snow: Conditions on M40 'hazardous'
A lane on the M40 is closed after an accident and driving conditions on the motorway in the north of county tonight are described as hazardous. Police said ice and falling snow played a part in a collision on the northbound carriageway, between
-
Date
Rivers on flood watch
Rivers in Oxfordshire were this evening placed on flood watch as levels care swelled by melting snow. Heavy rain was also causing problems for drivers, with slow traffic reported on the A40 near Northleach due to flooding. The catchment
-
Date
UPDATE: Major routes gritted
All major routes across Oxfordshire will be gritted ahead of tomorrow's predicted heavy snowfall, highways bosses confirmed tonight. The county council made a decision to grit all major A roads and B roads in the county this morning.
-
Date
HORSE RACING: McCoy hits 3,000
Legendary jockey Tony McCoy secured his 3,000th British and Irish National Hunt victory at Plumpton on Monday. The 13-times champion reached the milestone aboard Nicky Henderson's Restless D'Artaix in the Tyser & Co Beginners' Chase. Given a typically
-
Date
Rail line redoubling events postponed
Due to the wintry weather, rail firm First Great Western has postponed roadshows due to be held this week about the forthcoming work to reinstate double track on the Cotswold Line. The events were scheduled to take place at Kingham station
-
Date
BBC chief targeted over Gaza decision
Student campaigners tonight staged a protest against BBC director general Mark Thompson as he gave a speech in Oxford. The 20 protesters, many of whom were involved in last month’s occupation of Oxford University’s Clarendon Building in Broad Street
-
Date
Attack trial told of 'uneducated thugs'
A student told a court today how he was attacked by two “uneducated” men who kicked and punched him on the ground. Kentaro Ikeda said the two men forced him to stop on an Oxford path and grabbed his belongings before attacking him. The
-
Date
New festival explores love and justice
The themes of love and justice will be explored at three ‘meet the author’ events as part of a festival organised by Oxford Brookes University. Love and Justice Month runs from Thursday until Friday, March 13, and includes a host of activities
-
Date
Text driver sentence to be reviewed
The Attorney General is to review the sentence of a driver who killed another motorist on the A40 while using her mobile phone at the wheel. Philippa Curtis, 21, right, of The Street, Icklingham, Suffolk, was jailed for 21 months after she
-
Date
Today's local share prices (PM)
AEA Technology 18 BMW 1967 Electrocomponents 142.5 Nationwide Accident Repair 109 Oxford Biomedica 6.75 Oxford Catalyst 68.5 Oxford Instruments 157.25 Reed Elsevier 519.75 RM 172.5 RPS Group 154
-
Date
Kettering clash off again
Oxford United’s Blue Square Premier game at Kettering on Tuesday night was called off yesterday. Originally scheduled for last Saturday and postponed because of snow, officials had rescheduled it for tomorrow evening, because Kettering have a massive
-
Date
Stamp of approval
It looks like these children are shuffling a pile of waste paper. But this ‘rubbish’ was worth money to charity. Pupils at Matthew Arnold School, Cumnor, near Ox- ford, put all their energies into collecting used postage stamps to help the less fortunate
-
Date
The real-life Dad's Army
When villagers at Garsington saw Dad’s Army on TV, they must have thought immediately of their own Home Guard. The platoon’s early history mirrored life in the popular series. Gerry Moore, who lived in the village as an evacuee – his
-
Date
Home Guard paraded trophy
Here is another picture of some of the men who protected Wolvercote villagers in Oxford during the Second World War. Like the previous one we published (Memory Lane, December 29), this picture of the village Home Guard was taken in 1941.
-
Date
The changing face of Kingham
The meals-on-wheels service in the village was in danger of folding – until pupils at the village primary school stepped in. When the number of elderly people having the service dropped to two, meals were cooked at the school and delivered to their homes
-
Date
FOOTBALL: Scolari sacked
Luiz Felipe Scolari has been sacked as Chelsea manager, the club announced this afternoon. A statement on the club's official website revealed the move had been made "to maintain a challenge for the trophies we are still competing for". Brazilian Scolari
-
Date
Quieter times in the country
Four abreast on a country road? These days, of course, it would be asking for trouble, but the roads were much quieter in 1959 when this picture was taken for the Oxford Mail. Four members of the Oxford City Road Club – Mick Payton, Neil Hickey, Les
-
Date
Flyer made up for late start
People power brought the railways to Abingdon. The Great Western Railway’s Didcot to Oxford line, completed in 1844, bypassed the town, because of opposition by Thomas Duffield, the MP for Abingdon, and three influential landowners.
-
Date
Pupils tuned up for musical
Pupils at North Kidlington Primary School set themselves a real challenge with their end-of-term production in July 1983. A 30-strong choir is pictured rehearsing their version of the popular musical Joseph and his Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat. Pupils
-
Date
Author honoured by degree
Writer Philip Pullman said he was delighted to be chosen for an honorary degree by his Alma Mater, the University of Oxford. The author of the His Dark Materials trilogy has collected a stack of awards over the years. But he told the Oxford Mail he
-
Date
Gearing up to design bike engine
A west Oxfordshire engineering firm has won a contract to design a new engine for an iconic British motorcycle. Meynard Competition Technologies, based in Leafield, near Witney, won the contract to design the power plant for the first motorbike produced
-
Date
On Yer Bike
Welcome to my 101st column, in which I explore cycle lanes on pavements. ‘Shared-use facilities’ are, in the argot of George Orwell’s 1984, in Room 101 for many cyclists. Ask cyclists what they think, and you’ll get at least three contradictory opinions
-
Date
Eco vandalism
Last year, the Oxford Mail published articles about the Berkshire, Buckinghamshire and Oxfordshire Wildlife Trust, which bought 100 acres of land at Gallows Bridge Farm to preserve a habitat for curlew. Within this 100 acres was a small lake, of about
-
Date
Hearty thanks
Many thanks to all the staff at Abingdon Hospital, South Central Ambulance Service, and staff on the Coronary Care Unit at the John Radcliffe Hospital, Oxford, after my heart attack on January 24. The service we received was second to none
-
Date
Rail firm plans new peak service
Train operator Wrexham & Shropshire, which links Banbury with Telford, Shrewsbury and North-East Wales, is set to alter its timetable to provide a service leaving London during the evening peak on weekdays. A consultation document on
-
Date
Gormley's art lacks meaning
Modern art is a convenient term to justify puerile visual imposition and the exercise of crass egomania. Why does Oxford have to pander to this with all the arty nonsense about the latest Antony Gormley joke installation – the Broad Street ironman statue
-
Date
Plants seized at drug factory
More than 100 cannabis plants have been found in a building in Eynsham. Police discovered the factory at an address in Mill Street on Sunday and arrested a 37-year-old man. He has been bailed until March 17. Police are carrying out further inquiries
-
Date
How some top managers shaped Chris Wilder's career
IT'S said that football bosses often pick up many of their ideas from managers they have played under. That being the case, perhaps it's not surprising that Chris Wilder is going about the job so impressively at Oxford United. During his playing days
-
Date
County inspires young artists
A competition for sixth-form students to create art inspired by the Oxfordshire countryside drew praise for the high quality of submissions. The Stephen Hart Memorial Art Competition, now in its second year, was organised by the Campaign to Protect Rural
-
Date
Museum facelift restores glories
A multi-million pound facelift of one of Oxford’s most popular museums is nearing completion. Oxford University’s Pitt Rivers Museum, in Parks Road, has been closed since last July for work costing up to £8m. The museum will reopen to the public on
-
Date
Villages unite against incinerator
Villagers in the Wittenhams have joined the fight against a proposed £1bn incinerator in Sutton Courtenay. Seventy people gathered at Long Wittenham Village Hall last week to hear from action group Sutton Courtenay Against the Incinerator,
-
Date
OX5 warm up for London Marathon
Motorworld technician Neil Drury is warming up for the London Marathon by taking part in this year’s Oxford Mail OX5 Run. The car dealership is one of the sponsors of this year’s five-mile run, which is taking place at Blenheim Palace, Woodstock, on
-
Date
Snow due early tomorrow
Commuters will face difficult driving conditions in Oxfordshire tomorrow morning, with snow forecast from the early hours. Barry Gromett, a spokesman for the Met Office, said: “After midnight, there is the potential for 5cm of snow to fall
-
Date
Ibiza proves its mettle
David says: FEW journeys test the mettle of a car, or a driver, as much as an unexpected 140-mile drive in dense fog – at night. Things that seem so important as a salesman waxes lyrical in a fancy, showroom, shrink into insignificance as the
-
Date
A little bit about Oxide Radio.
Hello! Welcome to Oxide Radio’s first blog here at Oxford Times Online. In this first week I’ll just be trying to let you know a little bit about who we are and what we do. Oxide Radio is an online radio station (found at www.oxideradio.co.uk) run
-
Date
UPDATE: Bus route reinstated
Oxford Bus Company's route 4 is now able to run through to Elms Rise, in Botley, after an improvement in road conditions on the estate thanks to the thaw. All the company's routes are now running to normal timetables.
-
Date
United game OFF again
Oxford United's game at Kettering on Tuesday night has been postponed again because of snow.
-
Date
Drugs factory found in Eynsham
Police discovered a cannabis factory in Mill Street, Eynsham, yesterday seizing more than 100 cannabis plants. PC Leigh Thompson, Drugs Co-ordinator for Oxfordshire, said: “Drugs are a huge priority for us and we will continue to crack down on those
-
Date
DARTS: Clinical Swan blunt Shears
Premier Section leaders Original Swan A eased to a 6-3 win against Shears. Terry Woods, Ray Pape and Tim Tricker (180) gave Swan a 3-0 advantage, before Shears hit back through Preben Krabben and Kevin Wilkins (180). The visitors won the last singles
-
Date
UPDATE: Bus services latest
Oxford Bus Company is advising passengers the vast majority of its services in the city are running as normal, including the park-and-ride routes. There is also a full service on the Espress coach service to London and the Airline to Heathrow
-
Date
DARTS: Anderson gets county recall
Ronnie Anderson returns to the Oxfordshire men’s A team when they host Cheshire at East Challow RBL in the Premier League. He is one of several changes made by the selectors. Paul Cross, Olly Varney and Steve Skelton return to the men’s B team. Sandra
-
Date
Today's local share prices (AM)
AEA Technology 17.75 BMW 1927 Electrocomponents 139.5 Nationwide Accident Repair 109 Oxford Biomedica 6.4 Oxford Catalyst 68.5 Oxford Instruments 158.25 Reed Elsevier 521.75 RM 172 RPS Group 154 Courtesy of Redmayne Bentley, Abingdon
-
Date
Couple in car rob teenager at knifepoint
A pedestrian was threatened with a knife after agreeing to get a lift from two strangers in Eynsham, police said today. The 16-year-old boy was walking along Cassington Road towards Mudie Bond Mercedes Garage when the occupants of an old-style silver
-
Date
Snow due in early hours
Commuters will face difficult driving conditions in Oxfordshire tomorrow morning, with snow forecast from the early hours. Barry Gromett, a spokesman for the Met Office, said: “After midnight, there is the potential for 5cm of snow to fall
-
Date
A34 blocked by crash
The A34 was closed west of Oxford for two hours this morning after a collision near Botley. A car and lorry collided on the northbound carriageway at about 7.45am. The Vauxhall Astra car ended up on its roof but no-one was seriously
-
Date
Snow: Rethink on gritting in Oxfordshire
Oxfordshire County Council said today it had made a temporary decision to revert to gritting all major A-roads and B-roads in the county. The council said it had taken a decision before the weekend to cut back on the number of roads it had
-
Date
Woman robs boy at knifepoint
Police are appealing for witnesses after a robbery near Cassington. Between 9.30pm and 10pm on Thursday, a 16-year-old boy was walking along the Cassington Road, towards the Mudie Bond Mercedes-Benz garage, when an old-style silver Vauxhall
-
Date
Update: School closures (Monday)
A number of schools have closed today due to the cold weather. Frank Wise School, Banbury Great Rollright School, near Chipping Norton - Open from 11am Harriers Ground School, Banbury Hornton Primary School, near Banbury
-
Date
Radiohead win two Grammys
Oxford-based band Radiohead won two awards at last night’s Grammys ceremony in Los Angeles. Radiohead, who produced one of the best performances of the night when they took to the stage accompanied by a marching band, picked up a brace of awards
-
Date
Radiohead scoop Grammy awards
Oxford-based band Radiohead scooped two awards at last night’s Grammys ceremony in Los Angeles. Radiohead, who produced one of the best performances of the night when they took to the stage accompanied by a marching band, picked up a brace of awards
-
Date
UPDATE: Oxfordshire school closures (Monday)
A number of schools have closed today due to the cold weather. The Warriner School in Banbury is closed, but work is available from the school’s website. The West site of King Alfred’s School in Wantage is closed for years 9, 10 and the sixth form
-
Date
Take it with a pinch of salt
Most of us are getting a bit bored of the snow now. The idea of a winter wonderland has soon given way to muddy slush clogging up the gutters. And the Met Office is warning more snow could be on the way tonight. The big concern is the supply of salt
-
Date
Signing up can make a difference
One year on and there can be no better example of the importance of the Oxford Mail’s Save a Life Campaign than today’s story. In the past 12 months, 81 people from Oxfordshire have pledged to become organ donors every week, because of our transplant
-
Date
Prof's project is eye-watering
An atomic physicist who has spent more than 20 years developing innovative water-filled spectacles wants to put them on the faces of a billion people in the developing world. Oxford University professor Joshua Silver, from Cumnor, first came up with
-
Date
Wilder looks to the future
OXFORD United boss Chris Wilder admits his moves in the transfer market have all been with one eye on the future. Latest capture Simon Clist was set to make his United debut at Kettering on Saturday, and Wilder says the left-footed midfielder's versatility
-
Date
‘Someone dying is my best chance’
Father-of-four Robert Quarterman has seen his life virtually disintegrate in the past six months. And like Lori Smith before him, his only hope of a healthy future relies on someone else’s death. The 32-year-old former chef from Kidlington
-
Date
Tragedy led to gift of life
Abingdon mother-of-one Lori Smith was given the gift of life — by a toddler who died in his grandmother’s garden pond. Sixteen-month-old Kailin Tucker died after an accident in Southampton last August. After his death his mother Sasha
-
Date
Snow: 5am travel update
Drivers are being warned to take extra care on Oxfordshire's roads this morning due to the risk of ice forming overnight, with temperatures forecast to fall to about freezing point at 6am, and further wintry showers expected overnight. County
