Archive
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Boss Wilder keeps feet on ground
OXFORD United boss Chris Wilder says he’s been in the game long enough to know that management isn’t all a bed of roses. And well though the team are going at the moment in the Blue Square Premier, with seven wins and a draw from their last eight games
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Ex-barmaid wins literary prize for debut children's novel
A FORMER barmaid has won a prestigious literary prize for her debut novel. Michelle Harrison, of Abingdon Road, Oxford, was given a Waterstone’s Children’s Book Prize at a special ceremony at the bookchain’s shop in Piccadilly, London, last
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BMW cuts: Union attacks 'outrageous' dismissals
BMW has been told it treated its 850 sacked agency workers at Oxford's Cowley car plant “worse than dogs” in a stinging attack by the trade union Unite. Tonight, Tony Woodley, the joint general secretary of the UK’s biggest union, told the
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Mission to rejuvenate Oxford's Broad Street
A NEW effort is being made to breathe life back into a scheme to revitalise Broad Street in Oxford. Proposals to rejuvenate the historic street were raised more than three years ago, but hopes of pressing ahead with proposals for a new public
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Hospital site to house Oxford's Keble students
A SECOND city centre hospital site is to be redeveloped, with Keble College unveiling a £45m scheme to create a new campus between Woodstock and Banbury roads. A planning application to build on the site of the Acland Hospital was submitted today. The
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Accused played 'no part' in savage attack
A TEENAGER yesterday denied kicking and punching a schoolboy in a “savage” attack. Giving evidence at Oxford Crown Court, Saqab Dogar told the jury he was at the scene of the attack in St Nicholas Road, Littlemore, Oxford, but did not take
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Charity shop is top for designer labels
DESIGNER label fans could save a small fortune by heading for a town’s Sue Ryder charity shop rather than the bright lights and glitzy stores of the West End, according to a survey. The care shop in Chipping Norton High Street featured on a list of Britain
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Agency consults on flood-relief for Oxford
PEOPLE in Oxford are being given the chance to shape a multi-million-pound strategy to protect the city from flooding over the next 100 years. This week, the Environment Agency is launching a 12-week consultation into a series of proposals, including
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Good friends key to a long life says Ivy, 100
A FORMER dress maker for clothing designer Burberry, who still went to tea dances until two years ago, celebrated her 100 birthday with a party yesterday. Ivy Tilbury, left, of Brooklands Nursing Home, moved to Sinclair Road, Banbury, with husband Fred
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Today's local share prices (PM)
AEA Technology 16.5 BMW 1910 Electrocomponents 129.75 Nationwide Accident Repair 117.5 Oxford Biomedica 7.2 Oxford Catalysts 57.5 Oxford Instruments 143.75 Reed Elsevier 516.75 RM 174.75 RPS Group 159.5 Courtesy of Redmayne Bentley
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Eight trapped after A34 crash
Fire crews were called to release eight people trapped after a collision on the A34 today. Just before 2pm two cars collided on the road at its junction with Weston on the Green. Crews released eight passengers from the cars and left them in the care
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Visit Oxford job fair today
Twenty-six companies looking for new workers will be at the Oxford Mail Job Fair from 10am to 5pm tomorrow. The fair, at the Town Hall, in St Aldate’s, has been set up to help the county’s thousands of unemployed find work and get help and
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Actors sought for Pullman play
Oxford author Philip Pullman is urging young actors to audition for a part in a stage production of his hugely popular children’s fantasy trilogy His Dark Materials. Birmingham Repertory Theatre and West Yorkshire Playhouse are performing their
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Big Brother measures
All the arguements for ID cards make you wonder why the Government doesn’t just issue SIM cards to everyone. Most people want a cell phone anyway, even though we can be tracked wherever we go when carrying one. They would also be cheaper than an ID card
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A34 crash causes delays
Long delays built up on the A34 near Oxford today after a two-car crash. The collision, which happened on the northbound carriageway between the Weston-on-the-Green turn and the M40, led to queues stretching back to the Hinksey Hill Interchange
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Bring back Wes
What has happened to our Central news? Let’s get Wesley back where he belongs by making our feelings known with a petition to Meridian. Is anyone with me? PHILLIP MUNDAY, Littlemore
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Dane claim
I write regarding the story in yesterday’s Oxford Mail about the slaughter of Danes in Oxford on St Brice’s Day 1002. The Vikings did indeed get their revenge in 1009, when they destroyed much of the then wooden-built Oxford. This was led by the Viking
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Burglars kick down woman's door
A 69-year-old was pushed out of the way by burglars who burst into her Banbury home. At around 4pm on Friday, the woman was putting out rubbish at her home in The Fairway, when three men followed her back to the house and forced their way in. Two
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Council should support needy
On Monday, the day that the economic crisis crashed into Oxford and 850 workers were summarily sacked from BMW, the Labour minority-run city council group pushed through its budget, imposing the maximum possible increase in council tax. They reneged
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Fire crews rescue trapped dog
Fire crews were called today to rescue a dog stuck in a culvert near Drayton St Leonard, south Oxfordshire. Three appliances, one from Watlington, one from Kidlington and one from Abingdon, came to the rescue of the dog, when it became stuck in a culvert
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EU threat to retained fire crews
OXFORDSHIRE fire and rescue service risks losing more than half of its firefighters if a controversial European Union directive is imposed on the UK, campaigners warned last night. It has been claimed moves to force Britain to adopt the European Working
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Oxford teen actors sought for Pullman play
OXFORD author Philip Pullman is urging young actors to audition for a part in a stage production of his hugely popular children’s fantasy trilogy His Dark Materials. Birmingham Repertory Theatre and West Yorkshire Playhouse are performing their two-part
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Burglars £15,000 haul of jewellery
A BICESTER pensioner is warning people to be on their guard after thieves broke into her home and stole about £15,000 worth of jewellery. Janet Parker was shocked after returning home to find doors kicked in and jewellery stolen from her home in Kennedy
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Abingdon schools call for safer cycling routes
ABINGDON schools are calling for urgent action to improve cycle routes and pedestrian crossings after a pupil died on her way to school. The town’s six council-run and independent secondary schools, as well as Abingdon and Witney College, have called
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Pub and shops fail drink checks
A pub and two off-licences in north Oxfordshire were caught illegally selling alcohol to underage drinkers during a police operation last night. Police and Cherwell District Council carried out test-purchasing, using under-age children, at eight licensed
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Salute to fallen soldiers
Former paratroopers and Royal British Legion members plan to meet a cortege carrying the bodies of two soldiers killed in Afghanistan at the Headley Way roundabout, outside Oxford's John Radcliffe Hospital, at 2.15pm tomorrow. Marine Darren Smith, 27
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GOLF: It's time to tee up for Red Nose Day
Golfers are being urged to mark Red Nose Day by playing in a charity tournament at The Oxfordshire. Players can do their bit for Comic Relief in the ‘Red Nose Golf Day’ on Thursday, March 12. The Oxfordshire and the other three Leaderboard Group courses
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GOLF: Hadden Hill captains drive in
Three new captains have driven in for their years of office at Hadden Hill. They are Denzil Gould (men’s), Margaret Vallance (ladies) and Callum Tailford (junior). Gould fell for the old ‘exploding ball’ trick before driving in properly
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John Moullin Davies: GP travelled widely with the Royal Navy
JOHN Moullin Davies, whose family lived for many years at Combe, near Woodstock, has died aged 83. A bequest of £500 from his grandmother made it possible for him to study medicine at St Catherine’s Hall, Oxford, at the age of 16, in 1942. At Oxford
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Peter Audley-Miller: Antiques dealer was a key figure
PETER Audley-Miller, a former antique dealer and Conservative county councillor for Wheatley, has died aged 89. Mr Audley-Miller, who lived in Wheatley with his wife Marion, was born in 1919, at Catford, London. Before the Second World War, he worked
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DR JOHN DUFFIELD: Psychiatrist died after 99th birthday
JOHN Duffield, who was well known in Marcham, died just two days after his 99th birthday. Dr Duffield passed away at his home in Church Street on February 13. The GP, who formerly lived in Marcham Park, now Denman College, has left behind three children
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BOWLS: Sykes captures singles crown
Banbury Cross’s Mark Sykes set the record straight to be crowned the English Indoor Association's Oxfordshire and Buckinghamshire area singles champion for the first time. Twelve months ago, he suffered an agonising defeat in the final, going down 21
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Fighting back with words of love
YOUNG people in Oxfordshire are being asked to rap, sing or put into rhyme their feelings about love as part of a campaign against domestic violence. A competition for 11-19 year olds has been launched by the Oxfordshire Domestic Violence Steering Group
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BOWLS: Results round-up
OXFORD & DISTRICT IBA Monday Morning League Maestro’s 13, Joes 13; Pebbles 9, Hardnuts 17; Tigers 14, Pirates 10; Angels 12, Brookside 12; CWG 24, Insmore 12; Beechboys 9, Nomads 19. Monday Evening Men’s League Solo Boys 33, Abingdon 7; Fearless
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BAR BILLIARDS: Gladiators made to fight
Gladiators A battled their way into the semi-finals of the Johnsons Buildbase Oxford & District League’s Team Knockout Group B Cup with an aggregate points victory over Nelson B, writes PETE EWINS. Holding a 3-2 lead going into the home leg, Gladiators
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AUNT SALLY: Cowley champs
Cowley Workers celebrated being crowned champions in the Gladiators Beer Seller Friday League with a 4-2 win over Gladiators. Cricketers’ Phil Adams was the league’s leading scorer with 167 dolls, including ten sixes, but he couldn’t save his
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GREYHOUNDS: Thursday's Oxford runners
7.35: Young Diva 3, Perduto In Fuga, Mahon Canyon 2, La Paz, MARTHAS PET, Dunbolg Sapphire. 7.50: Broadacres Aoife, Canadian Willie 3, RYECROFT WIZARD, Stoneyholme Rich 2, Greenfield Major, Liskee Direct. 8.05: Tootsie, Clomantagh Tiger 3, Seems Like
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DRESDEN: Rebuilt from rubble
WITH its clamorous skyline of spires, domes and breathtaking baroque stonework, the Saxon capital of Dresden was rightfully known as the Florence of the North. One of the most beautiful cities on Earth, this cultured and mannered place, draped
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RUGBY UNION: Banbury edged out
Banbury’s under 11 B team were edged out by two matches to one by Ampthill at Bodicote Park. Ampthill won match one 21-14 with Alfie Wardle and Luca Catania scoring tries for Banbury, Jack Taylor and Catania adding conversions. Banbury sealed the second
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RUGBY UNION: Alchester's 'home' debut
Newly-formed Alchester will play their first ‘home’ game when they take on Oxford at the Southern Bypass ground on Saturday, February 28 (2.30). Although they are essentially a Bicester club, from next season their home ground will be Marston Ferry Road
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RUGBY UNION: Savills sign up
Property consultants Savills have teamed up with the City of Oxford Rugby Partnership as a corporate sponsor. Savills, whose offices in Botley are close to the club’s ground in North Hinksey Lane, will support Oxford and Oxford Harlequins until the end
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RUGBY UNION: Quins' survival boost
Oxford Harlequins should find it easier to avoid the drop after the Rugby Football Union (RFU) clarified the relegation and promotion picture for next season. Like many clubs, Quins look set to benefit from a restructure at the top of the professional
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The Yeomen of the Guard, Oxford University G&S Society, OFS Studio
The Yeomen of the Guard is the odd one out in the Savoy canon; it was the nearest Sullivan came to writing grand opera (something he later achieved without Gilbert, with limited success) and the only tragedy. The Oxford University G&S Society’s artistic
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Tahmina Sorabji: Wolfson College
Standing in a picture gallery among a crowd of well-wishers whose portraits hang on the walls is a strange, rather surreal, experience, particularly when the paintings are so well executed, they are instantly recognisable. The exhibition in question is
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The Opera Group double bill previewed: Oxford Playhouse
Two traditional tales have been given a modern makeover, resulting in a pair of musical narratives that are dark and disturbing. A joint presentation by The Opera Group, ROH2 and the London Sinfonietta brings together George Benjamin’s Into the Little
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RUGBY UNION: Welsh stars coach juniors
Shane Williams and Ryan Jones will lead a Welsh international contingent coaching juniors at Henley Hawks’ Dry Leas ground on Saturday. IRB World Player of the Year Williams and captain Jones will be joined by Martyn Williams, Tom Shanklin, Gethin Jenkins
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RUGBY UNION: Coaches conflict!
You rarely expect rival coaches to agree totally in their assessment of a match, but it was polar opposites at Cane Lane on Saturday. Grove defeated Chipping Norton 36-22 after coming from behind in their Southern Counties North derby. Grove coach Nathan
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ATHLETICS: City ace England stays upbeat
Oxford City’s Hannah England believes she can still qualify for the European Indoor Championships, despite missing out in Sunday’s trials in Sheffield. The 21-year-old finished second to Susan Scott in the final in 4mins 12.99secs, but despite scooping
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La boheme: English National Opera, the London Coliseum
For reasons that are understandable only in terms of visual appeal, Jonathan Miller has updated the action of his new production of La bohème for English National Opera to the Paris of the 1930s. Still, visual appeal counts for much, and there is no denying
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Students' festival on human rights
A FILM and music festival championing human rights is being organised by Oxford students for the seventh year running. Liberty director, human rights campaigner and Oxford Brookes University chancellor Shami Chakrabarti will launch 10 days of free events
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ATHLETICS: Ferguson kicks in for gold
Radley youngster Stuart Ferguson shone at the Under 17 English Indoor Championships, held at the National Indoor Arena in Birmingham. Ferguson claimed the gold medal in the 1500m after a well-timed kick from 300m out. He pulled away from closest rival
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Iffley Music Festival: Iffley Church hall
event,” Iffley Music Festival founder and organiser Michael Bourdeaux told me. “So last year we had five concerts over one week-end, the Iffley Anglo-Russian Piano Festival.” This second Festival expanded beyond the solo piano, to include other instruments
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BMW CULL: Redundancies to hit economy
A TOP financial expert has predicted the “ripple effect” of the redundancies from the BMW plant will soon impact on the county’s economy. While the families of 1,280 agency workers laid off from the Cowley plant are at the front line of the
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RUGBY UNION: Abingdon need a nine
Abingdon are looking to recruit a new scrum half to boost their prospects in the BB&O Premier Division. Skipper Ronnie Booth said players leaving and other commitments had seen them run out of No 9s capable of playing at that level. Contact Booth on
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ATHLETICS: Veteran Matthews rolls back the years
Allan Matthews pipped his Oxford City clubmate Roy Treadwell to the vet 60 honours at the Apex Chiltern League meeting in a snowy Luton. The pair both recorded a time of 43mins 16secs – but Matthews just got the nod on the line. Trevor
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ATHLETICS: Bicester on song
Bicester's under 11 boys had reason to celebrate after finishing second in the fourth round of the winter Oxfordshire Sportshall League in Wallingford. Rhys Warriner, Mark Smith, William Harper, and George Thornton won the one-lap races. Smith and Harper
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ATHLETICS: Super Steve hits top form
Oxford's Steve Kimber, running for first-claim club Windsor, Slough, Eton & Hounslow, clocked an impressive 51mins 58secs to finish second in the Bramley 10-mile race. OTHER RESULTS BRAMLEY 10-MILE Abingdon Amblers: A Rostern (LV40) 1.10.31. Headington
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Máire Ní Chathasaigh preview : Wytham Village Hall
The rafters will be rocking in the pretty village of Wytham on Saturday from 7.30pm when highly acclaimed harpist Máire Ní Chathasaigh, Irish Traditional Musician of the Year 2001, will be performing with the versatile English guitar wizard Chris
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Salute to Love, City of Oxford Orchestra, Sheldonian Theatre
A thrilling performance of Rachmaninov’s second Piano Concerto by Oxford’s brilliant young star Tom Poster (right) was the high spot of the City of Oxford Orchestra’s St Valentine’s Day concert. A packed Sheldonian Theatre was treated to a stirring, romance-drenched
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City of London Sinfonia: Wycombe Swan
This was an evening of memories. For me, the very first Sinfonia concert at the Wycombe Swan came vividly to mind. The work was Haydn’s Creation, the conductor Richard Hickox (pictured), the orchestra’s founding music director. As soloist James Gilchrist
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Brief Encounter: Royal&Derngate, Northampton
‘Delighted with it . . . Whole thing beautifully played and directed – and, let’s face it, most beautifully written.” Noël Coward’s comments on Brief Encounter, which he confided to his diary on June 2, 1945, after seeing a rough cut of the film
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Contemporary jazz piano series: Holywell Music Room
Michael Garrick, Gwilym Simcock (pictured), Stan Tracey, John Taylor, Nikki Iles. This is a list of some of the finest and most diverse jazz pianists in Britain today . . . and they’re all coming to the Holywell Music Room to give both concerts and workshop
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Oxford Printmaker's Co-operative: North Wall art centre, Summertown
Local people interested in printmaking are very lucky to have the Oxford Printmakers Co-operative. Not only does it offer facilities and technical support at its Tyndale Road premises and run courses for public and membership alike, but it also holds
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Boris Giltburg: Sheldonian Theatre
Boris Giltburg is a young pianist who is attracting considerable critical attention. His recital at the Sheldonian last Friday might therefore have been expected to offer something out of the ordinary. The advance publicity drew comparisons with the
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God of Carnage, Everyman Theatre, Cheltenham and touring
‘We are sensitive enough to believe in the pacifying powers of culture,” declares touchy-feely Véronique Vallon (Lia Williams), a writer on human rights issues in Africa. Oh Lord, she’s really in for it, you feel, even as you start to wonder whether
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Pub to host sausage meet
A sausage and beer festival using local produce will be held at an Oxfordshire pub this weekend. The Cricketer’s Arms, in Littleworth, near Wheatley, is holding its first food and drink extravaganza at the suggestion of its regulars.
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Residents take on university over road appeal
Angry residents fear a village’s Green Belt land will be ruined if Oxford University gets the go-ahead for a controversial road-building scheme. The university has appealed against Cherwell District Council’s refusal of a road across Green Belt land
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Tokens of love go on show
Tokensof love found in the county through the centuries are to go on display. The objects, some of which date from before St Valentine’s Day gained its current significance, have been collected by Oxfordshire County Council’s museums’ resource
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City workers step out for health
Office workers exchanged their heels for comfy trainers to take part in Oxford’s first city centre health walk. The event was organised as part of the Get Oxfordshire Active campaign, and will be held every Thursday at 12.15pm starting at Carfax Tower
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Horse tranquilliser is junkies drug of choice
Drug users in Wallingford prefer ketamine to other illegal drugs, according to police after they shut down a makeshift ‘factory’. Six people were arrested and £1,000 of the drug was seized when officers swooped on a home in St Peter’s Place
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Hi-tech puts PCs back on the street
Police have promised extra officers will be put back on the streets in Oxfordshire after reducing red tape. Thames Valley Police stopped using lengthy stop-and-search forms and introduced handheld computers for officers last year to get more
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Moped men try to snatch student's bag
Police are appealing for witnesses after two men tried to grab a bag from a 23-year-old student in Wheatley. At about 9pm on Sunday, a man was walking along the High Street, near Bell Lane, when two people on a moped came up behind him and tried to
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Moped pair attempt mugging
A moped rider and his passenger tried to rob a student. Police are appealing for witnesses after two men attempted to grab a bag from a 23-year-old man in High Street, Witney, at 9pm on Sunday. Detectives said the two would-be robbers were wearing
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Appeal for missing boy
Police have appealed for help to find a 14-year-old boy who has been missing for the past six days. Kieran Ball has not been seen since February 12. The boy was last seen leaving Northfield Special School, in Blackbird Leys, and was
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Search launched for missing 14-year-old
Police are appealing for help from the public to find a 14-year-old boy who has gone missing. Kieran Ball was last seen leaving his school in Blackbird Leys on February 12. He is white, 5ft 3in tall, with short blond hair and hazel eyes.
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Reservoir meeting postponed
Tonight’s meeting for residents to hear Thames Water’s response to comments on its plan for a £1bn reservoir between Wantage and Abingdon has been postponed. The water company has delayed publishing its response to feedback on its Draft Water Resources
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Troops stuck at Brize
Hundreds of troops are stuck at an airbase in Oxfordshire following “technical malfunctions” on two RAF planes. Soldiers and Marines heading out to Helmand Province, in Afghanistan, on board a Tristar troop carrier returned to base at RAF Brize
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Fifty staff hand back BMW uniforms
Axed agency workers have been handing back their BMW uniforms and receiving employment advice this morning. Around 50 staff who lost their jobs when BMW shed 850 workers at their Mini plant on Monday have arrived so far. They have been handing in their
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Mini cuts 'will hit county economy'
A financial expert has predicted the “ripple effect” of the redundancies from the BMW plant will soon impact on the county’s economy. While the families of 1,280 agency workers laid off from the Cowley plant are at the front line of the redundancies
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Blaze destroys shed
An allotment shed was destroyed in a blaze in the early hours. Firefighters were called to an allotment off St John’s Close, in Fyfield, near Kingston Bagpuize, shortly after midnight. About ten firefighters tackled the blaze but the
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Shed destroyed
An allotment shed was destroyed in a blaze in the early hours of the morning. Firefighters were called to an allotment off St John’s Close, in Fyfield, near Kingston Bagpuize, shortly after midnight. Around 10 firefighters tackled the blaze but the
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Haldane blow for U's
Winger Lewis Haldane says he is gutted to be missing Oxford United’s next game, at home to Mansfield this Saturday. The former Bristol Rovers player, who was outstanding in the U’s 3-0 win over Barrow last weekend, picked up his fifth booking of the
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Action, not just words
The 850 workers who have lost their jobs at BMW in Oxford, like hundreds of thousands of newly unemployed across the country, want action, not sympathetic words, from politicians. Yesterday, after the news broke that hundreds of agency staff had been
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Bid to re-enact Viking torching of city
A historian wants to see Oxford burnt to the ground — as part of a medieval re-enactment. Retired history teacher Roger Jenking is asking for help to commemorate the 1,000th anniversary of Oxford being torched by hoardes of vengeful Vikings
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BMW CULL: Two workers' stories
LLEWELLYN'S STORY LLEWELLYN Ballard, 23, of Field Avenue, Blackbird Leys, Oxford, was laid off from his agency job at BMW’s assembly line in December. For the past two months, the father-of-one has searched fruitlessly for a new job.
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Thames Water fined for sewage leak
THAMES WATER has been ordered to pay £15,000 after a raw sewage leak in Witney, which killed hundreds of fish. Untreated sewage flowed into Emma’s Dike, killing about 650 fish in December 2007. Thames Water pleaded guilty at Banbury Magistrates’ Court
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The MI5 conman
TO most people Wayne Gouveia was just a sales assistant in a whisky shop in Oxford city centre. But to his girlfriend he was a secret MI5 agent, sent to save her life. The 25-year-old fantasist told sales assistant Leanne McCarthy: l
