Archive
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POINT-TO-POINT: Baillie gives Good first training win
Tessa Good’s late decision to let The Baillie take his chance was rewarded with a first training success in front of a massive Easter Monday crowd at the Old Berkshire Hunt meeting at Lockinge, near Wantage. The ten-year-old gelding, who is
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FOOTBALL: Didcot suffer the jitters again
Didcot Town blew the chance to boost their BGB Southern League Division 1 South & West play-off bid as they crashed to a shock 2-1 defeat at Cirencester. The result means they are just three points ahead of nearest challengers Thatcham in a play-off
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FOOTBALL: North Leigh up to eighth
A two-goal burst in the opening 24 minutes from Stuart Hole and Liam Hope secured North Leigh victory over their Oxfordshire rivals at Eynsham Park and move them to eighth in BGB Southern League Division 1 South & West. The start was
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FOOTBALL: Pond brace boosts City play-off bid
Darren Pond bagged a brace as Oxford City kept alive their slim play-off hopes with a demolition of basement boys Mangotsfield. City quickly got into their stride and took the lead when their former Oxford United youngster Alex Fisher set up Pond, who
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FOOTBALL: Stone gem lifts Banbury hopes
DAVID Stone scored the winner for the second game in a row as Banbury United boosted their hopes of escaping relegation from the Premier Division of the BGB Southern League with victory in their Bank Holiday Monday derby clash. On Saturday, Stone got
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Brawn optimistic ahead of diffuser D-Day
Ross Brawn is confident the 'diffuser gang' will win their day in court on Tuesday as Formula One steels itself for this year's first major off-track showdown. Ferrari, Renault, BMW Sauber and Red Bull face Brawn GP, Williams and Toyota at
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Ballet or belly dance for hospice
MOVERS and shakers at a Bicester dance school are appealing for people to get involved in a charity dancing marathon. The MSW Elite school, in Crumps Butts, will be hosting the relay style event in aid of Katharine House hospice, in Adderbury, on Saturday
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Thieves go fishing through letterboxes to steal keys
BURGLARS have been fishing through letterboxes to steal keys to open front doors in Didcot. Cars, keys, laptops and handbags are just some of the goods that have been taken from houses in the Ladygrove area. Police have urged residents to be on their
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Oxford hypochondriacs wanted for medical study
MEDICAL experts are calling for the city’s hypochondriacs to volunteer for a new programme which could help cure them of their ‘illness’. Hypochondriasis is a condition where the sufferer feels excessively anxious about their health even though
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Woking 0, Oxford Utd 2 (13/04)
Adam Murray and Simon Clist made up for lost time with early goals at Woking as Oxford United continued their push for the play-offs. Kick-off in this Blue Square Premier match had to be delayed for an hour because of crowd control problems, but once
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Destruction is under way
So, the controversial and much-delayed city centre Capital Shopping (Westgate) development is at last under way, with the demolition of the previously popular Duke of York public house. I suspect the only reason Capital Shopping have demolished this
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Routing around
THE bus services, or lack of them, seem to be generating an excess of letters to the Oxford Mail of late. But it was the one regarding the loss of the cross-town service on the North Oxford/Headington route which partigularly interested me, because an
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Beat the Budget
With a budget due soon, car road tax will surely be increased. If yours needs renewing at the end of the month you can re-tax it at any time within 14 days before the old disc runs out – thus saving on any budget increase. It may only
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Cat stolen and tormented by youths on Leys
A KITTEN who was stolen from an Oxford estate plagued by animal cruelty has been found injured. Six-month-old Peppa was tormented by youths with sticks before he was bundled into a bag in Blackbird Leys on Tuesday. The family pet was found in the
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Businesses think on the hoof
A FORMER Woolworths store has had its dingy window decked out with a large poster of the Vale’s iconic white horse. The window display in Wantage Market Place is part on an attempt to make the centre of the historic market town look less shabby. The
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Town traders urged to open on Sundays
SHOPKEEPERS could extend their opening hours under a plan from a new group designed to inject life into Abingdon. In recent months, the town has fallen victim to the economic downturn, and shops such as Halfords, Cargo and Hathaways have been forced
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ON YER BIKE: How to get a new cycle for half price
WITH all this recent talk of some MPs getting freebies paid for by the British public, I remembered the saying “if you can’t beat them join them” – then I thought: if we’re not allowed to ‘beat’ them, then at least we could put them in the stocks and
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Children's comic may be relaunched
PUBLISHER David Fickling aims to relaunch children’s comic The DFC in defiance of the recession. The subscription-only weekly comic, which launched last March, reached issue 43 before it was forced to close earlier this year. Now Mr Fickling, who runs
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Bullnose bungee brings in cash
DAREDEVILS jumped off a 200ft high crane in Oxford to raise money for charity. Fifteen people paid £50 each to bungee jump at the car park of the Bullnose Morris pub, in Cuddesdon Way, Blackbird Leys. Landlady Bridget Harrison-Steele
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Family run to say thanks to hospital
WHEN Isla Brotherhood needed an operation just 24 hours after she was born, her parents feared she might not survive. Staff at the Horton Hospital in Banbury told Fiona Brotherhood and her husband Nicol that Isla needed an operation on her bowel, which
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Mr Zumba-ful spreads new fitness craze
IF YOU have two left feet, do not fancy dancing with a partner and find traditional aerobics classes boring, a new dance fitness craze could be the answer. Zumba began life in Colombia in the 1990s when a fitness instructor forgot his regular
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Families enjoy attractions at country show
SHEEPDOG trials and birds of prey displays were among the attractions at the Thame Country Fair. The three-day fair attracted hundreds of visitors to Thame Showground from Saturday until yesterday. Stalls selling local food and produce
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RUGBY UNION: Chinnor hopes fading
Chinnor 21, Richmond 35 A match that started full of hope ended with Chinnor all but relegated from National 3 South. This defeat and Bridgwater’s bonus-point victory means Chinnor will probably have to beat champions London Scottish in their final
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RUGBY UNION: Bowers blames errors
Chinnor coach Jason Bowers was far from downcast after losing to Richmond. Bowers said: “I thought we played pretty well for huge periods. “But a couple of uncharacteristic errors and one or two pieces of indiscipline made the challenge harder than
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RUGBY UNION: Forster rages as Henley slump
Henley Hawks’ director of rugby Jason Forster could not hide his anger after their dismal 29-12 defeat at lowly Bridgwater & Albion in National 3 South. Forster blasted: “To say I was bitterly disappointed with the way we played is an understatement.
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Kick-off at Woking delayed one hour
Oxford United's crunch Easter Monday match at Woking was delayed for an hour because of crowd control problems. Safety officers were worried by the sheer number of Oxford supporters at kingfield Stadium, with hundreds packing a terrace along one side
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Two dead in road crash
Two people have died after their car left the road in South Oxfordshire. A woman in her 20s and a man believed to be in his 40s both died at the scene after their car crashed in Benson. A member of the public called police at noon yesterday
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What if there were no hypothetical questions......?
So the silly season hits home early this year folks as rehearsals continue for The Memory of Water (Southmoor Village Hall May 7th, 8th, 9th 7.30pm sharp seats in all parts at the time of writing) and also for our ODN entry Kill Jill. Apart
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More dignity for babies at hospital grave
IMPROVEMENTS will be made to the way stillborn babies are buried following an Oxford Mail investigation. In March, we revealed pre-term foetuses born at Oxford’s John Radcliffe Hospital were being buried in a communal grave every two weeks. The bodies
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Hockey team off to Channel Island contest
BAGS packed, these smartly-dressed folk were on their way for a weekend of sporting activity. They were representing the Morris Motors’ Hockey Club and were heading to the Channel Islands for the Guernsey Easter Hockey Festival. The
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Pirates sailed with big crew
MORE than 150 people were involved in the production of The Pirates of Penzance staged at Peers School, in Littlemore, Oxford, in 1973. Our picture of one of the seven policemen being given a touch of make-up before the show (Memory Lane, February 16
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Leisurely stroll on Blenheim Palace lake
OXFORD wasn’t the only place where people walked on water. This picture shows folk enjoying a leisurely stroll on Blenheim Lake during one harsh winter, probably in 1963. In the background, others are skating on the ice. Judy Oliver, of Churchfields
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The changing face of Woodeaton
PUPILS at Woodeaton Manor School celebrated in 1980 when their new minibus arrived. The bus, paid for by the Applause Breakaway charity and local fundraisers, allowed children at the isolated school to go on educational trips. The otehr picture shows
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Egg-centrics caught the eye
Some were simple and straightforward, others were totally outrageous. Easter bonnets have long been a tradition in Oxfordshire, as these pictures show. An amazing array of seasonal headgear was on display at Kidlington Evergreen Club in 1977. No wonder
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'I've no regrets about stripping'
Oxford mother Fabia Cerra tonight said she had no regrets about performing a burlesque strip tease in front of almost 12 million ITV viewers. The 35-year-old, from Greater Leys, said she was shaking with nerves as she strutted her stuff for
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Village tea room needs volunteers
A VILLAGE tea room which has raised £200,000 for charity in the past 10 years is appealing for volunteers. The Abbey Tea Room, next to Dorchester Abbey, started life 33 years ago and has become a popular tourist location with visitors from all over the
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Poppy heroes
THERE are few more deserving of medals than Kidlington’s poppy sellers. Five of them have braved the wind, rain and snow for more than 35 years each. Their combined efforts amount to nearly 200 years of plodding the streets. Another 22 sellers have
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United just four-midable
OXFORD United goalkeeper Billy Turley could not hide his emotions after seeing his side score in the 94th minute after the fourth official had signalled four minutes of stoppage time. James Constable's stunning winner against Wrexham on Saturday kept
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Memorable curvy show
FABIA Cerra’s performance on Saturday night was simply unforgettable. The Britain’s Got Talent star wowed a trio of celebrity judges with her burlesque dance. She also struck a blow for curvaceous women everywhere. Fabia certainly has the confidence
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Conman steals painting of pet dogs
A PAINTER was conned by an elderly man in a bizarre art sting. Fran Savidge, 19, a foundation art student at Oxford Brookes University, was targeted by a pensioner who commissioned her to paint a picture of two dogs. The pensioner claimed the painting
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Campaigner's cancer drug fight goes on
A KIDNEY cancer sufferer has vowed to continue his fight for life-extending drugs to be made available on the NHS. Clive Stone, 61, from Freeland, near Witney, has endured four major operations in two years to combat the disease. Mr Stone set up the