Archive
-
Date
FOOTBALL: Peace decides to stay at Didcot
STUART Peace said he is looking forward to a crack at the BGB Southern League top-flight after agreeing to stay on as manager for another season. Peace, who has been boss of the Railwaymen for the past five seasons, said after his side’s play-off victory
-
Date
U's boss hails the chief
Oxford United boss Chris Wilder paid tribute to the work done by chairman Kelvin Thomas in helping to tie up the new signings early in the summer. “It may seem like an appreciation society between me and Kelvin, but the work the chairman’s done is imm-ense
-
Date
Life's rosy for Lily, 100
A GREAT-great-grandmother who won £20 on a lottery her Wallingford day centre just days before her 100th birthday said it must be her lucky year. Lily Evans, nee Clark, of St Alban’s Court, was inundated with cards, good wishes and flowers as she marked
-
Date
New Mayor holds ceremony in public
CROWDS lined the streets to witness the first ever robing of Oxford’s Lord Mayor to be held in public. About 100 tourists, shoppers and passers-by stopped at Oxford Castle to witness the official ceremony for Mary Clarkson, who replaced outgoing Lord
-
Date
Teenagers held over burglary
Three teenagers were arrested by police after they were seen running from a quarry. Police and the force helicopter were called to Shipton Quarry, at Bunkers Hill, near Kidlington, at 2pm on Sunday. Officers arrested a 15-year-old boy on suspicion of
-
Date
Buy yourself a Brompton, Mr Smith
Well, politics seem to be taking up so much of the news in the last couple of weeks that I hear there’s been no room for the sports pages. The drip, drip, drip approach of the latest revelations concerning the dubious use of allowances by MPs has been
-
Date
'Children with ME need help'
AN ME sufferer who said the controversial illness stole her teenage years is campaigning for a dedicated service to be set up to help other young sufferers. Sam McKenzie, from Witney, was diagnosed with Myalgic Enceph-alomyelitis when she was 11, but
-
Date
Swimmers flock to town's outdoor pool
MORE than 200 people made use of the fine weather to take a plunge in Abingdon’s outdoor pool on its first day of opening for the summer season. Dozens of children and families frolicked in the sunshine on Saturday and enjoyed the 40-metre heated pool
-
Date
More money for the aged, say Labour
LABOUR county councillors have pledged to spend more on older people and to improve rural bus services if they take control of County Hall next month. At the last county council election in 2005, Labour lost 15 seats. It currently holds seven of the
-
Date
Peaks climbed
EIGHT prison officers from Bullingdon Prison, near Bicester, hope to have raised £2,000 for ex-Forces charity Combat Stress after completing the Three Peaks challenge over three days. The group climbed the three highest mountains in mainland UK – Snowdon
-
Date
Scarecrows take over village
SCARY Poppins, Elvis Presley and the Blues Brothers are among more than 40 brightly coloured scarecrows now occupying homes and gardens in East Hagbourne, near Didcot. The creations are part of the village’s fifth annual scarecrow trail to raise money
-
Date
IT firm takes on Google
AN OXFORDSHIRE IT firm has created a new web tool which the inventors believe could become as popular as Google. Wolfram Research, based in Long Hanborough, near Witney, launched wolframalpha- .com as a search engine designed to make expert knowledge
-
Date
Oxford City FC launch training programme
TRIALS for a new football and education programme with Oxford City FC begin on Wednesday. The club has teamed up with Oxford & Cherwell Valley College and Premier Sports, a company which sets up education schemes at schools, to offer full- and part-time
-
Date
Cockerpoo dogs will help deaf people
Dave and Elaine Tarr are proud of how their new ‘children’ will soon be out making a difference to the lives of deaf people. The couple from Bankside in Headington, Oxford, have joined the charity Hearing Dogs for the Deaf’s breeding programme and are
-
Date
Palace visitors get a taste for art
A CHOCOLATE fountain, cookery demonstrations and smoothie workshops helped visitors to Blenheim Palace get a taste of local arts and crafts. The three-day Art, Design and a Taste of Summer show at the palace in Woodstock included stalls from more than
-
Date
Buses to JR get a boost
A popular bus service linking Water Eaton Park-and-Ride to Oxford’s John Radcliffe Hospital has been secured for the next five years. The 700 service will now be extended at both ends from Kidlington to Headington and make stops at Oxford Brookes University
-
Date
'Achievements' were mistakes
YOU report that Keith Mitchell, leader of Oxfordshire County Council, is urging voters to judge his party on its achievements over the past four years, when they go to the polls on June 4 (Oxford Mail, May 18). While the Conservatives have controlled
-
Date
Man loses legal battle over turbine
A MAN has been banned from using his wind turbine after losing a court battle. Steve Munday, 55, put up a £20,000, 40ft turbine in a paddock at his home in High Street, Stanford in the Vale, but was issued with a Noise Abatement Order by the
-
Date
Gardeners challenged to join Bloom contest
GET planting and fill your flowerbeds with colour — that was the message at the launch of this year’s Oxford in Bloom. The annual competition, which attracts about 600 entries every year, began at Templars Square shopping centre in Cowley on Saturday
-
Date
Schools wait for SOS cash decision
SCHOOLS across the county have entered an Oxford Mail competition to win a facelift worth thousands of pounds. We will be giving one lucky primary school the chance to win £7,500 worth of building work in our School Build Save Our Schools (SOS) competition
-
Date
Fine the jaywalkers
UST lately there have been complaints about Headington’s traffic problems. But it can’t help when some people cannot be bothered to walk a few feet to the traffic lights to cross safely. It seems they would rather dodge in and out of traffic making life
-
Date
Losing trust
Andrew Smith MP pleads his innocence on expenses but what he failed to say was that like all MPs, whether they claimed expenses or not, he and they knew only too well what was going on. Knowing what was happening and doing nothing about it makes them
-
Date
Pointless paint job
NEVER mind Banksy, south Oxfordshire appears to have employed its very own unidentified pavement graffiti artist. The reason for my assumptions are that starting a few months ago, and at seemingly regular intervals, white rings began to appear all over
-
Date
Police: call us, but from our door
THREE months after a pensioner was turned away from a police station for trying to report a burglary, crime victims can now visit and log a crime – but only by telephone. Graham Hall, 69, walked into the reception at Thames Valley Police Headquarters
-
Date
Poetry professor quits over 'smear tactics' allegation
Oxford University’s new Professor of Poetry has resigned from the post amid allegations of a smear campaign against a rival. Ruth Padel admitted she unwisely sent emails to two journalists tipping them off about allegations of sexual harassment
-
Date
CRICKET: Finch swoops to lift Oxford
A devastating spell of 6-47 by John Finch set up Oxford 4th's five-wicket win over Long Marston 2nd. Stewart Fitzgerald hit 66 for the visitors, but Finch helped restrict them to 186 all out on a good surface for batting. A mid-innings wobble caused
-
Date
CRICKET: Bryan's just job for Bicester
Left-arm spinner Ian Bryan took 6-17 to send ten-man Bledlow Ridge 2nd spiralling to 116 all out and a five-wicket defeat against Bicester & North Oxford 2nd. Only Geoff Tombs (34) spared Ridge's blushes, although Timothy Underwood (3-49) then had Bicester
-
Date
CRICKET: Plumridge and Needham star
Paul Plumridge bludgeoned 122 not out and Matt Needham 107 as Aston Rowant 2nd racked up 288-2 on their way to a 144-run win over Kimble. Needham then took 5-42 and Tim Foster 3-46 as the home side crashed to 144 all out, with only Sam Agace (37) and
-
Date
CRICKET: Nondies crush Tiddington
Oxford & Bletchingdon Nondescripts maintained their impressive start to the season with a seven-wicket win over Tiddington. Jeremy Liddy (4-19) and Mark Strong (3-30) combined to dismiss the visitors for just 99, which were scored at a rate of less than
-
Date
CRICKET: Florey has final say
James Florey captured the last two Cumnor wickets in consecutive deliveries with two minutes of the match remaining as Oxford Downs gained their first win with a 108-run victory. The leg spinner finished with 4-21 as Cumnor were bowled out for 192, of
-
Date
CRICKET: Gosling in swing with 9-52
Away swing bowler Andy Gosling returned terrific figures of 9-52 to give Wolverton Town a 47-run victory at Leighton Buzzard Town. Wolverton's 257-7 was built around Michael Baker's 102 and Kabir Arif (44). Chris Thompson (51), Tom Light (49) and Dan
-
Date
Oxford toddler has swine flu
A TODDLER from Oxford has tested positive for swine flu. Oxfordshire Primary Care Trust today confirmed a two-year-old boy is being treated with anti-viral drugs after contracting the Influenza H1N1 virus. The PCT described the boy as a “close household
-
Date
M40 open again after lorry crash
THE M40 has fully reopened after a lorry crashed into the central reservation and shed its load of orange juice and cheese. The northbound carriageway of the motorway was shut between Oxford and Bicester for almost 11 hours after the crash at 4.45am
-
Date
RUGBY UNION: Oxon's brave bid falls just short
Oxfordshire's hopes of reaching the final of this competition were dashed in the final quarter of their competitive semi-final away to Durham at Darlington on Saturday. With 20 minutes left, Oxon were leading 21-15 and eyeing a place in the
-
Date
DARTS: Oxon name youth squad
Oxfordshire have named their youth squad for their matches against London at Greenside Social Club, Wandsworth on Sunday (12). Under 21 men: C Inness (capt) (Red Lion Marston), D Ford (Polengz Hotel Blackpool), O Highton, T Gore (KB Brickwork), S Turner
-
Date
DARTS: Ladies final is a repeat
The ladies’ singles final in the Oxford & District Darts Association’s Knockout competition will be a repeat of last season’s summer final after Paulette Guy and Kim Ledbury both won through. Both play for Premier champions Shelley Arms C. The ladies
-
Date
Motorway still shut
The northbound carriageway of the M40 is due to reopen in the next half an hour, police said this afternoon. The carriageway was initially due to reopen about 1pm but police now expect to reopen it soon after 3pm. Officials are recovering
-
Date
Conman steals £1,000 from pensioner
A conman stole £1,000 from a pensioner after claiming to be from the water board. Police today appealed for witnesses who may have seen the thief just before or after he called at a house in Barretts Way, in Sutton Courtenay, on Thursday afternoon.
-
Date
Rider heads for Africa's highest peak
A KEEN horse rider plans to swap her saddle for walking boots when she takes on the challenge of a lifetime to climb Africa’s highest mountain. Michelle Allen, 24, will battle freezing temperatures, snow, fog and altitude sickness to climb 5,895 metres
-
Date
Motorway 'open by 1pm'
The M40 northbound is due to reopen at about 1pm today after a lorry shed its load of orange juice and cheese. Police spokesman Claire Gourlay said officers were currently at the scene and the lorry was being recovered. She said the northbound carriageway
-
Date
Road closed after gas leak
A gas leak has closed the A361 in West Oxfordshire this morning. The road is closed both ways between the B4477 and Hambidge Lane. Northbound traffic is being diverted from Lechlade through Southrop and southbound motorists are being directed through
-
Date
M40 northbound shut
The M40 is closed northbound at Oxford after a lorry hit the central reservation and shed cartons of orange juice onto the motorway. Police closed the northbound carriageway between junction 8 for Oxford and junction 9 for Bicester after the crash at
-
Date
The blue rinse mountains of Virginia........
Tomorrow night is a rehearsed performance at the Village Hall of our festival entries ‘Kill Jill’ and ‘When a Man Knows’. We normally do this for the village audience prior to festival week, entry will be £3 on the door and we will be offering
-
Date
Arson now suspected over house fire
Firefighters today said they believed an arsonist started a blaze in a three-bedroom house in Barton. Two fire crews from Oxford were called to the blaze in the second storey of a three-storey house in Green Ridges at 3.17pm yesterday.
-
Date
Firefighters help stricken motorist
Firefighters and paramedics were called to an overturned car at the roundabout in Southwold Lane, Bicester last night. Two fire crews from Bicester were called to the scene at 10.29pm and stabilised the car. One man was freed from the car before the
-
Date
CRICKET: Hussain stars as Swifts cruise in
OCA League Divisions 3 & 4 Omar Hussain was the star of the show as he took 5-14 in Witney Swift’s six-wicket victory at Clifton Hampden in Division 3. Batting first, Clifton were shot out for 109, Graeme Woodward chipping in with 3-36. In reply,
-
Date
CRICKET: Happy Harry is a class above
OCA League Divisions 1 & 2 Youngster Harry Smith smashed 101 not out to help Horley to a five-wicket victory at reigning champions Tetsworth in Division 1 on Saturday. Batting first, Tetsworth posted 181-5, Clifford Jacob top-scoring with 38 not out
-
Date
CRICKET: Ace Harding at it again
OCA League Divisions 5 & 6 Danny Harding was again the star of the show as he smashed 144 not out to help Chadlington to a 149-run victory over Chalgrove. Richard Ingram chipped in with 58 as Chadlington posted a formidable 268-5, before Martin Shepherd
-
Date
CRICKET: May calls the tune for Kilkenny
OCA League Divisions 7-11 Chris May took 4-1 as Kilkenny beat Risinghurst by 115 runs in Division 8. Earlier, Lee Noble had scored 46 in Kilkenny’s 181-9, before May took control as Risinghurst were shot out for 66. In Division 7, Liam Richards hit
-
Date
Smith in link with Everton
Ex-Oxford United boss Jim Smith is understood to be part of a international investment company bidding to buy a Premier League club. Smith, who managed the U’s in two spells, is reported to be involved with London Nominees Ltd, which has offices
-
Date
Fabia's fab
ALSO receiving Oxford Mail bouquets today is Fabia Cerra, who has made the semi-finals of ITV’s Britain’s Got Talent. Her burlesque routine might not be to everyone’s taste but Fabia has made her mark and made the final 40. It is refreshing that she
-
Date
A spirit of openness
OXFORDSHIRE County Council is to be congratulated for seeking to be more transparent over its expenses. We are now in the third week of the furore over MPs’ expenses and while some of the public may be tiring of the continuing revelations, the overall
-
Date
County expenses figures released early
OXFORDSHIRE county councillors have claimed more than £250,000 in hotels, travelling and food over the past five years. The county council brought forward the release of its latest yearly expense figures following the furore over MPs’ claims
-
Date
Villagers submit incinerator dossier
VILLAGERS have submitted a dossier of questions about a plan to build an incinerator near their homes. Bucknell Parish Council has sent Oxfordshire County Council 23 questions regarding plans to build the incinerator in Ardley, North Oxfordshire. The
-
Date
Finding our way through the recession
SOARING unemployment, falling house prices and businesses going bust — the headlines suggest Oxfordshire is being hit hard by the recession. But scratch the surface and evidence suggests the county is faring better than other areas of the UK
