Archive

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Burglars raid bungalow

Burglars stole a laptop, credit cards and jewellery after breaking into a bungalow in Abingdon - shortly after the householder was offered gardening services by a doorstep caller. The offence took place in Whitecross, between 12.30pm and 4.05pm

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Appeal after burglars steal jewellery

Police are seeking witnesses after a spate of village burglaries. The crimes took place in Harwell and Drayton, near Didcot. Three of the incidents, in Downs Close, The Winnaway and The Holloway in Harwell, took place between 1.20pm

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AUNT SALLY: They're aiming for the 2012 Olympics!

An Ambitious bid to get Aunt Sally included in the London 2012 Games is gathering momentum. At first, it looked as if the idea, the brainchild of Andy Beal – the secretary of the Greene King Oxford & District League – would never get off

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Camilla visits Emmaus centre

RESIDENTS of a community for the homeless in Oxford were given the chance to meet their charity’s Royal patron – the Duchess of Cornwall. The £2.5m centre has been home to seven residents since the end of March and there are now ten people

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Camilla visits hospice

YOUNG people being cared for at an Oxford hospice gave a royal welcome to the Duchess of Cornwall when she visited the charity. The Duchess visited Helen & Douglas House, in Leopold Street, East Oxford, for the second time today after becoming

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Traders reveal fears over High Street revamp

Work starts this month on a scheme to revamp Oxford’s High Street. The improvements, costing £3m, could result in months of disruption for bus-users and traders, with work starting on June 22 and expected to continue until April. Work is also due to

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Forget zebras, we want to keep puffin

A row has broken out over the planned removal of a puffin crossing outside County Hall in Oxford. Oxfordshire County Council wants to replace it with a traditional zebra crossing further up the road on the corner of New Road and Castle Street

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ROYAL VISIT: Camilla calls in on Oxford's Emmaus project

RESIDENTS of a community for the homeless in Oxford were given the chance to meet their charity’s Royal patron – the Duchess of Cornwall. The £2.5m centre has been home to seven residents since the end of March and there are now 10 people living

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ROYAL VISIT: Camilla calls in on Oxford's Helen & Douglas House Hospice

YOUNG people being cared for at an Oxford hospice gave a royal welcome to the Duchess of Cornwall when she visited the charity. The Duchess visited Helen & Douglas House, in Leopold Street, East Oxford, for the second time yesterday after

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Oxford High Street revamp to get underway

WORK starts this month on a scheme to revamp Oxford’s High Street. The improvements, costing £3m, could result in months of disruption for bus-users and traders, with work starting on June 22 and expected to continue until April. Work is also due to

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A weekly update from the corridors of power

When asked for their opinion on last week’s county council elections, one prominent politico remarked that Oxfordshire had ‘received a blue rinse’, a comment on the increased number of Tory county councillors. But we suspect word from within Tory high

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The Insider

WHEN asked for their opinion on last week’s county council elections, one prominent politico remarked that Oxfordshire had ‘received a blue rinse’, a comment on the increased number of Tory county councillors. But we suspect word from within

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Cemetery situation is 'getting grave'

A BICESTER councillor is appealing for a farmer or landowner to donate burial land for the town to tackle the cemetery crisis. The cemetery, in St Edburg’s Churchyard, Church Street, will be full in about four years, according to consultants Turftrax

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No-one got my vote

HAVING not been part of the political scene in Oxford for over a year and as my old party were not standing any candidates, Thursday’s elections were going to be somewhat difficult. However, thanks to our local county council candidates, the decision

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Audi clue to home raids

Police are appealing for witnesses after a spate of burglaries in Harwell and Drayton. There were three burglaries in Harwell - in Downs Close, The Winnaway and The Holloway - where the thieves managed to get into the properties through rear doors

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The brightest and best show courage

HAYLEY COVER’S article (Tiananmen Square, June 5) is a timely reminder of the role played by the young in vicious dictatorships. In Tiananmen Square, when the students walked, unarmed, towards the tanks, they were crushed. In the Polytechnic University

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No wonder council is complaining of bus pass costs

I HAVE a pensioner’s bus pass and my wife uses a disabled bus pass. We have experienced some confusion over the issuing of tickets. We have boarded the number 10 bus at Wood Farm to go to Cowley Centre and have received tickets for city centre

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Burglar steals laptop

Police are appealing for witnesses after a property was burgled in Abingdon. Between 12.30pm and 4.05pm on Monday burglars broke into a bungalow in Whitecross by forcing open the front door. They stole items including a laptop, credit cards and jewellery

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Differing views on country's ills

IN SPITE of all the financial and political happenings of recent months I was prepared to believe that, for the time being, New Labour were best placed to lead the country out of recession and to reform parliament. I saw no reason to believe they were

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Tough task for the lads of Christ Church Cathedral Choir

In Merton College gardens, sunlight filtered gently through the daffodils, lighting them from behind, and giving them a yellow glow. Blossom was just beginning to appear on the trees. The sound of early Tudor church music wafted across the grass

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Going strong after 25 happy years

Every Thursday morning as 9am approaches, a long queue begins to form outside St Leonard’s Church Hall in the centre of Eynsham. When the main door opens, those waiting rush into the hall to pick out their favoured purchases before someone else gets

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Recipe for focaccia

This flat Italian bread, which can be served oozing with olive oil, is the perfect accompaniment to a barbecue, especially if served warm. As rosemary is now shooting soft, tender and very fragrant leaves, it is the ideal herb to flavour this bread

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Giulio Cesare: Glyndebourne

That this is the third outing for David McVicar’s Giulio Cesare at Glyndebourne in just five seasons is emphatic testimony to the charm of this all-singing all-dancing fantasy of a production, proving once and for all that it is oh so much more than the

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Roberto Devereux: Holland Park Opera

Michael Volpe, not Sir Alan Sugar, should be elevated to the House of Lords by Gordon Brown as an example of British innovation. This is the man who, in the teeth of an entrenched bureaucracy, managed to get the Libraries Arts Services of a London borough

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Big break for Cressida van Gordon

It’s a time of opportunities. For opera lovers who’ve survived the credit crunch, it’s time to don the evening dress and posh frocks, bring out the picnic sets, and head off to Garsington, Grange Park, Glyndebourne or Longborough. At the other end of

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In My View: O3 Gallery

Photographer Sarah Howard says that successful photography is dependent on good light and is about being in the right place at the right time. What she fails to admit is that it is dependent on talent, too, and on having an eye for a good picture. Sarah

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GOLF: Jackson relishing links test

Lee Jackson will be looking to continue his rich vein of form when he tees off in the Glenmuir PGA Professional Championship at Dundonald Links next week. The North Oxford pro made it through to the event near Troon with a strong second-place finish

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Rob Townsend: The Spin Jazz Club

When Rob Townsend last came to the Spin he was sharing the stage with fellow saxophonist Paul Booth in Arnie Somogyi’s Ambulance. So it was a treat to hear him on his own with the house band, which on this occasion was the original Spin trio of Pete Oxley

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The Bed Before Yesterday: Mill at Sonning

Does Bernard Shaw hold the record for writing longest for the West End stage? Surprisingly not. The honour goes to farceur Ben Travers who made his mark in 1922 with The Dippers and closed his career at 89 in 1975 with The Bed Before Yesterday. Staged

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GOLF: Results round-up

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Uncivil Partnership: OFS Studio

Uncivil Partnership is comedy with a satirical edge about love, social stereotypes and lesbian weddings. Marion and Kate are getting married. Marion is an aristocrat, 54th in line to the throne, who comes across to most people who meet her as incredibly

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Local share prices

AEA Technology 22.5 BMW 25.16 Electrocomponents 152 Nationwide Accident Repair 82.5 Oxford Biomedica 12 Oxford Catalyst 47 Oxford Instruments 139.5 REED 472.75 RM 162.5 RPS Group 208.25

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The Brodsky Quartet: North Wall

Beethoven meets Africa was the central motif of the Brodsky Quartet’s recital on Saturday. Back in 2000, the ensemble commissioned six composers to write responses to the Beethoven Op.18 quartets. They included Tunde Jegede, a young British composer of

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AMERICAN FOOTBALL: Saints suffer first defeat

Oxford Saints suffered their first defeat of the season, going down 23-7 away to Tamworth Phoenix in the BAFL Conference Division 1. Two scores late in the final quarter saw Tamworth secure victory, in a game where defences were on top. After a scoreless

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BOWLS: Snowdon gets Oxon call-up

New recruit Ian Snowdon will make his EBA Middleton Cup debut for Oxfordshire in their Group 3B clash against Surrey at Shirley Park BC, Croydon, on Saturday. Snowdon, who joined Oxon from Berkshire this season, replaces Andy McIntyre. Winner of the

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La Cenerentola: Garsington Opera

The recession has hit Don Magnifico hard. He’s not only had to sell the family silver, but also the house itself. He, his poisonous daughters Clorinda and Tisbe, and their downtrodden stepsister Angelina are now all packed into a tiny caravan. From this

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The King's Singers: Sheldonian Theatre

Senesino, Jenny Lind, Callas, Fischer-Dieskau . . . While audiences through the generations have been driven to heights of ecstatic frenzy by opera and vocal soloists, there is something about ensemble singing that has failed to produce such popular

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Fidelio: Garsington Opera

As serious as La Cenerentola is slight, Fidelio differs from the other opening work in the 2009 Garsington season in other respects. An obvious one is in the care lavished on its composition. Beethoven spent the best part of two years (1804/1805

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BOWLS: Youngsters in the groove

Oxfordshire Under 25 bowlers impressed in the latest round of matches in the Oxford and District League, sponsored by Yarnton Nurseries. In Division 1, Carterton’s Dan and Darren Wakeman, Remy Clanfield and Ryan Full helped secure a 5-1 victory at Shiplake

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A slurp and a sip in celebration of the Loire Valley

Every few months a small group of my friends get together for a gastro feast. Each meal is inspired by a particular region or country and everyone brings a course to complement the respective wines. We call it ‘Slurp and Sip’ and I absolutely love to

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Mainstream All Stars: Cornerstone, Didcot

This concert at the new Cornerstone Arts Centre in Didcot was an opportunity for well-known local clarinettist Alvin Roy to put together a session with some of the best ‘mainstream’ players in the country. The star of the show was undoubtedly saxophonist

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POINT-TO-POINT: Trouble reels off five-timer for Hill

More Trouble, trained by Alan Hill at Aston Rowant, completed a famous five-timer with victory at Kingston Blount, near Chinnor. The eight-year-old, who was winning his sixth race this season, made all the running under James Tudor to beat Long Courrier

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Dorian Gray: Milton Keynes Theatre

Oscar Wilde’s novel The Picture of Dorian Gray, with its homoerotic undertones caused a scandal when published, even though he had been careful not to be too explicit about the relationships portrayed. No need for such caution for Matthew Bourne, who

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GREYHOUNDS: Tonight's Oxford runners

7.35: Zigzag Zeer, Springville Fast, Swift Ashley, FERDIA BILLY, Marshals Tango 2, Go Teddy. 7.50: Paige And Bonnie, Swift Estelle 3, Enchantedmorning, Snazzy Moon, TOMS MY BOY, Raging Santa 2. 8.05: Heaslips Hawk, Bank On Black, No Charge 3, Positive

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The Spanish Tragedie: Oriel College

Once internationally famous, but almost totally neglected for over 300 years, The Spanish Tragedie has enjoyed a recent revival. This new production of Kyd’s play by Rabid Monkey and the Oriel Lions takes the opportunity to explore the central dark dilemma

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Dismay as Abingdon day centre moves

PENSIONERS fear they will be isolated now their Abingdon day centre has been relocated to the outskirts of town — away from nearby shops and services. Oxfordshire County Council has moved Abingdon Day Centre from The Charter, off Stratton Way, to Audlett

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BAR BILLIARDS: Oxford ease through

Buildbase Oxford & District League Oxford A set up an Oxford & District League Inter-Area Cup quarter-final clash against either Wallingford C or Eynsham A after beating Oxford C 5-0 in their return leg second-round clash at the Gladiators Club, writes

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The Tempest: Moser Theatre, Wadham College

One challenge that faces any director of Shakespeare’s The Tempest is the huge number of interpretations already produced. From outer space to outer London there are few settings left untried, few characters unexplored. This new version from MB Productions

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An Inspector Calls: Oxford Playhouse

J.B. Priestley’s An Inspector Calls is a phenomenon. For long staple fare at provincial repertory theatres, in 1989 director Stephen Daldry was invited to take a fresh look at the dear old piece. The resulting production made him a millionaire, and 20

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Norma: Grange Park Opera

With what must seem reckless disregard for her safety, the High Priestess Norma chooses to conduct her reprehensible private life in dangerous proximity to her public one. In Grange Park Opera’s excellent new production of Bellini’s best-known work, the

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Arcadia: The Duke of York's Theatre, London

The superbly managed West End revival of Tom Stoppard’s 1993 National Theatre hit Arcadia is a major theatrical event that should not be missed. Brilliantly acted by all involved, under director David Levaux, the production is also blessed with a magnificent

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Cowley Road Carnival goes back to basics

ORGANISERS are urging people to support Oxfordshire’s biggest outdoor annual carnival — despite the fact it will no longer be in Cowley Road. About 15,000 people are expected to attend Carnival in the Park, which will see up to 70 music and dance acts

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Retailers invited to free conference

RETAILERS across Bicester are being invited to a free conference aimed at tackling the issues affecting them. Among the topics up for discussion on Thursday, June 18, will be the recession, and competition from the internet. Organised by Bicester Vision

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New Didcot restaurant will 'eat up parking spaces'

PLANS to transform a run-down car park in Didcot into a glass-fronted restaurant have prompted concerns over town centre parking. Developers will begin work creating the two-storey eaterie on the land behind Wilkinsons on Monday. However, traders and

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Soldiers survive bomb blast

FOUR soldiers escaped unscathed when their armoured vehicle ran over a homemade bomb in Afghanistan. The men, all from Bicester-based 23 Pioneer Regiment, walked away uninjured after the Taliban bomb exploded beneath their Mastiff troop carrier in Helmand

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School garden set for makeover

CHILDREN at a Bicester school will get the chance to explore nature first hand when a team of gardeners revamp their concrete garden. Youngsters at Kings Meadow Primary School’s foundation stage have recently moved into new classrooms, but the outdoor

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Post office manager faked robbery

A POST office manager stole cash from the Bicester branch she was in charge of before helping to stage a fake robbery to cover her tracks, a court heard. Travis Stone, 24, of Nuthatch, Bicester, Tara Holland, 21, of Spindleside, Bicester and Lee Graham

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ATHLETICS: Male takes Otmoor prize

Steve Male continued his fine form with a comprehensive victory in the 30th annual Otmoor Challenge Half Marathon. Persistent rain made conditions very slippery, and some parts of the course resembled a cross country quagmire, but despite that, Male,

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Town urged to get involved in carnival

BICESTER’S mayor is urging residents to get involved in this year’s carnival and make it the best one yet. The annual carnival takes place at the sports ground, off Oxford Road, on Sunday, July 12. Places are still available for groups and organisations

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ATHLETICS: Lloyd lands top award

SOPHIE Lloyd was presented with the Young Harrier Female Shield at White Horse Harriers’ annual awards ceremony after representing Oxfordshire in the Inter-Counties Championship. Other girls’ trophies were presented to Emma Hazell (under 9), Eloise

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ATHLETICS: Busby stars for City in Wessex triumph

AMY Busby took the girls’ athlete-of-the-match award as Oxford City won their Wessex League contest by a massive 121 points at Horspath. City’s youngsters amassed 551.5 points and finish well clear of nearest rivals Camberley to move into joint-second

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ATHLETICS: Radley are edged out

RADLEY’S men just missed out on second place after their long trip to Plymouth in Southern League Division 3 West. They missed out by just half-a-point, but produced a number of victories in poor weather conditions. James Broughton clocked a personal

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ATHLETICS: Ace Steve stays on title track

OXFORD City’s Steve Male scored his second successive victory in the Mota-vation series after a record-breaking turn-out at Bletchingdon. The race had started with a large group heading out of Bletchingdon towards Kirt-lington, but at the one-mile mark

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Dog-owners urged to enter show

DOG owners are being urged to enter their pets in the Banbury and District Show. The Up and Over Dog Training Club is staging the event at the show on June 14. Among the categories will be most handsome, prettiest bitch, best veteran, best rescue waggiest

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MP invites new health chief to Horton

BANBURY’S MP took advantage of the Government reshuffle by extending an invitation to the new health minister to visit the Horton Hospital. One of the first letters to hit the desk of new Health Secretary, Andy Burnham, was from Tony Baldry inviting

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Street trading ban planned

TRADING could be banned on main roads into Banbury in a bid to clamp down on the growing number of unofficial ‘car lots’ across the town. A dozen roads in Banbury have been plagued by traders parking up vehicles and sticking ‘for sale’ signs on them

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New recycling bins installed

CHERWELL residents will have no excuses for not recycling when they are out and about after a council put a further 20 bins on the streets. In Banbury, ten more on-street recycling bins have been installed and another ten were put in place in Bicester

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Mother runs in husband's memory

A MOTHER is well on her way to hitting a £10,000 target for a cancer charity in memory of her husband. Sarah Thompson ran the London Marathon and then organised a village fun run in Aynho. Sarah, along with her children Sandy, 12, and Saskia, ten, hope

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Thousands expected for Banbury Show

THOUSANDS of people are expected at the town’s inaugural Banbury and District show on Sunday. The show, in Spiceball Park, is planning to cater for every member of the family, including the dog. There will be a tug of war event, dog show, horseback

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Groups club together to cut car use

A CLUB aimed at getting little-used cars off the streets has been launched in Headington in the wake of other successful Oxford schemes. People who sign up will be able to rent cars for as little as an hour. Organisers hope the lack of overheads like

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Yob says sorry for behaviour after Mail story

A YOUNGSTER apologised to a pensioner after she spoke publicly about how her life was being made a misery by gangs of yobs. The teenager sent a handwritten letter to Georgina Dominy after she told the Oxford Mail yobs would bang on her door

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MP invites new health minister to visit Horton

BANBURY MP Tony Baldry has invited the Government’s new Health Secretary to visit The Horton Hospital to find out about its importance to the community. One of the first letters to land on the desk of Andy Burnham, was from Mr Baldry inviting him to

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Festival makes a big commotion

A VILLAGE musical festival attracted hundreds of people – and raised thousands of pounds for charity. Saturday’s Commotion Festival 2009 in Kingham near Chipping Norton proved a huge success, despite the threat of heavy rain. The family-friendly event

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Teacher was man of many talents

ERNEST Smallridge, who has died aged 86, was a respected teacher who taught generations of Oxford children. He also had a distinguished wartime career as an RAF navigator and was a keen morris dancing tutor, musician and sportsman. He taught at Botley

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Bicester school's concrete garden to get a makeover

CHILDREN at a Bicester school will get the chance to explore nature first hand when a team of gardeners revamp their concrete garden. Foundation stage youngsters, aged four and five, at Kings Meadow Primary School recently moved into new classrooms,

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Quarry firm gets go-ahead to close one site and open another

A QUARRY firm has been given the go-ahead to close one site and open another. Hills Quarry Products Ltd, will replace its current sand quarry at Tubney Wood with a soft sand quarry at nearby Upwood Park, Besselsleigh, near Abingdon. The site covers

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Oxford students on a magic mission

TWO Oxford students are throwing aside their textbooks in favour of wands, cards and full magical regalia. Rhys Morgan and Rob West, both 22, are in the final years of their Oxford University science degrees – But are now launching themselves as ‘Victorian

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Wantage car park set to open at last

TRADERS in Wantage are delighted an unused car park which became a magnet for vandalism is finally set to open. Not a single vehicle has been parked in Mill Street Undercroft, in Letcombe Mews, since it was built as part of the Limborough Road development

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Two teams apply to Formula One

TWO companies at the heart of Oxfordshire’s so-called Motorsport Valley have applied to join the sport’s elite on the 2010 Formula One grid. Both Prodrive of Banbury, which employs about 500 people and has a £100m annual turnover, and the new Brabham

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Oxford Instruments upbeat

High-tech company Oxford Instruments said it was well-placed to weather the recesssion, after reporting revenues up 17 per cent. Chief executive Jonathan Flint, pictured, said: "Long-term, we are still very confident. The business has improved dramatically

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Local share prices

AEA Technology 22.75 BMW 2478 Electrocomponents 154.75 Nationwide Accident Repair 82.5 Oxford Biomedica 11.75 Oxford Catalyst 47 Oxford Instruments 138.5 REED 476.5 RM 160.75 RPS Group 206

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Mégane shapes up

A glance at the sleek bodywork of the new Mégane tells much of the story behind the direction Renault wants to take in the 21st century. Altogether leaner and more athletic in both its stance and road manners, the third generation Mégane weighs in at

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Bodleian Library Swindon move given go-ahead

A £25M plan to house a collection of Bodleian Library books at a Swindon industrial estate has been approved. The proposals to build a storage facility for more than four million books from Oxford University’s world-famous Bodleian Library

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Free oil checks offered to drivers

Mobil 1 is offering free oil checks to customers at the Baynards Green, Bicester, and Ermont Way, Banbury, Esso service stations during National Oil Check Week, (June 15-19) and the chance to win a unique oil painting of F1 World Drivers’ Champion

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CRICKET: Megson called up

Oxfordshire and Banbury under 14 all-rounder Josh Megson has been selected for the South and West regional team to face Wales on Sunday. Megson, 13, who attends the Warriner School in Bloxham, has already played for Banbury 2nd this season. He successfully

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CRICKET: Oxon pay for collapse

Minor Counties Championship A late resurgence was not enough to save Oxfordshire from a four-wicket Western Division defeat to Dorset at Great & Little Tew yesterday. The visitors had looked set to cruise in as they reached 176-1 chasing 254 for victory

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CRICKET: Morteza stars for students

Ali Morteza was Oxford UCCE’s hero as they reached the British Universities one-day final at the fifth time of asking. The Cumnor all-rounder took an impressive 4-11 and then scored an unbeaten 20 to seal Oxford’s three-wicket semi-final victory over

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CRICKET: OCA move start for sky

It is not every day that an OCA match is brought forward to cater for Sky TV, but that is what is happening at Dorchester on Saturday, June 27. Their Division 6 clash with Cairns Fudge will start at 11.30pm instead of the usual 2pm.

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50 firefighters tackled blaze

Fifty firefighters from Oxfordshire and Buckinghamshire worked together last night to prevent an oil tanker on the M40 from exploding. The motorway has been reopened following the incident on the southbound carriageway, between Stokenchurch

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AUNT SALLY: Olympic dream

An ambitious bid to get Aunt Sally included in the London 2012 Games is gathering momentum. At first, it looked as if the idea, the brainchild of Andy Beal – the secretary of the Greene King Oxford & District League – would never get off

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UPDATE: 50 firefighters battled tanker blaze

Fifty firefighters from Oxfordshire and Buckinghamshire worked together last night to prevent an oil tanker on the M40 from exploding. The motorway has now been reopened following the incident on the southbound carriageway, between Stokenchurch at junction

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F1 inches closer to deal

The Formula One Teams' Association are believed to be edging closer to an agreement with the FIA ahead of Friday's crucial announcement of the entrants for 2010. FOTA have responded to a letter from FIA president Max Mosley after he urged them to this

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Watson new face of Burberry advert

Emma Watson is the new face of Burberry's autumn advertising campaign. The New York Daily News reveals the Harry Potter star models the iconic British brand's scarves, trench coats and handbags in a series of ads for the label's autumn line. The

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M40 reopens after tanker blaze

The M40 has been reopened after a oil tanker caught on fire last night. The fire happened when the truck carrying 30,000 litres of fuel was heading southbound along the road between Stokenchurch and Watlington. The motorway was closed

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UPDATE: Motorway reopens after tanker blaze

The M40 has now been reopened after a oil tanker caught on fire last night. The fire happened when the truck carrying 30,000 litres of fuel was heading southbound along the road between Stokenchurch and Watlington. The motorway was closed

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Tributes paid to 'gentleman' ex-GP

TRIBUTES have been paid to a former GP described as a “true gentleman” who died in a car accident outside an golf club. Salim Verjee, from Main Road, in Fyfield, near Abingdon, was known to hundreds of patients at Kennington Health Centre where

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Don't hold your breath over flood action

THE Environment Agency is one of those organisations that appears to promote good work, but where decisions and funding seem to take an age to be agreed, if at all. An announcement yesterday all but scuppered a £3.7m flood defence scheme close to where

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Open your files on abortions

HOW can Gordon Brown call for “open, transparent democracy, so that the public can see all things are above board”, yet at the same time allow the Department of Health to keep information on abortion statistics hidden from the public? What have they

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Laura needs your vote

A Banbury teenager is urging people to vote for her to win a place in the Miss England contest. Laura Sullivan, 17, has made it to the public vote round for a chance to get direct entry to the final of the Miss England. She faces competition

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Real criminals

IT’S ironic that the Chinese government marked the massacre of students in Tiananmen Square on June 4, 1989, by having a strong military presence in the square on the day to prevent its people marking the anniversary of the incident! The Chinese government