Archive

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Extra Wembley trains

OXFORD fans who want to avoid congestion and parking problems on Sunday can let the train take the strain. Chiltern Railways are laying on extra services from their Oxfordshire stations to get fans to Wembley. Trains will leave at 2pm

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York chief: "We've surpassed expectations"

YORK City owner Jason McGill has confessed that this teason has already surpassed his expectations. The businessman felt a top-ten place was within the club’s grasp after an awful 2008-9 campaign, but admitted that reaching Sunday’s play-off final against

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Antenna update: Services restored

ALL TV services from the Oxford transmitter have been restored following a fire at the top of the mast. Signals through analogue and digital boxes like Freeview were cut off after the blaze began at the transmitter, in Beckley, at about 3pm. A spokesman

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Bomber crew memorial gets go-ahead

A permanent memorial commemorating thousands of bomber aircrew who lost their lives during the Second World War is to be built in central London Members of Westminster City Council's planning applications sub-committee have given the go-ahead for

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TV service restored

Television service was restored to homes throughout Oxfordshire after 9pm tonight. A statement from communications firm Arqiva, the operator of the Beckley mast, said: "All services from the Oxford transmitter were restored by 9.30 pm Thursday

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Antenna update: TV signal could work by 9pm

TV viewers in Oxfordshire could get their channels back by 9pm. A fire broke out at the Beckley mast which transmits TV signals to around 410,000 homes at around 3pm. Signals through analogue and digital boxes like Freeview have been cut off since

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Abingdon woman's inquest told of 'row' before stabbing

A mother of four was stabbed to death by an ex-soldier she met on the Facebook website just days after he had admitted a charge of assaulting her, an inquest heard. Julie Sudlow, of Berry Croft, Abingdon, had secretly visited the home of Stewart Shaw

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Court rejects power station protest plea

AN ENVIRONMENTAL protester who scaled the chimney at Didcot power station was convicted of aggravated trespass despite arguing he did so to save lives. Carl Van Tonder, a 20-year-old student from Wellington Street, Oxford, was one of nine activists who

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Transmitter blaze 'could take days to repair'

Hundreds of thousands of homes were today left without television after a fire broke out at the Oxford transmitter. The mast at Beckley provides analogue and digital television for almost 410,000 homes across the county, all of which were believed

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Fire causes TV problems in Oxfordshire

Hundreds of thousands of homes were today left without television after a fire broke out at the Oxford transmitter. The mast at Beckley provides analogue and digital television for almost 410,000 homes across the county, all of which were believed

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Power station protest plea rejected

An environmental protester who scaled the chimney at Didcot power station was convicted of aggravated trespass despite arguing he did so to save lives. Carl Van Tonder, a 20-year-old student of Wellington Street, Oxford, was one of nine activists

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Food for thought

THE smell of sizzling sausages and burgers filled Oxford’s Bonn Square yesterday as the city’s Christian community dished out free meals to hundreds of passers by. It is the eighth year that people from churches across Oxford have come together to offer

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FOOTBALL: Steele is City's top dog

Striker Lee Steele was named player’s player of the year at Oxford City’s annual awards night. The former Oxford United frontman plundered 23 goals for the Premier Division outfit after signing from Northwich Victoria last summer to lift the Bert Holt

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RUGBY UNION: Oxon eye last-four equation

Oxfordshire must win and then have calculators at the ready to see if they will reach the County Championship Shield semi-finals on Saturday. Victory over Essex at Chinnor (3) should be enough for Oxon to reach the last four as the best runners-up –

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UNITED AT WEMBLEY: Sons to go to final in memory of dad

DOMINIC Hill promised his two boys the whole family would go to Wembley if Oxford United got through to the play-off final. The lifelong U’s fan was keen to be at the crucial game after seeing his team triumph at Wembley in the Milk Cup Final in 1986

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UPDATE: Transmitter blaze 'could take days to repair'

HUNDREDS of thousands of homes were today left without television after a fire broke out at the Oxford transmitter. The mast at Beckley provides analogue and digital television for almost 410,000 homes across the county, all of which were believed

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CRICKET: Keep it up, says Hawtin

MCCA Trophy Oxfordshire captain Ian Hawtin is urging his players not to let up when they host Herefordshire in Pool 3 at Radley College on Sunday. Last week’s 109-victory over Bedfordshire put Oxon back into contention for a quarter-final spot – and

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UNITED AT WEMBLEY: Fans recall 1986 Milk Cup Final

KEVIN Smith is hoping to have a clearer head for Oxford’s second trip to Wembley in 24 years. In 1986 the keen rugby player went to the Milk Cup Final despite suffering from concussion. As a 32-year-old, the U’s fan was taken to Oxford

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CRICKET: Powles on song

Bernard Tollett Oxfordshire Cup Dave Powles smashed an unbeaten 85 as Great & Little Tew hammered Banbury Twenty by 100 runs in the preliminary round. Powles’s knocked helped Tew to 186-5 in their 20 overs, then Joe White (3-6) and Matty Taylor (3-10

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CRICKET: Harrison happy with 'early' derby

Serious Cricket Home Counties Premier League Oxford captain Jason Harrison is delighted to get a crack at derby rivals Banbury so early in the season. The two sides clash at White Post Road in Division 1 on Saturday with Banbury yet

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CRICKET: Superb start for over 50s

ECB 50+ County Championship Oxfordshire got their Group 4 campaign up and running with a 70-run victory over Wales at Merthyr Tydfil. Alec Cunningham top-scored with 59 in Oxon’s 236-6 then claimed 3-39 as Wales were dismissed for 166. Tony Munsey

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Bicester's £70m redevelopment start is 'imminent'

TRADERS have been reassured a legal document which is essential to the redevelopment of Bicester town centre will be signed imminently. The £70m scheme is being run in partnership between Sainsbury’s and Cherwell District Council. The project will include

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New PM's wife Samantha quits job

Samantha Cameron has announced she has stepped down from her role as creative director of upmarket stationery firm Smythson. The Prime Minister's wife, who is five months pregnant, said she would act as a creative consultant for the company, working

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UPDATE: TV signal off until at least 7pm

Viewers in Oxfordshire are unlikely to get channels back until at least after 7pm. A fire broke out at the Beckley mast, which transmits TV signal to around 410,000 homes, at around 3pm. Work has been going on at the mast in preparation

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Plea issued over Headington crash

Police are appealing for witnesses to a serious injury collision in Oxford. At around 12.30pm yesterday, a woman was struck by a Peugeot 106 hatchback at the junction of London Road and Kennett Road in Headington. Police and paramedics attended and

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Oxford river death man named

Police today named the man found dead in the River Thames near Folly Bridge, Oxford, yesterday. He was Andrew Swadling, 35, of Marlborough Road, Oxford. Police said Mr Swadling’s death was still being treated as unexplained and officers

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'Ballot forms arrived too late for poll'

Complaints have been made about the delivery times of postal vote forms in East Oxford. Sushila Dhall, who stood unsuccessfully as Green Party candidate in Oxford East, said she was unhappy that some people did not receive their postal vote forms

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Alonso dominates Monaco practice

Fernando Alonso scored a practice one-two ahead of Sunday's Monaco Grand Prix to at least offer hope Red Bull Racing can be conquered in qualifying. Under clear blue skies and in warm sunshine, Ferrari star Alonso topped a tight three-way battle at

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Events celebrate children's hospices

East Oxford hospice Helen and Douglas House is laying on a series of events to mark Children’s Hospice Week, which starts tomorrow. The theme of the week is ‘heroes’ and some of the youngsters who receive respite care at the hospice, in Leopold

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Modern Art Oxford unveils new entrance

Modern Art Oxford has a new entrance and a new cafe area following a £300,000 refurbishment. A new main entry point has been created in St Ebbe’s Street and a utility room has been converted into the new courtyard-style cafe. An existing entrance

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'Ballot forms arrived too late for poll'

COMPLAINTS have been made about the delivery times of postal vote forms in East Oxford. Sushila Dhall, who stood unsuccessfully as Green Party candidate in Oxford East, said she was unhappy that some people did not receive their postal vote

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Modern Art Oxford unveils new entrance

MODERN Art Oxford has a new entrance and a new cafe area following a £300,000 refurbishment. A new main entry point has been created in St Ebbe’s Street and a utility room has been converted into the new courtyard-style cafe. An existing entrance in

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Events celebrate work of children's hospices

East Oxford hospice Helen and Douglas House is laying on a series of events to mark Children’s Hospice Week, which sta-rts tomorrow. The theme of the week is ‘heroes’ and some of the youngsters who receive respite care at the hospice, in Leopold Street

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Counting down to Wembley glory

as a lifelong supporter of Oxford United, and just two years short of my 60th birthday, you’d have thought I’d have learnt not to get too excited or over-optimistic about the U’s play-off final at Wembley, this Sunday. Wrong! I have been

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Epic loyalty of United fan

I HAVE to admire Mark Andrews for his willingness to undertake a round trip of 22,700 miles just to see Oxford United take on York in the Blue Square Premier play-off final at Wembley on Sunday. However, I can’t make up my mind if he is massively dedicated

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Debt repayment idea doesn't work

Unfortunately, M R Atwell’s idea regarding interest on government debt payment (Oxford Mail, May 11) won’t work. Firstly, to clarify, the government has provided support of about £850bn to the banks. The majority of this support is by way of guarantees

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Greece is the word

GreeThe recents events in Greece caused by the economy reminded me of an adventurous trip there in the ‘80s with my sister. We had caught the magic bus with our tent, cooking utensils, sleeping bags and a few hundred pounds. One night all the beach

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Was anyone else pestered about voting?

I AM writing to ask whether anybody kept having telephone calls, as I did, asking them to vote in last week’s elections? I had three calls from the Liberal Democrats – even one at 9.30pm on election day, in which a lady rang me up telling me “don’t

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Do we really need more roads?

M R HUSBAND (yesterday’s Oxford Mail) calls for a better Oxford bypass. Is he really in favour of concreting over more countryside for his convenience? R Wilson, North Oxford

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A perfect set of coincidences

IT was like something from The Archers. You know what I mean; a story line is revealed to listeners on Monday and all is miraculously sorted out in time for the Sunday omnibus edition. But life isn't like that – or is it? In our true-life story, the

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FIXTURES May 14

SATURDAY. CRICKET. SERIOUS CRICKET HOME COUNTIES. PREMIER LEAGUE. Div 1: Aston Rowant v Harpenden, Banbury v Oxford, Welwyn Garden City v Henley. Div 2 West: Thame Tn v Finchampstead. MP SPORTS. CHERWELL LEAGUE. Div 1: Buckingham v Horspath,

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Howay The Lassies

A’reet man, Tim Hughes banters with canny Geordie songbird Rachel Unthank, whose band are the stars of next weekend’s Wood Festival. SHIP wrecks, separation, child labour, wife-beating, suicide and poverty. Sisters Rachel and Becky Unthank

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Wild Goose Chase

KATHERINE MACALISTER waits ... and waits ... and waits ... for some top notch food at The Goose. It was all hands on deck when we arrived at The Goose in Britwell Salome on Friday night. A waitress was ill so the owner Paul Castle, who

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PIGEON RACING: results

Oxford Central FC (Falaise, 3 sent 12): 1, 4, 5 K Shipperley 982, 836, 801; 2, 3, M/M Ward 894, 887; 6, 7 E Irving 725, 625. Shotover & District FC (Exeter, 16 sent 202): 1, 2, 4, K Shipperley 1124.9, 1124.6, 1103; 3 E Irving 1112; 5 R & M Bostock 1100

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TENNIS: Brookes raise £1,200 in marathon

Come rain, wind or shine – Oxford Brookes LTC played non-stop tennis for 24 hours to raise money for Sport Relief. About 50 club members helped to raise £1,200 for the charity after playing a series of two-hour doubles matches on one court. The men

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UPDATE: Fire crews at TV mast blaze

A fire has started at the Beckley aerial, which has left thousands of homes without a TV signal. TV viewers in Oxfordshire have lost all signals to their sets because of a problem with the digital switchover. The problems are believed

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Desperate Den

It may be five o’clock in the morning in Los Angeles, but despite having just woken up from her sleep, Denise Welch sounds upbeat. The Durham-born actress, best known for playing feisty barmaid Natalie in Coronation Street and now being a presenter on

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JR HEART DEATHS: Mum gives evidence to inquiry

A GRIEVING mother whose baby son died on an operating table at the John Radcliffe Hospital is preparing to report the hospital trust to the General Medical Council. Shara Vines, whose 11-month-old son Jaidon died during heart surgery in 2004, was paid

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What's Cookin'?

Top TV chef Raymond Blanc tells KATHERINE MACALISTER how being laid up with a broken leg has given him time to consider some fresh challenges. It’s dangerous keeping Raymond Blanc out of the kitchen. He’s like a cat on a hot tin roof.

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Men charged with Oxford burglary

Police have charged two men with burglary at Hodges Court, Oxford. Simon Fox, 41, from Speedwell Street, Oxford, and Marc Collier, 27, from Speedwell Street, Oxford, have been charged with burglary on April 24/25. They have been released on bail

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Lucky Jim

His humour may not be to all tastes – particularly in this parish – but Jim Davidson keeps coming back, writes KATHERINE MACALISTER. Jim Davidson is on fighting form. Raving about the election, opinions flying as fast as his uncensored material

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Robin's Quest

ROBIN HOOD (12A). Action/Drama/Romance. Russell Crowe, Cate Blanchett, Mark Strong, Max von Sydow, Kevin Durand, Scott Grimes, Alan Doyle, Mark Addy, William Hurt, Oscar Isaac, Eileen Atkins, Matthew Macfadyen, Douglas Hodge, Danny Huston

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True Crime

The star of a poignant new production at Oxford Playhouse tells KATHERINE MACALISTER how his cousin’s death inspired fellow actors to tackle the issue of knife crime. Gang culture is a big departure for the Oxford Playhouse. That

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Box Clever

RICHARD BELL finds treasure at Pandora’s Box @ Wahoo, Hythe Bridge Street, Oxford. The last time I was at Jongleurs I saw an exceptionally good comedian who decided what kind of set he would do by judging the crowd in an interesting way

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Bang On

PHILIDELPHIA: the city of brotherly love, the Liberty Bell, soft cheese and soul music. Now the cradle of American independence gives us another cause to celebrate – in the shape of a hip-hop duo who are mixing up the gritty sound of the streets with

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Bags stolen from Brookes sports hall

Police are appealing for witnesses after thieves stole bags from the Oxford Brookes University’s sport hall. The bags were taken while their owners were in a circuit training class at the sports centre in Cheney Lane at about 7pm on Tuesday

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Town & Gown organisers set runners a challenge

ORGANISERS of the Oxford Town and Gown Run are challenging runners to try to beat the 30-minute mark. On Sunday, 3,250 people will take to the city’s streets for the annual event, which raises money for the Muscular Dystrophy Campaign. The 10-kilometre

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Stab victim 'met killer on Facebook'

Abingdon mother-of-four Julie Sudlow was stabbed to death by a man she met on Facebook, an inquest has heard. The former Milletts Farm Centre worker, of Berry Croft, Abingdon, was killed at the Portsmouth home of former partner Stewart Shaw

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Man held over Oxford sex assault

Police want to trace a man who helped a teenager after she was sexually assaulted in Oxford city centre this morning. The 18-year-old woman was walking along Magdalen Street East, near to the bus stops by Broad Street, when she was grabbed

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Pupils turn restaurant reviewers

SCHOOLCHILDREN dined out in style as they turned food critics for the day. The 26 Year Five and Year Six pupils from St Ebbe’s Primary School, in Whitehouse Road, Oxford, enjoyed a three-course meal at the Door 74 restaurant, in Cowley Road, on Tuesday

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Man held over Magdalen Street sex assault

Police want to trace a man who helped a teenager after she was sexually assaulted in Oxford city centre this morning. The 18-year-old woman was walking along Magdalen Street, near to the bus stops by Broad Street, when she was grabbed by an unknown

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Young chemist makes UK team

A TEENAGE chemist will soon be packing his lab coat and safety goggles for a flight to an international science festival in Japan. Josh Stedman, 18, shone among a field of 2,500 applicants to gain a place in the British team at the 42nd International

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Motor Mouth sounds off about caravans

Why do the police bother spending millions of pounds every year on hi-tech pursuit vehicles, helicopters with thermal imaging cameras and various other gadgets to catch criminals and perpetrators of car crime, when all they need to do is employ

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Find out about Banbury’s history

Residents interested in Banbury’s heritage can take advantage of two free history days to find out more. Experts from Oxfordshire County Council will be on hand to shed light on people’s own historical artefacts and documents or show townspeople how

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Time to raise roof with Voices of Oxford

Since singing is so good a thing, I wish all men would learn to sing.’ William Byrd. On Saturday, June 5, Oxford Town Hall will be filled with the voices of 700 singers from around Oxfordshire, coming together to perform Mozart’s Requiem with the aim

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Helping people feel less isolated

Vasculitis is a family of 15 rare autoimmune diseases* that can affect people of all ages, whose cause is unknown. Vasculitis means inflammation of blood vessels (arteries, veins and capillaries), which if left untreated can lead to organ and

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Group offers chance to add splash of pink

The many thousands of people who volunteer their time across the UK already know how rewarding it feels. Not only putting something back into the community but also gaining valuable skills to add to your CV for reference by future employers. Whether

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Perfect peonies

I am not much of a cut-flower person. I’d rather see the flowers in the garden where they last much longer. But just occasionally I like to pick a few for the house, for a family party or a special visit from a friend. If I had a cutting garden

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Recipe: Bible Cake

This recipe, which features in the Eynsham Cookbook, was copied from an old family Bible. Jennifer Harland, an Eynsham resident known for her superb home-made cakes and biscuits, tested the recipe and gave it ten marks out of ten. So did those who helped

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Cameron does his bit for village recipe book

Little did the committee who compiled and printed the Eynsham Cookbook realise that the weekend they planned its launch would coincide with the build-up to the election and that they would be able to hand the first copy to David Cameron when he visited

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Good luck leads to sighting of ring ouzel

My late father believed that a successful life was in a ratio of ten per cent hard work and 90 per cent luck. I guess there is also an element of the harder we try, the luckier we get. I had my share of good luck recently when birding south of Bampton

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Wildlife hung out to die?

Our new government is going to be facing huge challenges — from financial turmoil to ash-spewing volcanoes. While I am writing this we do not know who will be running the country. We do know that we have a hung parliament and, however it goes forward,

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Robin Hood

Every generation has its own version of Robin Hood. Douglas Fairbanks donned the tights with pride in the early 1920s, followed by a dashing Errol Flynn with a feather in his cap in the 1930s and Richard Greene in the long-running 1950s TV series

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Frank Turner: Wood Festival

The first of Oxfordshire’s music festivals is just a week away. Wood Festival takes place between Friday, May 21. and Sunday, May 23, at Braziers Park, Steventon, and the preparations are almost complete. The festival, run by Robin and Joe Bennett,

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Big Pink: O2 Academy

These are slightly awkward times for the Big Pink. Having spent the last 12 months slowly building momentum, they’ve released their debut album and although it’s been warmly received, their career isn’t catching fire in quite the way they’d hoped. Testimony

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NME Radar Tour: O2 Academy

The NME Radar tour always seem to pick the acts who go on to have successful careers. La Roux, White Lies and The Cribs have all played in the past and this year’s line-up is no less stellar. Given the electronic tinge of the rest of the bill, local

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Artweeks: Liz Teall

L iz Teall is one of ten potters who will be displaying their work at The Barn at the Green, Cuddesdon, from May 15–23 (Site 197) and then at the Town Hall, Chipping Norton, from May 22-31 (Site 358). Liz sees herself as a traditional potter carrying

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Swan Lake: Mill, Banbury

Peter Mallek is a former Austrian dancer who, after an illustrious international career, formed his own company in 1980, and named it after his home town. Now Vienna Festival Ballet is celebrating its 30th anniversary, which is a terrific achievement

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Paul Merton: New Theatre

Paul Merton has been a TV and radio regular for so long that it was a real pleasure to see him live at the New Theatre on Tuesday. He arrived with his ‘Impro Chums’ for an extended session of improvised comedy and it was an evening of extraordinary intellectual

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Artweeks: William North

Born on the edge of Otmoor, William North says the landscape in this area, with its changing moods, has always acted as his inspiration. He is a self-taught artist who once farmed the land he now paints with such affection. He uses subtle watercolours

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YOUR VOTE: Oxford United's starting XI on Sunday

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Artweeks: Melita Kyle

Silversmith Melita Kyle creates unisex jewellery in her garden studio at 36 Sinodun Road, Didcot (Site 246,) which is now proving particularly popular as much of her work is inspired by nature. The natural world all around her provides Melita with

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Artweeks: Richard Shock

Every year since 2003 the Artweeks committee have honoured the work and commitment to the festival of Mary Moser by presenting an annual award in her name. Lady Moser was one of the Artweeks’ founders. It is thanks to her vision and amazing tenacity that

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The Pirates of Penzance: Milton Keynes Theatre

What’s the secret of perennial freshness? No, I’m not asking the question beloved of toothpaste adverts. I’m talking about singers and actors who’ve played the same part countless times, yet each new performance seems freshly minted. Paul Nicholas has

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The Oxford Revue: Oxford Playhouse

An annual feature of Oxford’s comedy calendar, The Oxford Revue’s evening at the Playhouse — alongside their counterparts from Durham and Cambridge — is legendary. The Revue has an illustrious history, having unearthed the likes of Michael

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Turrill Sculpture Garden, Summertown

If you think of public sculpture, what comes to mind? Most people think of the big outdoor sculpture parks, or names like Epstein or Moore, or these days Antony Gormley, whose monumental Angel of the North could be the country’s most famous piece of public

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Oh! What a Lovely War: Oxford Playhouse

Richard Attenborough’s 1969 film of Oh! What A Lovely War tends to overshadow the piece’s theatrical roots. Amazingly ahead of its time, it had been put together by Joan Littlewood and her ensemble Theatre Workshop at the Theatre Royal, Stratford East

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Prosecco and rhubarb was a fine combination

I am continuing to have a lot of fun meeting my new neighbours; they are a happy bunch with an infectious joie de vivre. I am quite glad that nobody is offering them column inches to say anything about me . . . I am not sure they would be terribly complimentary

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Australia Regional Heroes, £79

Regional heroes are Australian wines and winemakers best defined by a distinct sense of place and expression — a perfect marriage of the right grape grown in the right region to produce a winning wine. There are over 60 wine regions in Australia so to

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First meeting for coalition Cabinet

David Cameron is to unveil the rest of his new Government - and risk angering senior Conservatives forced to make way for their Liberal Democrat coalition partners. After announcing his Cabinet on Wednesday night, the Prime Minister was

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Hospital replacement shelved

Health campaigners told of their devastation after plans to replace Bicester Community Hospital were shelved. NHS Oxfordshire blamed complex legal issues in the tendering process for the decision, but insisted it was committed to providing

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Paperback choice

Mad World: Evelyn Waugh and the Secrets of Brideshead Paula Byrne (Harper Press, £9.99) Waugh’s legacy has left its mark on Oxford, and we still talk about the university ‘trying to shrug off its Brideshead image’. In this biography of the author,

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The Last Weekend by Blake Morrison

THE LAST WEEKEND Blake Morrison (Chatto & Windus, £12.99)A weekend in the country goes badly wrong in Morrison’s latest novel. Narrator Ian is invited with his social-worker wife Em on a break in Suffolk organised by his university friends Ollie and

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David Mitchell conjures new worlds

David Mitchell belongs to that rare species of novelist: an indisputable talent who can dazzle critics while also setting bookstore tills ringing. He’s only 41 but has seen two of his four books shortlisted for the Man Booker prize. Praise is heaped

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Looking Back by Basil Mitchell

LOOKING BACK Basil Mitchell (Memoir Club, £19.95)All lives are worth recording; some more than others. Oxford philosophy professor Basil Mitchell has written an absorbing account of his life, looking back over his 93 years. For readers who don’t know

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Bike maintenance guide

Buying a book may seem a strange thing to do when you want to repair your bike. But there’s obviously a market for such manuals, even though YouTube is full of ‘how to mend a puncture’ videos. The Ultimate Guide to Bicycle Maintenance (Magbooks, £9.99

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Twins give thanks for saving brother

When Kitty and Lily Taylor saw their little brother recovering from a serious attack of meningitis, they set out to thank the people who saved his life. So the seven-year-old twins, from North Leigh, near Witney, held a cake sale to raise money

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Greavsie hands out Wembley tips to Oxford United

Chris Hargreaves, who scored the winner when Torquay won the Conference play-off final at Wembley 12 months ago, is urging his Oxford United teammates to seize the opportunity on Sunday. The 38-year-old is one of those not sure of his place

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Balancing act

Townsfolk in Witney are undoubtedly proud the new Prime Minister comes from their patch. The Oxford Mail today goes into more detail about David Cameron’s impressive rise to power. It does, however, leave a rather obvious question. What kind of service

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Figures that are bad for our health

The Oxford Mail today reveals yet more worrying figures for health funding in our county. Our Freedom of Information request showed how many treatments which are not usually funded by the NHS were actually given to patients. Almost half of patients

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Illegal voting claims to be investigated

An investigation into claims of illegal voting in Oxford is to be held, following allegations that some students were able to vote more than once in the General Election. In one Oxford polling station it is alleged a polling officer advised

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GENERAL ELECTION: Student 'told he could vote twice'

AN investigation has been launched after a student in the city claimed he was able to vote twice in the General Election. Jack Matthews, a third-year science student at St Peter’s College, in Oxford, alleged he was told “a quirk for students

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Police back Help for Heroes

A team of Thames Valley Police officers is preparing for a challenging bike ride to Paris to raise money fort the national charity Help for Heroes. The eight-strong group, which is made up of Detective Inspectors from Thames Valley Police

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Access for visitors

Sir – Re Mrs A. Pettit’s letter (April 29) regarding the unfriendly reception of marshals at the Castle Mound at the Oxford Folk Festival — the steps to the mound needed to be kept free for visitors who had paid to access the mound itself. Pauline

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Taking the strain

Sir – Microsoft’s recent prediction that the office could soon become a thing of the past in the South East underlines just how fundamentally the Internet has changed the way we do business. The claims, made in a study published last week said

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English drivers worst

Sir – The worst road junction in Europe I have found is turning left in Headington at the traffic lights into Windmill Road. In a 16-metre articulated lorry, you need to be right against the refuge in the middle of the road, or drive past the

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Forty years of planning

Sir – Following your feature on our former president Mark Barrington-Ward and his pamphlet on Forty Years of Oxford Planning (Feature, May 6), readers may want to know how copies can be obtained. The pamphlet is free to members, so the easiest

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Annoying habits

Sir – I too was in the Upper Gallery at the marvellous Barenboim concert on May morning. Unlike your correspondent (Letters, May 6) I feel that standing ovations — an import from our American cousins —are more about the self-aggrandisement of members

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Crucial line of defence

Sir – Malcolm Graham’s otherwise excellent article about the Home Guard and the Battle of Oxford in last week’s Oxfordshire Limited Edition magazine tailed off without mentioning the important role the Home Guard played just before it was run down and

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County council 'backs gravel pit opposition'

RESIDENTS fighting mineral extraction plans look to have Oxfordshire County Council’s backing. The council is set to oppose Government proposals to increase targets for sand and gravel extraction in Oxfordshire by more than 15 per cent.

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Change for the better

Sir – All three major parties have been keen to attract our support with ideas about further reform of schools and learning. Whatever the result of the national election, what seems clear locally is that change is, indeed, required. Since

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Shark-infested waters

Sir – The results of the General Election have sparked off the usual crop of Proportional Representation (PR) adherents calling for us to change the electoral system. I would point out to them that in the 18 elections since the war this is

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Will MPs commute?

Sir – The general election results in both Oxford seats showed that the public has, after all, a good deal of commonsense. The Liberal Democrat MP, Dr Evan Harris, lost his seat as a result of a protest in the way in which he used the formerly

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Fury as NHS Oxfordshire turns half cancer patients' requests down

ALMOST half of patients in Oxfordshire applying for life changing cancer drugs were turned down last year because their cases were not ‘exceptional’. Figures obtained under the Freedom of Information Act revealed NHS Oxfordshire, the primary care trust

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County council 'backs gravel pit opposition'

Residents fighting mineral extraction plans look to have Oxfordshire County Council’s backing. The council is set to oppose Government proposals to increase targets for sand and gravel extraction in Oxfordshire by more than 15 per cent.

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Schoolboy thinking

Sir – On the fifth day after the election at the time of writing, we have just had a prime ministerial resignation — for the future — and another voting reform olive branch from the Tories. But no reforms on what matters most: fundamental changes

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Sound footing

Sir – I read this election pamphlet, paid for by Lord Ashcroft of Belize tax avoidance fame, with some amusement. What does a ‘hung parliament’ mean? In essence it means coalition government that’s what it means. The last time we had

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Skewed result

Sir – How sad that our elections have become such a shambles. My fellow councillor, Mary-Jane Sareva, lost her seat by only a few votes. Since then I have heard from many people that they would have voted for her if they had received their

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Off-putting experience

Sir – On polling day I had the most disgusting and off-putting voting experience of my life. Apparently at the request of the political parties, instead of all those living on the Barton estate in Headington voting at the light, airy, warm community

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Is the system fair?

Sir – By simply combining the votes cast in the two Oxford and Abingdon constituencies, the three largest parties received the following total votes: Liberal-Democrat 41,087, Conservative 33,633, Labour 27,937. However all these voters are represented

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Oxford level crossing is safe

Sir – Michael Boyd is correct in asserting (Letters, May 6) that there is a footbridge in the background of the photograph that you showed of the North Oxford Trap Grounds Allotment level crossing. To get from the Trap Grounds car park to the allotments

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Second chance

It seems a long time since we last published The Oxford Times. Between last week and this we have had an inconclusive election and seemingly interminable negotiations to produce a coalition government. The end result is that we have the

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The county's favourite laboratory

For many reasons it can claim to be Oxford University’s most magnificent laboratory. Surely no other ‘lab’ comes close to rivalling Wytham Woods in terms of natural beauty, the diversity of its occupants, the ever-changing nature of its mystery