Archive
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Firebug jailed for setting fire to house
A DRUNKEN man who defecated in the kitchen of a house before starting two fires was jailed for two-and-a-half years at Oxford Crown Court today. Adam Lydiatt, 22, of Bretch Hill, Banbury, had previously admitted a charge of arson being reckless
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‘Let Blayne’s death bring some peace’
A ‘PEACE dance’ is planned in memory of a 22-year-old stabbing victim to warn about the dangers of street violence. Blayne Ridgway died after being stabbed outside Que Pasa, in Oxford city centre in the early hours of Saturday, May 8.
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RUGBY UNION: Oxon's Twickers bid wilts in heat
Hopes of Twickenham were well and truly banished as Oxfordshire slumped to a 38-10 defeat in their County Championship Shield semi-final at Swanage & Wareham. Dorset & Wilts maintained a far greater intensity throughout a match played in very hot conditions
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Racist lout spared jail
A 48-YEAR-OLD man has been spared jail after assaulting a nurse, fracturing a man’s shoulder at a bus stop and racially abusing a McDonald’s worker. Stuart Thorne, who was described by his own solicitor as “extremely difficult to deal with
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Geoff Hurst's 1966 shirt goes on sale
A PROPERTY developer is banking on breaking records after putting England’s most iconic football shirt up for sale. %flash(, width='640',height='90') Andrew Leslau, from Milton Common, near Thame, has placed a £2.3m price tag on Sir
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Appeal after street attack
A MAN has been told he needs plastic surgery after he was assaulted. The 23-year-old told police he was attacked as he walked home from the Bullingdon Arms, in Cowley Road, at about 11pm last Thursday. He was found with injuries to his face in Belvedere
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Tsunami orphans say thank you
THAI children orphaned by the 2004 tsunami performed dances and songs for Thames Valley Police staff today. The youngsters live at an orphanage funded by a charity set up by former police officer Gill Williams, who retired from the force in January.
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DARTS: Marston are crowned champs
Marston Royal British Legion eventually regained the Greene King Oxford & District Darts Association Winter League Premier Section crown with an 8-1 win in their delayed title-decider against Shears Wantage. Because the teams were unable to agree on
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Councils confident they can cope with cuts
COUNCIL leaders in Oxfordshire are confident they can weather the storm of spending cuts outlined by the Chancellor yesterday. The Government unveiled more than £6bn in public sector savings in a drive to slash the public deficit, insisting the measures
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DARTS: County duo star
Oxfordshire's Deta Hedman and Clare Bywaters are through to the last 32 of the PDC Unicorn Women’s World Championship. Hedman won the qualifier at Rileys, Oxford, on Sunday, while Bywaters triumphed in Worcester the previous week. They
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RUGBY UNION: Williams left to rue basic errors
Head coach Richard Williams refused to be down-hearted after Oxfordshire's 38-10 defeat by Dorset & Wilts in their County Championship Shield semi-final. Williams said: “There were a couple of key moments that didn’t go our way such as Tom
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CAMERON: A hectic schedule
PARIS, Berlin, Witney: that was the Prime Minister’s diary as he completed his first full week as leader of the country. David Cameron returned on Friday night for his first constituency surgery after a whistle-stop tour of Europe. It was an opportunity
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CAMERON: 'I'm ready to be unpopular'
PRIME Minister David Cameron told the Oxford Mail he is prepared to be unpopular when it comes to making the difficult decisions facing the economy. Speaking at his Witney constituency office just 10 days after walking into Downing Street, Mr Cameron
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CRICKET: Perkin plunders big century
MP Sports Cherwell League - Div 1 Jamie Perkin plundered 154 from 132 balls as Oxford 2nd dominated their one-sided draw with Shipton-under-Wychwood. Perkin was dropped early in his innings, while his in-form teammate Dan King added 58 at a run a
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CRICKET: Horspath show title credentials
MP Sports Cherwell League - Graham Scott's Match of the Day Horspath reinforced their credentials as title favourites in Division 1 by hammering promoted Challow & Childrey on Saturday. The club’s prospects have improved each year since their unhappy
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CRICKET: Sandford clear at the top
MP Sports Cherwell League - Div 3 Sandford St Martin are now out on their own at the top, but had to fight all the way to see off Banbury Twenty by one wicket. Seamer Greg Pearson took 3-39 before Simon Smith (4-41) reduced Twenty to 170 all out,
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CRICKET: Hanborough win at last
MP Sports Cherwell League - Div 3 Hanborough’s 21-match winless streak finally came to an end in some style as they hammered Oxford 3rd by eight wickets. Spinner Richard Brown (3-43) built on some good work by his side’s seamers to bowl out Oxford
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CRICKET: Spindler sparks Wallingford cruise
MP Sports Cherwell League - Div 4 Trevor Spindler took 5-50 and Ali Damarchi 3-18 as Cumnor 2nd were bundled out for 138 after choosing to bat first at Wallingford. Only teenager James Lee (38) and veteran Steve Slade (34) got going as Cumnor were
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CRICKET: New dad Craig bags hat-trick
MP Sports Cherwell League - Div 5 Craig Lambert celebrated becoming a father for the first time last week, and put the seal on a special fortnight by taking a hat-trick for Shipton-under-Wychwood 2nd. Shipton dismissed Thame Town 2nd for 94, Steve
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CRICKET: Skelton and Chanel bag tons
MP Sports Cherwell League New captain Marl Skelton and Phil Chanel made unbeaten centuries to fire Horspath 2nd to a 95-run victory at Cumnor 3rd in Division 6. Skelton (105no) lost the toss, but he and Chanel (124no) took full advantage of being
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Evening Parking in Oxford is Twilight Robbery.............
As mentioned last week six intrepid souls trekked to Oxford on Wednesday night, pooled our resources to buy a car parking ticket, (how they justify taking this kind of money for parking in the evening I don’t know. The last time I was robbed at
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SCHOOL SOS: Two weeks left to enter Leadbitter competition
SCHOOLS have less than two weeks to be in for a chance of £7,500 of Olympic-themed improvements to their school. For the second year running, the Oxford Mail has teamed up with Abingdon-based construction company Leadbitter to give primary schools the
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Biking's not just for the boys, says new girls' group
GIRLS can enjoy motorbiking too is the message from a new support group for female bikers. Jan Calland, 44, from Radley, near Abingdon, has just established the Thames Valley branch of the national Curvy Riders club, which has about 500 members. Mrs
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Kinniburgh rejoins United
Oxford United today re-signed defender Steve Kinniburgh on a two-year deal. The 20-year-old left back was with United on loan from Glasgow Rangers from the end of August to November last season, before returning to Scotland. He was released by Rangers
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CRICKET: Super Macdonald is a master blaster
OCA League Divisions 5-11 DUNCAN Macdonald cracked an unbeaten 163 as Kilkenny beat Kidlington by 74 runs in Division 7. Macdonald’s massive ton helped Kilkenny to 269-6. In reply, Kidlington reached 198-8, David Berkon taking 4-62. Mickey Phipps
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CRICKET: Billy's century proves in vain
OCA League Divisions 1-4 FREELAND’S Billy Webb smashed a century, but finished on the losing side as Marcham eased to a four-wicket victory in Division 1. Webb hit 124 not out to help his side to 213-1 from their 45 overs, Max Godwin chipping in with
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Residents 'disappointed' by Rose Hill film
RESIDENTS have criticised a new film designed to bring to life their Oxford estate, branding it ‘disjointed’ and ‘disappointing'. Budding actors from the Rose Hill estate showcased their skills filming scenes from the estate’s history for
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A different side to dog 'attack' story
I READ your item about the alleged attack, by a Big Issue seller’s dog on a passing Jack Russell terrier outside Tesco in the Cowley Road, with disbelief. The dog in question (her name is Roxy, by the way) is a gentle, friendly animal and I have never
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Council's poll comments smack of smugness
IT IS very heartening to know that Oxford city councillor Bob Timbs has the Barton Pavilion in hand, and that the building will soon be replaced (Oxford Mail letters, May 21). However, the real thrust of my annoyance on polling day, which was lost in
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Worse to come under new coalition
I WHOLEHEARTEDLY agree with Steve Plant (Oxford Mail letters, May 10), that, under the Tories, tax bills will rise, with more income tax and NI contributions. VAT has already to rise to 20 per cent. We will see cuts to the NHS and other public services
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Predictable opposition to PR
IT COMES as no great surprise that the Tory Jonathan Gittos is opposed to proportional representation (Oxford Mail letters, May 21). As Christine Keeler might have said, ‘he would, wouldn’t he?’ I am in favour of PR. If we’d had PR in 1983, we wouldn
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Chip your pet to avoid trauma
OVER the past couple of months, more and more Oxford residents have suffered the trauma of losing their beloved dogs or cats. We hear from a lot of people in Oxford who ask us what they can do to avoid such future heartbreak. There is a straightforward
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What is the key to locking your bike?
My son is permanently losing things. I’ve learnt (or I should have) not to buy him anything valuable as, a week later, I’ll ask him where it is and he’ll say he’s lost it. Watches, camera... and soon, I’m sure, his head. Actually, given the state of
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Don't write off socialism just yet
IT SHOULD be obvious to everyone by now that capitalism is in a terrible condition, but if anyone in the Tory hierarchy thinks now is the time for more privatisation, they should have a word with London Mayor Boris Johnson. He has been severly critical
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Abseilers say thanks for JR treatment
TWO years ago Liz Tilbury was unconscious in a John Radcliffe Hospital ward, having failed to wake up after a four hour emer-gency heart operation. On Sunday she was back at the Oxford hospital, but this time to abseil down the five-storey Women’s Centre
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Lollipop man not replaced after seven months
A LOLLIPOP man who quit his job seven months ago after claiming he feared for his safety has still not been replaced. Grandfather Pat Abbott, 65, handed in his notice to Oxfordshire County Council after he was almost run over in October and
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Bloom competition launched
GET planting — that’s the advice from Oxford in Bloom judges Harry Robinson and Trish Stevens. They were at Templars Square shopping centre in Cowley on Saturday to launch this year’s competition. Last year there were 600 entries in the contest, which
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Ask the Vet
Q: My three guinea pigs live together and they keep getting mites. I use dust-free wood shavings and hay. I clean their cage out regularly. Could the mites be coming from the grass I pull for them? Peter Tilley, Oxford A: These are likely
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Wood festival woos the crowds
FOR a music festival largely powered by solar panels, the weather could not have been better. Clear skies and temperatures hitting 27C was a perfect start to the third Wood festival, as families, folkies and eco-warriors descended on Brazier
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Relatives fly in from around the world for 100th birthday
Irene Brown was visited by relatives from as far afield as Portugal and Washington DC for a huge family celebration, right, as she reached 100. Mrs Brown, who lives at Winterbrook Nursing Home in Wallingford, has four children, six grandchildren and
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‘Design worthy’ of a top museum wins award
THE £62m refurbishment of the Ashmolean Museum has landed one of Britain’s top architectural awards. Judges of the Royal Institute of British Architecture awards for architectural excellence said the “world-class” museum now had a worthy home
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Hine Solicitors' Ashmolean launch
More than 100 people attended the launch of Hine Solicitors at the Ashmolean Museum. Department heads, solicitors and trainees mingled with guests including heads of local schools, accountants, estate agents, bankers and business people.
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Missing Chinnor man found
Stephen Sandison, 45, who went missing from his home in Mill Lane, Chinnor on Wednesday was found safe and well in Warwickshire on Saturday.
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Local share prices (AM)
AEA Technology 18.25 BMW 3109 Electrocomponents 212.5 Nationwide Accident Repair 88.5 Oxford Biomedica 9.75 Oxford Catalyst 63 Oxford Instruments 263.5 Reed Elsevier 477.9 RM 180.25 RPS Group 192.9 Courtesy of Redmayne Bentley, Abingdon
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MP took Marston pupils on capital tour
THESE pupils were enjoying a grand tour of London. The party from New Marston County Primary School are pictured with the Conservative MP for Oxford, Monty Woodhouse, in late 1963 or early 1964. The picture comes from Barbara Howard, whose maiden name
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Oxford vicar took on church's top job
THE Rev Robert Sweeney had a head for heights. He is seen with builder Ted Clarke putting in place a 100-year-old iron cross at the top of the central tower high above St Frideswide’s Church, off Botley Road, Oxford, in 1985. The cross was originally
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The changing face of Headington
CLERGY and choristers processed through the streets of Headington Quarry in 1956 to mark the arrival of the new vicar of Holy Trinity Church. The Bishop of Oxford, the Rt Rev Dr Harry Carpenter, led the service which followed. A holiday school at Lime
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Cowley publications team helped keep cars on road
THESE were the people who made sure Oxford-built cars were kept in top condition. They were members of the technical publications department at the Nuffield Organisation at Cowley. They were responsible for producing the manuals which motorists and
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King's ranson for news of Royal death
THE sudden death of King George VI brought young Roy Walton an unexpected cash bonus. He was working as an errand boy for the Oxford Mail, which produced a special 10-page edition on Wednesday, February 6, 1952, the day the King died in his sleep at
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Marston May Queen's diary records big day
JUDY Tasker was a popular choice as May Queen at her school, but she hid a little secret. “We chose the May Queen by written votes in the class. I’m ashamed to say I voted for myself, so that is how I became May Queen of 1950,” she confessed. She has
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UPDATE: Police investigating stabbing in Banbury
A man was taken to hospital last night after being stabbed in Banbury. Officers came across a seriously injured man in Middleton Road, in the Grimsbury area of the town at about 8.40pm last night. He was taken to Banbury’s Horton General Hospital
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Fire crews battle blaze at industrial estate
Fire crews are still dealing with the aftermath of a fire on an industrial estate near Witney involving a number of gas cylinders. The blaze broke out last night at a unit at the Crawley Mill industrial estate. Dry Lane remains closed and there are
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Kinniburgh is in Oxford United's sights
Oxford United boss Chris Wilder wants to re-sign left-footed defender Steven Kinniburgh this summer. He has already sounded out the 20-year-old, who was on loan to the U’s from Rangers for the first four months of last season. Kinniburgh impressed during
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Top bomb disposal officer resigns
The Army's top bomb disposal officer resigned after expressing concerns about the pressures on his team operating in Afghanistan, it was disclosed. The Ministry of Defence confirmed that Colonel Bob Seddon quit as principal ammunition technical
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Bitter fight for our pubs
OXFORDSHIRE faces a fight for the future of its traditional British pubs after it emerged one closes every 28 days, say campaigners. The Campaign for Real Ale (CAMRA) fears 15 per cent of pubs in the county could call final last orders within 10 years
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You can’t argue with the figures
Pubs are facing a fight for their future. That is the bleak outlook given by campaigners as the Oxford Mail reports on yet more closures. The Campaign for Real Ale fears 15 per cent of pubs in the county could call last orders within 10 years after 13
