Archive
-
Date
CRICKET: Jeavons leads gritty Oxford fightback
Aaron Jeavons celebrated his first-class debut with a half-century as Oxford MCC Universities staged a spirited fightback against Middlesex in The Parks on Wednesday. Resuming at 36-0 in reply to the visitors’ first innings 399-2dec on the
-
Date
BOWLS: Central are off to a flier
Banbury Central A are the early front-runners in Division 1 of the Oxford & District League, sponsored by Yarnton Nurseries. Under their new captain, Lee Young, Central chalked up a 6-0 win over Bicester. Closest rivals Headington A also picked up
-
Date
BOWLS: Oxon romp to convincing win
Two crushing rink wins helped Oxfordshire ease to a confidence-boosting 136-92 victory over Gloucestershire in their final Middleton Cup trial match at Barnwood. Following their home defeat by Northants the previous week, Oxon were looking
-
Date
AMERICAN FOOTBALL: It's magical Micallef
Kyle Micallef scored a hat-trick of touchdowns as Oxford Saints made it three wins out of three in the BAFA Community League with a 41-13 victory over Nottingham Caesars. Despite missing a number of key players, Saints proved too strong in
-
Date
TV signal problems ‘until September’
HOUSEHOLDS across Oxfordshire will face disruption to their television signals until the end of September, it was revealed last night. A fire on Thursday, May 13, left the county’s main antenna in Beckley damaged beyond repair and some viewers have
-
Date
Ambulance for the obese is unveiled
RISING levels of obesity have led health chiefs to convert an ambulance so it can carry massively overweight patients. The specially converted vehicle, which is believed to be the first of its type in the country, was unveiled against a background of
-
Date
Bodleian’s £78m revamp approved
OXFORD University’s £78m scheme to transform the New Bodleian Library in Broad Street has been approved. The decision to grant the huge renovation project both planning permission and listed building consent was taken on Monday by city council planning
-
Date
Youngsters grab some pre-season strawberries
GET your punnets ready for Saturday when the pick-your-own fields at Millets Farm in Abingdon open to the public. Maria Korkinaska and her three-year-old daughter Zlaty got a sneak preview of the ripe strawberries on offer, with friends Tom and Will
-
Date
Friends pay tribute to a ‘real gentleman’
FRIENDS of a well known Witney IT worker who died after collapsing have paid tribute to his kindness and intelligence. Grant Bennett collapsed in Church Lane on Friday and was declared dead at the scene at around 11pm. The 42-year-old, who was born
-
Date
Street pastors are saving soles
A TEAM of Christian soldiers will be hitting the streets of Witney to help keep late night revellers safe. It is hoped that by handing out sweets to drunks, flip-flops to women unable to walk in high heels, and offering a cup of tea, as well as a listening
-
Date
Artists draw up to aid school
A PIONEERING art project could raise £100,000 for bursaries when Culham’s European School transforms into an academy. Wilfred Rimensberger has invited artists from across Europe to put works on display to help raise money to secure the school’s future
-
Date
Contest runner-up shows off revamped pool
A school’s revamped swimming pool shows the sort of thing on offer in this year’s School Build Save Our Schools competition. Eynsham Primary School got its pool and changing rooms, unveiled today, refurbished after finishing runner-up in last year’s
-
Date
Rubbish goes uncollected after cars block road
RUBBISH in Cowley, Oxford, was left uncollected during the recent hot weather because a refuse lorry could not get down a street. Wheelie bins in Coleridge Close were not collected on the scheduled day — last Thursday — because parked cars made it impossible
-
Date
'Silk' moth tree is axed
TREE surgeons have been forced to chop down a tree in Abingdon after it was smothered by a thick silk web and thousands of caterpillars. Moths had covered the tree next to the Crown and Thistle Hotel, Bridge Street, to protect themselves from wasps and
-
Date
Rate of change
HERE is a warning to our European friends: from 1945 until 1980, at great financial cost, the UK attempted to preserve the value of pound sterling. For all her faults, Margaret Thatcher’s Government decided to end this pointless nonsense by floating
-
Date
Pool resources
I was interested to read councillor Bob Price’s view of how Labour were going to run the council (Oxford Mail, May 18). I note that he says that the council will be planning to build a swimming pool either in Temple Cowley or Blackbird Leys. My concern
-
Date
Princely fortunes
ALTHOUGH being heir – or spare – to the British throne has clearly never been all it is cracked up to be, one might still have believed that Princes Charles and Andrew, at least in their youth, must have been among the most eligible bachelors on the planet
-
Date
Historic minatures taken by thieves
BURGLARS stole more than £130,000-worth of historic miniature paintings in a village break-in. The thieves broke into the Shipton-under-Wychwood home of Caroline Beaumont and stole more than 50 works of art, including a 200-year-old portrait of King
-
Date
Come and run
WERE you inspired by the London Marathon but not sure you could go the full distance yet? Would you also like to help a locally based charity fight breast cancer? Then we can help! Take in the wonderful sights of London and be part of history by running
-
Date
An Act of mayhem
HOW I wish that I could echo Gemma Siret’s hope that Prime Minister David Cameron will “continue to let sleeping dogs lie” with regard to the Hunting Act (Oxford Mail letters, May 24). However, as a keen hunt supporter himself, he will not let the matter
-
Date
Keep hunting ban
OUR local MP and new Prime Minister David Cameron tells us that one of his priorities will be to repeal the hunting ban because “...it does not work and is difficult to enforce...”. The same could be said about the use of mobile telephones while driving
-
Date
Build us a road to reach our houses
Has Ian Hudspeth any idea about Oxford, with his strange suggestion of a bus lane between Abingdon Road and Heyford Hill (Oxford Mail, May 20)? My garden backs onto this stretch of road and I have lived here for 43 years – but I have never seen a bus
-
Date
Overturned lorry causes traffic chaos
A lorry has overtuned at the Headington roundabout, in Oxford, causing rush hour chaos. The incident, that happened shortly before 5pm, is causing serious delays. Police have confirmed that an articulated lorry carrying tyres overturned
-
Date
lawnmower sets speed record
AN OXFORDSHIRE firm claimed a world land speed record as one of its lawnmowers cut quite a dash on a Welsh beach. Staff at Countax, in Great Haseley, near Wheatley, saw their unique petrol-driven Runningblade mower reach a speed of 87.833 mph to race
-
Date
GOLF: Pepperell ends five-year wait
Eddie Pepperell celebrated his first victory in five years in clinching the Welsh Open Strokeplay Championship at Royal St David’s, Harlech. The 19-year-old Drayton Park member came from six shots down in the final round to secure the title
-
Date
How much would a city landmark cost?
A RISE in house prices has prompted estate agents to put multi-million-pound values on some of Oxford’s most iconic buildings. A group of experts has put a total asking price of £118m on three of the city centre’s most recognisible landmarks — based
-
Date
GOLF: Oxon duo reach final
Chipping Norton Norton’s Jennie Boyle and Henley’s Justine Voss (pictured) have qualified for the English Women’s Golf Association’s (EWGA) inaugural Grand Medal Final. Nett rounds of 75 and 76 respectively saw the pair finish in the top ten in the Midlands
-
Date
GOLF: Boyd bags US Open place
Banbury's Gary Boyd qualified for next month’s US Open at Pebble Beach after impressing at Walton Heath. The 23-year-old Cherwell Edge player finished tied third on eight-under-par after 36 holes at the Surrey course. Rounds of 67 and 69 earned Boyd
-
Date
GOLF: O'Connor called up
Katherine O’Connor will play for Wales in the European Team Championships at La Manga in July after reaching the semi-finals of the Welsh Ladies Championships at Glamorganshire. The 20-year-old Tadmarton Heath member was beaten 2&1 by Curtis Cup squad
-
Date
GOLF: Fleming dominates
Frilford Heath’s Tom Fleming dominated the field to win the Glenmuir PGA Professional Championship South Region Qualifier at The Oxfordshire. Fleming carded an eight-under-par 64 to finish four shots clear of second-placed Dan Seymour and Gary Marks.
-
Date
GOLF: Record score seals it
North Oxford duo Brian England and Colin McNulty carded a record score to win Five Star Events’ Liz Harris Cup at Tadmarton Heath. They bagged 49 stableford points in the first event of the charity series’ 2010 schedule to pip Graham Hobbins and David
-
Date
GOLF: Results round-up
SHAW GIBBS OXFORDSHIRE FOURSOMES LEAGUE Knockout Trophy Tadmarton Heath 3, Witney Lakes 0 (Tadmarton Heath first): G Sambrook & O King bt R Drummond & K Drummond, S O’Connor & B Mupasi bt A King & J Holt 3&2, C Lowe & S Hallam bt O Tite & J Cook
-
Date
GOLF: The Oxfordshire go second
The Oxfordshire leapfrogged Magnolia Park to go second in Section 1 of the Shaw Gibbs Oxfordshire Foursomes League after defeating them 2-1. They went ahead of Magnolia on the head-to-head rule, while leaders Tadmarton Heath brushed aside Witney Lakes
-
Date
Sick days fall for teachers
TEACHERS in Oxfordshire are absent for fewer than five days each year on average, according to Oxfordshire County Council. Figures obtained by the Oxford Mail under the Freedom of Information Act show the number of days taken off by teachers dropped
-
Date
Youngsters to enjoy narrow boat trips
YOUNGSTERS from an Oxford estate will soon be navigating the county’s waterways on a narrow boat, thanks to a £50,000 grant. The Dovecote voluntary organisation, which runs an after-school club and holiday playschemes for children in Blackbird Leys,
-
Date
Local share prices (PM)
AEA Technology 18.25 BMW 3092 Electrocomponents 209.4 Nationwide Accident Repair 85.5 Oxford Biomedica 10 Oxford Catalysts 63 Oxford Instruments 259.5 Reed Elsevier 472.4 RM 173.25 RPS Group 189.2 Courtesy of Redmayne Bentley
-
Date
Millionaire hands out cuddly toys
A NEW York businessman who has been shipping teddy bears to children on an Oxford hospital ward for two years has visited the city for the first time. Millionaire Joseph Sprung launched the Bears 4 Kids foundation, which became Bear Givers,
-
Date
Arsonists destroy school shed
ARSONISTS have burnt down a primary school shed just weeks after children started planting a new organic garden. Children at Cholsey Primary School were left devastated by Sunday’s arson attack. The blaze destroyed the shed, tools, and seedlings planted
-
Date
Garden show kicked into long grass
THE Royal Oxfordshire Horticultural Society has been forced to cancel its annual Flower Show and Charity Day after failing to get a grant. The show has run for 25 years in Florence Park, Cowley, but the society has been forced to shelve the
-
Date
School wins award
A DIDCOT primary school has won an award for the way its youngest pupils are taught. Northbourne Primary in Cockcroft Road is only the third school in Oxfordshire to be given a Leading Aspect Award. It means teachers from other schools across Britain
-
Date
ATHLETICS: Super England is off to a flier
Oxford City’s Hannah England got her domestic season off to a flying start. England edged to a thrilling victory in the women’s 800m at the Loughborough International, seeing off close rival Charlene Thomas in a sprint for the line. England used the
-
Date
Council hopes to expand cemetery into sports field
BICESTER Town Council is so desperate for burial spaces it wants to extend the town’s cemetery into a sports field – for the third time. A report says the extension into Pingle Field is vital, or the town could run out of burial space by next
-
Date
ATHLETICS: City see off rivals in style
OXFORD City took the local bragging rights over Radley B, finishing in third place in Division 1 West of the Southern Women’s League at Braunton. City amassed 333.5 points, with Radley in fourth on 272. On the track, Tilly Vaughan-Fowler
-
Date
ATHLETICS: Radley rule the roost at Banbury
Radley emerged victorious from the Fit2Run Oxfordshire League meeting at Banbury’s Drayton School, amassing 702 points to see off host club Banbury, Notable performances came from Megan Humphreys, who won the under 13 girls’ 1200m in 3.51.2, while Alex
-
Date
The Randolph Hotel, Oxford
The pile of congealed lamb fat in front of me started to become an annoyance — when would the plate be cleared? — just before that musical irritant Acker Bilk struck up over the sound system with his depressing Stranger on the Shore. It was still annoying
-
Date
If I'm not frightened of a trip to Greece, why should you be?
While most people are at present worried about going to Greece (of which more in a moment), my concern last week was entirely with coming back. A triple whammy of airport-closing volcanic ash, a national strike by Greek workers and further industrial
-
Date
Broadcasting food talk to the nation
I have often wondered why I find myself salivating while listening to a programme about food on the radio when television programmes that cover similar subjects leave me unmoved. The highly respected radio producer Ian Willox, from Clifton, near Deddington
-
Date
The Losers
A couple of months ago, Matthew Vaughn’s hyperviolent Kick-Ass somersaulted over the graves of Watchmen and X-Men Origins: Wolverine, proving that comic book-inspired action movies can be every bit as smart and sassy as the cult pictorials they are based
-
Date
Recipe for asparagus carbonara
Now that the earth is heating up, asparagus spears are pushing their way through the earth with such enthusiasm you can almost see them moving towards the sky. Asparagus is plentiful — so this is the time to indulge yourself and add asparagus spears to
-
Date
The remarkable wall paintings at South Newington Church
open and someone to do the driving — but church crawling must be catching up fast as interest in local history increases. I suppose, you could always combine the two, imbibing spirit for mind and body on the same trip, as it were. Out and about a couple
-
Date
The Holst Singers: Merton College Chapel
The London-based Holst Singers have been called “one of Britain’s foremost choirs”, and after hearing them at the weekend, I can see why. In this programme of Bach motets, they produced a bright, clear sound which, under conductor Stephen Layton’s authoritative
-
Date
Spiro: Holywell Music Room
One of the joys of being a music critic is that every so often you come across a totally unexpected gem — and last Sunday, at the Holywell, acoustic folk group Spiro turned out to be just that. The Bristol-based foursome have grabbed themselves a unique
-
Date
Composer Martin Bruce discusses his new CD
present job. He is Headmaster of Christ Church Cathedral School, home to boy choristers singing in both the cathedral and Worcester College choirs. Martin was himself a chorister at London’s All Saints, Margaret Street, and at Winchester Cathedral. As
-
Date
Dara O'Briain: New Theatre
No wonder Dara O’Briain bestrode the New Theatre stage twice this week to great audience reception. I do not think there is a funnier, more intelligent, faster stand-up working in that congested world today. He is urbane, almost self-deprecating, on
-
Date
Birmingham Royal Ballet: Everyman Theatre, Cheltenham
The South African-born choreographer John Cranko is best known for his long directorship of Stuttgart Ballet, where he produced masterpieces, usually story ballets, for the superlative dancers at his disposal there. Brouillards, (Fog), however, is a plotless
-
Date
Preview of bring-and-sing performance of Mozart's Requiem at Oxford Town Hall
To fill the Town Hall with 700 voices — that’s the aim of Sheridan Edward, himself a professional singer. He’s mounting a bring-and-sing performance of Mozart’s Requiem, with all proceeds going to Macmillan Cancer Support — Sheridan’s mother died of cancer
-
Date
Oxford Chamber Orchestra: University Church
The Oxford Chamber Orchestra must have a hotline to someone very special. This concert was no doubt programmed months ago, so how did the orchestra know that their choice of Mozart and Schubert would prove to be just the right idea for an unusually warm
-
Date
Blood Red Shoes: Jericho Tavern
Brighton duo Blood Red Shoes first appeared in 2006, alongside a clutch of other bands led by boy/girl vocals, including the Subways and Sons and Daughters. Sparky and fun as both those were, Blood Red Shoes from the outset seemed to have some more about
-
Date
Much Ado About Nothing: OFS Studio, Oxford
It’s 1944, and the Nazi occupying forces have just been chased from Paris. This is the promising setting chosen by Oxford Triptych Theatre for its production of Much Ado about Nothing (director/designer Simon Tavener). Leonato (Mike Taylor) is first seen
-
Date
Cider With Rosie: The oxford Playhouse
Dramatisations of Laurie Lee’s Cider With Rosie — and there have been many since the book’s publication 50 years ago — must inevitably tackle two big problems. The first arises from the extensive gallery of characters, some mentioned only fleetingly,
-
Date
St Paul: St Mary and St John's Church
The new government may still be occupying space in the national dailies, but last weekend some of us were enjoying a coalition of a different kind – the altogether easier alliance between the East Oxford Community Choir and their Grenoble counterpart,
-
Date
Local share prices (AM)
AEA Technology 18.25 BMW 3092 Electrocomponents 208.9 Nationwide Accident Repair 87.5 Oxford Biomedica 10 Oxford Catalyst 63 Oxford Instruments 259.5 Reed Elsevier 468.2 RM 175 RPS Group 184.5 Courtesy of Redmayne Bentley, Abingdon
-
Date
Sandford Lock closed
SANDFORD Lock has been closed for three days so the Environment Agency can fix a faulty lock gate. The agency closed the lock at Sandford-on-Thames at 8am today after a routine inspection by divers discovered the problem five days ago. The faulty
-
Date
Burglars' £100,000 haul
BURGLARS stole more than £100,000 worth of miniature paintings and china from a west Oxfordshire home. They forced their way into a house in High Street, Shipton under Wychwood, near Burford, some time between 10.15pm on Friday, May 21, and 9.25am on
-
Date
Show some respect for the viewers
THE work on Oxfordshire’s main television transmitter has been an absolute shambles. There is just no other way to look at the situation which leaves 410,000 households with no certainty of when they will be able to get a proper signal from the antenna
-
Date
70 YEARS ON: Dunkirk veterans tell their stories
LES Collett was so keen to follow in his father’s footsteps that he lied about his age and joined up at 16 in 1936. Four years later, he was one of the youngest men in the Oxfordshire and Buckinghamshire Light Infantry’s 4th Battalion that fought a heroic
-
Date
TV ANTENNA: More disruption as it needs replacing
HOUSEHOLDS could face months of disrupted television signals because Oxfordshire’s main aerial was ‘damaged beyond repair’ in a fire two weeks ago. Arqiva, the company carrying out the county’s digital switchover, could not say whether it would
