Archive

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CRICKET: Students in agonising defeat

OXFORD MCCU fell to an agonising 101-run defeat at the hands of Middlesex in The Parks yesterday. Although the winning margin was clear-cut, Oxford lost their final wicket with just a matter of overs remaining. Resuming on 70-2, Middlesex declared their

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Police link series of scrap metal thefts

SCRAP metal and tools have been snatched by thieves in three villages across the Vale district. Police said they were now linking the raids earlier this week. Some time between Monday and Tuesday, tools were taken from Wands Recycling at Challow station

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River due to reopen after rapid repairs

BOATERS are expected to be able to resume journeys down the River Thames on Saturday after engineers worked round the clock to repair broken lock gates. Dozens of Environment Agency staff and contractors worked in shifts day and night to build

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Hospital gets cash boost

The Horton Hospital, in Banbury, is a step closer to keeping its children’s and maternity services after NHS Oxfordshire yesterday agreed to pay £1.5m towards the cost of continuing a consultant-led service. The total annual cost is £2.4m and the Oxford

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Photos ruling overturned

Parents of a little girl who was adopted have been told they cannot keep photos of her growing up, following a legal challenge by Oxfordshire County Council. London Civil Court of Appeal judge, Lord Neuberger, yesterday ruled the birth parents can only

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A weighty issue

CHILDREN in affluent West Oxfordshire are among the fattest in the county, recent figures have revealed. But the statistics are baffling health experts, who usually link obesity with deprivation. Experts have been trying to work out the reasons behind

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Man killed by his own car

A PENSIONER died after he was run over by his own car, an inquest heard today. Derek Perriton, 73, suffered multiple injuries when he was dragged under his VW Golf as he tried to stop it rolling down his drive in Chipping Norton. Mr

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Warning over trading standards con

TRADING Standards officers have warned of a cold caller who falsely claims to be a member of their team. An Oxfordshire trader and a concerned resident said they were contacted by a mystery caller posing as a trading standards officer and a representative

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Crash puts paid to biker's heroic ride

A MOTORCYCLIST who planned a 2,500-mile rally to raise thousands of pounds for wounded soldiers broke both his legs in a road accident just days before setting off. Phil Harpley, 47, from Eynsham, was set to join seven colleagues from Cowley

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Arson suspected over shed fire

Firefighters were called to a house in Hardings in Chalgrove at about 2am today where a shed was alight. Arson is suspected and police are investigating.

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Let's see change

AFTER listening to David Cameron bleating away about making savings and cutting debt, I would be very interested to learn of the cost all our new ministers are incurring travelling the globe aimlessly and meeting their new counterparts. Is this really

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Site created for Jane Austen manuscripts

Oxford University’s Prof Kathryn Sutherland is leading a team digitizing author Jane Austen’s manuscripts, previously only seen by a handful of scholars, and putting them on to a website, at janeausten.ac.uk

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Broad smiles and sore feet

SOME might say that only the foolhardy would walk from Oxford to Abingdon when there is a bus service that can prevent both leather wear and limb fatigue. To rise at daybreak and extend the mileage to 26 miles, calling at places well off the

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Accused deny taking part in pub brawl

A man accused of taking part in a Wild West-style brawl in a Cheltenham pub has told a jury he was an innocent victim. Dale Bowman, 36, is accused of throwing a chair and a beer glass at Cheltenham Town supporters while he was with Oxford United

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Sensible step

NEWS that the Grenoble Road development is to be axed (today's Oxford Mail) is a victory for common sense, and the Tories’ first decent move. Let’s hope it’s not their last. G Husband, North Oxford

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Empty homes

FORMER city and county councillor Craig Simmons said it was appalling for flats at East Oxford Health Centre to be left empty for three years (Oxford Mail, May 21). What I and, I’m sure, many homeless people will find even more appalling is the fact

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Science delusion

I WOULD be very interested for Graham Butler (Oxford Mail, May 21) to explain exactly why he has the fantastical notion that we are descended from animals. Of course, he is not alone in his belief because, for many decades, we have taught our children

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Refuse collection alterations

All Oxford City Council bin collections will move back a day next week as Monday’s collection has been postponed for the Bank Holiday. Monday’s collections will now take place on Tuesday and they will then be one day late all week, with Friday

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No place for abuse in political publicity

I AM a supporter neither of Evan Harris nor of Nicola Blackwood. I do, however, share the concerns expressed in your pages about some of the leaflets circulated in Oxford West and Abingdon at the recent election. I think it is unlikely that those leaflets

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Mayor to don his new robes

The ceremonial robing of new Oxford Lord Mayor John Goddard takes place on Monday. The event is part of the Lord Mayor’s Parade, which takes place through the city centre before finishing at Oxford Castle. The parade will be led by Mr

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Lady Driver: Get a grip

WELL, Motor Mouth Kev Dyer has taken some time off from his weekly rants so here I am, filling his slot. I can’t boast 24 years working in motorsport like MM, or an in-depth knowledge of how a gearbox works, but I thought it was time to redress the balance

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County firm helps break lawnmower speed record

On Saturday, a Runningblade mower produced by Oxfordshire firm Countax broke the record for the World’s Fastest Lawnmower, by travelling at 86.069mph at Pendine Sands in Wales. The old record, held by Bob Cleveland from the USA, had stood at

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The worst cars Evah! Triumph TR7

Britain has a fantastic sports car tradition with motors such as the Austin Healey, the Jaguar E-Type and generations of MGs. Part of this proud heritage is the Triumph TR series with the notable exception of the TR7, effectively the last of the line

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My Wheels: A real charmer

What vehicle do you drive? A 1953 MGYB. It was built in Abingdon. The exterior colour is black, the interior green. The car belongs to the MG Car Club which means various staff members can drive the vehicle, but I really enjoy the chance

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Last property is available at site in village

Just one house in the small West Hayes development in Southmoor remains unsold. The last remaining property, which is the largest and sits within an acre of land including a paddock, is priced at £955,000. West Hayes is made up of three five-bedroom

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THE CAR'S THE STAR: Luke Skywalker's Landspeeder

It is...your d-e-s-t-i-n-y...now, whether Daddy Darth Vader would have been quite so keen to prove his fatherhood had he known what his son was driving is debatable, but nonetheless, the Landspeeder was a perfectly respectable little motor for Tatooine

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Tranquil base by mill stream in heart of city

A contemporary two-bedroom apartment in a waterside location would make a tranquil base in the heart of Oxford. Number 5 Stream Edge is a ground floor apartment which includes a kitchen/ living room which opens on to a decked balcony overlooking

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Nissan Cube Kaizen 1.6

ANYONE who fancies driving the ultimate head-turner no longer needs to splash out supercar cash, or drive a 5.0-litre car emitting a ground-shaking V8 roar. A little over £14,000 will put you in to a Nissan Cube and bang in the middle of the automotive

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Victorian splendour

Part of a distinctive Victorian mansion, with access to 20 acres of parkland, is on the market at a guide price of £1.58m. Seven-bedroom Barcote House, just off the A420 near Buckland, is a substantial part of the former Barcote Manor. Built in 1876

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Derelict barn has become a £1.65m home

Old photographs were all a couple had to guide them while painstakingly converting a derelict barn into a stunning home. When Tony and Sarah Silman bought Long Barn, in Bainton, near Bicester, almost four years ago, it was uninhabitable. Mr Silman explained

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Jackson fan records worldwide tributes to star

WHEN Michael Jackson died in June last year, the sadness was felt by fans around the world. But none more so it seems, than by Deborah Longshaw, from Charlbury. The mother-of-two was left so devastated by the news of the 50-year old singer’s death,

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BMW coy over plans for Mini Beachcomber

CAR maker BMW has declined to elaborate on a report that it plans to produce a car inspired by the classic Mini Moke. The company unveiled the Mini Beachcomber, which it said was inspired by the 1964 Moke, as a concept car at the Detroit Auto Show earlier

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Tributes paid to RAF chief after Brize triathlon death

TRIBUTES have been paid to a senior RAF officer who died while taking part in a triathlon at RAF Brize Norton. Air Chief Marshal Sir Christopher Moran, 54, was the second highest officer in the RAF. He was on the running leg of the event at the west

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Listed farmhouse in the south

Positioned on the edge of the village of Kidmore End, Butlers Farm House has views over adjoining farmland. A Grade II-listed farmhouse with origins in the 17th century, it still has many period features, including exposed wall and ceiling

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Justina celebrates 103rd birthday

A GREAT grandmother celebrated her 103rd birthday with coffee and cake at a Didcot care home. Justina Evans is the oldest resident at The Meadows, in Britwell Road, and she reached the milestone on Wednesday. Lynn Owens, care leader at the Bluebell

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Drama group needs somewhere to store Hamlet's castle

WANTED: a temporary home for Aladdin’s laundry and Macbeth’s castle. A Didcot drama group is on the hunt for somewhere to store sets while the town’s Civic Hall is being renovated. The Phoenix Drama Group has staged productions at the hall since 1983

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Vicar is off for role in France

THE Rev Canon Andrew Hawken will be responsible for an area twice the size of Wales when he steps down as vicar of St Helen’s Church, in Benson. The vicar is leaving his south Oxfordshire congregation after 17 years to take on a new role in

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CRICKET: Rowant keeping positive

Serious Cricket Home Counties Premier League Aston Rowant chairman Gary Condon is backing his players to come good after a poor start to their Division 1 campaign. Rowant, who have lost all three matches so far, are unlikely to find it any easier

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Airbase plans go on show

RESIDENTS have been given a sneak preview of what a former US air base could look like if its owner gets planning approval. Dorchester Group bought the former base at Upper Heyford from North Oxfordshire Consortium last August, in a multi-million pound

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CRICKET: Higgs steps up for Thame

Serious Cricket Home Counties Premier League Division 2 West leaders Thame Town will be without captain Sam Lachlan (wedding) and batsman Bharat Dalmania when they visit Falkland on Saturday. Michael Higgs leads the side, with Tom Layton

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City meadows could be bought for public use

NEGOTIATIONS are under way to buy 36 acres of riverside land in Oxford for the people of Oxfordshire. The Oxford Preservation Trust has opened talks with Tesco, which owns the bulk of the site near Old Marston, between the Northern Bypass and the River

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Plans for £1m revamp of town's market square revealed

THIS is the design chosen for a £1m makeover of Bicester’s Market Square. The north side of the square will be pedestrianised and there will be two-way traffic on the south side. The plans include new paving and crossing points, street

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Henman joins Bodleian for book about tennis's original rules

TENNIS star Tim Henman has partnered Oxford University’s Bodleian Library in a new book revealing the original rules of the game. The Original Rules of Tennis, which is being published in time for Wimbledon, re-prints the first two rules of the game

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Beauties ready to battle it out

TWELVE young women are competing for this year’s coveted Miss Oxford crown. The title will give one of them the chance to take part in the Miss England finals. And the winner of Miss England can then go on to the big one – Miss World

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Group that knits and natters seeks more members

KNITTERS who meet for a natter at Oxford’s historic castle are calling on new people to join them. The Wednesday knitting group, which has been running for the past two months, is made up of a group of people who enjoy a chatter and clacking with their

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Firefighters prepare for 874-mile ride

A TEAM of firefighters are half-way towards their target of raising £30,000 for injured colleagues and servicemen – and getting set to boost their total by riding the length of Britain. Fourteen firefighters from stations across West Oxfordshire, and

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FIXTURES:May 29

SATURDAY. CRICKET. SERIOUS CRICKET HOME COUNTIES PREMIER LEAGUE. Div 1: High Wycombe v Banbury, Oxford v Henley, Tring Park v Aston Rowant. Div 2 West: Falkland v Thame Tn. MP SPORTS CHERWELL LEAGUE. Div 1: Bletchley Tn v Horspath, Bourton Vale

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POINT-TO-POINT: Hill's bid faces big obstacle

Aston Rowant trainer Alan Hill’s hopes of landing the men’s open at Kingston Blount, near Chinnor, on Sunday could face a formidable hurdle as Richard Woollacott continues his quest to become the champion men’s rider. Hill, who is enjoying his best season

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Desert Roses

SEX AND THE CITY 2 (15). Comedy. Sarah Jessica Parker, Kim Cattrall, Cynthia Nixon, Kristin Davis, Chris Noth, John Corbett, Alice Eve, Raza Jaffrey, David Eigenberg, Evan Handler, Willie Garson, Mario Cantone. Director: Michael Patrick

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Beefcake and steak

A feast for the eyes and stomach proves the perfect treat for JESSICA MANN’S other half. My husband’s birthday falls in the middle of Oxford Fashion Week. Many men’s ideal birthday is watching the footie with their mates, followed by a kebab

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Soldiering On

Andy McNab, back with a new novel, is a literary star but stills keeps his anonymity closely guarded. It has been 17 years since ex-SAS officer Andy McNab left the military to pursue a career in writing, but he’s remained almost as involved

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Well Chuffed

WILLIAM CROSSLEY takes a trip back in time with a steam train ride to mark GWR’s 175th anniversary. GLORIOUS spring sunshine, blossom in the hedgerows, new lambs in the fields and a gleaming green Great Western Railway tank locomotive steaming

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Rocky Time

Christopher Biggins’ Rocky Horror role is a return to an old favourite, writes KATHERINE MACALISTER. Christopher Biggins has just returned from his stint on the Dancing On Ice tour. “Skating?” I ask, trying to mask my disbelief. “Oh no,

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Clown Princes

Katherine MacAlister finds out what makes a troupe of clowns tick. It’s impossible to put Paperworld in a box, because they will always burst out. To give you a rough idea, Paperworld is the name of a new show coming to the Oxford Playhouse

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YOUR SAY: Oxfordshire's troubled TV antenna

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Festival Fever

Tim Hughes looks forward to a weekend of boutique festival-going, at the first big bash of the British summer – Wychwood. WHEN you hear the words “music festival”, what are the first things you think of? Mud, queues, flooded tents, and

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Tough As Steel

IMAGINE a band with all the kick-butt tunes of rock giants Metallica... but made up entirely of girls? I know it sounds like a headbanger’s fantasy. But it’s no dream. The US self-styled ‘metal chicks’ go under the name Misstalicca and on Saturday, they

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BOWLS: Oxon trio earn England calls

Oxfordshire have three bowlers in the England women’s team for the British Isles International Series at Worthing from June 22-24. Banbury Central duo Caroline Campion and Carole Galletly are among four new caps, while Oxford City & County’s Katherine

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Delayed Reaction

TIM HUGHES finds a band that have endured the rocky moments and emerged stronger for it. IF any band around today is worthy of a movie, it has to be The Delays. The Hampshire indie-rockers are accomplished musicians with a great line in

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MPs join forces to press for rail link

THREE MPs have joined forces to press the new Government over proposals for the high speed rail link. In March the then Secretary of State for Transport Lord Adonis announced that the Government plans to build a new High Speed 2 line reducing journey

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We don’t need expensive plan, only traffic lights

Sir – And so once again we see the usual construction mania gripping Oxfordshire, this time in the form of plans to build a beanburger (or hamburger, or whatever these things are called) roundabout at Heyford Hill. When will the planners understand that

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Noise reduction

Sir – The arrival of summer means the inevitable opening of windows at night and the subsequent issues with noisy parties and music. In previous years, when this has happened, the council’s noise pollution people have been excellent and arrived with

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College man

Sir – While appreciations of the Hertford and Oxford University economist, Roger Van Noorden, who died on April 12, have appeared in the national press, nothing has yet appeared in The Oxford Times, which is regrettable given that Mr Van Noorden lived

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Praise for bridge work

Sir – As The Oxford Times is not one of those publications which is fixated about failings in schools, hospitals, and public services, and gives due credit to positive achievements, I hope that somewhere space will be found to celebrate a remarkable engineering

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Character v safety

Sir – Roger Blackburn (Letter May 20) is right: many North Oxford pavements have been neglected for years. Several years ago, I reported pavements in St Margaret’s Road as uneven, pot-holed and hence unsafe. The road is lined with tall lime trees, but

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Extraordinary nursing

Sir – My 92-year-old mother was recently admitted to Ward 5B of the John Radcliffe Hospital following a stroke. Five days later she died. With so much negative press surrounding the NHS, I thought it only proper that I should write to you to give a

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Half-way house

Sir – I see that work has started on filling in the subway on London Road in Headington. I know there has been a lot of debate about this and many people are unhappy about what’s happening, but it might not be too late to propose a compromise:

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Peter and Paul

The reason given by Oxford City Council for not supporting Oxford’s annual horticultural show with a £2,000 grant, namely that it does not do enough for disadvantaged groups, is incomprehensible. This is an event that is appreciated by everyone, whatever

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Carnival is free and will be in South Parks and Cowley Road

Sir – As organisers of Cowley Road Carnival, we are extremely grateful to Oxford City and Oxfordshire County councils for their pledge to provide funding of £40,000 (Report, May 20). However, your report implies that the funding enables the carnival to

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More bus lanes needed

Sir – It is a pity Cllr Hudspeth is so out of touch (Report, May 20). His ‘empty land’ between Abingdon Road and Heyford Hill is a much-used footpath and cycle-way. It is not at all a sensible place for road-widening, even for a bus lane. But the Sainsbury

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Rail is overlooked

Sir – Customers will obviously be delighted that the roundabout next to Sainsbury’s store at Heyford Hill is to be redesigned. However, traffic lights will certainly slow down traffic movements for non-customers at the roundabout. Another problem is that

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Remember cyclists

Sir – The proposal to improve the roundabout at Heyford Hill is most welcome, but I hope the designers will remember cyclists and pedestrians, for whom it is currently a terrifying experience to reach Sainsbury’s. The ‘empty land’ at the side of the

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Dire problem

Sir – Whilst waiting for a delayed arrival of tourists to Oxford, in half an hour I counted nine coaches disgorging around 45 passengers each and certainly the same amount departing. It does not need a mathematician to work out the logistics of foreigners

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Flower show cancelled

Sir – It is with regret that we, The Royal Oxfordshire Horticultural Society, decided at our recent Annual General Meeting to cancel the 2010 Flower Show and Charity Day. As most of you know, we have been holding the event, in partnership with the Oxford

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Inspirational youngsters

Sir – I searched through the pages of today’s The Oxford Times (May 20) for coverage of the Girl Guiding centenary celebrations ‘Party at the Palace’ in vain. More than 4,000 Rainbows, Brownies, Guides and Senior Section spent the weekend in the

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Not quite a paragon

Sir – Oh that I could claim to be the paragon that Susan Thomas (Letter, May 20) makes me out to be! I do cycle to work — that’s true — and I walk around my ward and use the buses, but like most people in Oxford there are times when I have to use my

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Gathering storm

We should not be surprised to see Oxfordshire County Council increasing the parking charges for the on-street spaces it manages in Oxford. Its reasoning, it says, is to bring them into line with those of Oxford City Council for car parks such as the

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Opera Anywhere at Sunningwell Festival

When Mike and Vanessa Woodward step on to the floating stage at Sunningwell Festival next week, as the Pirate King and Ruth in The Pirates of Penzance, it will be an emotional return to their roots — for it was here, exactly ten years ago, that they first

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Cucumber: A royal favourite

I must have bought hundreds of cucumbers wrapped in plastic over the years so it hardly seemed worth growing any myself. However, last year I did, and although my outdoor cucumbers did not look particularly smooth or straight they tasted deliciously nutty

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Find a spot in cellar for wines of Corsica

I am just home after a crazy week of wine tasting that included the obligatory few days at the annual International Wine Fair in London. For those that think wine tasting is a never-ending carousel ride of delicious flavours, feel free to volunteer as

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The Rocky Horror Show and others: New Theatre

What have Alan Bennett’s plays Enjoy and The History Boys got in common with The Rocky Horror Show? Not a lot at first sight, but all three are, or have recently been, touring the country in productions directed by the same person — Chris Luscombe. Now

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Senior RAF officer dies after charity event

THE second most senior officer in the RAF died after being taken ill while doing a triathlon at RAF Brize Norton yesterday. Air Chief Marshal Sir Christopher Moran, 54, was on the running leg of the charity event at the Oxfordshire base when he collapsed

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Couple mark 60 years of wedded bliss

WHEN Brian Barrett met his future wife Joan he knew she was perfect for him. Headington-born former bookbinder Mr Barrett, who later worked for 17 years in the paint shop at Morris Motors, said: “We used to meet, a gang of fellas and ladies. “We met

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AUNT SALLY: Green bags 14 in Swan cruise

Martin Green clanged off 14 dolls including a maximum six as Black Swan eased to a 3-0 win at home to Dogwood in their Section 2 clash, writes ANDY BEAL. Teammate Trevor Jones also hit a six in his 11-doll haul. They won the first leg 21-18 and were

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Hargreaves's delight after completing his mission

Chris Hargreaves is weighing up his options after fulfilling his “mission” to get Oxford United back into the Football League. The midfielder, who was released last week by United, felt the pain more than most when the U’s were relegated from the League

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City has to find site for homes

A PROPOSAL to build 4,000 homes south of Greater Leys is set to be killed off by changes to the planning process. The controversial development, south of Grenoble Road has been in the pipeline since 2002. But the new coalition Government

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The Insider

THE Government announced stringent cut backs on ministerial travel this week in a bid to tackle the country’s mounting debt – and David Cameron has even ditched police outriders. But The Insider hopes the measures won’t inhibit his remarkable ability

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Do you think Oxford City Council should help to support the Royal Oxfordshire Horticultural Society annual flower show?

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Government axes county homes plan

UNCERTAINTY surrounds major housing schemes across the county, including the plan for a massive city extension to the south of Oxford, as the new Government confirmed it is tearing up the South East Plan. More than 55,000 homes had been set to be built

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Italian Favourites, £72

Italy is a huge wine-producing country with a large number of regions producing wine. We have picked some classic favourites from famous regions to bring you a mixed case that brings the country’s character to life. Italian wines work superbly with food

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Wading in for conservation

Wading birds are being encouraged to return and breed in the flood plains and wet grasslands of six Oxfordshire rivers thanks to a 10-year project. Now about midway through the decade-long Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (RSPB) scheme, volunteers

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Popular annual flower show cancelled

OXFORDSHIRE is to lose its annual flower show, with organisers told that the event was not sufficiently aimed at disadvantaged groups to merit a city council grant this year. The Royal Oxfordshire Horticultural Society has been putting on a flower show

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Trust bids to buy Marston meadows

NEGOTIATIONS are under way to secure 36 acres of land bordering the River Cherwell in Old Marston for the people of Oxfordshire. Oxford Preservation Trust confirmed this week that it had opened talks with Tesco, which owns the bulk of the site

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New girl settles in at Westminster

It was a little after 4.30am when our paths last crossed. Clutching a microphone, Nicola Blackwood was launching herself into a Cole Porter classic, as all around her, bleary-eyed middle aged-men, headed home after an emotionally charged night that had

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Go-ahead for £78m Bodleian plan

Oxford University’s £78m scheme to transform the New Bodleian Library in Broad Street has been approved by Oxford City Council. The decision to grant the huge renovation project both planning permission and listed building consent was taken this week