Archive
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RACING: Talenti shines again for Hill
Talenti made it four wins from his last five starts for Aston Rowant trainer Lawney Hill with victory at Kempton on Wednesday night. Dane O’Neill powered home the seven-year-old gelding, owned by Hill’s husband, Alan, by half a length from
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RUGBY UNION: Crozier try spares Dark Blues' blushes
Oxford University did just enough to beat scratch opponents Major Stanley's XV 21-14 in a scrappy clash at Iffley Road on Wednesday. The Dark Blues recovered from 14-7 down to seal victory with a try from full back James Crozier, but this was
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Flash mob protests about cuts
About 50 anti-cuts protesters, some dressed as chickens, gathered in the city to condemn the Liberal Democrats today, on the day party leader Nick Clegg was due to speak at the Oxford Union. The Deputy Prime Minister cancelled the visit last week, “due
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It's crunch time for croissants
OXFORD’S French residents have begun their quest to find the city’s best croissant, a year after they tracked down the best baguette. Bakers are being invited to prove they are at least a match for the French by allowing their pastry to be scrutinised
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Oxfam's record department proves a huge hit
JILL and David Partrick might not look like your ‘typical’ record shop entrepreneurs – both are 74 and admit they are more ‘Classic FM’ than ‘Kiss’ – but they are responsible for creating Oxford’s most diverse collection of vinyl records, and they are
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Shock tactics drive home road safety message
“I remember her face, deathly white under the torch. She had unsurvivable injuries and I watched the last of her life ebb away.” Those were the words of Thames Valley paramedic Adey Varley who told Oxfordshire teenagers this week how he tried to resuscitate
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Mayor feels 'besieged' by village campaign against new housing
A ROW has erupted between Didcot’s mayor and 11 villages opposing the planned expansion of the town – with accusations that nearby rural communities “hate” the town. John Flood said he felt “besieged” by a campaign by the villages to limit
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Local shares (PM)
AEA Technology 5.25 BMW 4624 Electrocomponents 259.5 Nationwide Accident Repair 100.5 Oxford Biomedica 9.7 Oxford Catalysts 65.5 Oxford Instruments 512.75 Reed Elsevier 534.75 RM 147.75 RPS Group 223.1 Courtesy of Redmayne Bentley
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The Harcourt Arms, Stanton Harcourt
A reader emails to sing the praises of The Harcourt Arms at Stanton Harcourt, “a really nice old pub and restaurant”. Bosses Jo and Derek Wilby “work their backsides off”, with a village shop and post office on the premises to add to their work
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Sampling the taste of the festive pizza
The cranberry jelly and holly are, I suppose, a bit of a give-away. Pictured above is the Christmas pizza, as served at Fire & Stone, in George Street, Oxford. I tried one a few nights back at my first festive dinner of the year, having put myself in
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Iris Murdoch lays down the law on culinary matters
I read with huge enjoyment all of Iris Murdoch’s later novels — onwards, I think, from Bruno’s Dream of 1970 — as they were published. Sometimes this was in order to review them. With the possible exception of 1973’s The Black Prince, with its intriguing
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Last week's grammar problem solved
I knew I would not be disappointed in my request for an answer to what was wrong with the sentence “None of them needs ever work again”, written in the Sunday Times about the three young (and very rich) stars of the Harry Potter films. One reader, whose
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How Oxfam began its great work
My first Christmas card landed on the doormat on Armistice Day. The excuse for its ridiculously early arrival was an invitation scrawled inside it to a Christmas party. But it was an Oxfam card and it set me thinking about those thoughtful and
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£5,000 reward offered after village post office raid
The post office today offered a £5,000 reward leading to the arrest and conviction of a gunman who robbed a village post office. At about 3.30pm on Monday, November 8, the man went into the Post Office and Stores shop in Whitehall Lane, Checkendon
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Woman held after rare stolen Harry Potter book found
A rare first edition copy of a Harry Potter book stolen from an art gallery in Woodstock has been found in Abingdon. The edition of Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone, worth an estimated £6,000, was found in a plastic bag outside Boots
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Computers stolen in village burglaries
Police today appealed for information after two burglaries in South Oxfordshire. At 6.15pm, yesterday, an alarm was activated after offenders forced their way into a house in Bix, near Henley. They stole an iPod, docking station and computer. At
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TODDLER DEATH: 'Injuries required specialist treatment'
A TODDLER who died at Oxford's John Radcliffe Hospital needed urgent specialist treatment, police have said. Twenty-two-month-old Tayler Mason, from the Banbury area, died at the Headington hospital on Friday, November 12, a week after being admitted
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Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 1
And so it begins — the final chapter of J.K. Rowling’s best-selling fantasy saga, which holds the honour of the highest grossing film franchise of all time. Divided in two for creative and commercial reasons, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows
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Pea and roasted garlic soup
that Rachel Green cooked during her demonstration at Denman’s Day School. As she demonstrated, if served in a shot glass, it makes a perfect addition to the assortment of home-made canapés at a festive party. You can serve a dozen from this quantity,
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Preview of Jesus Christ Superstar: Oxford Playhouse
Before our stages become suffused with Cinderellas, the Oxford Operatic Society and the Playhouse have come up with an interesting way next week of ushering us towards Christmas. Jesus Christ Superstar portrays events at the end of Christ’s life
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Havana Rakatan: Wycombe Swan
The exuberant dance show Havana Rakatan offers a two-hour escape from the fog and frost of a November night into the warmth and colour of the sun-drenched island of Cuba. The creation of choreographer Nilda Guerra and a 14-strong team of dancers
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Rachel shows the way to super festive fare
Going back to school can be great fun, particularly when the teacher is an experienced demonstrator with loads of innovative ideas that can transform a dinner party into a festive feast. I attended a cookery day school, at Denman College, Marcham
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Preview of Unsilent Night, Oxford city centre
Phil Kline’s Unsilent Night is a festive musical creation first heard in New York 19 years ago. It takes the form of a street promenade in which the audience becomes the performer. This year, Oxford will, for the first time, join with other cities worldwide
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Little Fish: O2 Academy
Local duo Little Fish — Juju Heslop and Nez Greenaway — have had an excellent couple of years. Grafting away since 2006, they recorded their debut album Baffled and Beat with Linda Perry, the songwriter behind many of both Pink and Christina Aguilera’
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Police continue baby death inquiry
Police are continuing to investigate the circumstances leading up to the death of a 22-month-old boy, who was admitted to the Horton General Hospital on Friday, November 5. Det Chief Insp Joe Kidman, the senior officer investigating the death, said
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The Merry Wives of Windsor, Shakespeare's Globe, Milton Keynes Theatre
‘The rankest compound of villainous smell that ever offended nostril.” As Sir John Falstaff rolls these words around his mouth, as if they were a beakerful of the sack he so much enjoys, we at once experience with him the foul aroma of the soiled linen
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M.I.A.: O2 Academy
From the amount written about Maya Arulpragasam or her musical moniker M.I.A., you would think she had sold millions of records and be headlining summer stadium gigs, not the O2 Academy on a freezing Thursday night. Arulpragasam is more famous for
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The OUP Choir, St Michael's Church
‘II don’t see any point in being a composer if you don’t communicate,” composer Karl Jenkins said in a Church Times interview. He certainly practises what he preaches, to judge by the Oxford University Press Choir’s performance of his work The Armed Man
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Kurt Tong photographs: Compton Verney
Compton Verney is always a delight to visit and the latest witty exhibition is no exception. The young and talented Chinese photographer Kurt Tong’s show is called In Case it Rains in Heaven. And in case you are in any doubt, the first picture is of two
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Stewart Francis: The New Theatre
I do wish Stewart Francis would get a move on and write his new show, as he told me last week he was doing. On Sunday evening at the New Theatre, I was worried for a time that anyone who might have read my review of his show at the North Wall a year ago
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Preview of Armstrong and Miller: The New Theatre, Oxford
One of comedy’s leading double acts comes to Oxford tonight and tomorrow in the persons of Alexander Armstrong and Ben Miller. The duo are in the happy position of having a third hit TV series, and at least one sketch creation established as a
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Glyndebourne on Tour: La Cenerentola and The Coronation of Poppea
Richly enjoyable revivals of three recent successes from the Glyndebourne festival provided a major treat for opera fans as Glyndebourne on Tour reached Milton Keynes last week for its annual autumn visit. First came this summer’s Don Giovanni, reviewed
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Revolutionary: The Jam Factory
Two subjects feature in Revolutionary, the photographic exhibition at The Jam Factory, in Park End Street, Oxford. One highlights the protests on Solsbury Hill in 1994, photographed by Adrian Arbib, on a battered manual Rangefinder camera. James Hudson
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Swan Lake, The Everyman Theatre, Cheltenham
The Rudolf Nureyev Russian State Ballet has no connection with the legendary dancer other than the fact that it is based in the town of Ufa, where Nureyev received his early training before escaping his provincial background, first to Leningrad
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Oxford Philomusica: Christ Church Cathedral
Light and shade: that seemed to be the prospect in this Remembrance Day concert. Both works were by Mozart — his bubbling and sublimely melodic clarinet concerto in A major, and his Requiem Mass in D minor. And yet, did the Remembrance Day backdrop make
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Banbury in pictures
A book filled with photographs depicting life in Banbury in years gone will be launched on Saturday. Its author, Marilyn Yurden, of Abingdon, will officially launch the book, Banbury In Old Photographs, at British Bookshops and Stationers, High Street
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Four in running for cleanest school
Four schools are in the running to win Cherwell District Council’s cleanest school title. Now in its fifth year, the winning school will get £250 worth of garden vouchers to help improve its school grounds. Queensway School has taken the title for the
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Christmas lights line-up confirmed
THE final stage act for Banbury’s Christmas lights switch- on has been revealed. The Great British Barbershop Boys will take to the stage just after 2pm and perform four songs from their debut album, which is due to be released next month. The quartet
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Schools Focus: Wood Farm looking ahead to big changes
WOOD Farm is a changing school. In 2012, it will be unrecognisable, thanks to a £10m rebuild funded by the previous government. According to headteacher David Lewin, who arrived at the Headington school four years ago, a lot of change
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Rare Potter book found in street
A rare first edition copy of a Harry Potter book which was stolen from an art gallery in Woodstock has been found in Abingdon. The edition of Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone, worth an estimated £6,000, was found in a plastic bag outside
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FOOTBALL: Hendred on song
East Hendred reached the third round of the Berks & Bucks Junior Cup after easing to a 2-0 victory against Andover & District League side Inkpen Sports in their re-arranged match. Lee Hedges and Mike Farrelly found the back of the net for the North
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Local share prices (AM)
AEA Technology 5.3 BMW 4621 Electrocomps 259.4 Nationwide Accident Repair 99.5 Oxford Biomedica 9.7 Oxford Catalyst 67.5 Oxford Instruments 510.25 Reed Elsevier 530.75 RM 147.25 RPS Group 222.8 Courtesy of Redmayne Bentley, Abingdon
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Banbury street pollution will be monitored
A BANBURY street is Cherwell district’s first official pollution hotspot. Hennef Way, one of the main routes into the town, is Cherwell District Council’s first ‘air quality management area’. It will be closely monitored over the coming year – and council
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Big crowds celebrate Muslim festival at Kassam Stadium
MORE than 1,000 people gathered in Oxford to celebrate the Muslim festival of Eid Al Adha at the Kassam Stadium yesterday. Organisers moved the traditional celebration to the football ground because of the level of interest locally, not just
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University silent on 'private' claim
OXFORD University would not last night dismiss claims by Vince Cable that it would have gone private if the Government had not decided to lift the cap on tuition fees. On Monday night, Business Secretary Dr Cable said that one of the reasons the Government
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FOOTBALL: Cheney deny Chadlington
Middleton Cheney came out on top 2-1 at fellow Oxfordshire Senior League Division 1 strugglers Chadlington. Chris Heritage fired the visitors into a half-time lead. And Cheney went further ahead when Scott Finch headed home from seven yards a minute
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FOOTBALL: Joey's hat-trick
Former Oxford United favourite Joey Beauchamp grabbed his second hat-trick in three weeks in Kidlington Old Boys Res’s 6-1 home win over Enstone Res. All the goals came in the second half with Beauchamp adding to the treble in the 5-3 cup win over Slade
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FOOTBALL: Damm's treble puts the seal on Steeple revival
Steeple Aston fought back from a goal down to win 4-1 against KEA in the Premier Division of the Banbury District & Lord Jersey FA. Steve Roberts headed the visitors in front, only for Alex Damm to level. After the break, Jake Freeman gave Steeple the
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GIRLS FOOTBALL: Hot-shot Eva steals show
Eva Wallace scored all the goals as Kidlington beat Chinnor 4-2 in the Oxford Mail Girls Under 10 League. Wallace’s four-timer gave her side the points, despite the efforts of Alysha Clark (2), who scored both for Chinnor. Ceirah Bell
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Gipsy wants to expand caravan site
A GIPSY should be given permission to expand a caravan site so his daughters can join him, his agent told councillors. Mark Chattoe urged West Oxfordshire District Council to let John Webb add four caravans to his own on land off the A40 at Barnard Gate
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Fears over cuts in flood defence spending
THE mother of a teenager who drowned in a flooded culvert has urged council chiefs not to cut their flood defence budget. Kate Weeden spoke after West Oxfordshire District Council moved to axe a post whose role includes inspecting private culverts
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COMMENT: Cuts must not affect our safety
UNDER the current economic climate, it is entirely understandable that West Oxfordshire District Council )should look to save money. Indeed, they have no choice. But what they choose to economise on will inevitably divide people, councillors and residents
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Eerie scene as fog carpets county
A CARE worker was struck by the autumnal fog settling over the Vale of White Horse on his way home and ran to capture it on camera before sunset. Laurence Williams took the photograph from the Downs, between Uffington and Childrey, as the
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FOOTBALL: Curtin crushes Eynsham
Ryan Curtin fired a four-timer as Bletchingdon marched on at the top of the Oxfordshire Senior League Premier Division with a 5-0 home win over basement boys Eynsham. Curtin opened the scoring and Stuart Dunham doubled the leaders’ advantage at half-time
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Child sex abuser jailed for five years
A MAN who groomed and sexually assaulted three young girls has been jailed for five years and must never be left alone with children. Iain Wolstenholme used the pretence of tickling the girls and talking about underwear to molest them and get them to
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FOOTBALL: Davies delivers victory
Bletchingdon Res continued their impressive form with a 2-1 win at Goring in the second round of the Oxfordshire Intermediate Cup. The Division 2 leaders fell behind to an early goal. But Luke Beauchamp and Gareth Davies netted to secure a trip to Clanfield
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Make councillors fill in a monthly timesheet
At long last a serving councillor, Ann Ducker of South Oxfordshire District Council, has raised their head above the parapet and showed an element of constructive thought and courage by suggesting there is an excess of unnecessarily appointed councillors
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Welfare changes will not help
I do not consider the welfare changes proposed by the Conservatives and Lib Dems will help people back to work. Quite the contrary, it seems the proposals will ‘help’ employers exploit those who are otherwise finding it difficult/impossible to find work
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Funds don't add up over new pool plans
AT a time when the coalition Government and opposition parties agree that spending cuts are necessary to reduce the massive deficit, isn’t it ironic that Cllr Ed Turner comes forward and says that the city can afford to build a new pool at Blackbird Leys
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Was it wise to publish his picture?
A MAN is taunted and threatened on suspicion of being a paedophile. For the same reason, he has lost his job and is seeking another. So, he contacts the local newspaper and allows it to publish a large, clear image of his face and the name of the street
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Drivers are clueless when it comes to fog
We’ve just had the first thick fog of winter in Oxfordshire. Many drivers decided it would be a good idea to switch on their fog lights, unfortunately they appear not to have the ‘Foggiest Idea’ how to use them Every car I’ve seen has both the headlights
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Sassy & Single: Four misfits off to Afghanistan
Usually columnists try to get your attention with what we call ‘an attention grabbing headline’. I can’t think of one this week, so I thought I’d just start with …..‘I’m going to Afghanistan this weekend’. First stop Kandahar, then on to Camp Bastion
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FOOTBALL: Fuller nets a late point
Didcot Casuals battled back from 2-0 down to snatch a 2-2 draw against Crowmarsh Gifford in Division 1 of the North Berks League. Crowmarsh got off to a flier, with strikes from Tim Holtom and Phil Hedges seeing them storm into a 2-0 lead inside the
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FOOTBALL: Cook serves up a six-timer
Joe Cook hit six goals as Corner House crushed Tetsworth 10-2 in the RT Harris Oxford City FA. Sub Aaron Barrett bagged a brace, while Jermain Jones – his first for the club – and Byron Jose sealed it. Otis Woodward scored five times for Quarry 09
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FOOTBALL: Freeland are cup shockers
Freeland A sent Chipping Norton Town spinning out of the Witney & District FA Fred Ford Cup at the third-round stage with a shock 4-3 win. Sam Burton (2), Neil Swan and Steve Carvey were on target for the Division 3 underdogs, with Warwick Tompkins,
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Time to cut councillors' allowances
I am writing in response to The Issue (November 11) on the topic ‘Should long-term job seekers be forced to do community work or lose their benefits?’ Councillor Steve Hayward made some interesting points and mentioned his own voluntary council work.
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Railways are exceptional value for money
Colin Morris misrepresents Chiltern Railways’ Evergreen 3 project as “unaffordable” (ViewPoints, November 12). Actually railways are exceptional value for the economy. The UK cannot afford not to invest in new railways. A 2007 report for engineering
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In denial about the deficit
It seems that Cllr Liz Brighouse (Oxford Mail, November 15) is as much in denial about the country’s financial position as her colleague, Cllr John Tanner. The Conservative-run Oxfordshire County Council generally took what government grant the Labour
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A victim of slander
It was shocking to read in the Oxford Mail (November 11) that Edward Wakelin is, according to the jury’s verdict, a victim himself of malicious slander. The slander has cost him his job and his standing in the community. The story underlines another
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Join meeting to save herbal medicine
In April thousands of herbal products are likely to be removed from the market under the EU Directive on Traditional Herbal Medicinal Products (Oxford Mail, November 8). Furthermore, qualified herbalists will be liable to prosecution if they continue
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Frideswide Square debate raises questions
THE Frideswide Square traffic light dispute raises a number of questions: How many drivers (taxi and white-van-man in particular) have been caught on CCTV, jumping red traffic lights and escaped prosecution for doing so? An answer from the Chief Constable
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Crash causes A34 hold-ups
A two-car crash today caused delays on the northbound A34. The collisison, which happened near East Ilsley, led to the closure of one lane. Slow traffic is reported in the area with congestion back to junction 13 of the M4 at Chieveley. The collision
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Poppy Appeal: Special United shirts sold for £1,350
OXFORD United have raised £1,335 for the Royal British Legion Poppy Appeal after selling the first team’s shirts from Saturday's match against Rotherham. All players had poppies on their shirts for Saturday’s 2-1 defeat and afterwards fans could snap
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Remembrance parade troops get parking tickets
A UNIT of Territorial Army medics recently returned from duty in Afghanistan had parking tickets slapped on their minibuses as they were paying respects on Remembrance Sunday. Members of Abingdon-based 202 Field Hospital had parked on dpuble
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RUGBY UNION: Sprague's surprise selection
Andy Sprague is a surprise selection at outside centre for Oxford University’s traditional clash with the Major Stanley’s XV today (3). Sprague gets his Blues debut with just three games to go until the Nomura Varsity Match at Twickenham on December
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COMMENT: Ticketing error
THEY came to pay their respects to fallen servicemen, having themselves only returned from Afghanistan a few weeks ago. But the Territorial Army medics from Abingdon got themselves a £60 fine after their two minibuses were ticketed. Thankfully Oxfordshire
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FOOTBALL: McEachran's England bow
Josh McEachran made his England Under 21 debut during last night’s 2-0 defeat to Germany in Wiesbaden. The 17-year-old Chelsea midfielder, from Kirt-lington, came on as an 87th-minute substitute to continue his meteoric rise in the game. McEachran could
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Family thanks hospital after teen survives rare illness
WHEN teenager Robert Greenslade was struck down by a rare disease, his parents were twice told to prepare for the worst. The 15-year-old spent a month fighting staphylococcal double pneumonia in Oxford’s John Radcliffe Hospital, which led to both lungs
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'Evacuees' bed down for the night
THE dark days of the Blitz came to life for school pupils who re-enacted a Second World War evacuation. Forty children from West Kidlington Primary School said goodbye to their parents and made their way on foot to the school to spend a night sleeping
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West Oxfordshire loses weekly bin collections
WEEKLY bin collections come to an end in West Oxfordshire this week – the last area in the county not to have a fortnightly service. From Monday, a new regime will mean 43,000 homes in the district will now have five containers to deal with
