Archive
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Charity shop dress has customers in creases
IT’s unlikely to be very comfortable and probably wouldn’t offer much protection in the freezing temperatures. But this full size dress – made entirely from wrapping paper – has helped bring festive cheer to shoppers in Headington. It was designed and
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Inspectors praise primary's efforts to get out of special measures
OFSTED inspectors have praised progress at a Cowley school hoping to come out of special measures. St Christopher’s C of E Primary School was judged inadequate by the standards watchdog in June 2009 because of low rates of achievement at Key Stage One
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Pupils boost governor's trek fund
A SCHOOL governor is hoping to put her camping experience to the test when she joins a Nepalese mountain trek. Chris Hunt will sleep on a wooden bed and her only luxury will be a cup of tea in the morning. Mrs Hunt, 62, of Forge Place, Fritwell, near
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Council criticised for spending £40k on private health cover
COUNCIL bosses in West Oxfordshire have been criticised for spending £40,000 of taxpayers’ cash on private health insurance for top managers. West Oxfordshire District Council is the only council in Oxfordshire to offer the deal, which bosses said was
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Britons brave cold before Christmas
Weather-weary Britons have battled ice and snow to get away for the Christmas break or to do last-minute shopping. While Dublin airport had to shut for some of the day, conditions eased enough for Heathrow airport to handle 200,000 customers
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Couple celebrate diamond anniversary
A DIAMOND couple say sharing jokes has kept them happily married for 60 years. After meeting at a railway station 63 years ago Margaret and Walter Harland celebrated their 60th anniversary yesterday. Mr Harland’s job in the Royal Air Force took the
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GREYHOUNDS: Oxford get green light
Tonight's meeting at Oxford Stadium has been given the go-ahead after snow was cleared off the track.
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Bertram Mandelbrote - pioneer in care of mentally ill
PSYCHIATRIST Bertram Mandelbrote, who has died aged 87, revolutionised the care of patients at Oxford’s Littlemore mental hospital. Born in South Africa, on October 22, 1923, he first came to Oxford – already a qualified doctor – as a Rhodes Scholar
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Tributes paid to woman found in River Cherwell
Tributes were paid today to a woman who was found dead with her dog in the River Cherwell in North Oxford. The family of Mrs Ann Powles from Hobson Road, Summertown, Oxford, who died of heart failure after falling into the River Cherwell, released the
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John Ezard - respected writer
JOHN Ezard, a former Oxford Mail reporter and one of the Guardian’s most respected writers, has died at the age of 71. Mr Ezard was born on November 25, 1939 in Exeter and educated at St Catharine’s College, Cambridge. After a brief spell on the West
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Polish support group celebrates anniversary
A COMMUNITY group for Poles in Oxford is looking forward to its second Christmas – after celebrated its first anniversary. Przestrzen, which means ‘space’, has 100 members, and was formed last year to provide a way for Eastern and Central European migrants
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Ancient mummers' plays take to the pubs
QUIRKY costumes helped performers spread seasonal cheer as they helped keep a centuries-old tradition alive. The Abingdon Mummers have been touring pubs in the area with their short traditional Christmas play – and raising cash for charity
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ANGLING: Match diary
Wednesday, Saturday, Sunday Oakfield: Tel 01296 770899. Panshill: Tel 07740 619991. December 27 Acorn Angling: Christmas Match, Thames at Carmel College. Book in with Tony Gee at Acorn Angling or phone 01235 816132. Jolly Anglers: Club match, BMH
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Thursday, December 23: Festive DIY thief
BADVENT is almost drawing to a close, but the Oxford Mail still needs to unveil who is behind the window of day 23. This suspect fancied doing a bit of DIY before Christmas so thought he would help himself to three trolleys of goods from B&
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ICE HOCKEY: Snowed off
Oxford City Stars’ English National League South Division 1 clash at home to Bracknell was called off on Sunday due to the bad weather.
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BOXING: Hitman Howard opens his account
Oxford Boxing Academy’s Adam Howard claimed the first win of his ring career with a stunning 25-second demolition of Reading’s Anthony Drake. The 20-year-old sports shop salesman landed a precise left hook that detonated on the button to send his rival
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Local share prices (AM)
AEA Technology 6.1 BMW 5492 Electrocomponents 270.6 Nationwide Accident Repair 98.5 Oxford Biomedica 5.6 Oxford Catalysts 68.5 Oxford Instruments 704 Reed Elsevier 534.25 RM 171.75 RPS Group 232.2 Courtesy of Redmayne Bentley,
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ANGLING: Holiday heaven
North Oxford AS chairman Julian Humm sent me a couple of holiday photographs this week to brighten up this horrible weather, writes ANDY WEBBER. He was in Los Roques, a group of small islands off the coast of Venezuela, and caught barracuda to 30lb and
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ANGLING: Sutton's weather beaters
Last weekend’s match calendar was thrown into total disarray after the very heavy snow on Saturday, writes ANDY WEBBER. I spent some time speaking to local clubs, who all reported that their fixtures on the Sunday had been cancelled and moved
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RUGBY UNION: Carol-singing keep Chinnor spirits high
Chinnor refused to let the big freeze dampen their spirits on Saturday. Although their National 3 South West derby with Oxford Harlequins had already been called off due to a frozen pitch, Chinnor went ahead with their Christmas lunch and entertainment
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Police spread a bit of Christmas cheer
POLICE have been handing out hampers to spread some Christmas cheer among vulnerable elderly people. It is the second year officers in the Vale of White Horse run the scheme to help those who do not have family support over the festive season. Insp
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GREYHOUNDS: Oxford battle to save cards
Staff at Oxford Stadium have been clearing snow off the track in a bid to save the holiday programme. Racing manager Gary Baiden is hopeful that all three meetings can go ahead if there is no further snow. “It’s been all hands to the
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Renewed contract secures charity's future
A MENTAL health charity’s future is safe after it was awarded a new three year contract to provide services for people with mental health problems. About 70 per cent of the Restore charity’s budget comes from Oxfordshire County Council and NHS Oxfordshire
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Controversial Northern Gateway scheme gets go-ahead
A CONTROVERSIAL business and housing development in North Oxford will go ahead after a Government inspector approved the city’s planning blueprint. The ruling on Oxford City Council’s core strategy brings one of the UK’s longest running inquiries to
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ATHLETICS: England's achievement award
Oxford City’s Hannah England has received an outstanding achievement award following her efforts at international championships in 2010. England was recognised by ‘On Camp with Kelly’, double-Olympic champion Dame Kelly Holmes’s initiative, and Aviva
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CRICKET:Cherwell executive split over rules procedure
Clubs in the MP Sports Cherwell League are being asked to submit views on rules and registration changes. The move comes after the league’s first executive meeting since Clive Ricks became the new chairman. Having been voted in at the
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One way to save cash
A FEW weeks ago the council was asking for people to suggest ways in which it could save money. Well, here’s one way. They are talking about building 800 houses in Barton. So I suggest that when they are built, 800 families are taken out of private accommodation
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On the wrong track
Hugh Jaeger misrepresents my letter in reply to The Issue as anti-rail investment (Oxford Mail, December 9). I did question the value for money and direct benefits to Bicester of this line against other rail investments, including East West Rail, because
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The Insider
The man heading Oxford City Council’s eco-revolution, councillor John Tanner, was buoyed by news the city’s recycling rate had crept up to a record high of 47 per cent in October. Great news for the planet (and for Mr Tanner who has been ribbed about
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Tell us where to cut council expenditure
I see councillor Roy Darke describes the county council as being “hell bent on attacking the young” (Monday’s Oxford Mail). I am afraid it is true that young people’s services are facing cuts as part of the total of £62m that we are going to have to
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Hospital care couldn't be faulted
I have recently come out of hospital after breaking my hip in an accident. I read so many bad things about hospital care these days that it is frightening, especially for the elderly. I am 82 and getting better all the time, thanks to the care from
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Good news for schools
There was one piece of good news in the local government finance settlement last week which has gone relatively unnoticed, but which demonstrates the influence of the Liberal Democrats in Government. Oxfordshire schools will be getting an additional
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RUGBY UNION: Big freeze means fixtures squeeze
Oxfordshire's leading clubs are bracing themselves for some severe fixture congestion in 2011 after the latest round of snow. And the backlog means the prospect of teams playing twice in a weekend to get through Oxfordshire Cup matches as well
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Are children safe?
Sir – An accident on the Oxford Tube reported by The Oxford Times (December 16) reminds me once again of the issue of child and baby safety on coaches. Fortunately there seems to have been no children or babies involved in the accident. I am a resident
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SNOW: Snowman takes it 'ice and easy'
“HE’S like a greek god, crossed with Homer Simpson.” That was the opinion of Peter Sullivan, who spent eight hours this week creating this snow masterpiece. The snowman, measuring nine-feet tall, took the 29-year-old all of Tuesday to
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SNOW: 'Learn to live with hard winters'
“THERE should be huge investment to cope.” That is the verdict from an Oxford climate expert who said the UK needs to invest more money to prepare for a string of bitter winters. Dr Patrick McSharry, of the University of Oxford’s Smith
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COMMENT: Let's be prepared
SO, it looks like we could be in for more cold winters. That is the prediction from experts today. The argument previously has been: why spend millions on measures to keep the country moving, when heavy snow is rare? It now looks, with our economy
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COMMENT: Football ban for hooligans is right tactic
SOME may think police have been heavy-handed in taking a group of Oxford United “fans” to court. We disagree. So would most proper football supporters and members of the public. The club’s return to the Football League has been overwhelmingly
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Answers to 2010 wine quiz
The answers to the 2010 wine quiz are: 1 Spain. 2 Rosado wines are pink/rose wines. 3 Grape skins. 4 Australia. 5 Pinot noir, Chardonnay or Pinot Meunier. 6 USA. 7 Champagne. 8 Argentina and Chile. 9 Prosecco is a lightly sparkling wine made
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Didcot hit by power cut
Five hundred and fifty homes around Didcot are still without electricity after a power cut this morning. Around 1,500 homes were initially affected when the power cut hit homes in Didcot and the surrounding villages at around 6am. Southern Electric
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U's dirty dozen are given match ban
FOOTBALL banning orders totalling 24 years have been dished out to Oxford United fans and more will follow, police warned last night. Oxford Magistrates’ Court set aside a day to deal with 17 United supporters and one Aldershot fan after disorder
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Gaughan fits the bill for United
Oxford United manager Chris Wilder believes the signing of former Liverpool and Celtic youngster Laurence Gaughan will give the team vital defensive cover over the Christmas period. Gaughan has signed on a week-by-week basis as back-up because
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Medical guide to Oxford
Eric Sidebottom would sometimes find himself pressed by Oxford University Medical School to invigorate visiting doctors and their spouses with a tour of the city centre. Foreign physicians, perhaps anticipating a brisk walk down The Broad,
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Local author
Oxford author Sonia Scott-Fleming describes her novel Hope Springs (Back To Front) as “the autobiography of an acondro-plasiac”. The story takes the life of Hope, a dwarf, from her childhood diary, through her time as an Oxford student and onwards. The
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Plumber is best student at 38
ANDREW Walsh left school with no qualifications but now, at the age of 38, he has won a gold award as best student. He was selected from 250 apprentice plumbers at Oxford and Cherwell College as showing most commitment to study and producing the best
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Villagers delighted at new service station
A DILAPIDATED petrol station has been transformed into a hub of community services, thanks to a £1m investment from its owners. The site at Yarnton, which has been operating for more than 100 years, was in danger of closure until it was taken
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Stevenage hopeful of playing
Stevenage have had workers clearing the snow from the turnstiles, walkways and stands in preparation for the game against Oxford United on Boxing Day (3pm). A Stevenage spokesperson said: “We are very hopeful the game will be on. “The pitch has had
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Snow: Icy conditions for festive getaway
Drivers are heading off on the big Christmas getaway as the freezing weather kept its grip on the country. With many areas waking up to yet another icy morning, motorists heading home and out shopping faced one of the busiest driving days of
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Leaf-clearing priorities
Sir – It is a bitterly cold morning. A slight thaw followed by a heavy overnight frost has turned the previous day’s snow into a layer of ice, to which an earlier shower has added a further light covering of snow, making the pavements treacherous to walk
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True grit for tracks
Sir – With the promise of more icy weather to come, Cyclox is calling on the county council to grit cycle tracks and pavements, prioritising those used by schoolchildren or where there is no road alternative. At the Green Fair in Oxford we collected
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Parky at the Pictures (DVD 23/12/2010)
It's 25 years since British viewers were introduced to the residents of the Rhineland village of Schabbach, which served as a microcosm of German society between the end of the Great War and Reunification some seven decades later. Several critics dismissed
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Parky at the Pictures (In Cinemas 23/12/2010)
It's one of Hollywood's great myths that director Howard Hawks contacted Raymond Chandler to find out who murdered the chauffeur in The Big Sleep (1946), only to be told that the novelist hadn't the first idea. In fact, Hawks not only knew the
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Students leading the way in language skills
Hot on the heels of their recent award for ‘best charity managed by under 25s’, at OCVA’s Charity Awards, we look at what makes student-run charity Jacari a success. Providing one-to-one home teaching for children living in Oxford, Jacari is an invaluable
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Village unveils memorial clock
VILLAGERS in Old Marston, in Oxford, gathered to celebrate times past as a new clock was installed on the village hall. The new timepiece was bought in memory of James Edward Busfield, a former chairman of South Oxfordshire District Council. Mr Busfield
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Unacademic flaw
Sir – It seems to me that there is a deep and rather unacademic flaw in Professor John Howson’s renewed criticism of primary education in Oxford (Report, December 16). He is not comparing like with like. He compares Oxford, which is not a local education
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Students taste success
Sir – A couple of weeks ago I ate at the Oxford and Cherwell Valley College’s (Oxpens) Waterside Restaurant. It reminded me that many of our young people, under expert guidance, are capable of excellence both in the preparation of quality food
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Enforce 20mph limit
Sir – We’re not sure whether Hugh Jaeger (Letters, November 25) wants buses, motorbikes, cars, lorries or trains to be allowed to do more than 20mph on Oxford’s side streets, shopping streets, or in the city centre — it’s hard to keep up with who he is
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Avalanche of protests
Sir – The letter from councillor Mitchell (December 16) shows that he has been stung into responding to the avalanche of protests at the proposed halving of library branches. The argument about depriving social services and the fire service is disingenuous
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Too many chiefs
Sir – If libraries are closed down this would be wanton destruction of something of which the UK can be rightly proud. The cultural and community vacuum in a country like Argentina, which has no public libraries, is not something to be copied. Given
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Fair share of grief
Sir – Keith Mitchell (December 16) cleverly lists highly emotive choices to set against library provision. He then goes on to suggest that the Big Society will step in and replace librarians, without pointing out that volunteers could work equally effectively
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Expendable schemes
Sir – In mid-September, I had a letter published in which I asked if any reader knows why the bus pass for over-60s and the free swim for the same age group drew so heavily on the public purse that they were to be discontinued; there were no replies.
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There to help
Sir – As the umbrella charity representing Oxfordshire’s many voluntary and community groups, we have been following the news about cuts to local services with interest and concern. We know that thousands of volunteers already give their time to support
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Haunting similarity
Sir – Could councillor Keith Mitchell and the shade of Squire Cobb be one and the same? Both haunt Adderbury and get vexed when their wishes are ignored. Their apparitions come thundering through the town on their carriages shaking the ground, Squire
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True grit
We pose the question in this week’s online poll: “Should Oxfordshire County Council set aside more resources to clear the roads when it snows heavily?” Inevitably, the state of the roads is the biggest topic of conversation when we have snowfall as we
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Outrage against rights
Sir – With reference to your story (December 16) about a boy, Nicky Wishart, from this village who was taken out of his school class and interrogated by the police after publicising a proposed demonstration outside the Witney office of his MP (David
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Sharing the pain
Sir – Councillor Mitchell is right in saying that “No one asking for their local library to be kept open has suggested which of these service areas should be targeted.” The reason for that is that we are not proposing that libraries be exempt from cuts
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Significant reduction
Sir – Rather than closing libraries, could the county council reduce expenditure by ceasing some of the worthy but peripheral services they provide. I have in mind, in particular, the provision of information, advice and assistance where this is not
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Returning services
Sir – The Government’s cuts will hurt, but Oxfordshire is not being ask to bear too much, though it seems eager to do so. Can the county council reassure us that these cuts are not done in order to diminish local government and, when better times come
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Heroic courtesy
Sir – Last Saturday I travelled by X3 bus to Abingdon and back through all that settling snow. The buses themselves coped with the conditions admirably, in spite of the absence of snowploughs and gritters: there were no problems with traction or with
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Answers to last week's wine quiz
1. Spain; 2. Rosado wines are Spanish pink / rosé wines; 3. Grape skins; 4. Australia; 5. Pinot Noir, Chardonnay or Pinot Meunier; 6. USA; 7. Champagne; 8. Argentina and Chile; 9. Prosecco is a lightly sparkling wine made in northern Italy. It is also
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Ask for help
Sir — The people who are proposing to devastate Oxfordshire public libraries are led by an accountant who presumably knows the price of everything and perhaps whose professional knowledge ends there. In South Wales during the depths of the 1930s Depression
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Wild treasures of Oxford
Abraham Wood in Boars Hill, Heyford Meadows in Sandford-on-Thames and Marston Meadows are just three of the inspirational wild places where Berks Bucks and Oxon Wildlife Trust (BBOWT) and the Oxford Preservation Trust (OPT) are re-creating traditional
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Bertram Mandelbrote: Psychiatrist
PSYCHIATRIST Bertram Mandelbrote, who has died aged 87, revolutionised the care of patients at Oxford’s Littlemore mental hospital. Born in South Africa, on October 22, 1923, he first came to Oxford – already a qualified doctor – as a Rhodes
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A festive favourite
I’m sure that many of you have found yourselves shopping with the better half in recent weeks — and what a trial it is! I recently met mine while clutching a large bag and immediately the contents were examined. It contained a white Phalaenopsis (or moth
