Archive
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Bicester-based soldier died trying to clear road in Afghanistan
A SOLDIER has been killed by a bomb while trying to clear a road in Afghanistan. The unnamed man, who was serving with Bicester-based 23 Pioneer Regiment, the Royal Logistic Corps, died in Lashkar Gah district, Helmand Province, yesterday. He became
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Warm gesture could support those in need
The Big Chill has taken hold of the country stranding thousands of people in their homes making even the most essential journeys a struggle. Amongst those most affected by this winter freeze are the elderly, with many thousands living in fuel poverty
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Astras 'most seized uninsured cars'
As many as 500 uninsured vehicles are seized every day, with Vauxhall Astras the cars removed from the road most frequently, new figures show. After Astras, the next most-seized vehicles are BMW 3 Series cars, according to figures based on roadside
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Woman stabbed during robbery in Bicester
Police are appealing for witnesses after a robbery in Bicester last night, where a woman was stabbed in the leg. A 23-year-old woman was walking along Church Street at about 8pm, when she was pulled into the church yard of St Edburg’s Church by at
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Appeal for more retained firefighters
A FIRE chief said Oxfordshire still needs more retained firefighters after the latest spark recruitment was snuffed out. Dave Etheridge said the part-time firemen and women were vital to countywide operations and more were needed to keep engines on the
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Oxford United savour great year with Wembley the pinnacle
Oxford United Review of 2010 Part 1 In years to come, 2010 will be remembered as a very special year for Oxford United. Promotion seasons (there were just five previously since they first played in the Football League – 1965, 1968, 1984, 1985 and
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Local share prices (AM)
AEA Technology 6.25 BMW 5061 Electrocomponents 268.8 Nationwide Accident Repair 99.5 Oxford Biomedica 5.55 Oxford Catalysts 72.5 Oxford Instruments 711 Reed Elsevier 5.36 RM 169 RPS Group 231.75 Courtesy of Redmanyne Bentley, Abingdon
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Parenthood will be child's play after Leys workshops
SOON-TO-BE mums and dads on the verge of parenthood will be taught how to deal with everything from labour to sleepless nights. The Leys Children’s Centre is starting new ante-natal style courses in the new year, to help new parents get to grips with
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Delight as Restore charity gets contract renewed
MARIANNE Boyce is looking forward to the new year knowing the charity which gave her the will to live will be sticking around to help others. Restore, in East Oxford, faced uncertainty earlier this year when its contract to provide therapeutic services
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COMMENT: A worthy winner
IT IS heartening to see Restore, the charity which helps people with mental health issues, has won a renewal of its contract to continue providing services. There was genuine concern this valued organisation would have to fold. And it is more good news
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Snow: Waste collections resume
Cherwell District Council said it has started the difficult task of catching up with waste and recycling collections. Normal collections of blue and brown (recycling) bins have recommenced in the north of the district and green (general waste
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Man seriously injured in Banbury attack
Police are appealing for witnesses after a man was assaulted in Banbury. The 38-year-old victim was in Cromwell Road when the incident happened at about 4.10pm on Christmas Eve. The victim was approached by two men and was involved in
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Wildlife park in a flap over new arrivals
THEY may not be pretty as a picture just yet, but the hatching of two little balls of grey fluff has sparked celebrations at Cotswold Wildlife Park. The park near Burford has made history by becoming the first zoo in the UK to breed African open-billed
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Bridge nightclub faces licence review
AN OXFORD nightclub could have time called on its late licence. The Bridge, in Hythe Bridge Street, has been under the scrutiny of police licensing officers for 18 months, following a string of minor incidents in the club and outside.
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Penalise the guilty
I APPLAUD Keith Mitchell in joining a direct action group to keep local services operating and wish the group luck in its endeavours. But I do wish Mr Mitchell’s letters, particularly when writing in his capacity as leader of Oxfordshire County Council
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Serious accusation
I accuse county council leader Keith Mitchell and the majority group of councillors, when they voted for the social services cuts, of exposing elderly and other vulnerable people in Oxfordshire to reductions in services which will be life-threatening
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Authors call for U-turn over library closures
TWO of Oxford’s leading authors have described county council plans to end funding for 20 libraries as “shameful” and claim the move will impoverish communities. Award-winning children’s author Philip Pullman and Inspector Morse creator Colin
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ATHLETICS: League confirm iPod ban
Organisers of the Oxford Mail Cross Country League have re-iterated that use of iPods and headphones is banned from its races. The ban was introduced in January this year following an incident during last season’s league meeting at Culham. Although
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ATHLETICS: Naylor's making up for lost time
IT was just 13 months ago that Woodstock Harrier Steve Naylor made his competitive debut – but already he is dominating the county scene. The 31-year-old has finished no worse than second in any race since winning on his debut at the Eynsham 10K in
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The Insider: A weekly update from the corridors of power
Keith Mitchell’s outspoken views on student protesters have created quite a stir online. When the county council leader called demonstrators an “ugly, badly dressed student rabble” Twitter and other portals buzzed with reaction. But it appears the attention
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We used to be able to cope
OKAY, we have had some snow and freezing temperatures and local services stop. But those of us a bit longer in the tooth will remember these conditions, and worse, in the past. But then everyone rose to the challenge to ensure local services continued
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Great achievement
I am writing to you to let you know about the fabulous news that the People’s Postcode Lottery has raised a massive £10mfor Charities in the UK since launching three years ago. As chief executive of Maggie’s Cancer Caring Centres, one of the People’s
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Real reason for the return of cameras
I AM rather concerned about the reasons given for the turning on of the speed cameras in April next year. First of all we are told that this cost is being borne by the police and not the county council. But this is the same difference as far as I am
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Work to start on first phase of 3,342-home estate
BUILDING work is about to get under way on a huge housing development set to boost Didcot’s population by a third. Construction work will begin in January on the first phase of the 3,342-home Great Western Park development, developer David Wilson Homes
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Together on the front line for New Year
IT’S normally heralded with some bubbly, fancy frocks and a rendition of Auld Lang Syne. But New Year’s Eve looks set to be a more sober affair for a married couple fighting on Afghanistan’s front line. Warrant Officers Class 2 Neil and Michelle Lewis
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Burst water main closes bridge
Motorists are having to take diversions this morning after a burst water main on Wallingford Bridge. The bridge has been closed between Thames Mead and Castle Lane and High Street since just before 8.30am. Thames Buses are not able to serve Crowmarsh
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City council gets tough with dog owners
A DOG owner has been ordered to keep his pet under control after two people were bitten in an Oxford park. Oxford City Council obtained a court order against Timothy Green for failing to control his dog in public, using 140-year-old powers
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Oxford dog rescue woman says 'I'd jump in river again'
A WOMAN thanked firemen who saved her from icy water after she tried to rescue her dog, but admitted she would do it again. Wendy Alesbrook, of Norham Gardens, Oxford, accepted that some people might think she was foolish to jump into the River
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COMMENT: Will owners take heed?
OXFORD City Council may intend to sound tough over dirty dogs, but we believe many owners will just cock a leg at its promised ‘crackdown’. Consultation on extending its dog control powers sounds fine in theory. The proposals are to
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2010: year of change
At the beginning of the year we had a Labour Government and snow; at the end of it we have had a Coalition — and snow. So what else is new? In the Oxfordshire political landscape, Labour tightened its grip in Oxford City at elections in May
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Medical herbalist Anne McIntyre
During the past 18 years, medical herbalist and herbal consultant Anne McIntyre has brought out 15 books, all of which address the power of herbs, herbal healing traditions and information on how to recognise and gather herbs. She has been practising
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Local author
Oxford-born motoring writer Ian Wagstaff has lived in Chinnor for nearly 30 years and is former press and promotions manager for Silverstone. For his latest book The British at Indianapolis (Veloce, £50) he inverviewed drivers such as Nigel Mansell, Jack
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Parky at the Pictures (In Cinemas 30/12/2010)
It's funny how the memory can play tricks. This cinematic survey of 2010 was going to follow the tone adopted by many fellow critics in lamenting the quality of the year's big releases. But Parky at the Pictures rarely focuses on blockbusters,
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Parky at the Pictures (DVD 30/12/2010)
Eureka's excellent Masters of Cinema series releases its 100th title this month and it's an absolute gem - Max Ophüls's La Signora di Tutti (1934). The only film that the German maestro made in Italy, it's a technical tour de force that anticipates the
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Oxford United want Maclean to stay for the season
Oxford United will do all they can to keep Steve Maclean until the end of the season. The on-loan Plymouth striker has proved a big success since his switch to the Kassam Stadium. And while he has only scored once, it is his classy hold-up
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Valued libraries
It is only when a service is really threatened you start to understand the value of things. Oxfordshire County Council is learning this with its proposal to close 20 of its smaller libraries. The saving is a relatively small one — £2m over four years
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Hearts of gold
Sir – I am an 89½-year-old man and in 2009 my relations bought me a four-wheel push-along trolley car (four wheels, two steering, plus a small seat) because I don’t walk well, having a staggery gait. I have been astounded at the way people rush to
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Faultless treatment
Sir – I have recently come out of hospital after an accident breaking my hip. 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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Issuing bus tickets
Sir – An articulate Oxford Bus Company driver told me today that he does not issue tickets to people with over-60s passes, he only prints them. Passengers should know that a ticket is no longer issued to them, and so in picking up a ticket a passenger
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Enthusiastic speaker
Sir – I read with interest the letter (History of a Chapel, October 21). I attended St Michael’s CofE Primary School, in New Marston, in the 1950s. Dr Hope used to come to the school to talk to us. One Christmas, I remember going to see the chapel in
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Wonderful thing
Sir – Thank you to all those people out there who give blood at the donor sessions to help those who are seriously ill. This is such a wonderful thing to do and we cannot thank them enough. Sue Popham, Oxford
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Parking charge is extra tax
Sir – The other day, I caught the end of someone from Oxfordshire County Council, on television, commenting that a £1 a day for parking one’s car at the park-and-ride car park was not bad! I would not personally totally disagree with this statement,
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College pilots hi-tech talent link for firms
A NEW service to help employers recruit the next generation of hi-tech talent is being piloted in Oxford. The Apprentice Agency is teaming up with Oxford and Cherwell Valley College (OCVC) to help small businesses by offering them apprentices who are
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Priceless asset
Sir – Bury Knowle Liibrary in its beautiful building and grounds is greatly treasured by the residents of Headington. Its closure will lead to the sale of the property and an amenity which is of enormous social value will be lost for ever. Everyone
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Genuine fear
Sir – While there has been a huge public outcry regarding the proposed closure of a number of local libraries by Oxfordshire County Council, it amazes me that there has been very little comment on their proposals to radically reorganise the way that they
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Pruning dead wood
Sir – In response to councillor Mitchell’s plea for alternatives to offset library service funding cuts, may I suggest that he looks at the one area he does not mention in his letter, namely that of the bureaucracy within County Hall (and other locations
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Moving forward
Sir – There was one piece of good news in the local government finance settlement which has gone relatively unnoticed but which demonstrates the influence of the Liberal Democrats in Government. Oxfordshire schools will be getting an additional £3.8m
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Keep quiet on cameras
Sir – In August, you published a letter in which I asked why Oxfordshire County Council had to announce the fact that they were turning off the speed cameras. In a subsequent letter, councillor Keith Mitchell responded that this was a democratic duty
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Headington could benefit
Sir – The current planning application for housing, for 316 students, on the Dorset House site, Headington, should be rejected. It proposes a conglomerate of buildings that would utterly overdevelop this site lying in a domestic neighbourhood of houses
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Unsung jewel
Sir – I write in protest at the decimation of the public library service across Oxfordshire as a result of local government spending cuts. The public library service is a world-class network. It is as relevant today as it was at its inception
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Happiest moments
Sir –As the lost and found co-ordinator for the Oxfordshire Branch of the RSPCA, I receive upwards of 50 reports every month of lost or found animals. The vast majority of these reports concern cats, and the vast majority of these are lost, not found
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Fairy dairy land
Sir – As a frequent visitor to Oxford, I was interested to read of the proposal for 900 new houses at Barton West, coupled with the suggestion that a “Sunderland Avenue” layout should be incorporated into the development. Apart from the fact that the
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Remarkable record
Sir – Thanks for printing my ‘Fuss about Frideswide’ letter. It’s just crossed my mind that, apart from wasting money by changing a system which works incredibly well considering the constraints and stresses placed upon it, it would appear to have a remarkable
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Speeding up traffic
Sir – Having read through Oxon News, which I must say is most informative, I found the Help Shape Transport very interesting. Now then please, please, please, include something to be done about the approach to the Woodstock Road roundabout from Witney
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West Oxfordshire police fear impact of cutting youth centre cash
WEST Oxfordshire’s most senior police officer has warned youth centre cuts will see more youngsters getting into “mischief”. Chief inspector Jack Malhi, area commander for West Oxfordshire, spoke out over Conservative-run Oxfordshire County Council’s
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A smashing way to spend the day
EGGHEADS of all ages took part in a taxing challenge to recreate a successful food parcel drop at Science Oxford. Around 40 children took part in the egg drop challenge which saw youngsters challenged to drop an egg from three metres high without it
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Tributes to bomb disposal expert
The wife of a bomb disposal expert killed in an explosion in southern Afghanistan has paid tribute to her husband, saying he had a "heart of gold". Warrant Officer Class 2 Charles Wood, 34, from Middlesbrough, was caught in a blast from an IED
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Get out and go wild
Reflections: This year was a special one for the Berks, Bucks & Oxon Wildlife Trust which has been celebrating its 50th anniversary. Founded in Oxford in November 1959 as the Berkshire, Buckinghamshire and Oxfordshire Naturalists’ Trust to protect and
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Fog threat to New Year fireworks
Mist and lingering fog is threatening to mar revellers' enjoyment of Friday night's New Year's Eve fireworks displays, forecasters said. After weeks of snow and ice, the bitterly cold weather has given way to a welcome rise in temperatures
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Time to find a seasonal bird
December days tempt us all to enjoy the comfort of a warm fire and a glass of seasonal cheer. This year, fight against it and head out to look for wild winter geese. Oxfordshire is not a county that springs to mind for migrant geese but what does drop
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Snow: an enemy and friend of gardener
Winter arrived with vengeance well before Christmas — the sting in the tail of the year. A thick layer of snow descended in daylight hours and soon 15 inches of snow covered my garden. That’s the deepest snow I’ve ever seen in my life. Snow is a mixture
