Archive
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Pupils’ signs warn speeding drivers
CHILDREN have been using their creative talent to design warning signs that will be put up on roads near their homes. Youngsters at Heyford Park, near Bicester, drew a snail, a car and a bicycle and used the slogans ‘20 is Plenty’ and ‘Kill Your
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Pioneering Internet Institute marks 10th anniversary
OXFORD’S pioneering Internet Institute is celebrating its 10th birthday. And very few would today question the value of its work as a centre in assessing the dramatic impact that the internet has had in changing the way people work, shop, bank, socialise
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Girl lobbies head to change school uniform policy
WHILE teenagers across the country grumble about pulling on their blazers each morning, one Oxford pupil is calling for uniform jumpers to be introduced at her school. As part of her citizenship GCSE, Maya Wanelik, 14, from Summertown, was
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Men jailed over dog fighting
A FATHER and son have been jailed for taking part in ‘vile and barbaric’ dog fighting. Ian Draper, 47, of Sylvester Close, Burford, was jailed for 20 weeks and disqualified from handling dogs for life at Swindon Magistrates’ Court yesterday after he
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Club queen Annie at O2 Academy
BRACE yourselves for the official start to the weekend. The queen of UK club culture, Annie Mac, pitches up at Oxford’s O2 Academy tomorrow, for a night of cutting-edge dance music. Annie MacManus has established herself as one of the most important
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Soup du jour
IT was a question no one else had, apparently, the bottle to ask: are we seeing the last knockings of Bowling for Soup? For the pessimistic, reading the runes is not reassuring – 17 years together, a split with their record label, the last
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Central north Oxford house given the Blenheim touch
A CENTRAL north Oxford house given a £1m-makeover is on the market for £3.25. Talbot Lodge in Linton Road was transformed by Blenheim Palace’s construction arm Blenheim Estate Contractors. In its first joint venture, the company teamed up with Asian-based
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County folk tell of honours pride
OXFORDSHIRE residents said they felt proud and privileged to be honoured at Buckingham Palace. Seven people from the county, who were named in the Queen’s Birthday Honours, met the Princess Royal on Tuesday. Among them was 65-year-old
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The real Downton Abbey
LADY Fiona Carnarvon was nowhere to be found when it came to our interview. The switchboard were at a loss as to where in Highclere Castle she was, ditto her PA. “We are trying to locate the countess now,” they said. Ten minutes
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Hills and spills
Ask any comedian what they enjoy most about stand-up and they invariably say the ad-libbing. It’s the bit that keeps them on their toes, ensures things stay fresh and helps them interact with their audience. But only up to a point. The vast majority are
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Monte Carlo
When you wish upon a teen star like Selena Gomez, you can be sure all of her dreams will come true. And so it is in this lively if improbable fantasy about a down-to-earth American girl who is mistaken for a British socialite and continues the ruse in
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Tavern's twist
A pub famous for finding musical talent is taking on the city’s gastro greats. Emma Adams visits the Jericho Tavern’s to find out more KNOWN mainly as a live music venue – the birthplace of Supergrass and Radiohead no less – and a good place for a
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Contagion
Directed by the masterful Steven Soderbergh, Contagion is a stylish thriller which imagines the panic when a deadly new virus threatens to become a global epidemic. Scott Z Burns’s smart script zigzags from Hong Kong to London, Tokyo, Minnesota
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Third film festival adds an extra night
OSCAR winners and local filmmakers will come together to help an Oxfordshire film festival celebrate its third year. The Witney Film Festival runs on Wednesday and Thursday next week. Last year’s event attracted about 200 people to the Corn Exchange
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Manor on the market
A landmark office building within Oxfordshire’s science and technology community has come on the market. The Manor Court in Chilton offers more than 14,000 sq ft of prestigious office accommodation and is situated within the recently announced Science
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New jobs as Banbury booms
The booming Banbury economy is set for another boost in the next five years with 1,000 more jobs being created on top of those already announced. Last month it was announced motorsport firm Prodrive was doubling in size and moving to new premises in
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County business survey reveals optimism
ENTREPRENEURS in Oxfordshire are upbeat about the county’s prospects, despite an uncertain global economy. Nearly half of business people believe prospects remain stable for the next quarter, with 19 per cent predicting a positive pick-up,
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Emma Walker Flowers to move
AN OXFORD flower shop has been so successful that the owner is looking to expand to bigger premises. Emma Walker Flowers, of South Parade, Summertown, is planning to move to a larger out-of-town base, creating a vacancy in one of Oxford’s busiest
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The Old Chapel at Tower Hill, Witney
A BUILDING that was once a workhouse chapel but now providing office accommodation has come on the market. The Old Chapel on Tower Hill, Witney, has been sympathetically converted to office suites and is being offered for sale for £450,000. It is being
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Cost-efficient IT
Eric McDonogh, director of Witney-based Clever Business Websites, suggests how businesses can make IT more cost-efficientYou do not have to work in IT to find yourself constantly shelling out for networks, a website or even an e-mail facility. These
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Barefoot Books
Built in 1902 as a grocer’s shop, the handsome red brick Twining building in Banbury Road, Summertown, with its eye-catching façade of fruit and flowers, has since housed a grocer, a wine and spirits merchant, Denton’s Cycles, a bathroom showroom and
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Doctors on the net
Doctors.net.uk, the UK’s largest and most active online professional network of doctors, which was launched in 1998 pioneered the use of social media tools in a professional, peer-to-peer environment. The company, run from Milton Park, near Didcot,
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Upbeat view from Oxfordshire
ENTREPRENEURS in Oxfordshire are upbeat about the county’s prospects, despite an uncertain global economy. Nearly half of business people believe prospects remain stable for the next quarter, with 19 per cent predicting a positive pick-up, according
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Mini Coupe
There seems no end to the levels of innovation coming out of the Cowley plant. The Mini started life ten years ago as a basic hatchback which once led to the suggestion that it was a ‘one trick pony’. But this pony seems to have plenty of
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Operatic society marks golden anniversary
IT’S provided mirth and joy to thousands of residents and even helped performers find love. Now, after 50 years of treading the boards to the delight of townsfolk, Banbury Operatic Society will celebrate its golden anniversary with its latest
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Abbey Motorcycle Instructors
Professionally-led motorcycle training courses, together with greater restrictions on licences, now make it easier to learn to become a safe rider. Jim Smith, head of Abbey Motorcycle Instructors, based at Milton Park, has been running courses for the
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Joe's Bar and Grill, Summertown
Occasionally I meet the up and coming generation who represent the future of business and society in this country. As far as I am concerned, the young get a very bad press. The efforts of successive generations of teenagers in the Young Enterprise initiative
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Looking for dividends
The decision by National Savings & Investment (NS&I) to withdraw its enormously popular inflation-linked savings certificates earlier this month acted as another body blow for investors anxious to circumvent that horrible combination of low interest
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Seeking a cure
T wenty years ago, Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) and Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome (AIDS) were not foreseen as serious problems, at least in terms of scale. Today, it is a wholly different picture. The small wave of HIV/AIDS has become a
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OpTek Systems
With the electronic revolution here to stay, everyone knows there is big money to be made through small things — some so small as to be invisible Back at the turn of the millennium it was not so clear cut, but three engineers working at AEA Technology
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Mayamin children's clothing
Becoming a mother for the first time inspired Linn Brynildsen to set up a new business combining her career as a psychologist with her desire to find quality children’s clothing. The result is the Mayamin website where parents can find practical and
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Happy Cakes
Entrepreneurial duo Linda Williams and Julia Atkinson have found their baking business is just the right recipe for them to balance home and work life. The pair met seven years ago, when they both had just had their first child and Ms Atkinson was delivering
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Ex-Maroress well known in Rose Hill community
Former Oxford Lady Mayoress Margaret Buckingham has died of pneumonia at the age of 87. The wife of long-serving Labour councillor Bill Buckingham, she was a well known member of the Rose Hill community. Born in Camberwell, South East London, on October
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Old lady who held court in her local
In the days when the Oxford Mail’s local – and mine – was still known as The Waterman’s Arms, Rosemary Shorter was probably its best known, and certainly its oldest, regular customer. She was the latest in a distinguished line of ‘oldies’ who did not
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Building bridges
New resident artists at Modern Art Oxford hope their stay will “break down the divide” between the art and the viewer. Brook and Black – Tiffany Black, from Oxford, and Leora Brook, from London – are spending two weeks using the Pembroke Street gallery
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Controversial housing back on agenda
CONTROVERSIAL plans to build 65 homes in Adderbury have returned, with a developer saying a change in housing plans now works in its favour. Residents are furious at the new bid by Berkeley Homes for homes on land off Milton Road, saying it would ruin
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Air traffic controllers land for reunion
FOR some of these former air traffic controllers it was the first time they had returned to base in more than 40 years. More than 50 RAF veterans who spent time in RAF Brize Norton control tower got together for a reunion last weekend.
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November 3 & 4: Win tickets to the Festive Gift Fair
THE Festive Gift Fair is returning to the NEC Birmingham in November and we had 50 pairs of tickets to give away. Just grab the Oxford Mail on Thursday, November 3 or Friday, November 4 for your chance to enter.
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Saturday, November 5: Win tickets to see Shrek the Musical
ANY fan of Shrek will want to get the Oxford Mail on Saturday, November 5 for our fantastic Shrek the Musical competition. One lucky family will get four tickets to see the musical at the Theatre Royal Drury Lane before then being able to take advantage
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Thursday, October 27: Win a chance to cook with Paul Hollywood
TO celebrate our flour milling heritage, the Flour Advisory Bureau has teamed up with Paul Hollywood to offer one lucky winner and a friend to cook with him and visit a local mill. Grab the Oxford Mail on Thursday for details on how to enter
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Tuesday, October 25: Kids eat for free and Frankie & Bennys - and 25 per cent off
GRAB the Oxford Mail on Tuesday and get our voucher that allows a child to eat for free when an adult main meal is purchased from the main menu. And not only that, all food bills will be discounted by 25 per cent as well, if you present our voucher before
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Workshop will show shape of things to come
YOUNG people in Didcot have been taking part in an interactive workshop to influence public art in the town. The workshop, which took place at the Cornerstone Arts Centre, was hosted by graphic designer Peter Anderson. His studios are helping South
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City band Dreaming Spires
WITH sun-drenched melodies, soaring vocals and feel-good harmonies, they radiate West Coast warmth and easy-living. Which is exactly what you’d expect from a band from, er...Oxfordshire. The thing about The Dreaming Spires is that while their name sums
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Play a part in new museum
COMMUNITY groups have a chance to tell their own stories in the refurbished Museum of Oxford, thanks to a new Lottery grant. The museum has been awarded a £43,600 from the Heritage Lottery Fund as it prepares to close for a five-month revamp. The cash
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BAR BILLIARDS: Super Kennnington claim county crown
Kennington are county champions after beating Horse & Harrow 3-2 in the final, writes PETE EWINS. Steven Sheard put Kennington in front with a win over Pete Welch 8,280-2,710, but Dennis Atkins levelled after a 5,450-3,510 victory against Pauline Withey
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V&A show marks Private Eye's half century
The once-a-fortnight delivery of Private Eye (Royal Mail permitting) is one of my keenest pleasures in life, and has been through most of the 50 years of the magazine’s existence. I like its sometimes vicious humour, its political incorrectness
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Local shares (AM)
AEA Technology 1.75 BMW 4754 Electrocomponents 207.65 Nationwide Accident Repair 88.5 Oxford Biomedica 5.2 Oxford Catalysts 56 Oxford Instruments 777.25 Reed Elsevier 524.25 RM 41.75 RPS Group 169 Courtesy of Redmayne Bentley, Abingdon
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A pal's welcome gift of delicious cobnuts
You know autumn has well and truly arrived when baskets of cobnuts appear in the shops and friends who have trees in their garden are offering you their excess. My friend Jacquie Pearce-Gervis approached me with a large bag of cobnuts from her
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The Living Room, Oxford Castle
I enjoyed a cocktail or three at The Living Room earlier this year, in the aftermath of the celebration of the fifth anniversary of the opening of the Oxford Castle development. It reminded me how comfortable and well-appointed this restaurant
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Recipe for cobnut, chicken and bacon sald (serves 2)
blown to the ground by autumn winds as they mature. You may even have a tree in your garden. If not, you should find them for sale at a quality greengrocers. Here’s a way of adding them whole to an autumn salad. YOU WILL NEED One big handful of cobnuts
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The changing attitude to North Oxford
Funny old thing is fashion; and sometimes dangerous too. Take North Oxford, for instance, that area of mainly Victorian buildings north of St Giles, so beloved of Sir John Betjeman, where houses these days change hands for millions. In the early
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Contagion and Monte Carlo
Directed by the masterful Steven Soderbergh, Contagion is a stylish thriller, which imagines the panic when a deadly new virus threatens to become a global epidemic. Scott Z. Burns’s smart script zigzags from Hong Kong to London, Tokyo, Minnesota and
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CRICKET: Brooks delight at call up to England Performance Squad
Former Oxfordshire fast bowler Jack Brooks has expressed his delight at being called up for the England Performance Squad. The 27-year-old seamer, who now plays for Northants, has been identified by the national selectors as having the potential to play
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Cortege plans
The body of a soldier killed in Afghanistan is to be flown to RAF Brize Norton on October 27. Rifleman Vijay Rai, of 2nd Battalion The Royal Gurkha Rifles died on Saturday. The plane is expected to land at 2pm. The cortege should pass through Carterton
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Laser pen yob put lives at risk
A pilot flying a commercial aircraft to Gatwick reported a green laser pen being shone at it from the Benson area. The laser tracked the plane between 8.45pm and 9.10pm on Tuesday. UK Civil Aviation Authority spokesman Richard Taylor said: “This endangered
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Accused man refused to pay for sex
A man accused of raping a woman in an Oxford tower block, told police the sex was consensual and he had no idea she was a prostitute. Zelalem Netsanet, of Peregrine Road, Blackbird Leys, denies three counts of raping the woman in Hockmore Tower
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RUGBY UNION: Baldwin elected
COLIN Baldwin is Oxfordshire’s new representative to the RFU Council. Baldwin, a former Oxon president and current chairman, was elected to the post to replace Paul Murphy. Murphy, from Abingdon, is the RFU’s acting chairman and will
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RUGBY LEAGUE: Cavaliers out to reclaim city title
THE annual Town & Gown rugby league clash will take place at Oxford RFC on Sunday, November 13. Oxford University face Oxford Cavaliers for the Jacques Scott Memorial Cup, played in memory of the former physio of both clubs. The referee
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Preview of A Delicate Balance: The North Wall
Oxford Theatre Guild are at The North Wall Arts Centre, Summertown, from Wednesday to next Saturday with a new production of Edward Albee’s A Delicate Balance. The guild calls this “a dark, funny and often painful play with sharp and witty dialogue”,
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Homes takeover
Care home provider Four Seasons Health is to take over the two remaining Southern Cross homes yet to transfer to new owners. At the end of the month, The Albany in Headington and The Crown in Harwell will join homes in Witney, Wheatley and Cassington
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'Thanks for making James's life special'
It is every parent’s nightmare to be told their newborn baby won’t live past 24 hours. But that was the reality facing first-time parents Stephen Godfrey and Philippa McCabe when their son James was born at Oxford’s John Radcliffe Hospital
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ICE HOCKEY: Oxford's flying start is in vain
Oxford City Stars gave defending English National League champions Wightlink Raiders a real scare – but fell just short in their South Division 1 clash. Stars raced into a 2-0 lead inside four minutes, but eventually went down 4-3 as the visitors hit
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GOLF: It's crunch time for Oxon duo
Frilford Heath host Burford on Saturday in what could be the title decider in Section 1 of the Shaw Gibbs Oxfordshire Foursomes Lea-gue. With two matches remaining, last week’s 3-0 victory over Chipping Norton put Frilford on the same number
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AUNT SALLY: Lyons roars in for singles hat-trick
NEIL Lyon won his third Oxford singles title with a hard-fought victory over Steve Ward at the league’s finals’ night. More than 300 people saw the Three Pigeons man claim the crown after a thrilling battle with his Six Bells Kidlington opponent. All
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The Hollies: New Theatre, Oxford
When 10cc came in March, it was an easy calculation: 25 per cent of the original members was present. When the Hollies arrived on the New Theatre stage last Friday, there were two of the five originals (Tony Hicks on lead guitar, Bobby Elliot on
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Cottage is a real salvage job
A couple scoured salvage yards for months in a bid to refurbish their 300-year old cottage. Amy and Pete Burden bought Cherwell Cottage in Freeland seven years ago, just after it had been converted from two properties into one. Mrs Burden, who runs
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Cottages boast true character
A Grade-II listed cottage that was part of an 18th-century coaching inn still has the original carriage step at the front. Darville Cottage in Lower Heyford also includes feature fireplaces, a wood-burning stove, range cooker and Belfast sink. Downstairs
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Awake: The Awake Project, The North Wall
Awake, by The Awake Project, is a startling 70 minutes of theatre focusing on a charismatic and hugely successful doctor’s shattering revelation of a secret long hidden from his friends — an unpleasant assortment of what used to be called yuppies — and
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Family threatened by armed robbers
A mother and her son were threatened by armed robbers in their home in Jericho. At about 11pm on Tuesday night, the 40-year-old woman and her 19-year-old son were at their house in Cardigan Street, when three men walked through the back door. They took
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Teen is charged over Cowley stabbing
A teenager has appeared in court accused of stabbing a woman in an Oxford shopping centre. Lewis Cyprien is charged with causing grievous bodily harm to a 44-year-old woman at Templars Square in Cowley on Monday. The 19-year-old, of Liddell Road, Cowley
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The Oxford Art Society: Said Business School
The Oxford Art Society’s annual open exhibition has a well-earned reputation for high standards of work. And the pieces in this year’s show are no exception. This is a substantial exhibition, comprising the work of 91 artists, each of whom can
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Townhouse fit for family
Taylor Wimpey has unveiled a three-storey, five-bedroom detached property in Sutton Courtenay, describing it as an ‘ideal family home’. The ground floor of The Drayton is open plan including a kitchen/diner with French doors, a dining room with bay window
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House offers land of plenty
An eight-bedroom country house just outside Faringdon is set in more than 100 acres. Badbury Hill House has an indoor swimming pool and comes with a tennis court and one-bedroom cottage. The property includes a reception hall, dining room, drawing
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GOLF: Anne is delighted
Former county president Anne Troughton landed the Oxfordshire Ladies’ Seniors Cup after impressing on some tricky greens at The Springs, North Stoke. Troughton (Oxford Ladies) carded 39 points off her 18 handicap to beat Studley Wood’s Lynda Lindsell
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Fears of ‘party time district’ after university licensing plan
OXFORD Brookes University has not given up on a licensing bid despite residents’ fears it would create “a party time district” in Headington. The application – which would allow alcohol to be sold on the Gipsy Lane campus from 9am to 11.30pm
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RUGBY UNION: Coaches earn plaudits
JASON Bowers has praised the efforts of his backs coaches which have helped Chinnor score 37 tries in seven matches. Head coach Bowers, whose side ran in ten tries in Saturday’s National 3 South West derby rout of Oxford Harlequins, said Chinnor are
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Autumn Exhibitions: Witney Antiques
For almost 20 years, Witney Antiques have held an autumn exhibition of exquisite English embroideries, attracting visitors from as far afield as Japan and the USA — not surprising, given the quality of their shows. Over 45 years, they have established
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Preview of Art in Woodstock: Varioius venues
The Mayor of Woodstock, Jill Dunsmore, will open the fifth Art in Woodstock festival at noon on Saturday, unveiling a Mini car displaying the winning design in a competition organised and sponsored by the North Oxford Garage, in which children from five
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Lisa Haigh
W hen Lisa Haigh moved to South Oxfordshire last year, she knew just what kind of job she wanted. She had already forged a second career, having given up her teaching job after five years to become a ‘household PA’ in London. "I couldn't find a job
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Ross and Ross
When gastro pub manager Ross Bearman met the new chef, Ross Whitmill, they quickly discovered that they had more in common than the same name. Six years later, manager Ross Bearman and chef Ross Whitmill have set up their own business, supplying gourmet
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RUGBY UNION: Banbury second in Saints contest
BANBURY under 8s finished runners-up in the Northampton Saints matchday tournament – and received their medals in front of 11,000 fans at Franklin’s Gardens. The squad of Callum Davies, Henry Talbot, Joshua Vance, Henry White, Toby Bradshaw, Edward Brown
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Mark Charter of Carter Jonas
What was your first job and what did your responsibilities include? I was an auctioneer selling cattle, sheep and produce in livestock markets in Herefordshire and the Welsh borders in 1987. How much was in your first pay packet and what did you spend
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Past Times
Tough times trouble the world of retail, but there is still one chain of niche-market high street stores that has much to shout about. Past Times is celebrating its 25th anniversary, has broken the £50m turnover barrier and now has more than 100 shops
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Service with a smile
Afamily-run service station which has only been open for nine months after a multi-million pound redevelopment, scooped five industry awards in a single evening. Members of the Fraser family found themselves split between two award ceremonies at top
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Make your spare room earn its keep
Renting out your spare room on an ad hoc basis could net you thousands of extra pounds a year. With an average going rate of £43 per night, a growing number of homeowners are taking in short-stay tenants, according to research by travel accommodation
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The Oxford Lieder Festival:
The Oxford Lieder Festival got off to a dazzling start with a feast of Schubert, focusing on the magnificent output from the final five years of his life, when he was slowly and painfully dying of syphilis. From this period came some of his most celebrated
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Mark Wright Design
Computer aided design may not be particularly new technology but when it comes to architects, they are still keen to keep it to themselves. That is the premise Mark Wright is working on after launching 3D design and construction management business.
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Siblings at Manor Farm, Hagbourne
Business clearly runs in the family for the Lay siblings. But where other brothers and sisters may bicker, co-operation is key for the Lays who, at 32, 28 and 25, have taken the plunge and each launched their own separate businesses — in the picturesque
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Twins build bright future
Starting a building business in the middle of the worst recession to hit the trade for 50 years may seem strange. But twins Craig and Ian Baldwin, 32, who grew up in Cowley, started their online company last year and already have a serious success on
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The Orchestra of St John's: Ashmolean Museum, Oxford
Judging by the number of people wrapped round every statue and display case, the OSJ concerts at the Ashmolean have really taken off. The latest concentrated on the baroque period, with Vivaldi and Bach in the first half, and Purcell making a substantial
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Look out, nuns are on the run in the city
THE stars of divine musical Sister Act have been getting to know Oxford as the show begins its run in the city. Based on the film of the same name, the show features songs inspired by funk, soul, disco and Motown. It tells the story of Deloris Van Cartier
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FOOTBALL: Rundle funeral
A funeral service for former Oxford City player and manager, Ian Rundle, who died last week, aged 67, will be held at Oxford Crematorium on Thursday, October 27 at 3.45pm.
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The Nutcracker: Vienna Festival Ballet, Banbury
Vienna Festival Ballet was founded in 1980 by the Austrian former star dancer Peter Mallek. For more than 30 years they having been touring Europe, and further afield, giving performances for seven months of the year. Quite an achievement. Last weekend
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InBusiness now on iPad
Busy executives who are continually on the move don’t have to miss out on keeping up to date with Oxfordshire’s best business magazine. inbusiness is now available as an app to download on to an iPhone or iPad via the iTunes store, providing an even
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Thieves bungle attempt to steal cash
BUNGLING thieves dropped the cash they had just stolen from a bank customer who had withdrawn a “large sum” of money. Three men followed the victim into Barclays Bank, in Broad Street, Banbury, on Monday, at 11.45am and watched as he withdrew money.
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MoD fires warning over housing plan
ARMY officials have warned they may have to pull their logistics operations out of Bicester unless their redevelopment plans get the go-ahead. The Ministry of Defence said if its outline plans to redevelop 630 hectares of land at Graven Hill for housing
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COMMENT: Ultimatum unfair
THE Ministry of Defence certainly does not come out well with its thinly-veiled attempt to pressurise Cherwell District Council into waving through its planning application for Graven Hill. The MoD is a big presence in the town and the county and, if
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THE INSIDER: A weekly update from the corridors of power
Oxford's economy and reputation is built on learning. But it seems not everyone at County Hall is quite up to speed on their spelling. This was the road sign that appeared during work in Beaumont Road, Headington Quarry, this week. No wonder
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Joining EU was a mistake
George Osborne says the British people will be saying thank God we didn’t join the Euro. Well, I think it would have been better if the British people could say thank God we didn’t join the EU, then we wouldn’t have been paying out billions of pounds
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Witney airgun attack thought to be homophobic
YOBS are believed to have shot at the home of a Witney couple with an airgun in a homophobic attack. Police are hunting a group of teenagers in connection with criminal damage to the property. Two men, aged 45 and 39, were at their home in Chestnut
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Support for Alzheimer's
The organisers and helpers of the Alzheimer’s Society street collection, held on September 24 in Wallingford wish to thank all their supporters for their help. The town centre felt good and those that passed were very generous. The money donated amount
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Cameron criticism
Yet again we see the folly of sending a lad to do a man’s job. David Cameron wants to scrap DNA records. These records not only help to convict, but also to clear suspects, which is very important in rape allegations. Had DNA records been available
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So many worthwhile causes
Like many of your correspondents, I was also taught that charity begins at home. But I was taught a different version. For us it was charitable giving, or generosity, that began at home, while the target of the charity varied from inside the home to
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Lessons in language
I am asking myself whether Councillor Larry Sanders and Sushila Dhall would be quite the people they are today if their own immigrant families had not been obliged to peruse official material in English. Debatably almost defeating their own argument,
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Praise to all at the JR
I have recently been an in-patient in the neuro-science department at the John Radcliffe Hospital and I would like to say how impressed I was with the care I received. The nurses and care workers were always extremely pleasant and gave me the appropriate
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North-west Oxford's traffic issues have been ignored
I read with interest, and a certain degree of irritation, your articles in (Oxford Mail), October 10, which relate to the improvements proposed for the Oxford ring road. Living north of Oxford, I, like hundreds of others, have to endure the serious congestion
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RUGBY UNION: Blues focused on themselves
OXFORD University head coach James Wade said facing unexpected opponents had not affected their Varsity Match build-up. The Dark Blues defeated a scratch Henley side 35-0 at Iffley Road on Monday after Wasps pulled out of the fixture, citing a lack of
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A big thank you to a professional police force
We have had the misfortune to have been burgled three times this year and recently my phone was stolen by some hustlers in a crowded restaurant in town. I just wanted to write to say how fantastic the police have been on each occasion – professional
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What does 'enterprise zone' mean?
Business leaders in Oxfordshire insist that the new enterprise zone scheduled to rise from a brownfield site in southern Oxfordshire and to play host to the creation of 8,400 new jobs by April 2015, is a completely different animal from those zones created
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Big Daddy Vs. Giant Haystacks: Great Milton
Not the least remarkable fact to state about the wrestler known as Big Daddy is that his real name was Shirley Crabtree. He could thank his father, also Shirley, for this. “’E thought it were character-building,” said another son, Max. In this he served
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RACING: Longsdon at the double
Chipping Norton trainer Charlie Longsdon continued his hot streak with a double at Worcester yesterday courtesy of Vincitore and Restezen d’Armor. Vincitore (15-8) landed the Fred Rimell Novices’ Chase, while Restezen d’Armor (6-4) took the Richard Davis
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Red-hot Rob is on a roll
Rob Hall has scored four goals in seven appearances for Oxford United – but it’s still not good enough for his dad. The on-loan West Ham striker was the hero with a 93rd-minute equaliser at Macclesfield on Saturday to salvage a 1-1 draw. That meant
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COMMENT: Reg sets fine example on his allotment
IT started in earnest as we dug in for victory during the Second World War but now there seems to be as much demand as ever for allotments. And when you look at the latest inflation figures – 5.2 per cent on the Consumer Price Index – you can perhaps
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Oxford allotment holder wins top city honour
REG Curnock knows a lot about allotments after growing vegetables for four decades. Now the grandfather-of-14 has been picked as Oxford’s top allotment holder. The 75-year-old started growing veg for his own children and now delivers
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ATHLETICS: Silver celebration for Eynsham's 25
EYNSHAM Roadrunners celebrated their silver jubilee in style on Sunday with 25 athletes taking part in the race. The west Oxfordshire club were led home by Robert Storey, who ran an impressive personal best of 2 hrs 49 mins 25 secs to finish in 21st
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ATHLETICS: Male pulled out all the stops
STEVE Male admitted he was pushed all the way by Bevereley’s James Pearson as he won his first marathon title. And the 46-year-old, who runs Fit-2-Run in Abingdon, said the local support spurred him on to achieve his ultimate ambition.
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Business as usual as store reopens
RESIDENTS around the Sainsbury’s store in Heyford Hill yesterday breathed a sigh of relief as work was finally completed. The Littlemore supermarket has undergone a multi-million-pound refurbishment and extension over the last six months. The extension
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ATHLETICS: 'I nearly didn't make it,' says Carter
SOPHIE Carter’s impressive victory in the Abingdon Marathon nearly didn’t happen, the 32-year-old Woodstock ace has revealed. With her army husband, Neil, away on a training exercise, Carter was anxiously waiting for him to return home from Sunday morning
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Complaints made over GP's use of religion
COTROVERSIAL GP Mark Huckstep has admitted he used his Christian beliefs as a "complementary therapy" for patients and refused to refer women for abortions. The Oxford Mail has learned Dr Huckstep, who was featured on Channel 4’s Dispatches
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ATHLETICS: Oxfordshire duo Male and Carter take the honours
STEVE Male and Sophie Carter made it a memorable double for Oxfordshire with victories in the men’s and women’s races at Sunday’s Abingdon Marathon. A massive field approaching 800 took part in the biggest competitive athletics event in the Oxfordshire
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Interview with Kate Clanchy
Anyone who has tried to earn a living from writing poems can appreciate how fortunate — and talented — Kate Clanchy was to not just find a publisher for her first collection, but to win Britain’s main poetry prize, the Forward, at the age of 28. An English
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Ghosts of Empire by Kwasi Kwarteng
GHOSTS OF EMPIRE Kwasi Kwarteng (Bloomsbury, £25) In this perceptive, wide-ranging book on the British Empire there is a “highly romanticised” portrait of Lord Kitchener standing imperiously outside the walls of Cairo. Perhaps more than any
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Oxford's watery past
Nancy Hood worked for Oxfordshire Museums and Cultural Services for 30 years, and was part of the team which developed Oxford Prison into the Oxford Castle complex. She said: “When we moved into our new apartment on Lower Fisher Row, I realised that
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ATHLETICS: Results round-up
OPEN RACE RESULTS (top 100, gun time, senior men unless stated) 1 S Male (V40) 2.31.46, 2 J Pearson (Beverley) 2.31.49, 3 P Fernandez (Abingdon) 2.36.42, 4 M Greenwood (Army AA) 2.37.36, 5 J Bolton (Woodstock H) 2.38.10, 6 J Richardson (Oxford C, V40
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HIstory choice
Soldiers Richard Holmes (Harper Press, £25) It is the saddest farewell to the British Army — the author died in April — yet his last book is the greatest of tributes by the world-renowned military historian. Holmes was a wonderful writer, capturing
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The 9/11 Wars by Jason Burke
THE 9/11 WARS by Jason Burke (Allen Lane, £30)Now that the tenth anniversary has come and gone, perhaps we can take stock of the events which followed the attack on America on September 11, 2001. Burke, a distinguished war correspondent, has interviewed
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Get out and go wild
Based at the Berks, Bucks and Oxon Wildlife Trust’s Warburg Nature Reserve deep in the Chilterns, PENNY SILVERWOOD has a ringside seat as the tones of autumn take centre stage. As I drive along Bix Valley near Nettlebed, wildlife of some sort
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Alternative matches for wine with game
There are pheasants everywhere at the moment; free to roam (mostly, it seems, on a road near me) until someone does the deed to bring them to a plate near you. Delicious as pheasant often is, there’s no denying it can be dry too. One of the
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Lifeline for county's homeless for 25 years
An Oxford charity is celebrating 25 years at the heart of services for homeless people in Oxfordshire. Oxford Homeless Pathways, or OxHoP, started life as the Oxford Night Shelter on Luther Street in 1986. It is celebrating a journey from the early days
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Parky at the Pictures (In Cinemas 20/10/2011)
Tilda Swinton is the finest actress Britain has produced in the last 30 years. Her choice of roles is consistently challenging, her commitment is incontestable and her screen presence is utterly compelling. She has already delivered exceptional performances
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Parky at the Pictures (DVD 20/10/2011)
Half a century ago, British cinema was transformed by a new wave that still impacts upon much film-making in this country today. Rooted in the British Documentary Movement of the 1930s and the Free Cinema of the late 1950s, this social realist boom banished
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Councillors reveal spending plans
COUNCILLORS in Oxford are unveiling how they will be spending their new £1,500 ‘pocket money’ on community projects. All 48 councillors on Oxford City Council were given the annual allowance in May to spend on neighbourhood meetings or community projects