Archive

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SWIMMING: Emily shines with the stars

Promising swimmer, Emily Nisbet, from King Alfred’s Community and Sports College, Wantage, shone at a Level 1 Gala in Sheffield. This was a rare opportunity for young swimmers to compete at the same gala as British Olympic hopefuls seeking qualification

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‘No takers for top cop job’

UNEMPLOYMENT is rising and jobs are scarce, but no-one has yet applied for a prime £85,000-a-year job that needs no previous experience, no flashy CV, and no credentials. Direct elections for Thames Valley Police’s commissioner will be held

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The only way is up for recycling event

A community group to help people recycle, learn new skills and make new friends has started in East Oxford. The ‘upcycle’ workshops – not just recycling but improving the original item – started at Barracks Lane Community Garden on Thursday. Organiser

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'Join guides at St Mary's' begs church

One of Oxford’s most historic churches is calling out for people to pass on its important story to visitors. The University Church of St Mary the Virgin on High Street has played host to key historical moments like the trial of reformation leader Thomas

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County to get more health visitors

MORE health visitors are needed in Oxfordshire to support families with young children, it has been claimed. Nationally, the Government wants to train an extra 4,200 health visitors across England by 2015 to make sure every family with children under

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Jubilee ‘is perfect excuse for a party’

THE heart of East Oxford could pulse to the sounds of thousands of revellers for a special event over the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee weekend. Organisations in the ‘magic triangle’ between Cowley and Iffley roads are hoping to close off several streets and

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Fancy bidding on Elton's old Jag?

A red E-Type Jaguar that belonged to Sir Elton John is up for sale at an Oxford auctioneers. The popstar’s 1965 sports car is expected sell for up to £70,000 when it goes under the hammer at Bonhams in Banbury Road. The vehicle is the highlight of the

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Who was Oxford United's man-of-the-match against Hereford?

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Leave death to the Almighty, says MP

Banbury MP Tony Baldry, above, has hit out at calls to legalise assisted suicide, saying: “The only person who should determine when we should die is the Almighty – it is not us.” He told the Commons this week: “If we get into a situation in which we

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Family's wish for William

Baby William brought joy to his parents during his short life. Now his grieving father will run the London Marathon to thank the John Radcliffe Hospital in Oxford for giving him four-and-a-half months with his son. The hospital’s neo-natal care unit

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GREYHOUNDS: Double for Hepden

Chipping Norton handler Gilly Hepden picked up two awards at the Owners Association monthly meeting. Morning Glory (A5, A4 A3) won three in a row as did her Barn Owl (A6, A6, A7), while Ron Bicknell's Verity Son (A4, A5, A6) and Angie Kibble's Kahlia

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Second day for Finnley needs your support

A couple are urging people to help make a charity fun day a success in memory of their baby son. Gemma and Luke Froude will host the second annual Finnley’s Day to raise cash for the charity that supported them during his short life.

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Jo's effort is more than a shot in the dark

AN EIGHT-MILE run through deep water and thick bogs is a challenge for anyone. But Abingdon mum Jo Edwards will be doing it in the dark. Council worker Ms Edwards, 37, of Francis Little Drive, is raising cash for Oxford Children’s Hospital and the special

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Brookes sees applications rise

Oxford Brookes University has seen a surge in applicants for next year – despite asking for £9,000 a year in tuition fees. There have been about 22,300 applications for cour-ses at Brookes starting in September 2012, a rise of 4.5 per cent. UK student

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Oxford Utd 2, Hereford Utd 2

Oxford Utd 2 (Pittman 12, Duberry 89), Hereford Utd 2 (Duberry og 32, Duberry og 85) MICHAEL Duberry hit an 89th-minute equaliser - having earlier scored two own goals - as Oxford United drew 2-2 against Hereford today. In a dramatic conclusion

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Pledge to minimise Manor site disruption

CONTRACTORS working on the redevelopment of the last remaining part of Oxford United’s former home at the Manor Ground site have assured nearby residents they will do all they can to minimise disturbance. The development of 27 flats under a social housing

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Exploring reasons for weight worries

TWO Oxford therapists have set up a course to help overweight people tackle their battle with food head-on. It comes as Oxfordshire Primary Care Trust announces it has earmarked almost £700,000 to tackle obesity in the county this year According to

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Girls call on council to sort out potholes

THREE school friends have launched a campaign to highlight the problem of potholes and rocky road surfacing in Rose Hill. GCSE students Saba Wahid and Habiba Khan, who live there, have teamed up with fellow Didcot Girls School pupil Ayesha Sadiqi, who

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Constable starts for Oxford United

As predicted, James Constable leads Oxford United's attack against Hereford today. The striker, who this week rejected the chance to talk to League Two arch rivals Swindon is named in an unchanged side. Constable received a huge cheer when his name

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United fans could help raise hospital money

OXFORD United fans could give a £10,000 boost to the city’s children’s hospital by taking part in this year’s OX5 Run. Fundraisers are hoping the 10th anniversary race around the grounds of Blenheim Palace, in Woodstock, will raise an estimated £100,000

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Call for traders to join Jubilee celebrations

BANBURY businesses are being encouraged to deck their premises in a burst of colour to celebrate the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee. Banbury Town Council wants firms to prepare to honour Her Majesty during June’s celebrations. It also hopes this will help

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Eco-power plant plan submitted

WASTE Recycling Group has lodged an application for planning permission to build an eco-power plant at its site off Appleford Road, Sutton Courtenay. The anaerobic digestion facility would create power from crops. The design was revised

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Garden waste bills may never be paid

VALE of White Horse District Council may never recover thousands of pounds of unpaid bills for the use of its garden waste service, a scrutiny committee has been told. An examination of the service last year found thousands of errors in the system, including

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Take tour of town's historic buildings

A FORMER home for the infected and a house Oliver Cromwell allegedly stayed in during the Civil War will be celebrated in the coming months. Woodstock Town Council is to install plaques at eight homes around the town to celebrate Woodstock’

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Developer’s new homes bid

A DEVELOPER has launched an appeal to try to get permission for a plan for six affordable homes in Mollington, north of Banbury. The Cascade Partnership acted after Cherwell District Council refused the plan in August for land south of Chestnut Road.

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Double dose of bad news for property developer

IT’S been a bad week for Oxford property developer Martin Young. First he was forced to end his battle with Oxford City Council over the £132m redevelopment of Oxford Brookes University’s Gipsy Lane campus due to the prospect of a huge legal bill if

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Teen sentenced for raping pensioner

A 14-year-old boy who raped a grandmother in a “cruel and humiliating attack” on Remembrance weekend was jailed last night. The newspaper delivery boy put the 77-year-old woman through a terrifying sex ordeal but a judge rejected an application to reveal

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New £2.1m sports facility ‘fantastic’

JUST a few months ago it was a bleak building site full of rubble and mud. But now more than a 1,000 sports enthusiasts have taken to the pitch and courts at Oxford’s new £2.1m community arena at Court Place Farm. The sparkling new facility at Oxford

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SCHOOL SPORT: Von Eitzen flies to title treble

Christian Von Eitzen completed a hat-trick of wins at the Vale of White Horse Schools’ Cross Country Championships at Radley College. Winner of the under 15 boys’ race for the last two years, the 15-year-old, from European School, Culham

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Life's a beach on a blissful holiday in France

IT WAS while sat on a wet beach in Wales for the third year running, horizontal rain trickling down our necks, despite our cagoules, our pitiful bundle of towels, soggy sandwiches and suncream stuffed under one umbrella, that we promised we would

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Annabelinda dress shop to close as owner retires

DURING the past four decades, it has weathered multiple recessions and seen a string of fashion trends from mini skirts to power suits. But now the AnnaBelinda dress shop in Gloucester Green, Oxford, is set to close. Set up by Belinda

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Terror of '80's-style' bank robbery

DETECTIVES dubbed a bank heist in Summertown as something “more like the 1980s than 2012” as they yesterday released more details of the robbery. Robbers locked the terrified manager in a walk-in safe at Lloyds TSB in Banbury Road on Thursday morning

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ANGLING: Marc gets his '30' after nine-year campaign

Oxford specimen hunter Marc Dibsdall has ended a nine-year wait for a 30lb pike by landing this cracker of 33.3.0 from a local lake. It is the biggest reported pike from an Oxfordshire water for several years. The successful rig was

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ANGLING: Big chub is winner for Finnemore

A cracking chub of 5.5.0 helped Greg Finnemore to victory in Tackley Estate AC’s final Cherwell Challenge fixture at Hog’s Bottom on Sunday. But overall it was an all-too-familiar story, with eight of the ten competitors blanking. Finnemore caught two

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BILLIARDS: Ensoll seals it for Thame

Tme upset the odds with a thrilling 4-2 victory over fancied Ashton in the second round of the Gentworks Oxford & District League’s Atox Cup. The key man for Thame was the much-improved Brendon Ensoll (+20), who won both his frames against Terry Chambers

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SNOOKER: Noake edges it for Abingdon

David Noake won twice as Abingdon RBL came from behind to beat Riley A 4-2 in the second round of the Gent-works Oxford & District League’s Simmonds Cup. Noake won a tight first frame 62-55 against James Stone in this all-Premier Diviison clash, before

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RUGBY: Carter gets Dark Blues job again

John Carter last night became the first Oxford University captain to be elected for a second campaign in 42 years. The 30-year-old back-row forward led the Dark Blues to a 28-10 victory against Cambridge University at Twickenham in December

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MOTORSPORT: Mini duo keep pace with leaders

Dani Sordo and Carlos del Barrio in the Oxford-built Mini WRC were lying second behind Citreon’s Sebastien Loeb after day three of the Monte Carlo Rally. Sordo retook second from Petter Solberg. Pierre Campana and Sabrina de Castelli are seventh in

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COMMENT: Colourful legacy

GOODNESS knows how many women will have stepped through its doors over the past four decades. And goodness knows how many stepped out, transformed. But one thing is certain, the AnnaBelinda dress shop in Gloucester Green, Oxford, which is set to close

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CRICKET: Sandford remain unbeaten

Sandford St Martin A and Middleton Cheney both re-main unbeaten in Division 2 of the Banbury Indoor League to stay on course for a title-decider in two weeks’ time. Sandford edged past Azad by just three runs thanks to good knocks from Matt Thompson

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COMMENT: Couple set example for us all

I AM his carer now... An admission which, tragically, is now familiar to thousands of couples across the county. Yet as a physical and emotional manifestation of growing older, it always seems like the elephant in the room – best kept behind net curtains

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‘Super surgery’ wait nearly over

A DATE has been set for the opening of a new Oxford doctors’ surgery to serve more than 13,500 patients. The Jericho Health Centre will open as part of the £11.5m redevelopment of the old Radcliffe Infirmary site in May. Oxford University agreed to

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Fun ahoy aboard puppeteer's show

AHOY There! Toddlers enjoyed playing with performer Emma Boor in a pirates and puppets session at Oxford’s Pegasus Theatre. Ms Boor, from East Oxford, is a puppeteer who runs the parent and toddler session Play The World on Friday mornings at the theatre

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Couple to donate brains for dementia research

A DIAGNOSIS of dementia can have a devastating impact on a marriage. Jean and Allan Plastow, from Stanford in the Vale, have been married for 62 years and have known each other since they were children. The couple have decided to donate

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Oxford snap-up striker Johnson

Chris Wilder says that Oxford United beat off competition from several higher-division teams to sign striker Oli Johnson. The 24-year-old left Norwich City earlier in the week by mutual consent having spent much of the last year at Yeovil

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GREYHOUNDS: All eyes are on Wimbledon bid

REPORTS from Ireland indicate that a consortium led by Pascal Taggart could be in line to purchase Oxford Stadium’s sister track at Wimbledon. Wimbledon, home of the blue riband of greyhound racing, The Derby, is the No 1 of the six tracks under the

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Distraction burglar jailed for 101 crimes

A “DESPICABLE” distraction burglar tricked his way into more than 100 homes in a “deliberate campaign that continued week after week”. William Vinson posed as a new neighbour, a council worker or an inspector from the electricity board as he

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United out to find way past Bulls

Chris Wilder is expecting his team to face a familiar challenge against Hereford today. But the Oxford United manager is backing his team to this week find the key. Wilder is certain that struggling Hereford – as a number of teams have

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It's time for Beano-mania!

James Constable will lead Oxford United’s attack against Hereford today – and just listen for the roar as his name is announced to fans before the game. The striker trained with United yesterday after rejecting the chance to speak to arch

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Poor response to consultation on budget

Just 111 out of more than 115,000 residents voiced their opinions on council plans to spend its £13.7m budget. Vale of White Horse District Council asked for views on how its cash should be spent in a month-long consultation that ended last Wednesday

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Granting wishes of skilful youths

A FEMALE boxer is among talented youngsters being given grants to help them achieve their dreams. Young people from across South Oxfordshire have won £250 grants to help in sports, the arts or community work. South Oxfordshire District Council has

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Troubled waters over bridge work

Residents living in villages near Didcot fear they could face months of disruption and longer car journeys when rail bosses build a new bridge. Lawyer Jeremy Burnett Rae is campaigning for residents to be kept properly informed about Network Rail’s plan

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Is reinstating rail link a track to the future?

REOPENING the rail link from Oxford to Witney and Carterton may be investigated under new county council plans. The long-term proposal, which would cut traffic on the A40, is contained within a new council rail strategy outlining its vision for the railways