Archive

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Any insights on this football team?

SARAH Ayers found this picture hidden behind another. It is clearly a football team, but who are the players, which team did they play for and where was the picture taken? Mrs Ayers, of Wytham View, Eynsham, writes: “My suspicion is that it is associated

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Can you name those in float photograph?

KEEPING fit were bywords in the 1930s as well as today. This float, which took part in the Chipping Norton Hospital Carnival in 1938, toured the town spreading the word in 1938. Amanda Pratley, of Garsington, found the picture in her extensive collection

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Boxing's glory days

NEWS that professional boxing could return to Oxford this year reminded John Annett of the sport’s glory days in the county. He has produced a poster from a tournament which took place at Abingdon Corn Exchange on Friday, April 16, although we don’t

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When they were good...

CHILDREN on their way to a new school at Headington, Oxford, were often guilty of riotous behaviour. Two double-decker buses ran daily to take pupils to St Joseph’s School in Headley Way when it moved from its old premises in St Clement’s in

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All over now

THERE were still plenty of hardships to come, but for the moment, it was time to celebrate. The end of the Second World War brought jubilation throughout the country, with street parties everywhere. This picture was taken at a Victory Party for children

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Bio-firm research jobs go

SIXTEEN research jobs have gone at gene therapy company Oxford BioMedica, but its workforce has been boosted after it opened a new drug manufacturing plant in Cowley. A total of 83 staff are now based at Oxford Science Park in Littlemore after two jobs

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Playground dream can finally happen

“HEAVEN and earth” will be moved to start a park refurbishment in Blackbird Leys, after plans for Town Green status failed. Fourteen residents applied to turn Blackbird Leys Park into a protected Town Green in June last year. But on Monday afternoon

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GREYHOUNDS: Thursday's Oxford runners

7.45: Swift Primrose, LAZY JIM, Skellitor 3, Tullymurry Poet 2, Ryeman Roxy, Roller Girl. 8.00: BALLYMAC SHANE, Scolari Queen 2, Another Episode, Shaniqua 3, Greenfield Tim, Pas Buster. 8.15: Six O Clock Ray, Geneva Robbie 2, PENNYS AVA, Currikeen Castle

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Story Museum needs volunteers with tales to tell

THE Story Museum is recruiting angels, heroes, knights in shining armour and fairy godmothers to help out with its upcoming programme of events. A fairytale opportunity for children who never grew up, volunteers will help welcome visitors to the Pembroke

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'Schoul blunder was BT's fault' says council

TELEPHONE company BT is investigating whether one of its contractors was behind the misspelling of the word ‘school’ on road markings outside an Oxford primary. Yesterday the Oxford Mail reported that the word had been spelt ‘schoul’ in yellow paint

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Parents plead for crossing outside school

Parents at William Morris Primary School in Banbury are calling for a zebra crossing in busy Bretch Hill. Banbury Town Council members were last night expected to urged highways chiefs to look again at putting in a crossing. The plan was rejected in

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Councillors warn of traffic misery

New roads need to be built soon to ease the traffic generated by 2,500 new homes planned in Grove, councillors have warned. Persimmon Homes last month submitted a planning application for the Grove Airfield scheme that will double the village population

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Youth centre spring clean

WALLINGFORD’S new £177,000 youth centre is expected to open in the Autumn, thanks to a clean-up operation involving young volunteers. On Saturday about 40 volunteers gathered at the former Assemblies of God church in Wigod Way to complete the clean-up

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Nothing Miserable about musical spectacular

MUSICAL youngsters are preparing to hit the stage with their production of West End smash Les Miserables. King Alfred’s Academy in Wantage is putting on the show at its centre site in Portway from next Wednesday until Saturday, March 17. Pupils will

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Is the Environment Agency right to spend more than £2m on a modern replacement for historic Northmoor Weir?

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Residents want action on school parking

RESIDENTS are so fed up with school-run parents parking across driveways they want double yellow lines painted outside their homes. People living in Bicester's Bucknell Road and Stoneburge Crescent say they face a daily battle to get in and out of their

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Nothing can alter my view of the sawfish

It was suggested by Tom Whipple in The Times on Tuesday that we must all be surprised to learn (as a consequence of observations by researchers at the University of Queensland) that sawfish use their sharp serrated snouts in an aggressive fashion with

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The Company of Weavers, Witney

Cheap, cheerful and consistent —these are the three ‘cs’ that keep me a loyal customer of the J D Wetherspoon pub chain. Folk inclined to criticise me for upmarket tastes in food might be surprised to learn that I eat in one or other of their establishments

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Bernard gives us a portrait of Kingers

On two nights last week Bernard Richards gave a one-man show (scripted by himself) about Kingsley Amis in the appropriate setting of his subject’s old college, St John’s. It was only the second time I had visited the attractive little theatre there, which

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Recipe for cauliflower soup with Thai greet curry paste (serves 4)

This delicious soup was inspired by the Women’s Institute’s book Soup for all Seasons, which is a glorious collection of easy-to-make soups using seasonal ingredients and home cooking skills. The beauty of this soup is that it makes much of cauliflower

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Don't ignore cheap and versatile cauliflower

Several years ago an Oxfordshire vegetable farmer asked me to write an article that discussed the merits of fresh British cauliflower, because it was falling out of fashion. Sadly, nothing has changed. Beautiful, creamy headed cauliflowers bursting

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How the Other Half Loves: The Mill at Sonning

The hilarious farce How the Other Half Loves is superbly revived at the Mill at Sonning in a production under director Ian Masters that makes a powerful case for this being the funniest Alan Ayckbourn of them all. Dating back to 1970, when it was a West

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Recalling the Mad Parliament of 1258

Famously, Charles II summoned Parliament to Oxford in 1681, and addressed both houses — Lords and Commons — in Convocation House at the Bodleian. Less well known is another Oxford Parliament, held in 1258, and sometimes known as the Mad Parliament, or

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The Raven and John Carter 3D

The bloodthirsty writings of Edgar Allan Poe give birth to a deranged serial killer in James McTeigue's hack-and-slash thriller set on the streets of 19th-century Baltimore. Punctuated by scenes of gore, including the cleaving of one heavily bound victim

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Closing Down: The Radcliffe Infirmary - Art Jericho

This substantial body of new photographs documents the demise of the hospital and its associated buildings. Photographer Rob Judges has worked in digital over the past two years to capture the many facets of the demolition and the, often poignant

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Mosby and Gomm: Lady Margaret Hall

Period warm-up music, and the 1920s cinema-like decoration of the delightful Simpkins Lee Theatre at Lady Margaret Hall, gave the initial feeling that this might be a show rooted in the past. But in fact Helen Mosby and Alison Gomm’s stand-up set was

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Birmingham Royal Ballet: Ashton double-bill

Birmingham Royal Ballet opened its new season with two major works by Sir Frederick Ashton, arguably Britain’s greatest choreographer. They showed the company to be in great form, and still able to deliver Ashton’s very individual style. Daphnis and

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Flamenco Intimo: Pegasus Theatre

Last Saturday we drove down Iffley Road, and, to our surprise, found ourselves in a ‘pena’, one of those intimate Spanish nightclubs devoted to flamenco, where the performers are so close that you can almost touch them. The lower part of the seating

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REVIEW: Satire still has spice

MPs’ expenses, phone hacking and coalition government – a lot has changed since Yes, Prime Minister was last broadcast. Former Premier Harold Wilson once observed that a week is a long time in politics, and in the 24 years since Sir Humphrey, the unsurpassed

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Extra commuter seats start to take to tracks

RAIL passengers will soon benefit from extra and longer trains as part of efforts to ease overcrowding between Oxfordshire and London’s Paddington station. In August last year, the Department for Transport revealed that the 10 most overcrowded

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Chutney & Chips: O'Reilly Theatre, Keble College

I wish I knew someone at Oriel College. Then they might invite me to Oriel’s summer ball, which, according to Priya Atwal’s play Chutney & Chips — Bhangra, Bops and Break-ups, features a colourful display of Indian dancing. The play begins

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Hamlet, Creation Theatre and The Factory: Blackwell's Bookshop

Local darlings Creation Theatre have teamed up with London company The Factory to produce a Hamlet like no other. Held in the round in the Norrington Room of Blackwell’s in Broad Street, this is a semi-improvised rendition of arguably Shakespeare

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Kathakbox: Pegasus Theatre

On one level Sonia Sabri’s work is a protest against putting people into boxes, ethnically or otherwise. Its inspiration is the poem Tick Box by Shan Bansil, in which the writer muses on whether or not he should tick the boxes on the form he’s

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Dyslexia school spells success

A school which helps children with dyslexia and associated conditions back into mainstream education has been rated outstanding. The Unicorn School, in Abingdon, is the latest special school in Oxfordshire to be given Ofsted’s highest accolade. Following

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Bob Chilcott's CD Requiem

Anyone who enjoyed the premiere of Bob Chilcott’s Requiem at the Sheldonian Theatre, almost exactly two years ago, will be delighted to know that this beautifully reflective work is shortly to be released on CD. Performed by the Wells Cathedral Choir

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Labrinth: O2 Academy, Oxford

It has been two years since Timothy McKenzie, better known as Labrinth, introduced his talents to the UK charts with colossal track Pass Out, which he co-wrote with Tinie Tempah. Since then he has procured extensive respect and support on the music scene

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Out Through the In Door

For 55 minutes on Tuesday night I watched as two student actors traded insults, threats, jokes and arcane observations about feet, food and sundry forms of wildlife from either side of a bright red door. Between them, at the rear of the stage, sat Alex

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The Fitzwilliam Quartet: Iffley Village Hall

The Fitzwilliam Quartet takes its choice of strings extremely seriously. So what’s unusual about that? I hear you say. Surely any string quartet as eminent as the Fitzwilliam would take great care over such a vital matter? But it’s not every quartet

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Yes, Prime Minister: The Oxford Playhouse

Antony Jay and Jonathan Lynn’s Yes, Prime Minister seems designed to cause offence to as big a group of potential offendees as possible. While largely immune to outrage myself, I nevertheless felt considerable sympathy for all present at the Playhouse

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Bands revealed for revived Truck festival

WHEN the organisers of Oxfordshire’s annual Truck festival announced that the event had gone into receivership last year, music-lovers were left devastated. Now the team responsible for reviving the festival at Hill Farm, Steventon, near Abingdon

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Mum and son produce book of poems

A MOTHER and son team have published their first book of quirky children’s poems. Diana Moore has written stories, poems and plays throughout her adult life, and decided she wanted to publish some of her ditties. To keep the budget down she roped in

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Pressing issues for Oxford artist

AN artist who uses old print presses to make unusual art has appealed for more information on the vintage equipment she uses. Caroline Maas is inspired by locations around Oxfordshire to make her works, which she creates by etching layered colours on

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Thong Rangers say: 'We just had to step up for baby Porscha'

Baby Porscha Steele was rushed into intensive care the day after she was born when doctors discovered she had the killer bug meningitis. Now three months old, she is still receiving treatment at Oxford Children’s Hospital to make sure the disease, which

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FOOTBALL: Banbury through to final after play-off drama

Banbury United reached the Evo-Stik Southern League’s Red Insure Cup final with a 5-4 penalty shoot-out victory over Chesham on Tuesday night. After a goalless 90 minutes and extra time, during which Banbury’s Josh Blake was sent off for two bookings

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FOOTBALL: Hanborough miss their chance

WITNEY & DISTRICT FA Hanborough missed out on the chance to close the gap on Premier Division leaders Hailey when they were held to a 1-1 draw by North Leigh A, writes Anthony Barlow. Hosts North Leigh took the lead through Declan Shep-herd, but Tom

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‘There is no sign of the cancer now’

SINCE his initial diagnosis, Dave Beesley has shared his battle with prostate cancer in the frank and honest manner which his many friends know him for. It started with his first announcement via a story in the Oxford Mail about a year ago,

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COMMENT: Man up about it

PROSTATE cancer attracts only a fraction of the attention other killer diseases get, yet it claims a huge number of lives. Part of the reason is men are traditionally very reticent to attend to some health issues — especially those ‘down there

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FOOTBALL: Stockford’s treble fires Carterton into final

GILES SPORTS WITNEY YOUTH LEAGUE RYAN Stockford’s hat-trick helped Carterton to a 6-0 win over Bloxham in the Under 13 KO Cup semi-final at Mon-ahan Way. He finished off a great move for Carterton’s opener, and then struck again just before half-time

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WOMEN'S FOOTBALL: Dark Blues triumph

Oxford University retained their Varsity Match crown with a 2-1 victory over Cambridge. Liz Betterbed and Elizabeth Williams netted for the Dark Blues at the Oxford University Sports Ground. Oxford also won the 2nd XI match 2-0.

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SCHOOLS' FOOTBALL: Ingram's late strike brings Oxon victory

Conor Ingram grabbed a late winner as Oxfordshire Under 16s came from behind to beat Berkshire 3-2 in the South West Counties competition at Abingdon Town. Oxon trailed to a Harinder Hunjan strike at half-time. However, they rallied after the break

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FOOTBALL: Hagbourne in spot-kick joy

An epic penalty shoot-out saw Hagbourne United pull off a shock in the North Berks Cup as the North Berks League Division 3 side knocked out top flight outfit Long Wittenham Athletic, writes Phil Annets. The sides were locked at 1-1 after

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FOOTBALL: Barton's battlers are held by Kings

Andrew Pepperell-Gray grabbed a brace as Barton United were held to a 3-3 draw at home to Premier Division rivals Kings Arms Wheatley in Group A of the Critchleys UTV League's Alan Alder Trophy, writes Tim Siret. Paul Hedger also netted, while Kings

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FOOTBALL: Royals make history

Kidlington Royals gained a pulsating 2-1 victory at Premier Division side and former champions Oxford Yellows to reach their first final in the Oxfordshire FA Sam Waters Sunday Cup, writes TIM SIRET. It has been the long-held desire of Division 1 side

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FOOTBALL: Adderbury take over at the top

OXFORDSHIRE SENIOR LEAGUE Adderbury Park went top of the Premier Division with a 2-0 home win over Bletchingdon. Mark Essex’s superb header gave Adderbury the lead on the hour, and Ashley Wingrove’s late

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Lemurs prove the focus of attention

PHOTO-FRIENDLY ring tailed lemurs enjoyed posing in the sunshine for students at the Cotswold Wildlife Park. The cheeky mammals, a hit with visitors to the Burford park, provided budding photographers from the Abingdon and Witney College with a challenging

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JR's baby unit to get more money

A LAST minute ‘gift’ from the Government means Oxford is significantly closer to doubling the number of beds it can provide for the very sickest of newborn babies. The Department of Health said last night it would give the John Radcliffe Hospital more

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FOOTBALL: Title booster for Bluebirds

OXFORD MAIL GIRLS LEAGUE OXFORD Bluebirds boosted their Under 14 title hopes with a 6-1 home victory over Tower Hill Vixens. Kiera Isaac bagged a second-half hat-trick, while Heidi-Mae Miles and Bonnie Lewis were also on target. Fran Haining had

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FOOTBALL: Hallett fires Saints into final

OXFORDSHIRE SENIOR LEAGUE JASON Hallett’s double helped Marston Saints destroy Premier Division rivals Garsington 4-0 in the President’s Cup semi-finals. All the goals came in the second half, with Hallett slamming home the opener for the hosts from

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Join fight to save NHS

THE Government’s planned reforms of the NHS – the largest since its foundation in 1948 – will affect every person in Oxfordshire in a spectacular fashion. The health service will change beyond recognition within a decade as private healthcare

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MP is in party's pocket

AFTER Liberal Democrat Evan Harris’s third term in office as MP for Oxford West and Abingdon, a few of us felt that it was time to get an MP who would challenge their party occasionally and vote by their conscience and their constituents’ best

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Bring back our yellow lines

AS AN Oxford United supporter and a supporter of the Beechcroft Road traffic-calming yellow road markings, I am disappointed that the county council has collected a yellow card from residents by blacking out the lines this week. Councillor Rodney Rose

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Reasons for prayers

TO BE honest, I think councillors should pray every day (Oxford Mail, February 11) to give thanks to God that they have such a well-paid job, thanks to God because they don’t have to do too much, thanks to God that they can mess up so much and get away

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RACING: Calgary's Gold Cup poser

Calgary Bay could be added to the Betfred Cheltenham Gold Cup line-up in a surprise move. The nine-year-old, from Henrietta Knight’s West Lockinge stables, near Wantage, had been expected to bypass the Festival and wait for the John Smith’s Grand National

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Better way to deliver new swimming pool

NO-ONE should be surprised at the comments by councillor Van Coulter (Oxford Mail, February 24) when he says that even if a challenge to the High Court is successful, Temple Cowley Pools will be demolished. We have become used to the bullish tactics

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Blooms stolen from daffodil display

HOW mean can people be? On Saturday I was one of hundreds of volunteers across the city taking part in OxClean. My patch was at the lower end of Marston Ferry Road and included the bank where, many years ago, tens of thousands of daffodils were planted

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Boaters are an asset

WITH reference to your report on the persecution of boaters (Friday’s Oxford Mail), I believe Oxford City Council, British Waterways and the Environment Agency should be doing everything they can to welcome boaters, not persecute them. Without boats

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LIFE LESSONS: Like an antique I become more valuable with age

WHAT I’M CALLED: Les Sibley. MY AGE IN YEARS: Over 21 and like a priceless antique I become more valuable with age. WHAT I DO: I work full time as a civil servant at MoD Bicester, I also serve the community as an elected Bicester town and Cherwell

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Mini sales boost

OXFORD: UK sales of the Mini rose by more than seven per cent last month, latest figures have revealed. Statistics produced by the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT) revealed 1,260 cars were bought in February, compared to 1,173 in the

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Childish Things beats target

FUNDRAISERS behind a comedy and music extravaganza in aid of an Oxford hospice have smashed their target by more than £10,000. Last week thousands of people flocked to see one of three nights of Childish Things, which was raising money for Helen and

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JR will be at heart of trauma surgery

THE John Radcliffe Hospital is set to become a major trauma centre for the south from next month. Last year the Government announced plans for stroke, major trauma and vascular surgery patients to be treated by specialist staff concentrated in a smaller

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Emma’s smile will ‘stay in our hearts’

THE woman killed in a car crash in Quainton was yesterday hailed as a dedicated and inspirational primary school teacher and Girl Guide leader. Emma Weston, 23, was driving a silver MG ZR involved in a crash with a red Ford Mustang in Blackgrove Road

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War veterans call time on ceremony

BROTHERS Lawrence and Ron Belcher have always been extremely grateful they survived the Second World War. They were two of five brothers who returned home to their mother Helen in Oxford and, over the past two decades, the brothers have attended

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Sex offenders on missing list

OXON: Twelve registered sex offenders in the Thames Valley have disappeared for between one week and a decade from their listed addresses. The force, which issued the information on May 3 last year, said it could only say how many of the 12 wanted convicted

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Late heartbreak for Oxford United

CHRIS Wilder felt tiredness from Saturday’s derby win was a factor as Oxford United let a two-goal lead slip to draw 2-2 at Shrewsbury Town. The U’s came within seconds of becoming the first team to win at the Greenhous Meadow in more than

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COMMENT: New homes must not be bodged job

THE change in housing plans by the Ministry of Defence is almost certainly dictated by finances. Defence chiefs must be aware that the standard of housing for personnel based at RAF Brize Norton is a tender subject, given its history.

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U-turn on RAF homes

PRESSURE was mounting on the Ministry of Defence last night to guarantee downscaled plans for forces’ housing in Carterton were not a “second-best option”. The Ministry of Defence has slashed its plan to build 780 new homes in the town, and

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Man dead after crash on the A34 near Milton

A MAN has died following an early morning crash on the A34 today. pARAMEDICS, fire crews and police were called at around 1.50am to reports of a single vehicle accident on the southbound carriageway between Milton and West Ilsley. A spokesman for

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A slippery secret world of worms

THERE’S more to this worm than meets the eye. In fact he, or she, or both, is at the cutting edge of science as Professor Mark Hodson will demonstrate at a talk in Oxford next week. Prof Hodson, pictured, has been using the UK’s national synchrotron

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Athletes join national campaign to promote sport

TOP athletes will visit the county this spring in a drive to get more people involved in sport. A campaign to sign people up as “Sport Makers” in the run-up to the Olympics was launched in Oxfordshire last year. The campaign, running

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Woman raped twice, court hears

A SATELLITE TV repairman twice raped a woman he had met through his job, a court has heard. The trial of Waad Namek, who denies two charges of rape, began at Oxford Crown Court yesterday. The father-of-three is accused of forcing himself on a 38-year-old

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Arrest threat for nuisance neighbour

AN ANTISOCIAL tenant has been threatened with arrest after repeatedly abusing his neighbours. Roy Willis, 29, of the Tithe Farm Estate, in South Abingdon, was taken to court by Sovereign Housing Association after verbally abusing and threatening residents