Archive

Date

Blood cancer study gets £170k

Oxford scientists have been awarded £170,000 for research into beating cancer. Experts from Oxford University will use the money for a three-year study into how a genetic mutation within blood cells can lead to cancer, offering hope that new drugs could

Date

Lack of rain spawns fears for wildlife

Conservationists in Oxfordshire say the drought has already had a noticeable effect on the county’s wildlife. It comes as the Environment Agency warns that some ponds and streams could dry up completely in the looming drought. Thames

Date

‘Rape lies gave me 10 months of hell’

A MAN falsely accused of rape has spoken of his “10 months of hell”. Mark Just was unanimously cleared of two charges at Oxford Crown Court on Friday. The 26-year-old always admitted having sex with a woman near Cogges Farm in Witney

Date

Local share prices (PM)

AEA Technology 0.26 BMW 5715 Electrocomponents 255.8 Nationwide Accident Repair 61.5 Oxford Biomedica 3.25 Oxford Catalysts 48.5 Oxford Instruments 1231 Reed Elsevier 542.25 RM 81 RPS Group 241.6 Courtesy of Redmayne Bentley

Date

Meals on wheels

PEOPLE are being urged to donate food to an animal sanctuary which will be delivered on Saturday by a convoy of motorbikes. For the second year running Beerhounds Motorcycle Club is organising a charity food run in aid of Oxford Animal Sanctuary

Date

Warning for gliders

GLIDER pilots flying from Bicester will for the first time get an electronic warning system alerting them to other aircraft in the area. Bicester Gliding Centre has been given £8,535 by Sport England. The cash will pay for a warning system for all nine

Date

REVIEW: Joan Baez at Oxford's New Theatre

Joan Baez delivered a show that was brave, affirming, and moving at Oxford’s New Theatre. Baez is a disciplined entertainer with over 50 years in the business and the show was tight. Unlike some, she has an amazing ability to bond with her audience.

Date

REVIEW: Star Quality at Oxford Playhouse

My first Coward play, Star Quality could be a play just for luvvies darling! Crammed full of inside jokes and titters for which someone like me (I was turned down to play the role of Jacob Marley’s Ghost aged 13 and never auditioned again) can only

Date

The Grapes is open and in great hands

Everyone with a love of good pubs — and I can hardly exclude myself from that happy band — will applaud the return to top form, under new brewery operators, of The Grapes, in George Street. Oxford City Council, with acumen far from typical, has

Date

Trouble with debit card in Aldi

My enthusiasm for the supermarket chain Aldi, expressed a couple of times recently here, took a slight knock on Tuesday following an experience in the store off the Botley Road. Arriving at the till to pay for my shopping, I was dismayed to find that

Date

Noel Coward was early victim of tax anger

As Ken Livingstone is likely to find to his cost on May 3, the election day for the London Mayor, the vast majority of us who pay our taxes without recourse to anything that might be judged ‘funny business’ hold a grudge against those who do not

Date

Business booms at a community shop

I love attending village events, particularly when there’s something very special to celebrate, as there was at Wootton-by-Woodstock. I was there to present an award to manager Pan Jones and the 40 volunteers who have run the community shop since 2007

Date

The Fishes, North Hinksey; La Cucina, St Clements, Oxford; and Quod, High Street, Oxford

In a weekend of even more than usual self-indulgence on the nose-bagging front, I ate at three of my favourite Oxford restaurants on consecutive days. (Well, it’s surely a citizen’s duty to help spend us out of recession.) Since my intensive programme

Date

Recipe for green leaf stir fry (serves 4)

While visiting Charlbury’s Farmers’ Market I found myself filling my shopping bag with Swiss chard, Cavolo Nero, which is the strong flavoured Italian cabbage, a savoy cabbage and a bunch of purple sprouting because they looked so fresh. I had no idea

Date

Subjects caught by John Aubrey at the stroke of a quill

John Aubrey, of whom I wrote last week, had an extraordinary ability to capture, with a few strokes of the quill, the essence of another person, to discover what he or she was really like. In his bid to help the 17th-century historian Anthony Wood

Date

Preview of Woodstock Music Society concerts, In England

As the title suggests, Woodstock Music Society’s next concert is a celebration of English composers — specifically, Elgar, Howells, Finzi and Rubbra. In England explores some of the lesser-known choral and orchestral works of these composers from the

Date

Little Bulb Theatre; Great Milton

The Marvellous & unlikely fete of Little UPPER DOWNING [sic] is a simple recipe for an inspiring night out. The story: the villagers of Little and Upper Downing sworn enemies until one night, in the fog, two musicians bump into each other and form

Date

Wild Bill and The Hunger Games

Actor Dexter Fletcher makes an assured directorial debut with a gritty tale of retribution and reconciliation, shot largely on the mean streets of east London. While there may be dodgy geezers and explosions of graphic violence, not to mention some cheeky

Date

newChoir: Exeter College Chapel

Absolutely nothing to do with New College, newChoir was founded two months ago, and fielded some 40 members at this, its debut concert. It was good to see Oxford music lovers willing to try something new — an almost full house greeted this new venture

Date

Preview of Oxford Lent Concerts: The Queen's College Chapel

The seventh series of Oxford Lent concerts has been launched, and explores baroque music by European composers, spanning three centuries and encompassing three different languages and religious traditions. Dr Owen Rees, Music Fellow and Organist at The

Date

Jubilate!: The Queen's College Chapel

The music of Tomás Luis de Victoria can sound as dry as dust in the wrong hands. But Jubilate! conductor Simon Whalley believes in drawing plenty of colour from his singers, as he showed when building up Victoria’s rich harmonies. Thus it was that Jubilate

Date

Star Quality: Oxford Playhouse

Experiences from a lifetime in theatre were fashioned into fiction by Noël Coward in his 1951 short story Star Quality. It placed centre-stage a pampered, petulant and utterly charismatic actress with a more than passing resemblance to the Master

Date

La Fille Mal Gardee, Russian State Ballet of Siberia, Aylesbury Waterside Theatre

La Fille Mal Gardée is a light-hearted tale of country folk. Colas, a young farmer, is in love with Lise, and she loves him. The fly in this romantic ointment is that Simone, Lise’s mother, has arranged for her to marry Alain, the simpleton son

Date

Preview of How Are You?: Hemingwayart, Cassington

Hemingwayart, in Cassington, is hosting a charity auction of a wide range of works of art in aid of three charities: Helen and Douglas House, Oxford Children’s Hospital Fund for Children and Magdalen Road Studios. The first two need no introduction

Date

La traviata: Welsh National Opera, Milton Keynes Theatre

WNO’s traditional spring visit to our region began in fine form on Tuesday with a revival of David McVicar’s affecting production of La traviata. Warmly applauded at the New Theatre, Oxford, on its first appearance three years ago (with ‘local boy

Date

Joan Baez: New Theatre, Oxford

She probably didn’t appear on a stage with a couch, standard lamp and flower vase when she burst forth in 1960, but Joan Baez is of such sanctified and iconic status half a century on that if she wants such props with her, she damn well can. Anyway,

Date

Prince of Wales supports new eco homes

AN OXFORDSHIRE housing developer has become the first in the UK to sign up to build eco homes endorsed by the Prince of Wales. Dorchester Group has teamed up with The Prince’s Foundation and Ideal Home Show owner Media 10 to build sustainable homes at

Date

New building for playgroup

A new playgroup building proved a hit with the children this weekend – as did the sweets. Launton Playgroup, near Bicester, has operated from a portable building for the past 25 years. But after about £175,000 funding from Oxfordshire

Date

Clubbers could hold key evidence to stab attack

THESE club-goers may have information to help detectives investigating the attempted murder of a 22-year-old man in Oxford. The victim was found with multiple stab wounds to his arm and stomach in Temple Street, East Oxford, at 1.30am on Sunday, February

Date

Should Blackbird Leys be moved into the Henley parliamentary constituency?

Date

Special school's academy bid

AN ‘OUTSTANDING’ special school in Oxford has applied to Education Secretary Michael Gove for permission to convert to an academy. Governors at Northern House School, in South Parade, Summertown, agreed unanimously to apply to convert. The school, rated

Date

Schools get £12k new play facilities

CHILDREN at two Oxfordshire schools will be able to time their fun with a solar clock and even take lessons outside thanks to new play areas. Tower Hill Primary School in Witney and Watlington Primary School spent a combined total of £12,000 on the facilities

Date

Merlins site could magic up five new shops

FIVE new shops could be built in Witney on the site of discount store Merlins. Realis Estates Ltd has applied to demolish the current building in Welch Way and replace it with a two-storey one. A spokesman said there had already been “significant interest

Date

FOOTBALL: Didcot put dent in North Leigh hopes

North Leigh’s hopes of making the Evo-Stik Southern League Division 1 South & West play-offs were dented by local rivals Didcot Town, who held them to a 3-3 draw on Tuesday night. Elliott Osborne-Ricketts put the home side ahead, but two Anaclet Odhiambo

Date

Tories say Blackbird Leys must move

BLACKBIRD Leys must move into the Henley MP constituency to prevent boundary changes to rural villages, the Conservatives have insisted. The party said Blackbird Leys and Northfield Brook should move out of Labour-held Oxford East. This

Date

MP tackles prickly issue of science

OXFORD West and Abingdon MP Nicola Blackwood got up close and personal with reptiles, arthropods and a small hedgehog during a visit to an Abingdon school. Ms Blackwood visited St Helen and St Katharine School on Friday to take part in a range

Date

Historic hostelry is set to reopen

DRINKERS could soon be enjoying a pint by the river at a popular Abingdon pub after a deal was struck to reopen it. The Nags Head at Abingdon Bridge will open later this year after a ‘substantial investment’ by a newly appointed landlord. The historic

Date

Local shares (AM)

AEA Technology 0.26 BMW 5734 Electrocomponents 258.6 Nationwide Accident Repair 61.5 Oxford Biomedica 3.3 Oxford Catalysts 48.5 Oxford Instruments 1236 Reed Elsevier 542.75 RM 82 RPS Group 239.5 Courtesy of Redmayne Bentley

Date

Taxi driver ban

AN unlicensed taxi driver has been ordered to pay more than £4,000 and banned from driving. Roy King, 53, from Church Street, Appleford, who was working for OK Corporate Cars, pleaded guilty and was also given eight penalty points for driving

Date

FOOTBALL: Hailey's deadly double put Combe to the sword

Hailey hotshots Luke Manning and Danny King scored doubles as the leaders stretched their advantage at the top of the Witney & District FA Premier Division to five points with a 5-1 hammering of Combe. Carl Williams was their other marksman, with Sam

Date

Protest at parking permit zone

Protesters barricaded County Hall yesterday to oppose plans for a residents’ parking scheme in East Oxford. About a dozen neighbours from Magdalen Road and nearby roads blocked County Hall’s New Road car park with placards and banners. The protest was

Date

Crash rescue

A pensioner was cut free from his car after it crashed into a ditch. Fire and ambulance crews were called to the A415 near the Marcham Interchange in Abingdon at 10.10pm on Monday. The man, in his 80s, was taken to Oxford’s John Radcliffe Hospital.

Date

FOOTBALL: Mobbs is spot-on

Sid Mobbs’s penalty earned Fairview a 3-2 victory over Golden Ball in the Premier Cup. Jack Merrill and Kevin Cox also netted for Fairview, while goals from Will Davenport and John Ramsey saw Golden Ball twice lead.

Date

Struggling school wows Ofsted

An Oxford primary has become the latest in a string of city schools to be taken out of special measures. John Henry Newman Primary School, in Littlemore, was told it no longer needed special measures two weeks after similar celebrations at SS Mary and

Date

FOOTBALL: It's Aussie rules

North Berks League history was made at Sutton Courtenay where their 8-2 win over Benson Lions in Division 2 was officiated by an Australian female referee for the first time. Rachel Mitchenson, from Brisbane, is more accustomed to officiating

Date

FOOTBALL: Barrett is late hero

Aaron Barrett scored a last-gasp equaliser for Garsington in a thrilling 2-2 draw at Freeland in the Oxfordshire Senior League Premier Division. Barrett had opened the scoring, only for the hosts to level through Simon Calley’s header. After the break

Date

FOOTBALL: Crowmarsh in double quest

Crowmarsh Gifford are still eyeing up a league and cup double following a 3-2 extra-time victory over Saxton Rovers, in their North Berks Cup quarter-final. Sam Whiteley put the Division 1 leaders ahead, only for Tom Aldsworth to level for Saxton, who

Date

SCHOOLS' FOOTBALL: Clarke's cracker seals it for Oxon

JAMES Clarke’s second-half strike gave Oxfordshire Under 16s a 1-0 win over Dorset at Swanage and ensured they won the Southern section of the South West Counties competition. It was Oxon’s eighth consecutive victory, and it puts them through to the

Date

FOOTBALL: Constant trio spurs Hinksey

Jelroy Constant hit a hat-trick as AFC Hinksey hammered Division 1 opponents OUP Wanderers 7-0 in the Critchleys Upper Thames Valley League's Devenney Cup semi-finals, writes Tim Siret. Lance Williams opened the scoring for Hinksey from the

Date

THE DISABLED SPACE: Potholes make for a rough ride

SO, TECHNICALLY, I am a driver (albeit of my wheelchair). Well, what do all drivers hate? Potholes. In a car a pothole might make you swerve, unexpectedly jump, or cause damage to your vehicle. In a wheelchair a pothole has a

Date

Debating parking issue

I READ with interest the letter from Alan Spence about the dangerous parking in Old Marston (Oxford Mail ViewPoints, March 12). May I ask Alan if he filled in the parking survey form which was sent out to every household in Old Marston with the January

Date

Thanks for your support

I HAVE just returned to the station after conducting my last patrol of Oxford city centre after 32 years in Thames Valley Police, of which 11 have been spent as neighbourhood officer for Oxford city centre. The article (Oxford Mail, March 10) outlining

Date

YOUTH FOOTBALL: Bellinger's the hat-trick hero

Jack Bellinger’s hat-trick saw Ducklington reach the Under 11 Knockout Cup final with a 3-0 win at Deddington Town Colts Sharks in the Giles Sports Witney Youth League. They now meet Middleton Cheney, who won 5-1 at Tower Hill. Ryan MacDonald (2), Elliot

Date

Please think about litter

I AM nine and my friend Libby is seven. I am going to write to the council about the lack of litter bins in our area. At the moment we are collecting a lot of litter and this is filling up my dustbin and hers. Just thought we could get people to think

Date

Taken for a ride

THE ex-police horse donated to Rebekah Brooks has apparently been ridden by David Cameron and presumably by Charlie Brooks also. It would have been ridden by the world and his brother, so we are told in the Press. One person has not ridden it – Jeremy

Date

Puzzle over petition

I RECENTLY submitted the following e-petition to the Government website: “Governments of any colour should be aware that any armed incursion into a foreign land will not be carried out ‘In My Name’ and further, any government minister who votes in Parliament

Date

Help at hand for veterans

THIS spring marks the 30th anniversary of the Falklands War. In 1982, the battle to recapture the Falkland Islands cost 255 British lives. It is a conflict that remains in the minds of the soldiers, sailors and airmen who were involved. All remember

Date

Simple remedies can ease water shortage

IT seems that the impoverished water companies think it would be too expensive to create a national pipeline to get water from the soggy North West down to the arid South East. In fact they have stated it would be “10 times more expensive” than building

Date

LIFE LESSONS: Jude Stevenson

WHAT I'M CALLED: Jude Stevenson. MY AGE IN YEARS: 28 – ?! (did I get away with that?). WHAT I DO: Everything! I’m mum to Erin and Eilish. I’ve been chair of Young Hearts for 18 months and I work full-time as technical quality manager for a high

Date

NHS CHANGE: Police intervene during protest

POLICE intervened after a protest against changes to the NHS moved to the offices of a private healthcare company yesterday. Campaigners from organisations including Keep Our NHS Public and Oxford Anti-Cuts Alliance were escorted from the Oxford offices

Date

NHS CHANGE: £650,000 to cover for local doctors

MANAGERS have spent more than £650,000 to cover for local doctors trying to set up new organisations as part of the country’s health reforms. The Health and Social Care Bill gives GPs and other clinicians more responsibility for spending the

Date

Power cut hits large city area

A power cut hit 3,491 properties in East Oxford yesterday. Electricity was cut from 2.37pm until 3.03pm. Southern Electric was last night investigating the cause of the power cut. A spokesman for the company apologised to anyone who had been affected

Date

Three reports made on golf club killer

THREE separate psychiatric reports were carried out into the mental health of Jonathan Limani before he was charged with manslaughter by reason of diminished responsibility. The 34-year-old, who was sentenced to a minimum of 19 years at Oxford Crown

Date

Railway carriage vies for Shed of the Year title

MOST railway carriages are heading for the scrapyard when they are taken off the rails. But after buying one such carriage for just £23, an Oxfordshire man has spent 11 years and nearly £7,000 restoring it to its former glory. Peter Strange, 65, from

Date

COMMENT: Passion for sheds

Sheds. Normally you wouldn’t give them a thought. But thanks to the passion of some of Oxfordshire’s most enthusiastic shed lovers, the county is actually well represented in this year’s Shed of the Year competition. Their commitment

Date

Website errors in housing debate

OXFORD City Council could not say last night whether a consultation on plans for new housing in Barton would be extended after errors were found in official documents. A consultation on the third draft of the Barton Area Action Plan, a document that

Date

Knife assault

A 55-YEAR-OLD schizophrenic confronted a disabled man with a knife. Paul Summersbey was given a community order at Oxford Crown Court yesterday having earlier admitted common assault on Mark Magee. The victim was visiting a friend on December 18, 2010

Date

Bus season ticket prices set to rise

PRICES for some season tickets for bus journeys in Oxford are set to rise by up to 12.5 per cent. Bus company bosses say rising fuel costs was a key reason for the rise, set to come into effect on Sunday, April 1. The four-week SmartZone ticket – which

Date

COMMENT: NHS reform costs just don't add up

The controversy over NHS reforms looks set to simmer on with little risk of bubbling dry. And today’s revelation over the costs involved in setting up the reforms will do little to heal wounds. Though let us clarify that it is not the

Date

Oxford United boss Wilder to fine himself after dismissal

CHRIS Wilder said he would fine himself for an outburst which saw the Oxford United boss sent to the stands late in the 1-0 win over AFC Wimbledon last night. With the home side hanging on to a slender lead in the final minute the visitors were awarded

Date

Thousands turn out to salute six heroes

OXFORDSHIRE united yesterday to pay its respects to six fallen heroes and support the grief-stricken families they leave behind. Thousands of people, including 2,500 in Carterton alone, stood shoulder to shoulder in silence at the repatriation of the

Date

Farewell to Roger Belson

The memorial service for Oxfordshire County councillor Roger Belson will take place in London today. Mr Belson, 62, served for 13 years in the army and his service will be held at Wellington Barracks in Westminster at 3pm. He was paralysed in a car

Date

Man resucitated after head on smash

A MAN had to be resucitated at the scene of a head-on car crash in Witney last night. The Reliant Kitten passenger, thought to be in his 60s, was seriously injured in the smash with a Seat Leon on Oxford Hill at the junction with Jubilee Way.

Date

Man rescued from flat fire

A MAN who had fallen asleep in a chair was rescued from a flat blaze last night after food in his oven caught fire. A neighbour smelt smoke and called the fire brigade in the incident in Christchurch Court, Banbury, at about 9.50pm. Crew manager

Date

Author adds voice to Botanic Garden guide

IN THE last chapter of Philip Pullman’s award-winning novel The Amber Spyglass, Lyra Belacqua and Will Parry promise to meet on a bench in Oxford’s Botanic Garden at Midsummer’s Day each year. Since the novel was published 11 years ago, the bench has

Date

Sex assaults in park

A TEENAGER and a woman have been sexually assaulted in two separate incidents at the same Bicester park. A 15-year-old girl was touched inappropriately at the nature reserve in Bure Park on Monday. Six days earlier, as previously reported, a 44-year-old

Date

Town council quizzed over hall dispute

WITNEY Town Council has learnt to be more “mindful” when taking future legal action following a £143,000 bill it saddled itself with. But it stopped short of apologising to taxpayers over the Madley Park Hall issue. The council was left with the huge