Archive

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Would you consider signing up to an electric car club in your area?

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TV star reopens designer outlet

Model and TV presenter Alexa Chung, above, dropped into Bicester Village to relaunch a pop-up shop for up-and-coming fashion designers. Now in its third year, the shop was the brainchild of Bicester Village owner Value Retail and the British Fashion

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A40 shut after motorcyclist injured in crash

THE A40 has been closed tonight near to Burford after an accident between a car and a motorcyclist. Police said they were called at around 4.30pm. The motorcyclist has been taken to the John Radcliffe Hospital. His condition is not known. Work to

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Fears over 'incinerator sandwich'

Councillors look set to decide next month whether to approve plans to build a second incinerator near Bicester. Waste Recycling Group wants to build a burner at Calvert which would mean an extra 84 lorry trips around Bicester every day. Campaigners

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Witney to London and now New York

A musical which started life as a youth project in West Oxfordshire may soon be hitting the bright lights of New York. Stand Tall, by musicians Lee Wyatt-Buchan and brothers Aldie and Sandy Chalmers, has been invited to perform at the New York Musical

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Energy team wins science challenge

Two scientists from Oxfordshire have survived a brain-based version of TV’s “bush tucker trial” to win a national popularity contest. Robin Stafford Allen and Jack Snape both work at Culham Centre for Fusion Energy and were put under pressure from children

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Classic American cars make tracks to Blenheim

BLENHEIM Palace is set for an all-American extravaganza this summer. The world heritage site near Woodstock will be playing host to the Rally of the Giants, a car show which brings a bit of the United States to West Oxfordshire. More

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Female officer is suspended from duty

A female police officer arrested on suspicion of computer misuse has been rebailed until April 17. The 25-year-old Oxford-based officer has also been suspended from duty after her arrest on December 22. A 25-year-old man and a 24-year-old

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Blast death soldier 'had heart of a lion'

AN ARMY Captain who became a father in February, along with two as yet unnamed soldiers, will become the latest of ‘the fallen’ to be repatriated to Oxfordshire tomorrow. Captain Rupert Bowers, from 2nd Battalion, the Mercian Regiment, was attached to

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Properties offer a safe harbour

A Victorian house in Oxford's Walton Manor has a garden bordering the canal, complete with a mooring and electric boat charger. The four-storey, bay- fronted house in Southmoor Road was built in 1883 to a design by local architects Wilkinson & Moore

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UPDATE: One of soldiers killed in Afghanistan had served with Abingdon regiments

ONE of the two soldiers shot dead outside a base in Helmand had previously served with two units in Abingdon, it has emerged today. The Ministry of Defence has just named the two soldiers, killed on Monday outside the Lashkar Gah Main Operating

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Get the Gazette for £5 off your Aldi shopping bill

THE Witney Gazette has teamed up with Aldi to help celebrate the opening of the new store in Alvescot Road, Carterton – by making sure you make some serious savings! Pick up a copy of this week's paper to get a £5 voucher off your next £30

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Local shares (PM)

AEA Technology 0.26 BMW 5682 Electrocomponents 254.5 Nationwide Accident Repair 63.5 Oxford Biomedica 3.1 Oxford Catalysts 48.5 Oxford Instruments 1223.5 Reed Elsevier 564.75 RM 77.4 RPS Group 243.7 Courtesy of Redmayne Bentley, Abingdon

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Residents to have their say on housing development

RESIDENTS campaigning against more than 500 homes being built at Winterbrook in Wallingford are to have their say after it was agreed to reopen a public hearing. South Oxfordshire District Council had originally chosen Slade End Farm, off Wantage Road

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Joyful times in the sunshine at The Sunday Times Oxford Literary Festival

Bathed in glorious sunshine, the buildings of Oxford’s grandest college, Christ Church, are supplying a spectacular setting this week for The Sunday Times Oxford Literary Festival. With a 50 per cent increase in ticket sales and a bigger than ever

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The Rusty Bicycle, Magdalen Road, East Oxford

What is it about Magdalen Road at the moment? Has it been touched with culinary fairy dust or is there something in the water? And while we know about the hares in this gastro race, The Magdalen Arms and the equally cheering Oxfork, The Rusty Bicycle

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Ideal tipples for these sunshine days

Though I am an addicted consumer of gin — well, it’s better than Wilkie Collins on laudanum about which I have been reading this week — I was obliged to miss out on a tutored tasting of one of my favourites, Hendrick’s, at the Oxford Literary Festival

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Car park future is in doubt

THE future of a busy Witney car park hangs in the balance after council chiefs renewed planning permission to build homes on the site. West Oxfordshire District Council has applied to renew two permissions, one to retain Woodford Way car park and one

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Review of Pierre Herme's Macarons

Pierre Hermé is a fourth generation chef, now universally acknowledged as the King of French Pastry, with shops in Tokyo, Paris and London. His book Macarons (Grub Street Press, £25) is one of those glorious hardbacks that is so beautifully illustrated

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How Einstein fled from the Nazis to an Oxford college

M ovements are afoot to found some sort of lasting memorial — a scholarship perhaps — to commemorate the extraordinary role Oxford played in the years before the war when the University offered sanctuary to several Jewish academics fleeing Nazi Germany

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Free first aid for your family

ST JOHN Ambulance is launching a family first aid campaign. Regional training manager Ralph Brown said: “Many people are reluctant to learn first aid as they have concerns over having to use their skills on a stranger. “But most accidents happen in

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Council cash may plug museum gap

COUNCIL cash could be used to bail out Wantage’s museum because not enough has been raised to pay builders working on a major revamp. Vale and Downland Museum still needs to find £200,000 before work on a new two-storey extension finishes next month.

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College gets a makeover

THREE state-of-the-art buildings have been finished at Witney’s college campus and students could move in within weeks. The £7.4m self-financed project at Abingdon and Witney College has created a new building and revamped two existing ones. It includes

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Learning to create a perfect macaron

Macarons are among the most delicate, tasty gems of the pastry world — certainly not something you can knock up at home without hours of practice and an intuitive grasp of the techniques required to create these delectable little treats. It took the talented

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The Pirates! In an Adventure with Scientists and StreetDance2

Bristol-based Aardman Animations, the Oscar-winning creators of Wallace and Gromit and Chicken Run, discover their sea legs in The Pirates! In an Adventure with Scientists, a salty escapade based on the book by Gideon Defoe. Five years in the making

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Oxford Philomusica and Natalie Clein: Sheldonain Theatre

As soon as Natalie Clein steps out, cello in hand, you sense that you are in for a memorable performance. The clues are all there in the purposeful walk and the dreamy, slightly distant look on her face that tells you she is already immersed in the music

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An Evening of Burlesque: New Theatre, Oxford

The art of burlesque goes back centuries, but eventually it became more or less synonymous with strip. In this country it went completely out of fashion, since there are hundreds of places you can go to see girls taking their clothes off. Its revival

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Preview of Animal Farm: Oxford Playhouse

Following the success of their main stage debut last year with Canterbury Tales, Oxford Playhouse Young Company 16|22 presents George Orwell’s Animal Farm, for three performances tomorrow and Saturday. George Orwell’s timeless story of rebellion, power

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Ballet Central: Chipping Norton Theatre and touring

This company consists of graduating students of the Central School of Ballet — 30 dancers from 11 different countries. The idea is to give them valuable stage experience before they embark on their professional careers, and by the look of this

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70 x 70 x70: Susan Avery: Art Jericho

Oxford-based artist Susan Avery’s latest show is composed of 70 small watercolours with a matched price of £70 and timed to celebrate a significant zero in her life: hence its title. Ever modest, Avery felt embarrassed about celebrating just herself so

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Art at the Edge: Ashmolean Museum

Sir Roger Bannister was on good form at the opening of the Art at the Edge exhibition at the Ashmolean. Sir Roger was invited to open Sculpture and Sport: a celebration for 2012 because the show will move on to the London Olympics in August. Sir

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All Saints' Singers: Sutton Courtenay

Rossini’s Petite Messe Solennelle must surely be one of the most delightful works in the choral repertoire, with its sumptuous melodies, quirky rhythms and operatic fervour, underpinned by a general sense of fun and optimism rarely found in liturgical

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Travelling Light: The National Theatre, Waterside Aylesbury

A far from full house at the Aylesbury Waterside greeted the arrival on Tuesday of the National Theatre’s Travelling Light — a reflection, no doubt, of the decidedly mixed reviews Nicholas Wright’s play received during its recent run at the Lyttelton.

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Compagnie Retouramont: Oxford Castle

Last year this French company’s performance was one of the hits of Dancin’ Oxford, with a single dancer suspended against the wall of the former prison. Encouraged by this success they came back this year with five dancers, to present their new show Danse

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Lucian Freud Portraits: National Portrait Gallery

No prizes for guessing the hottest art ticket in London town this season, so far: the Hockney landscapes. But now, Lucian Freud Portraits over at the National Portrait Gallery puts in very strong competition. It’s an unmissable show: iconic works

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Festival revels in Woody

America’S most iconic film-maker, and funnyman, Woody Allen is being celebrated in this year’s Oxford Film Festival. Starting on Sunday May 13, the six-day festival will screen such classics as Annie Hall, Manhattan, Love and Death, Hannah and Her Sisters

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Chance to rail against HS2

People affected by the new high-speed rail link between London and Birmingham will get a chance to have their concerns raised at a series of 25 community forums along the route. The meetings are for invited people only and will include local groups,

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First month on air for community radio station

IT has been a big month for Oxford’s newest community radio station. OX105.4FM started broadcasting on February 27. Bosses hope its successful month will be the first of many to come. Chairman Geno Humphrey said: “It’s running well. These are obviously

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Easy riders come to pets' rescue

Dozens of motorbikes roared into action to deliver hundreds of tins of pet food to an Oxfordshire animal sanctuary. It was the second year running Beerhounds Motorcycle Club organised a charity food run in aid of the Oxford Animal Sanctuary at Stadhampton

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Businesses need space

Bicester may need an extra 200 acres of employment land to keep up with residential development in the town, according to a business group. A working party under the Bicester Vision Partnership wants to see more land designated for business to keep pace

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Concert to mark special milestones

Two choirs are set to join forces to perform a Last Night of the Proms concert to mark two milestone anniversaries. Banbury Choral Society is celebrating its 70th anniversary and Warriner Choral Society is celebrating its 40th year. More than 130 singers

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Boarders to stay in ‘an upmarket hotel’

THIS is what a planned new £4m boarding house at Oxford’s St Edward’s School will look like. Planning permission has just been granted for the new girls’ boarding house at the Woodstock Road school that is described as ‘like an upmarket hotel’. The

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£4m block for girls is approved

THIS is what a planned new £4m boarding house at Oxford’s St Edward’s School will look like. Planning permission has just been granted for the new girls’ boarding house at the Woodstock Road school that is described as ‘like an upmarket hotel’. The

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Boaters protest at hike in charges

BOATERS are complaining their mooring fees have risen by more than a third in three years on a stretch of the Oxford Canal in the city. Thirteen boaters live on narrowboats near Hythe Bridge Street in the city centre and pay for residential moorings

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Pastors tap into street spirit

A GROUP of Banbury’s faithful will be taking to the streets to help shepherd home those who are worse for wear. The town is the latest in Oxfordshire to boast street pastors, an interdenominational Christian group which aims to help late night

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Prison suicide prompts action

A REPORT into the death of a man who cut his throat while on trial for murder has finally been published, more than three years after his death. Russell Yeates was on trial for the murder of his wife, Debbie Smith, in January 2009. But

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Who was Oxford United's man-of-the-match at Accrington Stanley

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Mugger left 'bad image'

A teenage tourist was robbed on the steps of an Oxford University building in what a judge called “about the worst advertisement for this city”. James Andrews, pictured, snatched a mobile phone from a Taiwanese visitor outside the department

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Electro Kif: The Oxford Playhouse

According to director Blanca Li, this is the first theatrical show based on electro dance, a new style that has evolved in Paris over the past few years. Li, a widely experienced producer, director and choreographer, told me she decided to make a show

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FOOTBALL: Rose Hill blossom

Rose Hill reached the Oxford City FA Couling Cup final with a 5-1 win at Blackbird Leys in the semis. Michael Bateman, James Ford, substitute Kamen Matthews (penalty), Colin Ryan and James Ford did the damage for the visitors.

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WOMEN'S FOOTBALL: Freeman seals away spoils

Tower Hill Ladies stayed unbeaten in Division 1 of the Thames Valley Counties Women’s League after the second-placed side record an impressive 3-1 victory at third-place Unity. Charley Hamilton put Tower ahead with a solo effort, only for Unity to level

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GIRLS FOOTBALL: Amazing Anna hits six-timer

Anna Jiminez smashed six goals as St Edmunds beat Highworth Town 7-3 in the Oxford Mail Under 15 Girls League. Incredibly, St Edmunds trailed 3-1, with April England on target, before Jiminez scored six successive times to give her side a terrific victory

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FOOTBALL: James is the hero

Marlon James bagged a brace as AFC Hinksey beat Witney & District FA side Hanborough 3-0 in the semi-finals of the Oxfordshire Charity Cup. Luke Bremner was the Oxfordshire Senior League outfit’s other marksman. They now face Mansfield Road in the final

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YOUTH FOOTBALL: Tower in first win of 2012

Tower Hill notched up their first win of 2012 with a 2-0 success against Highfield Juniors in the Giles Sports Under 14 A Witney & District Youth League, thanks to a double from Redd Pratley. Enstone Sports won 4-0 against Eynsham Youth in the B League

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2012 OX5 Run Results

To find your result, use the Find function (for Windows Ctrl and F) and enter your surname Posn Name Time 1 Edward Mezzetti

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FOOTBALL: Title hopefuls Hailey fall to Carterton

Hailey’s Witney & District FA Premier Division title charge suffered a jolt with a 3-1 defeat at Carterton A, writes ANTHONY BARLOW. Craig Isle, Lee Manning and Rob Marsh scored for the hosts, with Dan Crossman the Hailey marksman. North Leigh A missed

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FOOTBALL: Yarnton fightback sets up final spot

Yarnton Res reached the Oxfordshire Senior League's Ivor Gubbins Cup final with a 2-1 comeback victory against Eynsham Res. Eynsham went ahead when a shot hit defender Edward Stevens before going into his own net. But that was as good as it got for

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SCHOOLS' FOOTBALL: Barley Hill dreams over

Barley Hill School, Thame’s dreams of representing Oxford United at Wembley in the npower Kids Cup were dashed as they bowed out in the southern regional final at the club’s Roman Way training ground. Goalless draws in their first four games

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SCHOOLS' FOOTBALL: Vale joy at final place

Vale of White Horse manager Des Williams was delighted for his players after they were handed a place in the ESFA Under 15 Trophy final following the decision to boot out their semi-final conquerors, Bromley, for fielding an ineligible player. A 1-0

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FOOTBALL: Hinksey stoke up treble tilt

AFC Hinksey stayed on course for a unique treble with a 2-0 win at AFC Jericho in the Critchleys Upper Thames Valley League's Hedley Toms/Michael Brown quarter-final, writes TIM SIRET. Adam Doyle finished off a Lance Williams cross in the first half

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FOOTBALL: Hedger slams super double

PAUL Hedger bagged a brace as Oxford University Press ended Garsington’s long unbeaten run in the Oxfordshire Senior League Premier Division with a 4-1 win. The hosts, who were undefeated since the end of last year, took the lead when Joe Cook fired

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Two bombs found near primary school

TWO bombs have been discovered on a building site close to a primary school near Didcot — the second discovery of explosives in two months. Thames Valley Police spokesman Rebecca Webber said officers were alerted at 8.21am today. They were called

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FOOTBALL: Basham strike keeps City in hunt

STEVE Basham’s opportunist strike earned Oxford City a 1-0 victory over Bedford Town in the Evo-Stik Southern League Premier Division. City climbed to third as a result and maintain their push for a play-off spot. Basham fired home on 47 minutes after

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You can make a difference

A FAIR to help connect aspiring volunteers with organisations that need help attracted almost 100 people yesterday. The Volunteering Fair took place at Oxford Town Hall, in St Aldate’s, and 37 groups were on hand to offer volunteering opportunities.

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THE DISABLED SPACE: Put yourself in this hot seat

ARE you a fan of quiz shows? Do you enjoy ticking boxes in magazines asking about your likes and dislikes? And how about the television? They are always encouraging you to twitter or email them. Plus there’s the National Lottery, all holding out a promise

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LIT FEST DIARY: Baker stands in for cheesemaker

BROKEN hearts littered the cobbled walkways of Christ Church just seconds after the news broke – Alex James, best known as the bass player of Blur, would not be attending the Festival. Of course, it wasn’t as if he was going to play, but nonetheless

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Watering problems

I HAVE read with some interest Thames Water’s proposed plans to build a new reservoir and how they need this to keep us all supplied, and I notice they are going to introduce a hosepipe ban shortly, as they are running low. Well, if they are unable

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Poor toilet humour!

LEAVING aside hackneyed quips regarding the premature arrival of April Fool’s Day, I am seriously beginning to wonder whether “loo supremo” or “toilet tsar” John Tanner is paradoxically and pathetically attempting to extract the urine out of the rest

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LIFE LESSONS: ‘I am so lucky to work in such an inspiring venue’

WHAT I’M CALLED: Helen Statham MY AGE IN YEARS: 26 – although apparently I can pass for 15 as I was asked whether I would like a ‘half’ on the bus quite recently! WHAT I DO: I manage the O3 Gallery at Oxford Castle Quarter. This entails programming

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Delay to trial is ‘unacceptable’

A JUDGE has voiced his anger at a blunder that delayed the trial of a man who Tasered a teenager and repeatedly beat her. Jay Dyce, who admits punching, slapping and whipping the girl with a belt, denies raping her while filming it. The 21-year-old

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Tax dodging

I WOULD like to reply to Keith Mitchell’s letter (Oxford Mail, March 8). His suggestion was that John Tanner takes a one-way ticket to Greece. The country’s tax evasion is a national game where others pay what they can’t afford. Social welfare and

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A big thank you

PLEASE can I say a big thank you to the people who helped me in my hour of need. Firstly there was the wonderful lady who kindly took me in to Witney when the 9am bus did not run. Then later in the morning having left the Co-op, I realised my purse

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Trip down Memory Lane

I ENJOYED the article about Nunnery Close (Oxford Mail, Saturday March 17). I was the first occupant of the police house at number 1 and John Meadley was next door in number 2. Sadly, he died in Reading in February. Cowley police station did not exist

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Council’s hands are tied

I SHARE the concern expressed by the tenant who asked why council rents are going up at a rate above inflation. Like with so many things a council does, it must follow rules set by national government. This year the Coalition Government requires that

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PM’s privatisation plan would be a road to ruin

PRIME Minister David Cameron’s proposal to privatise Britain’s roads is a good idea on paper only. The plan is ill thought-out, with the prospect of roads going nowhere except putting profits in the pockets of the backers. Included in the plans is the

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Old Thatcherism brought to life

THE Government’s plan to have local pay agreements instead of national pay agreements is old Thatcherism brought to life. In the 1980s, Norman Tebbit, then Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, or perhaps a better title would have been “Minister

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Coroner praises soldiers' courage

COLLEAGUES of an Oxfordshire soldier fatally injured as she tried to defuse a bomb in Afghanistan were yesterday praised for risking their lives to help her. Captain Lisa Jade Head, of Didcot-based 11 Explosive Ordnance Disposal Regiment, the

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COMMENT: True courage

THE fatal injuries Captain Lisa Head suffered while trying to clear bombs were truly horrific. It is amazing for us civilians to read of the sheer bravery of people like Captain Head and her colleagues who went to her rescue. They know the dangers and

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Ice cream treat for a marvellous March day

HERE comes the sun – and people across Oxfordshire have been soaking it up. Temperatures are several degrees higher than normal for this time of year and an area of high pressure over the UK has meant clear skies. Yesterday temperatures hit a high of

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Glass smashed

OXFORD: This is the woman British Transport Police (BTP) want to talk to about a smashed glass door at Oxford train station in the early hours of March 11. Officers believe she was in a group and collected by someone driving a silver Peugeot 206 at 2.30am

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Cyclist, 15, is injured in collision

A TEENAGE cyclist needed hospital treatment yesterday after her bike was involved in a collision with a car in Wallingford. The 15-year-old girl was taken to the John Radcliffe Hospital in Oxford following the collision with a black Ford Mondeo in Atwell

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OAP fighting for her life

WANTAGE: A 66-year-old woman was last night fighting for her life after an accident involving a Stagecoach bus in Wallingford Street. The 31 bus was travelling from Wantage to Oxford via Abingdon. A police spokesman said the accident happened just before

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OAP fighting for her life

WANTAGE: A 66-year-old woman was last night fighting for her life after an accident involving a Stagecoach bus in Wallingford Street. The 31 bus was travelling from Wantage to Oxford via Abingdon. A police spokesman said the accident happened just before

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Time for a jubilee party

BUNTING and bubbly look set to fill the streets of Oxfordshire this summer as celebrations for the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee gather pace. In January, the Oxford Mail reported there had been just two applications for street closures in the whole county.

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COMMENT: Celebrating as a community

THERE is a real momentum building towards celebrating The Queen’s Diamond Jubilee after what some feared was an initial sense of apathy. So far there are 33 street parties authorities have been told about. The likelihood is many more than those are

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Man dies after being hit by train

A MAN died after being struck by a train in North Oxfordshire last night. British Transport Police spokesman Bob Burrows said the man was hit on the line close to Heyford railway station in Station Road, Lower Heyford, at about 8.35pm. Services

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Charity's the winner

A team from Banbury Young Homeless Project came out top at a town fun run. The team of five, including charity volunteers, teenagers who use the service and the chief executive officer, scooped the trophy for fastest team at the two-mile Banbury Fun

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Lessons in sign language

Children at one Oxford school aren’t just learning their ABCs, they are learning them in sign language too. Pupils at Christ Church Cathedral School in Brewer Street have been learning to say ‘please’ and ‘thank you’ in sign language. Teacher KT Bruce

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Park Hospital plan moves step closer

Oxford University hopes to buy up more land in Headington in the next few weeks. The 28-acre Park Hospital site, which is owned by Oxford Health NHS Foundation Trust, is next to the university’s Old Road campus which it was recently given permission

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Readers provide answers to memorial plaque mystery

THE mystery surrounding an early 20th century memorial has been solved, thanks to Oxford Mail readers. Last week, Drayton resident Alan Bourne contacted the paper to try to trace the names of two men on the brass plaque. He found the