Archive
-
Date
The Scales of Justice
People convicted of offences at magistrates' courts around the county recently: OXFORD Ewan Fraser, 26, of Hermitage Road, Abingdon, admitted criminally damaging a door in Iffley Road, Oxford, on June 16. Fined £150, a £15 victims’ surcharge
-
Date
New plans for derelict Headington home
A DILAPIDATED Headington house that is currently under appeal to be demolished could be refurbished instead. After a long-running wrangle with Oxford City Council , developer Martin Young, who owns 29 Old High Street, has applied for permission
-
Date
Alice story inspires curious Oxford exhibition
ART inspired by Alice in Wonderland is part of celebrations at Oxford Castle ’s O3 Gallery this month. It features everything from paintings and digital soundscapes to this installation featuring familiar Alice trademarks and memorabilia. This
-
Date
The Temper Trap talk about headlining Truck Fest and playing at Wilderness
TIM HUGHES talks to Truck and Wilderness stars The Temper Trap about their new-found love of the English summer music festival THEY’VE played everywhere from Sydney Opera House and Hollywood to London’s Somerset House. But for their next gig, indie-rockers
-
Date
Closing street will cause 'gridlock and harm trade'
BICESTER businesses claim closing North Street as part of a £1.3m major re-working of town centre roads is “half thought through”. Oxfordshire County Council is consulting over plans to make St John’s Street two-way traffic , replace traffic lights
-
Date
St Clement's car park entrance plans are 'misleading'
AN IMAGE showing a landscaped entrance into a redeveloped St Clement’s car park has misled residents, it is claimed. Submitted with planning proposals for the site, the artist’s impression shows a wide entrance into the car park, where 140 student
-
Date
Powerful Images Capture Olympic Spirit In Art Exhibition at Oxford's Old Power Station
A highly-charged cinematic installation in a dramatic setting puts an interesting twist on the current Olympic obsession, as SARAH MAYHEW finds out As news abounds about all things Olympic, ambitious, and epic, John Gerrard’s major new installation
-
Date
New Atomic Burger Bar On Cowley Road Is A Sure-Fire Blast
KATHERINE MACALISTER finds a burger joint that can truly satisfy the biggest appetites for both food and imagination Imagine the scenario: Cheech and Chong are crashed out on the floor of their student house in Oxford, worse for wear after
-
Date
Final Batman Film Worth Visiting At Oxford's Cinemas
THE DARK KNIGHT RISES (12A) Christian Bale, Michael Caine, Gary Oldman, Anne Hathaway, Tom Hardy, Marion Cotillard, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Morgan Freeman, Liam Neeson. Director: Christopher Nolan. Director Christopher Nolan completes his
-
Date
View York: Catch a train to Britain's historic treasure house
Romans, Saxons and Vikings left their stamp on York. Tim Hughes discovers there is no better time to explore it all than on its 800th birthday BY the time the Roman legions marched into York, the place was already old. When the Vikings got round
-
Date
Oxford's Truck Festival IS Back - And It's Under New Management
A year after the festival hit the financial rocks, TIM HUGHES is delighted to be packing his sleeping bag and heading down to Hill Farm for the return of Truck Festival – which is now under new management TOMORROW up to 5,000 music-lovers and
-
Date
SHOWBIZ REVIEW: Legally Blonde
TRUST me, everything they say about this show is true. It IS pink. It IS shiny, and it IS gloriously light-hearted. I’ll put my hand up... I actually set out wanting to be more critical, but having been there, I couldn’t be. My initial
-
Date
Try a little orange
The late and great Christopher Lloyd, of Great Dixter in East Sussex, used to say he wanted to make his garden exciting from the moment he left the front door. He didn’t want his garden to be relaxing. If he wanted to be relaxed he could head for
-
Date
Anthony Cadman: Treasurer 'loved by all'
ANTHONY Cadman was a “happy and contented man” who took pride in his work as South Oxfordshire District Council ’s first treasurer and through his volunteering with community groups. Mr Cadman, pictured, was appointed when the council was formed
-
Date
Stuart Dewey: BBC producer set up Wallingford Museum
STUART Dewey, a former BBC producer and co-founder of Wallingford Museum, has died aged 65. Mr Dewey was born in Portsmouth but spent most of his childhood in Dorchester, Dorset, where he was educated at Hardye’s School. He met his future wife
-
Date
SO77: Punk spirit ready to rock
BANBURY gets the chance to enjoy some great punk and new wave sounds when Daventry band SO77 makes their first visit to The Mill Arts Centre. SO77 (their longer name Spirit of 77 is taken from the era of the members’ favourite sounds) are a four-piece
-
Date
The Mill has shows to cast a spell on the kids
School’s out for summer. But while as kids beat their chest with joy, there is more than one parent in a cold sweat about how to keep them busy. Well, fear not as you’ll be on to a winner with a varied hive of activity and theatre at the Mill.
-
Date
John Craven cuts ribbon after Age UK revamps Banbury charity shop
COUNTRYFILE presenter John Craven opened a refurbished charity shop in Banbury on Tuesday. The former Newsround presenter cut the ribbon at Age UK in Parsons Street. He said: “Charity shops can often look drab, but not this one. It really invites
-
Date
Supermarket pays lasting tribute after losing three workers to cancer
WHEN Sainsbury’s workers lost three colleagues to cancer in the space of four months, they had to salvage something from the tragedy. Staff at the Oxford Road superstore lost Stephen Barber, 45, and Patrick Woods, 72 in February to the disease.
-
Date
Deadline looms on bid to buy meadow
TIME is ticking on Oxfordshire’s wildlife trust as it hopes to buy a £100,000 riverside meadow. As reported last week, conservationists at the Berkshire, Buckinghamshire and Oxfordshire Wildlife Trust (BBOWT) have launched a public appeal to purchase
-
Date
Get out and go wild
Next week sees the start of the Olympic Games and we’ll witness Team GB athletes pitting themselves against other nations to win a coveted medal. But it’s not just humans that are pushing the boundaries to achieve great physical feats. Going about
-
Date
Trust bids to buy meadow
Wildflower meadows brimming with ox-eye daisies, yellow bird’s-foot-trefoil and pink knapweed are among best places to see Mother Nature put on an impressive display. Thanks to all the rain in June, Oxfordshire’s wildflower meadows are still looking
-
Date
BAR BILLIARDS: Oxford hit back to claim victory
Oxford A overcame a 3-2 deficit to record a 6-4 aggregate victory over Reading C and reach the semi-finals of the Inter-Area Cup. Steven Sheard, Mark Trafford, Kevin Godfrey and Dave Tooke won the first four games to seal their passage into the
-
Date
Journey into Wonderland
This year is particularly significant for the Alice Day celebrations which take place each July, as it is the 150th anniversary of the year in which Lewis Carroll told his tale of Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland to Alice Liddell and her sisters.
-
Date
Dickens of a performance
Miriam Margolyes has always been larger than life, and interviewing her is a bit like being run over by a bus. But then that’s the attraction. You never know what she’s going to say. She remains as unpredict-able, passionate, controversial and
-
Date
Bampton's double bill
In a studio a couple of streets away from the Houses of Parliament, Bampton Opera’s Jer-emy Gray is directing tenor Oliver Mercer in Philidor’s comic opera Blaise le savet-ier: “You don’t need to kiss her again. Remember, you’ve got lots of money
-
Date
Train coaches delivered
THE first two coaches converted to add 80 more standard class seats to 16 of First Great Western ’s High Speed Train (HST) fleet have been delivered to the train operator. One is a modified former first-class coach, while the other is the first
-
Date
Graduate sisters are doing it for themselves
TWIN sisters Darnella and Charmaine Daley both struggled to find jobs after graduating, so they decided to team up and form their own business. The duo have formed Cycle Tours of Oxford which, as the name suggests, offers visitors the chance to
-
Date
Lack of offices ‘is a barrier to growth’
A SHORTAGE of available medium sized office space is proving a barrier to growth for small companies, according to findings in the latest Oxfordshire Business Barometer report. More than half (53 per cent) of companies responding to the survey
-
Date
Bicester road death victim named
THE teenager who died after his motorbike collided with a lorry has been named. Liam Treacy, 18, from the Bicester area, was pronounced dead at the scene on the B4031 between Croughton the Barley Mow roundabout. Police are still appealing
-
Date
Leisure centres fitted with solar panels
SOLAR panels have been fitted at leisure centres in Cherwell district in a bid to keep council electricity costs down. Cherwell District Council spent about £1m installing the panels, which bosses say will then save a total of £84,700 a year.
-
Date
Solar panel tenants now seeing the light
HOUSING association tenants in West Oxfordshire are seeing electricity bills plummet after a £6m investment in solar panels. Cottsway Housing Association is a year in to the five-year project that could see £19m spent installing renewable energy
-
Date
Pupils show painting prowess for orphans
THE artistic talents of staff and children have been on show at an arts exhibition at an Oxford primary school. Artwork, including large installations, went on display, music was performed and the St Aloysius Primary School youngsters staged their
-
Date
GOLF: Shield success for Oxford duo
Maggie Edwards and Clare Fox won the OLCGA County Shield after beating both their rivals and the bad weather at Wychwood GC. The duo, who are members at Oxford Ladies, picked up 53 points in 27 holes in desperate conditions, pipping the Frilford
-
Date
Miriam Margolyes Acts Up at Oxford Playhouse in Dickens' Women
Former Oxford High School pupil Miriam Margolyes is nothing if not versatile, playing 23 different characters in her one-woman show Dickens’ Women. KATHERINE MACALISTER went to meet her Miriam Margolyes has always been larger than life, and interviewing
-
Date
Please support the outdoor Shakespeare productions
It’s the rich wot gets the pleasure; it’s the poor wot gets the bill. This was ever the case and will become more observably so in the weeks ahead. I refer, of course, to the Olympics. Remember being asked if we wanted them? Me neither. Blame Tony
-
Date
Springsteen and Macca switch-off was down to the Boss
The decision by the promoters Live Nation to pull the plug on Bruce Springsteen’s jam with Paul McCartney at the end of his weekend concert in Hyde Park angered many people. Among them was the Mayor of London Boris Johnson, who pledged nothing of
-
Date
Recipe for gingerbread
A slice of gingerbread lavishly spread with butter makes a great addition to a tea party. Ann Parsons certainly enjoys baking ginger cakes, which rate among her favourites. She likes the fact that the longer you leave them the better they taste,
-
Date
Going underground for scrummy teas
When Ann Parsons from South Oxfordshire first heard about the underground tea rooms that were popping up all over the UK, she knew she was more than qualified to open one of her own. Having been made redundant recently, Pam was confident that a
-
Date
Enjoying our green and pleasant land
‘England is like one big park.” So said a young nephew from Ireland, as we drove from Woodstock to Burford. I saw what he meant: surely any foreign child would get that impression if their first introduction to England occurred in rural west Oxfordshire
-
Date
The Dark Knight Rises
Parting is such sweet sorrow. Director Christopher Nolan completes his dark and brooding trilogy based on the DC Comics crime-fighter Batman in suitably grandiose fashion, delivering not only the longest film in the series but also the most brutal
-
Date
Legally Blonde: The New Theatre
"It’s all women!” exclaimed the gentleman in the row behind me, gazing round at the packed New Theatre audience. Obviously he had no idea what kind of show he’d come to see, but as the first pulsating number Omigod You Guys hit him squarely between
-
Date
Battle Prom: Blenheim Palace
This open-air concert was one of those occasions that show the British people at their best. Tickets were expensive, but thousands turned up. The gates opened at 4.30pm, people began to set up their picnics and then the heavens also opened, in a
-
Date
A Midsummer's Night's Dream, Oxford Shakespeare Company, Wadham College Gardens
A dreary monochrome drizzle was being enlivened by the colourful academic gowns of a degree day ceremony as I passed the Sheldonian on the way to Oxford Shakespeare Company’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream. The sight was an ideal curtain-raiser, for
-
Date
Preview of Daddy's Girls, Old Fire Station Arts Centre
The thorny issue of family relationships comes under scrutiny in Daddy’s Girls at the OFS Arts Centre on Tuesday and Wednesday. Written by local author and musician Nia Williams (right), this 90-minute musical focuses on three half-sisters who gather
-
Date
Wonderland: O3 Gallery, Oxford Castle
This year is particularly significant for the Alice Day celebrations which take place each July, as it is the 150th anniversary of the year in which Lewis Carroll told his tale of Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland to Alice Liddell and her sisters.
-
Date
Man lay dead for months
A man whose body was not discovered for up to six months probably died of natural causes, a coroner has said. Kevin Lynch was found at his home in Britannia Heights, Banbury, on March 9. The divorced 52-year-old, who had epilepsy, a heart condition
-
Date
Operation Bullfinch: Suspect bailed
A 22-year-old man arrested as part of investigation into an alleged child sex ring in Oxford has been rebailed. The suspect, who was arrested as part of Operation Bullfinch, answered bail on Tuesday but was not charged. He has been rebailed
-
Date
BOWLS: Sykes' joy tinged by sadness
Mark Sykes’ joy at reaching three Oxfordshire Bowling Association finals was tinged with sadness following the death of his father, Mick, the previous day. Banbury Borough star Mark triumphed in the fours, singles and two wood singles semi-finals
-
Date
BOWLS: Oxon foiled in Walker Cup
Oxfordshire Ladies were thwarted in their bid to reach the National Championships in the Walker Cup Inter County Double Rink competition. Competing in the regional finals at Popes Mead, near Crawley, they beat Middlesex 40-31, but then lost 49-
-
Date
RUGBY LEAGUE: Cavaliers are sunk by super Vikings
Oxford Cavaliers missed the chance to go top of the RLC West of England table after a 39-30 defeat at the hands of Somerset Vikings. In a game which saw the lead change hands six times, Cavaliers took a narrow lead into the break, but faded late
-
Date
Shares in climate change consultancy wiped out
TROUBLED climate change consultancy AEA Technology, based in Harwell, yesterday faced a meltdown in its share price. It warned investors they could be left with nothing after the company failed to find a solution to its balance sheet woes.
-
Date
A victorious note for school music project
YOUNGSTERS at St Joseph’s Primary School in Headington are blowing their own trumpets after winning this year’s SOS School Build competition. The school was one of six Oxfordshire primaries shortlisted for a chance of winning £7,500 of improvements
-
Date
BOWLS: Chestnuts triumph as rain wreaks havoc
Banbury Chestnuts took advantage of being the only Division 1 club to beat the wet weather and host a match in the Oxford & District League, sponsored by Yarnton Nurseries, by posting a 6-0 win over relegation rivals Shiplake. Chestnuts won
-
Date
ATHLETICS: Fernandez on song
PAUL Fernandez made it third time lucky with victory in the Hornton Classic six-mile race. The Abingdon Ambler had finished second on his two previous outings over the undulating course, but held off Woodstock Harriers’ James Bolton to triumph.
-
Date
M40 crash
A woman motorist was freed from her car by firefighters on the M40 near Banbury yesterday at 9.30am following a collision with a lorry between junctions 11 and 12. She suffered non life-threatening injuries.
-
Date
Caravan blaze
Firefighters tackled a suspected arson attack on a caravan in Addison Drive in Littlemore at 4.47am yesterday. Teams from Rewley Road and Thame stations attend the blaze, which completey destroyed the caravan. It is believed the caravan was
-
Date
Cheese theft
A man stole a block of cheese and a vase from Tesco. Brian Stuart stole items worth a total of £6.99, from the Cowley Road branch of the supermarket in Oxford on March 9. The 52-year-old admitted one count of shoplifting at Oxford Magistrates
-
Date
Crane remains upside down
A crane which toppled into a ditch along Woodeaton Road in Woodeaton was last night still stuck upside-down. The weight of the 40-tonne crane caused the verge to collapse and the vehicle to topple over at about 6pm on Monday. Bristol-based Kings
-
Date
City's famous skyline set for a modern twist
THIS is the startling building that Oxford University is proposing as a new addition to the city’s famous skyline. If approved, it would be erected in Walton Street to become one of the more dramatic and visible structures on the university’s new
-
Date
ATHLETICS: Naylor defence in doubt
STEVE Naylor may not be able to defend his Mota-Vation Series title. The 33-year-old, from Woodstock, won the only race of the series to take place so far at Bletchingdon. But the rescheduling caused by waterlogged car parks means Naylor, whose
-
Date
Wolvercote residents sign petition to slow down train link
RESIDENTS are stepping up their fight for speed restrictions on a fast Oxford to London Rail link. A petition calling for a 40mph limit on the track through Wolvercote has been signed by more than 300 residents and parents with children at Wolvercote
-
Date
Sense of proportion
Sir – Brilliant! At last (Gray Matter, July 12) a bigger, nobler head than that of your columnist is depicted, who nonetheless appears in the same photograph, indistinctly, to impart a correct sense of scale and proportion. Keep up the good work!
-
Date
Reverse prejudice
Sir – So Port Harcourt in Nigeria is Unesco World Book Capital 2014 beating Oxford. It’s not the fault of the Oxford Inspires committee who have worked hard and with enthusiasm, supported by organisations and voluntary groups from all over the county
-
Date
More county events fall victim to the weather
A COMMUNITY football tournament has become the latest in a string of events to be cancelled due to the wet weather. Waterlogged pitches and sports fields have scuppered the Ox Cup 2012 tournament, Witney Relay for Life fundraising event and a number
-
Date
Supremely intelligent
Sir – I would like to submit this letter as a small token of my appreciation for Catherine Anne Stoye who passed away on June 12 at the age of 83 and whose memorial service was held in Oxford on July 12. I worked very closely with Catherine Stoye
-
Date
Infallible memory
Sir – Your obituary (July 12) for the veteran canal boatwoman Rose Skinner contained the bald statement that she was illiterate. The term “illiterate” describes a person living in a literate society who cannot read or write. “Non-literate”, describing
-
Date
Differently literate
Sir – I was delighted to see that you carried an obituary for Rose Skinner last week — as one of last of the women to work on the Oxford Canal in its cargo-carrying days we owe her (and her late husband, Jack), a great deal. Without their contribution
-
Date
Fierce critic
Sir – Further to the local concern about the proposals to redevelop 85 Cumnor Hill (Cumnor Hill residents in fight to stop new housing, Report, July 5), there is even more to its historic significance. An analysis of the RIBA catalogue of Clough
-
Date
ATHLETICS: Four-midable, that's Radley
RADLEY made it four wins from four in Division 2C of the Southern Athletics League with victory at Wormwood Scrubs. Ramone Smith grabbed a sprint double, taking the men’s 100m and 200m, cruising home from 50m out to win the latter in 22.2secs.
-
Date
BOWLS: Oxon's winning streak shudders to halt
Oxfordshire's hopes of a fourth successive win in the Home Counties League were dashed with a 130-108 defeat by Kent at Maidstone. With standing water on the green half-an-hour before the start, it looked like the match may have to be called off
-
Date
Middle East hypocrisy
IN response to Gordon Clack’s concern over the hypocrisy in Syria and his evident concern for human rights (Oxford Mail ViewPoints, July 13), could I ask him, through your columns to raise these concerns of mine with his constituency MP and Prime Minister
-
Date
Mistaken approach to TB
THE recent announcement that the appeal by the Badger Trust against the badger ‘cull’ (I hate euphemisms) has been rejected by the High Court should come as no surprise, despite the fact that their appeal was accepted by the Welsh court in 2010 on all
-
Date
Eco-town show house is an ugly abomination
I recently had the misfortune to view the eco-town show house in Garth Park, Bicester. It is possibly one of the most ugly buildings that I have ever seen. The word ecology is derived from ancient Greek and was first coined by the German scientist
-
Date
GOLF: Hinton's on song
Craig Hinton helped England win the European Men’s Challenge Trophy in Iceland. The Oxfordshire amateur signed for a one-under-par 70 on the third and final day to help England to the title, finishing ten strokes ahead of the Netherlands. The
-
Date
GOLF: Kench is Chippy's champion again
Shaun Kench became Chipping Norton’s club champion for the third year in a row. Rounds of 71 and 74 saw him finish the 36-hole competition on three-over-par, two strokes ahead of Chris Heslip, who carded 75 and 72. Matt Johnson was third, one
-
Date
Overwhelming support
Sir – On Sunday, July 8, more than 1,500 people attended our second charity football tournament and fun day in aid of Helen & Douglas House. We would like to take this opportunity, via your newspaper, to send our deepest gratitude to the many
-
Date
FOOTBALL: Banbury's home start
BANBURY United will host St Albans City when they kick off their Evo-Stik Southern League Premier Division campaign on Saturday, August 18. Their away programme starts the following Tuesday when they travel to Barwell, near Leicester. One of
-
Date
Covered Market traders face huge rent rises
OXFORD’S Covered Market traders face rent increases of up to 70 per cent over the next five years. Oxford City Council last night said the figure was just a starting point for negotiations. It is believed the rent hike faced by businesses in
-
Date
Cause for complaints
IN reply to Paul Shearman (ViewPoints, July 12) and the Olympic torch. Why should the torch not have been paraded through Blackbird Leys? Does he think it was to appease the area’s residents ? A bit of snobbery, methinks. He writes: “We don’t all
-
Date
Reverse junction change
CHAOS continues at the junction of West Way, the ring road and Botley Road, where unnecessary and dangerous alterations have now been finished. Travelling into Oxford, cars in the correct lane are squeezed into near-collision with cars proceeding on
-
Date
Unaffordable folly
Once again we see evidence of the coalition Government arranging policies to benefit themselves. The once-again extravagant cost of £30bn or more will, it is claimed, result in faster train journeys, more seats and undoubtedly higher fares. The ordinary
-
Date
Cafe memories
I READ the letter from Bernadette Downes (ViewPoints, July 10) about the Excelsior Café. On my wedding day, I was ready for church, but my husband-to-be, along with his father, brother and two friends were missing. They turned up, eventually, and
-
Date
THE INSIDER: Mayor putting skills to test at times of rest
It has been an exciting few months for Carterton town councillor Adrian Coomber, pictured. He became mayor earlier this year and now, we are pleased to announce, he is about to hit a new record on a computer game. This column reported in March that
-
Date
Red flag plan
Sir – The Department for Transport has announced it will give greater powers to local authorities for traffic control. Will this mean Oxford City Council will demand that motor vehicles will have to be led by a man waving a red flag. Anthony Morris
-
Date
Homes still needed
Sir – Henry Brougham and Justine Garbutt’s recent letters regarding the provision of housing not only in Oxfordshire, but across the entire south of England, demonstrate the complexity of the issue. As Liberal Democrat councillors, we take the overarching
-
Date
Wonderland winners
Sir – Mad Hatters’ hats off to the team behind the celebrations marking Alice in Wonderland’s 150th birthday. I couldn’t believe my eyes as I drove through Oxford on Saturday night to be confronted by hundreds of white rabbits happily strolling through
-
Date
Knowledge of horrors
Sir – There is perhaps one aspect of your review (July 5) of Antony Beevor’s The Second World War that needs some clarification. The Vasily Grossman quote given could not have been written by Grossman ‘after witnessing the horrors of the Treblinka
-
Date
Licensing record
Sir – The large numbers of very late-opening bars in OX4, concentrated around the western end of Cowley Road and St Clements must provide some kind of licensing record. But, amazingly, the students don’t drink enough to make all these bars viable
-
Date
Plan C for Witney
Sir – For the 25 years since my wife and I have lived in Cogges I have kept silent on my views about the proposed Cogges Link to bypass the fearful traffic queues in Bridge Street, Witney, save, that is, to wish fervently that someone would do something
-
Date
Pavement parking needs monitoring
Sir – After campaigning for many years against pavement parking , Oxford Pedestrians Association is extremely disappointed to learn that the highway authority is going ahead with the controversial scheme to formalise pavement parking in many streets
-
Date
A34 mooving again after cows caught
THE A34 has reopened after six cows were loose on the carriageway. Police had closed the carriageway in both directions, between Peartree and Botley interchanges, but had cleared the cattle by 9.21am. The southbound stretch was closed
-
Date
Pool nearing end of its days
Sir – We constantly hear (from the same people) that the closure of Temple Cowley Pools, and replacing it with a new swimming pool at Blackbird Leys, would be a travesty — but how often does one consider the alternatives? I, for one, am
-
Date
Marion Yorston: The North Wall, Oxford
The talented artist, Marion Yorston’s latest exhibition Translucent delves into evolution. Marion came here from the Orkneys, renowned for its archaeology, history, art and wild landscapes. Her formative years were spent in Scotland and Canada. “
-
Date
Begging bowl
We fully support the new campaign launched this week to persuade people to support homeless charities, rather than give cash to beggars in the street. It is estimated some beggars can make £20 to £30 per day in the city, but most goes on drugs
-
Date
Fancy Free, Oxfordshire Craft Guild: West Ox Arts, Bampton
This varied exhibition in Bampton draws on both past and future. Victoria Borondo, inspired by vintage dresses, botanical paintings and china designs, favours a muted palette. Her bags, purses and brooches, made of silk, satin and lace, and decorated
-
Date
Oxford United triallists out to shine
CHRIS Wilder says there is a chance at least one of the players on trial will be offered a contract at Oxford United after impressing in the victory against West Ham. In addition to four summer signings, the U’s fielded six new faces in the 1
-
Date
Concern is raised over police helicopters
A POLICE Federation representative has expressed concern about how air support in Oxfordshire will be affected by a national police service. There are currently two helicopters serving the Thames Valley, with one based at RAF Benson and the other
-
Date
Motorbiker and lorry driver killed in crashes
A TEENAGE motorcyclist and a lorry driver have been killed in separate crashes. The 52-year-old lorry driver died after a collision between two lorries on the A415 near Culham, yesterday. The accident happened shortly after midday near Culham
-
Date
Baby died of cot death, inquest told
A SIX-WEEK-OLD baby died from cot death, an inquest heard. Martin Doran died at Oxford’s John Radcliffe Hospital shortly after his mother found him unresponsive in her bed. A pathologist’s report attributed the death to “sudden unexplained
-
Date
Barton West Inquiry: Inspector sets 24-hour deadline
A PLANNING inspector has given Oxford City Council just over 24 hours to convince her to go ahead with the Barton West development in its current form. Shelagh Bussey expressed her concerns about plans to lower the speed limit along the A40 and
-
Date
Heavy price
What began as a cunning plan to hit all those speculative developers building language schools everywhere is threatening to ignite the biggest Town-Gown fall out for years. You can see why Oxford City Council wants to make those behind student accommodation
-
Date
County jobless figures down
The number of people out of work and claiming benefits in Oxfordshire fell for the fourth month in a row in June to 7,034 or (1.7 per cent) – down 318 from the previous month and 558 from the same month last year. All districts of the county
-
Date
Body on path
The body of an elderly woman was found on the Phoenix Trail, a popular walking path in Thame, yesterday morning. The woman, believed to be her 70s and a local resident, was discovered close to a bridge at 6.45am by a member of the public. Thames
-
Date
Dog track earmarked for 225 home estate
OXFORD Stadium in Blackbird Leys could be demolished to make way for new homes and flats. A public consultation is to be held next week on plans for 150 houses and 75 flats at the greyhound stadium site, the Oxford Mail understands. The developer
-
Date
Woodstock Music Society: St Mary Magdalene Church
Ah, lovely. It’s hard to imagine a more glorious rendition of Fauré’s sublime Requiem than that by Woodstock Music Society. With its emphasis on the calm, restful, tranquil aspects of death, rather than the more traditional focus on wrath and judgement
-
Date
Volcano, Oxford Playhouse
‘It’s unattractive to be disagreeable in the heat,” Adela tells Guy: bickering starts early in Noël Coward’s play Volcano . The scene is the island of Samolo, a British colonial possession in the south-western Pacific. Fumfumbolo, the island’s active
-
Date
Mark Padmore: Garsington Manor, Great Barn
To his many achievements, Mark Padmore can now add that of being the last professional artist to perform at Garsington Manor. With the Ingrams family poised to move out, Sunday’s recital was the third and final concert in the series that was effectively
-
Date
Cows close A34
SIX cows loose on the road have closed the A34 in both directions. The road is closed between the Pear Tree and Botley interchanges. Police said the southbound carriageway was closed at 8.56am and the northbound six minutes later. A police
-
Date
Jephtha, Intermezzo and Double Bill: Buxton Festival
A number of familiar faces around me in the stalls showed that I am far from alone in journeying from Oxford to the glorious Peak District and the delights of the annual Buxton Festival. Well-judged programming made it possible to see, as I did,
-
Date
Meeting Bill is so 'awesome'
SCHOOLBOY Felix Doran has developed a sudden fascination with American politics – after coming face to face with a former President. Felix, seven, pictured, from St John Street, Oxford, was on his way home with his father, chef Michael Von Hruschka
-
Date
Universities fight on new build premiums
OXFORD’S two universities are ready to fight a council policy that could force them to hand over millions towards social housing in the city. They claim a new policy to make the universities contribute to Oxford’s housing shortages will cause serious
-
Date
COMMENT: He fits the Bill
BILL CLINTON, for all his controversies, always came across as one of the more genuine, approachable US Presidents, and he proved that when he chatted to little Felix Doran during a recent trip to Oxford. For an international statesman it was
-
Date
COMMENT: Town v Gown battle set to run and run
STILL waters run deep, the saying goes, and Oxford City Council faces a forceful tide against its student housing policies in the form of Oxford University bursars. The bursars are a traditionally conservative group, not prone to publicity. And it
-
Date
Preview of Ivan Green exhibition, Dadbrook Gallery, Cuddington
Ivan Green is an artist who has developed a revolutionary method of print making which results in works both richly textured and hauntingly atmospheric. As a celebration of the Olympic Games, Dadbrook Gallery is showing all his prints, including
-
Date
The Merchant of Venice, Creation Theatre: Said Business School amphitheatre
Beneath the familiar green tower of the Said Business School, in an amphitheatre perfect for outdoor entertainment — even if the weather quite often is not. Creation Theatre’s nine-strong company of actors supplies a lucid, touching and at times
-
Date
Green barns prove popular
ONE unit remains in a newly completed office barn conversion featuring state-of-the-art green energy technology. Wootton Edge Barns at Wootton, near Woodstock, was converted from former stone storage and workshop buildings to create three separate offices
-
Date
Trident service offices
NEW serviced offices have opened at Trident Business Park in Didcot. Formal Office Suites is offering units from 107sqft to 2,100sqft at Trident House. The building has been refurbished to include first class offices, a staffed reception, and meeting
-
Date
Warehouse scheme
PLANNED new warehouses could bring 1,000 jobs to Banbury. The development by the M40 will go ahead despite a last-minute decision to protect a former First World War munitions station, following a request from Banbury Civic Society. Cherwell District
-
Date
A Foreign Country by Charles Cumming
A Foreign Country by Charles Cumming (HarperCollins, £12.99)Tom Kelly is a washed up spy, with allegations of torture hanging over his head, until he is offered the opportunity to revive a dying career by tracking down the missing head of MI6. Set against
-
Date
New innovation hub to open
A NEW business and innovation centre owned by Blenheim Palace is set to be the home for almost 300 workers. The 28,000 sq ft site, due to open in September, is located on the Windrush Industrial Park in Witney which was bought by the Blenheim Estate
-
Date
Warm welcome for Co-op
Schoolchildren were on hand to perform the official opening of the latest Midcounties Co-operative store to open in the county. The group from St Thomas More Primary School cut the ribbon on the new store in Oxford Road which has created 16 jobs.
-
Date
A-Plan move offers new career opportunities
Insurance firm A-Plan has moved its Abingdon office to larger premises. But the upheaval was kept to a minimum as staff only had to move one door down the High Street. Abingdon branch manager, Craig Williams, said: “Strong local demand meant we had
-
Date
Every Contact Leaves a Trace by Elanor Dymott
Every Contact Leaves a Trace by Elanor Dymott Even before the story started, I suspected I would enjoy this murder story. First the title is explained in a quote (in French) from the father of forensic science, Edmond Locard. Then “A note for
-
Date
Audi A6 Allroad Quattro 3.0 BiTDI
Believe it or not, the A6 Allroad is the model Audi’s very wealthiest customers go for. Since its first incarnation it has always done everything that these no doubt successful, confident and assured citizens want, from towing and basic off-road work
-
Date
Organic growth
When Amanda Nelson brings back her handmade soaps from exhibitions, they often have bite marks in them. “Our soap smells like something you could eat or drink and makes your mouth water,” she explained. “People put it up to their nose and like it so
-
Date
Smarter Way of Working
I must admit I was a little suspicious of a company promising ‘efficient and effective workforce management’ in the context of saving money. Such talk can also include terms such as ‘efficiency savings’, ‘workforce optimisation’ and ‘streamlining’ — in
-
Date
Going mobile
Jeremy Anderson and Holly Davies. of Oxford-based web-design and digital marketing agency Obergine, offer some tips on the rapidly developing mobile Internet marketAccording to Microsoft, by 2014, mobile Internet is set to overtake fixed Internet access
-
Date
Oxford's industrial history
Think of Oxford’s history, and it’s medieval university buildings that spring to mind, but there is another story, and it is told by local historian Liz Woolley in Oxford’s Working Past. The elaborate doorway of Frank Cooper’s marmalade factory
-
Date
Time to take charge of savings
The credit crunch had hardly been heard of five years ago, let alone identified as an impending financial disaster that would change the world and obliterate great swathes of individual, governmental and corporate wealth. In June 2007, savers and investors
-
Date
Funding at the cutting edge
Private Frazer’s famous catchphrase from the TV classic, Dad’s Army, ‘We’re all doomed!’, seems to have permeated the British psyche.Open any newspaper and it would be easy to believe the last trump is truly nigh. Life sciences are not immune from the
-
Date
Creativity and innovation
Martin Stott, public sector mutuals consultant at LaunchPad, answers our questions about his career What was your first job and what did your responsibilities include? I was a graduate trainee at the Town and Country Planning Association (a cross
-
Date
Projct helps put heart into neighbourhood
Family Arena based in Cowley, Oxford, is an inclusive community project with the local neighbourhood at the heart of its activities. It is a community anchor space where local residents can connect, learn and grow, or have a chat so they don’t feel alone
-
Date
Turning a vision into reality
The novel technology that forms the basis of Oxtex’s self-inflating tissue expander devices was created when two plastic surgeons in Oxford sought help from scientists to solve a problem. The difficulty was that, in many reconstructive surgical procedures
-
Date
Giving consumers a real voice
Marlon Naidoo is a man with a mission — to improve levels of customer service in the UK. “When you try to complain, you telephone a call centre, listen to holding music and speak to someone in India,” he said. “Customers understandably get upset and
-
Date
Reclaiming her late sister
It took Marian Partington 10 years to write a letter to Rosemary West. It was sent 31 years after the murder of her sister Lucy, whose dismembered body had been found beneath concrete in the basement of 25 Cromwell Street, Gloucester. “When my
-
Date
Chilean mixed case, £70
Chilean wines are all about clean, fruity and ultimately drinkable wines that are ideal with or without food and are great value for money. Always a favourite wine country for wine personality Oz Clarke, we have included one of his Chilean selections
-
Date
Parky at the Pictures (In Cinemas 19/7/2012)
Two things are readily evident this week. Firstly, the country's film distributors have taken evasive action in deciding not to release anything of major significance opposite the summer's biggest blockbuster, The Dark Knight Rises. Secondly, the
-
Date
Parky at the Pictures (DVD 19/7/2012)
As Pete McCormack's I Am Bruce Lee arrives in cinemas, we start this week's survey of action and horror flicks with another couple of documentaries about the King of Kung Fu. Divided into five segments, John Little's Bruce Lee: A Warrior's Journey
-
Date
Much-needed relief for dementia carers
A GROUP that offers a lifeline to those suffering from dementia is hoping Jubilee cash will help keep it afloat. There are more than 7,500 people with dementia in Oxfordshire and this is set to rise to 8,600 by 2015. Daybreak Oxford runs day
-
Date
Work to start at last on £300k permanent skate park
WORK will finally start on a permanent home for Oxford’s skaters after more than two decades of campaigning. Builders are set to move in this month on Meadow Lane, East Oxford, with skaters hoping to use the £300,000 park by September. Oxford Wheels
-
Date
'Still time for hotel suggestion to go ahead'
A COUNCIL leader has pledged that talks will continue with developers over plans to build a new hotel in Didcot. In May, South Oxfordshire District Council leader Ann Ducker, pictured, urged Cranbourne Homes to abandon plans for 72 flats opposite