Archive
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Maternity unit shut for births following staff and mums' fears
THE Cotswold Maternity Unit in Chipping Norton has suspended births following fears raised by staff and women, it has emerged tonight. Oxford University Hospitals NHS Trust has just announced it is taking the step with immediate effect while an
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Few Thrills But Sequel Is Flimsy in Paranormal Activity 4
PARANORMAL ACTIVITY 4 (15) Horror/Thriller. Kathryn Newton, Matt Shively, Brady Allen, Aiden Lovekamp, Stephen Dunham, Alexondra Lee, Katie Featherston. Directors: Henry Joost, Ariel Schulman Oren Peli’s low-budget 2009 horror Paranormal Activity
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Big Bang Eaterie Opens at Oxford Castle
KATHERINE MACALISTER finds the Big Bang is still serving great food at its new premises – just a little too slowly Eating in the Big Bang’s former premises in Jericho was more like chowing down in someone’s digs than a restaurant, and that was
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The Fantastic Miss Fox Belts it Out at Oxford's Bullingdon
CUNNING, wiley and oh so vulpine; when it came to picking a stage name, for Louisa Rose Allen there was only one choice. As the stunning-voiced Foxes, she is capturing the attention of listeners all over the world – with fans entranced by her ethereal
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Ben Montague Sings in Oxford Straight From The Heart
TIM HUGHES talks to singer/songwriter Ben Montague about the rollercoaster of emotions that inspired his album WE’VE all been there, haven’t we? You meet someone, fall in love amid a riot of emotion and are convinced that happiness will last forever
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Sky's The Limit For Daniel Craig in Latest Bond Blockbuster
SKYFALL (12A) Action/Thriller. Daniel Craig, Dame Judi Dench, Javier Bardem, Ben Whishaw, Naomie Harris, Ralph Fiennes, Berenice Marlohe, Rory Kinnear, Albert Finney, Helen McCrory. Director: Sam Mendes. Time waits for no man, not even the
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Residents launch campaign against housing plan
A CAMPAIGN has been launched against “opportunistic and speculative” housing plans for Bloxham in north Oxfordshire. Bloxham Parish Council said two plans for 160 homes would “destroy” the village’s “fragile” infrastructure. Signs and posters
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Madagascar 3 Delivers Slapstick The Kids Will Love
MADAGASCAR 3: EUROPE’S MOST WANTED (PG) Animation/Family/Comedy/Romance. Featuring the voices of Ben Stiller, Chris Rock, David Schwimmer, Jada Pinkett Smith, Frances McDormand, Bryan Cranston, Jessica Chastain, Martin Short, Sacha Baron Cohen.
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Tim Burton's 'Frankenweenie' is A Top Dog Charmer
FRANKENWEENIE 3D (PG) Animation/Comedy. Featuring the voices of Charlie Tahan, Winona Ryder, Catherine O’Hara, Martin Short, Martin Landau, James Hiroyuki Liao, Robert Capron, Atticus Shaffer. Director: Tim Burton. THE pain of losing a loved
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Al Murray's Pub Landlord is Back With A Whole New Show
Al Murray, the Pub Landlord is back with a whole new show. Katherine MacAlister tracks him down to find out what he’ll be ranting about this time around The Only Way Is Epic is an appropriate name, not only for Al Murray’s new tour but his whole
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Comedian Chris Ramsey Takes His Turn at Hogging The Comedy Spotlight
Having supported the greats, its now Chris Ramsey’s turn to hog the comedy spotlight. He talks to Katherine MacAlister about his latest stand-up tour and his lead in new TV comedy sitcom Hebburn It’s ironic that Chris Ramsey is getting equal coverage
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Fascinating Aida are The Trio With Brio
Katherine MacAlister talks to local actress Dillie Keane about the hard price she paid for fame If you haven’t seen Fascinating Aida, or even know what it’s all about, then just watch the comedy trio singing Down Wiv Da Kids on You Tube. In fact
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Pitt Rivers Museum to get a £1m lottery grant
SOME of Oxford’s most weird and wonderful artefacts will emerge from dusty shelves and into the light, thanks to a £1m grant. The Pitt Rivers Museum in South Parks Road has won £1,049,000 from the Heritage Lottery Fund. The money will be spent
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MP defends response to survey on future of stadium site
JUST one in eight households on Blackbird Leys responded to a survey to gauge the level of oppositon to the redevelopment of Oxford Stadium. Developer Galliard Homes is hoping to build 225 homes on the greyhound stadium site in Sandy Lane.
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Former council leader ‘was respected by all’
A FORMER leader of Vale of White Horse District Council has died after a battle with cancer. Former maths teacher Terry Cox who lived in Goosey, passed away last Wednesday. The 68-year-old Conservative, who was head of maths at The Cherwell
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Hospital champion
A FUNDRAISING champion for Wantage Hospital and tireless community worker has died aged 95. Kathleen Hawkey MBE was often seen in the centre of Wantage, collecting for good causes in all weathers, even in the last year of her life. Mrs Hawkey
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A pioneering scientist
THE pioneering Oxford scientist Dame Louise Johnson, who shed new light on the role of enzymes in health and disease, has died aged 71. Dame Louise was David Phillips Professor of Molecular Biophysics at Oxford University from 1990 to 2007 and
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Sadness at news iconic Vulcan to fly no more
A FORMER bomber navigator has spoken of his sadness that the last air- worthy Vulcan will stop flying after next year. Thousands of pounds have been raised to keep XH558 air- worthy but it will soon need complicated repairs to its wings and parts
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Highlights: Our tips for the week ahead
Singer-songwriter BEN MONTAGUE O2 Academy, Oxford Tonight, 7pm Tickets: £8 from ticketweb.co.uk Widescreen epic-pop tales of love found, lost and regained, from a startling singer-songwriter. The former d'Overbroeck’s
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Eight Stories High @ Oxford Playhouse
An evening celebrating the 70th birthday of the ever-excellent and sadly much-needed Oxfam, Eight Stories High told the story of the charity from its humble beginnings in an Oxford library to the global anti-poverty movement known and appreciated by
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Inside the Oxford music scene this week...
WE all love a good night out, but it’s all the sweeter when the fun – and subsequent hangover – is all for a good cause. Last weekend Oxfordshire music lovers helped swell the coffers of the hugely worthy local charity Oxfam by supporting two very
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ahab present a fresher side to country
You know a band has that certain ‘something’ when they’re stopped from playing in the street because they are causing a traffic hazard. It was certainly true for country-rock band ahab (note the band’s use of lower case), whose attempts at busking
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Chiltern gets go-ahead for second Oxford-London rail link
Chiltern Railways this afternoon finally won permission from the Government to create a £130m railway route between Oxford and London, via Bicester. Transport Secretary Patrick McLoughlin has approved a Transport and Works Act order allowing the
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Funeral firm's reluctant sale
THE former owner of Oxford’s last independent funeral directors has spoken of the difficult decision she made in selling the business. S & R Childs, which has four branches in the city, is now part of Dignity, the UK’s biggest provider of funeral
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Poetry festival will be boost for Woodstock
A NEW poetry festival in Woodstock could boost business for the town, according to traders. Rachel Phipps, who runs The Woodstock Bookshop in Oxford Street, is organising the festival, which will run from Friday, November 9, to Sunday, November
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Ambitious chef takes on Bear
TOP chef Alan Murchison, who trained at Raymond Blanc’s cookery school at Le Manoir aux Quat’Saisons, has opened his latest restaurant at The Bear in Woodstock. The 10 in 8 Fine Dining Group, founded by Mr Murchison in 2009, has teamed up with
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BUSINESS MATTERS: Bookshop moves as bookies is approved
OXFORD will see its sixth city centre betting shop open next year after planners granted permission for a Ladbrokes in St Aldate’s. The bookmaker will move into the premises early next year with current tenant The Last Bookshop having moved to
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Law firm merges to form new £50m legal business
BOSSES at Oxford law firm Henmans have agreed to merge the practice with a larger rival. The company, which employs 120 staff based on the Oxford Business Park, is set to link up with Freeth Cartwright to form an integrated business worth almost
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Local shares
AEA Technology 0.05 BMW 5026 Electrocomponents 209.9 Nationwide Accident Repair 59.5 Oxford Biomedica 2.53 Oxford Catalysts 92.5 Oxford Instruments 1248 Reed Elsevier 611.5 RM 82.5 RPS Group 245.8 Courtesy of Redmayne Bentley,
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Mitt limbers up with our Leslie's game
I confess to having felt a swelling pride on behalf of a ‘local girl’ — and friend — when I saw an agency picture of Mitt Romney and his family playing Jenga. The Republican presidential candidate was said to be ‘winding down’ with the building block
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Another knight with a tarnished reputation
He was a knight of the realm, a friend of both Margaret Thatcher and the Prince of Wales, and a man known to have sexually abused a girl of 14. No, I am not referring to the late Sir Jimmy Savile, although he ticks all three boxes, but to Sir Laurens
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Dahlia 'Hootenanny'
A vibrant pink-red collarette dahlia that’s currently wooing the visitors to RHS Wisley. This division of dahlias contains some horrors, but this one is performing well and attracting the butterfiles — in this case, a comma. (binnyplants.co.uk/ 01506
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Apple guide is more than just skin deep
If you remember the old Dorling Kindersley picture-led books, this follows the same format. It crosses between growing apples and cooking them so there are 50 pages of recipes after the cultural tips and apple directory, which selects and shows more
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Creatures are vital for underpinning a garden eco-system
I am now tidying up and putting away watering cans, tubs of tender plants and plant theatres away. These go under cover in winter wherever I can find space. My tubs of agapanthus are being moved into the greenhouse earlier than usual to let them dry
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Untidy time makes room for wildlife
Sparkling with early morning dew, a spider’s web stretches between a phlox stem and a buddleia branch. At the centre the spider stays motionless ready to pounce on anything that flies into its trap. Below, in a sunlit patch of Michaelmas daisies
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The Chequers at Burcot
Owner and chef Steven Sanderson has been satisfying the appetites of a large and loyal clientele at The Chequers at Burcot for the past six years. I consider it my loss not to have become one of this happy band much earlier. How can reports of the
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Jubilee Fund could give children a bit of fresh air
THE Nature Effect charity is on a mission to get children out from behind television screens and into the fresh air. But they can’t run their work on fresh air alone, so they are hoping the Jubilee Fund will help them with a funding boost.
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Growers' harvest for a magic feast
Walk through a wood at this time of the year and you’ll probably encounter that distinctive musty aroma of moist earth, rotting leaves and fungi. My favourite wood – both in spring and autumn – is Pinsley Wood, Church Hanborough, is an ancient remnant
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The Indie View, October 18
Hollywood is very much a numbers game. Think how many millions of dollars get splashed on new releases. Tot up the box office takings from the latest sugar-rush blockbuster. Have a look at just how many sequels a successful movie can be milked for,
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Madagascar 3: Europe's Most Wanted (PG)
After a lacklustre second instalment, which saw Alex the lion, Marty the zebra, Melman the hypochondriac giraffe and Gloria the hippopotamus crash-land in Africa, Madagascar 3 rediscovers some of its animal magic. A circus of performing critters
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Frankenweenie 3D (PG)
The pain of losing a loved one leaves an indelible mark on the hardest heart. Frankenweenie is a charming and impeccably crafted stop-motion animation about a lonely boy who cannot bear the loss of his pet dog. So the ingenious tyke reanimates
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Classical music highlights
Banbury Operatic Society Shakespeare and Love Marlborough Road Methodist Church, Banbury Friday, 7.30pm; Saturday, 2pm & 7.30pm banburyoperatic society.co.uk A light-hearted concert on the theme of love and the works of Shakespeare, with songs
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Local vineyards continue while others cancel harvest
Last week, Nyetimber announced it was not going to be picking any grapes this year. The Vineyard generally produces up to 400,000 bottles of sparkling wine, all made from grapes grown on its 430 acres in West Sussex. Cancelling the harvest has shocked
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ICE HOCKEY: Oxford stung by Hornets
OXFORD City Stars put up a spirited show before going down 6-3 to Division 1 side Bracknell Hornets in the NIHL Cup at Oxford Ice Rink. The game started 15 minutes late due to a lighting issue. But once it got under way, the pace was frenetic
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Jewellery theft
BLEWBURY: Thieves broke into a house in Bessels Way through a patio door and stole gold jewellery. The burglary happened last Wednesday between 7.40am and 5.15pm. Thames Valley Police only provided details of the incident yesterday. Call
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£750 deadline
OXON: You may only have three days to contact us and collect £750 just for being an Oxford Mail subscriber. Every week we give away a cash prize to a member of our Loyalty Card scheme and this week’s jackpot total stands at £750. If your card
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Police operation catches drivers
OXFORD: Traffic police handed out 21 tickets yesterday to drivers ignoring mobile phone and seatbelt rules in Botley Road. Police gave out 15 fines for people not wearing seatbelts and six for those using mobile phones between 8am and 10pm.
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Eight Stories High gives Oxfam a pile of cash
OXFORD charity Oxfam raised £43,000 from its evening of celebrity entertainment on Sunday. Eight Stories High featured story-telling performances by chef Raymond Blanc, journalist John Simpson and Sex and the City actress Kristin Davis. The
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Cash-starved Creation is facing final curtain
ONE of Oxford’s best known theatre companies has just months to raise thousands of pounds or it will effectively cease to exist. Since its formation in 1996 Creation Theatre has made a name for itself with its quirky, outdoor settings. But
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AUNT SALLY: Adams eyes up 11th crown
PHILIP Adams bids for a record-breaking 11th singles title when he faces Cricketers B teammate Kevin Baker at the Greene King Oxford & District League finals night at Oxford Sports & Social Club, Roman Way, Oxford, tomorrow (7pm). Tickets
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BOWLS: England calls for Oxon trio
OXFORDSHIRE’S AJ Brown, Roger Wiggins and David Wiggins have been selected for the England Short Mat Bowling Association squad for the British Isles Championships at Potters Leisure Resort, Hopton-on-Sea, Norfolk, on November 17 and 18. SHORT MAT
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Heavy rain causes flooding across Oxfordshire
HEAVY rain overnight has caused flooding and road closures in areas of Oxfordshire. Drivers are warned there is surface water on the A34 northbound at the A423 southern bypass road at the Hinksey Hill Interchange on the exit slip road, which is
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Flooding talks
OXFORD: Concerns over flooding in Oxfordshire were addressed at a city forum. The event at Oxford Town Hall on Tuesday was attended by dozens of residents. It was part of a month-long campaign by the Environment Agency to raise awareness about
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Big names to debate drugs
OXFORD: Daily Mail columnist Peter Hitchens and drug smuggler turned campaigner Howard Marks go head-to-head at Waterstones tonight. Mr Hitchens claims in his new book The War We Never Fought: The British Establishment’s Surrender to Drugs that
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Churchill will pioneer transplant techniques
OXFORD is to lead the way in developing a new approach to transplant surgery. The Churchill Hospital has been named the first UK centre that will develop auto-transplants for kidney patients, with new funding for the specialist kidney surgery.
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Home burgled
HARWELL: Gold jewellery was taken after burglars raided a home in Reading Road. The house was broken into via a back door last Wednesday between 7am and 3.40pm. Thames Valley Police only released details of the incident yesterday. Anyone
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Operation ‘gave me a normal life back’
Bob Simmonds, a retired production systems analyst with Iveco Ford, had his life turned upside down when he was diagnosed with kidney cancer. He was told he had cancer in his right kidney in December 2008, and his left kidney was atrophied.
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ATHLETICS: Oxon pair set for marathon bid
PAUL Fernandez and James Bolton are expected to lead the local charge for glory at the Babyrunner.com Abingdon Marathon on Sunday (9). Fernandez (Abingdon Amblers) and Bolton (Woodstock Harriers) have battled it out consistently on the Oxfordshire
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ATHLETICS: City vets shine in Ashford
OXFORD City bagged a host of medals at the British Masters Athletic Federation (BMAF) 10K Championships in Ashford, Kent. John Exley, Roy Treadwell, and Stewart Thorp took national team gold in the vet 55-64 category, recording times of 41mins
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RUGBY UNION: Lakin looking for morale boost
OXFORD Harlequins backs coach Jamie Lakin hopes they can turn a corner after their first victory of the National 3 South West season. Quins edged out Malvern 29-28 in a thriller on Saturday, earning a four-try bonus point in the process. Victory
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RUGBY UNION: Purdy making his mark
OXFORDSHIRE’S Henry Purdy continued his progress at Leicester Tigers with a try in their A League victory over Sale Jets. The 18-year-old former Cokethorpe School pupil and Chipping Norton player touched down during Leicester’s 61-20 win. Purdy
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Oxford Chamber Music Society's strong line-up for autumn
There are some big names coming to the Holywell Music Room over the next few months, including the Maggini String Quartet, the Coull Quartet and the Brodsky String Quartet, in what is arguably the strongest line-up yet in the OCMS’s 114-year history
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Monkeying around to hatch a Boheme
A distinctly strange-looking character features among the customers of the Café Momus in Paris. He appears to be a very large monkey dressed in a bright-checked suit. Meet toy-seller Parpignol, who existed in real life, and was immortalised by Puccini
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RACING: Carruthers set for emotional return
Carruthers is on course to make what is likely to be an emotional seasonal debut for Mark Bradstock’s Letcombe Bassett stables, near Wantage, at Cheltenham on Saturday. The nine-year-old gelding will be running for the first time since his breeder
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BAR BILLIARDS: Kennington claim glory
Kennington Club won the Oxfordshire final of the All England Team competition with a 3-2 victory over Horse & Harrow, West Hagbourne at the Lamb & Flag, Hailey. Mark Trafford beat Paul Lawson 6,830-2,730 in a tense decider. Kennington
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BAR BILLIARDS: Vikings hit back to lead the way
Vikings Sports Club top the Johnson Buildbase Oxford League Premier Section by a point after a 4-1 victory at home to Masons B, writes PETE EWINS. Masons’ Chris Webb (3,680), took the opener, but then Alan Oliver, Bob Allsworth (5,200), Lewis Stratford
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Historic gate stolen in ‘despicable’ theft
BOSSES at a former wartime factory have installed CCTV cameras after “despicable” thieves stole historic gates for scrap. Standard Life moved to improve security following the theft of one half of the 1931 gates at Banbury’s Alcan factory.
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RUGBY UNION: Jones relishes back-row fight
GUS Jones believes the battle for back-row places in Oxford University’s team will improve him as a player. The flanker, from Oxford, joined the university this term having captained England Under 18s last season. But despite his pedigree,
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THE INSIDER: Musical chairs as politicians look for safe seat
The 2013 county council elections might be next spring, but The Insider has already heard rumours of musical chairs within the Tory party. Former leader Keith Mitchell, pictured right, is due to stand down at the election next year, and his Bloxham
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Pay for carnival
I WRITE regarding the article about the Cowley Road Carnival (Oxford Mail, Thursday, September 27) needing to raise at least £46,000 to bring it back. Surely all the restaurants and takeaways could dip into their pockets – they sell enough food
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Go live in Venezuela
IF TIM Siret (Viewpoints, October 16, Democratic dictatorship) thinks life is so much better in the various Marxist states he repeatedly extols in your paper (the latest is Venezuela), why doesn’t he consider emigrating to one of them? NICHOLAS
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Show more compassion
IT is horrifying to hear that this coalition Government, made up of 'arrogant posh boys’, is cutting benefits even more – robbing the poor to give to the rich. Of course people should work if they can, but some have tried desperately to get a job
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Thank you to officers
WITH all the cuts and financial restraints facing Oxford City Council, I would, on behalf of the elderly and disabled residents at Bradlands, like to thank a number of officers for their sympathetic, altruistic and unstinting hard work in the decantment
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Capacity is important
IN ANSWER to Henry Spilberg (ViewPoints, October 17), the article in the Oxford Mail (October 15) regarding the A40 failed to fully explain my thinking behind dualling of the road. During the interview I stated that the most important aspect is that
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The bravery of teenager
IN ONE’S life we meet some very good, remarkable and brave people and the courageous who do great deeds of heroism we give praise to. But just now and then a pure diamond comes along, one that shines like a midnight bright star. They stand
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Parking charges should reflect the convenience
IN THE Oxford Mail on October 17, you rightly reported that I had some sympathy with those drivers who, on arriving at Thornhill to go on annual holiday, find they can only park for 72 hours. They then dump their cars in the surrounding residential
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Witney badly promoted
DESPITE Witney being the home seat of our Prime Minister, Oxfordshire County Council does very little to make Witney an attractive place to visit. Besides the many recent letters about restricted parking for the disabled in the High Street and the
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Wheel out your confidence once more
Are you a person with caring responsibilities or a person with a learning disability who has been out of the job market for a while? Maybe never had a job? You may feel as though you have lost confidence and don’t know where to start, but The Oxfordshire
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RACING: Case aiming to make his mark
Banbury trainer Ben Case is hoping to build on a good start to the jumps season – and also see his horses shine on the big stage. Case, who has a string of around 25 at his Wardington Gate Farm stables at Edgcote, was back in the winner’s enclosure
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COMMENT: Despicable theft
THE theft of a memorial gate at Banbury’s Alcan factory shows metal thieves will desecrate anything. The factory once built parts for Spitfires, the planes that defended this nation in its darkest hour. Is this how that sacrifice and bravery
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Support for hospitals trust bid to change status
SENIOR councillors have given their backing to a plan to give hospitals in Oxford greater independence. At a meeting of Oxfordshire County Council’s cabinet, members unanimously agreed to throw their weight behind plans to turn Oxford University
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ATHLETICS: Funding axe no surprise - Yamauchi
OXFORD marathon runner Mara Yamauchi had no complaints about losing her National Lottery funding when UK Athletics announced their World Class Performance Programme (WCPP) for 2013. The 39-year-old was one of three Oxfordshire athletes to have
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Traffic congestion woe
WITH reference to the report in the Oxford Mail on October 15 about all-new housing being built, which will bring lots more traffic congestion on to the A40: this will affect Long Hanborough, Cassington, Eynsham and Woodstock. I would like to take
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Union march in protest
I’m a health worker and will be marching with colleagues in London this Saturday to protest against this Government’s privatisation of public services and the cuts. Not a day goes past without fresh cuts being announced. As working people we need
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GOLF: Bold Pepperell banks on final
EDDIE Pepperell is pinning his hopes of earning a European Tour card on playing well next week after sitting out the penultimate event of the season, which starts today. The top 20 on the European Challenge Tour rankings at the end of the year
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Timothy West talks about The Handyman
Timothy West is back in controversial play The Handyman and loving every moment, totally undeterred by the subject matter. He does, however, find the part more than usually tiring, something he blames more on the content than his age. “It’s funny,
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Theatre highlights
Comedy Not Appropriate (confessions of a teacher) The Mill, Banbury Wednesday, October 24, 7.30pm Tickets: 01295 279002 Comedian, entertainer – and former schoolmaster – Kevin Precious has got a full house here and is about to reveal all in this hilarious
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FOOTBALL: Didcot boss hoping for FA Cup glory
DIDCOT Town boss Gary Elkins is determined to recreate the magic of the FA Cup as a manager. The 46-year-old reached the fifth round of the competition with Wimbledon back in 1993. But as he prepares to lead the Railwaymen out against Arlesey
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Max Stafford-Clark - Wizard of Oz
The career of the former Labour leader Neil Kinnock might soon be taking a remarkable turn. He is lined up to portray fellow Welshman Aneurin Bevan in a new play about the NHS from the celebrated theatre company Out of Joint. The juicy gobbet of
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A View from the Bridge: Oxford Playhouse
Last week’s well-managed presentation of A View from the Bridge from student company Broken Lyre Productions demonstrated, once again, the power of a play with a claim to be considered one of Arthur Miller’s finest. The gripping family drama has
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Gap Year: Old Fire Station
‘Are we going to get a health and safety briefing?” asks Tom, his face frozen in horror. He is about to launch into his first bungee jump as part of his gap year in Australia. At least he set out from England with reassuring words from his mother:
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GOLF: Smith claims Open crown
MICHAEL Smith stormed to victory in the prestigious British Minigolf Open in Margate, Kent. The former North Oxford junior captain (pictured) finished 29-under par after six rounds, 12 shots ahead of runner-up Johan Ahlander from Sweden. It
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Steptoe and Son: Oxford Playhouse
For comedy to ascend to the most sublime levels it has to contain elements of melancholy. It is that which gives it the light and shade that chimes with the reality of human experience. In the 1960s and ’70’s the Galton and Simpson sitcom Steptoe and
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Jobless figures show county is in ‘good health’
A BUSINESS leader has welcomed latest figures which show the number of people signing on the dole in the county has fallen again. Nigel Wild, president of the Oxfordshire Chamber of Commerce, said it was a sign the county’s economy was in good
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Claim against police means Young is out
Gun-collecting developer Martin Young said bureaucracy and a bid to sue police are his reasons for stepping aside in the race to be police and crime commissioner. Mr Young had announced his intention to run in July, despite having a criminal record
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Sing out for tsunami victims
SINGERS from Japan are hoping their concert tonight will raise awareness of the tsunami that devastated part of their country last year. Chorus With Borders will perform traditional Japanese works plus great European classics including Beethoven
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‘Council must treat this as wake-up call’
OXFORD’S historic Covered Market faces “unprecedented” upheaval, with roughly one in six businesses looking to sell up. Traders are blaming a threatened hike in rent costs and competition from the internet. Of the 58 businesses at the city
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Hugh Grant date
OXFORD: Film star Hugh Grant is coming to the city for a debate about the state of the British Press. The actor, who has become a leading figure in the ‘Hacked Off’ campaign for tougher press regulation, will be debating “The Press We Deserve”
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Big A34 jams as cow hit by lorry
OXFORD: Traffic was at a standstill yesterday after a cow was hit by a lorry on the A34. Police were called to the accident on the southbound carriageway between A44 Woodstock Road, the Peartree interchange, and A420 Botley Interchange at 1.47pm
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COMMENT: Oxford’s Covered Market jewel is losing its lustre
A HEALTHY and vibrant Covered Market is always a good barometer of a healthy and vibrant retail environment across the city as a whole. We cannot afford this to be ailing but it appears increasingly as though this jewel is losing its lustre.
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Princess Anne's charity Kassam Stadium visit
PRINCESS Anne called for young people who are victims of crime to be given more support during a visit to Oxford yesterday. Her Royal Highness The Princess Royal was at the Kassam Stadium for a conference organised by the charity Victim Support
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Burglars snatch jewellery in raid
WANTAGE: Burglars broke into a home through a kitchen window and stole gold jewellery. The crime happened last Wednesday between 11am and 5pm in Locks Lane. Thames Valley Police only provided details of the incident yesterday. Call 101 with information
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Ex-teacher accused of spying on and abusing children
A 52-YEAR-OLD man has been accused of molesting and spying on children at his former primary school in south Oxfordshire. The man, who cannot be identified for legal reasons, appeared at Oxford Magistrates’ Court yesterday on a total of 29 charges
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GOLF: Burford deliver KO blow
BURFORD reached the Shaw Gibbs Oxfordshire Foursomes League KO Cup finals with a 2-1 victory over Buckingham in the semi-final at Witney Lakes. They will now play Chipping Norton in an-all West Oxfordshire final at Buckingham on Saturday, November
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Rock of Ages reclaimed
Somewhere far away in a secret country there are trees that have turned to stone — with the grain of the wood and the rings that showed the age of the tree when it lived in a forest about 200 million years ago, still clearly visible in every detail
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Cutting your fuel bills
When I met Andrew Andersz, his head was buried deep in a heavyweight book of Sudoku puzzles — but we had come to talk about an altogether more down-to-earth set of figures. These were figures which affect virtually all of us and more importantly
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Watching the detective
Name: Matt Thomas Job: Private Invesitgator What was your first job and what did your responsibilities include? My first full time job after leaving school was on a local dairy farm, helping with milking, feeding, calving, etc.
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Instrument of change
Climate change has become a centre stage issue as people increasingly accept its inevitability and businesses and governments recognise the necessity of adopting sound solutions to limit potentially devastating impacts on agriculture, housing, infrastructure
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Reading Between the Lines
by Jonathan Reynolds <p>We might not think so from the comfort of Oxford’s many well-provisioned and supported bookshops, but booksellers on many of Britain’s high streets face a ‘perfect storm’ from a mixture of poor economic conditions,
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Digital fiction
Alien creatures battling with a nuclear submarine crew may seem a world away from Oxford nuns’ reflections on the spiritual life. But a new publisher has found its niche by cornering the market in Christian ebooks — as well as gory science-fiction.
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GOLF: Club results round-up
OXFORD CITY Senior/Junior Trophy: 1 G Hoult & J Willoughby 37pts, 2 C Marriott & W Smith 36. Medal 10 – Div 1: 1 R Chivers 72-5=67, 2 C Disley 76-8=68, 3 N Strange 74-5=69. Div 2: 1 J Miles 85-18=67, 2 P Jouan 96-25=71, 3 M Potter 91
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Merivel by Rose Tremain
We first met the lovable and fallible narrator Robert Merivel — physician, courtier and beloved of Charles II — in Rose Tremain’s award-winning Restoration. This follow-up starts 15 years later in 1683. Merivel is 56. Still the warm-hearted rogue,
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Bloody history of Oxford
The more gruesome side of history seems to appeal to adult readers as well as children. Oxford is the latest city to feature in the History Press’s Bloody History series, and the city certainly has plenty of good stories to fit the theme. Author
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Rising from the ashes
Bullying, domestic violence, eating disorders and self-harm are just a few of the issues tackled by Phoenix Counselling. The six professional counsellors have teamed up to offer free sessions to young people, believing these challenging economic times
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Chancellor's pledge
It is a shame that some condescending art critics and their near cousins, disdainful literary reviewers, tend to unnecessarily over-complicate their language when simple descriptions will generally suffice. Far too many of these folks suffer from
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Monitoring mums-to-be
Newborn babies are unlikely to win prizes unless their mother is Michelle Fernandes. Her baby is, fittingly, Oxford-based start-up FoetoH, which is developing a portable wireless foetal cardiac monitor. Dr Fernandes is a specialist in foetal medicine
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Webcam could save lives
The webcam, a video camera developed in 1991 to monitor the coffee pot in a Cambridge University computer laboratory, could provide a life-saving service for hospital patients and people with chronic illnesses. Webcams are now used for everything
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Saving sash window
Double glazing is often hyped in the drive to save energy but older-style windows, brought up to their maximum efficiency, can be just as effective in keeping draughts at bay. Simon Tuke and Anthony Williams, of Oxford-based Tuke-Williams have,
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Forging the future
Colin Grace was introduced to the art of blacksmithing at the age of nine. The glowing column of red-hot iron, the whack of the anvil forcing it into shape and the hiss as it plunged into water was all part and parcel of his Saturday job at his grandfather
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Student rescued from canal in early hours
A STUDENT was taken to hospital after falling into the Castle Mill Stream this morning. Fire crews from Rewley Road and Kidlington’s rescue tender were called to rescue the woman at 1.45am, who was partially under the bridge in Paradise Street.
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Parky at the Pictures (In Cinemas 18/10/2012)
Sally Potter is a distinctive voice in British cinema. Making amateur films from the age of 14, she dropped out of school two years later to pursue her ambitions and initially found a niche within the London Film-Makers' Co-operative in the early 1970s
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Parky at the Pictures (DVD 18/10/2012)
Adapted from a novella by Denis Osokin, photographed with sepulchral beauty by Mikhail Krichman and counterpointed by Andrei Karasyov's brooding score, Aleksei Fedorchenko's Silent Souls is a moving treatise on the solace of death that is speckled
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The scales of justice
People convicted of offences at magistrates' courts around the county recently: Carlos Spencer, 21, of Nettlebed Mead, Oxford, admitted possession of a cannabis joint on July 18. Discharged conditionally for 12 months and told to pay £85 costs.
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Work starts on Oxford and Cherwell Valley College's next campus development
PLANS to build a £6m media and motor skills facility at Oxford & Cherwell Valley College’s Banbury campus have moved a step closer. The college has signed a deal with contractor SDC to begin work by the end of the year for a Christmas 2013
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No decision on future of Masonic Hall conference centre
The Oxford Centre in Banbury Road has been sold to the Oxford-based building company Homespace. There has been speculation about the future of the centre at 333 Banbury Road in Summertown since its closure last month as one of the city’s foremost
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School makes use of hi-tech teaching
ONE school is using the latest technology to get children enthused about reading. Bure Park Primary School, in Bicester, is among the latest to sign up to take part in the Oxfordshire Reading Campaign. The school has been using a range of methods
