Archive

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Arson suspected in scooter fire

Firefighters tackled a suspect arson attack on a scooter in Giles Road. The fire service was called just after 1.30pm this afternoon and one appliance from Slade Fire Station attended. Thames Valley Police also attended.

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Woman released from car after crash

Firefighters helped release a woman from a car after a two-car collision in Tadmarton Road, Bloxham. The fire service was called at 8.46am this morning and an appliance from Banbury Fire Station attended.

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Woman injured in Bloxham crash

A woman was taken to hospital after a crash in Bloxham this morning. Police were called to Cumberford Hill at around 8.30am after a collision between a Peugeot 206 and a Land Rover. The woman was taken to hospital with minor injuries to her

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Damage to overhead line causes power cut in Abingdon

About 1,200 people lost power this morning when an overhead line came down near Abingdon. Residents of Abingdon, Frilford and Garford lost power at 9.15am when the high voltage overhead line came down near Millets Farm. The power cut affected

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Chamber of commerce faces closure

DIDCOT’S Chamber of Commerce is in danger of folding if it does not find volunteers to take up key positions, its members have been warned. Julia Williams, manager of the Premier Inn at the Milton Interchange, resigned as chamber president after

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Park depot housing plan concerns locals

PART of a Headington park is set to be turned into affordable homes, prompting conservationists to accuse Oxford City Council leaders of over-developing the area. Plans for 10 homes on the site of the council’s depot in Bury Knowle Park have been

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Falklands veteran on emotional return trip

A VETERAN of the Falklands War flew out to the islands last night to take part in Remembrance Day services for his fallen friends. Paul Graves, 49, from Witney, was a private in 2nd Battalion The Parachute Regiment, which was the first to land

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Tackling the scourge of criminals aged 10

ROBBERY, burglary, and sex and drugs offences are among the thousands of crimes committed by the county’s children in the last three years. Between April last year and March this year, 1,924 children committed crimes. In the same period in

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School’s Ofsted rating improves to good

IMPROVEMENTS in attainment and teaching have moved one Oxfordshire school from satisfactory to good. St Michael’s Primary School, Steventon, was given a good rating in every area when Ofsted inspectors visited. The report pointed out that pupils

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Mystery Jets @ O2 Academy, Oxford

MYSTERY Jets are one of those bands which have always commanded a cult following. Singer Blaine Harrison has made no secret of the band’s knack for picking up fans for the course of an album, only for them to be replaced a couple of years later

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Philip Mercer: former mayor served in Navy

PHILIP “Joe” Mercer’s life took him to the high seas with the Royal Navy, on the beat with the police and into office as a councillor. Above all, he was a devoted husband, father and grandfather, his family said, following his death on October

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Michael Comely: principal led college for two decades

A FORMER Abingdon College head has died aged 88. Michael Comely, principal of the college between 1963 and 1986, passed away at Sobell House in Oxford on October 29. He was born and raised in Gloucestershire and read English at Bristol University

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Buses are a better option

WITH reference to Pamela St Clair’s letter (ViewPoints, October 25), had she travelled on a bus that would have been one more passenger and no pollution from her taxi. Registered disabled, I hobble around on two hospital sticks. The buses have

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Alberic Stacpoole: Captain with distinguished war career became a monk

FORMER Oxford tutor Captain Dom Alberic Stacpoole, who became a monk after a distinguished military career, has died aged 82. Capt Stacpoole was a senior tutor at St Benet’s Hall, the educational establishment founded in 1897 so that monks of Ampleforth

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What's Hot, What's New, What's In, What's Hip...

* IT’s for good reason The Noisettes have been described as the best live band in Britain. London’s original odd couple Dan Smith and Shingai Shoniwa, right, make a scorching spectacle, playing spangly pop with added fizz. On Monday they begin

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What's Hot, What's New, What's In...

* THE Mill Arts Centre in Banbury is hosting Hardeep Singh Kohli on Saturday. Hardeep gives theatre a whole new twist in his show Indian Takeaway by doing just what the title says. He is going to order Indian takeaway from a local restaurant. On stage

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'Tech' The Halls With Boughs of Holly...

CLAIRE PULPHER checks out all the latest gadgets that will be appearing on a Christmas list near you... Grab the winter coat, dig out the wellington boots and throw away the bikinis – Christmas is coming. l think 2012 has been a record actually

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Comic Licence for Graham Norton's Right-Hand Woman Jo Caulfield

Comic Jo Caulfield talks to KATHERINE MACALISTER about being married, not being married and the joys of stand-up Jo Caulfield loves the disparities in Oxford between town and gown, none more evident than on her tour. Last time she came to Oxfordshire

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The world according to Peter Andre...

Singer, reality TV star and Britain’s most famous single dad, Peter Andre, talks to Tim Hughes about showbiz, family life and his new “landmark” album HE may be one of the most recognisable faces – and torsos – on TV, but Peter Andre believes he

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Courting Favour With Our Latest Book of The Month - Bring Up The Bodies

ANDREW FFRENCH finds himself transported back to the court of Henry VIII in our latest Book of the Month THE BOOK: AS a fan of historical fiction I was delighted to get the chance to read Bring Up The Bodies, Hilary Mantel’s Booker Prize winning

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Full Circle For High House Gallery's New RE/VISION Exhibition

SARAH MAYHEW discovers small is definitely beautiful at the High House Gallery in Clanfield when she visits RE/VISION, a solo exhibition by Minhong Pyo Everything about the new Clanfield exhibition space, High House Gallery, is small but perfectly

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Taut Triumph for Ben Affleck's Oscar Contender 'Argo'

ARGO (15) Thriller/Action. Ben Affleck, Alan Arkin, John Goodman, Tate Donovan, Scoot McNairy, Kerry Bishe, Christopher Denham, Clea DuVall, Rory Cochrane, Victor Garber. Director: Ben Affleck. Fiction couldn’t be any stranger than the truth

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Sapphires Shine Despite Their Rough Setting

THE SAPPHIRES (PG) Musical/Comedy/Romance/Action. Chris O'Dowd, Deborah Mailman, Miranda Tapsell, Jessica Mauboy, Shari Sebbens, Tory Kittles. Director: Wayne Blair. Based on Tony Briggs’s 2004 stage play, The Sapphires is a crowd-pleasing,

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It's Witching Hour for Korky Paul's 'Winnie The Witch' at Pegasus

Puppeteer Emma Boor tells KATHERINE MACALISTER why she’s the perfect person to take on the role of Winnie the Witch Emma Boor is super nice with boundless energy and enthusiasm, making her perfect for the much coveted part of Winnie The Witch this

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Jobs axed at Electrocomponents

Bosses at electronics and maintenance products supplier Electrocomponents say they are cutting up to 70 jobs across the UK business with 140 going worldwide. The company, headquartered at the Oxford Business Park, revealed its plans for a new “

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Parky at the Pictures (In Cinemas 8/11/2012)

The Play Poland film festival arrives in Oxford this weekend. In addition to a clutch of screenings at the Grove Auditorium in Madgalen College, there is also a photographic exhibition to enjoy. Unfortunately, only a fraction of the touring programme

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Becoming a 'nimble' dancer

When the going gets tough, the tough get going. The truism is nowhere more apt than for people facing redundancy. One man who found that out the hard way was Laurence Smith, now owner and managing director of Zeon Healthcare, which employs eight people

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Poets galore at two festivals

Woodstock’s first poetry festival will host some of the most interesting poets writing in English today, many of whom live in Oxfordtford. They include university lecturers Bernard O'Donoghue and Jamie McKendrick, who will both be reading from

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Outsider II by Brian Sewell

Brian Sewell has reached a far wider and, very likely, much more appreciative audience in nearly 30 years as the Evening Standard’s art critic than he would have gained had his activities in the art world remained limited to academia and auctions.

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Light party an alternative to Halloween

CANDLES were lit by youngsters at a church’s light party organised as an alternative to Halloween. Children enjoyed apple bobbing, painting and a bouncy castle at St Luke’s Church in Canning Crescent, South Oxford, on Monday. Billie-Jo Bourton

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Curtain up on school's plan for a 400-seat theatre

A BICESTER school has unveiled its vision for a 400-seat theatre it hopes could become a reality within five years. Bicester Community College hopes to get community and financial backing for the project in the grounds at its Queens Avenue site

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Acer of shades: maples offer splash of glorious colour

The stars of October and early November when it comes to colour are the Japanese maples (Acer palmatum), Leaves can colour up to lipstick-red, bright-orange, yellow or rich butterscotch-brown. Leaf shapes vary from lobed to finely dissected and

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Jazzed-up Jazz

What is there to dislike about the Honda Jazz? It is spacious, versatile and practical, with excellent build quality, superb reliability and it is built in Britain. If it lacks anything, it is that little frisson of sporty excitement. Now Honda

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This is the season of misfits and mellow fruit

Just when you think most of our woodland wildlife is hibernating, the most exquisite plants and fungi are bursting into life, and some are so minute that you could easily walk by without noticing them. Take a stroll into Sydlings Copse nature reserve

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Chuck Ragan, the D.O.T. and other musical highlights of the coming week

Country rock Chuck Ragan’s Revival Tour O2 Academy, Oxford Tuesday, 7.30pm Tickets: £15.75 ticketweb.co.uk Take an assorted and diverse range of acoustic, folk and country artists – some of whom have previously never

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Theatre Highlights

Book signing Lord coe Waterstones, Oxford Wednesday, 5pm 01865 790212 or waterstones.com/ waterstonesweb/ Sebastian Coe swoops into Oxford to sign copies of his new autobiography Running My Life. Presumably his Olympic coup has left him with a bit

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Diana Krall - Glad Rag Doll (Verve)

A NEW album by Diana Krall is always going to be cause for excitement, but the latest offering by the multi Grammy award-winning artist will have set the pulse racing of red-blooded jazz fans. Krall is a phenomenon who has sold 15m albums, seven

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Chicago is great, sexy fun

FIND me anyone who can sit through Cell Block Tango and NOT tap their feet, NOT whoop a cheer for killer women and NOT fall in love with these lethal damsels-of-death, and I’ll eat a set of gallows... Because if Chicago is nothing else, it’s a

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Audiscope, Blackhats and more news from the Oxford music scene

AN IMPRESSIVE line-up of bands will do their bit for charity on Saturday, with the return of Oxford’s annual Audiscope. The all-dayer, which raises money for the homelessness charity Shelter, is headlined by Damo Suzuki, with sets by Arbouretum and

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Alt-J @ O2 Academy Oxford

YOU have got to admire the person who booked Alt-J for this Oxford show. Through a combination of judgement, vision and sheer luck, we ended up with an historic gig. Already possessed of a cult following, the Cambridge band had long since sold

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The Dreaming Spires are a united band of brothers

Brothers Robin and Joe Bennett may have had the most English of upbringings but their hearts have always been in America. Raised in one of Oxfordshire’s prettiest villages, the pair spent their youths listening to the laidback country rock of Gram

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Stay tuned with Joan Armatrading

Her mother should have known better. Even before she bought the piano to decorate the family home, the young Joan Armatrading had set her heart on becoming a musician. And almost five decades later she is still at it. “I was born to write music

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Loyalty Card winner is 'over the moon'

THE latest winner of the Oxford Mail Loyalty Card cash prize has been announced. Dorothy Smith, 77, of Seacourt Road, Botley, won £150 in the draw on Saturday, holding card number 4364 9190 0287 7378. Mrs Smith has been a Loyalty Card holder

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‘Communication is the key to success’

Relevant experience: Dealing with and communicating with people – a career in retail sales requires significant consultative abilities, and the ability to listen to what people want you to provide. As I work in a small family business, I have worn

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Surviving winter

Sir – Every year the number of people in fuel poverty (those whose fuel costs are more than 10 per cent of their income) increases. In the last six months, energy bills have risen, or are projected to rise, by about 10 per cent, while incomes for elderly

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Silo mentality

 Sir – We were delighted with William Crossley’s article (October 25) setting out arguments for the proper redevelopment of Oxford station. He makes the case for the new station on the basis of the railway needs and the difficulty of meeting these

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Excellent system

Sir – With much interest shown again in your columns concerning a transport system needed for Oxford, clearly a good tramway system would neatly clinch it, compared to the mish-mash we have at present of so many different buses, giving us the title

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Visionary thinking

 Sir – Further to my letter (October 18) regarding an Oxford Rapid Transport System (ORTS). It is encouraging that others see the obvious benefits of such a scheme. Those sceptical of the feasibility of such a system should look at Istanbul, an old

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No proper hub

Sir – Two UNESCO World Heritage cities, Avignon and Besançon, are getting trams. So is Caen. Each is a city smaller than Oxford, as are Norrköping, Darmstadt, Schwerin, Würzburg and Zwickau — all of which already have trams. In Potsdam, the same

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Rampant cacophony

Sir – I read Colin May’s letter (October 25) with interest. Certainly the East Oxford Orchestra should be recognised for constructing a daring and unconventional programme for their concert but who would really want to listen to such stuff? For

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Long-overdue rise

Sir – I don’t normally agree with the council introducing car parking charges, but on this occasion, the new charges at Thornhill park-and-ride for London commuters is long overdue. It is well known that by about 8am Thornhill is usually full with

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Need to stop growing

 Sir – Colin Cook presents us with a choice between sacrificing some of the Green Belt and losing open spaces within the city’s boundaries. Does he assume that Oxford can go on expanding indefinitely? We have to face the fact that endless growth

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New Thai restaurant promotes safe sex

A NEW Thai restaurant with a sexual health theme has opened in Bicester. Cabbages and Condoms has opened in Chapel Street to raise money to promote sexual health in Thailand. The restaurant – the first of its kind in the UK – is one of a chain

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Districts considering shake-up in taxi fares

A SHAKE-UP of taxi fares across parts of Oxfordshire has sparked fears of higher prices and customer confusion. Customers and cabbies have raised concerns over moves to axe regulated fares for some taxis in Vale of White Horse. Meanwhile taxi

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RUGBY UNION: Outen in for Stanley's

KARL Outen will return to Iffley Road on Wednesday when Oxford University host the Major Stanley’s XV. The lock, who was man-of-the-match for Oxford in last year’s Varsity victory over Cambridge, could partner Chinnor’s Andy Smith. Former Blues

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BAR BILLIARDS: Vikings march on at top

Premier Section leaders Vikings Club won 3-2 at West Oxford Democrats in the Johnsons Buildbase Oxford League, writes PETE EWINS. Lewis Stratford (5,480), Ian Moss (8,520) and undefeated Alan Oliver, who compiled a score and break of 8,400 were

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Getting overheated by warm wine

Nothing irritates me more when entering a pub than to find the wines stored on a top shelf directly under spotlights. I assume they think the lights will draw the customer’s attention. They might as well put the wine under warming lamps. Several weeks

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ATHLETICS: Bronze medal for Oxon duo

Oxford City’s Melissa Hawtin and Radley’s Gemma Bridge helped Birmingham University to third place in a national cross country event. Teaming up with Pippa Woolven, the pair won junior women’s bronze in in the English Cross Country Association

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AUNT SALLY: Townsend leads way

JOHN Townsend hit a six in his 14 dolls as Black Prince slayed King’s Arms (Tackley) 6-0 in the Kidlington Indoor League. Mick Berry also struck a six in his 14 dolls to help Chauffers to a 4-2 win over Black Prince in the Yarnton RBL League.

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Changing views

Sir – I walk, or jog from Osney Island, along the towpath and across Port Meadow, almost every day. I enjoy the river, the amazing variety of birds and the trees and shrubs that bring me joy with each passing season. These things will never change.

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Degree of legitimacy

 Sir – Good idea or not, the elections for the police and crime commissioner do have an interesting aspect to them, namely that they allow a second preference vote, a system recently rejected for Parliamentary elections. I would imagine that this has

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Improving service

 Sir – Governments and councils of all political colours and none have striven for centuries to provide ‘good’ public services. When Gordon Brown was Chancellor we saw the high watermark of the ‘set lots of targets from on high’ approach. Your

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Not impartial

 Sir – As a conscientious citizen and pensioner with time on my hands, I have been studying the information about the forthcoming PCC elections. I read the following: ‘PCCs will be required to swear an oath of impartiality when they are elected

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The Oxford Times is now available on Amazon's Kindle Fire

The Oxford Times has this week become one of the first UK newspapers available on Amazon’s new tablet computer, the Kindle Fire. Following the successful app for Apple’s iPad and iPhone, readers with the 7in Kindle Fire or Kindle Fire HD are able

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Expensive error

Sir – Bob Forster’s letter (November 1) lists some bad reasons why people object to road schemes and hopes the rules will be relaxed. There may also be some very good reasons to object, however. In the case of the Cogges Link Road, which he cites

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Spend more on cycling

Sir – In your letters page last week, Brian Wallis suggested that if only cyclists could be trained to behave better there would be fewer deaths and injuries. It is an attractively simple idea but, alas, based on a false assumption. Even if

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Delicious irony

 Sir – As is so often the case with the cyclist lobby, the latest missive from Chris Day (Letters, October 25) regarding “road tax”, has the all too familiar stink of “sweat and righteousness” about it. Just because the Government changed the name

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Remembering dead

 Sir – Are some of us more equal than others? Next Sunday, November 11, is Remembrance Sunday. So, across the country, there will be memorial services around our local war memorials — and at London’s Cenotaph. Regrettably, there will be practically

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Highways for wildlife

 Sir – I am writing to give my wholehearted support to the letter from Alan Stock( November 1) re. councils’ indiscriminate cutting of grass. If councils were to have a more ecologically-minded approach to cutting grass on road verges, in parks

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Women bailed

TWO women arrested after Haydan O’Callaghan was sentenced to life in prison last month have been released on bail. O’Callaghan, 18, of Saunders Road, Oxford, murdered Rose Hill musician Aaron Buron in March. The arrests followed an alleged

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Top award for young scientists

SETTING fire to crisps and biscuits helped young Oxfordshire scientists win a top award. Pupils from Wolvercote Primary School were awarded a prize for their sports-themed science project by Bill Bryson and the Royal Society of Chemistry. The

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Councils adopt new powers for flooding

NEW powers for dealing with flooding have been adopted by South Oxfordshire and Vale of White Horse district councils. The two councils are now responsible for giving consent to people who put bridges or pipes in streams and ditches. They will

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Democrats cheer as Obama is re-elected

OXFORD’S Democrats have been toasting their candidate’s victory in the US Presidential elections. Barack Obama won re-election to the White House yesterday with slightly more than 50 per cent of the vote. Artist Ted Dewan, originally from Boston

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ATHLETICS: Dramatic finish sees Snelson pip Insley in under 11 battle

OXFORD MAIL CROSS LEAGUE Skip Snelson led the way for Oxfordshire clubs in the junior races at Ascott-under-Wychwood. Snelson won the under 11 boys’ race after a great battle with Radley’s Henry Insley. The pair both clocked 3mins 49secs

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Mistakes in letter on 2,500 homes causes 'fiasco'

AN ATTEMPT to inform residents about a planning application to build 2,500 homes on Grove Airfield has been “a fiasco and a nightmare”, according to a leading county councillor. The Vale of White Horse District Council informed more than 800 Grove

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RACING: Longsdon brings up double ton

Chipping Norton trainer Charlie Longsdon recorded his 200th winner under both codes in this country when Hazy Tom won at Warwick yesterday. The six-year-old gelding, a 15-8 shot, got off the mark over fences by making all the running under Noel

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Pedestrians must be safe

ONCE again, councillor for highways, Rodney Rose, has made a mistake about the 20mph limit in St Giles. Having once been a lorry driver, Mr Rose appears in his policies to favour HGVs over and above other modes of transport and does nothing fundamental

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Choice of music venues

I WRITE regarding live music venues, eg: Lord Nuffield and Romanway. The Oxford Irish Society lost money when The Lord Nuffield closed its doors a couple of years ago. We had paid for a year up-front but because of losses we will never see this

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20mph limits in the city oppose common sense

I HAVE written before, in a previous letter, about my views on the 20mph speed limit throughout the the city and the total waste of money spent installing all the signs. I now write regarding the latest episode where a radar gun, deployed in St Giles

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Rantzen set to star on That’s Oxford TV

A NEW Oxfordshire TV station will be beaming into sets across the county following a successful licence bid. Broadcasting regulator Ofcom yesterday gave approval to Abingdon-based station That’s Oxford. The channel will feature Esther Rantzen

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ATHLETICS: City's Bruce in debut triumph

OXFORD MAIL CROSS COUNTRY LEAGUE David Bruce marked his Oxford City debut with a dominant victory in round one at Ascott-under-Wychwood. But it is unlikely he will face far worse conditions if he becomes a seasoned campaigner in the league.

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CRICKET: HCPL's waiting game

Chairman Ray Wood expects it will be at least another two weeks before a decision is made on the composition of the Home Counties Premier League (HCPL) next season. Wood was speaking after the Hertfordshire clubs, who form part of the league, backed

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MOTORSPORT: Fernandes to stand down

Tony Fernandes, owner of the Leafield-based Caterham Formula 1 team, says he will quit his role as team principal at the end of the season in order to focus on the road car side of the business.

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DARTS: Locals face giants of the game

Local players get the chance to take on four of the world’s top professionals in an Allstars event at the Spice Ball Leisure Centre in Banbury tonight. Dutch legend Raymond van Barneveld, the five-time world champion, another former world title-holder

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The Loch Fyne Restaurant, Walton Street, Oxford

Set menu or à la carte? At Oxford’s Loch Fyne restaurant this is really a no-brainer. The set menu represents such stonkingly good value that I am fearful of setting off a stampede in Walton Street by telling you about it. On offer are two courses

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Student shows Bloody Poetry and A Little Night Music previewed

Playwright Howard Brenton makes a rare public appearance tonight at Keble College’s O’Reilly Theatre before a performance of his Bloody Poetry by student group Heart Sleeve Productions. The title of his talk, Lies, Damn Lies and History Plays, suggests

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Associate with the community

“I remember the early days…very quiet, little lighting, regular power outages, but quite special in its own way.” That’s the memory of one resident of Madley Park, an estate of around 1,200 homes on the eastern edge of Witney, who has lived there

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THE INSIDER: Candidate takes lift to debate from a voter

POLICE and Crime Commissioner candidate Patience Tayo Awe found herself running late for the Oxford debate featuring all the contenders on Monday evening. Advised not to take a car anywhere near the city centre, the independent decided to take

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Help to cope with winter

Every year the number of people in fuel poverty (those whose fuel costs are more than ten per cent of their income) increases. In the past six months energy bills have risen, or are projected to rise, by around ten per cent, while incomes for elderly

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We lost the Cod Wars

ROGER Tucker (ViewPoints, October 30) advocates “attack being the best form of defence” regarding attacks by French fishermen on scallops taken from UK waters. He continues with: “We stood up to Iceland in the Cod Wars” – but fails to mention that

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Taxed through recycling

THOSE, including Ian Hudspeth, who promote the myth in the Oxford Mail that council tax has not risen in the past couple of years should be named, shamed and re-educated. Garden refuse used to be collected in green canvas bags and the cost included

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Christmas spirit will light up the city

ISHMAN Choudhury took great care when making his Christmas lantern for a festive parade. The year eight pupil was one of 20 Cheney School youngsters making lanterns for Oxford’s Christmas Light Night on Friday, November 23. The 12-year-old

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RUGBY UNION: Time was right to leave Quins

SIMON Chadbone said he left Oxford Harlequins because he did not want to become someone whose commitment was questioned. The Oxfordshire prop captained Quins for three years and spent more than a decade at the club, but has now returned to Wheatley

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Consolation supplied by the fatal fall of Icarus

The value of poetry in supplying consolation in bereavement was stressed in an interview in the Sunday Times this week by Lord Saatchi. The one-time advertising guru told Bryan Appleyard that verse was helping him through the grief from which he still

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ICE HOCKEY: Battling Stars in Devils defeat

OXFORD City Stars slipped to a 5-4 defeat at Cardiff Devils in a tough English National League Division 2 South encounter. Devils took the lead with a breakaway goal after five minutes from Trent Hope. Darren Elliott, Joe Edwards and Cox went

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Wilder sticks to his guns

Chris Wilder stressed the importance of continuity in defending his team selection following Oxford United’s midweek defeat. There was some surprise over the decision to play Michael Raynes ahead of Johnny Mullins at centre half against Dagenham

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Police concern over series of rural burglaries

A SERIES of burglaries in rural West Oxfordshire have seen gold jewellery, silverware and cash stolen from homes in the daylight hours. The crimes have happened in villages and isolated homes in the country since early September. Police said

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Gangnam Style a hit with Oxford students

IT is a phenomenon that has taken the world by storm. Prime Minister David Cameron does it. London Mayor Boris Johnson does it. And yesterday hundreds of Oxford University students were doing it – Gangnam Style – as South Korean rapper

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RUGBY UNION: Johnson's all set for 'home debut'

FORMER Chinnor flanker Tom Johnson is relishing playing for England at Twickenham after being named in their squad to face Fiji on Saturday. The 30-year-old Exeter Chiefs player is guaranteed at least a place on the bench when England’s side is

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OUR VIEW: Facing the music

So Gangnam Style music rapper Psy has addressed the Oxford Union... It might seem odd that a relatively unknown South Korean musician has received the invitation. But this may be why – his music video, Gangnam Style, is the second most watched

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GOLF: Chippy glory in tight KO final

CHIPPING Norton became the Shaw Gibbs Oxfordshire Foursomes League KO Cup champions after a thrilling 2-1 victory over Burford in the final at Buckingham. A tale of comebacks from both teams ensured a tight finish. In the top game Chippy's

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Should more be done to improve public lavatories in Oxford?

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Letter from king tells of brothels

A LETTER by one of Europe’s greatest rulers found in Oxford’s Bodleian Library offers a friend tips on treating venereal disease. Previously unknown letters by Frederick the Great of Prussia were discovered by Prof Katrin Kohl, of Oxford University

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Neighbour praised after tackling kitchen blaze

FIREFIGHTERS have praised a fire victim’s neighbour after he put out a kitchen blaze. Two people living in Whitley Crescent in Bicester had a lucky escape after an unattended frying pan caught fire on Tuesday at 10.30pm. One resident first

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Father jailed after breaking baby's arm

A YOUNG dad whose newborn baby was found riddled with bone fractures was yesterday jailed for nearly three years. Edward Booker admitted fracturing the three-month-old boy’s right arm and also failing to seek medical care in the first few months

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OUR VIEW: Punishment for these vile crimes must be severe

Can there be any more vile crime than that which involves a child? No. Which is why any sentence handed out against those who cross this line should be as severe as possible. In this instance a three-month old baby boy is discovered to have

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GOLF: Sevens up for Drayton Park

Drayton Park 2 will join the club’s first team in the Central Sevens top flight next season after winning the Division Two title.

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Writers attacked on their home territory

The Duke of Devonshire put his well-polished boot into journalist Robin Oakley in a review of his new book Britain & Ireland’s Top 100 Racehorses of All Time (Corinthian, £16.99). Having listed a series of errors in the work, His Grace (writing

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GOLF: Club results round-up

OXFORD CITY GOLF CLUB Thistle Cup: 1 M Stevens 40pts, 2 P Higgins 38, 3 E Greenaway 38. NORTH OXFORD November Medal (Don Mills Cup) – Div 1: 1 A Bennett 82-11=71 (cb), 2 R Mills 76-5=71, 3 G Fidler 81-8=73. Div 2: 1 C Black 79-13=66 (cb

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BOWLS: Twin win for Oxon

OXFORDSHIRE’S A and Premier teams won their inetr-counties matches at home last weekend. The A team finished 30-10 winners against Herefordshire A, while Oxon Premier beat Hampshire Premier 22-18. OXFORDSHIRE A DETAILS Singles: E Hasker

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Led by the nose to a fun experience

Three years ago Sam Bompas and Harry Parr persuaded me to paddle around on a giant orange slice in the basement of a house in London’s Portland Place that had been flooded with more than 4,000 litres of a new cocktail based on Courvoisier brandy. Such

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Parky at the Pictures (In Cinemas 8/11/2012)

Five years after announcing his arrival with The Death of Mr Lazarescu, Romanian director Cristi Puiu has produced in Aurora another uncompromising dissection of a country struggling to come to terms with the ramifications of socio-political upheaval

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Parky at the Pictures (DVD 8/11/2012)

Thanks to Martin Scorsese and Ben Kingsley, the majority of modern movie-goers think of Georges Méliès as the kindly old man in the 3-D fantasy, Hugo. In fact, he is the founding father of the very genre that this genial adaptation of Brian Selznick's

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Falklands veteran on an emotional return trip

THE Oxford Mail is supporting this year’s Poppy Appeal by highlighting the good work of the Royal British Legion in helping our troops. Each day we will bring you the stories of how the charity is transforming the lives of former and current services