Archive
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The Epstein: 'Forget Japan... we’re big in Holland’
Olly Wills is a happy man. And for good reason. With a record deal for his band The Epstein, a new album in the bag and a burgeoning fan base in some very unlikely places, it has been a great year. But it has been a long journey for the hard-working
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Pupils belt out Christmas carols
WITH big smiles on their faces, pupils from Oxford’s St Barnabas Primary School belted out carols in the city centre. About 30 youngsters from the school’s choir helped raise more than £200 for the Oxford Poverty Action Trust (OxPAT) this week.
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Scales of Justice
People convicted of offences at magistrates courts in Oxfordshire recently: Mohammed Snoussi, 27, of Ridgefield Road, Cowley, Oxford, admitted shoplifting drink worth £7.98 from Pumpkin Cafe and WH Smith in Oxford Train Station on October 11. Given
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Campaigners are set to try to buy meadow
A CAMPAIGN group is gearing up for a fundraising effort as an 18-acre town green in Oxford goes on sale soon. The Department of Health wants to sell Warneford Meadow but has yet to officially put it on the market. It was due to do so this week
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Word of film festival spreads over border
The Oxford Mail’s Senior Citizen’s Film Festival sold out again yesterday when it screened Salmon Fishing in The Yemen. Cinemagoers travelled to the event, staged every year at the Phoenix Picturehouse in Walton Street, Oxford, from Buckinghamshire
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Rail ticket prices rises branded 'a total insult'
A DECISION to increase the price of some rail commuters’ season tickets way above the average rise has been branded a “total insult”. Chiltern Railways announced season tickets from Bicester and Banbury to London will rise by 9.2 per cent, the
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Parents quiz principal of planned free school
BOTH parents and residents had the chance to meet the headteacher of Oxford’s first free school. Liz Russo has been appointed principal designate of Tyndale Community School due to open next September in the former Lord Nuffield Club building in
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Glass link a clear benefit for Wolvercote Church
A MAJOR development project at a Wolvercote church has passed another hurdle. St Peter’s Church is spending about £800,000 on improvements over the next couple of years. And now it has completed the third phase of its project – a glass link
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Concerns raised over drinking outside Market Square pub
A WITNEY pub has met with criticism over a plan to open an outdoor drinking and dining area in Market Square. Spirit Pub Company said it plans a “substantial investment” in the Cross Keys, Market Square, including improving the seating, bar and
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Hey Miki...
I CAN guarantee you will see stuff you have not seen before,” says Nick Tigg, artistic director of Miki. “I mean it’s not often you can go and see a Christmas show and see a giant octopus with eight-foot tentacles or a seven-feet tall crab – think
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Pick Up A Penguin
Where is the last place you expect to find Father Christmas? One answer might be on the set of the new Kick-Ass movie – the follow up to 2010’s super violent story about a slaughtering superhero father and daughter. But there is Father Christmas, telling
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Pane And Gain For Christmas Shoppers
With the Christmas season well under way, SARAH MAYHEW takes a wander through Oxford to see how galleries and stores are adding sparkle to their festive displays It’s beginning to feel a lot like Christmas… and even those of us that aren’t moved
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What's Hot, What Rocks, What's Cool...
* A clutch of the city’s finest artists convene in a church this Sunday for one of the best quality music events of the winter. The Pin Drop Midwinter Festival, at St John The Evangelist Church, in Iffley Road, Oxford, is the antidote to the winter
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A tough start as an orphan
VINCENT Boulter, who has died aged 96, achieved much in life despite a difficult start as an orphan. In 1939, the War Office appealed for craftsmen to help the war effort and as a trained cabinet maker, he was an obvious choice. He helped build
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Soccer stalwart had lifelong love of game
PETER Flynn was a lifelong football enthusiast and stalwart of Bicester Town Football Club. A fan, player and referee, he died on November 13 after a short illness. Born in Dundalk, Southern Ireland, Mr Flynn, who suffered from Alzheimer’s
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What's Hot, What's Tasty, What's New...
* THE Royal Oak in Woodstock Road, Oxford, is now ready for all your festive gatherings and Christmas dinners. There is a new festive menu and a new offer. If you book any time before January 31 for a party of six or more, you, the party organiser,
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True Romance on Cowley Road
A cosy, romantic restaurant in Cowley Road ticks all the boxes for ANNA MATEI Door 74 is THE place for a romantic dinner for two, the endless couples staring intensely into each other’s eyes giving the game away. Why? Perhaps it’s because this
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Actors Enjoy Snowy Winter Wonderland
It’s a story that will be familiar to every parent in the country. “It’s Christmas. Big Mouse is the long-suffering parent figure, trying to sort out Little Mouse’s present – a cheese pie,” explains Chloe Phillips, lead actor with Blunderbus Theatre
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Goblin Up The Screen It's The Hobbit
THE HOBBIT: AN UNEXPECTED JOURNEY - 12A Action/Adventure. Martin Freeman, Ian McKellen, Richard Armitage, Andy Serkis, William Kircher, James Nesbitt, Stephen Hunter, Ken Stott, Graham McTavish, Dean O’Gorman, Aidan Turner, Mark Hadlow, Jed Brophy
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Sassy Stooshe bring back girl power
TIM HUGHES talks to the feisty Alex Buggs, one-third of Britain’s sassiest, new girl band – Stooshe WHEN Alexandra Buggs decided to go out shopping with her family, little did she realise that it would change her life. While sitting outside
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Church of England 'must solve women bishops issue'
THE Church of England must resolve the row over women bishops to stop Parliament passing laws to enforce change, Banbury MP Sir Tony Baldry has said. The Conservative – a church estates commissioner in Parliament – said women must be allowed to
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Sainsbury's has rival plan to Tesco
SUPERMARKET giant Sainsbury’s has moved to stop its rival Tesco opening a bigger store in Bicester. Construction of a Sainsbury’s supermarket, cinema, shops and restaurants is under way as part of the £70m town centre redevelopment. Last Thursday
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Five join hub for enterprise
A NEW business centre in Witney has officially opened for business and welcomed its first five occupiers. The Witney Business and Innovation Centre, on the Windrush Industrial Park, is aimed at providing facilities for local start-up and growing
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Labelling is something to beef about
At the risk of another lashing in the letters column for daring to buy ready meals from Marks & Spencer, I own up today to the purchase (as part, I think, of a £10 ‘dine-in’ deal) of the main course dish whose packet can be seen on the left.
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Upset over Steventon solar parks
A SECOND solar park is to be built in Steventon with a third in the pipeline. The developments will occupy neighbouring fields off Hanney Road and include dozens of solar panels – potentially providing power for more than 6,000 homes. When
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Developer threatens to build chalets in conservation area
A CONTROVERSIAL property developer is threatening to build three “horrible” 70s-style chalets on his property to prove a point to Oxford City Council. It comes after Martin Young withdrew plans to renovate 29 Old High Street in Old Headington because
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Birthday wishes for the late Dave Brubeck
It was a classic case of the left hand — or rather the left page — not knowing what the right was doing. Leading the birthday greetings in the Court & Social section of the Daily Telegraph last Thursday was Dave Brubeck, aged 92. Whoops! Opposite
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Lizzie steams on towards her eighties
As robust as the monarch after whom she is named, the gleaming maroon Pacific Princess Elizabeth is steaming on into a venerable old age. The 79-year-old locomotive has been a star of the rails since the day of her construction, to the design of the
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The Black Boy Inn, Milton, near Banbury
I featured in Gray Matter a month or so back the memorably enjoyable lunch hosted by Marco Pierre White to mark his takeover of the Black Boy pub, in Milton, near Banbury. The mercurial chef, I noted, was in mellow form that day and as generous of
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Getting hitched takes on new meaning for newly weds
GETTING hitched took on a new meaning for Ian and Lisa Robinson on their wedding day when they hitched a ride on Santa’s sleigh. They stepped out of Bicester Methodist Church, Sheep Street, just as the town’s Round Table was towing the sleigh home
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Be quick to snap up festive fizz
Christmas is less than two weeks away. Time to hit the shops and buy that wine for dinner or that last minute gift. There are still a few good deals about, but they are going quickly. On Saturday, at the Waitrose in Headington, I discovered the best
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Our love for cook books still on the boil
Have you tried working from a recipe that’s on a Kindle? Ebooks are not ever practical when read in the kitchen, all those greasy stains that personalise a cookery book and make it your own do nothing to enhance a Kindle. I have several dog-eared books
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Singing the praise of beautiful birch
I am squinting into the winter sun and I know I should not complain after what I think has been the dullest year ever. As I look across the study, dust particles catch the light and glint. Then time spins backwards to the day when I asked my father
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Roost is one of nature's ionic sights
Last weekend I was privileged to witness one of nature’s most awe-inspiring spectacles: flocks of starlings as they come together at sunset to roost in Otmoor’s reedbeds are a truly mesmerising sight. For about half an hour new arrivals joined
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Tinker Bell and the Secret of the Wings 3D (U)
Were it not for the introduction of de rigueur 3D, this fourth computer-animated feature based on JM Barrie’s scantily-clad fairy would surely have fluttered straight to DVD. The Secret Of The Wings is lightweight enchantment, which expands Tinker
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‘Despicable’ thief targets donations box
A CHARITY box raising money to buy a little girl prosthetic limbs was stolen from the garden of a Barton home. Martin Scarrott, pictured left, raises money every Christmas for a good cause, by lighting up his home and garden with Christmas decorations
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CRICKET: Oxon back on track with £11,000 profit
Financial cutbacks have paid off for the Oxfordshire Cricket Board (OCB), which announced a profit of £11,000 for the year at its annual meeting at the Hawkwell House Hotel, Oxford. The surplus was a major boost for the OCB after it had reported
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RACING: Breisner plans for Kauto
Yogi Breisner admits it is unlikely Kauto Star will develop into an Olympic-class dressage horse following his retirement from racing. The British eventing national coach, who lives at Thame, is to assist European bronze medal eventing rider Laura
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RACING: Coneygree's set for Cheltenham
Coneygree is set to step up in trip in the Grade 2 Albert Bartlett Novices’ Hurdle when he returns to Cheltenham on Saturday. The five-year-old, trained by Mark Bradstock at Letcombe Bassett, near Wantage, made all the running for an emphatic seven-length
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Royal Christmas for patients of hospice
IT may have been the home of the Prince of Wales and Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall. But it was the children from Oxford’s Helen and Douglas House hospice who were treated like royalty as they were invited to decorate the Christmas tree at Clarence
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Comment: Tin theft is new low
THE theft of a collecting tin to help buy little meningitis victim Charlotte Nott new prosthetic limbs is a new low. The tin was for donations for Martin Scarrott’s Christmas lights in North Way Road and was chained up. There is no defence,
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RUGBY UNION: Gosford need to raise game
GOSFORD All Blacks are determined to improve their sevens play after a “rude awakening” in Dubai. The Oxfordshire club lost all three matches at Dubai Social Sevens, which ran alongside the main IRB Series. Gosford fell to Dubai College Old
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RUGBY UNION: Kew bag Oku win
KEW Occasionals triumphed in the Oku Memorial Trophy at Iffley Road. Victories over London Japanese (35-12) and a combined Vincent’s Club/Hertford College side (31-7) earned them the trophy. Contested in memory of Katsuhiko Oku, the first Japanese
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CRICKET: Oxford on the road
Oxford have been drawn away to the winners of Cockfosters and Amersham in the Kingfisher Beer Cup first round next year. Cockfosters are members of the Saracens Hertfordshire League, while Amersham play in the Morrant Thames Valley League.
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ATHLETICS: Radley record breakers
A TEAM of ten runners set a new 100km treadmill team world record at Radley College. Pupils Hugh Gordon, James Pascall, Alex Stinton, Robin Eliot, Charlie Metcalfe, Lorenzo Edward-Jones, Ollie Williams, teacher Paul Fernandez and Oxford City AC
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The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey (12A)
There is a moment early in The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey when Gandalf The Grey (Sir Ian McKellen) turns to diminutive hero Bilbo Baggins (Martin Freeman) and counsels: “All good stories deserve embellishment.” Director Peter Jackson and co-writers
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Arlene Phillips on directing Starlight Express
I was reminded of star choreographer and former Strictly Come Dancing judge Arlene Phillips while watching the Dolly Parton musical 9 to 5 at the New Theatre last week. Not because she had anything to do with the show — it’s one of the few modern musicals
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County freezes as temperatures drop
CHILDREN at Witney’s Batt School wrapped up warm to learn about the shapes that ice makes yesterday. Pupils went on a winter walk around the school grounds, keeping an eye out for frozen spiders’ webs. Temperatures dropped to well below freezing
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Henry VI: Oxford Theatre Guild, Old Fire Station
“A punishing, blood-drenched 12 hours.” That’s how the Daily Telegraph described an RSC production of Shakespeare’s trilogy Henry VI Parts 1, 2 and 3. Or you can cut the epic down to two parts, call it Rose Rage, and use an all-male cast, as Propeller
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ATHLETICS: Golden oldies
OXFORD City secured a gold medal hat-trick in the South of England (SEAA) Masters Cross Country Championships at Woodford. Stewart Thorp and Roy Treadwell won their respective vet 60 and 65 categories on the challenging 10km course. And with
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RUGBY UNION: Egerton focused on his studies
SAM Egerton is not thinking beyond his studies, despite his star performance in the Varsity Match. Egerton was named man-of-the-match as Oxford University roared back to defeat Cambridge 26-19 at Twickenham. And while the versatile back realised
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The Mouse and His Child
The stonking success of 2010’s Stratford festive offering Matilda the Musical has happily not proved intimidating for those supplying the shows to follow. Last year’s The Heart of Robin Hood saw a light-hearted, if scarcely Christmassy, take on the
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Dick Whittington: Oxford Playhouse
The cat’s whiskers. A bundle of fun. A ringing success. Let’s get out of the way right from the start each obvious play on words associated with Dick Whittington and his feline friend — all of them entirely applicable to Oxford Playhouse’s magical
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‘They were the only ones’ trial jury told
A JURY was yesterday told the three murder suspects on trial were the only ones who could have killed homeless man Denis Witney. Prosecutor Neil Moore made the comments in his closing statement as the five-week long trial at Oxford Crown Court
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On the Horizon December 20
Dance SLEEPING BEAUTY New Theatre, Oxford Tuesday to Saturday (22) at 7.30pm, Thursday at 2pm and Saturday at 2.30pm Tickets: 0844 872 3020 or atgtickets.com/oxford Grand sets and costumes, Tchaikovsky’s score and displays of virtuoso dancing
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BOWLS: Roger has last laugh in family battle
ROGER Wiggins defeated his father, Dave, in the regional final of the English Short Mat Bowling Association National Singles Competition at Wallingford. In top form throughout, Roger recorded 13-2 and 14-6 victories to reach the last four, before
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Health chiefs apologise after death
OXFORD Health Trust has apologised for its handling of the transfer between hospitals of a mentally ill man who was later found dead. Conal Browning, 25, formerly of Oxford, was found hanged after going missing from Antelope House mental health
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Husband and wife music makers head for Oxford
At one time you would have been most likely to find David Sadlier behind a drum kit in a heavy metal band, or playing the piano with a jazz band. He’s even done a stint as a firefighter, and spent time as a construction worker. These days he is best
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FOOTBALL: Wilder: Call-off was correct
Freezing weather forced the postponement of Oxford United’s FA Cup second round replay yesterday. The club used frost covers to protect the pitch on Tuesday night, but with the temperature expected to remain below zero there were concerns the ground
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Police try to prevent speed trap 'flashers'
DRIVERS who use their headlights to warn other motorists of hidden speed traps may get pulled over themselves by police. Officers laid in wait for drivers helping others dodge speeding fines during an operation in Faringdon and pulled over two
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GOLF: It's a jungle out there for Pepperell
EDDIE Pepperell will be well advised to stay out of the rough this week as he plays on a course home to hippos, leopards and dangerous snakes. The Abingdon golfer is in the field for the Alfred Dunhill Championship at Leopard Creek in South Africa
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Cowley is being killed off
I AM approaching my 50th birthday now and things I grew up with are fast disappearing and sometimes not for the better. Two recent examples are as follows: Temple Cowley swimming pool and Cowley Stadium. I used the pool as a schoolboy 40 years
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Different class of cyclist
AMES Styring’s column (December 10) about the dangers of the road took me back to the time before World War Two when dozens of us cycled to school every day. Thinking back, I can’t recall any time when I felt in danger and, what is more, can’t
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No alternative has been offered
WITH reference to Elizabeth Whitwick’s letter (Church job requirement, ViewPoints, December 11), it comes as little surprise that part of the job description for vicar Tim Stead was to be in agreement with plans for so-called ‘reordering’ of Holy Trinity
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RUGBY UNION: Varsity has so much to offer
OXFORD University head coach James Wade believes the professional game should take more note of the Varsity Match. Wade, who is also Wasps’ high performance manager, has observed the Twickenham clash from both outside and inside. He said: “
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Comment: Tipping drivers off about speed traps is wrong
MOST drivers will be initially outraged at the police threat to lie in wait near speed traps to catch anyone flashing their headlights to warn other motorists. It highlights a certain Smokey and the Bandit spirit whereby we don’t always see the
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BAR BILLIARDS: Gardner digs in as Gladiators march on
KEITH Gardner won the decisive game as Gladiators A extended their unbeaten run to eight games after a 3-2 victory at Headington Conservative Club, wries PETE EWINS. The win over their second-placed rivals sees them stretch their lead at the top
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AUNT SALLY: Indoor results
GLADIATOR MOLSON WEDNESDAY LEAGUE Kidlington 3, Team Dench 3; Yellows 6, Three Horseshoes 0; Team Monarch 4, Garsington Sports A 2; Gladiators 2, Garsington Sports B 4. Top scorer: G Townsend (Team Dench) 14. GLADIATOR MOLSON FRIDAY LEAGUE
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ICE HOCKEY: Stars sunk by Fury fightback
OXFORD City Stars surrendered a two-goal lead to lose 7-5 at Romford Fury in Division 2 South. It leaves Stars ninth in the table, but having played fewer games than their rivals. Romford took advantage of a powerplay to take the lead through
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ATHLETICS: Olympian eases to 10K victory
LONDON 2012 Olympian Anuradha Cooray cruised to victory in the Andy Reading 10K at Chesterton, near Bicester. The Sri Lankan, who finished 55th in the Olympic marathon, clocked 31mins 55secs to take first place from Oxford Brookes University’s
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Work to help yourselves
FOLK are concerned and complain about flooding but could help themselves a bit. Drains get clogged with leaves and litter and debris. It only takes a few minutes, two or three times a week, to sweep the gutter outside your house. Prevention
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Group should look ahead
NO ONE is going to be sadder than I am when (and not if) Temple Cowley Pools closes but it’s time that the Save Temple Cowley Pools lobby group stepped out of their bubble and accepted reality. Which part of “Temple Cowley pools is going to close
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Our Catholic church will not be bullied into gay marriages
SO David Cameron says he will support any campaign which would result in allowing gay couples to get married in church. It seems only a couple of years ago that Cameron was spouting that his party, the Conservatives, were the party of old fashioned
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Marina on canal at Yarnton will not help boat dwellers
THE proposed 200-plus berth marina on the Oxford Canal at Yarnton will do nothing to alleviate the difficulties relating to long-term, live-aboard moorings in the Oxford area. Apparently there is to be no provision within the development for residential
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Union Flag looks decidedly drab outside Crown Court
ON April 5 this year, you published a letter of mine which you entitled ‘Market sign in sorry state’, alluding also to the exceedingly drab Union flag – or Jack, for those of you on first name terms with the banner – on display outside one of the High
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Christ Church choristers on Christmas duty
‘When I was in my first year in the choir, it snowed on Christmas Day,” remembers senior Christ Church Cathedral chorister, 13-year-old Felix Scott-Copeland. “We went out into the school playground and had a snowball fight for about half an hour. It
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Key Stage 2 results: Oxfordshire schools
A = Number of eligible pupils B = % achieving Level 4 or above in both English and maths C = % achieving Level 4 or above in English D = % achieving Level 4 or above in maths E = % achieving Level 4 or above in reading F = % achieving Level 4 in Eng
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Naked rambler indecency trial
CARTERTON: A man dubbed ‘the naked rambler’ is set to stand trial next year charged with outraging public decency. Stephen Gough, from Hampshire, was arrested in Carterton on December 4 and has been in custody since. And at Oxford Crown Court
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'Time to start braggin' about Bilbo Baggins'
TOURISM bosses in Oxford are hoping to cash in on the popularity of one of the city’s most famous authors as The Hobbit film is released today. Last night fans said they wanted to see a multi-million pound museum dedicated to author JRR Tolkien
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Big leap in primary key stage two results
NEARLY two thirds of Oxfordshire's primary schools have posted better results in this year's Key Stage 2 exams than last year. Of the 228 primary schools sitting the exams this summer, 141 saw a higher proportion of children achieving the expected
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Duberry is back
Michael Duberry is set to make his long-awaited playing return this morning in a behind-closed-doors friendly. A career-threatening neck injury has kept the former Chelsea and Leeds United defender on the sidelines since the end of last season.
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'Jesus' causes uproar at darts contest
A LABOURER from Abingdon was escorted out of a darts tournament because his resemblance to Jesus was causing a distraction. Nathan Grindal, 33, was watching the match between world chamption Phil Taylor and Kim Huybrechts at Butlins at Minehead
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Camra members lobby MPs over beer taxes
REAL ale lovers persuaded three Oxfordshire MPs to ask George Osborne to review his beer duty escalator yesterday. Members of all four Oxfordshire branches of the Campaign for Real Ale (Camra) were among about 1,000 people who took part in the
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Inspector Morse manuscript fails to sell at auction
A HANDWRITTEN manuscript of Colin Dexter’s first Inspector Morse novel failed to sell at auction yesterday. The 280-page manuscript for Last Bus To Woodstock, written in 1974, was expected to fetch between £30,000 and £50,000 but bids did not reach
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Temple Bookbinders
When I visit a tourist attraction such as a stately home, one of the rooms I most enjoy is the library, with its shelves of handsomely-bound books. Imagine having been one of the family who once lived there, and being able to wander in and choose
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The eyes have it
A list of the world’s pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies and their areas of research will show that only a handful are targeting eye diseases. Oxford BioMedica, based at the Oxford Science Park, bucks that trend and is well advanced on treatments
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Learning with digital edge
Our schools teach children to read printed books and write with a pen and paper — yet most of their working lives will depend on digital literacy as much as the old-fashioned kind. For the next two years, teachers have the freedom to decide how
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Inside the LEP
When did you become chairman of the Oxfordshire Local Enterprise Partnership? I was elected chairman in May 2012, succeeding Dr Martin Dare-Edwards. My deputy is Ian Wenman of the Institute of Directors. LEPs, as they are known, are relatively
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Encounter with Mr Bond
My wife and I recently went to see Skyfall, the latest Bond movie in which Daniel Craig successfully continues to differentiate his more aggressive 007 character from that of Roger Moore and others who have performed the role. If you have not seen
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Foals gold
Talk about making money on the horses. An Oxfordshire stud has hit lucky with a stallion called Silvester — who is now enjoying an idyllic life of bliss with the mares and at the same time making a profit for his owners. Progeny from Silvester
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City council budget: Tax freeze to end to bring in extra income
COUNCIL tax rates have been frozen in Oxford for the past two years. In 2011-12 and 2012-23, the Government gave the city council a grant equivalent to a two per cent rise, to cover the cost of the freeze. This year, the Government offered
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Small but mighty
What sort of firm would we really like to work for? That was a question three graduate employees working for an engineering consultancy asked each other back in 2001. Eleven years on and they are running their own business, Newton Europe, and one
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Full of beans
Hayley Hankey was forced to rethink her life when her 59-year-old mother, Jane, suddenly died of a stroke earlier this year. Not only would she have to move out of the Cotswolds family farm at Evenlode, but also find a new career, having worked
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Perfect partnership
Two friends who met while supplying cakes and flowers to a wedding have joined forces to set up a new business, offering a one-stop-shop of local suppliers for the big day. Florist Keri Harvey and cake designer Dawn Gigg have ploughed all their
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Labour of love
Two friends who met while supplying cakes and flowers to a wedding have joined forces to set up a new business, offering a one-stop-shop of local suppliers for the big day. Florist Keri Harvey and cake designer Dawn Gigg have ploughed all their
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Challenge ahead
What was your first job and what did your responsibilities include? I started as a trainee negotiator at the Aylesbury office. A team of experienced and knowledgeable people taught me a lot about property and how to deal with people. Of course
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Wireless world
A pile of old electronic equipment being thrown out by Oxford University has inspired an engineer to create a 'cable-free' device that can charge mobile phones with no wires attached. Dr Chris Stevens, of the university's engineering department
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Credit dew to Eden Research
Plants are natural fighters. Roses grow thorns to stop animals from eating them, stinging nettles have those nasty little hairs, while many other plants produce distinctive smells or tastes. Oxfordshire company Eden Research hopes to take advantage
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Best of British
Children’s clothes designer Helen Gordon and shoe maker Sarah Watkinson-Yull are passionate about manufacturing in the UK and determined to prove it viable. The two businesswomen belong to the Second Floor Collective, a group of nine British creatives
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Boneland by Alan Garner
We have waited 50 years for Alan Garner’s Boneland, the adult sequel to his earlier children’s fantasies The Weardstone of Brisingamen and The Moon of Gomrath. Both were published in the early 1960s, featuring 12-year-old twins Colin and Susan, who
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City council budget: Parking fee hike 'could crucify traders'
INCREASED parking charges could “crucify” the city centre, according to traders. The proposed two per cent increase in off-street parking fees across Oxford, and plans to put up parking charges at the park-and-ride sites run by the authority have
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City council budget: Charges will rise to bridge funding gap
COUNCIL house rents and parking charges in Oxford are set to rise next year as the city council strives to maintain services amid a fall in Government grants. The city council last night revealed its draft 2013-14 budget, which also includes a
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Children given chance to learn from best
The London Chess Classic has just concluded and, during the tournament, the Earls Court Olympia venue has been the place to be to watch and learn from the world’s best. With free entry for children during the event – and well over a thousand children
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Power cut in Abingdon
CUSTOMERS in Abingdon suffered a power cut during the early hours this morning. The electricity went off at 230 homes in Gibson Close, South Avenue and Kysbie Close just after 4am. Southern Electric spokesman Duncan MacDonald said a fault on
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A Funny Way With Words
Residents of Charlbury may have been puzzled by the recent appearance of giant posters of seahorses around the town. They were put there by four poets to advertise their anthology, compiled after a performance in aid of a local theatre group. A
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Interesting passengers and a way to help out
Can you imagine getting the chance to meet a beautiful French Resistance fighter, imprisoned by the SS during the Second World War? The drivers at the Didcot Volunteer Centre (DVC), which recently celebrated its 25th anniversary, have. Our small
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Festive mixed case, £104
So what are you going to drink over the festive season? Once again we have put together a classic case of true festive favourites that will take the strain out of all the deciding and will help to create that extra special time during the celebrations
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Parky at the Pictures (In Cinemas 13/12/12)
The Best Foreign Film category is always one of the most contentious at the annual Academy Awards, as the electorate is notorious for preferring cosy feel-good to political trenchancy or innovative artistry. There is a genuinely awful possibility,
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Parky at the Pictures (DVD 13/12/12)
If you still can't decide on the perfect present for the cineaste in your life, then why not consider key works by three masters of European cinema: Fritz Lang, Ingmar Bergman and Pier Paolo Pasolini? And, in the week The Hobbit goes on general release
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Schools set for a merger on nurseries
THREE primary schools could be merged with their attached nursery schools. Oxfordshire County Council is proposing that West Kidlington Primary School, Five Acres Primary School in Ambrosden and John Hampden Primary School in Thame should absorb
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Hilly route to charity cash
THREE Year 10 students from an Oxford school want people to sponsor their bike ride for the British Heart Foundation. Alex Branton, 14, Laurence Mounce, 15, and Kareem Illahi, 14, will be cycling 25 miles around Otmoor nature reserve on Saturday
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Make house burglar a Christmas present to police
BURGLARY suspect Daniel Collins is thought to have broken into two Cowley homes last month. And as a result he is now the face behind door number 13 in our Christmas criminal calendar. The Oxford Mail and Thames Valley Police are revealing