Archive
-
Date
Police shoot Taser at woman with knife
A KNIFE-wielding woman was shot at with a Taser in Oxford last night. A police spokesman said officers were called to Lockheart Crescent in Cowley just before 10pm yesterday by people worried about the woman. The spokesman said: "Officers discharged
-
Date
SCALES OF JUSTICE
BANBURY. Mark McGowan, 23, of Elmhurst Way, Carterton, admitted using threatening words or behaviour to cause harassment, alarm or distress in Witney on January 26. Also admitted failing to surrender to magistrates on February 18. Fined £250 and
-
Date
Concerns raised over 1,500-home plan
A new 1,500-home estate on the edge of Wantage will have just 360 primary school places. That was one of the concerns raised at the first public exhibition of plans for the Crab Hill development on Monday. Residents are concerned that Wantage
-
Date
Record-breaking run raises £70,000 for hospital
A RECORD-BREAKING £70,000 was raised for the Oxford Children’s Hospital at the annual charity OX5 Run this year. The OX5 Run for the Headington hospital took place in the grounds of Blenheim Palace in Woodstock on March 10. The 11th annual
-
Date
Harmony in politics and war: Coope Boyes & Simpson @ North Wall Arts Centre, Oxford
Unaccompanied folk trio Coope Boyes & Simpson impress with hard-hitting tales of love and war I would have to admit it, on paper it sounds like something of an ordeal. The prospect of a long night of music by three middle-aged a capella singers
-
Date
It's the London look
A top London designer brought his spring and summer collections to an Oxfordshire stately home yesterday for a charity fashion show. The event at Ditchley Park, Enstone, featured designer Daniel Blake in association with Women for Women International
-
Date
Landlord let off lightly by council court error
OXFORD City Council enabled a slum landlord to be given a lighter sentence because it failed to inform magistrates he had previous convictions. Imran Hussain Ali, 34, of Cowley Road, was given credit for his “previous good character” when he was
-
Date
Try this bio hotel for a healthy holiday
Jon Murray experiences the delights of a bio hotel with a very special ambience in the Alps The move towards eating healthier, locally-grown food — a trend which has gathered pace following the horsemeat crisis — need not be restricted to
-
Date
Jaw Dropping
As we gear up for our Bond-themed film festival, TIM HUGHES catches up with one of 007’s most fearsome adversaries – Jaws aka Richard Kiel Measuring almost 7ft 2ins tall and with a formidable set of metal teeth, Jaws was among the most formidable
-
Date
Magic Nights
KATHERINE MACALISTER talks to Duncan Heather, star of Jersey Nights about what makes the show so special It would be easy to get confused between the two shows Jersey Boys and Jersey Nights, especially as their subject matter is so similar. But
-
Date
Getting in tune for Oxford Folk Weekend
Tim Hughes looks forward to the Oxford Folk Weekend with the help of director Cat Kelly Hundreds of musicians, dancers and craftspeople will descend on Oxford city centre this weekend for a celebration of one thing – folk music. From Gloucester
-
Date
Obituary: Dr Norman Lawrence, former GP at East Oxford Health Centre
DR Norman Lawrence, a former GP at East Oxford Health Centre, has died aged 88, after a short illness. Dr Lawrence was a senior partner at the centre in Manzil Way, where he worked for more than 25 years, until he retired in 1990. Born in London
-
Date
Obituary: Michael McKenna, driving force of plant hire firm and golf course
THE golfer who built one of Oxfordshire’s best-known courses has died at the age of 74. Keen sports fan Michael McKenna became the captain of Oxford City Golf Club at Southfield in 1993, later serving as its president. It was this passion for
-
Date
What's Hot, What's New, What's In, What's Hip...
* It’s cream tea time and Langford in West Oxfordshire is making the most of spring by opening the gates of their gardens this Sunday. Spend an afternoon wandering around over a dozen beautiful spring gardens, including one created by the late Sir
-
Date
Top of The Bill
A new restaurant chain in the middle of Oxford has KATHERINE MACALISTER truly impressed from the word go Here’s the challenge. Take a rundown homeless drop-in centre in the middle of Oxford, battle for planning permission to convert it into a 135
-
Date
Six Appeal
Half a century and six different Bonds, all with one thing in common – their licence to kill. A licence which, as we all know, stands for Vodka martinis, Moneypenny, M, SPECTRE, Aston Martins, Pussy Galore, Blofeld, ejector seats, Shirley Bassey
-
Date
The Game's Bond
One of the joys of being a gamer is knowing that when you watch a good film, you will be able to relive it as the hero once it has been released on your favourite console. Whether you’re an action fan saving the world as John McClane in Die Hard
-
Date
Dog is Dead: Off The Leash
Tim Hughes catches up with Lawrence ‘Trev’ Cole of the band Dog is Dead, and asks him what it is that makes his lively band unique TREV laughs as he struggles to explain what it is that makes his band so special. The bass player with indie-pop
-
Date
Obituary: Dr Alison Redmayne, expert on African tribal life
AN OXFORD ethnographer who became an adopted member of an African royal family, has died at the age of 76. Dr Alison Redmayne was well known for her work in Tanzania where she studied the Hehe and their neighbouring peoples. Born in Birmingham
-
Date
Getting a better deal
Chris Pomfret believes passionately in what he does, to the point where he has an almost religious zeal about his business. He has set up CommunityBuying unLimited (CBL), an organisation that empowers communities by arranging bulk buying of commodities
-
Date
Embracing change
It may seem a long way from bangers and mash to BritArt, but photographer Chris King has been there for the ride. By the age of 27, he had a flourishing commercial studio in London, and at one time employed five staff, taking shots for Fortnum and
-
Date
Pub wins real ale fans' votes
A PUB in Chipping Norton has been named the north Oxfordshire pub of the year by real ale fans. The Chequers, in Goddard’s Lane, was one of six pubs in the area to be shortlisted and was voted the most popular by the North Oxfordshire branch of
-
Date
What's in a name
The Brunsdon family have been making windows in Oxford for more than 80 years but times have changed since Jack Brunsdon first opened his business in Summertown and ran his joinery and DIY shop in St Ebbe's. Now his grandson, Chris, has taken the
-
Date
An Oxford Bestiary
Science graduate Sophie Huxley, a distant descendant of scientist Julian and writer Aldous, is a gardener for Oxford colleges and the author of the Oxford Science Walk, Oxford Trees and Eric Gill in Oxford, published by her own business Huxley Scientific
-
Date
True blue who turned Oxford faces red
Nowhere did true blue Mrs Thatcher cause more faces to turn red than in Oxford; specifically those faces belonging to academics of the older school who felt she should not poke her nose into their business of setting standards in education for the
-
Date
Fresh deals agreed to keep former RH Buses routes on road
EMERGENCY contracts agreed to keep bus routes in West Oxfordshire and the Vale of White Horse running after the collapse of RH Transport last year will be replaced by new deals in June. The Witney company stopped operating with just one day’s notice
-
Date
Profile: Michael Grange runs a seriously hospitable place
Tim Hughes talks to the general manager of an Oxford institution, the five-star Randolph Hotel With a life spent working at some of the country’s finest hotels, Michael Grange is under no illusion as to the gravity of his latest role. As general
-
Date
Jury hears how father-of-three is "on trial for his life"
A DAD-OF-THREE "on trial for his life" was wrongly accused of child sex crimes by girls whose lives were in "complete turmoil", the Old Bailey heard this morning. Married Kamar Jamil, 27, is one of nine men accused of running a child sex exploitation
-
Date
Quad talk: ‘Pay dons to do nothing. Punish those who publish'
William Poole believes action is needed to raise academic quality A senior research fellow of All Souls recently published a landmark protest against the Drift of Things in the academe. Our basic problem, he pointed out, is overproduction.
-
Date
College trebles intake on motor mechanics' course
THE number of students being admitted to a college course aimed at providing the motor mechanics of the future is being almost trebled thanks to major investment. Work has started on the construction of a £741,000 purpose-built teaching block at
-
Date
Setting the musical tone
Disco or jazz band? From magician to string quartet, choose from a wealth of wedding reception music options. The cake is cut, the speeches are made, and your guests are ready to party! Read on for a little inspiration on how to choose your wedding
-
Date
First person - Elizabeth Brown: Oxford is a rich pomegranate
Christ Church art history student Elizabeth Brown reflects on the city scene Would-be art students around the country must be suffering from variously crippling visions of being dumped in decrepit studios — tumbleweed to boot — and told to get
-
Date
Breakfast back on the menu for former cafe owner
A CAFE owner has stepped back into the kitchen opposite his old Oxford premises after becoming bored in retirement. Mick Harris closed the iconic Mick’s Cafe, at the junction of Botley Road and Cripley Road, near the railway station, in February
-
Date
History man aims to make profit from past
FOR the past 3,000 years, some of the biggest characters in history have left their mark in Abingdon. Now, a new company is offering visitors the chance to step back in time on a guided walk through its historic streets. Kevin Thomson, a 59
-
Date
The city's role in patron's day
St George’s Day was first officially recognised as a holiday (holy day) at the Synod of Oxford in 1222; but the various divines who gathered for the meeting at Osney Abbey that year would probably be amazed that of all their weighty deliberations,
-
Date
Former soldier sets sights on business success
A WAR hero turned businessman is celebrating success after taking a leap of faith out of the military. Damion Pointin, 29, has just started to make a profit after starting his own Carterton company. The dad-of-one, who is having another daughter
-
Date
Benefits from Botley path
Sir – Senior Oxfordshire county councillors (Ian Hudspeth, Rodney Rose and Charles Mathew) have recently asked what the benefits are of constructing a community path along the B4044 from Eynsham to Dean Court? Reviewing the results of the Eynsham
-
Date
Health concerns
Sir — I strongly support the plea by former GP colleague, Richard Thorne, for more publicity about the serious threat of privatisation of the NHS (Letters, April 4) which the general public seems remarkably unaware of. In an editorial in the current
-
Date
NHS battleground
Sir – As Dr Richard Thorne explains, so clearly (Letters, April 4), the future of the NHS is precarious and the majority of people seem not to know. As he says, under proposed regulations, the commissioners of care are not left free to stick with
-
Date
Pollution levels vary
Sir – Pollution in Oxford is falling, not rising, as suggested in your front page story last week (April 4). Overall levels of nitrogen dioxide should be at no more than 40 parts per million and levels have fallen significantly in the last 10 years
-
Date
Controversial status
Sir – I refer to Mr O’Dwyer’s letter (March 21). His timely letter placed some of the comments of previous correspondence and articles in The Oxford Times into a factual, corrective context. He posed the question to The Oxford Times “why does your
-
Date
Problem for bats
Sir – Mr Dancey (Letters, March 28) does not quite seem to have understood my point regarding the bats in Wolvercote Tunnel. My argument was that the railway built the tunnel in the first place and, despite reductions in services for some years,
-
Date
Planning poser
Sir – On November 2, 2011, West Oxfordshire District Council threatened me with planning enforcement action regarding a single fence panel that I had erected at the front of my property on the basis that it was “unsightly and out of character”. I
-
Date
Unpicturesque fringe
Sir – I must point out that the photograph of the university flats near Port Meadow published in your March 28 issue is seriously misleading. It is captioned: “The contentious flats seen from Port Meadow”, but is actually taken from a point some way
-
Date
Quick paint job
Sir – Once the city council has had its fingers rapped for granting consent for the flats over looking Port Meadow, a means must be found for reducing their prominence in the landscape. The narrow strip of land now allocated for tree planting will
-
Date
Worrying pointer
Sir – In the controversy over skyline intrusions, there has been little debate on the strength and mechanism of controls. Since this Government came in, the Department of Culture Media and Sport has stripped away funds and legislative underpinning
-
Date
Destroying habitat
Sir – Given that all hedgerow and tree-cutting operations are discouraged between March 1 and July 31 by law to protect nesting birds, I noticed with some horror this week that our city council tree team are pollarding the willows growing along the
-
Date
Boat Race apathy
Sir – I refer to Jeremy Smith’s article It’s a big opportunity missed (First Person, April 4). Yes, it’s a pity he didn’t find many local people celebrating the great win of Oxford winning the Boat Race. I was away from Oxford myself, but the hotel
-
Date
Restaurant revelation
Sir – What a revelation (Weekend, March 28) — a new restaurant critic who can write entertainingly and informatively — Liz Nicholls’s article on The Angel really whetted the appetite and inspired a rapid visit to the hostelry reviewed. More of the
-
Date
Here be dragons: Spiers and Boden @ Thomas Hughes Memorial Hall, Uffington
Pete Hughes gets caught up in a stomping celebration of local folk Driving west out of Wantage into the setting sun onTuesday, I soon found myself in the winding hills of hobbit country, better known as Uffington, where my Sat Nav ceased to provide
-
Date
Role of the reviewer
Sir – Your new Weekend format is a great improvement with the glaring exception of your ‘food and drink’ column. The best that can be said for your reviewer Katherine MacAlister is that, in her own words in this week’s dreadful article: ‘things can
-
Date
Disparaging faith
Sir – Paul Surman (Letters, April 4) must live a sheltered life if he has failed to notice the increasing trend of disparaging religious faith, and Christianity in particular. Even as an agnostic with no particular axe to grind, I cannot help noticing
-
Date
Misguided messages
Sir – I read with dismay your article (April 4) concerning the death of a Clint Townsend, due to complications sustained whilst partaking in an act of violent armed robbery. The article if anything conveyed a sympathetic bias towards the deceased
-
Date
Killing of animals
Sir – As a member of BBOWT, it was very disappointing to read the article from Giles Strother (Weekend, April 4) advocating the ‘culling’ of deer. What is worse is his belief that the killing of animals is somehow in their best interests. Mr Strother
-
Date
Witney air cadet squadron’s seven decades celebrated
AN air cadets squadron which has helped youngsters learn self-discipline and new skills is celebrating its 70th anniversary. Since 1943 hundreds of 13 to 20-year-olds have learned such skills as flying, target shooting, canoeing and abseiling,
-
Date
Friendship scheme helps prevent isolation
MARIANNE Talbot and Thelma Morris look like any good friends enjoying lunch. But they met just a few months ago through the county’s Surviving Winter campaign and are now encouraging others to extend the hand of friendship to help beat elderly isolation
-
Date
Is it 'Thatcher denial' to question the style of funeral?
With some trepidation I ventured to London yesterday, to the House of Commons. My afternoon visit had nothing to do with the big event of the day, though a number of those present will certainly have been at the funeral of Baroness Thatcher. Whether
-
Date
Oxford couple tried to smuggle baby into the UK
A COUPLE from Barton were caught trying to smuggle a Nigerian baby into Britain. Simon Heap, 47, and Gladys Effa-Heap, 52, were given a suspended jail sentence on Tuesday after admitting facilitating a breach of immigration law. A Border Force
-
Date
CHIPPING NORTON LITERARY FESTIVAL: Stars line up for event
BOOK lovers will be able to listen to big-name authors in small venues at Chipping Norton Literary Festival this week. The event will take place across 10 venues in the town and feature 50 discussions, workshops and children’s events. Writers
-
Date
French onion soup
Onion soups were once considered the food of the poor, as the ingredients were both cheap and plentiful. Now that Gruyère cheese and wine is added to the base of simmering onion slices and rich stock it is considered a soup of great worth and particularly
-
Date
School field development recommended for approval
PLANS to sell off school playing fields in Banbury for housing and improved sports facilities look set to be approved. Banbury AAT Academy, formerly the Banbury School Trust, has submitted outline plans to Cherwell District Council to build 44
-
Date
Highlights: Danish dreampop, Welsh country and Original Rabbit Foot swing
Our guide to the week's best gigs Art-rock EFTERKLANG O2 Academy Oxford Tonight Tickets £12.50 from ticketweb.co.uk Denmark’s sublime soundsmiths finally make it to Oxford after sold-out shows everywhere
-
Date
Peace in our time
Tim Hughes meets indie-rockers Peace - tipped as one of the year’s biggest acts With a name like Peace, you might reasonably expect the band to fit the stereotype of the dreamy hippy. But that’s barely half the story. Cool indie-rockers
-
Date
RUGBY UNION: Chippy and Banbury joy
CHIPPING Norton and Banbury proved the most successful clubs in Bicester’s ‘B’ team festival at Chesterton. Both secured two titles, with Chippy winning the under 10 and under seven events, and Banbury collecting the under 11 and under nine crowns
-
Date
FOOTBALL: Oxford City's new president 'is no sugar daddy'
OXFORD City managing director Colin Taylor has stressed that the appointment of Florida-based businessman Thomas Anthony Guerriero as their new president and director did not mean the club had found it’s own sugar daddy. Guerriero, the founder
-
Date
RUGBY UNION: Memorial for Laman
WHEATLEY are holding a memorial event for Jason Laman on Saturday. The day will feature a competition between Wheatley Old Boys team, a current XV and Crowthorne RFC, who were Wheatley’s opposition when Laman died. As well as the match, there
-
Date
FOOTBALL: North Leigh stunned by quickfire Wort
A HAT-TRICK in seven first-half minutes from Sholing goal machine Lee Wort condemned North Leigh to a 5-0 defeat in last night’s Evo-Stik Southern League Division 1 South & West fixture. Wort struck in the 26th, 30th and 33rd minutes to give
-
Date
Oxford City boss wary of strugglers
OXFORD City boss Mike Ford has warned his side face a rigourous test of their unbeaten run at lowly Colwyn Bay in Blue Square Bet North tonight. Although Frank Sinclair’s side are third from bottom, they pulled off a shock 3-1 win at Brackley Town
-
Date
Three held in immigration raid on Jericho food outlets
THREE workers were arrested during an immigration raid on two food outlets in Oxford yesterday. Officers from the Border Agency apprehended the men at Peppers Burgers and the Bombay Restaurant – two doors apart in Walton Street, Jericho – at 1.30pm
-
Date
RSPCA inspector tells court he ‘felt sick at stench from animals’ at Longworth centre
A SENIOR RSPCA inspector has described “disgusting, dirty” conditions with an “overpowering” stench of faeces and urine at a family-run animal charity. Deputy chief inspector Kirsty Withnall visited Crunchy’s Animal Rescue in Longworth and found
-
Date
New exhibitions at Christ Church Picture Gallery
Prophecies, Histories, Legends and Law in drawings by Old Masters & Two Landscapes Revisited Until June 9 and Until May 27 respectively The theme of Christ Church Picture Gallery’s two exhibitions this spring came about partly as a result
-
Date
Soundbites: Oxford Folk Weekend and Record Store Day
What's new on the Oxford music scene... BRACE yourself for the sound of bells, clashing sticks, and frantic fiddling because tomorrow marks the start of Oxford’s Folk Weekend. The event, which takes place in venues across the city until
-
Date
RUGBY: London Welsh eyeing up flying finish
LONDON Welsh head coach Lyn Jones has urged his side to show their worth by finishing with a flourish. The Exiles were relegated from rugby’s Aviva Premier-ship after losing 31-14 at home to Northampton at Oxford’s Kassam Stadium on Sunday. But they
-
Date
THATCHER FUNERAL: Peaceful, still and eerie, people wait
Oxford resident Charlotte Krol travelled to London to line the streets with thousands of others in observing Baroness Thatcher’s funeral. Here is her account of the momentous occasion... It’s a typically grey morning with workers suited for
-
Date
Folk girl Jackie Oates Waking up to lullabies
Tim Hughes speaks to Jackie Oates ahead of her Oxford Folk Weekend gig For generations, young children have been lulled to sleep by a soporific song. But, like so many things, in recent years the humble lullaby has fallen out of favour. Few
-
Date
RUGBY UNION: Burrows will give Grove priority
CRAIG Burrows will put club before county if Grove reach a promotion play-off. Burrows is head coach of Grove and Oxfordshire, who open their County Championship Shield campaign away to Surrey on April 27. Should Grove, as expected, finish
-
Date
THATCHER FUNERAL: ‘It was a privilege to be a part of it’
OXFORDSHIRE residents joined millions of people around the world in saying a final goodbye to Margaret Thatcher yesterday. Thousands lined Baroness Thatcher’s funeral route in London and county residents and figures were among the 2,300 throng
-
Date
Preview of Life is a Dream: Oxford Playhouse
Calderón de la Barca’s La Vida es sueño (Life is a Dream) is a great masterpiece of Spain’s 17th-century Golden Age of drama sometimes referred to — for its fame and importance rather than its plot — as “the Spanish Hamlet”. It is not as well known
-
Date
Maurice's Jubilee
Its preoccupation with death hardly makes Maurice’s Jubilee comfortable viewing at times, especially for some of us Oxford Playhouse oldies who might prefer cheerier topics than a soon-to-be nonogenarian’s imminent encounter with his Maker. The
-
Date
RUGBY LEAGUE: Benson praises Oxford backing
OXFORD RL head coach Tony Benson said the club were delighted by their first home crowd at Iffley Road. Some 352 fans watched Oxford’s Kingstone Press Championship One clash with South Wales Scorpions on Saturday. Benson said there had been
-
Date
BULLFINCH TRIAL DAY 45: Prosecutor claims evidence ‘proves’ defendants’ guilt
THE prosecution in the Oxford child sex exploitation trial yesterday said the evidence “proves” all nine defendants are guilty as it closed its case at the Old Bailey. Finishing his closing speech, prosecutor Noel Lucas said there was a “distinct
-
Date
BOWLS: Oxon lift national crown
An Oxfordshire side grabbed the glory in the fours competition at the English Short Mat Bowling Association National Championships at Bromsgrove. The quartet of Geoff Cross, Tim Cross, Gareth Davies and Andrew Brown crushed a Cornwall four, led
-
Date
POINT-TO-POINT: Jackson-Stops in Gidam Gidam joy
Novice rider James Jackson-Stops was elated after Gidam Gidam galloped his rivals into the ground to capture the Lord Ashton of Hyde’s Cup at the Heythrop Hunt meeting at Mollington, near Banbury. The London-based property surveyor was riding just
-
Date
Crime report important
THANK you for highlighting the fall in crime on the Rose Hill estate, the importance of the local police office and also the wider regeneration (April 16). To set readers’ minds at rest: the housing regeneration only covered Orlit properties and
-
Date
Alive and building
MAY I thank Mr Biggs of Kennington for his concern. I am alive and well but have been busy with building alterations. I enjoyed the article about Sunnyside Hospital, in the late ’50s. It was a police “Tea Spot” if on night duty. One night a
-
Date
Rising to the festival
I was delighted to see that the Oxford Mail is running another film festival from the Phoenix, this time on James Bond. Having attended a few screenings at previous offerings, I have to say that they really do offer a very enjoyable and different
-
Date
Speculation on Mrs T
ENOUGH of all this sterile speculation as to whether or not Margaret Thatcher was the greatest British Prime Minister since the Second World War. Has this fickle nation so rapidly forgotten the unique contribution of the premier who so honestly
-
Date
A Sturdy response
WITH reference to an article in the Oxford Mail regarding Sturdy’s Castle restaurant, which has recently opened. My husband and I and two friends have visited the last two weekends and found the reporter’s comments damaging. We all had the
-
Date
Dreaming spires
LOOKING at Oxford from Port Meadow, I personally never found the view of the ‘dreaming spires’ very impressive. To me (perhaps to me alone) the city never dominated the skyline. The spires were simply too far away. HANS HAMMERSCHMIDT Compass
-
Date
A way around the cuts have made plans public
ELAINE Bennett (ViewPoints, April 4) complains about the lack of consultation on planning applications in Marston. In particular, she refers to mistakes made by the planning department, which have meant that on several occasions Old Marston Parish
-
Date
LEGAL CHALLENGES: So when is a gift not a gift?
Lawyers are very often asked in the event of a breakdown of a relationship between couples or between parents and children, what happens to a gift when someone asks for it back. In most circumstances the legal position is that gifts will remain
-
Date
RACING: Music Master calls tune for Candy
Wantage trainer Henry Candy has a trip to Royal Ascot in mind for Music Master after the colt opened his account at Newmarket yesterday. A promising fourth on his debut at Salisbury last October, the 13-2 chance kept finding more for Fergus Sweeney
-
Date
BAR BILLIARDS: Democrats claim title
West Oxford Democrats Club clinched the Johnsons Buildbase Oxford League Section 1 title by the narrowest of margins, writes PETE EWINS. Democrats won 3-2 at Headington Conservative Club, while rivals Masons A triumphed 4-1 at home to Marlborough
-
Date
U's supporters loyal
I WAS pleased to read in the Oxford Mail that Oxford United’s fans are to remain loyal on buying season tickets, but isn’t it about time that the club did something for them? Once again the team is languishing in the lower regions of League Two
-
Date
In praise of Iron Lady
Emmett Schlueter, (ViewPoints, April 16), is praising Margaret Thatcher. Therefore, presumably, he is criticising the most powerful economy in Europe that, as far as I know, did not close down its coal mines, nor its heavy engineering industries
-
Date
THE INSIDER: A lack of invites for photocalls on the hustings
THE INSIDER is strictly neutral about who he thinks you should vote for. But I don’t hold much hope for the much-promised UKIP march in Oxfordshire based on its current organisational abilities. Every election the Oxford Mail dedicates many
-
Date
Carnaby Street: Wycombe Swan
FOUR STARS Carnaby Street was not so much a London thoroughfare as an idea. It was fashion. It was where we mods bought our hipsters and deep-vented mohair suits (Lord John) and our slip-on loafers (Ravel). Our pop heroes of The Who and Small
-
Date
Preview of Singing For Freedom
Imagine your grandfather and uncle being brutally murdered by the Taleban when you are just three years old, and then your parents and baby brother go missing, presumed tortured and killed. This is Hassan’s story, and the youngster, now seven,
-
Date
ICE HOCKEY: Party time for Oxford City Stars
OXFORD City Stars rounded off their South Division 2 campaign with a bang – and then the celebrations could really begin. The champions beat Bristol Pitbulls 4-3 in their final game of the season, before being handed the league trophy following a sensational
-
Date
Bullfinch trial: Day 46
Our coverage of the Oxfordshire child sex ring trial continues this morning Day 46 in the #Oxford child sex exploitation trial. Old Bailey due to hear closing speech for first defendant Kamar Jamil. — @Ben_Wilkinson_ 18 April 2013
-
Date
COMMENT: Family links
FRED and Ron Boyes have seemingly struck a blow in the debate of nuture over nature. The fact the now-reunited brothers were unaware of each other for almost 80 years while living just 127 miles apart is heartwarming. But the coincidences in
-
Date
Man bailed over Broadways pub assault
DIDCOT: A 28-year-old man has been bailed until May 3 on suspicion of causing grievous bodily harm with intent. It follows an assault at the Broadways pub which left its victim with a fractured jaw.
-
Date
Mercedes stolen from house in Chipping Norton
A BLACK Mercedes A150, registration AO05 PYX, was stolen from a house in Church Street, Chipping Norton. Thieves stole the keys and also took a laptop computer and jewellery between 9am on Wednesday, April 10, and 6pm on Saturday. Anyone with
-
Date
Unemployment figure in Oxfordshire falling
OXON: The number of people claiming Jobseeker’s Allowance in the county has fallen for the first time since November. Latest figures show 7,090 people claimed the benefit in March, a fall of 135 on the previous month. The data also shows there
-
Date
Blackwell’s to shed 55 library service jobs
BLACKWELL’S is to shed 55 jobs after closing its library services arm. The company’s boss has said the firm would now be focusing on its bookselling and online services. The jobs are to be axed at the division’s Cowley base as part of a continuing
-
Date
Drayton man reunited with his brother after 80 years apart
TO discover you have a long lost brother is one thing. Learning he lived just 127 miles up the road for almost 80 years is another. But then to find out you gave your daughters the same name, played the same position in football and reached
-
Date
Photo firm Blue Amigo applies to cease trading
TROUBLED Oxford photography firm Blue Amigo has applied to be dissolved. It has notified the London Gazette and filed with Companies House to strike off. Following a series of stories by the Oxford Mail, several customers have come forward
-
Date
£3.55m grant can help fill in potholes
A £3.55m Government handout will be used to plug some of the county’s pothole-damaged roads. This week, Oxfordshire County Council confirmed the one-off sum would be spent over the next two years. The council allocated the money after the Government
-
Date
COMMENT: Council must bite the bullet
IT does not bode well for campaigners that, two months after there was finally an admission an error was made over approving the Castle Mill accommodation blocks, councillors have only progressed to passing a motion demanding a meeting with Oxford
-
Date
CASTLE MILL: 'Masked' opponents take protest into council chamber
A HIGH-level meeting between university and council chiefs has been demanded by councillors charged with sorting out the Castle Mill problem. Negotiations between officers at Oxford City Council and staff at Oxford University are ongoing after
-
Date
Witney complete the double double
Witney 1 have added the Frank Wood Shield to the first division title to complete ‘the double’ for the second time in as many years. The final of the Frank Wood — against Witney 2 — proved something of a walk-over for Witney 1 who have only suffered
-
Date
Two lanes closed in M40 crash this morning
TWO lanes on the M40 are closed this morning following a crash. Police were called at 1.20am to the M40 northbound between junctions 8 for Oxford and 9 for Bicester where a lorry had come off the road. The lorry is yet to be recovered. No one
-
Date
GOLF: Teen to green as Cara stars at county championships
TEENAGER Cara Gainer held her nerve to win the Oxfordshire Ladies Golf Championship in testing conditions. The 16-year-old, from Frilford Heath, won 2 & 1 against defending champion Sam Round, who was attempting to land her fourth county title
-
Date
ATHLETICS: Atyeo on song in Brill tester
JOHN Atyeo was the leading Oxfordshire finisher in the Brill Hilly 10K. The 46-year-old Oxford City athlete clocked 38mins 8secs for third place in the challenging event, which is organised by his club. Charlie May (Vale of Aylesbury) successfully
-
Date
ATHLETICS: Good day in Vienna for Alex
ALEX Scrivener backed up her cross country form with victory in the Vienna mini marathon. Oxford City’s under 11 star entered the 2km race, which took place a day before the city’s marathon, while on a family holiday. Scrivener stormed to victory
-
Date
ATHLETICS: Beardsmore stays top of the rankings
SUZANNE Beardsmore maintained her position as leading lady after round three of the Enfield Race Walking League. Beardsmore was pipped on the line by clubmate Noel Blatchford in the Pat Furey Open five-mile event at Lee Valley, but still tops the
-
Date
GOLF: Club results
SHAW GIBBS OXFORDSHIRE FOURSOMES LEAGUE Section 1 The Oxfordshire 2 (3pts), Burford 1 (1) (The Oxfordshire first): M Shimmin & A Stubbs bt B Gaertner & A Salter 2 holes; P Green & J Garniish bt M Potts & D Summers 5 & 3;
-
Date
Festival fun to support charity and the abbey
It is incredible how people of all ages from the village get involved and do whatever they can to help,” says Steph Forman, Director of the Dorchester Festival. The festival, which takes place in Dorchester-on-Thames, has raised almost £50,000
-
Date
Parky at the Pictures (In Cinemas 18/4/2013)
While Mathieu Kassovitz has remained one of France's most popular actors, he has also become one of its more inconsistent directors since making his exceptional debut with the hard-hitting banelieu drama, La Haine (1994). The hitman saga, Assassin(
-
Date
Parky at the Pictures (DVD 18/4/2013)
Last July, we devoted a couple of DVD columns to the collections of short films released by Peccadillo Pictures in the Boys on Film series. This week, we focus on the three volumes in the companion lesbian strand, Here Come the Girls, as well as a
-
Date
'I've won planning permission - but won't be using it'
MARTIN Young has won planning permission to finally change a rundown house that has stood empty for more than five years. But he’s not going to use it. Councillors at the East Area planning committee approved an application from Mr Young for
-
Date
Roller skiing takes off in South Oxfordshire
A NEW sport is causing a rumble in South Oxfordshire. Roller skiing is almost exactly like skiing but on wheels, which means you don’t need snow to do it. South Oxfordshire District Council (SODC) is running taster sessions in the sport in
-
Date
Student is cleared of rape at crown court
A STUDENT has been cleared of rape after arguing he was “sleepwalking” when the crime allegedly took place. Maximillian Hessel was found not guilty yesterday and walked free from Oxford Crown Court following an eight-day trial. The 22-year-old
-
Date
Rail fans chuffed with plan
STEAM rail enthusiasts in Wallingford are investing £10,000 in a new visitor centre to bring in more tourists. Volunteers at the Cholsey and Wallingford Railway Preservation Society have been running steam and diesel trains on the five-mile round
-
Date
On tour with Stornoway
Fresh from their European venture and before they embark on a US tour, Thomas Burrows catches up with Stornoway bassist Oli Steadman, and asks him about life on the road Oxford-based Stornoway, with their collection of folk indie hits, began their
-
Date
Have faith in bold, lively wallflowers
As I write I’m still penned in by cold weather and, when I held a gardening lunch last week, I had the embarrassing experience of showing John Massey of Ashwood Nurseries and Hugh Nunn of Harvington Nurseries, both luminaries of the plant world, my
-
Date
Music highlights for April 18
Voice Box Choir CONCERT IN AID OF FREEDOM FROM TORTURE St Barnabas Church, Jericho n Saturday, 7.30pm Tickets: 01865 510036 or voiceboxchoir.co.uk An eclectic mix of classical, swing, close harmony and political songs by this Witney-based
-
Date
Oxford Early Music Festival previewed
It can’t be every day that a group of teenagers climb on to a Cowley rooftop and sing classical music. But that’s what sisters Kate, Helen, Emma, and Laura Ashby, plus their brother Nick, decided to do as youngsters. “As we are all very close together
-
Date
On the Horizon April 18
Theatre LESS THAN KIND Oxford Playhouse May 14-18 Box office: 01865 305305 or oxfordplayhouse.com London, 1944. The war is reaching its climax, but senior minister John Fletcher is distracted by his affair with attractive widow Olivia
-
Date
Unlikely cigarette brand for young sleuth Endeavour Morse
I look to be having stay-at-home weekends for the next few weeks, with Richard Wagner’s Ring cycle live from New York’s Metropolitan Opera courtesy of Radio 3 on Saturday nights and the excellent new Morse prequel Endeavour going out from ITV on Sundays
-
Date
The Milkshed, Weston-on-the-Green
The Milkshed Northampton Road, Weston-on-the-Green, OX25 3QL 01869 351387 themilkshedstore.co.uk Captain Scott deserved two lunches before setting off on his fateful mission to the Antarctic, as did David Walliams before donning his wetsuit