Archive
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APOLOGY TO DANIEL RODRIGUEZ-LAY OVER PICTURE ERROR
TODAY Thames Valley Police provided the Oxford Mail and The Oxford Times with a photograph of a man they said was Daniel Rodriguez, who had admitted firearms offences in relation to July's siege in Kidlington. It was the wrong man. We would like to
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Woman freed on bail
A WOMAN has been released on bail after a lorry driver was beaten up by men who flagged him down in Abingdon. The 50-year-old driver was flagged down by a man wearing a high-visibility jacket in Culham Road at about 8.45am on Sunday He was then
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Minister hits back at university's exam criticism
EDUCATION minister Elizabeth Truss has hit back at Oxford University’s head of admissions who claimed changes to A-Levels and GCSEs are “unnecessary”. In an open letter to Oxford University, Ms Truss said: “We’re making changes not because we feel
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Terriers' work hopes
THE Territorial Army is to showcase employment opportunities at a recruitment event in Shippon on Tuesday. The are career opportunities at A Company 7 Rifles for soldiers, chefs, drivers, and engineers. The event at Edward Brooks Barracks in Cholswell
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Why everybody needs these good neighbours
IN July, the county’s director of public health, Dr Jonathan McWilliam, revealed the stark reality of the growing number of elderly people living longer across Oxfordshire. The number of over 85s set to increase by 168 per cent between 2011 and
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First-class food on the move
THE scene, a First Great Western train, running 30 minutes late… Typical, I can hear some hard-bitten commuters muttering, but on this occasion FGW was blameless for the delay — a broken-down track machine had held up weekend engineering work — and
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Put some Life into your day with our fabulous features
How to keep the passion alive . . . and why more women are straying Stay happy and healthy this winter with tips from the experts Celebrity chef backs campaign to help our children Find out what our Oxford Savvy columnist
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Blackpool rocks
Roll up! Roll up! It’s Blackpool’s Great Promenade Show. There’s glam rocks and glitter balls, light shows and music actually played by the sea! If this all sounds like another load of over-the-top entertainment typical of Britain’s most full-on
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Arm yourself in battle against a host of illnesses
Antibiotics are the closest thing to a medical “magic bullet” that we have ever invented. Many bacterial infections that could kill us can be completely cured by antibiotics. It is frustrating that we can’t use antibiotics to treat all infections
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Tips to help you stay well and happy this winter
October’s set in, and with it the inevitable darker evenings, cold misty mornings and – for many – an impending sense of doom. It means winter’s just around the corner, with all its bugs, runny noses, chilblains and miserable vitamin D-deprived
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GPs should be your first call
Ah, the best laid plans of mice and men: So I set aside a bit of time on a Sunday afternoon to write this column, maybe after a nice roast dinner. We decide (or our son decides for us) to go ice skating beforehand. Sounds great but a few hours
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Protein shake will work 20 minutes after gym session
All supplement research can be confusing, so in today’s article I want to keep it simple. Last fortnight’s article was about supplementing your diet whether you exercise or not. Today’s focuses on those who exercise regularly. Firstly, I want to
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It’s good news for those ewes
It is time to start planning for next year’s lambs and ensuring that the rams, who have spent a lovely summer chilling out eating grass and enjoying the sunshine, are in top condition. It is also the time of year when a lot of ram swapping and
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Enjoy a movie and save some pennies as well
Judging by the weather we’ve been having lately, there’ll be no more sitting outside pubs or restaurants in the evenings. But one good thing is that at least we can go to the cinema and watch something decent. Because, as we all know, film distributors
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I’m GoGo going a bit crazy for the eBay ‘bargains’
I have begun to dread the postman calling at my door. He’s a very nice man but he comes bearing goods, that if I only used half the sense I was born with, I shouldn’t have ordered in a million years. Unwittingly, I recently bought some of those
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Porn star 'tashes and internet dating
Hair we go! Time to get a porn star ’tash It seems that you can spend a whole month in celebration of something different throughout the calendar now, so I’ve spent the last two weeks deciding to stay not only sober for October, but also the slightly
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The business of getting engaged AND the elusive Double L
Engaging in bling . . . not business According to Canadian writer Shannon Rupp, engagement rings are barbaric: just a down payment on virgin vagina, a leftover from a time when marriages were business contracts. She takes particular offence
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Fine art of sari wearing at sea
A while ago you found me writing about the trials of wearing a sari, from mastering a simple stride to manoeuvring calls of nature. I put the profundity of these challenges down to my own cultural incompetence. I am not a regular sari wearer.
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When work is a real pleasure
I’m lying in a pile of cushions, on a bed seven mattresses high, under an enormous tree, staring up through the leaves at the summer sky. View from the mic? Well, sometimes there’s no microphone and the view is pretty damn lovely. And would
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I adore Tweets but not sweets
THE last five years really have seen the explosion of social networking. Mark Zuckerburg started a revolution when he founded Facebook. More recently, Twitter has entered the fray. Despite technically being middle aged and with the IT skills of
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Don't let the children go to school hungry
Have you ever been really hungry? You are six years old. Your stomach makes a noise that sounds like a rumble but feels like a groan. Half an hour later, it sounds like an angry dog and feels like a piercing wail. Now, answer a maths question you
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From frolicking in fields to triumph over a tidy house
THE dank weather of late has grounded us chez Kat. The halycon days of running through cow fields like Julie Andrews in The Sound of Music with the dogs frolicking and flinging themselves on every cowpat are momentarily over, well at least until the
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How to keep passion alive . . . and why more women are having affairs
That couple who can’t keep their hands off each other haven’t been together long or must be having an affair, right? Cynical but true if new research is anything to go by. According to a survey of 2,000 British couples, almost half say there
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Emmerdale star to light up town
EMMERDALE actor Mark Charnock will switch on Banbury’s Christmas Lights next month, it has been announced. The actor – who plays Marlon Dingle in the TV soap – will press the button during the ceremony on Sunday, November 24. Thousands
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Police hunt for rape suspect who did not turn up to court
A 17-YEAR-OLD suspected rapist is wanted by police after skipping a court hearing today. Ismail Dilsoz, from Headington, is accused of raping a 14-year-old boy. He was due to appear at Oxford Crown Court today but did not turn up. A ban
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In the alley and on the oche to help find cure for sister
THE sister of a woman diagnosed with a rare brain condition is raising money for research into the illness. Eva Emmett, who lives in Sorrel Road, Blackbird Leys, Oxford, has organised a charity event to raise funds for the Progressive Supranuclear
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Rare book traces path through forest's history
CONSERVATIONISTS in West Oxfordshire have been leafing through the pages of a rare book for guidance on how best to protect a historic former Royal hunting forest. Cornbury and the Forest of Wychwood was privately printed in 1910 and bought by
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NHS care could not have been any better
LIKE W Buckingham (October 10) I recently had a full hip replacement in the JR Trauma Centre. Within 15 minutes of arriving by ambulance at Accident and Emergency, I had been examined by the trauma team and was on my way to X-ray. No long queues waiting
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Council agrees cash and land for new college
PLANS for Oxfordshire’s first University Technical College are a step closer to reality after funding and land was secured from the county council. The council’s cabinet has agreed to hand over land at Great Western Park, in Didcot, and £2m in
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ATMs set to go as Barclays confirms branch will close
JERICHO residents and councillors have hit out at plans to close their nearest Barclays Bank, with the loss of two cash machines. They said the loss of the ATMs at the Little Clarendon Street branch would be inconvenient for shoppers. The firm
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Broken-down lorry near Didcot jams A34
A broken-down lorry is causing delays on the A34 northbound between Didcot and Abingdon. Lane one of two is blocked between the A4130 Milton Interchange and the A415 Marcham Interchange and there is queuing traffic.
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Cash helps youth group hit the wall
YOUNGSTERS will soon have a new climbing wall and somewhere to practise their tightrope skills, thanks to a funding boost. Yesterday, more than £13,000 in grants to youth organistations across the county were signed off as part of the latest round
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Comment: College’s plan for land is a cool move
CHRIST Church can hardly be accused of being slow as it is already eyeing the prospect of selling off land neighbouring the proposed Barton West estate. It does make good sense, from the university college’s point of view, to be thinking about
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Comment: The proof that bad beginnings can be turned into a new start
IF THERE is a tale of rehabilitation and redemption, Martin Hartley is it. Today we report the remarkable turnaround in his life. He will be remembered by those of a certain age in Carterton as the tearaway youth who razed to the ground a large
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Cheeky Jordison finds truth in humour of dodgy towns
CRAP Towns isn’t a particularly scientific survey. Hundreds of thousands of people have visited the website craptownsreturns.co.uk I’ve received thousands of emails and messages through the site and social networks like Twitter. It’s also been
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Eloise Rees makes the musical journey from Wantage to Nashville + Listen to one of her songs
FRESH from following in the footsteps of Elvis Presley, Johnny Cash and Dolly Parton in America’s capital of country music, Eloise Rees is back performing in her home city of Oxford. The singer-songwriter is at Oxford’s Gathering Festival on Saturday
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Self-help from the stands
Gill Oliver talks to the Watford FC-supporting Oxford University Professor of Clinical Psychology If you ever find yourself in the stands watching Watford FC, look out for two blokes in their 40s discussing mental illness. One of them might
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Tools stolen from van
Thieves smashed a van window to take tools in Forsythia Close between 8pm last Thursday and 7am on Friday. Call 101 with information.
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GP’s could be a home
A medical centre in North Oxford which is closing next month could be turned back into a house. North Oxford Medical Centre in Woodstock Road is closing on November 29 after the GPs decided that the practice is no longer viable because of retirement
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Accused due in court over 12-hour siege
A man accused of holding police at bay during a 12-hour siege is due to appear in court today. Daniel Rodriguez, 38, of Morton Avenue, Kidlington, has been charged with two counts of possession of an imitation firearm, using an imitation firearm
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Jail for driver who went wrong way down M40
AN “exhausted” driver pulled on to the hard shoulder of the M40 before performing a U-turn and speeding the wrong way down the fast lane before crashing into an oncoming car. Daniel Hwyl had taken his father’s Mitsibushi people carrier without
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A whole week that’s dedicated to chocolate. . .I should cocoa!
LITTLE persuasion is usually required to enjoy the sweet delights of chocolate. But with it being National Chocolate Week this week, there is no excuse not to. Armand Dubert, chef at Summertown’s Gatineau, said: “It is a pleasure to work with
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Two charged on fight
Two men have been charged after police officers were called to a fight at St Peter’s College in New Inn Hall Street. Thames Valley Police was called at 10.18pm on Saturday after people attempted to gatecrash a college event. Karo Kamau, 21,
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Horse feed targeted
Ten bags of horse feed were stolen by a burglar who raided a Sparsholt barn overnight between Sunday and Monday. Police asked anyone with information to call 101.
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Driver’s lucky escape
A driver escaped injury after his red Volkswagen flipped over after being in a collision with a black BMW. Police were called to the scene at the junction of Bayswater Road and the B4027 Stanton Road at about 8.10am yesterday.
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Fresh chance for people to speak out about Westgate
MEMBERS of the public will get another chance to tell developers what they think of plans to redevelop the Westgate Centre. Plans for the £400m scheme have been submitted to Oxford City Council by developers hoping to transform the shopping centre
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Man admits firearms offences following siege
A MAN has admitted today four firearms offences following a 12-hour stand-off with police in Kidlington. Daniel Rodriguez, 38, has appeared at Oxford Crown Court and admitted possession of a firearm at the time of committing an offence on July
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Petition tops 115,000
MORE than 115,000 people have now signed a petition against the eviction of a Down’s Syndrome sufferer. James Sleight is facing eviction from his home in Woodford Way, Witney, because of budget cuts, his family have said. A petition on change.org
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£40k grant aims to tackle reoffending
A project to stop criminals reoffending has been given £40,000. Thames Valley Partnership has been handed the cash by the Lloyds TSB Foundation For England And Wales. The project provides volunteer-based mentoring to offenders on their release
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Racist graffiti sprayed on Hi-Lo door
RACIALLY-offensive words were spray-painted with graffiti across buildings in Oxford’s Cowley Road. Three properties were vandalised overnight between Wednesday and yesterday. Police said two of the incidents, which they are treating as racially-aggravated
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ROWING: Headington crew off to America
A STRONG squad from Headington School are in the final stages of preparation for the club’s first transatlantic competition. The 22 girls, aged between 15 and 18, are set to take part in the Head of the Charles Regatta in Boston this Sunday, and
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Total **** or just a joke?
Coming from Morecambe, you might have thought that Sam Jordison would have been mildly impressed by Oxford. No such luck. His five years spent living here have not been enough to spare Oxford from inclusion in the one guide book in which no city
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Colleges join forces
Colleges in Oxfordshire have teamed up with 20 others to form a new working association called Premier Colleges. They include Oxford & Cherwell Valley College, which has become City of Oxford College and Banbury & Bicester College.
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Hundreds of teachers march as strike hits 148 schools + Audio
SCHOOLS across the county were shut as 500 teachers took to Oxford’s streets to protest against changes to the education system. Almost 150 of the county’s schools were closed or partially closed yesterday as teachers from the NUT and NASWUT unions
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FIXTURES: Week commencing Saturday, October 19
Saturday FOOTBALL SKY BET LEAGUE TWO Accrington Stanley v Oxford Utd. SKRILL NORTH Oxford City v Worcester City. FA CARLSBERG TROPHY 1st qual round: Stourbridge v Banbury Utd, Marlow v North Leigh. CALOR LEAGUE Div
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RUGBY UNION:Parker aims to make impact on return to Pontypridd
Sonny Parker has a double reason for trying to impress when London Welsh take on Pontypridd in tomorrow’s British & Irish Cup clash. The 36-year-old is still trying to get back to full fitness after picking up a calf injury a week before Welsh
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FOOTBALL: Deane's out to put the boot in
Deane Smalley wants Oxford United to be ruthless and make the most of Accrington Stanley’s struggles tomorrow. The U’s are odds-on to extend the best away record in Sky Bet League Two against James Beattie’s side, who are five points adrift at
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Fall in crime, but sex reports have increased
Sex crime reports have increased despite a fall in crime across the region. Figures released yesterday by the Office for National Statistics show crime dropped by six per cent – from 137,301 in the year before June 2012 to 129,025 in the same period
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Ale and hearty the city’s beer festival starts off frothy fun for beer lovers
ALE lovers descending on Oxford’s Town Hall last night as the city’s annual beer festival kicked off. The 16th annual Oxford Beer Festival started yesterday and will run until tomorrow. The event, organised by Oxford CAMRA, features a selection
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Christ Church land may link into Barton housing estate
AN OXFORD University college is considering selling off land it owns that neighbours the proposed Barton West estate. Christ Church owns land north of the Barton West site where Oxford City Council plans to build nearly 900 homes. The St Aldate
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FOOTBALL: Stein issues plea to Blossom and Bridges
FA CARLSBERG TROPHY Banbury United boss Edwin Stein is looking to experienced duo Wayne Blossom and Scott Bridges to set a better example as they return from suspensions for the first qualifying round tie at Calor League Premier Division rivals
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FOOTBALL: Elkins in interim charge at Didcot
CALOR LEAGUE Former boss Gary Elkins has returned to Didcot Town as interim manager following Andy Wallbridge’s resignation. Elkins stepped down in May due to work commitments after one season at the helm. He will take charge alongside
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FOOTBALL: Ford's dilemma as City face big test
Mike Ford has a selection dilemma ahead of what he describes as Oxford City’s ‘most important game of the season’ so far when they face fellow strugglers Worcester City in Skrill North at Marsh Lane tomorrow. With a clean bill of health, City’s
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BADMINTON: Oxon 2nd hit form in opener
Oxfordshire 2nd got their Division 4 East campaign off to a flying start in the England County Championship. A thumping 12-3 victory over Worcestershire 3rd at Bar-tholomew Sports Centre, Eysnham, saw Oxon set the standard at the top of the table
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RUGBY UNION: Grove fired up for derby
SOUTH WEST 1 EAST GROVE are hoping for a bumper crowd when they host Witney in tomorrow’s Oxfordshire derby. Both sides enter the contest on the back of victories and are level on 14 points, so a tight clash is expected. “We anticpate quite
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RUGBY UNION: Chinnor step into unknown
NATIONAL LEAGUES CHINNOR break new ground when they visit Ampthill in National 2 South tomorrow, with head coach Matt Goode not sure what to expect. Ampthill were promoted after winning National 3 Midlands and have made a solid start to sit
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Government complicit in gas price fiddling
I am writing concerning the outrageous price hikes in gas and electric recently: the power companies buy gas cheap, then sell it to themselves dear. What a magnificent fiddle – seeing as the Government is complicit in this ‘crookery’. Anyone
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All primary schools must be congratulated
I have to respond to the latest article announcing the results of the Reading Campaign. I have just looked at the OCC website and counted the number of primary schools in Oxfordshire (I need to get a life). There are 231. So to suggest that the
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Community groups should not have to fight each other over cuts
THIS week’s Talking Oxfordshire public meetings in Banbury and Oxford were filled to capacity with people desperate to voice concerns about proposed cuts to our public services by the county council. I attended to represent the 1,100+ members of the
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For when you tire of beauty
My first experience of East Oxford was, quite aptly, a musical one. I was just into secondary school, ready and raring to take part in all those older-kid pastimes. Too skinny for contact sports and at least a bus ride away from the local skate
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Quad Talk: Suddenly, Americans made me uncomfortable
Golly, gosh and crikey! Is Jane Messina starting to turn into one of us? There I was, nine months since my last return to the US, boarding a United Airlines flight to D.C. for a meeting. A few weeks before, I was so overcome by the excitement of
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Not guilty of assault
A man has been cleared of an assault outside a nightclub. James Whitman, 29, of Glenwood Road, London, was unanimously found not guilty of assault occasioning actual bodily harm by a jury at Oxford Crown Court yesterday. The incident happened
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RUGBY UNION: Parker bids to make big impact on return
Sonny Parker has a double reason for trying to impress when London Welsh take on Pontypridd in tomorrow’s British & Irish Cup clash. The 36-year-old is still trying to get back to full fitness after picking up a calf injury a week before Welsh
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FOOTBALL: Jenkins back for Headington
Harry Jenkins returns to Headington Amateurs’ squad for the Oxfordshire Senior Cup first-round tie at home to Henley Town, which kicks off at 1.30pm. Headington Amateurs: from Jenkins, Zaja, L Morbey, Lester, B Cuff, Henderson, Payne, Jacob, Cook
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FOOTBALL: Kidlington bid to keep up hot streak
Kidlington seek to continue their hot streak when they take on Sydenhams League outfit Lymington Town in the FA Carlsberg Vase first round at Yarnton Road tomorrow. Martin Wilkinson’s side have won ten of their last 12 games in all competitions
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TENNIS: Virgin's top pair shine
First pair Barbara Griffiths and Judy Davis won all four sets against Oxford City to help Virgin Active triumph 5-3 in the Thames Valley Winter League Ladies Division 1. RESULTS Men Div 1: Witney B 8, Oxford City B 0; Oxford Sports B 6,
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Sports association is like a secret society
AS a weekly user of the Oxford Road sports facilities, I have major concerns that the users’ interests are of secondary concern to the Bicester Sports Association (BSA). Your paper urges trust, but BSA resembles a self-perpetuating secret society.
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Rolling out ultrafast broadband is essential
HOW many people now work from home? When I asked Downing Street to consider posing the question in the 2011 Census, I didn’t even receive an acknowledgement from the Prime Minister’s office. I was equally unsuccessful when I suggested my district
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GCSE results were county’s best ever
The proportion of Oxfordshire students who achieved five A* to C grades in their GCSEs this year was the highest ever. Government figures released last night show that 60.3 per cent of students getting their results in August scored at least five
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Family of Greenpeace activist held in Russia fears for his future
STEVE Ball’s brother Phil was wearing lots of warm clothing when he got dropped off at a bus stop to go on a three-week trip. But he would not reveal which cold climate he was heading for. Days later, Mr Ball got the shock of his life when
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Wilder: All systems go for versatile Oxford United
TACTICAL innovations may always be secondary to hard work, particularly in the blood and thunder world of League Two, but flexibility has played its part in Oxford United’s strong start. When James Beattie sat down this week to work out how Oxford
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Combative Whing remains up for a challenge with Oxford United
ANDY Whing says experiencing a straight red card for the first time will not have an impact on the way he plays. The midfielder returned for Oxford United in the 2-0 win against Northampton Town last weekend following a three-game ban and will
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Comment: Proof that a bad beginning can lead to a fresh start
IF THERE is a tale of rehabilitation and redemption, the Rev Martin Hartley is it. Today we report the remarkable turnaround in his life. He will be remembered by those of a certain age in Carterton as the tearaway youth who razed to the ground
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School arsonist becomes priest
A MAN who burned down his school as a 17-year-old has been ordained as a priest. Nearly three decades have passed since Martin Hartley set fire to Carterton Comprehensive School – now Carterton College – and burnt it to the ground, causing £1m
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Wright impressed as Raynes takes Oxford United chance
JAKE Wright has praised the form of Michael Raynes during the Oxford United captain’s injury lay-off. Raynes did not feature in the opening six weeks of the season, before getting a run in the side with Wright on the sidelines. The skipper
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Oxford United winger ruled out for two more games
ALFIE Potter will not travel north to Accrington with the Oxford United squad today as the winger recovers from a hamstring injury. The 24-year-old came off against Portsmouth earlier this month and is also unlikely to be available for the home
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Oxford United await Youth Cup trip
OXFORD United’s youngsters will discover their first round opponents in the FA Youth Cup next week. Chris Allen’s side will visit the winners of the third qualifying round clash between Didcot Town and Bournemouth, which is due to be played next
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Lorry driver beaten up by pair who flagged him down
A 50-YEAR-old lorry driver was attacked in Abingdon by two men who flagged him down. The man was driving towards Abingdon town centre when a man in a high visibility jacket hailed him at about 8.45am on Sunday. The driver parked outside the
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Primate’s war with Wonga fuels credit unions interest
AN OXFORD credit union has said it has seen a surge in interest since the Archbishop of Canterbury urged people to invest and declared war on pay day loan firm Wonga. It comes after two of Oxfordshire’s spiritual leaders put invested money in Oxford
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Council income talks
Income generation will be discussed by councillors at a meeting next week. The county council’s income generation cabinet advisory group will meet on Thursday, October 24, at 12.15pm at County Hall. The group will discuss ways the council can
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Remembrance parade
A parade to mark Remembrance Day in the town is due to take place at 2.30pm on Sunday, November 10 going from Didcot's Edinburgh Drive car park to Broadway and the civic hall in Britwell Road, ending at the Garden of Remembrance. A service will
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£500k shares profit
The Vale of White Horse District Council’s treasury made £553,000 on its investments from 2012 to 2013. The money made was £136,000 more than the original estimate. A full report is to be heard at Vale of White Horse District Council’s council
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Singers raise £1,500 for hospice
TEENAGERS took to the stage at Didcot Civic Hall to perform a charity concert. Around 50 youngsters aged 12 to 18 from across Oxfordshire sang with The Musical Youth Company of Oxford (MYCO) last week. They also handed over £1,500 to Oxford
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Litter pick will include dog tagging
Residents of Oxford are encouraged to take part in a community litter pick as part of the Cleaner, Greener Oxford campaign. It takes place tomorrow from 10am until 2pm from Rose Hill and Littlemore Children’s Centre in The Oval. The dog warden
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Mosque plan upset
A MAN hoping to open a mosque in Chipping Norton said he was shocked and upset after receiving a “nasty” leaflet through his door. Town councillor and father-of-three Tahirul Hasan was set to convert a shop in Hitchman’s Mews into a mosque after