Archive

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Spate of blazes prompts a fire safety warning

THE fire service has issued a warning to the public to take extra care in the hot weather after a spate of blazes in the countryside. The warning comes as Oxfordshire Fire and Rescue Service were yesterday still on the scene of a hay barn fire

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Church couple’s faith in each other is keystone of marriage

SIXTY years ago today, Janette and Douglas Holvey said ‘I do’ in the very room they first met – in a church in Lime Walk, Headington. Mrs Holvey, nee Law, said: “ It was called Shirley Hall, but now it’s called St Ebbe’s Church. “We met there

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Honda hybrid helps you to keep your eye on economy

THE first time I drove Honda’s petrol-electric hybrid, the Insight, I finished up with a huge headache. This was nothing to do with the car, but much more with a little challenge that Honda had offered. Journalists test-driving the Insight were

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Abingdon Town 1 Oxford United 10

SAM Long scored a hat-trick as Oxford United's development side ran out 10-1 winners at Abingdon Town. Callum O'Dowda opened the scoring before turning provider with a free-kick for Long's first goal of the night. Goals from Matt Bevans and

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Meeting of cultures at youth arts event

HUNDREDS of young people from across the world got a warm welcome from Oxford teenagers at the city’s third international youth arts festival. A group from Pegasus Theatre in Magdalen Road, East Oxford, organised the 10-day Mesh 2014 festival,

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Teenager hurt in assault outside McDonalds

A TEENAGER was left with a fractured eye socket after he was assaulted outside McDonalds in Abingdon. The 18-year-old is thought to have had an argument with the man who assaulted him in the Colwell Drive restaurant before the offence. It happened

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Festival is a D-light for music fans

When it comes to organising music festivals, small is beautiful. Just ask Craig Evans.... WITH last weekend’s Truck festival fading into the distance, one South Oxfordshire music-lover is offering a musical refuge to those suffering festival withdrawal

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New festival captures all life through a lens

PHOTOGRAPHY has been rooted in Oxford’s history ever since pioneer William Henry Fox Talbot took his famous photographs here during the 1840s. And now Summertown photographer Robin Laurance wants to use a three-week festival to put the city’s snappers

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Delays and dithering aren’t helping our housing issues

OUR view has been consistently that Cherwell District Council has delayed and dithered with the local plan and they have taken far too long to get it started. We have been heavily critical of it and because of them delaying, we are now seeing the

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Verdict: Ben Blakeley guilty of murdering Jayden Parkinson

BEN Blakeley has been found guilty of murdering 17-year-old Jayden Parkinson. There were emotional scenes in Oxford Crown Court this after the jury of six men and six women returned its verdict, by a majority of 11-1. The jury had deliberated for

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The ‘Poly midwife’ who left a lasting legacy in the city

A FORMER city education official of more than 30 years who helped set up some of Oxford’s most recognised institutions has died aged 89. While working at Oxford City Council’s education department, Peter Farrar was, in his own words, the “Poly

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Council stalwart was twice elected Mayor

A WOMAN who was twice elected Mayor of Witney and served as a councillor for more than 10 years has died aged 68. Eileen Young served on Witney Town Council from 1977 to 1989 and was Mayor from 1984 to 1986. She was affectionately known by

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Volunteers are praised for helping pupils read

VOLUNTEERS who have helped children in Oxfordshire learn to read for the past decade have been praised for their dedication. Sixteen long-serving volunteers across the county, who have given up to 10 years to ARCh – Assisted Reading for Children

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Police tape off flat off Botley Road in West Oxford

Police are guarding a flat off Botley Road in West Oxford today following an incident. The flat in Duke Street is currently taped off and a police officer is standing guard outside. A spokesman for Thames Valley Police confirmed there had been

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Pupils asked to create a vision

SCHOOLCHILDREN have been asked to create a vision of the future for a business park. Howbery Business Park has called in art and design students from Wallingford School to provide internal designs for its next generation of office accommodation

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Thursday's letters: What are your fellow readers writing in about today?

Want to give your opinion? Email letters@oxfordmail.co.uk

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Popular car-sharing scheme drives its way to top award

SOCIAL enterprise Co-Wheels, which runs car clubs in East and South Oxford, Cowley and Headington, has won a top award. The company has been named a Social Innovation Pioneer by corporate consultants Deloitte. Co-Wheels is one of 12 businesses

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Two car dealerships announce expansion with new sites

TWO major motor dealers in the county are expanding with new purpose-built sites. Ridgeway has opened up an Audi dealership at the Oxford Business Park in Cowley, while MM Bellinger & Sons has acquired land on the edge of Milton Park with the

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Pair shun university for a crack at apprenticeships

WHILE his friends have spent the past few years partying and running up debt at university, 22-year-old Dominic Callaghan has been carving out a career in engineering. Fresh from a four-year apprenticeship with Culham Centre for Fusion Energy,

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The Guide: What is happening on the entertainment scene

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Bombarded by text in a monumental artwork

Sarah Mayhew Craddock finds herself almost lost for words over Barbara Kruger’s Untitled (Titled) at Modern Art Oxford What’s trending in #Oxford? What’s gone viral? What’s the word on the street? What are all the cool kids talking about? What

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Takeaway at Mamma Mia in Summertown

In the northern reaches of Oxford, Mamma Mia is something of a culinary institution. Summertown may be short on pubs (with only one real hostelry to soak up custom between Kidlington, Wolvercote and North Parade), but at least it has some decent

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Nibbles: Carluccio's, St Giles Cafe, Raymond Blanc and more

* Rumour has it that Carluccio’s is coming to Oxford and setting up shop at the bottom of Little Clarendon Street near Brown’s. A Carluccio’s spokesman said: “Nothing has been confirmed yet so we don’t have any information to send over.” But watch

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Preconceptions slain by this delicious food

Katherine MacAlister embraces spontaneity after a family emergency, and comes up trumps for taste Nothing went to plan on Friday. My carefully organised day off was instead spent in Witney Hospital’s trauma unit fixing my daughter’s broken toes

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Refillable blowtorch is the gadget of the week

Gadget of the week from Boswells of Oxford, Broad Street A classic cook’s secret ingredient, this refillable blowtorch is ideal for creating the finishing touch to a variety of dishes and desserts such as caramelising sugar toppings on créme brulee

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A little bit of love is our special ingredient

Starting Up with Jo Woodcock @ The Wandering Kitchen When I had the idea for our pop-up restaurant, The Wandering Kitchen, in April 2013, I knew that the reason why the concept was good and would work. That reason was love. This might sound

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How to make a delicious cured salmon

I found my passion for cooking when I was 15 years old. I studied at Westminster College, London, and from there have worked in many fine dining restaurants and hotels from London to Devon and even a kitchen in Greece, until I finally settled in Oxfordshire

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Swimmer’s dream fulfilled with help from jelly babies

A MEDICAL student who swam 21 miles across the Channel has told how jelly babies and a determination to raise money for charity got her through the gruelling challenge. Marisa Schubert spent 14 hours and 40 minutes making her way through the busy

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Scales of Justice

Banbury Magistrates Andrew Smith, 36, of no fixed address, admitted criminal damage of a car wing mirror at Banbury Railway Station on July 16. Ordered to pay £200 compensation and £85 costs. Darren Evans, 37, of Hamilton Close, Bicester, admitted

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Hairdresser jailed for three years for ‘iPhone stun gun’

A 21-YEAR-OLD who had a taser disguised as an iPhone in his home has been jailed for three years. Marcel Cross, of Chapel Street, Bicester, pleaded guilty to one count of possessing a banned weapon on January 6 last year. Matthew Walsh, prosecuting

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Putting your families at the centre of the fun

Katherine MacAlister is now a convert to the Center Parcs experience after a very enjoyble two-day break The family which left the new Center Parcs in Woburn was unrecognisable from the harassed, bickering, stressed and tired group that had arrived

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Glen's picked the ideal time for a Holly day

Although he died aged just 22, Buddy Holly’s influence on popular music has been massive. Katherine MacAlister talks to the man playing the singer in Buddy: The Buddy Holly Story Buddy Holly’s are massive shoes to fill, but Glen Joseph jumps into

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Take me to the river for a festival of music

With great bands and free entry, Tim Hughes says Riverside Festival is the perfect summer’s day out In a world where tickets to the average music festival can weigh in at more than £200, Charlbury’s Riverside Festival is a breath of fresh air.

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Tutmania set to take over museum

As the Ashmolean opens its Discovering Tutankhamun display, Katherine MacAlister finds out more about the ancient Egyptian king Tutmania is about to begin as the Ashmolean opens its doors to the tides of visitors expected to pour in and explore

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Most of us come here, grow, and leave again

Pembroke graduate Nick Hilton reflects on his time in this fair city Leaving Oxford is an experience that 99 per cent of undergraduates have to undergo. Of course, there are always those people — who I’m sure have hated every word of every column

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Both rich in the inexplicable

Will Baker on the things that unite and separate Eton College and Oxford Since the age of four, I have lived in Oxford, and I now live in Wolvercote. I was at school here until the age of 13, at which point I began my time as a pupil at Eton College

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Radio listings that tell us little of the programme

I would be delighted if the Daily Telegraph’s respected radio critic Gillian Reynolds could throw her considerable weight around in protest at her newspaper’s crappy listings service. (And when I say ‘weight’, of course, I refer to her influence and

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When the Stones gave the college satisfaction

Will The Rolling Stones keep rolling till they roll over? This seems likely, I think. And roll-over day might not be so very far in the future — an observation I make, as Dame Edna Everage would say, in the most caring way. Drummer Charlie Watts, as

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Many rounds of applause

Matt Oliver speaks to Paul Coones as the Sheldonian Theatre marks its 350th birthday Oxford is a city where historical milestones are never far around the corner. And next to the oldest buildings such as St Michael at the North Gate, thought to

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All Bar One is the merriest bar none

Christopher Gray may have been three times before but insists All Bar One has retained its buzz Our archives at Newspaper House reveal, to my mild surprise, that I have reviewed All Bar One in Oxford’s High Street three times before, with an interval

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No wonder Irish eyes are smiling

Helen Peacocke meets foodie heroine and dynamic Irish chef Darina Allen There are times when I’m fortunate enough to meet a person whose personality is so charismatic it’s difficult to know where to start when describing them. Darina Allen,

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The future's bright, orange and pretty

Val Bourne admires the best plants in this least popular hue Orange is probably the least favourite colour of all in the garden. A common prejudice, it was reinforced at Hampton Court when I met a lady who was admiring the plants from a show garden

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Grasses are greener for haymakers

Wendy Tobitt of Berks, Bucks & Oxon Wildlife Trust explores the summer task which makes extra use of meadow plants Across the county the Wildlife Trusts’ meadows are buzzing to the sounds of haymaking. From mid-July our fields, which up to

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Jayden trial: Jury sent out to continue considering its verdict

MEMBERS of the jury in the Ben Blakeley have been sent out to continue considering its verdict.  They came back in to Oxford Crown Court this morning after it was adjourned due to medical reasons.  Judge Patrick Eccles sent them out shortly

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Earth To Echo - iPhone home

Damon Smith finds a family film that’s a worthy modern homage to Spielberg’s ET In 1982, ET phoned home and now another stranded extra-terrestrial requires assistance from pint-sized heroes to safely return to the stars in Dave Green’s fantastical

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Thursday, July 24

4:58pm We have a series of CCTV videos following Jayden and Blakeley on the day he killed her, and then of his return to re-bury her on December 9 4:29pm Ben

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Comedy still ringing true in Cap and Bells

Hugh Vickers on a ‘wicked little comedy’ by the Italian playwright Luigi Pirandello I’m much looking forward to seeing ShockTroupe’s production of one of Pirandello’s first major plays, Cap and Bells, which opens at the Old Fire Station in Oxford

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You Jane, me unbelievably impressed

Just as the film Calamity Jane turned out a hit for Doris Day, hopes now ride high for BBC1’s I’d Do Anything winner Jodie Prenger, who takes the title role in this new Watermill stage production. But Prenger is a very different Calam (as the gun-toting

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Such a small, quiet casting is madness in King Lear

Giles Woodforde finds much effort undermined by so small a company From butler to King: it’s quite a step. But that’s what has happened to actor Joseph Marcell, who has moved on from playing Geoffrey the butler in the oft-repeated American TV sitcom

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Call for repairs should not see tenants evicted

As most people know, landlords have a legal duty to ensure that any property they let is fit to be lived in and that the property remains in good repair. The landlord’s responsibilities extend to repairing the structure or exterior of a property

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Don’t forget to pick up any documents...

ONE of The Insider’s colleagues was fortunate enough to attend a meeting of the Oxfordshire Safer Communities Partnership this week. This committee’s job does what it says on the tin and brings together representatives from Thames Valley Police

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Infrastructure is under pressure and new measures are needed

There is a clear need to provide transport links from the north-west Bicester eco town to the town centre. However, the potential to improve transport for the much larger Bicester of the future must also be seized. The current infrastructure is

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Be safe and stay out of quarries this summer

LAST year, during a two-month period of unusually warm weather, six people drowned in former quarry lakes across the UK. Warmer weather heralds an increase in young people and adults entering quarries uninvited with potentially tragic consequences

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Lots of work needs to be done on this route

I am writing concerning reports of the city council’s surplus cash. What are the council doing sitting on all that cash? (‘Only £15,000 spent from £362,000’, Oxford Mail, July 14). They obviously don’t travel on the London Road often, otherwise

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HS2 money could be better spent elsewhere

SITTING out early in my garden these beautiful mornings, I can hear the Birmingham to Marylebone trains thundering past and it made me wonder why anyone would want to go faster than that, bearing in mind the HS2. Surely if you order a full English

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Bringing peace would be a huge step forward

WITH all the dreadful loss of life in Ukraine, Syria, Iraq and now Palestine, it is difficult to know where to start. But the injustice, stupidity and illegality of Israeli attacks on Gaza spurs me to write. Smoke and fire from the explosion

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Prayers for ex-Gaza Scholar and family

MOURNERS gathered for a vigil to remember the family of former Oxford Brookes Gaza Scholar Hassan Al Hallaq. As reported in yesterday’s Oxford Mail, Mr Al Hallaq is in intensive care in hospital in Gaza after a suspected Israeli bombing which killed

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Update: Buses terminating early due to city centre roadworks

BUS services will be terminating early until further notice after “severe” traffic delays hit Oxford city centre this morning . Oxford Bus Company tweeted that the City 3 and 5 services will be terminating on the High Street. City 8 service

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Two Gentlemen of Verona @ Royal Shakespeare Theatre, Stratford

Two stinkers had been disposed of in one go, we joked (sort of) back in 1981 when The Two Gentlemen of Verona was last on the RSC’s main stage in tandem (both heavily cut) with Titus Andronicus. This very early, perhaps earliest, Shakespeare play

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Oxford Philomusica are hitting the right notes

Nicola Lisle on this summer’s nine-day piano jamboree It’s late July, so it must be time for the Piano Festival. A regular fixture on Oxford’s cultural calendar since 1999, the Oxford Philomusica’s Piano Festival and Summer Academy attracts students

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Shepherd's calendar

It is one hundred and fifty years since John Clare — “the Northamptonshire Peasant Poet” — died in a lunatic asylum. He was a genius, despite his lack of formal education, and his first readers were fascinated by his loving descriptions of birds

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There be a few monsters here

Friday Swords are drawn, St George squares up to the dragon… it’s over in a flash. Liquid spills from the dragon’s gaping mouth. But don’t worry, readers, the only thing being slain here is a couple of locally brewed ciders in a chugging contest

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Songs full of soul, magic and moonshine

Texan musician Sarah Jarosz plays old school American acoustic roots music. And, observes Tim Hughes, she’s rather fond of songs about the magic of the moon She has been described as folk, country, bluegrass and even ‘new grass’. But Sarah Jarosz

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'A garden of strange and exotic passions'

Theresa Thompson on the 1200-plus artworks in the RA’s Summer Exhibition A man, or rather, a life-sized mannequin dressed in multi-coloured African prints just about manages to balance a tall pile of fancy cakes on his back. He’s bent double with

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For Art's Sake with Pete Hughes

Pete Hughes, guitarist with Oxford maffrobeat* band Bright Works and also Oxford Times reporter, on festival spirit ‘Why are there so many children everywhere?” Jake asked me. Jake is new to Oxford, he just started a job at the O2 academy so

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Oxford United boss sets deadline for new signings

HEAD coach Michael Appleton wants to get most of Oxford United’s summer signings completed before they face Wolverhampton Wanderers next week. The boss compared their efforts to seal deals to a “chess match”, but he will be disappointed if the

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Paradise found at Wilderness

Wilderness festival is coming back to Cornbury Park, bigger, better and with a Paradise Lost theme. Tim Hughes speaks to festival manager Eloise Markwell-Butler about what’s in store Strange things are happening among the ancient oaks of Wychwood

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Thursday, July 24

10:11am 10:11am 9:25am 9:13am 9:11am

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COMMENT: Railway station plan is at last moving in the right direction

It’s a dismal sight that has greeted bands of brow-beaten commuters and excited tourists alike for decades. To put it simply, Oxford’s only railway station has never matched aesthetically what this glorious city of dreaming spires has to offer.

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Local author Pam Nixon

In Oxford author Pam Nixon’s coming-of-age novel But I'll Remember This, Phyllida looks back at her teenage love affair with her English teacher’s husband Mike, an Oxford-educated miner’s son from South Wales. It is billed on the front cover as

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Watch: New video of the proposed £75m Oxford railway and bus stations

THE future of Oxford’s train station is being unveiled today and has been hailed as a big step towards the city getting the integrated transport hub it needs. Details of the £75m scheme have been released by Oxford City Council and reveal

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It’s a right royal drama

DAYS after Downton Abbey moved out of the county, a new American TV crew with a noble theme has moved in. But it could not be more different. Cast and crew of ‘mockumentary’ The Royals, above, which stars British actress Elizabeth Hurley, descended

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COMMENT: Singing from the heart for charity

AFTER starting out busking in Oxford city centre singing group Out of the Blue went onto greater things and won plenty of admirers when they appeared on the TV show Britain’s Got Talent. The Oxford University student group is also working in perfect

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The old Worse & Worse etc

Stroud-based Amberley Publishing has recently released two new books about the Great Western Railway. The first, The Great Western Railway: Volume One Paddington to Bristol (£16.99) by local authors Stanley C Jenkins and Martin Loader is an interesting

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‘Doing nothing is not an option’, leader tells transport meeting

THE leader of the county council addressed residents about his plans for the county’s transport system in the last of a series of public meeting. Ian Hudspeth has held seven meetings now across Oxfordshire, the last taking place last night at Oxford

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Man found not guilty in Jayden disturbance case

A 24-year-old has been found not guilty of a committing public order offence during a court hearing for the killer of Jayden Parkinson. Yesterday Ryan McCann, of Royal Berkshire Court, Didcot, was cleared of using threatening or abusive words or

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Association could face legal action over community centre

OXFORD City Council has instructed its lawyers to help it take back one of its community centres. The council had planned to take control of East Oxford Community Centre on Monday because of long-standing concerns about the way it is being run.

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Posh boys join hip parade for charity

WATCHING 15 Oxford students sway and sing on the steps of the Radcliffe Camera to Shakira’s Hips Don’t Lie is not an everyday sight. But student a cappella group Out of the Blue – who made it to the semi-finals of Britain’s Got Talent in 2011 –

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Planning begins on city’s flood channel route

COUNCIL officials were taken around Oxford yesterday to look at potential routes for a new flood relief channel. Government officials agreed to give £26m towards the £123m Western Conveyance scheme earlier this month. Leading figures at Oxfordshire

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Bus delays over works

Water works on the High Street outside Magdalen College mean buses will be delayed, Stagecoach Oxford has warned. Thames Water is installing a new water connection for the college, which was delayed because of sewage problems found last week.

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Meeting over estate

The developer of the proposed 900-home Barton Park development will update councillors on its progress tonight. Oxford City Council is hoping the new estate can be built on land west of Barton over the next few years, along with a primary school

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Killer to be sentenced

Convicted double child killer Fiaz Munshi  is due to be sentenced tomorrow at Oxford Crown Court. The 38-year-old was found guilty on Tuesday of the manslaughter of eight-year-old Anum Khan and her 15-year-old brother Majid, who died in an arson

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ATHLETICS: England shines in the rain

OXFORD’S Hannah England provided the star turn in the British Milers’ Club (BMC) Grand Prix at Iffley Road. England showed her sharpness ahead of the Commonwealth Games with victory in the women’s A 800m, but unlike last year, there was no sub-four

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ATHLETICS: Curtis eyes up Olympic progression

FREDDIE Curtis hopes this week’s World Junior Championships can be a springboard to Rio 2016 qualification. The 19-year-old javelin thrower, from Hardwick, near Bicester, competes in the heats in Eugene, Oregon tomorrow night. Curtis earned

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Reprieve leaves Oxford in top flight

Following a disappointing defeat to Cambridge in the last match of the season back in May, Oxford 1 expected to be playing division 2 chess in the Four Nations Chess League next season. However, Oxford4NCL team captain, Tim Dickinson has relayed

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Centre for sustainability

Bicester Green Centre for ‘skills, sustainability and second-hand stuff’ opened in June 2013 and aims to prevent bikes, wooden furniture and small electrical items from becoming waste. Manager Emma Gordon works with a team of volunteers to repair

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Teacher is charged with sexual offences

A former Carmel College teacher has been charged with a series of sexual offences. Trevor Bolton, 77, of Kestrel Way, Clacton-on-Sea, Essex, was arrested on June 6 last year on suspicion of four counts of indecency with a child and five counts

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‘Mum didn’t realise the consequences of drugs’

A YOUNG parent who overdosed on a cocktail of drugs didn’t know what she was doing, her mum said yesterday. Elle-May Kelsey, 21, of Lyford Close in Drayton, near Abingdon, died after taking a mixture of drugs including ketamine on March 26.

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Singers silenced as church organ goes up in smoke

WHEN the organ at St Mary’s Church, Witney, started smoking in the middle of a hymn, the congregation was stunned into silence. It was lucky the church was already half way towards raising the £20,000 it needed to buy a new one. The faithful were

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Blog: Jayden Parkinson trial

4:25pm Listen: Jayden's mother Samantha Shrewsbury and grandfather Eric Shrewsbury speak about the trains their family has faced and Ben Blakeley 4:20pm Read

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BOWLS: Unstoppable Sykes seals hat-trick on day of drama

MARK Sykes continued his impressive run in the two wood final to complete a hat-trick of titles. The Banbury Borough player has not lost a game in the championship since its inception in 2012. His run was under threat early on in Sunday’s final

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Woman wants £10k for job suspension

A council employee has said she wants more than £10,000 compensation from Oxfordshire County Council after being suspended from her job. Elishia Meade was wrongly suspended for four months after lodging she made a complaint about being passed over

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Hospital radio station goes on air in race to raise £75k

A HOSPITAL radio station in Oxford is fighting to raise the £75,000 it needs to stay on air after being asked to move to a new base. Radio Cherwell, which has been broadcasting since 1967, is currently housed in the old blood transfusion office

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Parky at the Pictures (In Cinemas 24/7/2014)

A couple of frustrating talents bring the best out of each other in Joe. Since winning his Academy Award for Best Actor in Mike Figgis's Leaving Las Vegas (1995), Nicolas Cage has alternated between undemanding commercial fare and quirky indies that

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Parky at the Pictures (DVD 24/7/2014)

Three of the most intriguing figures in 1960s French cinema come under the spotlight over the next few weeks as a trio of crucial boxed sets go on release. There are dozens of potential candidates for the anthology treatment, including the glorious

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Firefighters warn of holiday dangers

OXFORDSHIRE’S firefighters have issued advice to help people keep their homes safe if they go away over the summer. To make sure homes are left protected from fire, Oxfordshire Fire and Rescue Service has recommended having working smoke alarms

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RUGBY UNION: Jones is welcome here, says Exiles coach

LONDON Welsh head coach Justin Burnell would welcome the chance to sign Wales and Lions prop Adam Jones. The 100-cap Ospreys tighthead is in limbo without a club due to the dispute between the Welsh Rugby Union and their four regions. Jones

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Power cut hits homes

More than 2,000 properties in Witney were without power for part of yesterday morning. Southern Electric has said the power cut affected 2,060 properties, including West Oxfordshire District Council’s offices, and was caused by a safety switch

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BOWLS: Ton up for quartet as Headington edge closer

DIVISION 1 leaders Headington were one of four teams to rack up centuries in a high-scoring week in the Oxford & District League, sponsored by Yarnton Nurseries. Headington’s 102-68 home success had an impact at both ends of the table, taking

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CRICKET: Improving Tiddington have Banbury on rack

Tiddington maintained their decent run of form by having the better of a rain-affected draw with Banbury 2nd. On a day when four of the five games in the top flight were cut short by rain, Tiddington made good progress to reach 205-8. Tom Rowley

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TENNIS: Oxfordshire's men go top of their group

OXFORDSHIRE’S men are sitting proudly on top of Group 5 at West Worthing after beating previous leaders Dorset 5-4 yesterday. They face Durham & Cleveland today and Bucks tomorrow when two victories would secure promotion. But the grouip

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RACING: Oxfordshire trainer caught up in morphine case

BLEWBURY trainer Eve Johnson Houghton is the latest trainer to come forward and reveal one of her horses has tested positive for morphine. The Oxfordshire handler has confirmed the three-year-old gelding Charlie Wells failed a drugs test after

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No move on stadium

No decision has been made on who Oxford Stadium should be leased or sold to. Josh Garside, a spokesman for estate agent CBRE – which is handling the marketing of the stadium on behalf of its owners GRA Acquisitions – said a decision has not been

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City centre to host two demonstrations

The National Front and Oxford Unite Against Fascism (OUAF) will demonstrate in the city centre this weekend, police have said. Thames Valley Police said yesterday the demonstration by the National Front and counter-demonstration by OUAF would take

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Building giant is fined £525k after dad’s death

A CONSTRUCTION firm was fined £525,000 yesterday for health and safety breaches which led to the death of a father-of-two. Mark Williams’s mother said last night he was “totally let down by the people he trusted”. The  41-year-old, of Nuneham

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Nursery’s 40th birthday raises funds for refurbishment

HUNDREDS of pounds were raised at a nursery’s 40th birthday party - with money raised to hopefully give it a head start on the next 40 years. Headington’s Kiddies Korner thanked past and present parents and staff who helped to raise £310 at its

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ATHLETICS: Bruce in Hornton cruise

DAVID Bruce held off James Bolton to come home a clear winner at the Hornton Classic 6. The Highgate Harriers athlete, from Oxford, battled with Bolton (Woodstock Harriers) in the early stages of the hilly six-mile race. But Bruce came on strong

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ATHLETICS: Alchester are prize guys

ALCHESTER had a prize bonanza at the Waddesdon Manor Summer 5K. Led home by vet 40 men’s winner Richard Gould, who came tenth, they also claimed four ladies’ trophies. Gould clocked 17mins 27secs, while Jenny McBain (19.06) was the second lady

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BAR BILLIARDS: Masons grab whitewash to close the gap

Masons took full advantage of a surprise defeat by leaders Didcot Conservative Club to close in at the top of the Oxford Summer League Group A table. Didcot went down 4-2 at home to Vikings, with Masons hitting Berinsfield for six to move just

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COMMONWEALTH GAMES: Didcot duo are out to make big impression

How did you first get into your sport? Ben Watson: Through school actually. When I started at St Birinus, my form tutor was Philip Karlsson, who is the weightlifting coach at the school and he encouraged everyone in our form group to have a

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Villagers suffer ‘nightmare’ as roadworks start

THE first day of major roadworks along the A420 were described as a ‘nightmare’ by locals in Shrivenham yesterday. Oxfordshire County Council has closed the Shrivenham bypass for seven weeks meaning up to 20,000 extra vehicles will now pass through

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‘We’ll back you if there is more affordable housing’

THE church at the centre of the Jericho boatyard development in Oxford has said it will only support it if there is more affordable housing. St Barnabas Parochial Church Council has said it will support the proposals but demand the quota is met

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BOWLS: Seniors book places at nationals

SIX bowlers from Oxfordshire have qualified for the National Seniors Championships at Leamington next month. Oxford City & County’s Carol Gaskins and Carol Penson will compete in the women’s pairs competition. They beat Kidlington’s Eileen

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Bail in assault arrest

A man arrested on suspicion of assault near St Aldate’s police station has been released on bail. The 26-year-old has been released until August 7. He was arrested at the scene of a car crash near Folly Bridge, which closed the road for 30

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Man denies inciting girl, 15, into sexual activity

A 25-YEAR-OLD has gone on trial accused of inciting a teenage girl to engage in sexual activity after they met playing Xbox games online. Martyn Johnson, from Spalding in Licolnshire, denies committing the offence between January 1 and March 24

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‘Appalling’ domestic abuse statistics

NEARLY 7,000 Oxfordshire children were caught up in domestic abuse incidents last year, figures show. Numbers supplied in a new report also reveal that 1,916 children across Oxfordshire were subject to two or more incidents in the 2013/14 year.

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AMERICAN FOOTBALL: Saints back in groove with super home win

Oxford Saints got back to winning ways with a 39-16 home victory over Sandwell Steelers in the National Central Division. Having lost three games on the bounce, Saints produced a fine display. They opened the scoring when Michael Oluwole smashed

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ATHLETICS: Results round-up

(senior men unless stated) HORNTON CLASSIC 6 Top 10: 1 D Bruce (Highgate) 32.42, 2 J Bolton (Wds, V40) 33.10, 3 J Eve (Hed, V40) 35.07, 4 P Jegou (WHH, V40) 35.28, 5 G Petts (Wit) 35.38, 6 R Storey (Eyn, V40) 35.56, 7 B O’Connor (Wds, V40)

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Final day of judging for floral contest

PROUD gardeners have been pruning, watering and weeding ahead of this week’s Oxford in Bloom competition judging. This week has seen the final days of judging for the floral contest, where gardens, flower boxes, schools and roundabouts have come

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ICE HOCKEY: Dax is back as trio sign for Stars

Oxford City Stars’ squad for the new season continues to take shape with the return of Dax Hedges, an energetic young forward from the city. The 24-year-old took a year out of the game to travel, but is now back in the UK and will be looking to