Archive

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POLL: Which Oxford United signing impressed the most against Wolves?

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Couple dropped total of 12 stone before their wedding

Every bride dreams of dropping a few pounds for her wedding day. But when 18-stone Lauren McLelland pledged to lose the pounds, she was given extra incentive by dieting fiancé Stewart. The 23-stone financial software developer joined in her

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Charity car rally from Witney to France in £120,000 bonanza

A CAR rally from Witney to its French twin town Le Touquet raised £120,000 for charity, organisers have confirmed. The Twin Town Challenge saw 50 teams drive the route in cars worth £500 or less to raise money for Charlbury-based organisation SpecialEffect

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Roundabout looks blooming lovely, says town councillor

WALLINGFORD town councillor Ros Lester has said Wallingford’s model castle in a roundabout is looking blooming wonderful despite some naysayers. Some said they thought the 6ft replica tower of the town’s St Mary’s Church at St Leonard's Square

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Drainage scheme may end misery of flooding in Rose Hill

WORK has started on a drainage scheme in Rose Hill that residents hope will finally bring an end to over 15 years of flooding. Houses in Courtland Road have been blighted by water running down from Rose Hill playing field after heavy rainfall,

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Oxford United fall to Clarke strike

Oxford United 0 Wolverhampton Wanderers 1 (Clarke 28) Oxford United suffered their first setback of pre-season as Leon Clarke's strike gave Wolverhampton Wanderers a narrow victory at the Kassam Stadium. The experienced striker fired

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UPDATE: Missing man with tuberculosis found in Oxford

MISSING man David Goodwin has been found, police have said this morning. Last night police appealed for help to find the 49-year-old man after he went missing following a visit to the John Radcliffe Hospital. Police had warned the public not to

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Van overturns in Jack Straw's Lane, Oxford

A van has overturned in Marston, Oxford tonight, according to eyewitnesses. Warehouse worker Simon Bray 32, of Croft Road, Oxford, said he was walking home when he saw the aftermath of the crash in Jack Straw’s Lane. He said: "It looks like

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Oxford Utd v Wolves - updates

7:08pm Tweets by @OxfordMailOUFC 7:08pm

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Barton residents consider forming parish council

BARTON residents are hoping to create a parish council to help bring the community together. The estate’s community association is planning to start talks with Oxford City Council about setting up the new body. And they think it will help bring

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Graffiti clean up costs may hit other services

A COUNCILLOR has warned the cost of cleaning graffiti that has blighted neighbourhoods could deprive cash-strapped services of funds. Oxford city councillor for Headington, Altaf Khan, spoke out after a reported surge in vandalised utility boxes

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Student hostel plan worry for residents

A BID to turn a health centre into student accommodation has sparked fears that Oxford colleges are taking over the suburbs of north Oxford. University College has applied to change the use of the North Oxford Medical Centre, which shut last November

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Music festival offers mix of styles to crowds at the pub

HUNDREDS of residents flocked to Drayton for the village’s fifth annual music festival. The Drayton Pub Music Festival was held at the village’s Red Lion pub, in Abingdon Road, on Saturday. The family-friendly festival hosted emerging talent

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American sounds ring out in garden

CHILDREN and adults danced to American music at a mini festival in an Oxford pub garden. About 550 people attended the Halfway to Seventy-Five festival at the Isis Farmhouse pub, Iffley Lock, on Saturday. It featured local bands, including

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Cars are the stars as giants roll into palace

THE A-Team’s iconic van was at Blenheim Palace in Woodstock on Sunday as part of a feast of classic American vehicles. More than 400 cars, motorbikes, military vehicles and vans, built in the United States as far back as the 1920s, visited the

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Memorial football match raises £2,600 for charity

MORE than £2,600 was raised at a memorial event for a Wallingford football stalwart. The annual Charlie Allum Memorial Tournament was held at the Hithercroft sports park on Saturday and attracted 85 footballers. Charlie Allum Mr Allum

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Three women charged in connection with Blackbird Leys collision

THREE women have been charged in connection with a collision in Blackbird Leys Road, Oxford, on Sunday morning. Thames Valley Police said Monica Thomas, 25, of Salesian Gardens has been charged with attempted murder and Vera Webster, 50, of Greenfinch

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Roadworks: Delays on the A34 northbound and southern bypass

TRAFFIC queues are building up on the A34 and southern bypass this evening. Delays on the A34 northbound stretch down almost to Radley while southbound it's almost at the Botley Interchange.  Traffic is also building up on the southern bypass

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Look at the difference 15 seconds can make...

DIDCOT is adjusting to a new skyline after Sunday’s demolition brought three iconic cooling towers of Didcot A crashing to the ground in just 15 seconds. Both long-term residents and newcomers to the town have said they are finding the gap in the

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COMMONWEALTH GAMES: Shooter Rivers strikes gold

DIDCOT shooter Dan Rivers has won a gold medal at Glasgow 2014 this afternoon. The 23-year-old Wantage Target Shooting Club member clinched victory in the 50m rifle three positions competition at Carnoustie. Rivers shot a Commonwealth Games

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Test United blog

4:08pm this is now a test extra bit 4:07pm Tweets by @OxfordMailOUFC

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Villagers unite in battle to keep the developers at bay

VILLAGERS have teamed up to declare “hands off Hanborough” and fight housing plans which would increase the population of their West Oxfordshire community by 50 per cent. Consultations are under way for plans to build 362 homes on land between

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Baby escapes crash on M40 unharmed thanks to car seat

A BABY survived a crash on the M40 yesterday thanks to his car seat, say fire officials. The one-year-old boy was rescued by a male adult passenger from the car, which flipped over. The baby escaped without a single injury. The accident

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Death of more than 4,000 fish in Didcot linked to cleaning chemical

THE death of more than 4,000 fish in a Didcot stream has been linked to some kind of cleaning chemical or detergent. The Environment Agency (EA) is now investigating the source of the pollution in Moor Ditch, north of the Ladygrove estate.

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Tuesday’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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This teenage ballerina is dancing her way to top

A TEENAGER with childhood dreams of becoming a prima ballerina beat more than 250 other dancers to pirouette into a sparkling role in audiences’ favourite The Nutcracker. Emma Goudge, 15, delighted theatre-goers as a Sugar Flower in the English

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UPDATE: Woman cut free from vehicle following collision on A44 near Wootton

FIRE crews cut a woman free from a car today following a collision between two vehicles on the A44, near Wootton. Hydraulic equipment was used to release her from the vehicle and she was put in the care of ambulance crews, a spokesman for Oxfordshire

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Man is jailed for five years for ‘destructive’ Christmas Day rape

A 20-YEAR-OLD man has been jailed for five years and six months for rape at Oxford Crown Court. Jamie Williams, of Chaffinch Walk, Greater Leys, Oxford, denied forcing a woman to perform a sex act on him. But on Monday, after a three-day trial

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Please express your views over car park

I am writing concerning Old Marston car park. I would like to remind everyone in and around Old Marston about the forthcoming meeting regarding the local transport and parking issues and problems. This is to take place in Mortimer Hall tonight

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Children must be made aware of past sacrifices

IN response to Sally Reynolds’ letter, (July 7) I suggest that she gets her ‘rose-coloured’ glasses checked as she appears to have misread what I was advocating in my original letter. My point was that children should be aware that sometimes sacrifices

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A western relief road could help avoid jams

Should we thank those who caused the recent ‘fatberg’ beneath Frideswide Square, and Thames Water for their recent excavations that closed George Street? They have provided valuable, real-time evidence of what we can expect if George Street is

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Should we not see if roundabouts work first before there are changes?

Current plans to reduce traffic congestion in preparation for Northern Gateway seem focused on installing traffic lights on the Cutteslowe and Wolvercote roundabouts. These “improvements” are based on the county’s premise that this will result

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Many positives over donating your organs

WE live in a wonderful age but every day folk die for want of a transplant and at the same time organs are burnt or buried. So why not have a donor system and carry a card if you wish to donate. Corneas, hearts, lungs and liver, kidneys, bone marrow

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Double standards at work in political world

CAMERON threatens Putin, but not a word to Netanyahu. BRIAN AXE Mallards Way Bicester   Do you want alerts delivered straight to your phone via our WhatsApp service? Text NEWS or SPORT or NEWS AND SPORT, depending on which

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The serenity of my summer is shattered

TO clarify my letter of July 10, since 2006 a total of six Labour councillors have stood down prematurely, thereby causing costly by-elections. Four have done so in just the past three years. Now I learn that a seventh Labourite (Laurence Baxter

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Welcome to the second last bookshop

AN OXFORD independent bookshop is branching out by going back to its roots. A new branch of The Last Bookshop is set to reopen today in Jericho, just yards from the store’s first site on Walton Street. Owners Jake Pumphrey and Nick Walsh also

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10.30am Update: The traffic on the A34 is easing after this morning's problems

THE route between Abingdon and Oxford on the A34 is now clear, following heavy congestion this morning. Queues of vehicles stretched back as far south as the edge of North Abingdon this morning, on the third day of the contraflow system between

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Learns lessons from divided community

IN 1997 when Tony Blair, pictured, and the Labour Party came to power and gave devolution to Scotland, we were told at the time that this would not lead to separatism. Now a referendum is to be held as to whether Scotland should leave the union

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Let’s hope that this passion for cycling remains

I was happy to read over the weekend that a poll by Sustrans has found that more than a quarter of Britons have been inspired by Le Tour De France to try cycling or to cycle more often. It is either a milestone in cycling history for the UK or the

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Finding right formula to become motorsport record breakers

George Simmons, captain of the Oxford Brookes University motor racing team, reflects on their success in the 2014 Formula Student UK competition  FORMULA Student is Europe’s most established educational motorsport competition, organised by The

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Plough’s punch does for Bunch

ALTHOUGH last Thursday marked only the mid-point of the season, it’s a fair bet that the Ploughman’s Bunch! (Wolvercote) are not going to successfully defend the Premiership title they won last summer. Their latest defeat, against arch-rivals and

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11am update: Thames Water says bad smell across Oxfordshire is not from sewage + Map of pong reports

A STRANGE smell across Oxford was last night and this morning reported by residents. The warm weather caused many to open windows last night, only to be greeted by what one Twitter user described “a stench of raw sewage.” A spokeswoman for 

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Skate park upgrade nearing reality

A SKATE park in Greater Leys is set to get new equipment by the end of the summer, officials have said. The skate park in Fry’s Hill Park should have its long-awaited additions installed in September, Oxford City Council says. In 2009 the estate

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Man and teenager charged in connection with church theft

A MAN and a teenage boy have been charged after lead was stolen from the St John The Baptist Church in Abingdon Road, Kingston Bagpuize.  Mark Hendron, 26, of Twyford Close, Swindon, and a 17-year-old, who cannot be named for legal reasons, were

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Rape charges dropped

A man accused of raping a 15-year-old girl has had the charges against him dropped. Perry Griffith, of Newland, Witney, was due to appear in Oxford Crown Court for a trial yesterday, but the Crown Prosecution Service has now discontinued his case

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New chief for Oxfordshire health group

Healthwatch Oxfordshire has announced Rachel Coney as its new chief executive officer. She joins the group after nine years spent in the NHS, including at the Oxfordshire Clinical Commissioning Group. Ms Coney has also worked at NHS England

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North Hinksey pub closes to carry out repairs to ceiling

A pub shut its doors early last night after one of its ceilings collapsed. The Fishes, off North Hinksey Lane, said it would close from 7.30pm to carry out repair work on its interior. In a reference to the hit song Dancing on the Ceiling,

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Riley signing is worth the risk - Oxford United boss

Signing Joe Riley for Oxford United was a “no-brainer” according to head coach Michael Appleton, despite the full back’s injury record. The 22-year-old agreed a six-month loan from Bolton Wanderers yesterday and is in line to make his debut against

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Yarns invite new tales about Oxford's patron saint

THE legend of St Frideswide is 1,400 years old but at Christ Church Cathedral a new yarn has been spun about Oxford’s patron saint. Textile artist Rachel Williamson, 44, has created an exhibition of hand-dyed yarns that stretch from St Frideswide

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You’d better get used to it: Motorists to face months of delays

MORE than 60,000 motorists may face three months of misery, after roundabout schemes entered their latest phase. Commuters yesterday faced queues stretching nine miles from Oxford as far south as Milton on the A34, as cars sat gridlocked during

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Tuesday, July 29

8:28pm Man with contagious disease goes missing in Oxford 7:16pm A van has overturned in Jack Straw's Lane, Oxford, this evening 

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Double killer ‘kept herself hidden’ from law

THE sister of two children killed in a house fire said one of their killers, Fiaz Munshi, deliberately kept herself hidden from justice. Fiaz Munshi was on Friday sentenced to 13 years in prison by Mr Justice Robin Spencer at Oxford Crown Court

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Comment: CPS must shed its Keystone Cops image

FIVE months ago promises were made that the failings of our local Crown Prosecution Service would be tackled. An inspection report showed it was one of the worst performing areas of the country but, as is so often the way with bungling public authorities

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CCTV blunder leads to graffiti trial’s collapse

A CONVICTED vandal accused of graffiti damage worth £4,000 has walked free from court, after prosecutors failed to produce evidence against him. Charlie Silver was due to face trial at Oxford Magistrates’ Court yesterday accused of spray-painting

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COMMONWEALTH GAMES: July 29 live action

10:40pm That's all for tonight. It has been a day of highs and lows for Oxfordshire competitors at Glasgow 2014. Congratulations to Dan Rivers on his shooting gold, but commiserations to Lawrence Clarke and Hannah England

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ICE HOCKEY: Long-serving Cox moves on from Oxford City Stars

OXFORD City Stars have parted company with veteran Andy Cox ahead of the new season. The 32-year-old, who joined for the club in 2001, played a big part in their championship-winning teams in the last two seasons. But he will not be in the

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Titterrell in Wasps role

Andy Titterrell, who retired from playing professionally at London Welsh in January due to injury, has joined Wasps’ strength and conditioning team on a three-day-a-week contract.

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COMMONWEALTH GAMES: Hooker's happy Hampden memories

Daniel Hooker said he may retire after finishing seventh in the T37 100m final. The 22-year-old Oxford University graduate was blown away by the atmosphere at Hampden Park and admitted it was probably a good way to bow out. England’s Hooker

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COMMONWEALTH GAMES: Buoyant England elated at securing spot in final

Hannah England was delighted to qualify automatically for tonight’s 1500m final after only scraping through in past championships. The 27-year-old Oxford athlete finished fourth in a surprisingly fast heat to set up a medal chance at Hampden Park

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Appleton hungry for Wolves test

Michael Appleton is hoping Oxford United can continue their pre-season progress as Wolverhampton Wanderers visit the Kassam Stadium tonight (7.45). The U’s have won five games out of five so far and were impressive as they beat Fulham’s development

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Fundraiser for Liberty Baker memorial

Oxfordshire West Food Bank used its first community cafe event yesterday to raise money for the Liberty Baker memorial fund. The cafe, which was held in the pavilion on the Leys, in Witney, will run on the last Monday of every month. Founder

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Men to be sentenced over insurance claims

Three men who organised car crashes to scam insurance money will be sentenced next month. The conmen were last month convicted at Reading Crown Court of conspiracy to commit section two fraud and conspiracy to drive dangerously. The charges

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Man cleared of abuse wins complaints against council

AN ABINGDON man cleared of 20 sexual abuse charges has had a series of complaints about his treatment by social services upheld. Paul Townsend, 29, was charged with 13 counts of sexual activity with a child, three of sexual assault and four of

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New baker’s hope for self-raising dough

ONE fledgling business is hoping to be able to afford the rent in Oxford’s Covered Market by appealing for funding from people on the Internet. Barefoot Kitchen, a one-woman bakery, is trying to get a unit in the market and its owner, Emily Jones

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Tiddington boys are heaving with talent

TUG-of-war is a serious business for these eight residents of Tiddington near Thame. They are preparing for their annual battle against the residents of nearby Buckinghamshire village Ickford. Daniel Brownsill, 33, captain of the Oxfordshire

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GOLF: Eagle helps Mason set new Tadmarton Heath record

CARL Mason warmed up for the Senior Open Championship in style – by breaking the Tadmarton Heath course record. The Adderbury-based golfer is a member at the course and claimed six birdies and an eagle on the par four sixth during a pro-am.

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FOOTBALL: Low's highlight in vain as Oxford United Women pipped by Watford

A STRONG second-half display went unrewarded for Oxford United Women, who lost 2-1 at home to Watford in Division 2. The visitors exploited defensive mistakes to go in at the break 2-0 ahead at Northcourt Road, Abingdon. Laura Low’s effort

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Cropredy has sold out

TICKETS for this year’s Fairport's Cropredy Convention sold out 10 days before the gates open on August 7. Festival organisers are now warning fans not to turn up on the day on the off-chance of picking up a ticket. Director Gareth Williams

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Toby to add his grace to Game of Thrones cast

An OXFORD actor will grace television screens as the new face of a hit American fantasy drama. Toby Sebastian was unveiled as one of nine new additions to the Game of Thrones cast at San Diego’s Comic-Con event on Friday. The 22-year-old will

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Police bail man during Duke Street brothel investigation

A 40-YEAR-old man arrested on suspicion of running a brothel in Oxford has been released on bail by detectives. The man was arrested last Wednesday after police were called to Duke Street, off Botley Road, and searched a property. The suspect

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GOLF: Barber crowned as City's champion

IAN Barber is the new Oxford City club champion after triumphing in a revamped format. Previously played over one day, the 36-hole competition was spread over two days, meaning the leaders after 18 holes were the last to tee off in the second round

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Now online shopping’s in store at Oxford's oldest shop

OXFORD’S oldest shop is embracing the internet age and creating an online store for the first time in its 276-year history. Today Boswell’s of Oxford will launch its first online shop, allowing customers from all over the world to browse its historic

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Rodents live the high life in Mouse Town down on Fairytale Farm

RODENTS are living it up in a model village complete with church and jail. Fairytale Farm on the A44 near Chipping Norton opened Mouse Town in a former stable building on Saturday for a second year. The miniature rural English village will

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New parking zone is finally ready to start in Cutteslowe

COUNCIL officers have confirmed that a residents-only parking zone in Oxford will finally be introduced next month. Plans for a controlled parking zone (CPZ) in Cutteslowe were approved in February but since then Oxfordshire County Council has

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COMMONWEALTH GAMES: Clarke sets sights on hurdling glory

Oxfordshire hurdler Lawrence Clarke is also going for a medal today. The 24-year-old, from Christmas Common, has his 110m hurdles heat at 11.01am. He needs to finish in the top two or be one of two fastest losers across three heats to make

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Comment: NHS must explain its funding decision

IT IS scandalous that the NHS is refusing to answer why vital cash is being denied to the people of Oxfordshire. Vital services provided over the winter, well-known as being the most demanding period for the health service, could be under threat

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RUGBY LEAGUE: Sound of Thunder proves too much for Oxford

OXFORD RL remain second from bottom in the table after going down 48-28 to Gateshead Thunder at Gateshead International Stadium on Sunday. The win – their third over Oxford this season – moved Gateshead up to fifth. The home faithful were given

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Case is postponed

A woman who admitted kicking someone in the head had her sentencing adjourned again because she is in hospital. Joanne Moriarty, of Hart Street, Oxford, was due to be sentenced yesterday at Oxford Crown Court but was unable to attend the hearing

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Money to ease pressures on county's hospitals is cut by two thirds

EXTRA cash to ease pressure on the county’s NHS and social services over the coming winter is to be slashed by almost two-thirds. NHS England gave £10.2m to Oxfordshire’s NHS authorities and Oxfordshire County Council to deal with the seasonal

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GOLF: Club results

SHAW GIBBS OXFORDSHIRE FOURSOMES LEAGUE Section 1 Frilford Heath 1½ (2pts), Feldon Valley 1½ (2) (Frilford scores first): P Clements & J Payne bt N Suckling & B Grazebrook 1 hole, C Little & O Huggins halved with R Brown & W

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Man cleared over teenage sex charges

A 25-YEAR-OLD has been cleared of inciting a teenage girl to engage in sexual activity after they met playing Xbox games online. Martyn Johnson, from Spalding in Lincolnshire, was yesterday found not guilty of the offence by a jury after a four-day

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Three women arrested after man hit by car

THREE women have been arrested after a man was knocked down by a car on Sunday in Oxford. The Oxford residents, aged 50, 26 and 25, were arrested in connection with the incident in Blackbird Leys and were last night in police custody. A 45-

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Hot weather clue as hundreds of fish die in Didcot brook

RECENT hot weather could be to blame for the death of hundreds of fish in a Didcot stream. Environment Agency (EA) staff said up to 400 fish were thought to have died in Moor Ditch, north of the Ladygrove estate. Technical specialist Andy Killingbeck

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Stair fall kills man

A 79-YEAR-old Abingdon man died after falling down the stairs at his Appleford Drive home. Retired electrical engineer Leonard VIncent was found by his wife Molly, a retired pharmacy technician, on Monday, July 21. He was taken by ambulance

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Heart charity’s county shops raise £450k in year

A HEART charity’s shops have raised more than £450,000 across Oxfordshire in the past year. The British Heart Foundation (BHF) will use the money to fund life-saving research into heart disease. It said it has so far funded 124 defibrillators

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Closing time for cafe after 53 years of froth and stir

FOR 53 years Andreas Kuomi has been serving the people of Oxford everything from English breakfasts to his trademark Greek coffee. But this week he will close the doors of The Excelsior, Cowley Road, for the last time after finally deciding to

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Hot-desking to help residents work at home

People working from home in Wantage and Grove can now take advantage of a communal computer in the town centre. The Mix community shop in Mill Street, Wantage, is hosting hot-desking facilities from this month. The station is available on Mondays

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Get advice on paying for care

AN awareness meeting about paying for care will take place in Freeland tomorrow. Freeland House, in Wroslyn Road, will host the event. The event is being run in partnership with not-for-profit company Paying for Care between 6pm and 7pm.

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Football club scores another community award

WANTAGE Town Football Club has won the Football Association’s highest community standard mark for a fifth year in a row. It is one of only 16 clubs in Oxfordshire to receive the award, recognising the club as safe, sustainable and delivering quality

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Birthday girl to give up her hair as a gift for ill children

MANY young girls look forward to being treated on their birthday with presents, a nice meal out, or even a fancy new hairdo. But Shannon Timms, from North Leigh, near Witney, will spend her 12th birthday celebrations this weekend watching her long