Archive
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Exhibition pulls no punches to honour war dead
FROM soldiers killed by poisonous gas to horses massacred in battle, a new exhibition is not intended to cover the horrors of war lightly. Tony Page, who spent two years putting it together, said he “pulled no punches” in illustrating the war in
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We’re in pink for fight against breast cancer
EVERY year 520 women in Oxfordshire are diagnosed with breast cancer and 115 will die from the disease. One in eight British women will develop the disease in their lifetime and between 350 and 400 men will also be diagnosed. Survival rates
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Sisters’ girl power pays off with triple black belts
THIS is one family you don’t want to mess with. The three Holliday sisters are punching well above their weight after being awarded black belts at the same time, despite the oldest being only 12. Witney’s Sinead, nine, Sionainne, 11, and Siobhan
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Army will apologise to paratrooper Tom Neathway after bullying claim at RAF Brize Norton upheld
THE Army has said it will apologise to a paratrooper who lost three limbs in Afghanistan after his complaint of bullying was upheld. Tom Neathway lost both his legs and an arm and made the complaint while working at RAF Brize Norton in 2011.
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Dream bet on my old clubs failed to deliver
MICHAEL DUBERRY COLUMN On Saturday morning I woke up and decided I would have a little flutter on a football coupon. It would just be made up of all my old teams – Chelsea, Stoke, Reading, Leeds, Bournemouth, Wycombe, Oxford United and St Johnstone
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Brolly good idea pinpoints proposed solar panels
UMBRELLAS mimicked solar panels in an experiment to assess how a new eco-project would affect the landscape near Charlbury. More than 100 residents took their brollies on Saturday to the 30-acre site of a proposed £5m solar farm at the Cornbury
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Town team is praised after new shops fill empty units
MOST empty shops in Wantage have been filled, with businesses praising Government cash support. Of 23 vacant shops in March 2013, only three have yet to be occupied – and one of these did not exist at the time. Business owners and residents
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Wood carvers get into the groove at Pitt Rivers Museum
THIS beautiful box has been hand-carved by Haida brothers Gwaai and Jaalen Edenshaw over the past four weeks at Oxford’s Pitt Rivers Museum. It is an exact replica of one already in the museum’s collection, known as the Great Box, carved in the
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Security camera footage released as police investigate Banbury abuse incident
A man verbally abused staff at Banbury railway station. The incident, which occurred at about 4.40pm on Sunday September 14, involved a male passenger acting in an aggressive and threatening manner towards members of staff. British Transport
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Author proves a popular visitor
CHILDREN’S author Megan Rix opened children’s eyes to the world of assistance dogs during a school visit. She attended Chandlings School in Bagley Wood and Thomas Reade School, Abingdon, on Monday to talk about her new book The Hero Pup. The
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Pupils’ writing is among fun renditions for National Poetry Day
POETS will be popping up across Oxford to dazzle listeners with their renditions of rhythm and rhyme. Pop-up readings organised by Oxford Brookes University’s Poetry Centre have been timed tomorrow to coincide with National Poetry Day. About
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Rocking in aid of mentally ill
BANDS will take to the stage to drum up support for young people suffering from mental health problems at an all-day music festival in Oxford on Saturday. The Isis Farmhouse at Iffley Lock will host the We Love Highfield festival, which will raise
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WATCH: London Welsh v Gloucester rugby highlights
Here are the official Aviva Premiership highlights from London Welsh v Gloucester at the Kassam Stadium. Welsh went down 46-10, despite trailing just 15-10 on the hour mark.
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Witney job centre cordoned off after suspicious package scare
A job centre was cordoned off after reports of a suspicious package. Police were called to the Witney Job Centre in Rivers Lane Industrial Estate at about 9.20am. Officers arrived and cordoned off part of the street but the package was subsequently
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Thank you to all who helped us at market
I would like to please take the opportunity to thank all those people who kindly assisted me, when my wife had a fit, just outside the Covered Market, off Market Street, last Tuesday. As I am sure your readers will understand, the whole thing was
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Nowhere to sit at bus shelters at roundabout
I am a pensioner aged 92. I am always most grateful for the bus pass facilities granted to us old and infirm pensioners at local bus stops. The bus passengers who use the more modern bus shelters which have helpful seating and bus time arrival
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We have a plan to get country back on its feet
The contrast between Labour and Tory could not be greater. While Labour is determined to look after ordinary working people, the Conservatives look after a privileged few. No wonder Labour has won three by-elections in Oxford one after the other
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Rules were there to be obeyed in the 1950s
I am writing concerning the fuss about girls wearing trousers. I attended Cheney School from 1954 to 1957, and even on Saturdays if in the city centre shopping with parents, we had to wear our school caps. At almost 17 years of age and 6ft tall
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These ‘sexy’ trousers are just not right for school
OVER and above the uniform rules at any particular establishment, when they come into force or how or whether notification occurred, what kind of parents or guardians send children, barely in their teens, if that, off to school in tight-fitting “Miss
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Was cost the reason for the lack on an exit poll?
CONGRATULATIONS to the canny – if that is not too “racist” – Scots on opting to remain in the UK. As those in favour of secession put up a brave fight and, in the final week, the wind up their adversaries, perhaps we should grant, as a consolation
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Attitude typical of not in my back yard brigade
I had to smile over R W Tucker’s assertion that Woodstock residents, who object to 1,500 new houses that would swamp services and cause congestion, are Nimbys, on September 24. He himself has no objection to these proposed dwellings in Woodstock
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Wetland meadow needs to be protected from development
I am dismayed that the new version of Cherwell’s Local Plan offers up Gavray Meadows for housing. Despite a robust local campaign, a 1,500 signature petition and the support of national bodies like CPRE (Campaign for the Protection of Rural England
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Two road closures next week on A34 and in Oxford
PARTS of the A34 and Walton Street will be closed next week as roadworks are carried out. The A34 will be closed northbound between Hinksey Hill and the Peatree Interchange from 10pm until 6am on October 6 and 7 due to safety repairs. The same
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Jenny Eclair plays it for laughs, headlining an Older People’s Day
COMEDIENNE Jenny Eclair will headline a day of celebrating older people. She will perform her show, Elcairious, at the Old Fire Station, George Street, at 7.30pm tomorrow night, following a day of free events at Oxford Town Hall. Both events
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Goodbye cruel app. It is time for me to press reset
Sometimes I get complimented on the candid nature of my column, what might seem candid to you the reader is often just normal to me. But on this occasion I am delving into territory that I find quite personal – the issue of declaring disability, dating
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Should employers be more relaxed about tattoos?
While I don’t know anybody who may have been refused a job or fired from one because of their body art, I am sure it does go on, says Oxford tattoo artist Andreas Moore. Employers are well within their rights to turn somebody down for a job and
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Hungry Horse jockeys for position at shopping area
A NEW Hungry Horse pub at Templars Shopping Park in Cowley would create up to 60 jobs. If it gets planning permission, the eatery will open in the vacant unit next to Costa Coffee in Between Towns Road. Park manager Quadrant Estates has invited
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CRICKET: Paceman Brooks still harbours England ambition
JACK Brooks says he still dreams of an England cap after being drafted back into the Lions set-up. The 30-year-old Yorkshire pacemen, who hails from Tiddington, was at Loughborough yesterday for an England Performance Programme assessment with
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Major delays across Oxfordshire's roads
COMMUTERS travelling into Oxford this morning are facing heavy congestion and long delays for the second day running. Oxford Bus Company said their buses are facing delays of up to an hour on local services and Stagecoach Oxford said their services
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Thames Water under fire from residents who say they’ve been left in the dark
ANGRY residents flooded out of their homes say they are being left in the dark by Thames Water a week after disaster struck. Yesterday the water company held a drop-in session for Normandy Crescent residents left devastated after a water main burst
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One lane of Botley Road shut for emergency work
THAMES Water started emergency roadworks in Botley Road last night. The company began work on the eastbound carriageway near Binsey Lane at 9pm last night, closing the lane. Temporary traffic lights will be in place while the work is carried
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Thames Water must start to show residents it actually cares
THERE is an old saying – perhaps a little ironic in this case – that when you’re in a hole you should stop digging. Thames Water, it seems, has yet to grasp that old PR chestnut. Yesterday it invited residents whose homes have been devastated
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More child sex victims are being identified
HIGH-profile sex trafficking cases like Oxford’s Operation Bullfinch have led to more child victims being identified, the National Crime Agency (NCA) has said. Figures published yesterday revealed the potential number of human trafficking victims
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Sex with teen denied
A man has gone on trial accused of having sex with a 14-year-old girl. Paul Saunders, 22, of Horspath Road, Oxford, denies two counts of engaging in sexual activity with a child between July 29 and December 20 last year. He also denies possessing
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Bridge fall man is still critically ill in hospital
A man was last night still fighting for his life in hospital after falling from a bridge and colliding with a vehicle. The man fell from the Littlemore bridge, between Heyford Hill and the Sandford-on-Thames turn-off on to the southbound A4074
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WATCH: Right royal occasion as RAF hands on helicopters + video
PRINCE Andrew joined RAF personnel and Royal Navy staff as they paraded at RAF Benson yesterday to mark one of the base’s helicopter squadrons being officially disbanded. The former Royal Navy helicopter pilot visited the base near Wallingford
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Brothel sentence delay
Two women who admitted being involved in running a brothel had the date for their sentencing changed. Lisa York, 47, of Lakefield Road, Littlemore, Oxford, and Amy Gabriel, 29, of Holbeck Street, Anfield, Liverpool, pleaded guilty to keeping a
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RUGBY: Dark Blues make it three out of three
OXFORD University made it three wins from three this season with a 38-0 victory over Henley Hawks last night. In the Dark Blues’ first match on home turf after a successful tour to Russia, a fast start set the platform for a comfortable success
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Teenage girl a victim of ‘revenge pornography’
A 13-year-old girl is among the region’s victims of so-called “revenge pornography”. Figures from Thames Valley Police show there have been 60 cases of former partners posting indecent images of their exes online. The force recorded 15 crimes
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Just one more series for me says Lewis star
LEWIS star Kevin Whately has said he only wants to appear in one more series of the Oxford-based TV drama. The actor, 63, has been playing detective Robbie Lewis for nearly three decades, first with John Thaw in Inspector Morse. Now Lewis is
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Ultimate betrayal
THERE has been a rise in ‘revenge porn’ crimes, where disgruntled ex-partners post indecent images or video online. It is a particularly vile and vindictive crime as well as a betrayal of the most intimate of trust, and those caught should face
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SCHOOLS' FOOTBALL: Spruyt sets Vale up for high five
Vale of White Horse opened their ESFA Under 15 PlayStation Inter Association Trophy campaign with a 5-1 win over Cannock & District in the first round. James Spruyt’s 20-yard drive set Vale on the way at Milton United, before Tom Morris’s low
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FOOTBALL: Williams seals shock for Northway's nine men
Northway Res engineered an incredible Devenney Cup shock with just nine men as they won 2-1 at Critchleys UTV League Premier Division side AFC Valley, writes MATTHEW HARDY. The visitors were unable to field a full team and fell behind after ten
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FOOTBALL: Riverside duo see red after trading blows
Riverside finished with nine men after two players were sent off for fighting among themselves during their 2-2 draw at Freeland in the Oxfordshire Senior League Premier Division. Goals from Chris Williams and Delroy Thomas ensured they did at
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Burglary case put back
A 32-year-old man accused of burgling a home and stealing a BMW from the driveway had his case adjourned yesterday. Michael Sestanovich, of Purslane Drive, faces charges of aggravated vehicle taking, vehicle damage under £5,000, burglary and theft
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RACING: Candy signs off Master for season
Music Master, Wantage trainer Henry Candy’s star sprinter, misses the Qatar Prix de l’Abbaye at Longchamp on Sunday and will not run again this season. Winner of the Hackwood Stakes at Newbury and last seen finishing third to G Force in the Sprint
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RACING: Trouble has Case eyeing more glory on big stage
Success on the big stage has whet Ben Case’s appetite for more high-profile triumphs this season. Deep Trouble gave the trainer’s Edgcote stables, near Banbury, a landmark first overseas winner when storming to victory in the Setanta Sports Handicap
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FOOTBALL: Fairview hit back to draw
Struggling Wheatley Youth and Fairview each picked up their first point of the season as they played out a 2-2 draw in the Oxford City FA. The home side raced into a 2-0 lead thanks to goals from Chris Kent and Billy Newell, but two second-half
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Downton Abbey creator Julian Fellowes turns his cameras on wartime Blenheim Palace
THE creator of hit TV drama Downton Abbey has been investigating how the real-life stately home of Blenheim Palace coped with the First World War. Julian Fellowes visited Blenheim Palace in Woodstock to help make the ITV documentary Blenheim Palace
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Wednesday, October 1
4:13pm BREAKING NEWS: Army will apologise to paratrooper after bullying claim at RAF Brize Norton upheld %if(after3) %if(after7)
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FOOTBALL: Banbury move off bottom after bizarre dismissal
BANBURY United moved off the bottom of the Premier Division table with an impressive 2-0 victory over Cambridge City last night. Goals from Jacob Walcott (penalty) and Aidan Hawtin gave the Puritans a vital win. But the main talking point of
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Cheney School picks up anti-litter award for third time
CHENEY School has scooped an anti-litter award for the third time after beating all the other secondary schools in Oxford. The OxClean scheme, run by Oxford Civic Society, undertakes random spot checks of Oxford’s secondary schools each year before
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Update: Woodstock Road in Witney reopens after earlier building fire
WOODSTOCK Road in Witney has now reopened after the earlier building fire. The police and fire service were called to a derelict garage on fire between Early Road and Jubilee Way at 3.30am. Gas cylinders were found and the fire service said
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Widow Twankey laces her boots for panto dates
PANTO season may feel like a long way off, but for some the work has already started. Amateur dramatic group Travelling Light Productions, in Witney, is gearing up for its production of Aladdin in December. The group, set up earlier this year
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Judge Pringle is new Honorary Recorder
Judge Ian Pringle, has been confirmed as the new Honorary Recorder for Oxford. He was confirmed as the replacement for Judge Gordon Risius, who is retiring, at a full meeting of Oxford City Council on Monday. Judge Pringle has been appointed
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‘Piazza’ dream for city’s Gloucester Green area
GLOUCESTER Green in the centre of Oxford could soon be revamped into a “piazza”. The square’s new owner, NewRiver Retail, has put together plans which involve redeveloping the George Street cinema and removing the taxi rank. In a document seen
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YOUTH FOOTBALL: Florence Park and Hinksey share the spoils in thriller
Florence Park and Hinksey Park took a point apiece from a thrilling 4-4 draw in the Oxford Mail Under 14 C Youth League. Orlando Neli scored twice for hosts Florence Park with Owen Gilbert and Ciaran Rowbotham also netting. But their efforts
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FOOTBALL: Super Carterton move clear at top with rout
Carterton Town A opened up a two-point gap at the top of the Witney & District FA Premier Division after a 4-0 win over Hanborough. Phil Stannard, Mike Bolt, Jason Trinder and Mike Duerden netted for the home team. Hosts Chipping Norton
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Name change at pub
The Dukes Cut in Park End Street has undergone a facelift. Now called The Lighthouse, the pub is expected to open later this month after a refurbishment and a name change. The pub, run by the team behind the Cowley Retreat, in Cowley Road, has
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Hydro scheme restarts
Work has restarted on a long-awaited hydro-electric power scheme. The final phase of the £500,000 project to install a turbine at Osney Lock will see a powerhouse built on the site. The 11.5-tonne steel turbine screw was expected to be generating
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YOUTH FOOTBALL: Chambers at the double
Jacob Chambers scored twice in Highfield Juniors’ 4-1 win at Charlbury Town in the Giles Sports Witney Youth Under 12 Knockout Cup first-round. Chambers’ double was supplemented by the Charlbury goalkeeper nudging Sam Pearce’s long throw into the
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GIRLS FOOTBALL: Tower Hill have to sit it out
Tower Hill Ladies were left without a fixture after their scheduled Southern Regions Women's League Division 1 clash at home to Stony Stratford was called off on Sunday morning as the visitors were unable to field a side. Latest Sport news
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Roberts revels in Oxford United's comeback win over Swindon
JAMES Roberts admitted it was extra sweet to score a winner for Oxford United against rivals Swindon Town, even if it came in a behind-closed-doors game. The 18-year-old came off the bench to complete a comeback for the U’s, who came from two goals
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Man has broken jaw after attack near nightspot
A 28-YEAR-OLD suffered a broken jaw and fractured eye socket when he was assaulted outside a former lapdancing bar. The victim was attacked outside The Lodge – now a burlesque club – in Oxpens Road, Oxford, in the assault at about 4.30am yesterday
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MPs join call for Oxford to Bristol train service
MPs Ed Vaizey and Nicola Blackwood have joined a coalition of 10 MPs calling for a train service from Oxford to Bristol. They have written to the Secretary of State for Transport Patrick McLoughlin urging him to introduce the service and requesting
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Autumn colours in all their glory
HARCOURT Arboretum has begun to melt into a rich medley of autumnal shades. The Oxford University garden’s acer glade has already turned to a melting pot of deep reds, ambers and gold. Luke Rowland, one of two tree specialists at the arboretum
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Protesters hope 60-year-old covenant will thwart road access plan
NORTHWAY people are trying to use a 60-year-old covenant to stop land being turned into an access road for the new Barton Park estate. Yesterday an inquiry over whether to designate the land at Foxwell Drive as a town green – and therefore protect
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Parish councillor threatened with legal action
AN OXFORD parish councillor has been threatened with legal action after claiming that an lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender news website has its own “mafia”. Julia Gasper, who stood in May’s European elections for the English Democrats, made
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Coffee day stirs up interest
COFFEE shops across the city embraced International Coffee Day, a celebration of the much-loved beverage, with the focus very much on Fairtrade. Staff at Java & Co in George Street were among those to spread the message to their customers on
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Paramedic fears scapegoating over change to shorter shifts
A PARAMEDIC who claims he is being made a “scapegoat” over proposed shift changes has warned ambulance chiefs that shorter hours are not the answer to staff tiredness. Edward Miller has criticised South Central Ambulance Service (SCAS) plans to
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YOUTH FOOTBALL: Vass nets eight-timer as Launton hits goal trail
Petra Vass hit an incredible eight goals to help Launton to an 11-0 win at Kidlington Harriers in the Oxford Mail Girls Under 13 League. Ellie Merrimen put the visitors ahead from the penalty spot and Katie Templeman also scored, but it was Vass
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End in sight for traffic scheme
WORK to complete the first phase of transport improvements in Witney will begin next week. Ducklington Lane will be resurfaced over three weeks, starting on Monday. It is the final stage of a £2.5m Oxfordshire County Council scheme to build
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Estate agent’s name change ‘best option’
AN ESTATE agent who called for Oxfordshire businesses to reclaim the word Isis from the terrorist group has changed the name of his business. Summertown businessman Rowan Waller now runs Wallers of Oxford, which was previously known as Isis Estate
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Police parking poser leads to a ‘bad neighbours’ jibe
PARKING problems in Kidlington caused by police will not be stopped by proposed restrictions, according to frustrated residents. Officers have been accused of being “bad neighbours” in a row over parking near Thames Valley Police’s headquarters
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Call to bowl along to keep this Leys club going
BOWLERS in Blackbird Leys urgently need more members to keep their clubhouse intact. The Oxford and District Indoor Bowls Club, on Sandy Lane West, has used the same building for 42 years, but the roof needs replacing. Yet with a dwindling
