Oxford Mail

On this day:

• Long wait over as Starbucks eyes up town

  STARBUCKS looks set to finally open in Witney after years of uncertainty over whether the coffee chain will come to the town. read more

• A force for good in the aftermath of typhoon

  OXFORD-BASED international aid charity Oxfam has led the campaign which has seen £5m donated for survivors of the devastating tropical storm. read more

• Freezing energy prices: Is it a good move or a Labour Party gimmick?

  Freezing energy prices read more

• HORSE RACING: Longsdon and Fehily double up again

  CHIPPING Norton trainer Charlie Longsdon continued his rich vein of form with another double at Leicester today. read more

• The day I missed the chance to meet Nelson Mandela

  Michael Duberry tells how sickness ruined the chance of a lifetime read more

• ‘Hall should honour Betjeman’

  WANTAGE Civic Hall should be renamed The John Betjeman Centre, says a local arts promoter. read more

• A £500k insulation project will make city homes green

  ABOUT 120 council homes in Oxford are to be made more energy efficient under a £500,000 scheme. read more

• Mum’s the word on book relaunch

  MIENEKE Cox’s first volume of The Story of Abingdon almost became history itself. read more

• Accident causes delays on Botley Road in Oxford

  A TRAFFIC accident is causing delays on the Botley Road. read more

• How to survive Christmas when relationships fail

  Legal expert Ruth Hawkins looks at the strain Christmas can put on fractured relationships read more

• What message does this give to residents?

  I WAS unable to attend the Carers conference at Unipart house on Friday, but a friend did. read more

• Lorry breakdowns and crashes are causing huge congestion on roads

  IN my letter concerning the A34 which was published on December 3 I should have said: ‘Ban lorries from overtaking from the M4 junction to the Milton interchange’ and not the M40. read more

• Villagers fund heart attack lifelines

  VILLAGERS have raised £8,000 to buy four life-saving defibrillators for residents to come to the aid of heart attack victims. read more

• Council needs to spend money repairing roads

  I AM writing concerning the state of the London Road by the Green Road roundabout. I reported this last year and still nothing done. read more

• Wilder has proved his worth in recent times

  I THINK the time has now come to award Chris Wilder what he has earned and has deserved, that is a long-term commitment from OUFC towards him, a substantial new contract for the foreseeable future. read more

• I am quite happy to be subsided in this way

  I AM replying to the letter from Andreas Terson (Council housing tenants are not paying enough, December 9). read more

• Thank you to all who stopped to help us out

  ON the afternoon of December 4, my mum, sis and I were walking my aunt’s dog on Northway, by Northway shops, when all of a sudden this Rottweiler appeared out of nowhere and its eyes locked onto my aunt’s dog (who was happily walking by my mum and sis on a lead). read more

• Let this be the year we make ourselves heard on the railways

  STANDARDS are improving for disabled passengers on the railway network, but Gwyn Pedler says now it's time for action to ensure it's not a letdown. read more

• Williams hoping to extend loan at Oxford United

  RYAN Williams thinks he would be foolish to look elsewhere as Oxford United close in on a deal with Fulham to extend the winger’s loan until the end of the season. read more

• FOOTBALL: Hodgkins sees off Exiles

  DEVENNEY CUP read more

• FOOTBALL: Freeland making steady progress in survival stakes

  CLUB FOCUS read more

• FOOTBALL: Saints alive to rescue mission

  OXFORD MAIL YOUTH LEAGUE read more

• FOOTBALL: MacNamara sinks Banbury

  BANBURY United went down 2-1 away to Arlesey in the Calor League Premier Division. read more

• Price of a stable relationship

  THE plight of Nicci Saunders, who is being refused a bereavement award because she was not married to road accident victim Joe Wilkins, strikes right at the heart of what society views as a solid, unbreakable relationship. read more

• A difficult balancing act

  THE drip-drip-drip of controversial and landscape-changing energy projects is unlikely to stop any time soon. read more

• Family fears for backpacker son missing in Canada + Video

  A father has spoken of his anguish after his son went missing in Canada. read more

• Volunteers walk out at Sobell House shop

  A charity is looking into an incident where two volunteers walked out of a shop they were working at. read more

• Video performance is finger lickin’ good

  WHEN it came to acting in a TV advert seen by millions, Max Webb wasn’t chicken. read more

• Crash jams up bypass

  Drivers faced delays on the Oxford ring road after a crash on the eastern bypass yesterday. read more

• Controversial plans for former Ruskin building approved

  PLANS to demolish the former Jericho home of Ruskin College, keeping the Walton Street facade, were approved last night. read more

• Student inquest date

  An inquest into the death of a student found dead in a tent is scheduled to be formally opened and adjourned next week at Oxfordshire Coroner’s Court. read more

• Friends and colleagues pay tribute to scooter rider killed in A40 crash

  A YOUNG engineer and award-winning film-maker has been remembered as “full of life” after his death in an A40 crash. read more

• Free wi-fi ahead on trains

  Free WiFi internet access will be available on all high speed and sleeper First Great Western services by the end of next year, the firm has announced. read more

• Funeral date set for quarry accident victim

  The funeral of a villager who died at a quarry is to take place next week. read more

• FOOTBALL: Eagles are flying after four-timer from Joe

  OXFORD MAIL YOUTH LEAGUE read more

• FOOTBALL: Saxton sunk by Cooper and Doig

  CUP ROUND-UP read more

• FOOTBALL: Dazzler Dan stuns Northway

  CRITCHLEYS UTV LEAGUE read more

• FOOTBALL: Penalty-save hero Scott rescues point for Oxford City

  GOALKEEPER Mark Scott was Oxford City’s hero in their 1-1 draw at home to Workington in Skrill North last nightHT. read more

• Concerns grow for missing boy

  Police are worried about the health of a missing teenage boy thought to be in Oxford. read more

• Inquiry continues into Banbury cash and carry fire

  Firefighters are continuing to investigate the cause of a major fire at a cash and carry. read more

• Government puts £7m towards Harwell innovation hub

  A FORTY-THREE thousand square foot centre will be built at a county science, technology and business campus, a Government minister has announced. read more

• Partner of dead firefighter lays into bereavement law

  A MOTHER whose partner was killed in a road accident has called for a change in law to help unmarried couples. read more

• FOOTBALL: Oxford Mail Youth League tables

  Latest tables read more

• Trusts vie to run new Didcot academies

  A SHORTLIST has been drawn up of academy trusts to run the new schools in Didcot. read more

• YOUTH FOOTBALL: Bishop blasts four to blow Puritans away

  NATHAN Bishop hammered four goals to help Eynsham Youth beat Banbury United Puritans 8-2 in the Under 12 Knockout Cup quarter-finals of the Giles Sports Witney Youth League. read more

• Karting champ could be the next Lewis Hamilton

  NINE-year-old Connor Kearney could be the next Lewis Hamilton in the making. read more

• Cheney one of UK’s top schools for smashing the gender barrier

  A CITY school has been named one of England’s best for students taking subjects traditionally studied by young people of the opposite gender. read more

• Rail closure means commuters will have to take the bus

  THE rail link between Oxford and Bicester will close down after Valentine’s Day next year. read more