Archive

  • Growth town takes top spot

    BANBURY has been voted Britain's most prosperous town for business for the second year running. Banbury, which won last year, narrowly beat Eastleigh, Harrogate and Maidstone, which all tied for second place in a national survey. The M40 has been cited

  • Jail officer held in drugs probe

    A prison officer has been arrested in a swoop by police investigating drug smuggling, writes Karen Rosine. Undercover officers from Scotland Yard's anti-corruption squad arrested the man, in his 20s, at Bullingdon Prison at Arncott, near Bicester, on

  • Guard admits theft

    Security guard Kevin Hill was so drunk he could not remember stealing a present on Christmas morning from a neighbour, a court heard. The 31-year-old, of Craven Way, Didcot, walked through patio windows in Hillary Drive, Didcot, which Karen Gilfillan

  • Knightley knock gets Oxon off to flier

    OXFORDSHIRE romped to an easy six-wicket win over Huntingdonshire in their opening ECB 38 County Competition group game at Thame yesterday. Chasing the visitors' total of 140 all out, Oxon strolled to victory with 18 of their allotted 50 overs in hand

  • Consistent Colin rules at TheOxfordshire

    COLIN Montgomerie won the Benson and Hedges International Open in commanding style here yesterday and put his success down to a three-week break from golf. The Scotsman was in consistent form throughout the four days and took the title with a closing

  • He may be gone, but my Clive will live on

    At Clive Beaumont's funeral this week, the packed congregation in Sunningwell Church raised the roof with the hymn Fight the Good Fight. Clive, a former Army officer and Oxford graduate, was a fighter but he succumbed to pneumonia and died aged just 51

  • Peta died doing what she really loved

    One of the world's top showjumpers was killed after being thrown from her horse in a three-day cross-country competition, writes Paul Warner. Mother-of-two Peta Beckett, 33, of Manor Farm, Wigginton, near Banbury, was airlifted 50 miles to hospital with

  • Aunt Sally captain is found hung

    Keen Aunt Sally player Keith Webb has been found hanged. Mr Webb, who lived in Wheatley with his mother, was found hanging from a tree on the outskirts of the village by a passer-by. Brian Claridge, secretary of the Oxford and District Aunt Sally Association

  • Fall rider in lorry drama

    A woman thrown from her horse came within inches of being hit by a passing lorry, writes Stephen Deal. Clara Lovell was thrown from the animal as the first of two lorries drove past her on the narrow B4001 at Childrey, near Wantage, on Saturday lunchtime

  • Parents warned of child snatch fears

    Schools have been put on alert over a suspected child-snatcher. Thames Valley Police said all schools in west Oxford had been warned to look out for a man acting suspiciously. Earlier this month, a man made a grab for a 12-year-old Matthew Arnold School

  • Milestone for Simon

    Teachers have never really needed to call out Simon Smith's name for register at school, writes David Horne. The 15-year-old hasn't missed a day during his five years at secondary school. And he reckons that even at primary school he was always there

  • Get ready for the year 2000

    Celebrations for the Millennium will be launched officially tonight, writes Matt Childe. A special company, Oxfordshire 2000, has been set up to co-ordinate Millennium festivities in the county - backed by a £150,000 grant from the Millennium Commission

  • Ace Colin stays cool as rivals flounder

    THERE wasn't much excitement at the 18th hole of the Oxfordshire Golf Club as tournament favourite Colin Montgomerie duly collected the £133,000 prize for winning the Benson and Hedges International Open. But it was a great personal triumph for Monty,

  • Water way to splash out for charity

    A few deep breaths, a helping hand to push him into the water and Thames Valley presenter Bill Heine was off on a gruelling 111-mile Oxford to London swim, writes Karen Rosine. The BBC presenter, dressed in a 1932 Olympic swimming costume, joked: "I will