Archive

  • Football: League to drop age groups

    The Elsevier League have dropped age groups. Instead, their 306 registered players will compete in Divisions 1 and 2. Thame came from 3-1 down to beat Florence Park 7-3 in Division 2. Goals from Jermaine Morris, Ben and Adam Smith appeared to put Park

  • Grand Prix: Nilsen eyes top boys as Johno bows out

    Oxford's swedish ace Jimmy Nilsen maintained his Grand Prix status despite a crash at Abensberg, Germany on Sunday. Brian Andersen also produced the goods, but there was no joy for skipper Steve Johnston, who was eliminated in the early stages on a very

  • Billiards: Democrats get lucky

    Democrats A are fortunate to still be in the Oxford League's Wilmer Cup after a 3-2 home win against South Oxford B in the first round, writes Pete Ewins. The opener saw Democrats' Phil Spencer on 8,350 (break 8,000), but South Oxford's Steve Huntley

  • Football: Hill back on track thanks to Beechers

    Morrells Oxford Sunday League Rose Hill bounced back to winning form in the Premier Division after two consecutive defeats with a 7-2 victory at Blackbird Leys Sunday, writes Geoff Bower Andy Beechers hit the goal trail once again, netting four with Wayne

  • Bowls: Les leads Chippy in money chase

    World No 6 Les Gillett spearheads Chipping Norton's bid for a new nationwide big-money Top Ten competition starting on Sunday. Gillett, who won five of his six singles matches in the United Kingdom's overwhelming 31-14 victory against the Rest of the

  • Golf: Marvel Morrant's champ

    Stuart Morrant is the new club champion at Waterstock after a gruelling three-round competition. Morrant, who is down to four handicap after playing the game for only two years, shot a three-round total of 223 four over par. Tom Baker, who also plays

  • Speedway: Quartet head for Czech assault

    Oxford mount a four-pronged attack on the prestigious Czech Golden Helmet meeting at Pardubice in the Czech Republic this weekend. Todd Wiltshire, Steve Johnston and the Dryml brothers, Ales and Lukas, will take on the world's best. Meanwhile, Wiltshire

  • Coping with blindness

    The original idea, to highlight World Sight Day, was to equip me with a guide dog and some blacked-out glasses and let me loose in Oxford, so that I could find out what it's like to be blind. But as Ellen Bassani pointed out, what people need is educating

  • Focus on antiques

    Two antique dealers from Witney will take part in The Cotswold Antique Dealers Association Exhibitions Fortnight from October 14 to 28, writes Sarah Parker. W. R. Harvey and Co will be mounting a display of cabinet making at its premises in Corn Street

  • Riders safer that's the catch

    A pioneering safety gate-catch is set to make life easier for horse riders, writes Tim Hughes. Leading trainers and Olympic riders gathered at an Oxfordshire farm to endorse the Equi-catch, which is designed to reduce injuries to horses and their owners

  • Red tape 'hits small firms'

    The smallest businesses in Oxfordshire are being hit hard by the soaring cost of red tape, according to a survey of business advisers, writes David Duffy. The study by the Institute of Chartered Accountants said the cost of putting new legislation into

  • Alleged victim 'on treadmill of lies'

    A man accused of raping a 21-year-old woman claimed she fondled him before consenting to sex, a court heard. Delroy Johns, 26, of Sandy Lane, Blackbird Leys, Oxford, told Oxford Crown Court yesterday (Wed) the alleged victim touched him intimately in

  • Former Mail man dies

    Stanley Fifield, who worked for the Oxford Mail for more than 50 years, has died aged 84. He joined the paper in 1931 as a copyholder in the readers' department, following in the steps of his father Frank, a senior printer at Newspaper House, then in

  • GPs help smokers to kick their habit

    Smokers will get special help to quit the habit from their GPs, writes Victoria Owen. A new scheme means people can have free nicotine replacement therapy (NRT) from doctors' surgeries. It has been launched in Oxfordshire by the county health authority

  • End of an era as Meals on Wheels stops

    The Meals on Wheels service used by 500 OAPs in Oxfordshire is being phased out. The service, which has been funded by the county council and provided by the Women's Royal Voluntary Service since the 1940s, will end on March 31. Social services bosses

  • Village fights nuclear dump plan

    Nuclear waste from Russia and Argentina could be stored in one of Oxfordshire's most beautiful villages. Under the controversial plan, the radioactive material - cobalt, caesium and iridium - would be sealed in steel rods, packed in lead-lined drums,

  • Follicle fun for funds

    Pupils are breaking the rules this week by having their hair dyed green. They will have the word Sibford stencilled on to the backs of their heads as part of a money-raising project. Sibford School, near Banbury, wants 2m to fund a new arts block and

  • Football: Hackett's a hero

    Chris Hackett came off the bench to score a last-gasp winner for Oxford United Res in their 1-0 victory over Cheltenham Res in the Avon Insurance Combination at Whaddon Road yesterday afternoon. Hackett ran on to a ball over the top of the Cheltenham

  • Football: B-Line Oxford Boys League

    Ashley Johnson led the way with a five-timer as Oxford United SC hammered Steventon 11-0 in Under 15 Section B. Daniel Blake grabbed a hat-trick, and Todd Neilson, Phil Gaskin and Jay Hill completed the scoring. In a cracking under 10 cup tie, Cumnor

  • Golf: Goodman takes pro-am

    Waterstock's head professional, Julian Goodman, has won a pro-am competititon. The best two scores on each competitor's home course counted towards this national tournament. Goodman won a hat, signed by Lee Westwood, plus the trophy and a voucher. Frilford

  • Speedway: No home comforts for 'fair' Cheetahs

    No less than 15 of Cheetahs' home meetings have gone down to the final heat this season, with the home side not always coming out on top. It has made for some exciting racing, but in the main, the opposition pair have been stronger in heats 13 and 15

  • Racing: Knight set for battle with all guns blazing

    With the arrival of autumn, thoughts turn to the National Hunt season and expectations are no higher than at Henrietta Knight's West Lockinge stables near Wantage, writes Russell Smith. Now in her 11th season of training, Knight believes she has the most

  • Barrymore is 'awight' for Union

    Telly favourite Michael Barrymore proved it was "awight" at the Oxford Union when he fielded questions from students. Fresh from his double success at the National TV Awards, Barrymore admitted beforehand: "I don't know what we're going to talk about

  • MP in row over new college

    Wantage MP Robert Jackson has accused opponents of trying to score party-political points over the future of education in the town. Mr Jackson denied charges by Liberal Democrats that he is "out of touch" after offering to help raise cash for a 'superschool

  • Car theft campaign welcomed

    The Chief Constable of Thames Valley Police welcomed the launch of a new Government campaign to cut car crime ahead of the force's own initiative. Charles Pollard said he hoped the nationwide campaign, which urges motorists to take simple steps to outsmart

  • Mum in 100mph dash speaks out

    When Julia Taylor-Evans was admitted to hospital, having gone into labour two months early with twins, she was terrified, writes Katherine MacAlister. Little did she imagine that she would be carried around the country, from Bath to Bristol to Newport

  • Seminars bookings go online

    Business Link Heart of England has launched a new section on its website devoted to forthcoming business-related seminars and workshops, writes David Duffy. The diary of events on the web has been expanded to include partner organisations, which means

  • Textbook website launched

    Bookshop Blackwell's has launched a new Internet website to sell textbooks to students. The group, based in Oxford, has invested 10m in the venture, Headfiller.com, including 1m on marketing for the launch. Headfiller offers discounts or up to 30 per

  • Pc had talked of suicide

    A depressed Oxford policeman jumped to his death from a multi-storey car park on the anniversary of his father's death, an inquest heard. Pc Vincent Ragan, 40, who had been off work with stress and was being treated for depression at the time of his death

  • BBC boss dating 'Raquel'

    BBC boss Peter Salmon is having a relationship with former Coronation Street actress Sarah Lancashire, it has emerged. Father-of-three Mr Salmon, 44, met Ms Lancashire, who played barmaid Raquel in the soap, several years ago when they both worked for

  • Shock as GM seed crops up

    A seed company could face prosecution after unauthorised genetically modified seed was found in crop trials in Oxfordshire. An inquiry was launched after seed company Aventis told the Department of the Environment that two small GM sugar beet trial sites

  • Group acts to save Old Gaol centre

    A doomed sports centre may have a new lease of life as a focal point for performing arts, writes Nick Evans. Arts group A Page Abingdon Performing Arts Group is lobbying to turn the town's Old Gaol into an arts centre. The Old Gaol is set to close in

  • Thanks but no thanks

    Cheltenham manager Steve Cotterill has again turned down the opportunity to join Oxford United, despite an improved offer from chairman Firoz Kassam. Cotterill turned down the first offer of the Manor Ground hot-seat when Kassam spoke to the 36-year-old