When the bell rings for the end of classes on Fridays the stampede for home gets under way -- but many children in Abingdon will be back the next day. Michael Rithcie, left, and Kieran Johnstone, of Carswell Primary School Easter and summer holidays are
Old-fashioned values have returned to Oxford's major hospitals with the introduction of modern matrons. Pictured in the new uniforms are, from left, Kate McArdle, Rebecca Turner, Rachel Jones and Judy Withers Head nurses proudly parading crisp new uniforms
Reigning British motocross sidecar champions Stuart Brown and Luke Peters were celebrating after taking fourth place overall in the first World championship Grand Prix in Spain - their first-ever podium finish. Stuart Brown and Luke PetersAnd they followed
Pensioners have won a second hearing in their legal battle to prevent a homeless shelter being set up next to their homes in Oxford city centre. Residents of Brookes Taylor Court, next to the Albion Place car park in St Ebbe's, are frightened by plans
Radley's Hamish Gordon is tipped for the top in the SEAT Cupra Championship. After testing at Jarama, Spain, Gordon, 32, emerged as one of the top three favourites to win the championship, which has the largest prize fund of all series in the UK. The
A village post office is set to move into a nearby shop to try to safeguard its survival. The post office at Orchard House, The Forty in Cholsey, near Wallingford, will move into the village's T & Store, which is owned by Tesco and undergoing refurbishment
The oldest and the youngest came together to say goodbye to their old Scout HQ -- and welcome the start of its £330,000 replacement. The oldest former 1st Cholsey Scout, John Money, 78, left, and youngest members Gregory Fraser, six, and Mary Barton,
A clock in memory of an artist and museum supporter has been given to the Witney and District Museum. The chairman of the Friends of Witney District Museum, Geoffrey Wright unveils the clock in the museum's Bartlett-Taylor Gallery PeterTurner, who died
A man has appeared at Oxford Crown Court accused of sexual assault. Vincent Morris, 41, of Mably Way, Grove, near Wantage, denies indecently assaulting a girl under the age of 14 between August 1999 and July 2000. Rachel Drake prosecuting, said the girl
John Fowler (Farmers) beat Dave Exell (White Lion) in the Oxfordshire play-off for the national singles - and now goes on to represent the county at Hemsby, Norfolk from May 3-6. OTHER RESULTS Oxfordshire Gold Cup play-offs - men's singles: K Young (White
The South West, whose squad includes Oxfordshire's John Billington (captain), Rhys Shufflebotham and Craig Simms - who all attend Henry Box School, Witney - won the regional under 14 boys tournament at Millfield School. South West finished with 13 points
An under-strength Rover Oxford lost their opening game in the Inter-League play-offs 2-0 to East Premier Division winners Letchworth at Iffley Road. Vicky MankelowRover, who finished second-from-bottom in English League Division 2, started well with shots
Oxfordshire Hockey Association held their end-of-season presentation evening at Oxford Brookes Sports Centre on Saturday evening. Each of the junior squads were presented with county badges and colours as well as the players' player-of-the-year award
A mobile police station will be calling at four villages on Easter Sunday as an experiment. The mobile station run by Thames Valley Police in its north Oxfordshire division has already been visiting villages regularly on weekdays. Sgt Brian Toombs, who
A children's television series is the latest filming to take place at the former USAF airbase at Upper Heyford. The base, now Heyford Park, was used to film a 10-part BBC series called Calling the Shots. It involves the show's presenters carrying out
A family has bought a care home in a village following the retirement of the original owners. Fewcott House nursing home in Fewcott, near Bicester, has been bought by the Harrisons, who used to run a small residential home, Fairdale House, in Botley,
County councillors were today (April 15) due to discuss the provision of education and library services for a proposed asylum seekers' centre near Bicester. At February's public inquiry into the proposed centre on MoD land, county librarian Andrew Coggins
An art exhibition inspired by Banbury's famous lady on a white horse has opened at the town's museum. Kasia Howard It is the first half of Outside Over There, which features digital artwork by Great Bourton artist Kasia Howard and students at the town's
Oxford United expect to have their biggest away league followings of the season in their final two trips as play-off fever grips the fans. Safety officer Tony Ashley estimates nearly 1,500 supporters will be cheering on the U's in Saturday's Division
Residents caught the spring cleaning bug in Didcot where church members attempted to clean up a housing estate. Litter collectors at Sandringham Drive, Didcot with one of the abandoned trolleys they found Some of the congregation of Fleet Meadow Baptist
A destitute Jamaican family were expected to find out today (April 15) if they had won a High Court challenge to gain long-term housing and financial support from Oxfordshire County Council. The family, who live in temporary accommodation in Oxford and
Police are hunting for three youths who conned their way into a pensioner's home, and stole cash and jewellery. The youths called at the woman's home in Bladon, near Woodstock on April 12, at about 2pm. One of the youths asked to use the toilet and, while
A teenager who was chased by police while driving a car stolen after a burglary in Oxford, was sentenced to five months detention. Oxford Crown Court heard yesterday (April 14) that the 16-year-old from Headington, Oxford, stole car keys to a Ford Mondeo
Getting fit in Oxford this Easter could be easier than it looks, with a chance to join a gym, donate chocolate eggs to young hospital patients and raise money for charity. LA Fitness is due to open a new health club next month and is waiving the £50 joining
The expansion of the Kidlington Sainsbury's supermarket would kill off other village shops, a public inquiry heard. Andrew Hornsby-Smith, representing Kidlington Parish Council, told the public inquiry that at least three village shops, including a greengrocers
A man who sexually assaulted a schoolgirl before cutting his wrists with a knife has been jailed for four years. At Oxford Crown Court yesterday (April 14) Andrew Mc- Carthy, 39, admitted indecently assaulting the girl four times between October 2001
Promising sportsmen and women were recognised at an annual awards ceremony. Pictured, front, from left, is Rachel Welbourne, 13, Sam Varney, 16, Rachel McGill, 15, Phil Warson, 13, back, from left, David O'Neil, 14, Dan Spencer, 16, David Evans, 14, Emily
Actor and comedian Rowan Atkinson, from Waterperry, will be competing in the Aston Martin Championship race at Castle Combe, Wiltshire, on Easter Monday in a 1986 5.3-litre Vantage Zagato. The meeting starts at 8.35am with qualifying. Racing begins at
Soldiers and RAF crews who played vital roles in the liberation of Iraq were welcomed back at RAF Brize Norton as Tony Blair declared the conflict was in its final stages. But for workers at Oxford-based charity Oxfam the hard work is just beginning as
A teenager is critically ill in hospital after the car she was travelling in was involved in a collision with a suspected stolen van. The 19-year-old was a passenger in a Volvo car which was in collision with a Ford Transit van on the A420, near Appleton
A talk on the monarchy and its suitability for countries in Europe was given by Sir Michael Wheeler-Booth of Magdalen College, Oxford, at a meeting of the Abingdon European Society. Sir Michael, a former member of the Royal Commission on House of Lords
Stephen Lowe claimed an unexpected personal record as Oxford University UCCE's game against Middlesex petered out into a boring draw in The Parks yesterday. Describing himself on his CV as a leg-spinner, Lowe kept wicket and had a hand in all five Middlesex
An Oxfordshire charity is challenging enterprising individuals and businesses to turn £1 into £1,000. The campaign called the Power of One Big Bang was dreamed up by champion fundraiser Jeanne Chattoe, from Witney, on behalf of Against Breast Cancer (
The official unveiling of improvement work to Alfred's Bath in Wantage has been postponed so health and safety checks can be carried out. Although work to smarten up the area off Locks Lane has been finished, some town councillors were concerned that
THE musical Kiss Me Kate will be staged next week in Wantage. Actors Allyn Richardson, left, and Chris Jones Rehearsals are in full swing for the production of the popular Cole Porter musical which will be staged by Wantage Stage Musical Company at King
Help is at hand for elderly and infirm people worried about getting to Wantage's new health centre. Last week, the Oxford Mail reported there was concern at how some patients would travel to the new centre in Mably Way. It will replace the town's two
A-level results in Abingdon have improved dramatically since the introduction of joint teaching between the town's four secondary schools. The partnership -- between John Mason School, Larkmead School, Fitzharrys School, and Abingdon and Witney College
Oxford Bulls went down 13-7 to favourites Swindon Panthers in the John Cleighton-Hills Trophy at Oxpens. Panthers punished Oxford for a slow start, although the home side were not helped by problems with the surface at the Oxford ice rink which meant
Pupils learned the art of making bread and filling sandwiches with healthy ingredients when a bakery expert called at Fritwell Primary School. Tina Nourse is the new school liaison officer for Warburton's, which has a depot at the Talisman Business Centre
Peterborough Panthers 59, Oxford Silver Machine 31: Five meetings in six days finally took their toll on the Oxford Silver Machine as they were taken apart by the Peterborough Panthers in their Elite League clash at the East of England Showground on Tuesday
A collection of foreign coins has raised £660 for Age Concern Banbury. People were asked to donate coins which were then sold. Treasurer Tony Lawford said: "This far exceeded all our expectations."
A rally team doctor performed an indecent act in his car while it was parked next to a mother and three young children, a hearing was told. The woman told the General Medical Council's professional conduct committee how Dr Mervyn Wheeler stared at her
THE musical Kiss Me Kate will be staged next week in Wantage. Actors Allyn Richardson, left, and Chris Jones Rehearsals are in full swing for the production of the popular Cole Porter musical which will be staged by Wantage Stage Musical Company at King
A man was rescued from a building on a Didcot industrial estate last night after fire broke out. Firefighters from Didcot found the man while searching the disused industrial building, in Station Road Industrial Estate, at about 7.50pm. The man, who is
Members of congregations from nine Didcot churches are taking part in the annual Good Friday Act of Witness prayer walk through the town centre. They will assemble outside the Civic Hall, Britwell Road, at 11.15am before a hymn and a reading with a civic
This goose egg has been uniquely designed by top chef Raymond Blanc to raise money for the Oxford Children's Hospital. Mr Blanc, who runs le Manoir Aux Quat' Saisons in Great Milton, near Didcot, and Le Petit Blanc in Walton Street, Oxford, is one of
More than 650 Scouts and members of other uniformed organisations will parade through the centre of Oxford on Sunday in celebration of St George's Day. The annual parade will assemble in Broad Street and march via Turl Street, and High Street to the Town
Satellite navigation systems are beaming the locations of speed cameras in the county to motorists, with the help of the road safety organisation responsible for the cameras. Thames Valley Safer Roads Partnership said it supports global positioning systems
Bus operator Stagecoach Oxfordshire has received an award for customer care. Passengers have nominated the firm for an award for its excellent service in the Welcome Aboard Awards scheme. Their vote means that Stagecoach has now been shortlisted for a
The children of Greta Verdin, whose body was found in the River Cherwell last week, have paid tribute to their mother. Retired teacher Mrs Verdin, 67, of Bardwell Road, north Oxford, was reported missing by her son Johnny after he returned home from holiday
The oldest and the youngest came together to say goodbye to their old Scout HQ -- and welcome the start of its £330,000 replacement. The oldest former 1st Cholsey Scout, John Money, 78, left, and youngest members Gregory Fraser, six, and Mary Barton,
Public meetings informing people of the possible options for the future of secondary school education in Wantage and Grove start next month. Ten meetings are being held in schools during May, June and July, which will be open to parents and members of
A housing association has said a mother waiting 13 years for a home can move into a property with her two daughters within two weeks, after it was contacted by the Oxford Mail. Donna Crowther, who lives in temporary accommodation in Pegasus Road, Blackbird
