Archive

  • Bus stops may move in drive to cut congestion

    Passengers may no longer be allowed to catch buses from Abingdon's High Street, if plans to cut congestion and pollution are introduced. Bus stops in the street may be closed and replaced with set-down points. New pick-up stops could be provided in Stratton

  • OAP tripped on uneven pavement

    A pensioner on a shopping trip to Abingdon has called for improvements to pavements after she stumbled on an uneven slab and fell. Barbara Bond, of Farmers Close, Witney, needed three stitches to a cut on her forehead, her nose bled and her face was badly

  • Winifred Morris

    The funeral takes place on Wednesday next week of Winifred Morris, 85, who was a founder member of Didcot Pensioners' Association. Born in Appleford, she moved as a child with her family to Long Wittenham, where she met her husband-to-be Royden Morris

  • Thomas Joy

    THOMAS Joy, a leading light of the book trade who started his outstanding career in Oxford, has died, aged 98. The only boy in a family of seven, Mr Joy joined the choir at St Michael's Church, Oxford, which gave him a free education at private school

  • Mary Case

    The funeral takes place at Didcot Methodist Church on May 2 of Mary Case, whose baking and cooking helped raise thousands of pounds for charity. Miss Case, 77, who died at her home in Freeman Road, Didcot, was a tireless worker for good causes, in particular

  • Hospital fences to shut out vandals

    Claims that asylum seekers would move into the old Fairmile Hospital, near Wallingford, have been denied by the Government. New security fencing around the site and security cameras going up around the perimeter are to keep vandals out, said the Department

  • Rent row sport clubs win support

    Sports clubs in Wallingford fighting a massive rent rise -- from £600 a year to £15,000 a year for their sports park -- have the town council on their side. Wallingford Sports Trust, an independent charity which runs Wallingford Sports Park, face the

  • Polls open for local elections

    Voters were going to the polls today (May 1)in district, town and parish council elections. Landlady of the Fox and Hounds, Judith Bishop There are no Oxford city or county council elections but seats are being contested at the Vale of White Horse, South

  • New face at Round Table

    Witney Round Table has a new chairman. Stuart Clarke has been a member of the organisation for the past 12 years, after moving to Witney in 1995. Mr Clarke is head of information services at Advance Housing and Support, in Welch Way, Witney. The firm

  • Formula for quieter nights

    Work on a £400,000 scheme to reduce noise from the Williams F1 headquarters at Grove is on track to be finished by July. Williams F1 general manager Alex Burns. Building work is underway to fit an acoustic shield around the site's wind tunnel, following

  • Arsonists 'put lives at risk'

    Arsonists put lives in danger after striking three times in less than half-an-hour. Three cars were set alight in the Glory Farm area of Bicester. At one point they left the town without fire cover. The first incident happened in Herald Way about 2.54am

  • Honour delights soldier

    A Bicester soldier has spoken of his delight at being honoured for his bravery when he saved two policemen while serving in Northern Ireland. Pte Crowie Private Jason Crowie, of 23 Pioneer Regiment, Royal Logistic Corps, based at St David's Barracks,

  • Maurice 'Mick' Parratt

    Former mace bearer to Abingdon Town Council, Desert Rat and master carpenter in the film and television industry Maurice "Mick" Parratt has died. He was 86 and had suffered from a cancer-releated illness for five years. Mr Parratt, from Sygnet Court in

  • Park pest hunted

    A man who twice indecently exposed himself in a Banbury park is being sought by police. The man, described as a menace, committed both offences in Trinity Park, at Bretch Hill. Last Thursday, at 8.10am, he exposed himself to a woman in her 50s before

  • Looking for recruits

    Banbury's Territorial Army is looking for new recruits -- and will be taking to the streets this month to encourage more young people to join. The campaign, the biggest recruiting push for a decade, will see part-time soldiers of 5 (Queens Own Oxfordshire

  • Thynne holds nerve to sink Hendred bid

    Autotype UTV League: Russell Thynne was the hero for Abbott Medisense as his spot kick saw the holders retain the Devenney Cup with a 5-4 penalty shoot-out win over East Hendred. With the sides locked at 0-0 at full-time, Ben Parry broke the deadlock

  • Players boost appeal

    Aunt Sally players have helped boost the Oxford Children's Hospital Campaign by raising £450 for the £15m appeal. Members of the DC Wright Invitation Aunt Sally League, which has weekly matches at the Cowley Conservative Club, in Between Towns Road, Cowley

  • Woman collapses after drink spiked

    Nightclub security staff rushed to help a woman after her drink was spiked in an Oxford pub. The woman was dancing in the Chicago Rock Cafe, in Park End Street, when she started to feel queasy. After failing to catch the attention of security staff at

  • Gay festival gets ready to celebrate

    Oxford Gay Pride festival organisers today announced the line-up for the event on Saturday. The festival, the first of its kind in the city, is expected to attract up to 2,500 visitors. It is part of the Fun in the Parks events, supported by the Oxford

  • Surgeon concedes risk of super-bugs

    A surgeon has admitted the John Radcliffe Hospital cannot always protect its patients from potentially lethal super-bugs, transmitted on the hands of hospital staff. Nicholas Maynard, a consultant upper gastro intestinal surgeon, was speaking at the inquest

  • GPs unveil out of hours service

    A one-stop shop for urgent GP care in Oxford opens its doors today. The service, at St Bartholomew's Medical Centre, in Manzil Way, off Cowley Road, will offer out-of-hours patient cover. Although 27 out of 29 GP practices signed up, critics claim it

  • Revamp aids cancer patients

    Nurses at a private hospital in Oxford have transformed cancer facilities so patients can offer each other support while fighting their illnesses. A corridor at the Acland Hospital, in Banbury Road, has been turned into an outpatient chemotherapy suite

  • Bar refused extended hours

    City councillors have refused to extend opening hours at an Oxford bar, in a bid to protect residents from being disturbed late at night. At yesterday's strategic development control committee, councillors turned down an application from Chicago Rock

  • Sayers century lifts Oxford

    Joe Sayers hit his first century of the season for Oxford UCCE who comfortably beat Durham on first innings in their opening Inter UCCE Championship match at The Parks yesterday. Joe Sayers The Yorkshire registered left-hander, unbeaten on 51 overnight

  • BP agrees to cut high fuel prices

    BP was set to cut fuel prices at an Abingdon garage today (May 1) after the Oxford Mail pointed out they were unusually high. Malcolm Phipps Yesterday, the BP Vineyard Service Station was charging 82.9p for diesel and 80.9p for unleaded -- 2p more than

  • Rain fails to dampen May Day spirits

    When the first glow of daylight heralded the arrival of the fabled 'merrie month' beloved of poets and dreamers, the crowds of 'May Morners' packing into Oxford's historic centre must have breathed a collective sigh of relief. The earlier showers had

  • Residents celebrate as homes rejected

    Plans for a £2.7m Centre of Excellence for Rugby and Cricket have been hit for six. Last month, city council leaders approved a land deal to allow the project off Horspath Road, Cowley, Oxford, to go ahead. But councillors at yesterday's (April 30) strategic

  • Family warning after pet is shot

    A family has warned pet owners to be on their guard after their pet cat was shot and badly injured. Belle, a four year-old tabby, needed an operation after an air gun pellet fractured her leg. Her owner, Nell Saunders, of Wootton village, near Abingdon

  • Hygiene design proves a winner

    A design student from Abingdon has won a national award after inventing a tough rucksack and an oral health care stick. Gina Reimann, 22, from Eason Drive, Abingdon, has won two design awards from the Royal Society for the encouragement of Arts, Manufacture

  • Jock Hamilton-Baillie

    Tributes have poured in to the family of war hero Brigadier Jock Hamilton-Baillie, who has died, aged 84. John Robert Edward Hamilton-Baillie, who lived at Rectory House, Stanford in the Vale, was involved in some of the most famous prison-camp break-outs

  • Oxon call up Beck

    New Banbury recruit Steve Beck has been called up by Oxfordshire to face Oxford University in their warm-up game in The Parks on Friday. The all-rounder gets his chance after joining the Home Counties Premier League club from Buckingham. Oxfordshire skipper

  • Cricketers convert office into pavilion

    A former builders' site office in Wallingford has helped a cricket club make a massive saving on the cost of a new pavilion. Committee member Nick Cross, with president Gerald Howat, vice chairman Nigel Hessey and chairman Trevor Denning Linden Homes

  • Repair row forces stay in hospital

    Relatives of an 84-year-old Witney pensioner are angry she being forced to stay in hospital because a housing association cannot mend her back door. Violet Cable collapsed at her home and was found by a relative on Saturday. The relative had to break

  • Police officer took her own life

    A police officer who was planning to start a new life in Spain with her husband gassed herself inside her car. Pc Amanda Oliver, 33, who served with Oxford Police, was discovered early on January 12, this year, by her husband Colin, 65, in a garage near

  • Former antiques centre set to house restaurant

    The first floor of a landmark town centre store in Wantage is set to be transformed into an American-themed cocktail bar and restaurant. Maxwell's, which has restaurants in Oxford and London, is to take over the top floor of the Arbery Centre, in Market

  • Shopping precinct vandalised

    Shoppers are calling for improvements to a rundown shopping centre regularly targeted by vandals and antisocial youths. Millbrook Shopping Centre in Grove is in need of repairs to uneven footpaths, potholes and broken bollards, according to the Joint

  • Well-wisher replaces stolen clover

    A pensioner whose lucky clover was stolen has had it replaced by a kind-hearted stranger. Doreen McKeown, 76, of Bicester, had been shopping in Sainsbury's superstore, in Kidlington, about two weeks ago when her purse was stolen. It contained her week's

  • Corkish lifts county title

    Jo Corkish, Burford's promising 18-year-old golfer, captured the Oxfordshire Ladies Championship with an exciting 3 & 1 victory over defending champion Julie de Vere Hunt at Caversham Heath. Corkish, who lost most of the sight in her right eye four

  • Police to deal with problem bikers

    Police in Bicester have promised tough action against youths riding stolen and off-road motorbikes on the town's roads. The move comes after three separate incidents last weekend. On Friday, April 25, at about 1.15am, police were called to Gavray Drive

  • Track problems to be resolved

    The Oxford speedway track has been the subject of a lot of criticism this season - and the management have acted by ordering some much-needed remedial treatment this week. The home riders have not complained about the conditions too much, judging by their

  • Son denies mum attack

    A man facing allegations of assaulting his mother has been remanded in jail. Adrian Robins, 42, is awaiting trial for allegedly inflicting grievous bodily harm in Headington on September 8 last year. He denies the charge. At Oxford Crown Court yesterday

  • Football bid for hospice

    A charity football match to raise money for the Sobell House hospice in Oxford takes place on Sunday. The event at Thame United Football Club's ground in Windmill Road will be between Thame United Social Club and Oxford United coaching staff with a 3pm

  • Mayor on Dutch trip

    Lord Mayor of Oxford Gill Sanders is visiting Holland this weekend to take part in the Dutch Remembrance Day. She will lay a wreath at the war memorial in Oxford's twin city of Leiden on Sunday (May 4), when the Dutch remember their war dead. She is part

  • Theft case adjourned

    The trial of an Oxford woman accused of stealing £3,906 from Johnsons Buildbase has been adjourned. Leanne Davies, 27, of Acacia Avenue, Greater Leys, denies seven counts of theft from the Watlington Road store, which employed her. An unexpected development

  • Surgery scheme approved

    Plans for a new GP surgery and pharmacy, together with 14 low-cost homes in Cowley, Oxford, have been given the go-ahead. Members of the city council's strategic development committee yesterday granted permission for the surgery off Hollow Way. Under

  • Hayward ruled out for City

    Oxford City defender Matty Hayward will miss the last two games of the season after suffering a head wound during their Oxfordshire Senior Cup win over Hook Norton. City are otherwise at full strength for tonight's Ryman League Division 1 North visit

  • Basham back with a bang

    Oxford Utd Res 3, Luton Tn Res 1: Steve Basham scored a spectacular volley as Oxford United Reserves eased to victory against Luton's second string at Court Place Farm on Wednesday. Basham came through 90 minutes for the first time in six weeks, setting

  • Atkins is rooting for Gulls

    Ian Atkins is hoping the war of words between Torquay boss Leroy Rosenior and Lincoln manager Keith Alexander will inspire the Gulls to pull off a crucial victory. Ian AtkinsThe two teams meet at Sincil Bank on Saturday with nothing but a Torquay win

  • Keyes proves too hot for Royals

    Morrells of Oxford League: Lee Keyes grabbed a brilliant second-half hat-trick as Star Wanderers staged a superb comeback to beat Star Royal 4-2 in the Premier Division. Royal dominated the first period and established a 2-0 lead. However, the introduction

  • City hit new low

    Oxford City's poor start to the defence of their Shaw & Co Oxfordshire Foursomes League title became positively nightmarish when they suffered a whitewash away to newly-promoted The Oxford- shire. Having already lost their first three Section 1 matches

  • £1m church design wins approval

    Plans to demolish a crumbling Baptist church in Oxford and build a £1m replacement have been given the go-ahead. Church leaders are hoping work on the new building in Old High Street, Headington, will start later this year. Members of the Friends of Old

  • Owner to challenge breach of copyright

    The owner of an Oxford restaurant has won the right to challenge a judgement that he must pay a former employee £40,000 for breach of copyright. Aziz-ur Rahman, who runs the Aziz restaurant in Cowley Road, Oxford, successfully challenged the judgement

  • Sars alert threatens holiday

    An Oxford woman with family in Toronto has spoken of her concerns about visiting the Canadian city which has been badly hit by the virus Sars. Alison Barnes Alison Barnes, 40, was due to visit her mother Sheila, 65, and brother Phillip, 39, for the first

  • Pupils aim to attract bees

    Children planned the construction of a pond in their school grounds to encourage wildlife. Ingrid Weaver, left, and Marianne Glithero with the children About 30 children aged from 14 to 16 at Wheatley Park School, in Holton, are building the pond in collaboration

  • Le Manoir basks in global praise

    Oxfordshire's Le Manoir aux Quat' Saisons has been voted 29th best restaurant in the world by Restaurant Magazine. In a global survey of 300 leading chefs and restaurant critics, the Great Milton eatery was voted fourth best in this country, one of 10

  • GPs move to centre development shelved

    GPs at Didcot's largest health centre practice have abandoned plans to move to the town centre. Instead, they want to redevelop Didcot Health Centre in Britwell Road, with a new health centre -- costing nearly £2m -- which would include the site of the

  • Schools get warning of more cuts in funding

    Times are hard and they are going to get harder is the message to Oxfordshire schools as education officials draw up emergency plans to prevent teacher redundancies. Oxfordshire County Council has responded to complaints from headteachers that their budgets

  • Blenheim to host top horse championship

    Europe's top horse riders will head for Oxfordshire as the county hosts the European championships. The 2005 European three-day event championships will be hosted by Blenheim International Horse Trials, held in the grounds of Blenheim Palace in Woodstock

  • Tourist centre switch held up

    The failure to get Oxford's new Tourist Information Centre open in time for the start of the peak season for visitors has angered a senior city councillor. The new centre, in Broad Street, was due to open by the end of April, but it is still not ready

  • Gun amnesty nets 134 illegal weapons

    More than 100 illegally held guns have been handed in to police during a gun amnesty in Oxfordshire. Police said people in the county had handed 134 guns to the force during the national Get Guns off the Streets amnesty. The highest number of weapons,