People at Barton are rejoicing - and rightly so. All the good work achieved by the Community Development Project looked like going to waste when the money dried up. But a lifeline from Oxford City Council has secured it. It is a worthy cause to support
Twelve men accused of being part of a conspiracy to supply cocaine will enter pleas to the charge in September. The men, including eight from Oxfordshire, appeared at Oxford Crown Court yesterdayThursJun19 and had their case adjourned until Wednesday
A 44-year-old man who downloaded indecent images of children on his computer left court with a suspended jail sentence today. Andrew Rawlings, of Fane Drive, Berinsfield, was convicted of six charges of making indecent images of children after a trial
An Oxfordshire student has won a Nintendo DS after successfully entering an online competition run as part of the regional Safe Drive Stay Alive campaign. During one week in November last year, around 12,000 17-19 year olds viewed a unique film as
A new memorial to Catholic and Protestant martyrs associated with Oxfordshire has been unveiled in a city centre church. Oxford University Chancellor Lord Patten of Barnes torday unveiled the memorial, designed by sculptor Martin Jennings, at the University
The legacy of a pioneering project which helped turn around an Oxford estate, has been secured, thanks to a city council grant. The Barton Community Development Project, which folded in March after National Lottery funds totalling £134,000 dried up,
Three illegal immigrants who have escaped from the Campsfield House detention centre remained on the loose tonight. Police launched a manhunt after seven detainees were found to be missing from their beds at the centre on the outskirts of Kidlington
Three illegal immigrants who have escaped from the Campsfield House detention centre remained on the loose tonight. Police launched a manhunt after seven detainees were found to be missing from their beds at the centre on the outskirts of Kidlington
Oxford University professor Elleke Boehmer has written a book about former South African president Nelson Mandela to coincide with his 90th birthday celebrations next month. The mother-of-two from the Waterways estate, North Oxford, started researching
Minor Counties Championship Francois Vainker will make his full Oxfordshire debut against Wiltshire in the Western Division at Challow & Childrey, starting on Sunday. The 20-year-old Oxford spinner gets his chance after impressing for the Home Counties
Home Counties Premier League Kidlington have suffered another blow with the news their overseas player Chade Steenholdt has returned home to Australia. The Division 2 West basement boys, who host Basingstoke & North Hants tomorrow, had looked for
Every now and then, a novel comes along that portrays Oxford so vividly it would be accurate to describe the city as one of the main characters. This is certainly the case with Elizabeth Garner's The Ingenious Edgar Jones, which is now out in paperback
Home Counties Premier League Banbury can put themselves firmly in the Division 1 title race with victory at leaders High Wycombe tomorrow. That is the view of captain Benji Hector with Banbury entering the match on the back of two successive wins
ECB Cockspur Cup Oxford will again look to underline their strength in depth when they host Henley in their Group 12 semi-final on Sunday. They retain just five of the players named for Saturday's league clash with Tim Marcon, John Barnett, Paddy
Holders Banbury have been drawn at home to Great & Little Tew in round two of the Bernard Tollett Oxfordshire Cup. Elsewhere there is a local derby with Tiddington hosting Thame Town, while Horspath travel to Shipton-under-Wychwood. Second round draw
History will be made in Oxford this summer with a reunion of one of the greatest bands ever to have emerged from the city. Britpop legends The Candyskins are getting back together for a one-off charity gig alongside fellow '90s heroes Dodgy. The gig
Mick Hucknall, the voice, and face, of Simply Red, tells Tim Hughes why he is no longer holding back the years - but instead trying something completely new HIS voice and flowing red locks have marked out Mick Hucknall as one of the best-known names
Everyone loves a good curry. The old Indian restaurant is a tried and tested formula - the culinary equivalent of a comfort zone. Many old curry hands don't even bother looking at the menu, so familiar are they with the standard fare. So the opening
Tim Hughes joins freaky-dancing maraca-man Bez, of the Happy Mondays, for some spills, thrills and bellyaches around the lake at Blenheim Palace ahead of this month's Wakestock. Call the cops! Yep, Madchester's wild bunch are back. After providing
Rock Disco is a brand new night in the Oxford clubbing calendar's plethora of musical delights - so as such, I had little idea what to expect. Was it a rock night of such old school glory that I should brush the dust and moth balls off of my ancient
The news headlines make grim reading. Teenagers are dying on the streets of London every month, the victims of a disenfranchised youth culture deter- mined to make its voice heard with knives and guns. Cinema has always sought to reflect contemporary
British consistently stands head and shoulders above its neighbours in teenage pregnancy rates. As sexual education continues to fall on deaf ears, perhaps the time has come for a radical solution: screenings of writer-director Mitchell Lichtenstein's
Schools across Oxfordshire are set to be transformed in a £67m package of improvements - the biggest ever undertaken in the county. Some schools will be demolished and replaced in a plan to modernise many of the county's crumbling primary schools and
Dexter Fletcher is in the middle of a medical examination when I first contact him, and we have to hastily rearrange. Reclothed, he apologises and says he's all mine for as along as I want him. Many women I know would saw off a limb for an offer like
The Home Office acted with supreme arrogance yesterday in refusing to reassure the people of Kidlington and Oxfordshire it would sort out the problems at Campsfield House. By and large, the people of Kidlington have taken a reasonable stance towards
Maria Aitken is relaxing in her villa in Ibiza when I catch up with her. But she assures me that she deserves the rest and when you consider that her current show The 39 Steps is showing on Broadway, the West End, Australia and Oxford, with sold-out
Last Friday, Oxford city centre was the cultural place to be, as two new exhibitions were opening and I made it my duty to flit between them like a (slightly tipsy) butterfly. To start the evening off, I went to the Lolapoloza Gallery to view Damon
Every now and then I become slightly obsessed with the mind-expanding game of chess. Lately I have been playing the game with my five-year-old and while he may never be a grandmaster, he is making very good progress. To ensure that I don't get caught
JUST a fortnight ago, the future of this weekend's Riverside Festival in Charlbury looked bleak as torrential downpours swamped the site. But organisers are anxious to reassure music lovers the event will be going ahead as planned, even if it is the
SCHOOLS across Oxfordshire are set to be transformed in a £67m improvement programme - the biggest ever undertaken in the county. Some schools will be demolished and replaced by new buildings in a plan to modernise crumbling primary schools. Oxfordshire
A teenager who survived a crash that killed four of his friends has told his father from his hospital bed that he wants to return home. Matthew Simpson, of Montgomery Road, Caversfield, Bicester, is still in a critical condition in Oxford's John
Wallingford School is on the up - and its improvements have been given the official stamp of approval in its latest Ofsted report, which classed the school as good with outstanding features. Head Wyll Willis said: "Our aim is for the outstanding accolade
Pupils, staff and parents at an Oxford school are celebrating after it received an award for its contribution to the arts. Cheney School in Headington was awarded an Artsmark from the Arts Council, for exceptional provision of performing arts. And it
Petrol filling station bosses across Oxfordshire have welcomed news a second strike by tanker drivers scheduled this weekend has been suspended. The walkout was called off earlier in the week after the Unite union came to an agreement with haulage firms
AEA Technology 68.5 BMW 2588 Electrocomponents 153.75 Nationwide Accident Repair 142 Oxford Biomedica 23 Oxford Catalyst 168.5 Oxford Instruments 233.5 Reed Elsevier 586.25 RM 194.5 RPS Group 288.25 Courtesy of Redmayne Bentley, Abingdon
Workers at carmaker BMW's Mini plant in Oxford have been told they need to pay more towards their pensions. Managers say people living longer, falling interest rates and rising inflation mean the cost of the scheme is soaring, while employee contributions
A teenager who survived a crash that killed four of his friends has told his father from his hospital bed that he wants to return home. Matthew Simpson, of Montgomery Road, Caversfield, Bicester, is still in a critical condition in Oxford's John Radcliffe
Workers at carmaker BMW's Cowley Mini plant in Oxford have been told they need to pay more towards their pensions. Managers say people living longer, falling interest rates and rising inflation mean the cost of the scheme is soaring, while employee
SATURDAY. CRICKET. HOME COUNTIES PREMIER LEAGUE. Div 1: High Wycombe v Banbury, Oxford v Falkland. Div 2 West: Kidlington v Basingstoke & North Hants, Thame Tn v Farnham Royal. THE OXFORD TIMES CHERWELL LEAGUE. Div 1: Banbury 2nd v Shipton, Banbury
Former world champion Jason Crump heads a strong line-up, who are paying tribute to long-time Oxford Cheetahs rider Steve Johnston at Coventry on Sunday. Popular Australian 'Johno', who spent ten years as an Oxford asset, has been awarded this testimonial
PEOPLE in Bicester are more concerned with loitering youths, dog fouling and litter, than serious crime and disorder, police have said. In March, the Bicester Advertiser joined forces with Thames Valley Police to launch a survey designed to help officers
Nathan Harrison, 11, may have become the youngest podium finisher in a competition for drivers up to five years older than him. The youngster, from Cumnor Hill, came third in round four of the BRDC Stars of Tomorrow Mini Max Championship at Wilton Mill
Richard Clarke will be on home territory when he plays in an England over 65s practice match on Oxford Hawks' pitch at Banbury Road North on Sunday (1pm). Clarke, the chairman of North Oxford Sports Club, which incorporates Oxford Hawks and North Oxford
Enter the surreal world of Wirth Research and be amazed. Here people walk about with electronic masks over their eyes examining cars which are not there or, even stranger, they drive such cars on race tracks which also do not exist. All very unnerving
It is a fact of life that critical decisions regarding your career have to be made at a relatively young age. The choice that is made while still a teenager can affect the course of your life and perceived wisdom is to seek as much advice as possible
Oxford University time trial ace Jesse Elzinga stormed to victory in the Oxonian ten-mile time trial on the Witney A40 course. His time of 21mins 25secs gave him a winning margin of nearly two minutes over the host club's Peter Oliver who clocked 23.11
Oxfordshire's former British No 1 Tim Henman admits he's not missing the game at all and is enjoying retirement - doing the simple things he never had a chance to. After 14 consecutive years of carrying Britain's hopes at Wimbledon, Henman, 33, will
Oxford Premier (Newton Abbott): 1, 5, 7 R Parker 1443, 1374, 1362; 2, 3 R Ward 1402, 1400; 4, 6 A Bazylkiewicz 1376, 1363; 8 D Fellows 1310. Shotover & District FC (Kingsdown, 18 sent 175): 1, 20 Mr & Mrs M V T Hall 1531, 1458; 2, 16 Sherman & Wells
OXFORDSHIRE is facing a grave shortage of burial spots as cemeteries fast approach capacity. Half of Oxford's cemeteries are already full and unless more space can be found, the city could run out of burial places in 12 years. Meanwhile, town and
Oxford City came good at the death to register a very useful 6-3 win over North Oxford A in Mixed Division 1 of the OLTA's Wilson 3-Pair League. City, North Oxford and Woodstock have all made a strong start to the season so far. There was nothing
Colston maintained their fine start in Mixed Division 1 of the 2-Pair League by beating Oxford Sports 2.5-1.5. Second pair Chris Hand and Clare Abbott made the crucial breakthrough for Colston, taking a set off Steve and Clare Roberts, who went on to
You can tell there's a fuel crisis. No Mini Coopers for Creation Theatre Company this time - they've only got a bike and a wheelbarrow. And the wheelbarrow is crucial to one of the daftest scenes in what is already a pretty silly play. It's a familiar
A fundraising group for an animal charity may be forced to close because of a lack of volunteers. Jean Dodds, treasurer of the Oxford Fundraising Group for the People's Dispensary for Sick Animals (PDSA), said she was one of only two members left in
Banbury United have appointed former Puritan player and boss Wally Hastie as assistant manager. Hastie, who managed the British Gas Business Southern club in the 1990s, takes over from Brian Robinson who has stepped down after more than 30 years' service
Witney United Football Club have signed a 'significant' sponsorship deal with Polythene UK Ltd. As part of the two-year deal, the the Witney-based company will sponsor Marriotts Stadium for the next two seasons with the ground changing its name to The
People in Bicester are more concerned with loitering youths, dog fouling and litter, than serious crime and disorder, police have said. In March, the Oxford Mail and our sister paper the Bicester Advertiser joined forces with Thames Valley Police to
AN escapee from Campsfield House has been found hiding out at Oxford's Botanic Garden. Police discovered the man just hours after releasing photos of the four men who fled the detention centre at 3.30am today. A police spokesman said the man was a
An escapee from Campsfield House has been found hiding out at Oxford's Botanical Gardens. Police recovered the man, pictured, just hours after releasing photos of the four men who fled the detention centre at 3.30am today. Officers have not revealed
A butterfly flaps its wings in a distant land, and we get wet in a tornado in Oxford, according to the theory of cause and effect in the eco-system first expounded by American mathematician Edward Lorenz. Extraordinary how industry imitates nature.
by Sarah O'Meara When Jessica Mitford died in 1996 she left her postman £5,000. After a lifetime of letter writing, the socialite knew she had kept him busier than most. The 12,000 letters sent between the Mitford sisters throughout the 20th century
Police have extended a search area in the continued hunt for four escapees on the run from Campsfield House immigration centre. The four men, whose pictures have been released by police, escaped from the detention centre near Kidlington at some time
POLICE have extended a search area in the continued hunt for four escapees on the run from Campsfield House immigration centre. The four men, whose pictures have been released by police, escaped from the detention centre near Kidlington at some time
Oxfordshire is facing a grave shortage of burial spots as cemeteries fast approach capacity. Half of Oxford's cemeteries are already full and unless more space can be found, the city could run out of burial places in 12 years. Meanwhile, town and
SWEET EVENLODE Godfrey Hodgson (Wychwood Press £10) Godfrey Hodgson has lived in the area since 1975, in several places near to the Evenlode River. He has been principally a writer of American politics and history, but was laid up at home following
EMPIRES OF THE SEA Roger Crowley (Faber and Faber, £20) Plunging back nearly 500 years into the history of the Ottoman empire, this is a glorious achievement in classical hands. As with his previous book on the siege of Constantinople, Crowley has
More than 100 parents and teachers visited Oxford Brookes University to quiz some of education's top names about schools and universities. The Education Question Time was organised jointly by the university and by the National Education Trust in a bid
Thousands of people from communities across Oxford are set to descend on Cowley Marsh Park for the city's third annual Mela on Sunday. Organisers of the Oxford Mela are hoping up to 5,000 people will come to the park to celebrate the city's ethnic and
These are the four men who are on the run from Campsfield House immigration centre. Police have just released the pictures of the group who they are currently hunting for around Kidlington and further afield. Police say they are low-risk but have
Brian was a white van man' long before the description became derisive. He used his redundancy cash from British Leyland to buy a vehicle and set up as a carrier in and around Cowley and Blackbird Leys. Then his wife's know-all sister (detached house
How many drivers are observing the 40mph speed limit on the A34 near the bridge works at Wolvercote? Just me, I think. SARAH JARVIS Bicester
The Vice-Chancellor of Brookes admires Liberty's Shami Chakrabarti (Oxford Mail, June 13). I used to feel the same. However, I was shocked when she attended a Countryside Alliance board meeting in June, 2006, which was trumpeted on the CA website, saying
The plan for a 20mph city is great news for cyclists. One of cyclists' biggest problems is the volume and speed of traffic, especially buses. A 20mph city will make a huge difference to 20,000 cyclists every day, and it may encourage thousands more
There is currently a lot of debate about whether we should have a 20mph limit across the whole of Oxford, including the main roads. We know that it would cut road accidents, make our streets more pleasant and encourage more people to walk and cycle.
We welcome your decision to publicise the subject of a 20mph city (Oxford Mail, June 13). Through our contacts, locally and in other regions, we are aware of a growing desire for streets and public places to become more people-friendly. This trend
Anxious residents living in the shadow of Campsfield House have this morning demanded the detention centre steps up security. Four detainees remain on the loose after a mass break out at the detention centre, in Langford Lane, near Kidlington, at 3.45am
Anxious residents living in the shadow of Campsfield House have this morning demanded the detention centre steps up security. Four detainees remain on the loose after a break out by seven men at the detention centre, in Langford Lane, near Kidlington
It has been a fruitful and creative few weeks for me personally having enjoyed the rare opportunity to get away from audits, annual reports and fundraising to work artistically on projects. I have been working with my colleague, Michelle Hall, with year
People are being asked to keep an eye out for a missing man who has connections to the Abingdon area. Mark Mockler, 39, of London Road, Guildford, has not been seen since Sunday, June 1, when he was spotted by a neighbour at his home address. Police
People are being asked to keep an eye out for a missing man who has connections to the Abingdon area. Mark Mockler, 39, of London Road, Guildford, has not been seen since June 1, when he was spotted by a neighbour at his home address. Police are concerned
WORK has started on the first phase of one of the biggest industrial property developments in Oxford for more than a decade. Network Oxford, covering seven acres in Sandy Lane West, Cowley, will house a depot for bus operator Stagecoach and car-parts
AN OXFORDSHIRE estate agent is to close at the end of the month, while another 13 jobs have been axed at a second property group. Hodsons branch in Bicester is the latest in a series of agency closures in the county, while Andrews estate agents announced
THE search to find the top companies and individuals in the county's business community will end tonight at a glittering awards ceremony. The Oxfordshire Business Awards take place at the Four Pillars Hotel, Sandford, tonight, with organisers anticipating
For the past five years a skilled and committed steering committee has been working to create a short stay house in Oxfordshire for people suffering from mental problems. A crisis house, as it is known, provides a therapeutic environment and has the
Abingdon and Headington have some of the oldest dance sides in England, writes CHRIS KOENIG Perhaps it is the growth of English nationalism that we have to thank for the increase in popularity of English folk songs and dances - as opposed to Irish
What other fruit symbolises the British summer as perfectly as the strawberry? This luscious, fragrant fruit, which is a member of the rose family, heralds all that's good about the British summer, so I make no apology for highlighting its attributes
VAL BOURNE was among the calming green and white at this year's Chelsea flower show I have recently come back from the best Chelsea Flower Show I have ever had. The sun shone, but not too warmly, so the Grand Pavilion sparkled throughout the
The Museum of Natural History is using National Insect Week to help young people understand how vital insects are in nature, writes ELIZABETH EDWARDS Insects are the most essential parts of the ecosystem but are often dismissed as being of no significance
CHRIS GRAYon Puccini's neglected La Fanciulla del West at Grange Park The new production of Puccini's vocally demanding La Fanciulla del West at Grange Park, near Winchester, makes a powerful case for this strangely neglected opera to be given
AEA Technology 68.5 BMW £25.48 Electrocomponents 153.75 Nationwide Accident Repair 142 Oxford Biomedica 23 Oxford Catalyst 168.5 Oxford Instruments 233.5 Reed Elsevier 590.25 RM 197.75 RPS Group 296 Courtesy of Redmayne Bentley, Abingdon
PAUL STAMMERS enjoy's Creation's Spanish-tinged Much Ado About Nothing You can tell there's a fuel crisis. No Mini Coopers or Vespa scooters for Creation Theatre Company this time - the only forms of transport are a bicycle and a wheelbarrow. The
A free organ recital at Christ Church next week by renowned organist Simon Preston commemorates the tragically short life of a former Oxford graduate, writes NICOLA LISLE When Simon Preston sinks his fingers on to the organ keys in Christ Church's
A MEMORIAL was being unveiled at Oxford's University Church of St Mary the Virgin today to commemorate Catholic and Protestant martyrs of the Reformation period. The memorial was designed by Woodstock sculptor Martin Jennings, widely praised for his
NICOLA LISLE enjoys the launch of Opera Anywhere's latest venture - opera cruises on the Thames They have done it on a pond, they have done it on ice, now they're doing it on the river. Once again Opera Anywhere is living up to its name by taking opera
NICK UTECHIN talks to Maria Aitken about bringing her successful production of The 39 Steps to Oxford "I returned from the City about three o'clock on that May afternoon pretty well disgusted with life." So begins John Buchan's classic 1915 adventure
An MP has said that the number of incidents at Campsfield House are " unacceptable". Oxford West and Abingdon MP Dr Evan Harris spoke this morning after it was revealed that seven people absconded from the immigration detention centre in Kidlington
Twyford trainer Alan Jarvis ended a barren run of almost three months without a winner when Rich Harvest scored at Chepstow. Richard Hughes made much of the running on the three-year-old colt, before holding off Swift Cut by three-quarters of a length
Seven men broke out of controversial detention centre Campsfield House in Kidlington this morning, it has been confirmed. Police have already recaptured three detainees and are hunting for the remaining four. Police were called in at 3.45am today by
AN OXFORD estate can lay claim to having the best street dancers in the country following a triumphant performance at the World Hip Hop Championships. Nine mini-dancers based at the Blackbird Leys Leisure Centre outperformed their England teammates
TWO Oxford primary schools are set to be pulled down and rebuilt at a clost of almost £13m. Oxfordshire County Council has asked the Government for £12.8m to demolish Bayards Hill Primary School, in Barton, and Wood Farm Primary School, and replace
There was another major incident at Campsfield House Detention Centre in Kidlington during the early hours today. Thames Valley Police have confirmed that officers were called to the centre in Langford Lane, at 3.45am. There are unconfirmed reports
Although Donington Park this weekend is my home Grand Prix, I'm more relaxed than normal because there is not much spare time and so much to do. I'm actually more excited than nervous about riding at home for the only time this season. Of course,
The news that two crumbling city schools are to be razed to the ground and rebuilt is to be welcomed. Wood Farm and Bayard's Hill primary schools will become the envy of Oxford if a £13m scheme becomes a reality. But therein lies a big if. Oxfordshire
Kevin Spacey, the American actor and artistic director of London's The Old Vic Theatre, has been named as the next Cameron Mackintosh Visiting Professor of Contemporary Theatre at Oxford University. Mr Spacey, who succeeds the actor Patrick Stewart,
Dates have been set for the roll-out of BlackBerry communication devices for Thames Valley Police officers in Oxfordshire. First to receive their BlackBerrys, which allow police to receive e-mails while out on patrol, will be officers in Cherwell,
A PERSISTENT beggar who has been jailed for four months was caught trying to get money from two off-duty police staff. Peter Wilson, 47, had been given an anti- social behaviour order on June 2 banning him from begging anywhere in England and Wales
PASSENGERS are paying £350 for a luxury train journey which will see antique train carriages arrive in Oxford. About 200 rail enthusiasts have so far paid to ride the British Pullman Orient Express from London to Oxford at a cost of £2.65 per mile
WHO or what is to blame for Muslim extremism will be the subject of a debate at Oxford Town Hall on June 28. Organised by the Muslim Education Centre of Oxford (Meco) the debate, entitled: Islamic theology and the war on terror are equally responsible
Two Oxford primary schools are set to be pulled down and rebuilt at a clost of almost £13m. Oxfordshire County Council has asked the Government for £12.8m to demolish Bayards Hill Primary School, in Barton, and Wood Farm Primary School, and replace
Domino's Pizza, in London Road, Headington, has applied for permission to extend its opening hours to 3am on Fridays and Saturdays. Comments must be sent to Oxford City Council by Thursday, June 26.
Abingdon's £3.1million traffic system needs major changes or should be scrapped to ease congestion, claims a report into the scheme. The independent report into Abingdon's Integrated Traffic Strategy (Abits) was commissioned by local campaigner Steve
An Oxford estate can lay claim to having the best street dancers in the country following a triumphant performance at the World Hip Hop Championships. Nine mini-dancers based at the Blackbird Leys Leisure Centre outperformed their England teammates
