Archive

  • Creighton calls time on Cup cakes!

    OXFORD United’s giant centre half Mark Creighton, affectionately nicknamed “The Beast” by fans, has shown his softer side by saying he won’t get his nan to make an FA Cup cake this time. He said: “I have a bit of history in the FA Cup when I was at Kidderminster

  • KILLER NURSE: Guilty verdict 'was right'

    KILLER nurse Benjamin Geen, who caused two patients’ deaths and seriously injured 15 others, was rightly found guilty, a top judge has ruled. Lady Justice Hallett said the evidence was “overwhelming” that Geen had wanted the thrill of causing

  • Man denies drug charge

    A 21-year-old German man has denied possessing drugs with intent to supply in Oxford and being involved with smuggling drugs into the UK. Mattis Isere, of Arenberger Street, Koblenz, appeared at Oxford Crown Court today. He was remanded in

  • Postal strikes called off

    A fresh wave of postal strikes has been called off just hours before the latest walkouts were due to start. Sources said that 24-hour national stoppages due to be held tomorrow and Monday would not go ahead after a deal was agreed to end a long-running

  • OLAF SCHMID: Crowds pay tribute to fallen Didcot soldier

    ONE of the best turn-outs we have ever had – that was the verdict of Royal British Legion veterans who lined an Oxford road to pay tribute to bomb disposal expert Olaf Schmid. Staff Sgt Schmid, who was based at Vauxhall Barracks in Didcot,

  • Abingdon barracks death soldier ‘was not suicidal’

    THE family of a soldier found dead at his army barracks, months before he was due to serve in Iraq, said they may never know why he died. Private Mark Payne, 32, of 4 Logistic Support Regiment, was discovered dead in his room at Dalton Barracks, Abingdon

  • Bus pervert was caught by dad

    A MAN who performed a sex act in front of a schoolgirl on a bus, was arrested by the victim’s dad – a senior policeman waiting for her at the next stop. Hugh White, 48, and his victim were travelling on the U1 from Oxford city centre to Wheatley when

  • Disabled seek new club venue

    A NIGHTCLUB for than 200 people with learning disabilities could close after the comedy club which hosted it went into administration. Stingray Nightclub, organised and run by charity My Life My Choice, has been held every two months for the past two

  • Pedestrians back campaign to clean up pavements

    OXFORD’S streets are now so dirty, increasing numbers of people are refusing to walk on them, a campaign group claimed last night. Oxford Pedestrians Association believes litter-strewn pavements are putting people off taking a stroll around

  • Girls make a good fist of self-defence

    GIRLS at an Oxford youth group are hoping to kick bullying into touch with new self-defence lessons. The Barton Girls and Young Women Group, which meets twice a week at the Youth Centre, in Underhill Circus, have been learning Tae Kwon Do, a Korean

  • Violent mental patient escapes

    A VIOLENT mental health patient who was sent to a secure unit after attacking a pensioner with a rock is on the run tonight. Police warned people not to approach schizophrenic Saju Miah, 25, described as unpredictable and aggressive, and said

  • Rumours fly over Renault F1 future

    More uncertainty surrounds the future of more than 500 workers at the Enstone base of the Renault F1 team. Bosses were today putting out conflicting statements as rumours circulated that it may quit Formula One following a board meeting in

  • Crowds flock as 'son of Woolworths' opens

    IT was finally a fitting way to mark Woolworths’ 100th birthday today. Alworths, the new high street chain dubbed “son of Woolworths”, opened its first store at the site of the former Woolies in Didcot. It was the 100th anniversary to the day since

  • Local share prices (PM)

    AEA Technology 30 BMW 2939 Electrocomponents 157.75 Gladstone 25 Nationwide Accident Repair 80.5 Oxford Biomedica 13.75 Oxford Catalysts 55.5 Oxford Instruments 229 Reed Elsevier 476.5 RM 149.5 RPS Group 207.5 Courtesy

  • Witney shoppers call for more parking spaces

    VISITORS to Witney’s new £50m shopping centre have raised concerns about a shortage of parking in the town. West Oxfordshire District Council said today it was monitoring the situation after residents said spaces – which are all free – were in short

  • RAF Brize Norton gunner wins bravery award

    A GUNNER based at RAF Brize Norton has been honoured for his bravery while serving out in Afghanistan. Senior Aircraftman Wayne Ince, of 501 Squadron, part of the RAF Reserves, has been awarded a Joint Commander’s Commendation. The award recognised

  • More fears over Renault F1 future

    More uncertainty is clouding the future of more than 500 workers at the Oxfordshire base of the Renault F1 team. Top bosses at the Enstone-based team were last night putting out conflicting signals as rumours continued to circulate that it may quit Formula

  • Holiday home Peeping Tom sent to prison

    A VOYEUR who secretly filmed women and schoolgirls undressing at a remote rural holiday cottage was jailed for two-and-a-half years today. David Sturgess, 53, formerly of Abingdon, was taken to prison still protesting his innocence.

  • County parades will salute fallen

    PEOPLE across Oxfordshire will pay their respects to Britain’s war dead at services across the county this weekend. On Sunday, parades and wreath-laying ceremonies at war memorials will mark the signing of the Armistice which ended the First World War

  • Police issue taxi warning following attack

    An unlicenced taxi driver is being blamed for sexually assaulting a woman after picking her up in the early hours of the morning. The woman, in her 20s, was walking along the High Street, Banbury at about 2.40am on Saturday, October 24, when a car pulled-up

  • The White Horse

    Celebrate your Christmas Party at The White Horse, Headington From £8.00 per person To book call Samantha on 01865 762447 The White Horse, Headington OX3 7SP

  • Moustaches cultivated for cancer charity

    IF YOU see large numbers of men walking around with strange-shaped facial hair this month, don’t panic. Scores of men across the county are taking part in an global charity event called Movember to raise money in a light-hearted way for the Prostate

  • FOOTBALL: Crisis easing for Abingdon boss O'Hara

    FTL Futbol Hellenic League Abingdon Town manager Mark O’Hara has selection issues of a better kind as he prepares to take his side to table-topping Reading Town in the Premier Division on Saturday. All season, O’Hara has seen his team decimated by injury

  • The Randolph Hotel

    Christmas Festive Magic at The Randolph Hotel Christmas Party Nights from £36.00 Christmas Day Lunch from £99.00 Boxing Day Buffet from £45.00 New Year's Eve Dinner Dance from £135.00 To book your table call: 0844 279 9132

  • Drummers herald Ashmolean reopening

    THESE Japanese drummers entertained hundreds of guests at Oxford’s Ashmolean Museum, which opens to the public following a £61m renovation on Saturday. VIP guests were invited on Wednesday to see the changes at the museum in Beaumont Street

  • FOOTBALL: Railwaymen are on track says boss Peace

    Zamaretto Southern League DIDCOT Town boss Stuart Peace believes his side may have turned the corner as they look to consolidate their mid-table position in the Premier Division at home to Evesham United on Saturday. The Railwaymen beat Leamington 5

  • The Bull Inn

    Why not hold your Christmas Party at the Bull Inn? At the end of the evening a taxi home can be arranged for you Christmas Menu is now available and will be served from 1 December through to 24 December It is advisable to book

  • "Remarkable" rise in UK Mini sales

    Bosses at the Cowley Mini plant have hailed a massive hike in UK sales as “remarkable.” Figures produced by the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT) show 3,120 cars were sold in the UK during October, a rise of more than 65 per cent on the

  • Huge heroin dose killed butcher

    A FATHER-of-three was “not going to survive” the moment he injected a huge dose of heroin, an inquest heard. Brad Kershaw was found slumped on a sofa in Winterbourne Close in Bicester on May 24, after a night with friends in which he also smoked crack

  • Volunteer Pam proves an inspiration to hundreds

    A WOMAN who has taught hundreds of children to read has been named Volunteer of the Year. Pam Andrews, from Sandford-on-Thames, has provided one-to-one reading help to pupils at Orchard Meadow Primary School, in Blackbird Leys, Oxford, for

  • FOOTBALL: Sinnott backing his old side

    Andy Sinnott is hoping his old side can beat Burton Albion to complete the double for Oxford City. Sinnott was part of the team that pulled off a surprise 1-0 victory at Burton in 1978, thanks to a Bob Green strike – it was the only time before Sunday

  • FOOTBALL: Baird is gutted

    Oxford City defender Andy Baird admits he is gutted to miss the side’s biggest game for ten years – but says it gives the chance for someone else to get the limelight. Baird, 30, who is banned for the first-round trip to Burton Albion having been sent

  • REPATRIATION: Olaf arrives at JR

    Hundreds of people lined the streets of Oxford this afternoon to pay tribute bomb-disposal expert Olaf Schmid. Staff Sgt Schmid, 30, who was based at Vauxhall Barracks in Didcot, died on Saturday as he attempted to defuse a bomb in the Sangin

  • FOOTBALL: City coach Savage eyes an upset

    Oxford City player-coach Dave Savage is hoping to use his giant-killing experiences as a professional to help them pull off a shock against Burton. Savage, 36, was in the Millwall team that beat Arsenal and Chelsea in their brilliant Cup run

  • Tributes to Afghan shooting victims

    Tributes have been paid to the five "men of courage" killed when an Afghan policeman turned his gun on British soldiers. Corporal Nicholas Webster-Smith, 24, who came from Brackley and Corporal Steven Boote, of the Royal Military Police, died

  • FIXTURES November 6

    SATURDAY. FOOTBALL. FA CUP. 1st round: Oxford Utd v Yeovil. ZAMARETTO SOUTHERN LEAGUE. Premier Div: Didcot Tn v Evesham, Merthyr Tydfil v Banbury Utd. Div 1 South & West: Abingdon Utd v Bridgwater Tn, AFC Hayes v North Leigh. FTL FUTBOL HELLENIC

  • TENNIS: Lucy storms up the rankings

    Lucy Brown continues her rapid rise up the world junior tennis rankings after some storming displays on her tour of Asia. Brown, 16, from Elsfield, near Oxford, produced arguably a career-best display to be runner-up in an ITF Grade 2 event in Nanthaburi

  • RUGBY: Quins keeping feet on the ground

    Oxford Harlequins may have gained a handsome victory over derby rivals Chinnor last week, but there is no complacency in the camp ahead of their long National 3 South West trip to Barnstaple on Saturday. Quins triumphed by a flattering 35-18 margin to

  • BADMINTON: Holders begin defence in style

    Reigning champions Windrush A maintained the strong start to the defence of their Oxford League Men’s Division 1 title with an 8-1 success over weakened Headington A. Catherine Gravelling and Barry Jones were unbeaten as Wantage won their first three

  • Young singer to star at switch-on

    BANBURY residents will be treated to some homegrown talent at this year’s Christmas lights switch-on. Singer Rosie Samaras, 12, will perform two songs after winning a 10-minute slot at the event. Rosie was one of 21 budding singers who took part in

  • Police emergency appeals going live

    EMERGENCY crime up-dates and safety messages are being beamed on to TV screens in shops, surgeries and cafés. The Cherwell Community TV pilot scheme has been set up by police, Cherwell District Council and the Cherwell Safer Communities Partnership (

  • £300k grant saves Rainbow Playgroup

    PARENTS and children are celebrating after their playgroup was saved by a £300,000 grant. A black cloud has hung over Rainbow Playgroup in Bicester since Oxfordshire County Council inspectors condemned its home — a 30-year-old portable building in Hendon

  • Advice on offer for would-be home owners

    HELP is at hand for people who want to get on the property ladder but cannot afford to buy a home on the open market. The Vale of White Horse District Council is holding a Homebuyers’ Day to raise awareness of the low cost home ownership schemes operating

  • Fundraising in memory of Iris

    A MEMORIAL concert will raise funds for the Oxford Alzheimer’s home where novelist Iris Murdoch died 10 years ago. Miss Murdoch died from Alzheimer’s disease in Oxford in February 1999 aged 79. But between 1956 and 1986, the novelist and her husband

  • Primary pupils turn super sleuths

    PUPILS helped solve a crime scene as they used latest technology to look for clues. Edith Moorhouse Primary School, in Lawton Avenue, Carterton, had a visit from Pc Richard Barnes, who gave them a hands-on lesson in crime scene investigation. The after-school

  • Unfair on school

    YOU dealt badly with the recent item concerning Wheatley Park School being taken into special measures. The entire article must have spread dismay among all involved. Such completely unwarranted sensationalism must have embittered all those involved

  • Credit the unions

    FOR the second time this year, D Rothery has spewed out his right wing, Tory diatribe against the trade unions at the Cowley car works. I recall his past letters that tell of the Utopian memories he has of his career at the works during the thirties.

  • Cyclists: Face facts

    WHY is it so hard to cycle across town – answer because the safety of pedestrians takes precedent over lazy cyclists. James Styring states in ‘On yer bike’ (OxfordMail, November 3): “There is a popular notion that bikes are a menace to pedestrians.”

  • The dying arts

    IT’S bad enough that learning basic maths in schools is going down the drain, but now Alex Wilkinson and Tom Watson prove that the lack of ability to read a complete letter and comment on the actual meaning indicates English Language is also a dying art

  • Screams from a little princess

    SCREAMS rang through the Westgate car park, the soulless concrete monster echoing the blood-curdling cries. My blood ran cold; I had to investigate and, if necessary, intervene. The knight in armour spirit lives on. Tracing the source was easy

  • Obey regulations

    IN REPLY to James Styring ‘On yer bike’ (OxfordMail, November 3), I find it very difficult to understand a glaring mistake in his point about a viable west/east/west cycle route. How about cyclists actually obeying the Queen Street regulations as they

  • It's a step too far

    WHILE acknowledging that parliamentarians’ allowances not only need to be cleaned up but also seen to be, suggesting that MPs should no longer be permitted to employ relatives merely because a small minority has abused this right, is, together with some

  • Revise way our MPs are employed by us

    THE subject of MPs and their expenses rattles on in the public domain like a steam train passing through the night. Given the public’s disgust at what has been going on and the lack of trust in Westminster by the public, now is the time to completely

  • Update: 'Violent' man goes missing from Oxford hospital

    Police are appealing for help to trace a 25-year-old man who has absconded from the Littlemore Hospital in Oxford. Saju Miah went missing from the hospital at around 4pm yesterday. He is Asian, about 5ft 7in tall, small build, with short

  • Gran-d plan to revive Christmases past

    A GRANDMOTHER has pledged to bring back the magic of Christmas with the help of Shotover, and some celebrity friends. Avril Lethbridge, from Summertown, Oxford, believes the youth of today have become disenchanted with the festive season and

  • Soldier's barracks death remains a mystery, inquest told

    The circumstances surrounding the death of an Oxfordshire soldier found dead at his army barracks remain a mystery, an inquest was told today. Private Mark Payne, 32, of 4 Logistic Support Regiment based at Dalton Barracks in Abingdon, was set to return

  • Son of Woolworths opens

    ONE of the nation’s favourite shops was reborn today in Didcot a the opening of the first Alworths. Dubbed “son-of-Woolworths”, the new store is run by an ex-Woolworths executive, on a former Woolworths site and staffed by ex-Woolworths employees

  • REPATRIATION: Journey to Oxford begins

    THE coffin of bomb disposal expert Olaf Schmid will soon begin its journey from RAF Lyneham in Wiltshire to Oxford. Didcot-based Staff Sgt Schmid, 30, died on Saturday while trying to make a bomb safe in the Sangin region of Helmand province

  • BREAKING NEWS: Killer nurse was rightly found guilty

    Killer nurse Benjamin Geen, who caused two patients' deaths and seriously injured 15 others in a perverted attempt at "self-aggrandisement", was rightly found guilty, a top judge has ruled. Lady Justice Hallett said the evidence was "overwhelming

  • Bogus taxi driver assaulted woman

    Police are appealing for witnesses after a woman was sexually assaulted in Banbury. The woman, in her twenties, was walking along the High Street in Banbury at about 2.40am on Saturday, October 24, when a car pulled-up alongside her and the driver

  • Ferrari attacks FIA

    Ferrari has launched an attack on motor sport's governing body, the FIA, as French manufacturer Renault discusses its future in Formula One. The Italian team, the oldest in the sport, has hit out against what it sees as a perceived bias against manufacturers

  • Ecclestone warning to Silverstone

    Formula One supremo Bernie Ecclestone has suggested he will remove the British Grand Prix from next season's calendar if Silverstone does not agree to a deal in the next two days. Ecclestone is reportedly not prepared to negotiate further with the

  • Youngsters to visit police HQ

    Students from Gosford Hill School in Kidlington are to spend tomorrow behind the scenes at Thames Valley Police Headquarters. The small group will spend time helping to develop a new part of the force website, visit the Police Enquiry Centre

  • Bomb hero body's repatriated

    The body of Didcot-based Staff Sgt Olaf Schmid has been repatriated to RAF Lyneham in Wiltshire. Staff Sgt Schmid, 30, died on Saturday while trying to make a bomb safe in the Sangin region of Helmand province — the last day of his five-month tour.

  • REPATRIATION: Olaf Schmid's body arrives at Lyneham

    THE body of Didcot-based Staff Sgt Olaf Schmid has been repatriated to RAF Lyneham in Wiltshire. Staff Sgt Schmid, 30, died on Saturday while trying to make a bomb safe in the Sangin region of Helmand province - the last day of his five-month

  • Police search for missing Oxford mental patient

    A mental health patient who attacked an elderly man is on the run from a secure unit at Littlemore Hospital. Saju Miah, 25, who police have described as unpredictable and warned members of the public not to approach, absconded from the hospital

  • The Ashmolean for all

    The world’s first public museum, the Ashmolean has always been a beacon of learning but this autumn’s reopening heralds a significant shift in culture. The new multi-million pound transformation has been designed to give enjoyment and inspiration

  • Reflections on building the new Ashmolean

    When I heard they were re-developing the Ashmolean Museum I was puzzled that a major company like BAM would be considered — surely this would be a simple extension? From the moment I set eyes on the achitect’s design, however, I saw all the ingredients

  • Five years of work comes to fruition

    Exhibition design specialists Metaphor developed the design for the 35 permanent galleries in the new Ashmolean, creating the visual look and the means of storytelling in all the galleries. Good storytelling and great design is what creates

  • Witney becomes a 'business hub'

    Anyone looking for evidence that the recession is loosening its grip should travel no further than Witney. Experts and firms in the west Oxfordshire town report business is flourishing with a wealth of activity in recent months boosted by massive

  • Country hideaway

    Inspiration and hours of painstaking work have produced a family home which is the perfect country hideaway. Ivy Cottage in Tucks Lane, Longworth, has been brought up to date by Mark and Estelle Morris who have struck the perfect balance between ancient

  • Elias Ashmole and the Tradescants

    As we enjoy the transformation of one of the UK’s most famous museums, it is worth sparing a thought for Elias Ashmole. He was the man whose collection of antiquities, geological and zoological specimens donated to the University of Oxford in

  • Better by design

    As one of the world’s most talented architects, it was expected Rick Mather would come up with something impressive when asked to redesign one of Oxford’s most famous buildings, the Ashmolean Museum. But not only does the finished project

  • A place of learning and inspiration

    The Ashmolean’s collections are extraordinary. They reflect four centuries of evolving knowledge about many of the world’s great civilisations. Some collections, such as the Chinese greenware and artefacts from pre-Dynastic Egypt, are the finest

  • Local share prices (AM)

    AEA Technology 30 BMW 2931 Electrocomponents 157.2 Gladstone 25 Nationwide Accident Repair 80.5 Oxford Biomedica 13.5 Oxford Catalyst 55.5 Oxford Instruments 229 Reed Elsevier 474.9 RM 150.5 RPS Group 203.6 Courtesy of Redmayne Bentley

  • Eagles of Death Metal @ Oxford O2 Academy

    Little fish kick start the night bringing their blend of jangly blues rock to a largely empty room. The female fronted 3 piece ploughed through their set, not without technical issues, with screechy vocals and a safe blend of white stripes-esque

  • Oxford put defeat behind them

    Oxford 1 expected their first season in the top flight of British chess, the Four Nations Chess League 1st division, to be a testing one. Though their first match against the champions, Wood Green Hilsmark Kingfisher, did not disabuse them of this notion

  • Beans mean bees

    November doesn’t seem a promising month to plant a vegetable. But I always make a late sowing of a hardy variety of broad bean called ‘Aquadulce Claudia’ whenever the weather allows. The resulting crop is not much earlier than my spring-sown crop, to

  • Get out and go wild

    Nature’s own aerial display: At this time of year, many birds flock in impressive numbers to spend the winter together. It is a case of safety in numbers — the bigger the flock, the less likely any individual will be taken by a predator, such as a marauding

  • Choros: St Mary the Virgin Church

    The great advantage of studying the famous Venetian composer Vivaldi, an Oxford professor of music once told me, was that you needed to visit Venice frequently. Once there, it was necessary to drink lots of local wine — vital preparation for long

  • A mighty oak that will fall

    Children from six primary schools in Oxfordshire are studying the story of a mature and majestic oak to understand how trees and woodlands play an important part in our lives and environment. The English oak has been growing in the grounds of Blenheim

  • The Black Album: Oxford Playhouse

    The year is 1989, and Shahid, a young Asian, moves from comfortable, suburban Kent to sample life as a London student. He’s wide open to influences, and is quickly snapped up by a fundamentalist Muslim brotherhood. He also gets embroiled in a passionate

  • Library digital black hole

    Oxford’s Bodleian Library has seen plenty of change in its 400-year history, but the electronic revolution must be its biggest challenge to date, with pundits forecasting that the days of written material will soon be numbered. However, computerising

  • Pride of Oxford goes to US

    JOHN Lovett, owner of Oxfordshire Ales brewery, and his head brewer Steve Goryll are toasting success after signing up their first importer in the US. The company’s Pride of Oxford brew, described as 'easy drinking, fruity and vibrant', won the Best

  • Boost for biofuels test

    A PORTUGUESE businessman is to invest £3.7m in an Oxford University start-up company aiming to develeop next generation fuels produced from waste, João Pereira Coutinho, who made his fortune in the car import business, has set up a company called

  • The monster within

    It’s not often that a literary biography generates sensational headlines, but "Lord of the Flies author tried to rape girl, 15” certainly brought Oxford critic John Carey’s life of William Golding to public attention. He’s no stranger to the media, as

  • Paperback round-up

    Land of My Neighbours Barry Pilton (Bloomsbury, £11.99) Humorous writing is hard to do, but Pilton somehow pulls it off in this surreal story set in the Nant valley in mid-Wales. To outsiders, it seems madly romantic, but is seen by most of its inhabitants

  • Village stories

    NOTWITHSTANDING Louis de Bernieres (Harvill Secker, £12.99)De Bernieres,best known for his novel Captain Corelli’s Mandolin, has produced a collection of 20 pieces published or broadcast before 2004. In his afterword he says that his previous stories

  • Shakespeare in pictures

    SHAKESPEARE: THE ILLUSTRATED EDITION Bill Bryson (HarperCollins, £20)Considering how little we actually know about Shakespeare, it’s astonishing how many books about him have been, are being and will go on being published. Bill Bryson’s includes a picture

  • Local author

    Peter McGregor, a former Longworth parish councillor who now lives in Faringdon, has written a satirical novel set in 2022, about a group of ‘Nimbys’ who want to take over Oxford and Cambridge. The Retreat is published by YouWriteOn at £10.99.

  • Scrappage boosts car sales

    New car sales soared last month as buyers continued to take advantage of the Government's "cash for bangers" car scrappage scheme. New registrations in October rose 31.6% compared with October 2008, with a total of 168,942 new cars being sold last

  • Shopping centres boost clean-up

    TWO of Oxford’s biggest shopping centres have joined forces to help clean up the city’s streets. Managers at the Westgate and Clarendon centres last night vowed to step up efforts to clear up their areas by deploying two teams of cleaners and

  • Wines for Guy Fawkes Night, £75

    Want some wines to add an extra snap, crackle and pop to your fireworks night? (After the fireworks we should add – rather than during). Then why not light the red capsules on this little lot of wines and retire fast after drinking them? The Wines for

  • Screw-cap bottles are not without downsides

    It’s rare to hear anyone say a bad word about screw caps on wine bottles . . . In fact, I’m slightly scared about what I’m about to say next but really, they are not without their downsides. I was on the Eurostar last week making my way to France for

  • Renault in SOS talks on F1 future

    Renault have held an emergency board meeting in Paris to discuss pulling out of Formula 1 with immediate effect. The French car company, whose F1 outfit are based in Enstone, were considering whether to remain in the sport with their own team, switch

  • 'Miracle' deacon to visit Oxford

    A Roman Catholic deacon whose cure from a crippling spinal disease after praying to a Victorian cardinal was approved as a miracle by the Vatican begins a six-day visit to Britain today. Jack Sullivan, from the US diocese of Boston, Massachusetts

  • A34 congestion after smash

    Three drivers have been treated for minor injuries following a three-car smash on the A34 this morning. The accident happened at 7.45am, a mile north of the Chilton interchange, causing tailbacks on the northbound carriageway. A spokesman for South

  • Preparing to share its treasures

    The finishing touches are being applied to Oxford’s Ashmolean Museum, which reopens its doors on Saturday after a £61m redevelopment. The robes of Lawrence of Arabia, a sword presented to Henry VIII and the Ashmolean’s new acquisition by Titian

  • Three-car crash blocks A34

    A three-car crash today blocked the A34 in south Oxfordshire. The crash happened at about 7.50am on the northbound carriageway between West Ilsley and the Chilton Interchange. All traffic was stopped to allow emergency services to attend

  • Half of stores sold cigarettes to schoolgirl

    Trading standards officers said they were appalled after 50 per cent of stores sold cigarettes to a 15-year-old schoolgirl. A survey of eight newsagents, an off-licence and one post office in Oxford, showed two years after the legal age to buy

  • FOOTBALL: Oxford City keeper out to spring Cup shock

    Keeper Richard Knight says Oxford City are more than capable of pulling off a shock when they take on his former side Burton Albion in the FA Cup first round at the Pirelli Stadium on Sunday. The former Oxford United stopper, 30, who made 49 appearances

  • Concern over North Oxford turbine plan

    Plans are being drawn up to build a giant wind turbine in Cutteslowe Park, North Oxford. Oxford City Council says it is ready “to dispose of” more than ten acres of land in the park to allow a turbine to be built next to the A40 as part of

  • Time to remember the fallen

    PEOPLE across Oxfordshire will pay their respects to Britain’s war dead at services across the county this weekend. On Sunday, parades and wreath-laying ceremonies at war memorials will mark the signing of the Armistice which ended the First

  • Lacking character

    Sir – I would like to comment in the letter from Jane Moir (October 29) about the relief which stood on the County Maternity Hospital in Walton Street. In fact, after extensive research, it was established that the work was by Epstein, not Gill although

  • No need for neglect

    Sir – There is still some woodland in Oxfordshire that is managed to the benefit of many British species and for the enjoyment of the public. Woodland does not have to be “neglected” to preserve the biodiversity, as Clive Hambler implies (Letters, October

  • Gravel pit battle

    Sir – A letter in your issue of October 22 praised Oxford city councillors for their good judgement in rejecting certain planning applications. The county councillors, too, won praise last year for turning down an application by Hanson Aggregates to

  • City put to shame

    Sir – I recently visited public toilets in Stratford-upon-Avon. The facilities there put Oxford to shame. David Bradnack, Haddenham

  • Intriguing flocks

    Sir – For some time I have been intrigued by flocks of rooks and sometimes gulls, regularly flying across my house in Didcot. They fly from the SE to the NW towards the power station in the early evening and I wondered if any readers could explain

  • Time-warp ceremonies

    Sir – My father never forgot how, when he was a boy, there was hardly one household in the street in which he lived, that hadn’t received a telegram reporting the loss of a loved member of the family. This summer I was returning by boat back to Oxford

  • Degree of respect

    Sir – In response to Bruce Ross-Smith’s criticism of my letter (October 22), of course I was indulging in historical speculation! I have never pretended to be an expert — perhaps I’ve been watching too much Ben Hur!? The point I was making though is

  • Taken for granted

    Sir – On the day of the national Royal Mail delivery strike, I was surprised and delighted to see our local postman on his rounds delivering mail as usual. We need to spare a thought for these loyal posties who come out in all weathers (rain, shine

  • Sainsbury's plans expansion

    Sainsbury’s has submitted plans for a multi-million-pound extension to its Heyford Hill store on the Oxford ring road. The supermarket chain is planning to build an extension at the front of the store, which would include a new entrance lobby

  • Safety distraction

    Sir – It was nice to read opinions from two well qualified drivers at last (Report, October 22). The standard of driving generally has fallen over the last 20/30 years and the introduction of this limit does nothing to change that. The fact that this

  • Study other options

    Sir – I am horrified to understand from your article (October 22), that Oxfordshire County Council’s plans to buy an incinerator are only ‘on hold’. Surely an incinerator of the type planned should be thought through seriously, as it has been banned

  • Reassess preference

    Sir – The delay to the proposed planning applications for incinerators in Sutton Courtenay and Ardley is to be welcomed (Report, October 22). The county council has yet to sign a contract for Oxfordshire’s municipal waste to be incinerated, and until

  • Extraordinary gift

    Sir – Your very engaging picture of Richard Speed (October 29) must have brought back happy memories to many of your readers who attended his summer schools. He had an extraordinary gift of bringing together people of different gifts and nationalities

  • Money squandered

    Sir – I have been troubled recently by the construction of an electronic information sign on the A44 approaching Oxford. One of several, I believe. The vital information so far displayed favours three messages: l “For Oxford use P&R” — Assuming this

  • Light at end of tunnel

    Sir – Your bridge correspondent, Nick Smith’s assertions that the game of bridge’s governing body, the English Bridge Union (EBU), is obscuring the fact that EBU members are dwindling couldn’t be farther from the truth. It is true that the number of

  • Bridge building

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