QUELLE surprise! Top chef Raymond Blanc celebrated his 60th birthday today with a special cake. To mark the occasion, staff at Maison Blanc, the French patisserie in Woodstock Road, presented him with an unusual gateau. Choux and puff
ONE more flood and we will move – that was the warning from an Oxford father today after a new flood barrier was tested outside his home. Father-of-three Jalal Khan welcomed the new £50,000 barrier, which will cover 100 metres of Bullstake
A 51-year-old man has admitted stealing a woman’s handbag by slicing through the strap with a razor. Slimane Benhalilou, of White Road, Cowley, Oxford, and an unknown accomplice targeted 69-year-old Sylvia Phipps in Tesco Metro in Cowley Road, Oxford
GREEN Belt campaigners believe they have killed off plans for 4,000 homes on the southern outskirts of Oxford. The Government has for the first time proposed removing the site off Grenoble Road from its South East Plan. Two months ago, the Oxfordshire
Police have seized a stash of ornaments believed to have been stolen from gardens in the Chipping Norton area. A van was stopped by police in Over Norton on Saturday by police investigating a spate of thefts from gardens. Two men aged 19 and 25 arrested
MUSIC lovers enjoyed a special jazz concert at the BMW Mini plant, in Oxford, to celebrate 50 years of two iconic brands. The Mini and London music venue Ronnie Scott’s both reached their half-century this year, and musicians from the club, including
THE purple ball shot across Cornmarket Street followed by a blond, curly-haired, 20-month-old boy in a diminutive red tracksuit. While the ball miraculously missed the busy Tuesday morning crowd, the lad made contact with a few legs and the odd pram
Contrary to the impression given in last Thursday’s Oxford Mail (Minister’s blow to Oxford academy plan opponents), there is no indication that Secretary of State Ed Balls will actually approve the local authority’s proposal to replace Oxford School with
ouncil’s cabinet made a catastrophic decision to adopt a “technology neutral” strategy to waste disposal, recommended by their head of sustainable development, in November 2004. The approved proposal was that desired levels of recovery and recycling
Councillor John Tanner’s hypocrisy is beyond belief. On the subject of closing a quarter of the city’s public toilets, he was quoted as saying last December: “I can give you a cast-iron guarantee there will not be any closures next year”. Nonetheless
AN £80 fine for dropping a matchstick (Oxford Mail, November 9), yet hundreds of cautions are handed out for GBH in a year. Is it not time the people of this country said enough is enough? I daresay the Magdalen College student will be able to afford
FOLLOWING last week’s traffic jam – don’t forget to check the coolant level in your car’s engine. I noticed mine was down to the low level. Isn’t it also time we had a congestion-busting team to move in and disable traffic lights, in the
NINE groups in Oxforshire which work with children and young people will share more than £28,500 in grants. The money will come from Oxfordshire County Council’s Chill Out Fund. However, the organisations receiving grants may be among
FOR Sarah Bourne- Taylor it was a sweet gesture that she hopes will speak volumes. With the help of pupils at one of the schools where she teaches, the music teacher has been baking Christmas cakes for soldiers serving in Afghanistan.
SCREAMS rang out when three rugby players went through the pain barrier to get waxed for Children In Need. Between them, the Bicester Rugby Club trio – Dan Spencer and brothers Andrew and William Morris – have so far raised £445.88. Dan and Andrew
Two women who attacked another woman were yesterday jailed for 15 months each. Fay McGarry, 21, of Mascord Road, Banbury, and Kelly Jarvis, 19, of Bretch Hill, Banbury, had been convicted at Oxford Crown Court of unlawfully wounding Sceonaid Bescoby
Police are still appealing for information about anyone who was felling trees near the A40 shortly before a power cut. A tree fell on power lines near Witney at 11am on Tuesday, blacking out 1,500 homes. The road was shut for six hours. A man was reportedly
OXFORDSHIRE charities could benefit from any profit generated by the enforced sale of the Lord Nuffield Club. The base of what used to be known as the Morris Motors Social and Athletic Club, in Cowley, has been put for sale after the club went into administration
A history group has published a book about Chipping Norton’s past and present. Chipping Norton Through Time has gone on sale after three months of hard work by members of the town’s Local History Society. The group was asked by Amberley Publishing to
A HANDYMAN is furious with himself after a thief drove away with his van and tools when he turned his back for just 60 seconds. Dean Cossey, 39, from Chalgrove, had finished work for the day and loaded the van afterworking on a staircase at
Headington Amateurs will give late fitness tests to Luke Cuff (calf) and Shaun Jacobs (knee) ahead of their Oxfordshire Senior Cup first-round home game against Clanfield on Saturday. Clanfield will be without Rob Coules, so Alan Rogers and
Oxford United are bidding to get back on track against Barrow on Saturday. And manager Chris Wilder is hoping that watching a re-run of last Saturday’s 3-1 defeat at Kidderminster can help to remind the players of two key points. “We’ve got to start
Witney United will be without JP Mills and Ricky Bridges when they travel to Pegasus Juniors in FTL Futbol Hellenic League Premier Division on Saturday. Midfielder Mills is suspended and Bridges is unavailable, though Jack Smith returns.
Craig Nelthorpe returns to the Kassam Stadium on Saturday in his first away game on loan to Barrow from York. The left winger, who is very skilful and, on his day, can deliver great crosses, was man-of-the-match on his Bluebirds debut last
Forest Green Rovers have issued a warning to Oxford United fans travelling by car to Tuesday’s all-ticket Blue Square Premier game at The New Lawn. It comes from Gloucestershire County Council and Stroud District Council, and advises football
Adam Murray says losing to Kidderminster seemed worse because everyone involved with the club is setting such high standards. “It wasn’t what we normally produce,” he said. “It was one of those days when everyone was kind of five or six out of ten.
United manager Chris Wilder doesn’t believe video technology and TV replays to determine whether key decisions are right would be good for the game. There has been a clamour in some quarters for technology to come in, following Thierry Henry’s clear
On-loan defender Ross Perry said his long trip to Azerbaijan with Scotland Under 21s last week wasn’t so bad, because they travelled in style. “It was a long way, a six-hour flight,” he said. “But because we’re doing so well in the group, the SFA thought
A FUND has been launched in memory of a grandfather whose battle against Parkinson’s disease led to him befriending Muhammad Ali. Alan Smith, who founded a string of businesses including an Oxford pizza delivery company and an ice cream firm, died last
A TIMBER recycling firm which operates as a social enterpise has reported growing turnover and staff numbers, despite the recession. Oxford Wood Recycling based at Milton Park, near Didcot, has seen its turnover to September 30 rise by 20 per cent to
FOUR hundred litter pickers are being made available to community groups by the organisers of the annual Oxford spring clean. OxClean is already gearing up for next year’s citywide blitz on March 5 and 6. And £2,500 from the Oxfordshire Community Foundation
A DYSLEXIC youngster has won first prize in a national poetry competition. Brigid Davidson, from Chipping Norton, won first place in the Charley Boorman Poetry Competition, organised by Dyslexia Action as part of Dyslexia Awareness Week.
A NEW £4.5m police helicopter will serve Oxfordshire from August next year. It will replace the existing Chiltern Air Support Unit helcopter, based at RAF Benson, which completed 10,000 flying hours last month after entering service with Thames Valley
Oxford University captain Dan Rosen believes they are in good shape as the countdown to the Nomura Varsity Match gathers pace. Rosen’s boys host Trinity College, Dublin on Sunday (6.30) in their penultimate warm-up game before facing Cambridge at Twickenham
Mark Fuller, Toby Perry, Aaron Lambourne and Aly McRoberts come into Witney’s squad for Saturday's trip to Swindon in the Southern Counties Intermediate Cup quarter-finals. Scrum half Gareth Campbell and fly half Henry Lamb are rested, while
The popular Dunthrop course, near Chipping Norton, has lost one of its three meetings in a reorganisation of fixtures in the South Midlands Area. The Bicester with Whaddon Chase Hunt meeting has been switched to the new course at Whitfield,
Matthew Davies and Graham Arnold won their three rubbers as Abingdon C pipped Park B 5-4 in Oxford & District League Men’s Division 3. RESULTS OXFORD & DISTRICT LEAGUE Ladies’ Div 2: Evenlode B 1, Park A 5; Evenlode B 5, Abingdon B 1; Headington
Seven premises were targeted in a test purchase operation in Bicester in a bid to stamp out underage alcohol sales. Five passed the test on Monday and two failed. Sgt Adrian Thomas, from the Bicester neighbourhood team, said: “Underage drinking
POLICE have appealed for help to find a Didcot teenager who has been missing from home for the past five days. Police are appealing for help to find Deryn Longhurst, of Dirac Place, who has not been seen since 2pm on Saturday. She is
Police are appealing for witnesses after a girl from Didcot went missing on Saturday. Deryn Longhurst, of Dirac Place, Didcot, was last seen at her home address at 2pm. The matter was reported to police on Sunday. Deryn is 14 years old, 5ft 4in
REGULARS at a pub will not need to spend much time getting to know their new landlord – he’s been drinking with them for more than 30 years. Will Harbour, 51, has been a regular fixture at the bar of the Sow and Pigs pub in Poundon, near Bicester
OLLY the Ox is the latest personality to get behind the yellow wristbands which have been flying off shelves around the city. More than 600 of the bands — sales of which are set to directly benefit Oxford United’s squad — have been snapped
TWO thieves stole a box of tuck shop goodies that would have helped pay for games at a youth club. Captain Kathryn Mclean left her shopping in the lobby of the Salvation Army Centre, in Hart Place, Bicester, while she put money away. While upstairs
MOTOR sport fans will be able to get up close to a £1m racing car and vehicles driven by world champions at Banbury’s Christmas lights switch-on. Vehicles from Prodrive, based in Acorn Way, Banbury, will take pride of place on Sunday, November 29. Cars
AN OXFORD hospital is throwing open its doors on Saturday in a bid to dispel people’s fears about cancer treatment. Staff at the Oxford Cancer Centre will take members of the public behind the scenes and into areas usually off-limits to show
SATURDAY FOOTBALL BLUE SQUARE PREMIER Oxford Utd v Barrow. PUMA YOUTH ALLIANCE Under 18 South West Conference: Plymouth Argyle v Oxford Utd. ZAMARETTO SOUTHERN LEAGUE Premier Div: Hednesford v Oxford
GREEN Belt campaigners believe they have killed off plans for 4,000 homes on land south of Grenoble Road, Oxford, as the Government has proposed removing the controversial development from its South East Plan. Two months ago, the Oxfordshire
Witney’s multi-million-pound Marriotts Walk development has opened to the public. The first shops in the Welch Way development include Marks & Spencer, Debenhams, New Look, Wallis, Monsoon, Accessorize and Dorothy Perkins, along with restaurants Frankie
Developer Naus Albion has completed the first phase of its seven-acre mixed commercial development scheme next to the Eastern bypass in Cowley. Mini parts supplier Nedschroef Fasteners now occupies a 30,000 sq ft new distribution facility, conveniently
The sale of a new unit on an Oxfordshire industrial park is music to the ears of the developers. Shackell Pianos has purchased a 1,897 sq ft unit on the Nimrod development, in Witney, as a showcase for top-of-the-range grand pianos, leaving three units
Following a year of increased business, rural insurer NFU Mutual has moved to a new larger office in Witney. Expansion over recent years meant the insurer’s previous office was no longer big enough, and the company has taken up new premises in Des Roches
Innovation is the lifeblood of Oxfordshire. Birthplace of the British motor car industry and scores of spin-outs from its world-class research establishments and major industrial firms, the county’s track record of generating innovative companies
A young family want to leave their East Oxford home to return to North Oxford which is more suitable for their lifestyle. Ben and Bryony Leighton, who have two children, Joby, four, and three-year-old Mila, are selling their home in Divinity Road at
Despite the recession, one area of Oxfordshire which has really taken off (excuse the pun) is the newly named London Oxford Airport. Several new operators have started using it, with rising numbers of passengers preferring it as an alternative to the
When it comes to executive saloons, buyers are spolit for choice. Take your pick from the selection of BMWs, Jaguars and Mercedes, all highly capable cars offering great combinations of performance, comfort and overall prestige. But for me there is only
Every business and individual is being urged to go green but how far can environmental concerns be pushed? For example, consider the the National Health Service. When it comes to curing people and saving lives, does it really matter how green we are,
How many people would give up a successful business, built up over 35 years, to follow their conscience? For Robert Longstaff, his latest venture is the result of long-held environmental beliefs. Mr Longstaff has run down his business, Oxford
Search for 'mobile phone recycling' on the Internet and you get a range of tantalising offers — 'trade in your old mobile for cash now', they say. Incredibly, around 1,712 mobile phones are replaced every hour in the UK alone. This means that about 428kg
What was your first job and what did your responsibilities include? I worked as a bookkeeper for a towel company in Bristol, doing all the accounts for the business. It was horribly unexciting but I learnt a lot about how much accounts are as much art
As you reach for that extra blanket to snuggle underneath, spare a thought for our local wildlife struggling to survive this winter. In fact, many animals, from hedgehogs and frogs, to snakes and butterflies, opt for hibernation as a way to get
I know it’s November. I feel it in my bones and when I went down the M4 yesterday I couldn’t see the wind turbine close to Reading for all the mist and fog. But even in the dark, tucked up warmly in my bed, I can tell it’s definitely November because
So, you have put your nest boxes up and the birds do not use them, why? The first of several basic rules is to know the size of entry/exit hole that will suit the species you either have or wish to attract into your patch. The requirements are 25mm for
AEA Technology 28.75 BMW 2982 Electrocomponents 171.7 Gladstone 29 Nationwide Accident Repair 80.5 Oxford Biomedica 13.75 Oxford Catalyst 49.5 Oxford Instruments 225.5 Reed Elsevier 474.1 RM 155.5 RPS Group 215.3 Courtesy of Redmayne
House sparrows have been living close to people for hundreds of years — some say even thousands of years — yet their numbers are in steep decline and they will rely on us for their survival. Where in the past house sparrows could be seen in flocks almost
Russian Grandmaster Alexander Cherniaev visited Oxford for the University Rapidplay last week and won first prize in the Open section with 5/6. In the under-170 section, Didcot’s Graham Alcock took first with a splendid 6/6 ahead of Banbury’s Gary Jackson
It’s November. Oh no it isn’t — Oh yes it is. It is, of course, pantomime season and for what The Daily Telegraph billed last year as “a perfect antidote to gaudier metropolitan offerings”, look no further than The Theatre, Chipping Norton, for your seasonal
Advice ranging from business planning and finance to employment issues and training will be available at a free Business Support Fair in Witney. The event on November 26 is being run at Langdale Hall, Witney, from 4.30-7.30pm, by West Oxfordshire District
“I’ve found a new reason to watch EastEnders,” Catharine Evans told me as she prepared for her role as Eliza Doolittle in next week’s Oxford Operatic Society show at the Playhouse. Perhaps surprisingly, the OOS has put on My Fair Lady only once before
Modern winemaking techniques have revolutionised the quality of everyday wine to the extent that it is now possible to enjoy wine at very affordable prices. Try this recession-beating mixed case and save money on some mouth-watering examples from around
While a recession is never pleasant, it isn’t bad news for all sectors of the economy. UK cinema admissions for the first six months of 2009 were 83.5 million, the highest since 2002 and 15 per cent up on the first half of 2008, according to figures by
It has become second nature for a business to have a website, whether they are selling goods or services online, or simply giving out information about who they are and what they do. Businesses may even have reached a second or third re-design
I have been hobbling around the wine circuit this last fortnight on a pair of crutches while I wait for a torn ligament to heal. (And no, it was not an alcohol-induced injury or a riding accident). It has been a right nuisance. Well, at least I thought
The jeans on sale at Oxford’s newest shop, Exclusive Roots, are not for washing the car in. Elegant and beautifully-tailored, they look as if they come from the cutting tables of a Paris fashion house. In fact they were made in a tiny factory housed
Stop-start engines are nothing new, but the unit fitted to the Smart car takes it to extremes. The electronics on board do not even wait for the car to come to a stop before pulling the plug on the power. As soon as you put your foot on the brake
What is art? This is a question that has vexed great thinkers over the centuries. But the question that could be asked in Oxford currently is where is art? This is because new galleries seem to be cropping up in a range of places, particularly empty shops
High technology, innovation and a willingness to look at every opportunity that comes along are at the root of the success of James Price, recently named Young Farmer of the Year by industry bible Farmers Weekly. Mr Price, 30, took over much of the management
My kid brother turned 50 last month, a milestone which provided the perfect excuse for a family knees-up. Rarely have I enjoyed one more though, even now, I fail to appreciate the detrimental effect drinking neat Scotch at 3am can have upon one’s constitution
Fire crews were called to West Oxford earlier today after arsonists set a car alight. The vehicle was set alight in Ferry Hinksey Road, off Botley Road, at 2.45am. Firefighters have contacted police about the incident.
Cracking Cryptic Crosswords Colin Dexter (Offox Press, £7.99) Crossword books are two-a-penny, but not many include a new Inspector Morse mystery. It’s not really a mystery, but an exchange between the Chief Inspector and his sidekick, Sergeant Lewis
June Osborne’s Poems was chosen as the first book to be published by 3Score Publishing, a writers’ co-operative in Stonesfield, after members heard her performing at the Rose & Crown, Charlbury. Some of her poems have local settings, including Mr Eliot's
Thinking around the impact of the recession will have vexed the minds of all Oxfordshire company directors recently. So David Lewis, managing director of specialist chair manufacturer OSC Group, was not alone when he started scratching his head in a bid
For Sale signs this week went up over a piece of Oxford history — dating back to the pioneering days of the Cowley car industry, but now in the hands of the receivers. Offers are invited for the The Lord Nuffield Club, formerly the Morris Motors Athletics
Meeting illustrator Helen Cooper one morning in central Oxford opened my eyes to the complexities of children’s picture books. I had throught of them as charmingly simple things: short, easily graspable stories lit up by magical illustrations, used by
A PASSION FOR LIVING Alexander Stobbs (Hodder & Stoughton, £16.99) Alex Stobbs is 19 and has cystic fibrosis, which means that he cannot expect a normal lifespan. He is also a brilliant musician, and you may recently have seen him conducting Bach’s
When Sofia Strang first got hooked on fishing as a teenager, she hated visiting angling shops. "I have vivid memories of visiting tackle shops, firstly because I was a girl and I always felt inferior. "They were full of smoke and you would be served
No new book on the Somme can be ignored. Especially Bloody Victory by William Philpott (Little, Brown, £25), which looks beyond the tragedy to claim the campaign as an Allied victory rather than a terrible failure. Philpott argues that the young lives
Work has started on a multi-million pound revamp of Witney's Woolgate Shopping Centre. The work, due to be finished by June next year, will add 23,500 sq ft of new shopping space, and started shortly before the town's new Marriott's development opened
Plans to reintroduce on-street parking charges during evenings and on Sundays in Oxford have been criticised by businesses and restaurants. Oxfordshire County Council is seeking to make £106m worth of budget cuts over the next five years, following
Oxford's parks and pavements are under siege from dog mess – but only two owners have been fined in five years. We can reveal Oxford City Council wardens have handed out only two £50 on-the-spot fines since 2004, and none since its Cleaner
Police are investigating if power cables were deliberately brought down causing a blackout for thousands of homes and traffic gridlock on the A40. The Witney bypass was closed after a tree landed on high voltage power cables causing them to
I READ with amusement, council leader Bob Price’s letter (Oxford Mail, November 12) in response to councillor Nuala Young’s criticism of the last full city council meeting. If, as the leader of the council claims, motions to full council have “no relevance
I AM writing to congratulate the 15 children from Oxford School, Glanville Road, Cowley, for the excellent performance they put on at the Oxford Playhouse, supporting the Touring Consortium Theatre Company’s production of Kes. Watching them was excellent
WHILE visiting Templars Square, Cowley, on Wednesday, November 11, Armistice Day, I was amazed that the management there hadn’t bothered to have a bugler sound the Last Post. This is a time when we were supposed to be remembering all the soldiers
Oxford United’s out-of-favour goalkeeper Billy Turley has turned down chances to move to other clubs because he wants to stay and fight for his place. And he says he doesn’t want to leave the U’s while everyone is pulling in the same direction to try
AS A nurse with a strong academic background, I am deeply disappointed by the decision to make nursing an all-graduate profession from 2013. The nursing degree course does not increase nurses’ knowledge in any useful way over that of the nursing diploma
All at Chippy Cricket Club would like to congratulate Keith Arnold on winning the Sportsman of the Year at the Oxfordshire Awards last Friday. Well Done Arnie. GRAHAM BEACHAM, Chipping Norton Cricket Club
LAST week, by the ticket machine in Oxford’s Westgate car park, my legs gave way and I had to grab my husband to stay upright. Luckily help came from some total strangers. A lady visiting Oxford helped to hold one wrist, my husband collected our ticket
A £14m Story Museum is to be created near Christ Church, to celebrate Oxford’s links with some of greatest authors of children’s literature. The museum, expected to attract more than 100,000 visitors a year, will be set up in a Victorian building
A teenage boy is in police custody following an alleged robbery in Lower Broadway, Didcot, at 6.45pm on Tuesday. Police are appealing for information after two boys allegedly grabbed a 44-year-old woman’s bracelet and handbag. Witnesses should contact
RATHER predictably Oxford Brookes University has not given up on its massive redevelopment of the Gipsy Lane campus and it is no surprise. It is now coming back with yet another downscaling of the plans and is optimistically hoping it will be accepted
Sir – I was interested to read the article (October 29) about the 30th birthday celebration of Old Speckled Hen, Abingdon’s most famous beer. You mention the connection with MG, and as a long-term enthusiast of both the cars and the beer, I still own
Free Cakes For Kids believes that every child deserves a birthday cake. To make that happen, the non-profit organisation matches families who find it difficult to provide a birthday cake for their child with volunteer bakers from their community
The sea of flags in our pictures at Hollow Way Recreation Ground depicting the mess left behind by dogs is a shocking revelation of the extent of the problem. In just a 20 metre area we found 21 piles of dog mess during a quick spotcheck. But the true
Sir – A reader was asking about the rooks and gulls he regularly saw fly over his home in Didcot (Letters, November 5). In the past we have wondered about the gulls and so decided to follow them. It took us two tries, but eventually it took us to Farmoor
Sir – As we approach the ending of analogue television and perhaps radio too, I wonder if digital broadcasting for Oxford is going to be improved. Although digital television is generally fine, there are long periods when, at less than two kilometres
Sir – I was walking through Radcliffe Square on Friday, November 13, and passed a group of no more than six people holding a banner protesting peacefully about the need for climate change. As I walked on I noticed with amazement the group were being
PLANS to reintroduce on-street parking charges during evenings and on Sundays in Oxford have been criticised by businesses and restaurants. Oxfordshire County Council is seeking to make £106m worth of budget cuts over the next five years, following
A £14m Story Museum is to be created near Christ Church, to celebrate Oxford’s links with the greats of children’s literature. The museum, set to attract more than 100,000 paying visitors a year, is to be created in a Victorian building in Pembroke Street
Sir – Page 22 of the Weekend section (November 5) is headed Education. The main article reports a study by the Independent Schools Council arguing that the Government under-reports the cost of state education and that fee-paying schools provide
Sir – Contrary to the impression given in last week’s issue (Minister’s blow to Oxford academy plan opponents), there is no indication that Secretary of State Ed Balls will actually approve the local authority’s proposal to replace Oxford School with
Sir – As a doctor working in Jericho for the past 30 years (and having been delivered into the world in the Walton Street maternity hospital), I would like to comment further on the letters concerning the historic plaque removed from the Radcliffe Infirmary
Sir – Between April and June this year, 800 cyclists were killed or seriously injured on UK roads. Last week saw various letters in The Times and Independent about cycling on pavements. One of the most incisive points was made by a confirmed pavement
Sir – If the artist’s impression reproduced (November 12) is the best that Keble College can come up with to complement the former Acland hospital on a prime city centre site, perhaps they should save some more pennies first. Or just build one decent
The “Ghost Forest” was in place by dawn – just as Angela Palmer had promised it would be. Right there, close to Nelson’s Column in Trafalgar Square, were the massive rainforest stumps that she had somehow managed to bring over from Ghana in the hope of
Oxford Brookes University is ready to redraw its plans for a new Headington campus in a final bid to rescue the controversial £150m scheme. Brookes will seek to appease residents who oppose the redevelopment of the Gipsy Lane campus, by lowering
Oxford Brookes University is to be commended for its willingness to compromise and to have another look at plans for its new campus. We fully expected the university to launch an appeal against the decision of city councillors to reject the last scheme
We are delighted to report this week that Oxford is to be home to a major new attraction — the story museum. Just a week after the opening of the new galleries at the Ashmolean Museum, we learn that the city is to get yet another world-class facility
OXFORD’S parks and pavements are under siege from dog mess – but only two owners have been fined in five years. The Oxford Mail can reveal Oxford City Council wardens have handed out only two £50 on-the-spot fines since 2004, and none since
LEADERS of a church in Oxford city centre have objected to a new application for a lapdancing venue just 20 yards from their front door. In January, Greene King applied for a licence to run lapdancing and pole dancing sessions at Thirst Lodge
FOUR hundred litter pickers are being made available to community groups by the organisers of the annual Oxford spring clean. OxClean is already gearing up for the next city-wide clean up which will take place on March 5 and 6. And it
Sir – I note that Sainsbury’s intend to extend and improve their Heyford Hill store (Report, November 5). No doubt this will result in even more traffic trying to enter the traffic stream at Heyford Hill Roundabout from the store. It is extremely
Sir – Regarding the proposed expansion of Sainsbury’s premises at Heyford Hill (Report, November 5), if the city council is minded to approve this, I hope it will make it subject to an improvement in the layout as one exits on to the roundabout for
Sir – I read with interest the various opinions expressed by your readers regarding wind generated electricity, but most seem to be misinformed as to the realities of electrical generation. We cannot store electricity on a large scale. The problems
Sir – As one of the Friends of Cutteslowe Park, I think I should make it clear to Tim Morris and Doug Parr (Letters, November 12) that our problem was to do with lack of consultation rather than explicit opposition to the turbine. Your other correspondents
Sir – I consider myself an ardent environmentalist and live what many people would consider a frugal lifestyle with my carbon footprint at minimal levels. In popular terms I would normally be expected to support wind power. However I consider turbines
Sir – Poor Oxford, saddled with a city council so careless of its duty to protect the city’s priceless heritage, that it seeks to destroy its skyline with monstrous wind turbines. Worthy successors though to the city council in the seventies which
Watchdog TV presenter Nicky Campbell will chair an event looking at the way we drink in Oxford tonight. The event takes place at the Museum of Natural History, in Parks Road, at 7pm. Speakers will include representatives from the NHS
Sir – Harry St John suggests a ‘rethink’ of parking charges in Oxford (Letters, November 5). I suggest not. I live along the Abingdon Road and am extremely inconvenienced when, at busy shopping times towards Christmas, this road slows to a standstill
As I write this, Her Majesty the Queen has delivered what most of us believe will be Gordon Brown’s last Speech from the throne, setting out the legislative agenda for the next few years. I don’t envy her the task of reading it. Part of
Science and innovation minister Lord Drayson will be back in Oxfordshire today to celebrate the success of the Milton Park Innovation Centre. Lord Drayson, who co-founded Oxford-based needle-free vaccine firm PowderJect, will attend an event
