Neighbours were burgled during early morning break-ins. Back doors in Oxford Road, Old Marston, Oxford, were forced between midnight and 5am yesterday. Thieves stole a wallet, mobile phone and a watch. Call police on 08458 505505 or Crimstoppers on
A 59-year-old man has been jailed for 16 weeks for a string of offences including shoplifting a joke golf ball. David Harris, of no fixed address, appeared at Oxford Magistrates’ Court where he admitted stealing food and alcohol worth about £20 from
THE Bodleian Library in Oxford showed more than 1,000 book fans some of its most precious JRR Tolkien illustrations today. To celebrate World Book Day, the library staged a special exhibition of The Lord of the Rings author’s original artwork, which
SIXTEEN families in Wolvercote have been told there is no room for their children at the local primary school. The reception class at the primary school in First Turn has been filled with 30 pupils, leaving other villagers facing a drive to
SIXTEEN families in Wolvercote, Oxford, have been told there is no room for their children at the local primary school. The reception class at the primary school in First Turn has been filled with 30 pupils, leaving other villagers facing a drive to
Seven weeks of roadworks on the A420 and A34 at Botley interchange, in Oxford, begin on Monday, to install traffic lights on the four entry points of the roundabout. A new pedestrian and cycle crossing will be created on the west exit
A man woke up to find a burglar rifling through possessions in his bedroom. Police are appealing for information after a patio door to a house in Dene Road, Cowley, was forced open at about 8pm yesterday. The 22-year-old man inside woke to find the burglar
A WAR veteran has raised a Falkland Islands flag in his front garden following diplomatic rows between Britain and Argentina. Royal British Legion member Leonard Nicholls, of the Ramsden branch, has hoisted the flag at his home in School Road, Finstock
A £50,000 training centre which will help firefighters become better prepared for major incidents opened in Oxford today. Based at Slade Park fire station in Headington, the new incident command suite will stage hi-tech simulations of incidents – such
Police this evening issued a picture of a man they want to interview about a series of fraud offences across Oxfordshire and Berkshire. Paul Lawrence, 29, was arrested in July 14, 2009, in Oxford with a 26-year-old woman on suspicion of fraud
Three men have been arrested in connection with a series of burglaries in North Oxfordshire in the past two weeks. The men, aged 29, 34 and 38, were arrested by officers from the Cherwell burglary team at an address in Bicester at about 10.30am today
FOUR child heart patients who died at the John Radcliffe Hospital were operated on by the same surgeon, the Oxford Radcliffe Hospitals Trust has confirmed. Paediatric cardiac surgery has been suspended at the hospital following the four deaths, which
ALMOST 1,000 Cowley-built Minis were sold in the UK in February – a 13 per cent rise on the same month last year. So far this year, 3,108 have been sold, compared with 2,498 in the first two months of 2009 – a 24 per cent increase. Last February marked
CRUSHED biscuits caused police to cordon off part of a town centre over lunchtime today. Worried shoppers alerted officers after spotting a man walk calmly through Market Place in Abingdon shortly before midday, and place three bags on the ground. Witnesses
The annual Oxfordshire Science Festival (this year part of Seasons of Science) is where hands and minds can get busy exploring, debating, experiencing and discussing science at the many events held across the county. The festival takes place over
For centuries, Oxfordshire has been a hotbed of innovation and scientific excellence. Revolutionary research and astounding discoveries emerge almost daily from our universities. Oxfordshire’s high technology companies continue to create new
What’s on when . . . just a few of the events taking place during Oxfordshire’s Seasons of Science 2010 SCIENCE FESTIVAL LAUNCH Science in Our World March 6, from noon Venue: Broad Street, Oxford Free Info: www.oxfordshiresciencefestival.co.uk
Last week’s try brace has not been enough for Oxford Harlequins lock Adam Pearson to keep his place at home to Barnstaple tomorrow (2.30). Pearson, who bagged a double in Quins’ 54-7 victory at Maidenhead, is replaced by Andy Boyle for the National 3
Oxfordshire 3rd finished off their season in style with a 10-5 home win over Wiltshire 3rd in Division 5B of the Inter-county Championships. With the match poised at 9-5, the home side needed a win in the remaining mixed doubles to gain full points.
Has Oxfordshire got the worst traffic planners in Britain? You report (Oxford Mail, March 2) that our county council spent £6,000 creating a bus lane in Kidlington’s Bicester Road and then, six months later, spent £3,000 removing it, because it was making
I write to you to address some of the issues raised by Susan Thomas’ letter (Oxford Mail, February 18). I would like to know where and how wind turbines cited in the UK by our major power providers have ever been the subject of UK government subsidies
ON reflection, I feel that it would probably be a good idea to have a wind turbine for Oxford. This is because it makes economic sense to claw back some of the money that has been spent on subsidies for Partnership for Renewables.
With what has been happening in British politics in recent years, Britons can show their contempt in the next few weeks at General Election time with the ‘V-sign’! During the Second World War, Winston Churchill craftily turned the V-sign to his own,
THE treatment of Stephen Russell, who was stopped and searched for taking photos of the police (Oxford Mail, February 24) is rather surprising as they seem to allow themselves to be filmed at work on all sorts of operations for television programmes.
IT is, regrettably, an indisputable fact that the hunting fraternity are determined to restore their primitive sport to legality by the election of a Tory Government, and they will utilise whatever means at their disposal to bring that about. Expect
AFTER reading your story about the gentleman who had a kidney transplant in 1984, my friend has asked me to let you know her sister, Isobel Gregory, had a kidney transplant in 1976. Her brother Richard donated one of his kidneys. The operation took place
WHY all the fuss about Gordon Brown being a bully to his staff? They have a choice – they are free to resign. We never elected him, but we are stuck with him until the General Election in May. The reason he took us into Europe is so he can join all
Zamaretto Southern League previews Oxford City boss Mike Ford has warned his younger players to shape up soon, or face the axe from the Premier Division club. City have not won a league game since January 19 – a run of five matches. They will be expecting
HEADINGTON Amateurs striker Luke Cuff says he will turn down an approach from Premier Division strugglers Bicester Town. Bicester have made a seven-day approach for Cuff, who has scored 17 goals for Headington in Division 1 West. However, Cuff said:
AS promotions go, it was a static display with eye movement the only clue to the young man being flesh and blood like the rest of us in a cold but sunny Cornmarket Street. Although his clothes were everyday wear, placards announced he was highlighting
TWO men were stabbed and four men are in custody after a fight during a party at a house on an Oxford estate. Police were called after a double stabbing inside a home in Sorrell Road, Blackbird Leys, at around 1.45am today. A 27-year-old man was taken
TWO days after headteacher Alison Ashcroft took over at All Saints Primary School in Sutton Courtenay the playground was condemned. Since that day, in September last year, pupils have been working on ideas for equipment – and this week unveiled their
BOSSES at Oxford Brookes University have expressed their disappointment after city councillors again called in their plans to redevelop the university’s Headington campus. The future of the £132m scheme, which will house the university’s
TWO veterinary nurses are taking part in a trek across Africa’s Great Rift Valley hoping to raise thousands of pounds for animals. Katie Alder and Tara Ryan, who work at Beaumont Vets, in Kidlington, will spend eight days walking 62 miles in Tanzania
Crushed biscuits brought Abingdon town centre to a standstill today. Police were alerted at midday after a man in a brown or cream jacket and a baseball cap was seen placing three bags on the ground in Market Place. Officers cordoned off the square
GOOD Samaritans are being urged to step forward and help their neighbours in a new scheme in Kidlington. Volunteers who can offer even one hour a week are needed to support people who need a little extra help. Jobs can involve dog-walking, running errands
DAVID Nicholls’ first novel Starter for Ten, about a quiz-mad student who makes it on to the college’s University Challenge team, sold very well, and was then made into a well-received movie starring James McAvoy. Then the author hit difficult second
“A DEBT of honour.” That is why former servicemen say they turn out, week after week, to line the streets as the bodies of service personnel killed in Afghanistan are repatriated to the John Radcliffe Hospital in Oxford. More than 200 people were invited
AN OXFAM team of aid workers has now arrived in Santiago, Chile, spearheading the aid agency’s response to Saturday’s devastating earthquake, which registered 8.8 on the Richter scale. As well as sending a team to the disaster-hit area of Concepcion,
Most public and private building schemes are languishing thanks to the deepest economic recession in living memory. Not so those of Oxford’s two universities. Both have massive building schemes at various stages of development and the recession, if not
It is a real shame that a bout of political correctness has got in the way of Wantage youth worker Garry Kingett’s plans to reopen the Sweatbox youth club in the town. The club was forced to close because of drunkenness among some of the youngsters attending
AID workers face a race against time to safeguard the future of the victims of the Haiti earthquake. That’s the view of Oxfam worker Ian Bray, who has just returned from a month in Haiti’s capital, Port-au-Prince. As the world’s attention
Police are appealing for witnesses after two neighbouring properties were burgled in Oxford in the early hours. Between midnight and 5am yesterday, burglars gained access to both the properties in Oxford Road, Old Marston, through back doors, stealing
IT's not that I had purposefully avoided ASK in George Street until now, but, like that dress in your wardrobe with the price tag still on it, I had aways favoured wearing something else, or maybe the right occasion had never come up. But
POLICE have ordered public toilets in a West Oxfordshire town to be closed early following a spate of vandalism. Since Christmas, the district council-owned toilets, in Browns Lane, Woodstock, have been blocked and damaged at least once a week. As a
Police are appealing for witnesses after a burglary in Oxford last night where the occupant disturbed the burglar. At about 8pm, a 22-year-old man who lives at the property in Dene Road, woke to find a man in his room. The man was white, in is
EXHIBITORS are putting the finishing touches to their stands for the Oxford Mail’s Wedding Fayre and Bridal Fashion Show on Sunday. Wedding dress designers, photographers and florists are among the companies taking part at The Tally Ho Hotel, Ploughley
Jess Elzinga was the main winner at Oxonian Cycling Club's presentation evening, as he collected trophies for the open 25 and 10- mile races. Club president Mick Bowen missed the event, as he is recovering from a broken leg. prizes presented
SATURDAY. FOOTBALL. PUMA YOUTH ALLIANCE. Under 18 South West Conference: Oxford Utd Youth v Swansea. ZAMARETTO SOUTHERN LEAGUE. Premier Div: Didcot Tn v Farnborough, Bashley v Banbury Utd, Rugby Tn v Oxford C. Div 1 South & West: Abingdon Utd v
A POSTER campaign targeting dog owners who fail to clean up their pets’ mess has been launched following a surge in complaints. Wardens at Vale of White Horse District Council have put up 100 posters in hotspot areas after complaints to the council about
WHEN he found a small decorated piece of china in his garden, Mark O’Donovan had no idea what it was or whether it was worth anything. Now he has been told by antiques experts from BBC2’s Flog It! that the piece is a 19th century Chinese snuffbox, which
AUTHOR Robert Harris visited a school to mark the unveiling of a multi-million-pound library. Mr Harris visited The School of St Helen & St Katharine in Abingdon and gave a lecture to mark the opening on Wednesday. The three-storey building – built
A SCHOOLGIRL put pen to paper to create a prizewinning short story that beat thousands of other entries. Pandora Dewan, a pupil at Oxford High School, won the Evans Schools Short Story Competition and had her work published as part of yesterday’s World
Three men have been charged with drug offences, following an operation to crack down on the use and supply of class-A drugs in Buckingham. Leslie Mayo, 25, of Park Road, Banbury, was arrested on November 3 2009, on suspicion of drug offences. He was
Oxford charities are urging employers to hire people who are homeless, refugees or suffer from mental health problems. The Potential@Work campaign says many of these people make the best workers because of their resilience and toughness in dealing with
PASSENGERS using Chiltern Railways services are being warned of alterations to late-evening and weekend trains from next week as work starts to speed up the route. As part of the Chiltern Mainline project – to allow 100mph running on more
FOR almost a month, retired council worker Kenneth Way has had raw sewage running through his garden. Following a collapsed sewer in Park Close, North Leigh, sewage has leaked underneath his house and spilled out of the patio into the garden. The problem
Concerns about children's heart surgery units were raised prior to the decision to suspend such operations at a leading hospital, it was revealed today. The John Radcliffe Hospital in Oxford has cancelled all paediatric heart operations following
THE John Radcliffe has previously been subjected to investigations over the number of deaths linked to heart surgery in adults. In 2007 a Healthcare Commission report into care at the hospital between 2002 and 2005 said improvements were needed. It
Born and bred Londoner Simon O’Neill heads back to the capital for a night of five-star luxury. Samuel Johnson was a great man. But he didn’t get everything right. The esteemed poet and author once said: “When a man is tired of London he
The decision to temporarily withdraw children's heart surgery has put the John Radcliffe Hospital under the spotlight - but not for the first time. The Oxford hospital has been subject to investigations in the past over the number of deaths
Oxford University’s bid to win their third Xchanging Boat Race in a row this century began with the formal challenge and weigh-in on Monday, when Cambridge emerged marginally the heavier crew, writes Rachel Quarrell. “We’ve come together
Romola Garai feels as if she’s living someone else’s life at the moment. But with films like Atonement, Vanity Fair, I Capture The Castle, Glorious 39 and the recent BBC series of Emma under her belt, it’s not surprising. So how does Romola, who’s continually
ALICE IN WONDERLAND (PG). Mia Wasikowska, Johnny Depp, Helena Bonham Carter, Anne Hathaway, Crispin Glover, Matt Lucas, Leo Bill, and the voices of Michael Sheen, Alan Rickman, Barbara Windsor, Christopher Lee and Stephen Fry. Combining
Alice?Alice? Who the….. yes, there have been many interesting takes on the name in music and literature, but none as famous as Oxford’s favourite story Alice In Wonderland. So proud are we in fact, that, film aside (see our cinema pages), Oxford
HEALTH Secretary Andy Burnham has said people should be reassured about the speed at which an investigation has been launched into heart surgery at the John Radcliffe Hospital following the deaths of four children. Mr Burnham told Sky News:
RICHARD BELL has a sophisticated schmooze at The Living Room. For some reason I never seem to find myself wandering down to the Castle complex for a night out. It feels just a little bit too far out of my way, which is ridiculous really,
TIM HUGHES talks to The Bootleg Beatles’ Neil Harrison who has been wowing audiences as John Lennon for an amazing three decades. IT can be a weird experience for any of us to meet our heroes, but pity guitarist Neil Harrison. The musician
IT IS her experience growing up in the Deep South which made Lauren Pritchard the artist she is. That and her friendship with the daughter of The King. Straight outta Jackson, Tennessee, she was immersed in a world of playing piano and AmDram. At 15
BBC Oxford's Tim Bearder tells Tim Hughes why he has decided to celebrate his show's anniversary by taking on those giants of local music - Radiohead. IT’S A brave, some might say foolhardy, mission: taking a classic album by a band consistently
AEA Technology 20.75 BMW 2870 Electrocomponents 195.1 Gladstone 31.5 Nationwide Accident Repair 93.5 Oxford Biomedica 10.8 Oxford Catalyst 60.5 Oxford Instruments 236.75 REED 504.75 RM 172.5 RPS Group 183.9
Orange seems to be a colour many gardeners shun in favour of the easier to control pinks and blues of a traditional English garden. But orange is a wonderful colour, especially in spring. It can be woven among golds, or used as a clash with purple or
More people are wrapping themselves in warm, weatherproof clothes and slipping their feet into wellies or stout boots to volunteer for conservation jobs in the ancient Wychwood Forest of west Oxfordshire. Two years ago a group called Wychwood V — v for
As a chorister at King’s College, Cambridge, a young Bob Chilcott quickly became familiar with some of the greatest Requiem settings in the choral repertoire – notably those by Fauré and Duruflé, and Benjamin Britten’s War Requiem. So when it came
Sir – I am certain that Christopher Gray’s particular brand of invective will continue for as long as it produces criticism from readers irked by it and so who am I to question what is clearly a shrewd editorial policy by The Oxford Times with regard
Sir – Your arrogant columnist has excelled himself yet again (Gray Matter, February 18). He finds the caricature cartoon of Adolf the Tank Engine incomprehensible, and cannot understand why some people might find it offensive. Maybe it is just too
Sir – Each week I read in your pages new suggestions of how Oxford’s roads may be improved. We and those we elect are always propounding the perfect network which complements Oxford’s elegance and tranquillity. But never do we stop to wonder how elegant
“There isn’t such a thing as character: when we do the show, we try to respond to what the other people on stage are doing.” So says Romola Garai, one of our leading young actors (Atonement, Emma), talking about her role as Masha, the middle sister of
Sir – Visiting the main Oxford Post Office in St. Aldates is a depressing, time-wasting and occasionally (depending upon the queueing clientele) unpleasant experience. Unfortunately, given the closures of local branches in the area, it is often unavoidable
Sir – Oxfordshire NHS’s plan for people with long-term conditions to “look after themselves” shows just how little they understand about ME/chronic fatigue syndrome, one of three illnesses mentioned in your article (February 25). Oxfordshire NHS Primary
Oz Clarke, Britain’s favourite wine personality and writer knows what wine drinkers want: flavour, individuality and excellent value for money. Each year he tastes thousands of wines and selects his 250 Best Wines for the coming year. In 2009, Oz chose
Sir – In the last few weeks I have undergone, for me, a unique experience. I was admitted to the John Radcliffe Hospital as an acute surgical case in considerable pain. The emergency ambulance crew were very gentle and reassuring, as were all the nursing
Sir – Last year you printed two letters from me pointing out that, when the digital switchover came, it would be found that signal strength on ITV 1, Channel 4, and Channel 5, as well as on certain other non-BBC channels, was not strong enough in this
Sir – With reference to the excellent letter (February 18) by John Whitworth, I have to say that the county’s waste policy reminds me of a mad car driver. He is travelling far too fast on a tricky road. He has been repeatedly warned. He has a history
Sir – I have three children of my own, and have had cause to appreciate our local NHS services. Therefore I deeply sympathise with Ms Keane, who could not find an intensive care bed at the John Radcliffe Hospital for her son when he needed one (Report
Sir – In her diatribe against fox hunting (Letters, February 11), Bea Bradley implies that the sole reason anyone would want to vote Conservative is to see the ban on this ‘sport’ removed. However, whilst I personally abhor blood sports and would prefer
Sir – Oxford City Council’s executive board was due to consider the objections to the disposal of public open space (ie part of Cutteslowe Park for the wind turbine project) at a meeting on March 3. The report made to the board by the council’s own
Sir – Your correspondents last week missed the predominant argument in favour of a tram system in Oxford — improving air quality. The air quality in Oxford now is so bad as to undoubtedly be responsible for many deaths, and many children suffering
Tomorrow I move into my new home and things ‘chez moi’ are not calm. For some incomprehensible reason, I went on holiday last week, meaning that I completed on the property directly off a red-eye flight and have been furiously finishing the packing ever
Sir – The letter from M. Palmer of Witney (Letters, February 25) expresses the need for an improved transport system between Oxford and Witney. He quotes journey times of 1½ to 2 hours from Witney to central Oxford. Over 50 years ago, train times from
Sir – Have any of the letter writers supporting a park-and-ride circuit for the London/airport coaches recently tried driving this route in rush hour? The section from Seacourt to Peartree alone on a Friday afternoon can take 30 minutes plus. Not what
Sir – I appreciated Mary Hodges’ courteous response to the letters of Peter Fry and myself. I also have sympathy with her desire to free the glorious architecture of High Street from the noise and pollution of buses. But sadly her solution is not really
Sir Jackie Stewart reckons Lewis Hamilton and Jenson Button are living in fear of being "beaten up" by Michael Schumacher in this season's Formula One world championship. Seven-time champion Schumacher will be the centre of attention on his return
A SPOONFUL of sugar helps the medicine go down, but a new Oxford company is hoping to make vitamins and drugs more palatable by using vegetable fibres instead. Oxford Nutrascience was the first company to float on the London Stock Exchange's Alternative
Cuts are coming, regardless of who wins the election, but Oxford and Oxfordshire will continue to benefit economically from the activities of Oxford Brookes University, according to its vice-chancellor. Despite being unusually dependent on public spending
John Piper was an artist who has touched our lives in many ways: through his illustrations for the Shell guides, his stained glass and tapestries, and through his contribution to post-war debates about planning. The Shell guides were his route to a larger
Dancing Backwards Salley Vickers (Fourth Estate, £7.99) Vickers has chosen to set her latest novel on a cruise ship, where her heroine, a middle-aged widow called Vi, takes up ballroom dancing with her dashing room steward. A setting that in other
LOB by Linda Newbery (David Fielding, £10.99)Spring is upon us, Linda Newbery’s latest book Lob celebrates the miracle of growth and rejuvenation (six-plus). Lucy is close to her grandfather, who teaches her to care for the garden. She is a grand
Sylvie Nickels is a former travel writer who lives in North Oxfordshire. Her novel Another Kind of Loving (Oriole Press, £7.99), is the third in a trilogy set in Bosnia. It will be launched this weekend at the Kings Sutton Literary Festival. Also appearing
The political intrigues, sectarian hatreds and bloodshed of the Stuart period in England, especially during the Civil War, are vividly portrayed in this book. Its central character is a feisty red-head called Jane Whorwood (1612-1684), whose face was
TRESPASS Rose Tremain (Chatto & Windus, £17.99) In her previous book, The Road Home, Rose Tremain captured the immigrant experience with assured skill, winning the Orange prize. In her latest book, she is still pre-occupied with outsiders, but this
The John Radcliffe Hospital is investigating the deaths of four children who underwent heart operations there in recent months. The Oxford hospitaL has suspended children's cardiac surgery until the investigation has been concluded.
Oxford United manager Chris Wilder has been handed a double boost with the news that injured duo James Constable and Adam Murray are on the mend. A scan showed that Constable, who missed the 1-1 draw at Cambridge United with an ankle injury
HEALTH regulator the Care Quality Commission (CQC) has vowed to monitor the situation after child heart surgery was suspended at the John Radcliffe Hospital. The Oxford Radcliffe Hospitals Trust suspended the surgery while it investigates
THE figures showing the pensions blackhole for Oxfordshire’s councils is a scary £784m, according to the TaxPayers Alliance. The county council’s has swelled by almost £200m alone in three years and it is realistic to question if this will
ONE of Oxfordshire’s most senior police officers has been arrested and suspended as part of an investigation into an alleged arson attack. Chief Supt Jim Trotman, pictured, a former Oxford police commander, was arrested while on duty on suspicion
FOR years the public have told the police and officials they could be trusted when it came to knowing the whereabouts of convicted paedophiles. Some sections of our ‘guardians’ automatically dismissed as a dangerous vigilante anyone who showed
A LANDSCAPE gardener who was left 30 minutes from death by a flesh eating bug is planning a fundraiser for the hospital which saved his life. Nicholas Macartney, 36, had a kidney transplant in May 2008 and had just returned to work when a piece
The ceremonial opening of the New Bodleian Library in 1946 by George VI is still remembered for the highly embarrassing moment when a silver key broke in the lock of the building’s ‘front door’. In a way it proved a highly symbolic moment. For that heavy
THE family of a Banbury nurse convicted of killing two patients have spoken out about how they are trying to free him. Benjamin Geen was jailed for 30 years in 2006 after being found guilty of two counts of murder and 15 of causing grievous
CHILDREN from the Oxford Academy signalled the start of what will be the city’s biggest ever litter-pick this weekend. More than 1,500 volunteers will be taking part in OxClean Spring Clean 2010 tomorrow and Saturday, with 105 community groups
The president of France has given renewed hope to an Oxford man bidding to secure the return of his father’s war medals. Tony Berridge, 64, of Horspath, claims that he was fooled into handing over his father’s medals to a French woman who promised to
Oxford University is submitting plans for a £78m transformation of the New Bodleian Library. The renovation of the library will take five years to complete and the university said it would make Broad Street more welcoming. The New Bodleian
OXFORD University is to submit plans this month for a £78m scheme to transform the New Bodleian Library in Broad Street. The massive renovation would take five years to complete and could bring new vibrancy to one of the city’s most historic
AN OXFORD park has been closed for more than a week in the interest of public safety after a leak from a sewage pipe. Early buds of spring in Headington Hill Park were left submerged in sewage, with a pipe running from the nearby Oxford Brookes University
