RESIDENTS are campaigning to bring a skate park to south Abingdon to stop antisocial behaviour. The idea is among goals for the area on a new community planning group wish list. The residents’ group, which has no name yet, met at South Abingdon Children
A NEW bridge will be lifted into place in south Oxford this month as part of ongoing work to improve the Rail network. Old Abingdon Road has been closed for three months for the rebuilding at Redbridge. And traffic diversions are still
HARDLY a week passes without the sad news of another death of a soldier in Afghanistan. I think that we should bring all our forces home and leave the Afghans to fight their own battles. Why do we always have to fight other countries’ wars? In 1939
THE Punch and Judy show between councillors, which takes up valuable space on your letters pages, may well be stage-managed to divert public attention away from more important issues like local government expense accounts. Of more relevance is the
I CAN only reiterate what Martin Roberts wrote in his letter (Oxford Mail, January 19). He speaks of money wasted by the county council, such as the £300,000 for the 20mph scheme and the money spent (by the city and county) on Cornmarket which, I may
Chancellor George Osborne has refused to take the blame for rising petrol prices - rejecting claims by world oil producers that taxes were responsible. Mr Osborne said drivers in the UK were "paying the price" for mounting oil prices and Downing
Three RAF servicemen who were part of a gang which smuggled an estimated seven million cigarettes into Britain on military flights from the Middle East have been jailed. Hauls of cigarettes were flown into RAF Brize Norton and RAF Lyneham in Wiltshire
IT’S six years since ‘Big John’ Humphries was first rejected by TV’s The X-Factor, but the Blackbird Leys singer is still determined to find pop success. And to get his voice back in tune, the 55-year-old pub singer has rejoined the choir where
DALE Harris has taken part in every OX5 Run since it started in 2002, but this year it will be a truly family affair as he will be joined by his partner, his sister, his father, his uncle and his cousin. Mr Harris, 29, from Normandy Crescent, Cowley
A CONTROVERSIAL plan to build 1,000 homes to the west of Carterton has been backed by the town council. But parish councillors in Alvescot, south west of the town, have hit out at the decision, calling it premature and inappropriate. West Oxfordshire
Two men from Oxfordshire have been convicted of smuggling £50 million pounds worth of cannabis into the UK. Barry Haydon, 68, of Oxford Road, Burford and Ivan Marshall, 26, of Queen Street, Eynsham, were part of a gang which brought in an estimated
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DOZENS of firms have come forward to build Bicester’s new community hospital. The move comes after NHS Oxfordshire placed an advertisement in a technical journal last month appealing for developers interested in the project. The health authority confirmed
ONE of the founding members of Wantage and Grove Lions Club, Peter Ramplin, has died aged 69. Mr Ramplin, of Saxon Place, Wantage, died on Friday, January 21, after suffering from a short illness. After helping to start the club in 1987, he served as
OXFORD'S Mini factory is looking for 23 young people with "a passion for manufacturing and business" to become apprentices. One of last year's recruits, Joanna Rolstone, 18, from Didcot, is urging school-leavers to think about following her example,
MORE than 350 friends and relatives of Cornbury Festival leading light Tracy Watkins attended a service in her memory. They gathered at The Church of St Michael and All Angels, Great Tew on Monday last week. The 47-year-old mum-of-three died on Saturday
A THOUSAND-year-old dragon called Fitz helped give youngsters a roaring introduction to creative writing. Headteacher Darrell Wood spent a weekend creating the red, yellow and green beast to inspire children at Five Acres Primary School, in Ambrosden
NEW jobs will be created by an Oxford-based science firm after a £2m investment in a new drug manufacturing plant. Gene therapy company Oxford BioMedica has paid £1.9m for a test drug manufacturing plant at Milton Park, near Didcot, creating up to 40
Wallingford Rowing Club crews had the thrill of competing over the Olympics 2012 coursee at Dorney Wood – and enjoyed a day of success. Competing in the Thames Valley Trial Head on a testing 19,000-metre course, Wallingford’s senior, intermediate and
A FUN day to mark the life of tragic baby Finnley Froude raised thousands of pounds for an Oxford charity supporting sick children. Last Saturday would have been Finnley’s first birthday, but he died last June. His parents Gemma and Luke Froude wanted
DOG owners in Rose Hill are being urged to take more responsibility for keeping their pets under control. Last night a community leader said there was a “worrying trend” on the estate, with increasing numbers of people getting “suspect” dogs. People
Event: Oxford Flower Arrangement Club Presentation "Towards Spring" By Ann Anson Thursday 24th February 2011 Cumnor Village Hall At 2.15pm Visitors Welcome Visitors £5.00 Based on information supplied by Oxford Flower Arrangement
Oxford United are designating their home match against Hereford United at the end of this month Military Day. The club will be offering free and reduced price tickets to members of the armed forces for the npower League Two fixture at the Kassam
The Cowley-built Mini saw a 24 per cent dip in UK sales in January, with 1,614 sold compared to 2,135 the same month last year. Spokesman Sarah Heaney said the downturn was expected. "A lot of orders for January were pulled forward to December
The marvel was, first, that the amazing stunts were performed and, second, that they were performed so brilliantly and with such artistry. The Moscow State Circus, of course, arrive with a reputation for spectacle, but nothing quite prepares you
WITH a reputation as one of Britain’s greenest musical gatherings, Oxfordshire’s Wood festival is also one of the quickest to sell out. But while other events are increasing in size, and becoming ever bigger money-spinners, organisers of the award-winning
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Oxford United boss Chris Wilder says his team have got to defend better, and cut out the individual mistakes that keep costing goals. The U’s have gone 23 games – 22 in the league – without a clean sheet. That is by some way the longest such sequence
I WAS completely flabbergasted by your report Transport bid will create hi-tech jobs (February 1) which suggests that Science Vale UK is bidding for £6m of government funding ‘for the design work for a package of transport infrastructure works’ in south
Oxford Harlequins must improve their home form, starting with tomorrow’s visit of Newton Abbot in National 3 South West. That is the message from director of rugby John Brodley as his side bid to avoid a third straight defeat. Quins have won just four
AWARD winning author Mark Haddon is the latest literary heavyweight to lend support to threatened county libraries. Mr Haddon, most famous for his 2003 book The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time, will be one of a host of writers staging ‘
IT’S been a baptism of fire for Oxford United’s new communications team, with a heavy work-load in their first few weeks, but they are loving every moment of it. Adam Jankiewicz, the club’s new communications manager, admitted: “It’s immensely hard work
OXFORD United’s new signing, Simon Hackney, is just delighted to have the chance to play football, and to do what he loves doing. Chris Wilder has taken the Man-chester-born winger on loan from Colchester until the end of the season.
WE MAY all be strapped for cash, but we all still like a good knees up. And, in Oxfordshire, the festival calendar is becoming more and more congested. We now have a series of well established events attracting thousands of people over
BLUR star turned farmer Alex James is set to throw open his Oxfordshire estate to host a music festival, it was revealed yesterday. The four-day event will be a celebration of music and food featuring acts such as KT Tunstall and Steve Earle
Oxfordshire 3rd went second in Division 5D of the Inter-Counties Champion-ships with 10-5 revenge victory at home to leaders Cam-bridgeshire C. The success was made even sweeter as Oxon had lost 9-6 in the away fixture in October. The
Oxfordshire ladies singles champion Brodie Miller will represent England in an Under 15 Eight Nations international at Milton Keynes from February 17-20. The 14-year-old, from Upton, who is a doubles specialist, said: “I’m really happy to be selected
SATURDAY. FOOTBALL. NPOWER LEAGUE TWO. Gillingham v Oxford Utd. ZAMARETTO SOUTHERN LEAGUE. Premier Div: Didcot Tn v Bashley, Oxford City v Weymouth, Tiverton v Banbury Utd. Div 1 South & West: Hungerford Tn
A GROUP dedicated to saving Summertown Library, in Oxford, has unveiled plans to re-open a post office inside the branch and transform it into a ‘creative space’ open for up to 20 hours a day. Friends of Summertown Library believes the money can be found
How quickly football can change. That’s what Gillingham boss Andy Hessenthaler (below) must think. When the Gills came to Oxford on November 20, he was under pressure after four straight defeats, and only one win in nine games.
Relegation-threatened Didcot Town are likely to crash to the bottom of the Premier Division following the demise of rivals Windsor & Eton. The Football Association confirmed that Windsor were wound up at the High Court on Wednesday due to unpaid debts
TO have suggested that boys had more sense than to sit on the freezing pavement outside Cowley Road’s Regal nightspot would have invited trouble from the 30 or so girls shivering there on Wednesday afternoon. There wasn’t a male among ’em
I am writing in response to the decision by Oxfordshire County Council cabinet members to continue with the consultation regarding the closure and amalgamation of Elms Road Nursery School with Botley Primary School. It is hard to understand how this
A BOUNCER accused of raping a woman at an Oxford nightclub has told jurors she instigated and led the encounter in the venue toilets. Yasser Al Joumaa was working at Plush Lounge in Park End Street when he is alleged to have forced an 18-year-old
A MUSIC venue manager has defended one of Britain’s top boybands amid claims they kept fans waiting three hours before performing a short set. Angry fans said they were forced to watch four support acts at The Regal, in Cowley Road, before
HOSPITAL car parks: Well, one thing is for sure, the British are a generous nation – we will happily fund foreign wars and welcome all and sundry with open arms and chequebook! But in this charitable land of ours we seem to think it’s acceptable to charge
North Leigh want League chiefs to award them the points from their abandoned midweek match against Bridgwater and not order them to play it again. They were 5-0 up in Tuesday’s Division 1 South & West game, with goals from Andy Caton (2), Michael Hopkins
NEW Witney United manager Richard Hill has two ambitions at the club – to save them from relegation and to make more friends, writes KIEREN BUSHNELL. Hill took charge of Witney for the first time last weekend when, with only nine men, they crashed to
Oxford United have no worries about Ben Purkiss coming in to replace the suspended Damian Batt at Priestfield tomorrow. The former York City defender showed in his 16 starts for the U’s earlier in the season that he’s an accomplished right back. Oxford
MEMBERS of the public and the Royal British Legion lined Headley Way in Oxford yesterday to salute the 350th British soldier to die in Afghanistan. Private Martin Bell, 24, of 2nd Battalion The Parachute Regiment, died after he disobeyed
THE expansion at RAF Brize Norton has been on the cards for a while now. However, the sheer extent has just been revealed by the Ministry of Defence, in a move which will see the number of people at the base double. There are currently 3,900 personnel
RAF Brize Norton is to almost double in service personnel, the Ministry of Defence revealed last night. More than 6,600 serving airmen – 15 per cent of the RAF’s total personnel – will be based at the camp as part of major expansion plans that
THOUSANDS of book fans and authors are set to descend on the city again for the annual Oxford Literary Festival. The 15th Sunday Times Oxford Literary Festival will include more than 250 events between Saturday, April 2, and Sunday, April 10
RESIDENTS have welcomed the launch of new maps which have opened the door on crime in Oxfordshire’s streets. For the first time people can see what crimes have happened on their doorstep by logging on to the Internet to get access to street-level
