MID Oxon Under 15s booked their place in the semi-finals of the ESFA Trophy last night with a hard-fought 2-0 victory over Oldham at Chipping Norton. Tomas Mazur fired Mid Oxon in front, drilling home a Jacob Hughes cross. Mazur soon doubled the lead
Formula One supremo Bernie Ecclestone is to wait until after the weekend before deciding on whether to cancel next month's season-opening Bahrain Grand Prix. The deteriorating political situation in the island kingdom forced the cancellation of
TO celebrate Shockwaves' sponsorship of the NME Awards for the seventh year running we’re offering one lucky winner a chance to rock the night away and look great while doing it at the Shockwaves NME Awards Show, setting the stage for the music
A HISTORIC building and two major businesses in Oxford city centre have been sold in a multi-million-pound deal. Cantay House, which stretches along Park End Street and includes the Lava and Ignite nightclub, has been bought by building firm
TRADERS in Oxford fear a big supermarket chain could buy up a neighbouring plot and put them out of business. Vale of White Horse District Council wants to sell the plot next to West Way Shopping Centre, in Botley, to a developer or major
Andrew Smith and family brave the weather for a winter weekend in Dorset...ooh it’s bracing. It seemed like a good idea at the time — a February break to recharge the batteries and banish the winter blues when it seems forever until summertime
PAUL (15) Sci-Fi/Comedy: Simon Pegg, Nick Frost, Kristen Wiig, Jason Bateman, Bill Hader, Joe Lo Truglio, John Carroll Lynch, Jane Lynch, Blythe Danner, Jeffrey Tambor and the voice Seth Rogen. Director: Greg Mottola. According
KATHERINE MACALISTER finds former pop star Michelle Heaton doing what she wants Musical theatre always came first for Michelle Heaton. The fact that she was on TV’s Popstars and then in the band Liberty X were a mere distraction. And now
Richard Bell tries out the brilliant and bizarre Underground Rebel Bingo Club @ O2 Academy. You know what? When I was a fresher I never really had any fun. This is a dreadful thing to now own up to. But my fresher week was mostly made
Tim Hughes catches up with rising stars Frankie & the Heartstrings. WHO is the best-dressed man in Britain? Daniel Craig? Jonathan Ross? Russell Brand? Forget about it. All have been knocked into a cocked hat by the dapper Frankie Francis
JEREMY SMITH is knocked out by the welcome as he visits a good, old-fashioned pub. Years ago, I earned my living writing exclusively about pubs. It was the Eighties, and back then great pubs were still relatively commonplace. Not something
A visit to First World War battlefields puts a play into context for KATHERINE MACALISTER. The graves of the 40,000 German soldiers buried in the desolate graveyard stretch out before you as far as the eye can see, the perfect symmetry of
Instrumental Scottish rockers Mogwai are visiting Oxford to promote their new album. And they warn TIM HUGHES not to forget his earplugs. BY turns deafening and brutal, bittersweet and beautiful, Mogwai care little for the conventions of
Part-owmer Graham Thorner believes confirmation that accidental electrocution was to blame for the death of his horse, Marching Song, at Newbury has brought him partial closure. Thorner, from Letcombe Regis, near Wantage, owned a quarter share in the
11.03: Pennys Missing, Royalty 3, Clonlost Maureen 2, Time For Sam, Spot Kick, INNY BLACK. 11.19: Rooskey Rascal, Killishin Shadow, ASHVALE BEAUTY, Lady Canderal 2, Pennys Demo, Jodys Pixie 3. 11.34: Spice Please 3, Greenfield Baby, Malbay Davy, Greencroft
Scientists around the world will be watching closely as three eruptions from the Sun reach the Earth over Thursday and Friday. These "coronal mass ejections" will slam into the Earth's magnetic shield. The waves of charged solar particles are the
A GRAPHIC artist, pilot and inspirational teacher from West Oxfordshire has died. Steve Weston was born in Bournemouth and moved as a toddler to Chipping Norton where he developed his fascination for machinery on his grandparents’ farm.
JOHN Herivel, a leading codebreaker at Bletchley Park during the Second World War, has died aged 92. Mr Herivel, of Oxford, was known for a discovery that led to the breaking of a crucial part of code in 1940. He was born in Belfast
JACKIE Little, the head of the vascular laboratory at the John Radcliffe Hospital, Oxford, has died aged 52. She passed away at Oxford’s Churchill Hospital on February 1 following a short illness. Mrs Little, who lived in Abingdon, worked at the John
CATHERINE Masters, the 111-year-old great grandmother visited by Prince William after complaining about her birthday card, has died. Mrs Masters politely wrote to Buckingham Palace when she received the same birthday card from the Queen five years running
AEA Technology 4.8 BMW 5102 Electrocomponents 272.6 Nationwide Accident Repair 100.5 Oxford Biomedica 6.85 Oxford Catalysts 86 Oxford Instruments 622 Reed Elsevier 559.75 RM 161.5 RPS Group 205.7 Courtesy of Redmayne Bentley, Abingdon
Two men have been charged in connection with a robbery at a betting shop in Headington on Tuesday. Arron Gardiner, 25, of no fixed abode and Robert Kelly, 25, of Green Road, Headington, have both been charged with the robbery of the BetFred betting
OXFORD City scooped two veterans prizes in a successful trip to the Wokingham Half Marathon. Rob Webster landed the vet 45 crown after clocking 1hr 17mins 49secs to finish 43rd on a windy day. Joining him in the winners’ enclosure was vet 60 champion
HEADINGTON Roadrunners wrapped up the women’s title in the final round of the Chiltern Cross Country League at Wing. Six Headington women finished in the top 17 to win the day’s event and secure the overall league title for the first time since 2003.
Paul Jégou was the only White Horse Harrier brave enough to tackle the 12-mile off-road race that is the Dursley Dozen in Gloucestershire. He battled against wind and driving rain to finish a creditable ninth in 1hr 23mins 36secs from a field of more
OXFORD’s Beth Swords had a memorable debut in an England vest, helping the under 20 wom-en’s team to victory at the Lotto Cross Cup in Hannut, Belgium. The long-standing event is one that England have sent representative teams to for many years, and
THE Reds beat the Outsiders 4-2 to be crowned champions in the George Lowe Invitation League. Steve Bayliss led the way with 14 dolls, including a six. RESULTS George Lowe Invitation League: Outsiders 2, Reds 4; Marston 6, Blackbird 0; Worzels 5,
TONY Harvey was the hero as Vikings B closed the gap at the top of the Section 2 table in the Oxford & District League after a 3-2 victory at leaders Marlborough, writes PETE EWINS. Harvey won the crucial fifth game as Vikings moved to within four points
WHEN Matt Jones’s mother was diagnosed with motor neurone disease last year, he wanted to do something to help. Now he and his brother Simon and three friends are training for the Reading Half Marathon to raise funds for the Oxford branch of the Motor
Anyone who has spent an afternoon painting fence panels will tell you that it is a labourious and sometimes messy task. Vist your local B&Q and you will find a selection of pre-painted panels which can replace an exisiting fence — with these
MUM Katie Jacob just wants her four-year-old son Ronnie to stand on his own. But her family is now in a race against time to raise £60,000 to send the youngster to America for a life-changing operation. Ronnie, who has cerebral palsy
CHILTERN Railways is set to retain the existing service on the Oxford-Bicester Town branch when it takes over operation of the line from May. First Great Western is handing over the route as Chiltern prepares to modernise it as part of its Evergreen3
Diarmuid Gavin reveals his joy at the return to more traditional styles of gardening with eco-awareness in mind. Once renowned for his innovative modernist designs, Diarmuid Gavin says trends are increasingly heading towards a return to traditional
Bewildered by this year's trends and not sure where to start? Gabrielle Fagan talks to three top designers about what's hot and what's not in 2011. While clothes make a statement about our taste and fashionistas keenly follow the catwalk trends
Furnishing a rental home is a pragmatic art which needs to balance short-term trends against the need to entice a wide audience. Hannah Hilton of Decorum Interiors in Oxford describes the solution. In 2011 wooden and stone floors have become the norm
A HEALTH food fan, who only gave up work at the age of 80, is celebrating her 100th birthday. Doris Featherston, who lives with her husband Peter, 85, in Baker Road, Abingdon, marked the milestone with her family on Tuesday. Daughter-in-law Wendy Morrison
The boring but functional radiator has come out from behind the furniture and is making a style statement all of its own, writes Gabrielle Fagan. Radiators, once the ugly ducklings of the home and usually ignored unless they did not work, have
LIBRARY campaigners criticised county council talks with a US firm which claims it can save at least some of the 20 branches under threat. Councillors voted through £2m-a-year cuts to the library service on Tuesday, but negotiations are still
THIEVES have stolen more than £30,000 of military boots destined for soldiers fighting in Afghanistan. They cut the side curtain of a lorry transporting the Nato Desert Boots to the UK, which was parked in Banbury, sometime between Sunday night
Thames Valley Police have arrested 37 people since the Most Wanted website was launched at the end of August 2010, in conjunction with the independent Crimestoppers charity. The aim of the website is to publicise the images of people who
A COUNCIL leader said he was bitterly disappointed that a £5.7m scheme to refurbish Didcot Parkway’s forecourt has been delayed by six months. The work, funded by Oxfordshire County Council and South Oxfordshire District Council, was expected to start
Thieves have stolen more than £30,000 worth of military equipment destined for soldiers fighting in Afghanistan from a lorry in Banbury. Thames Valley Police is appealing for witnesses after £31,000 worth of military boots. Thieves cut the side
A PUBLISHER from Oxford risks being sent home to Australia after falling foul of the Government’s new cap on immigrants. Vaarunika Dharmapala, who works for Raintree, in North Oxford, said she has been given just one month to book a flight back to Perth
Banbury Under 10s retained their title at the Northampton Saints Festival after beating Bugbrooke 35-0 in the final. Alfie Barbeary (4), Hector Stapleton, Nick Dawkins and Harry Horrocks scored their tries, while Banbury had earlier seen off Cambridge
Former Chipping Norton captain Roly Stowe and Carswell’s Mike Berry have both recorded holes-in-one in the past week. Stowe aced the par three third hole during Chippy’s Weekly Roll-up on Friday. Then on Tuesday, Berry, who is known as Chuck, did the
AEA Technology 4.9 BMW 5082 Electrocomponents 272.4 Nationwide Accident Repair 100.5 Oxford Biomedica 7.05 Oxford Catalysts 85.5 Oxford Instruments 617.5 Reed Elsevier 559.25 RM 167.5 RPS Group 207.2 Courtesy of Redmayne Bentley
CAR sellers are still using a major road in Oxford as an unofficial car showroom, more than three years after the Oxford Mail highlighted the problem. Lines of cars can be seen with ‘For Sale’ signs almost every day along Cowley Road, near
There is better news of Oxford University flanker Dugald MacDonald, who was taken to hospital with a neck injury during last Wednesday’s defeat to the Army. MacDonald was discharged the following day after x-rays and scans gave him the all-clear. He
HORSPATH have snapped up Australian all-rounder Tim Hutchison for next season. A top-order batsman who bowls off-spin, the 19-year-old has spent the winter captaining Western Australia Country Under 21s, and playing for his district side, Albany, in
A MAN who helped smuggle more than £50m of cannabis into Britain has been jailed for nine years. Ivan Marshall, 26, of Queen Street, Eynsham, was convicted earlier this month, following an investigation by the UK Border Agency (UKBA). He was sentenced
FAMILIES of ill children in Oxfordshire may face journeys of hundreds of miles for heart operations under new NHS plans. An NHS review yesterday ruled that the number of units performing children’s heart surgery in England would be cut from 11 to six
ALL too often people roll their eyes at council consultations and proposals because, often, the decision has already been taken before any member of the public has their say. That is why Oxfordshire County Council’s cabinet deserves recognition
Much has been written and said, and no doubt more will continue to be written, about the closures proposed by the county council. Many numbers have filtered out of County Hall, some after much tugging at council officers and councillors, and from these
I attended the read-in at Headington Library earlier this month, and was struck by the enthusiasm of everyone there. Our libraries are not just places to read and to learn and to educate (all vitally important in themselves, of course). They are also
There continue to be a range of strongly held views about our libraries. Those in deficit-denial claim we should not be cutting public spending at all; some want libraries exempted from cuts and, by implication, an additional £2m pa added to cuts to
In YET another of his tedious attempts to justify himself (Oxford Mail letters, February 14), Keith Mitchell, Leader of the County Council (as he keeps reminding us) boasts that money is being saved by axeing some council management jobs.
Readers will be pleased to know the spectre of swingeing budget cuts has led to soul-searching debate behind the scenes at Oxford Town Hall. Emails have flown back and forth between councillors. But not about raising car parking fees, charging for
A converted mill on the banks of the River Ock and Hollywell Brook comes with five acres of formal gardens and paddocks. The 17th-century house in Stanford in the Vale, is next to a slate barn and includes a modern extension linking the two buildings
VILLAGERS have been given a month to save a 160-year-old primary school. Oxfordshire County Council is looking to close Culham Parochial Primary School because a permanent headteacher cannot be found. Councillors could have decided to
JOHN Campbell insists Witney are not playing that badly, despite failing to win since November. After an excellent start and leading South West 1 East twice, Witney have now lost their last six league games plus Sunday’s Oxfordshire Cup reverse to Oxford
OXFORDSHIRE County Council’s plan to close Littlemore library is mean-minded, ignorant and unnecessary. Our library, situated within the Oxford Academy, has 16,000 visits a year by adults and children and costs only £44,000 a year to run. That
Library closures will affect rural users the hardest. Most have only an hourly bus to their nearest ‘hub’-library so going there is time-consuming. Unless one has a bus pass it is also costly and fares for an adult taking two or more children are particularly
Apartments are a good way for first-time buyers to step on to the property ladder or ideal for owners looking to downsize. Two key attractions are that they tend to be lower maintenance and offer more security, according to agents. Francis Winstone-Partridge
East Oxford is an increasingly fashionable place to rent a house, as it offers big, period properties at more affordable rates than central North Oxford. And agents say the OX4 area is particularly popular with creatives such as writers, artists and
HIS unusual hobby has seen him dubbed the “British Crocodile Dundee”. But Shaun Foggett, 31, is deadly serious about reptiles and has just opened the UK’s first crocodile and alligator zoo in Witney. The father-of-three sold his family
WITNEY is probably the last place you’d expect to find a collection of crocodiles and alligators, but well done to Shaun Foggett for opening his new zoo. The reptiles are not most people’s favourite but Mr Foggett is passionate in his love
After a busy working life in the hustle and bustle of a kitchen, Heather Burden was ready to settle down to a quiet retirement. But instead she found herself with nothing to do and ended up watching daytime TV for hours on end, slowly spiralling
A GANG of Oxford United fans are set to be sentenced for their part in a “Western saloon-style bar brawl”, which left a pub with a £5,000 repair bill. Bristol Crown Court was told yesterday that the ferocity of the violence which broke out
A LAWYER has criticised the way compensation is being granted to owners of blighted properties on or near the route of the proposed 250 mph high-speed rail link. HS2, the company set up by the Department of Transport to oversee the possible
Oxfordshire is at the heart of what has come to be called Motorsport Valley, an area of southern England and the Midlands with a high density of motor racing and supporting engineering firms. The county boasts two Formula One teams in Williams at Grove
I first came across the name Jensen as a child when I was given a model of an FF. The beautiful lines of the car with its sleek, ultra-modern shape and huge engine captivated my attention but I knew little else about the real car behind the yellow Dinky
Innovation and a determination to drive his business forward are perhaps two of the key reasons why Steve Liquorish is Oxfordshire Business Person of the Year. But the more humble qualities of being level-headed and adopting a down-to-earth approach
People constantly ask Daphne Austin why the loaf in their bread bin always seems to go mouldy. “I tell them it’s because they don’t buy fresh bread’, she said sternly. It turns out that there is fresh bread and then there is proper, freshly baked bread
Results of post-mortem examinations into the two horses who died in the parade ring at Newbury on Saturday are expected to be released today. Marching Song, part-owned by Graham Thorner, from Letcombe Regis, near Wantage, and Fenix Two were about to
A HISTORIC building and two major businesses in Oxford city centre have been sold in a multi-million pound deal. Cantay House, which stretches along Park End Street and includes the Lava and Ignite nightclub, has been bought by building firm W.E. Black
Manhood for Amateurs Michael Chabon (Fourth Estate, £9.99) This is a series of linked essays reflecting on what it means to be a man today. Chabon starts in a supermarket with his baby son, where a random woman shopper looks at him approvingly and
BIG-HITTING batsman Ian Caunce is the new captain of Oxfordshire Over 50s. The Oxford Downs veteran succeeds Andrew Wingfield Digby, who stepped down after Oxfordshire lost to Middlesex in the final of the ECB 50-Plus Championship in September. “It
Many of us aspire to owning a dream car but that dream does not have to involve driving the latest Porsche or Ferrari. Colin Gould of Kingsdown Garage, Faringdon, finds people can be passionate about something much more humble. Even the most basic pre
A body floating in London’s Regent’s Canal that nudges up against a narrowboat is quickly dismissed by Scotland Yard as just a routine suicide in Stephen Done’s The Marylebone Murders (Hastings Press, £8.99). Det Insp Trykett of the Yard dumps the investigation
Three Oxfordshire-based businesses scooped £80,000 between them for ideas to combat climate change. Cella Energy, based at Harwell, won £40,000 from the national Shell Springboard programme to develop a carbon-free alternative to petrol, which
One sporting memory has left an indelible mark on Max Davidson. As a boy growing up in Surrey in the 1960s, he idolised cricketers as if they were gods. On June 25, 1963, his worship reached new heights when he watched England batsman Colin Cowdrey saunter
THE CHURCHILLS by Celia and John Lee (Macmillan, £20)Winston Churchill is arguably the greatest Briton who ever lived, yet there are many myths and mysteries surrounding his early years and family. It’s been claimed that he was illegitimate, that his
Sir – Why are the announcements at the Oxford railway station so incomprehensible? Surely Oxford English should be exemplary? Has no one told the staff they need to speak more slowly and deliberately than they would face to face? David Bradnack, Oxford
Sir – Instead of complicated calculations concerning cuts, the Government should just cut our contribution to the EU by half until the country is in a sound financial state. Not only has our contribution been increased, to be paid with money which
In investment management circles, the phrase ‘asset allocation’ has become increasingly de rigueur. It sounds like part of an incredibly complicated investment strategy, yet in fact, it’s something we do automatically, though not always successfully
Many modern cars are so packed with electronics that you feel the overwhelming desire to obtain a PhD in quantum entanglement before driving them and a quiet lie down in a dark room afterwards. So a spell in a car where you have to adjust the
Sir – Many thanks for publishing your short report (February 10) about Oxford’s 2011 Think Week [www.thinkweek.co.uk]. I’d like to confirm that every event is open to everyone, though I should mention that the Tuesday event is already fully booked.
Sir – Only two weeks ago the daily newspapers took several pages to warn us all about the dangers of “poisoned food”. Germany, Belgium and Italy all had problems with dioxin which resulted in our major supermarkets inadvertently trying to poison us all
Sir – Mr Ross-Smith is right to be proud of his state-school-educated sons for gaining Oxbridge places (Letters, February 3). However, I find this perennial yardstick of a school’s quality misconceived. Firstly, as Mr Ross-Smith alludes to, there are
Sir – Following your leading article (January 27), I wonder whether others share my ignorance as to what it is that Free Schools are free from? What I do wish is that all state-supported schools were free of the Church of England and other divisive religious
Sir – Well said Rosanne Bostock (Letters, February 3). We do indeed, ‘in the long term need a fairer system’. The county council has wreaked havoc with the education provision in the city. Results published in recent months show that overall city schools
Sir – Councillor Mitchell invited this newspaper’s readers to suggest alternative cuts to avoid library closures. Here is one such idea: In this day and age, where most things are electronically linked, there is no longer a reason for County Hall to
Sir – Forgive my cynicism but I view any ‘olive branch’ extended to library campaigners by the county council with a wary eye. Your article confirms my suspicions: it seems the extra money is to allow us ‘more time to draw up plans to run the libraries
An historic Oxford building has been renovated to provide a major extension to a city hotel. Eastwyke House, which dates from 1511 and stands in the grounds of the Four Pillars Oxford Spires hotel in Abingdon Road, has undergone a £900,000 renovation
Sir – As I was walking to the Friends Meeting House last night to attend the ‘Save our NHS’ meeting I saw a group of people in Cornmarket supporting the movement for democracy in Egypt. I thought to myself how lucky I was to live in a democratic country
Sir – Whilst library campaigners will welcome Oxfordshire County Council’s announcement about extra funds being available for libraries (Report, February 10), we should not be duped into thinking the battle to save public libraries is over. Oxford Save
Sir – I am making responses to five of your correspondents (Letters, February 10). To Mr Maurice Herson and Mrs Wendy Greenberg: the investment in road improvements is capital money — you spend it once to secure an improvement and it is gone. The library
Sir – Edmund Gray (Letters, February 10) questions why the county council is spending £2.5m on a much-needed upgrade to Oxford’s Iffley Road while we are proposing to cease funding 20 libraries. Money for the Iffley Road scheme comes from our capital
Sir – I sympathise with the traders of Little Clarendon Street (Report, February 10). The gas men have moved into Walton Street, but they have disfigured the surface of Little Clarendon Street. Some time ago, several areas of the road surface in Little
Grove Technology Park is setting its sights on the next phase of its development by releasing more building plots. Bosses at managing company Grove 2000 say they are upbeat about the future after retaining almost 100 per cent occupancy of the 32-acre
The first development at Abingdon Science Park specifically designed for small businesses is now fully occupied. Five companies have moved in and developers are so pleased that another unit is planned for a similar refurbishment. The new occupiers of
The bells of an historic church in Thame rang out to mark the re-opening of a nearby public house. The Six Bells, in Lower High Street, takes its name from the bells at St Mary the Virgin Church, and has undergone a £160,000 refurbishment focusing on
Sir – I was sorry to read that the traders of Little Clarendon Street are struggling (Report, February 10). This street has enormous potential which is being wasted. Remove the through traffic, which needn’t be there as it is just passing through, and
Sir – Your issue of February 3 highlighted the anxieties of Headington residents that Oxford University’s proposal for further developments on their research site on Old Road would increase parking and traffic problems in the area, so that what is already
Like many others, I find it depressing that such a number of pubs are closing these days. Many are bowing to intolerable pressure from supermarkets on drinks prices, while successive governments have done them no favours on duties and other factors
With 80 million business people registered on LinkedIn, and 500 million Facebook users, the use of social media in the workplace is becoming an increasingly common issue for employers to deal with. While many organisations now embrace once-feared social
If there is one thing the cynical British hate more than management consultants, it is 'leadership' training courses where participants are expected to play games to develop team spirit. British-born graduate Alice Chilver, who has just returned to the
There are considerable pressures on family businesses, thanks to the weak state of the economy. As a result, most family business owners would say they currently need to devote all their time and energy to ensuring their company remains competitive and
They say nostalgia is not what it used to be, but the Burford Garden Centre seems to thrive on it. Over the last 32 years it has become a sort of 15-acre comfort zone, welcoming all the family from grandparents to toddlers. Managing director
When it comes to people carriers the designers at Renault have proved they know a thing or two. The firm was one of the original designers of the multi-purpose vehicle (MPV) in the Espace and later the Scenic stepped into the fray to offer a more compact
IN an age where many cars are designed to look like something they are not, the Mitsubishi Outlander is a refreshing breath of honesty. It looks like a big, solid, dependable 4X4. And that’s just what it is. Latest models now boast a new
Innovation and a determination to drive his business forward are perhaps two of the key reasons why Steve Liquorish is Oxfordshire Business Person of the Year. But the more humble qualities of being level-headed and adopting a down-to-earth approach
Entries to the 2011 Oxfordshire Business Awards are flooding in and look set to exceed last year’s record number. As the closing date of February 25 looms, a delighted awards chairman Paul Lowe says the number is currently about 20 per cent up
Our industry is a relatively obscure one, but our product is everywhere. The photography and illustrations you see around you — on the sides of buses, billboards, in newspapers, marketing brochures, corporate websites, Government literature and
The lead-up to the annual council budget debates usually includes some speculation about what level of council tax we are going to face. This year was understandably different. Debate has been dominated by the cuts, in particular the cuts to libraries
Offering a stimulating alternative to an evening at the pub or cinema, a PechaKucha Night gives the public the chance to enjoy a series of lively presentations, each lasting just six minutes and 40 seconds. Speakers illustrate their talks
The story of Susie and Rupert Taylor's midlife adventure sounds as if it should feature in the TV show Escape to the Sun. In 2003, in their 40s, with children aged seven, nine and 11, they threw in their workaday lives in grey, rainy Oxfordshire
Oxford's Bradley Smith is in buoyant mood as the start of the 2011 MotoGP season draws closer. The 20-year-old, from Wheatley, has just returned from a three-day test session in Valencia, Spain – and was upbeat over his new bike. Smith, who won the
The term superbug is probably over-hyped, but it is impossible to escape the fact that there is a threat to health from a growing number of harmful and potentially lethal viral and bacterial infections. It would also be easy to believe that
People die but their ideas live on, and nowhere more so than in the conservation department of the Bodleian Library, which will next month hold two one-day courses for anyone wanting to learn about bookbinding. “We simply want to share a
When mother-of-two Michaela Clarke was made redundant she decided to keep herself busy while job hunting. But now her spare-time hobby has turned into a fully-fledged business, with dozens of satisfied young customers. She started by setting
Tina Noble is one of a growing number of people escaping office jobs to set up a business on the kitchen table. In her case, it is the dining table — and she has to be sure to clear up well before her children arrive home from school. “It
Name: Stuart Harrison Age: 64 Job: Senior partner, the Profitable Hotel Company Time in job: 12 years Contact: 07768 696474 Web: www.profitablehotelcompany.com What was your first job and what did your responsibilities
Water voles spend most of their lives eating water plants, grasping stems in their forepaws to nibble on the best parts. If you were lucky enough to be out and about on the waterways of Oxfordshire last summer, you may have seen people acting rather
Regular readers of these pages might recall last week's discussion of Two in the Wave, a documentary about the declining relationship between nouvelle vague auteurs François Truffaut and Jean-Luc Godard. Amusingly, this week sees the reissue of
With the release of a superb boxed set and the next four titles in an extraordinary career collection, the focus falls this week on two of the biggest names in Japanese cinema: Kenji Mizoguchi and Yasujiro Ozu. Contemporaries who worked
Dancin’ Oxford has proved to be a great success, and this year’s festival will be spread over venues throughout the city, including public buildings and open air performances. As Claire told me, it’s the largest yet. “I’m very excited about this
ALMOST 200 young actors are taking to the stage in East Oxford to encourage understanding of cultures around the globe. Young people aged six to 19 are performing 12 short plays at the Pegasus Theatre, in Magdalen Road. Standing In Another’s Shoes,
MOTHER-of-two Marie Carlucci has spoken of her shock after both her sons suffered broken legs when a metal fence fell on them. Mrs Carlucci, 33, wants to warn other parents to stay clear of the railings that fell on her sons Arthur, four, and Remi, two
Swan Lake brought Matthew Bourne worldwide celebrity, but also the problem of how to follow it up. At the time, I remember finding Cinderella a rather surprising choice, and, talking to him a few days ago, I asked him why he had settled on another
I wonder how many of you who are or were members of the Royal Horticultural Society, fondly remember the Tradescant column at the very beginning. This popular piece appeared between 1975 and 1989 and it was a poorly kept secret that the author was Hugh
Being Sarah means that I spend a significant number of hours wishing that the automatic ‘shut’ button on my mouth did not have such terrible time-delay problems. I do not have enough fingers to count the number of times in a day that my free-range tongue
“As a ‘slice of life’ — horribly abnormal life — I should say let it be performed by all means.” Thus wrote George Bernard Shaw when asked by the playwright R. C. Sherriff to put in a good word for his First World War drama Journey’s End, which London
Earlier this year more than 200 school children, staff and supporters of charity Parents and Children Together celebrated the organisation’s 100th birthday at a candlelit service of thanksgiving today at Reading Minster. The service was
Nick Heidfeld will drive for Enstone-based Lotus Renault for the foreseeable future after it was announced that the German is to replace the injured Robert Kubica. Pole Kubica suffered multiple fractures and a partially severed right hand in a rally
Alifie Potter hit a hat-trick as Oxford United Res marched on at the top of the totesport.com Combination East Division by smashing Stevenage Res 6-1 at the Lamex Stadium on Wednesday night. Potter latched on to a Jack Midson through ball to open the
