Archive

  • Spring begins in Summertown

    Summertown Cobras climbed out of the bottom two of the U9 Red League for the first time since October after beating Crowmarsh 6-2, their third win in four. In sunny Cuttleslow Park, the opening half was even, with Rodolfo Niels-Gervasio opening the score

  • SIAN UPDATE: Human remains found

    HUMAN remains have been uncovered by police investigating the murder of missing nightclubber Sian O'Callaghan. Police made the discovery after searching a field near Eastleach on the Oxfordshire-Gloucestershire border. It came after the body of

  • RUGBY UNION: The numbers game

    Wallingford held on to earn a bonus-point victory in their relegation battle. Here is the numbers' game. See Tuesday’s paper for full report. Competition: South West 1 East Score: Wallingford 29, Oakmeadians 19 Wallingford player ratings: 15

  • New M40 services rise from the ashes

    A MOTORWAY service station destroyed by fire almost a year ago has risen from the ashes. Last April’s blaze at Cherwell Valley Services, off junction 10 of the M40, at Ardley, near Bicester, was one of the biggest fires the county had seen for years.

  • Plan for former USAF Upper Heyford airbase approved

    A masterplan for the former US Air Force base at Upper Heyford has been approved by Cherwell district councillors. Proposals for outline planning permission include 1,075 homes, businesses, retail units, a pub, village green and primary school

  • Sian: Police find remains of second body

    Police investigating the murder of Sian O'Callaghan have found human remains at a field they are searching on the boundary of Oxfordshire and Gloucestershire, they said. Detective Superintendent Steve Fulcher said the team from Wiltshire Police

  • BOAT RACE: Oxford land impressive victory

    Oxford produced a storming performance to overturn the odds and beat Cambridge to win the 157th Xchanging Boat Race. The Dark Blues, who won the toss and opted for the Surrey station, made a strong start and then produced a powerful burst to take control

  • Chocolate festival will be naughty but nice

    CHOCAHOLICS get ready – Oxford’s first Chocolate Festival is rolling into town. From 10am next Saturday, Broad Street will be filled with stalls, demonstrations and free tasters for chocolate-lovers. Event director Yael Rose said: “We have about 20

  • Bonny babies line up for Oxford Mail contest

    IT’LL be smiles all round next week, as our Baby of the Year 2011 competition gets under way. Photographers will be at Matalan at The John Allen Centre in Cowley over the coming two weeks to snap the county’s cutest children from 10am to 4pm. Every

  • FENCING: Mallett is on song

    Oxford’s Neil Mallett, 53, retained his British veterans men’s epee title at the national championships in Gloucester. After finishing second seed in the poules, Mallett chalked up four wins to set up a repeat of last year’s final against Durham’s Anton

  • BASKETBALL: Devils youngsters face home start

    Didcot Devils under 11 and under nine teams are preparing to play their first ever home matches at a mini-tournament and open day to be held at Didcot Leisure Centre on Saturday April 2 (1.30-5.30pm). The visiting teamsinclude Oxford Brooks Eagles

  • Fire crews attend minor arson attacks

    Fire crews across the county were called out to a spate of minor arsons on Friday night and in the early hours of Saturday morning. In Oxford, three sheds were destroyed at Butler House, Ashurst Way, Littemore, shortly after midnight on Saturday.

  • Charity team's heroic effort

    A CHARITY that works with young people at risk of becoming involved in crime raised £200 for injured war heroes with a fancy dress football tournament. Trax, which is based at Red Barn Farm, North Oxford, offers qualifications in motor mechanics and

  • Oxford's top Scout to step down

    OXFORD’s top Scout is stepping down after years of dedication to the movement. Val Butcher, whose involvement with scouting goes back to the 1960s, is retiring after six years as Oxford Spires district commissioner to move into youth work. Mrs Butcher

  • Bonny babies line up for contest

    IT’LL be smiles all round next week, as our Baby of the Year 2011 competition gets under way. Photographers will be at Matalan at The John Allen Centre in Cowley over the coming two weeks to snap the county’s cutest children from 10am to 4pm. Every

  • TABLE TENNIS: Rail looking doomed

    British Rail still face the drop from Oxford & District League Division 1, despite two victories. After crushing Forum C 7-3 with Andy McColgan, Greg Donovan and Ady Noke winning twice. They then beat Vikings C 7-3, McColgan with a maximum. Division

  • Sian police given more time

    MAGISTRATES have given police more time to question a man over the murder of a Swindon woman whose body was found in Oxfordshire and another death. Magistrates at Swindon, Wiltshire, gave Wiltshire Police more time to question the man, named

  • Census will show the changing face of Oxford

    WHEN you pop your census form in the post, your series of black ticks will be helping the Government decide where to allocate billions of pounds each year. It will also show the face of modern Britain and the changing lifestyles of Oxfordshire people

  • SCHOOLS SPORT: Super McMillan flies flag for county

    Oxfordshire's runners found it tough going at the Aviva ESAA English Schools’ Cross Country Championships at Wollaton Park, Nottingham. With Beth Swords (Headington) and Melissa Hawtin (Gosford Hill, Kidlington), who posted top-ten finishes

  • TABLE TENNIS: Honours are even

    Oxford and Didcot had to be satisfied with a share of the spoils in the Oxfordshire Inter-League Tournament held at South Moreton School. Oxford’s trio of Karl Bushell, Jingyu Sun and Laurel Christer hit super form to take the senior accolade

  • SWIMMING: City ace crowned double champ

    City of Oxford’s Georgina King-Smith,14, was crowned double champion at the level 3/4 regional meet in Ealing, West London. She clocked a personal best of 1.09.16 secs in the 100m freestyle and 35.88 in the 50m butterfly. She added a bronze in the

  • New online radio station launched

    A NEW Internet radio station has launched, vowing to give a voice to charities and community groups as well as unsigned bands. StudyVox FM is the brainchild of husband-and-wife Kevin and Sara Martin, of East Hendred, near Wantage, backed by Iain Rawlinson

  • BOXING: Super Bradley ease to title

    Bradley Townsend, of Oxford Boxing Academy, was in brilliant form as he captured the Home Counties crown with a crushing victory on the finals night in Luton. Townsend stormed to an easy victory over Milton Keynes rival Sean Wood to win the class 4

  • ON CUE: Clinical leaders close in on title

    Leaders Fieldside A kept up their bid for the Buildbase Oxford & District Snooker League Premier Division title with a 4-2 win against Littlemore Royal British Legion A. The result saw Fieldside four points clear of second-placed Littlemore, with three

  • GYMNASTICS: Trio are in fine form

    Laura Turberville won gold in her first competition as a trio of Carterton gymnasts took home a clutch of medals at the Oxfordshire Club Grades Competition in Maidenhead. Turberville, competing at Grade 14, took home the gold with a superb score of 62.15

  • CYCLE SPEEDWAY: Horspath in tricky test

    Horspath Hammers start the defence of their British Premier League and Combination titles at home to British team champions Leicester Monarchs on Sunday (2pm). Leicester, led by former Hammer and one of the top riders in the world, Lukasz Nowacki, finished

  • GREYHOUNDS: Perry's sparkle boosts stadium

    OXFORD trainer Richard Yeates, winner of the Trafalgar Cup two years ago with Freedom Emma, gave the track a great chance of adding to their record in the event. Yeates’s Champagne Perry led all the way to make it two wins from just two runs

  • New Playhouse company hits the (Wuthering) heights

    THE story of the Brontë sisters is being brought to life by actors to celebrate the partnership between an innovative theatre company and the Oxford Playhouse. The Beaumont Street theatre’s new resident company Shared Experience took to the stage for

  • Parents pay tribute after daughter's death

    “SHE brought joy to all her family and friends with her fun-loving sense of humour and kind-hearted caring nature.” That was the emotional tribute paid to former Bicester schoolgirl Denise Skilbeck who was found dead last week. A murder

  • ANGLING: Scott sparkles in the sunshine

    Predator’s Spring Carp League started last Sunday at Dog Lane, Napton, and the 16 anglers enjoyed the sunshine. The hard frosts two days before pushed some fish into the deeper water around the island, but they still fed well. Fishing the long pole

  • ANGLING: Oxon's anglers are so blessed

    The river season may be over until June, but there are still plenty of places to go fishing and Oxfordshire is particularly well blessed for stillwaters. Big-fish anglers from all over the country travel to our county to fish the likes of Linear Fisheries

  • ICE HOCKEY: Stars wait on Elliott

    Oxford City Stars hit the road for the last time in the regular South Division 1 season on Sunday with an away clash at Romford. Coach Ken Forshee is sweating on the availability of key player Darren Elliott, but otherwise has a full-strength

  • This apprentice is really on par

    DAD-OF-ONE Lee Perkins has swapped the nightclub for the golf club by becoming the latest to sign up to a new apprentice campaign in Oxfordshire. The 35-year-old started his apprenticeship in horticulture two years ago after switching from a job in bar

  • It's mind over Matterhorn

    When the itinerary arrived for my glacier skiing expedition on Klein Matterhorn, the highest point in the Swiss ski area of Zermatt-Cervinia, the office sweepstake on which one of my limbs would come home encased in plaster did little to boost

  • SPEEDWAY: Cheetahs roar back for Pole

    DEFUNCT Oxford Cheetahs make a one-off return at the Adam Skornicki Testimonial at Wolverhampton tomorrow (4pm), writes ROBERT PEASLEY. The meeting is a four-team tournament, also involving Wolverhampton, Belle Vue and Poole. Skornicki rode for the

  • CRICKET: Banbury A are champs

    BANBURY A finished top of Banbury Indoor League Division 1 after beating Sandford by two wickets in their final match. Great Tew A and Byfield are relegated. RESULTS Preston Capes 110-3 (J Hawkes 34no, G Arblaster 23) bt Great Tew A 109-6 (C Slatter

  • MOTORCYCLING: Sisters in form at nationals

    EAST Hagbourne sisters Leah and Alicia Robinson excelled with top ten finishes in the sixth round of the women’s and girl’s national trials in Derbyshire. Leah, 12, and nine-year-old Alicia, came seventh and tenth respectively in the Cheadle Auto Club

  • Dictionary double dips into credit crunch

    CREDIT crunch and double-dip have entered the new edition of the Oxford English Dictionary. Internet terms and wi-fi have also been added to the tome by Oxford University Press, based in Walton Street. They are among 45,437 new words and meanings included

  • Council's 'lights out' weekend branded tokenism

    THIS weekend Oxford City Council will turn off all “non-essential” lights in a bid to tackle global warming. But Green campaigners say it begs the question: why are lights burning in the first place if they are not needed? Especially

  • We can't have an off day, says Oxford United boss Wilder

    CHRIS Wilder has rem-inded his Oxford United team, as they prepare to take on Burton at the Kassam Stadium tomorrow, that they cannot ease off for a moment. It’s a rare Sunday game for the U’s, who did not want to clash with today’s Wales v England Euro

  • Oxford United open talks with duo

    OXFORD United have opened talks with experienced duo Paul McLaren and Steve MacLean about staying at the club. Ex-Tranmere midfielder McLaren joined until the end of this season, while striker Maclean is on loan from Plymouth until the summer. Manager

  • COMMENT: Dereliction of duty

    WE know that speed kills and speed is dangerous – the words seemingly said without shame by Thames Valley Police yesterday as it trumpeted the switch-on of Oxfordshire’s speed cameras next Friday. If it was not said following a 50 per cent rise in deaths

  • Road deaths rise after speed cameras switch-off

    DEATHS on Oxfordshire’s roads rose 50 per cent during the first six months speed cameras were turned off, police said last night. Road safety campaigners warned the situation should never be repeated as police prepared to turn the cameras back

  • Vettel blows away rivals

    Formula One world champion Sebastian Vettel began his campaign to retain his title in devastating fashion by grabbing pole position at the Australian Grand Prix for the second successive season. Red Bull Racing equalled an F1 record of 15 poles

  • Sian: Police continue search for second body

    A man remains in police custody today suspected of killing nightclubber Sian O'Callaghan as police continue the search for a second murder victim. Painstaking new searches have been launched after detectives said that a man suspected of killing

  • Secrecy over petrol station refunds

    FUEL bosses have refused to reveal how many refunds have been given after a garage charged 143.9p a litre for unleaded petrol. BP in Benson hiked its prices on March 5, possibly making it the dearest in the UK. Garage manager Nooh Mohammed blamed a

  • Councillors demand answers on future of Post Office services

    COUNCILLORS are demanding answers on the future of Post Office services in Barton after the estate’s branch closed without warning last month. The sub-post office in Underhill Circus shut on February 18 following the resignation of the sub-postmaster

  • Bassist to drum up good festival times

    FOR 14 years he was one of the biggest and most recognisable names in rock – a popstar heartthrob whose multi-platinum selling band were rarely out of the charts. Now, eight years after Blur first disbanded, bassist Alex James is still an icon – but