Archive

  • RUGBY UNION: The numbers game

    Alchester were knocked out of the Senior Vase, despite battling hard. Here is the numbers' game. See Tuesday’s paper for full report. Competition: RFU Senior Vase quarter-final Score: Old Richians 19, Alchester 12 Alchester player

  • Student flats plan gets the go-ahead

    A 300-BED student complex will be built in Headington despite fears its elderly neighbours will be kept awake at night. Berkeley Homes won permission to build 313 rooms for Oxford Brookes University students on the former Dorset House School site in

  • Helen's lock locks face the chop for charity

    A HAIRCUT is pretty run-of-the-mill for most people, but for a woman from Southmoor a few snips will lay waste to five years of work. Helen Redfern, 42, of Cherry Tree Close, is to shave off her hair and donate the locks to the Little Princess

  • Don't forget your mother tomorrow...

    IT’S bear hugs all round at the Cotswold Wildlife Park ahead of Mother’s Day tomorrow. This lemur was just one of the baby animals at the park, near Burford, making sure mum got plenty of hugs.

  • Oxford United crash 3-0 at Bury

    Oxford United gave one of their poorest performances in recent months as they crashed 3-0 at promotion-chasing Bury. The managerless Shakers comprehensively outplayed them with two goals from Nicky Ajose, and one from top scorer Ryan Lowe. Full details

  • Bury 3, Oxford Utd 0 (02/04)

    Oxford United’s play-off hopes suffered a body blow at Gigg Lane when they were comprehensively outplayed by managerless Bury. The Shakers punished some poor defensive play with three very well-taken goals to boost their own belief that they

  • Oxford United trailing at half-time

    Oxford United were behind at half-time at Bury after trailing from the very first minute. They got off to the worst possible start when Nicky Ajose shot the Shakers into the lead after 60 seconds, following hesitation by Harry Worley. Worley then had

  • Couple raise more than £20,000

    A GRIEVING couple have raised more than £20,000 to support the hospital that gave them 18 precious weeks with their tragic son. Gemma and Luke Froude organised fundraising events in memory of son Finnley for Support for the Sick Newborn And their Parents

  • It's a thumbs up for Scout leader

    A SCOUT leader has achievement a triple success after being awarded his Queen’s Scout, Duke of Edinburgh Gold Award and Scout Leader’s Wood Badge at the same time. George Brooks, 19, from Water Eaton, was given the awards at a ceremony at 33rd Oxford

  • Payne for McLaren is Oxford United's only change

    Josh Payne came in for Paul McLaren as Oxford United attempted to make it three wins in a row in their League Two game against promotion-chasing rivals Bury today. But that was the U's only change at Gigg Lane, where the home team had Richie Barker taking

  • Runners are ready for challenge

    TWO Bicester firefighters who have slogged though ice, snow and rain to train for the London Marathon are hoping to clock their best times yet. This will be the sixth time John Nelson, 53, has competed in the 26 mile race – last year he finished

  • BOXING: Battling George just misses out

    Despite a determined effort, George Stevens’s bid to join fellow Oxford Boxing Academy contender Bradley Townsend in the last 16 of the Royal Navy-sponsored Junior ABA Championships ended in disappointment. Stevenage rival Levi Raymond built up an early

  • 'It's been tough but so worth it'

    WHEN Jane Stooks’ son George was a toddler, a doctor told her the best way forward was to put him in full-time residential care. Mrs Stooks had just been given the shattering news that George was autistic and would probably have a very limited life.

  • Charity funds research in the UK

    ONE mum from Watlington is urging people to help find out more about the condition which took her chatty toddler into a world of silence forever. Sue Fotherby, 48, said: “My daughter Lucy said her last word ‘Mummy’ at the age of three and hasn’t spoken

  • CYCLE SPEEDWAY: Hammers fight back for victory

    Horspath Hammers began the defence of their British Premier League title with a 91-79 victory over Leicester Monarchs. They got off to a poor start, as the first eight heats saw them with a nine-point deficit. But taking full ad-vantage of a Leicester

  • Men jailed for armed raid and stab attack

    TWO men wielding weapons who burst into an Oxford house and stabbed one of the occupants have been jailed for a total of 13 years. Orlando Shedden and Amin Hirabe were part of a group of men carrying a metal pole, bars, a golf club and a knife as they

  • TABLE TENNIS: Vikings close in on glory

    Vikings B thumped Forum C 8-2 to move a step closer to capturing the Oxford & District Table Tennis League Division 1 title. Pavel Jaskolski and Jingyu Sun both grabbed maximums, and Alan Cherry scored a vital win that enabled Vikings to win the doubles

  • ANGLING: Bean tops as canal switches on

    There was a good turn-out of 11 for the North Oxford match fished on the Oxford Canal at Frenchay Road. The canal fished well, with more than 30lb of fish being caught. Consistent Jason Bean finished in top spot with 5.7.0 of skimmers, perch and roach

  • County gets into the April Fool's Day spirit

    PRANKSTERS renamed the village of Bampton yesterday as Oxfordshire got into the April Fool’s Day spirit. Signs leading into the village were changed to Downton, after TV show Downton Abbey which is filmed in the area. Alan Clarke, landlord of the Horse

  • SWIMMING: Ripley stars with treble medal haul

    Molly Ripley, from Didcot Barramundi, was the star of the show as she scooped three gold medals in the Deaf Nationals in Crawley. The ten-year-old’s treble came in the age group 50m breaststroke (56.40secs), 50m freestyle (38.15) and 50m butterfly (48.09

  • Work starts on major extension to Mini plant

    THE first turf has been cut on a multi-million pound building project that will house the next generation of Mini production. Plant managing director Jurgen Hedrich joined forces with Oxford East MP Andrew Smith, Bob Price, leader of Oxford

  • GREYHOUNDS: Oxford pull off big-race double

    OXFORD owners and trainers are celebrating a fantastic double with Jolly Poacher and Spen-cers Lad landing the Swindon Arc and Fair-view Kennels Trafalgar Cup in great style. First to strike was Witney-based owner Shane Lee and co-owner Mel Shorter as

  • GREYHOUNDS: Swift can swoop

    TOO Swift Risky, trained by Bob Hannan, should get back to winning ways in the A4 over 450m at Oxford tonight. The blue and white bitch has not troubled the judge since January when she posted 27.36, but is eased in grade here. TONIGHT’S RUNNERS 7.35

  • GREYHOUNDS: Russek appeal

    KATHY Russek, a stalwart owner at Oxford for many years and committed supporter of cancer charities during that time, is appealing to the Oxford greyhound fraternity to support the Iain Rennie Hospice at Home. She is organising a charity meeting at

  • SNOOKER: Title chase going down to the wire

    Fieldside A and Littlemore RBL C are neck-and-neck in the Premier & Division 1 title chase with two weeks remaining in the Gentworks Oxford & District Snooker League, writes DAVID WHITE. Fieldside held a four-point lead over Littlemore going into the

  • JUDO: Birnie secures golden hat-trick

    Great Britain masters judo player Jim Birnie stands on top of the podium after coming away from the Saxony Open in Langenhessen, Germany, with his third successive gold medal from the event. Birnie, from Carterton, was up against competitors from nine

  • MOTORSPORT: Plato aims for opening double

    Jason Plato has targeted two race wins in Brands Hatch’s opening Dunlop MSA British Touring Car Championship round tomorrow – and ten in total during the 2011 season. The 43-year-old Oxford racer is going for this third BTCC drivers’ title – his second

  • MOTORSPORT: Jason's flying high in title defence

    Jason Plato knows the sky’s the limit as he opens the defence of his Dunlop MSA British Touring Car Championship at Brands Hatch tomorrow. For the reigning champion will be flying to and from every event this year in an Agusta 109 helicopter as part

  • MOTORSPORT: Stunning triumph by Aston Martin

    BANBURY’S Aston Martin Racing team made a stunning start to the FIA GT1 World Championship at Abu Dhabi – taking victory and providing four of the top-six finishers. Driving a Hexis AMR DB9, Stef Dusseldorp and Clivio Piccione held off a late charge

  • COMMENT: Havin' a laugh

    WHAT with the economic downturn, public service cuts and international disasters, doom and gloom has dominated the news recently. So we wonder if it is precisely because of this that jokers across the county enthusiastically embraced the spirit

  • Tune in to watch our Lewis winner's hour of fame

    OXFORD is about to become the UK’s murder capital again as TV detective drama Lewis returns to the small screen. And father-of-two Paul Hunt, 66, will be glued to the screen as tomorrow’s episode, Old, Unhappy, Far Off Things, begins on ITV at 8pm tomorrow

  • ICE HOCKEY: Stars are ready for cruncher

    Oxford City Stars know that victory over Bracknell Hornets tomorrow (6.15) will secure their South Division 1 play-off place. But defeat at Oxpens Road could see them crash out of the top eight, and their season end. The equation is simple: a Stars

  • ANGLING: Sean snaffles specimen pike

    Kidlington specimen angler Sean Trafford, who works at J&K Tackle at Bicester, caught a cracking 25.2.0 pike from a Buckinghamshire stillwater, writes ANDY WEBBER. The lake is around 11 acres in size and this is Sean’s second ‘20’ from the water this

  • Venice: Behind the mask

    Spend too long looking for it and you’ve probably missed the point. In fact, if you visit Venice during Carnival season, then it’s all around you. Going to Venice for Carnival, which runs in the two weeks up to Shrove Tuesday in the first quarter

  • McLaren injury forces Wilder to make chance for Bury trip

    Oxford United and Bury are both forced to make one change for today’s League Two six-pointer at Gigg Lane. The U’s are without midfield anchorman Paul McLaren, who needed seven stitches in a cut down his Achilles tendon following last weekend

  • You lucky dog - Sasha survives 150ft cliff plunge

    FOR Sasha the Red Setter-spaniel cross life has been a case of ruff and tumble. But her owner can’t believe how lucky the dog is after surviving a recent 150 feet plunge down a cliff. Sasha was frolicking with border collie Moby when

  • Thomas happy as United show a profit

    Chairman Kelvin Thomas says the profit Oxford United have just posted for last year shows the club are in a healthy financial position. United turned a loss of £825,000 the previous 12 months into a £403,000 profit for the year ending June

  • JR's baby unit must double in size

    A SPECIALIST baby unit at Oxford’s John Radcliffe Hospital needs to double in size to cope with a huge increase in demand for its expertise. Last night the hospital confirmed that in the past 12 months it had been forced to turn away 254

  • Tip off leads police to big cannabis haul in East Oxford

    A LANDLORD has spoken of his anger after a cannabis factory was discovered at one of his properties. Police raided the semi-detached house in The Grates, East Oxford, yesterday and found at least 300 cannabis plants, worth more than £90,000

  • COMMENT: Where will the money come from?

    EXPECTANT mums across Oxfordshire will be pleased to know the John Radcliffe Hospital’s specialist baby unit is set to double in size. The care of seriously ill babies touches many people across the county. So it is heart-warming to

  • Princess faces question time at literary festival

    OXFORD Literary Festival begins today, giving book lovers the chance to quiz royalty, hear top politicians and spot celebrities. One of the biggest coups of this year’s event is securing the Princess Royal as one of the festival’s speakers. Princess

  • Mobility perils

    CARS, wheelie bins, bikes and dropped kerbs – these are some of the obstacles that stop disabled people going about their daily lives in Oxford. Bikes tethered to bus stops block wheelchair access to public transport, badly parked cars force disabled

  • Redbridge works on track

    Works at Redbridge, which have caused rush hour delays and diverted traffic from the old Abingdon Road, will finish on April 20, Network Rail has pledged. A new bridge has been lifted into place as part of a £71m project to allow larger shipping containers