POLICE sealed off an East Oxford road tonight. Officers and firemen searched a terraced property in Rectory Road. Nearby resident Humza Abbasi said he believed chemicals had been found in the house, opposite The Star pub. Neighbours added police
A PUBLIC meeting organised by Chipping Norton residents opposed to supermarket chain Sainsbury’s plan for a second store in the town will take place on Thursday. The meeting at the Crown & Cushion Hotel, in High Street, starts at 6.30pm. All
RESIDENTS of an upmarket housing development have hit out at plans to build a sewage plant near their homes. The plans have been put forward for the plant on the Cumnor Ridge development of about 200 homes in Cumnor Hill. Developer Persimmon Homes said
Visitors to the newly opened Madley Park Hall, Northfield Farm Lane, in Witney, enjoyed face-painting, bouncy castles and a host of other activities on Saturday. Four-year-old Samuel Watson, pictured, was transformed into a tiger by face painter Leanne
CAMPAIGNERS opposed to higher Rail fares will be asking Oxford commuters to support their fight. The Fair Fares Now campaign launched last week, with a fortnight of action calling on politicians to lower train ticket prices. As part
Robert Blackham, a former power station engineer from Birmingham, has become an expert on the Oxford connections of JRR Tolkien, author of The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings. He is the author of The Roots of Tolkien’s Middle Earth, published
The world’s most famous statue? The image of Michelangelo’s David is certainly known throughout the globe, and it was only a matter of time before writer Mary Hoffman tackled it in her work. “It was a bit like a mountaineer knowing that they would have
A trio of investment properties has come onto the market in Oxford. Summertown-based agent Carter Jonas has two properties available in Cowley — Temple Court, a multi-let office investment in Oxford Road which is 83 per cent let and 11 and 13 Hollow Way
Courier firm Parcels4Delivery has moved into refurbished offices in Banbury. The company has taken the ground floor Suite One at Charter House on the High Street comprising 1,334 sq ft of newly renovated ground floor accommodation, along with three
Kleemann Lifts has taken a unit at the Arena 14 development in Bicester. The Greek company, founded in 1983, specialises in complete traction and hydraulic lift systems and is expanding its UK business. The premises, which comprise 3,478 sq ft of modern
Start-up and smaller businesses looking for quality office space in Abingdon are being invited to view a property at the Abingdon Science Park. Unit 2, The Quadrant (pictured), is the second building on the park to be fitted out specifically to appeal
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A former Oxfordshire Business of the Year has expanded into new premises in Banbury. Goodrich/Crompton Technology Group (CTG) has taken a modern 13,060 sq ft industrial/office unit at the Network 11 development on Thorpe Way — the unit next door to
THE Fieldtown Fayre in 1985 raised £250 towards new equipment for the village playground. The first picture shows, from left, Trista Robinson, four, Ross Baker, three, and Jonathan Barrett, five, taking a break from the festivities and the hot sun with
EVERYONE in the street must have attended this party. It was held in Cranham Street, Jericho, Oxford to celebrate the Festival of Britain 60 years ago. Tables came out and the children sat down to a sumptuous tea prepared by mums and other helpers.
THESE little girls looked suitably regal – and so they should. They were among children from 60 schools, Sunday schools, churches and Brownie packs who attended the Festival of Queens at Oxford Town Hall in 1975. Among the 27 queens at the event was
EVENTS were held all over Oxfordshire to mark the Festival of Britain 60 years ago. Parties, parades, pageants and a host of other activities were held in towns and villages to mark the beginning of a new era. The 1951 festival encouraged
ROBIN Godfrey has few memories of his years at St Thomas the Martyr School in Oxford. But 40 years after he left, he was delighted to meet three of his former teachers. Miss Weston, Miss Bates and Miss Clark were teachers at the school in Osney Lane
A GRADE II* listed sawmill and working industrial museum at Blenheim Estate has been granted £768,000 by the Heritage Lottery Fund. Prime Minister and Witney MP David Cameron said he was “delighted” with the grant, which will be used by the volunteer-run
THE Duke of Marlborough has said next weekend’s CLA Game Fair will be “wonderful”. About 140,000 people are expected to attend the fair, which will feature exhibitions and displays of countryside activities. The Duke hosts the event,
YOUNG filmmakers are being offered the chance to try their hand at everything from animation to blue screen special effects at a film festival. For the eighth year, Catherine Street-based Film Oxford, previously known as Oxford Film and Video
BANBURY MP Tony Baldry has asked Prime Minister David Cameron in the Commons about press “blagging”. The Conservative asked about the practice, where journalists are alleged to have obtained information without the consent of the owner,
AN ABINGDON primary school deemed to be inadequate by Ofsted for three-and-a-half years is finally making “good” progress, according to the education watchdog. Ofsted inspector Christopher Russell said pupils at Thameside Primary School were making better
If The Comedy of Errors is not the funniest play in the language, then its only rival is probably The Importance of Being Earnest. How astute it is of the Oxford Shakespeare Company, then, to bring out tried and tested productions of both of them for
ROBERT Graham, 43, of Booker Lane, High Wycombe, admitted assault by beating in Abingdon on February 6 and convicted of assaulting Pc Chan during the execution of duty on February 12. Given a 12-week prison sentence, suspended for two years, due
ANOTHER council magazine could be scrapped to save taxpayers £39,000 a year. Vale of White Horse District Council is looking to axe its UnValed publication and find a more cost-effective way of updating residents. Produced three times
A CONTROVERSIAL council swimming pool looks set to get the final go-ahead this week. Oxford city councillors will meet on Thursday to award the building contract for a pool next to Blackbird Leys Leisure Centre. The executive board is recommending the
VINTAGE vehicle lovers flocked to west Oxfordshire at the weekend. Hundreds of exhibits, including stationary engines, working farm machinery, vintage cars, tractors, military equipment, motorbikes and fire engines braved the rain at the annual
The Oxford Lions Futsal Club, who were quarter finalists in the FA Futsal Cup two weeks ago have impressed the FA so much that they have been invited to play in the National Futsal League. The team are based at the Park Sports Centre, Wheatley and will
Deane Smalley says that he and Oxford United are getting better and better. The former Chesterfield striker was on target as the U’s beat Mass United 2-0 on Saturday in the second match of their Amercian tour. Alfie Potter also found
TWO years ago the future of the Cogges Farm Museum looked bleak. In 2009, the Witney facility closed when it began to record losses and the annual £240,000 funding it needed to survive was withdrawn by Oxfordshire County Council. But yesterday, despite
Cumnor skipper Sam Jones makes his debut for Oxfordshire Development XI against Free Foresters in the two-day game at Radley College today and tomorrow. Jones has impressed with his batting as he’s led his young side to a challenging position in the
Oxford City kicked off their pre-season campaign with a hard-fought goalless draw against Gloucester City at Court Place Farm on Saturday. The hosts dominated a majority of the game against their Conference South opponents. But they were unable to turn
WEST Oxford was transformed into the Wild West this weekend at a themed fun day in Botley Park. Families enjoyed cowboy shootouts, a saloon bar and barbecue on Saturday to raise money for the West Oxford Community Centre in Botley Road.
WHILE I don’t know which side is right or wrong in the dispute between the BBC journalists who have gone on strike and the bosses, I have to say I enjoyed some of the changes the corporation had to make on Friday. The Today programme on Radio 4 broadcast
READING of Unison going on strike took me back to my time as a shop steward at BME/Fisher, Rover in the ‘70s and ‘80s. My philosophy was, while I was talking keep working, because management would listen. Strike and you’ve played your last card. EL
IN ANSWER to B Gibbs’s letter (Labour’s To Blame, Oxford Mail, July 7). I agree with him about the pension contributions not being taxed. But what David Cameron should do is stop sending all these millions of pounds to help foreign countries who are
I WOULD like to add my two penn’orth to the everyday story of fox-debating folk. I’d like to know if any of your readers have ever witnessed, and I know Penny Little would have, being a true country ‘swede-basher’ as I am, the following as well. A
IT was, quite simply, one of the best days of my life... I went to London to see the Queen, and I did just that. Every year, the Queen hosts two or three garden parties at Buckingham Palace as a way of rewarding and recognising public service. Regrettably
Aston Rowant did their best to force victory in their Division 2 West match at home to basement boys Gerrards Cross – but in the end were beaten by the weather. In the only Serious Cricket Home Counties Premier League clash to see any play, a positive
MORE than 60 drivers a day were caught flouting Oxford’s controversial bus gates last year. The fines have hauled in £566,833 for cash-strapped Oxfordshire County Council. But city traders claim it is “bewildered” tourists who are being caught out,
I READ recently in our Oxford Mail that not only is David Cameron our Premier, but that he has been our Member of Parliament for more than 10 years. Such facts should be better known. Much more importantly, however, from my point of view
MR Augarde mis-read my recent letter (Oxford Mail, July 6). If he had read it carefully, he would have seen that the point of the letter was an argument on the quality of letter writing. It was on this that I awarded the palm to Mr Augarde.
IT is a relief to see from your report that Oxford City Council is asking Thames Valley Police to grant powers to community wardens to fine and warn cyclists who break the law by cycling on footways. The police record in dealing with this menace is
NHS treatments to help couples have children should be made a low priority in Oxfordshire to save cash, some senior medics believe. A committee of NHS staff said IVF cost too much, its absence did not damage lives enough and couples could adopt
OXFORD’S Lord Mayor has vowed to attend future repatriation ceremonies after questions were raised about her ongoing absence. Elise Benjamin, the city’s first Green Mayor, is a self-described “peace campaigner” but insisted her no-show was not political
WALK into an assembly at Dashwood School and it is hard to believe it was ever in crisis. The pupils are immaculate in blazers and ties. Two head girls stand and watch their fellow pupils file silently into the new state-of-the-art hall.
A few words of sympathy for event organisers this weekend. It teemed down from dawn to late afternoon on Saturday, and Sunday was barely any better. It is such a shame when communities go to so much effort to organise events, only for
When a couple struggles to have children the emotional impact on them must be huge. IVF is a last resort for many desperate to start a family. But today the Oxford Mail has learned the people charged with deciding priorities of NHS treatment
