JANIE Hampton isn’t just a mum to her own children, she’s mother to thousands of people desperately in need of healthcare. And now the supergran has been shortlisted as Tesco Mum of the Year after raising more than £1m towards a mobile clinic in Malawi
EVERY day a crack team sits down to a monumental challenge – to raise £3m annually to support the work of one of Oxford’s best-loved charities. Helen & Douglas House, in Magdalen Road, costs £4.5m each year to run, and with no Government funding and
NUN, single mother, nurse, hospice founder – no label sums up one of Oxford’s most inspirational women. Sister Frances Dominica is the founder of East Oxford’s Helen & Douglas House, the world’s first children’s hospice. Now 68, Sister Frances was born
A SENIOR officer at West Oxfordshire District Council has been paid £110,000 compensation for loss of office. Cath James, who was strategic director for environment, left the council at the beginning of this year. She was instrumental
IT TOOK the murder of a friend to make drug addict Steve Walker change his ways. Mr Walker spent 15 years addicted to drugs, spending hundreds of pounds a week on his habit and getting into trouble with the police and courts. But the 61-year-old cleaned
A NEW mum has organised a breast feeding “sit-in” after being told to stop nursing her baby son in an Oxford department store. Mother-of-two Emily John organised the protest in anger after being asked by staff to stop feeding four-week-old Jacob
Summertown Supergiants scored their first victory in the White League with a hard fought victory over Hinksey. The first match started in chilly conditions and Hinksey were the first team to come close to scoring. The Summertown goalkeeper was in
AMATEUR actors are bringing their own production of the Little Shop of Horrors musical to a stage in Witney. Witney Dramatic Society is putting on the show at the Corn Exchange in Market Square later this week. The cast and crew of 20
LEGAL wrangles look set to keep an Oxford play area in the dark again this winter. Campaigners have been trying to get extra lighting at Croft Road recreation park in Marston since 2007, so that children can use play equipment during autumn and winter
BUDDING firefighters and fitness freaks were put through their paces at Kidlington Fire Station. Members of the public were challenged to eight different tasks, including dragging a dummy and rolling out hoses. The challenges at Kidlington Leisure Centre
ADDICTS have resumed using waste land under a bridge in Blackbird Leys to take their drugs. For five years residents have complained about addicts abandoning used needles on the ground underneath Blackbird Leys Road. The parish council agreed in August
HUNDREDS of children from across Oxfordshire are being invited to see how Minis are made at the car plant in Cowley. About 240 teenagers are being given the chance to take a tour of the BMW plant and meet the company’s apprentices. Plant Oxford is taking
An expert witness has told jurors a doctor carried out unnecessary breast examinations. Yenugula Srinivas, who was a locum in Oxford, denies 11 charges of sexually assaulting patients. As the trial of the 41-year-old, of Church Road, Sandford-on-Thames
Cita Haines was on the mark with two goals as Oxford Hawks Ladies put last week’s defeat behind them to see off Old Loughtionians 3-0 at Banbury Road North. Beth Warne netted their other goal on her debut as Hawks notched their first points in Conference
A former Scout leader was jailed for six years for abusing boys. Brian Bailey, above, of High Street, Abingdon, admitted 19 of 29 charges against him and was sentenced at Amersham Crown Court, on Friday. The 42-year-old abused six boys at a flat in
Oxford Hawks gave newly-promoted Slough 2nd a lesson as they handed out a 10-0 hiding to go top of Premier Division 2 in the South League. Hawks put the visitors under the cosh with wave upon wave of attacks, but had to wait 17 minutes before breaking
IT was all the fun of the fair in Abingdon last night as the annual Michaelmas Fair came to town. Daniel Smith, 30, from Abingdon, took his partner’s four-year-old daughter Faye McMahon. He said: “She is four-and-a-half-years-old so anything with bright
BB&O Round-up DAVE Hampton ran in four tries as Bicester routed Phoenix 60-24 in the Premier Division. Scrum half Craig Smith’s try started the romp with the opening try, No 8 Dan Spencer kicking the first of five conversions. Centres Hampton and
Preben Krabben held his nerve to help Oxfordshire to a 19-17 home victory against Warwickshire in the Riley's Inter-Counties Championship Premier Division at Rileys Snooker Pool & Darts Club in Cowley. With the clash poised at 18-17 going into the last
Axe-wielding robbers stole hundreds of pounds in a raid on a petrol station. A 24-year-old man working at Jet in Steeple Aston was confronted by three masked men who threatened him with the axe and forced him to hand over the cash at 7.52pm on Sunday
A DRIVER convicted of causing the death of his friend in a car crash was last night facing jail. Stephen Hocknell was unanimously found guilty of causing death by careless driving by jurors at Oxford Crown Court yesterday. The 21-year-old
AN OXFORD school has been criticised for sacking an “exceptional” drama teacher after he hugged and kissed a vulnerable pupil. Cheney School fired Ken Palmer, left, in February last year after a girl said he made “inappropriate physical contact” with
Oxford United striker Tom Craddock is back in training after a knee injury. The former Middlesbrough forward, pictured against Everton in August, has been sidelined since pre-season. Physio Andy Lord said: “Tom has worked really hard and is right on
South West 1 East WITNEY were overpowered 23-3 away to a hungrier, quicker Maidenhead side. The hosts bagged a try from wing Mike Burnett inside two minutes. Centre Tony Marawa fumbled the ball with the line at his mercy, but on eight minutes giant
Southern Counties North ADAM White scored two tries as Alchester gained their first victory of the season with a 35-14 success over Tadley. Tadley took the lead with a converted try, but Alchester centre Tom Miles replied witth a penalty. On 26 minutes
Terry Biddlecombe is in the John Radcliffe Hospital, Oxford, after being taken ill at his home at West Lockinge Farm, near Wantage. Biddlecombe’s wife, trainer Henrietta Knight, reported on her website that her 70-year-old husband and the three-times
COMMUTERS will face “horrendous” jams when one of the main routes into Oxford is closed for a fortnight. Oxfordshire County Council is closing the busy Eynsham Road between Farmoor and Botley for two weeks from Monday to fix potholes.
Didcot Town manager Dave Mudge has saluted the contribution of right back Sam Elkins after he made a superb debut in Saturday’s 3-1 FA Trophy win against Clevedon. Elkins, 21, the former Abingdon United player, signed for Town on Thursday night hours
SO the Bank of England will create another £75bn by the system called quantitative easing, the electronic creation of new money which isn’t backed by assets. This £75bn will be handed over to the banks: those same banks that caused the economic crisis
DAVID Cameron should have used the Conservative Party conference as an opportunity to apologise to the British people for his dreadful decisions and destructive policies. Specifically, for going back on his word to protect the NHS. For strangling the
A REFLECTION on Friday, September 30, a warm summer-like morning and the day we said goodbye to Zoe Peterssen. After alighting from the bus in High Street and a brisk walk down the Turl into the Broad, I hurriedly crossed St Giles. It was the funeral,
Oxford Harlequins 21, Bridgwater & Albion 17 TWO tries from debutant full back Paddy Smith helped Oxford Harlequins to edge out National 3 South West’s basement boys. It was far from a convincing display, but Quins did just enough to earn a second
OXFORD Harlequins director of rugby John Brodley felt beating Bridgwater was an important and confidence-boosting victory. “The win was important just to show the guys that we can do it,” said Brodley. “Now we can look forward to a local
AEA Technology 1.9 BMW 4587 Electrocomponents 200.8 Nationwide Accident Repair 87.5 Oxford Biomedica 4.95 Oxford Catalysts 56 Oxford Instruments 723 Reed Elsevier 516.25 RM 59.75 RPS Group
Rugby Football Union chairman Paul Murphy has criticised attempts from the grassroots game to hound acting chief executive Martyn Thomas out of office. Murphy, Oxfordshire’s outgoing RFU representative and Abingdon RFC president, was joined
IN THE Guardian article reprinted (Oxford Mail, October 8, Mitchell: His own words), Keith Mitchell writes proprietorially about “my” county council. With the characteristic tact that would do credit to a bulldozer he castigates anyone who dares to
IT IS not often that you make an appeal through the pages of the Oxford Mail to members of the Upper House, but this week the Lords vote on the Government’s proposals for the future of the health service. As the Health and Social Care Bill has now been
AFTER a long summer of hibernation Oxford is awake again, term has begun and there are students and academics everywhere. Without doubt every bike shop in town realises this, with every other customer in search of not a new bike but a secondhand one.
National 3 South West CHINNOR ran in five tries to record a thumping 40-15 victory at Weston-super-Mare. Full back Mark Chase crossed over twice, while Weston lost lock Stuart Board to a broken leg. Chinnor fly half James Cathcart slotted a brace
National 2 South HENLEY Hawks held on to win 12-10 at Shelford and preserve their 100 per cent record. The opening half-hour saw Henley full back James Comben miss two penalties, while Shelford fly half Harry Owens was off target with one. Hawks
FIREFIGHTERS were called to a blaze at a plastics factory in Beaumont Road last night. Four fire engines Oxfordshire Fire and Rescue Service were called to AAC Cyroma Plastics at 11.54pm along with the environmental protection unit.
Oxford United skipper Jake Wright says that the whole team are proud of their defensive record – but wins will always be the most important thing. Saturday’s 3-0 victory over Bristol Rovers means that the U’s have conceded the fewest goals in npower
JANIE HAMPTON is most certainly a mum for a million. Mrs Hampton, from Temple Cowley, has been nominated for the Tesco Mum of the Year award and you have to be impressed with what she has done. The 59-year-old founded a charity to renovate a medical
IT SOUNDS like the kind of equipment that Q might present to James Bond. But the new robotic technology created by scientists at Oxford University, allowing cars to ‘see’ the world around them and essentially drive themselves, could be the future for
A woman was sexually assaulted in a bra shop in Oxford. The 20-year-old victim was waiting by the changing rooms at Bravissimo in Broad Street at about 3pm on Friday when the man started talking to her, before grabbing her and touching her
IT started as the brain child of just one Oxfordshire teacher. But yesterday the Ten for Ten campaign to raise cash for injured troops finished after gathering the support of celebrities, soldiers and 52,000 children. The 10-day event
THE first free school in Oxfordshire has been given the go-ahead to open for lessons next year. It means a unique bilingual education will be available to hundreds of Oxfordshire children, after ministers backed the project last night. The Europa School
THE progress of the Europa School – the first free school to be started in the county – will be interesting to observe. The plan is to run a school that teaches subjects bilingually, either English and German or English and French, and eventually cover
A woman was groped in a bra shop in Oxford by an Asian man. The 20-year-old victim was waiting by the changing rooms at Bravissimo in Broad Street at about 3pm on Friday when the man started talking to her, before grabbing her and touching her chest.
THIS is the man detectives want to speak to about a sexual assault on a 30-year-old woman as she walked along Marsh Road. The victim was walking close to the Marsh Harrier pub at 1.20am on September 30. The man is described as Middle Eastern with fairly
DRIVERS may be wondering why two-foot high plastic sheeting has appeared along an Oxfordshire road — it’s for catching newts. Thames Water is about to start a £1.5m scheme to replace 100-year-old cast-iron pipes between Bicester and Ambrosden. But before
A DECISION to allow a wind turbine at a motorway service station has whipped up a storm of protest. The 86.5m wind turbine at Cherwell Valley service station in Ardley, near Bicester, has been given permission by councillors despite a string of objections
POLICE cannot automatically watch footage from CCTV cameras fitted to one of their own stations at weekends, it has emerged. CCTV is installed outside Abingdon police station overlooking the car park, but a recent theft complaint has revealed how the
IT MAY have been a bleak weekend for English rugby, but it was a great one for young sportsmen in Oxford. The Oxford Academy in Littlemore officially opened its multi-million pound sports facilities, which include a new sports dome. It was launched
In an enthralling game Cumnor set out to keep a clean sheet against the free scoring Crowemarsh team. The first game was a close encounter for the first 15 minutes until Freedie Nunn scored with a shot from the edge of the area. In the second half
