Ardington Eagles gave a fine performance to defeat Grove Challengers 4-0 in the first round of the U12 cup. Eagles dominated the early stages with numerous attacks down both wings putting pressure on the Grove goal. After 10 minutes the pressure paid
POLICE said tonight the man electrocuted at a disused quarry was 17. Initial information was that the victim - who died after being electrocuted while using a cherry-picker at a former quarry in Brize Norton - was 29. However a police spokesman said
A WORKER was electrocuted today after a hydraulic cherry picker he was using in an old quarry in Brize Norton touched high voltage power lines. The 29-year-old man suffered a cardiac arrest after the surge of power hit him and threw him from
When people lose their sight, simply walking down the street can be a scary and daunting task. That’s the message from the team which helps people find their way around the world again. But according to campaigners, too many people don’t offer help
A project that brought a community together to celebrate their 50th anniversary will not come unstuck because of the weather, residents have vowed. A mosaic on the wall of Blackbird Leys Community Centre was a labour of love for more than 70 residents
A 40-year-old man has admitted assaulting a woman in Banbury. Kevin Baker admitted causing actual bodily harm to Stephanie Quinlivan-Smith at Oxford Crown Court on Monday. The incident happened on April 16. Baker, of Steeple Claydon, Bucks, was fined
Police want to speak to four men after burglars broke into a house in Moulsford. Items stolen included a red Honda quad bike valued at £7,000, as well as garden equipment including a strimmer and leaf blower. One of the men rode off on the quad bike
A teenager who groped a woman’s bottom as he rode past her on his bike may be responsible for targeting three other women. Extra officers are patrolling in the Town Walk East area, around the tunnel under the railway line, where the man has carried out
A former Horton Hospital doctor fears maternity services could again be under threat due to service changes. Dr Peter Fisher is concerned moves to cut gynaecology beds from 12 to six at the Banbury hospital will threaten junior doctor training. Bosses
If you haven’t come across Orlando the Gap Yah student, then get on to YouTube and join the four million plus viewers who have nearly wet themselves laughing. Based on the characters he met while at Oxford (yah!), Matt Lacey is now cashing in on his newfound
I still haven’t quite got my head around Big Daddy v Giant Haystacks – A Heavyweight Champion Comedy in Three Acts – but by all accounts it’s award-winning, funny and worth seeing. Based on the millions of Britons who watched two fat men pretend to fight
Two campaigns are being launched to keep Tesco out of Jericho in Oxford, even though the retail giant insists it has no plans to open up a store. Residents believe the arrival of Tesco will be the inevitable consequence of a major redevelopment under
ONE of East London’s trendiest bands, Chapel Club have a huge following for their moody, shimmering, shuddering rock and sophisticated songwriting. But while they may have the urbane stamp of a metropolitan band – even their name comes from
As if you hadn’t noticed, the students are back in town. They’ve nailed Freshers Week and will now be looking forward to seeing what Oxford’s got in store for them. And if the bill for this show was anything to go by, they’ve got plenty to look forward
The musical event of the autumn looks like being a whole load more fun. The Oxford Mail’s showcase of local talent – Fireworks Night Goes Pop – sees three of the county’s best acts taking to the stage at the Jericho Tavern on November 5. And excitement
Denise Black is a legend, and when she’s not starring in Coronation Street, Bad Girls or Queer as Folk, you’ll find her gigging with her band Loose Screw around the UK. But this is a first even for her, a musical, and she’s knocking them dead in Sister
A town centre supermarket is set to close in Bicester with the loss of 41 workers. Staff at the Somerfield store in Market Square, were told last week the shop would close for good on Saturday, November 19. And on Saturday, ski wear
ANYONE who knows Bicester well but hasn’t visited for a while will be saddened to see the town centre’s decline. The town is facing its biggest upheaval in living memory and is rapidly looking like a deserted frontier town. Yes, it is getting a new
IT GOT to the point that every time I ventured out someone pointed out what a miserable witch I’d become. “You haven’t had much luck recently,” they’d say politely, (meaning ‘you miserable witch’), “nothing tickled your fancy then?” (‘you miserable
If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it. That’s the mantra of director Craig Brewer, who updates the storyline of this toe-tapping remake to present day Georgia but retains the familiar characters and plot of the 1984 classic, which immortalised Kevin Bacon.
It’s been the best part of two decades since Alexandre Dumas’s legendary swordsmen declared, “One for all and all for one” on the big screen. British director Paul W S Anderson (Resident Evil, Death Race) turns to the 3D format for his old-fashioned
If there’s any method to Toddla T’s madness, it’s that he wants to keep his music fun. “Sonically, I’m right serious about the music,” says Sheffield’s master of digital dancehall. “It stresses me, but it’s gotta be a laugh. Otherwise, what’s the point
Autumn may be well and truly here, but don’t be fooled into thinking the festival season is over... just yet, anyway. Saturday sees Oxford’s Cowley Road transformed into the site of one of the country’s finest urban festies – Ley Lines. Picking up where
Andy Haworth today extended his loan at Oxford United by a further month. The Bury winger made his first start in Saturday's 3-0 win over Bristol Rovers after earlier featuring twice as a substitute.
OK. Let’s get the tittering out of the way first up shall we? Yes – Sandy Balls. I'm even smirking as I type it. And on the Saturday there was a downpour and it was Wet Sandy Balls – how irritating that was. But now we can get down to sensible things
SATURDAY. FOOTBALL. NPOWER LEAGUE TWO. Macclesfield Tn v Oxford Utd. FA CUP 3rd qual round: Eastleigh v Oxford City. EVO-STIK SOUTHERN LEAGUE. Premier Div: Chippenham Tn v Banbury Utd. Div 1 South & West: Abingdon Utd v Mangotsfield Tn, Didcot
PLANS for an interactive water feature in Wallingford have gone on show. The £180,000 feature will replace the paddling pool at Riverside Park and is due to open in May. It will be for toddlers through to 12-year-olds and will be free. Also, the picnic
OXFORD’S bus chiefs were quizzed yesterday by the very people who use their services. Organised by Bus Users UK, the surgery took place on a parked bus in Broad Street and gave the public the chance to have their say about the city’s bus services
MARSTON residents have staked a claim on a plot of land to protect the memorial tree which stands on it. The land is on the corner of Marston Road and Old Marston Road and sits outside the old Friar pub which is soon to be turned into a Tesco
THOUSANDS of residents who fail to register to vote will not face threatened fines of £1,000, it has been revealed. Letters are being sent out to all Oxfordshire homes as part of the annual programme to keep the electoral register up to date
RESIDENTS in Headington are bracing themselves for traffic chaos as a month of roadworks began this week. Oxfordshire County Council has closed a section of Old Road while it improves cycle and pedestrian access. The work started yesterday
THINK bonfire night is just for the kids? Not any more it isn’t. Make a date in your diaries, because, for one night only, the Oxford Mail is teaming up with the city’s Coo promotions for a November 5 to remember – Firework Night goes Pop.
VOLUNTEERS from across the county have been recognised for their outstanding work. The volunteers, who were nominated by the charities they work for and by the public, received awards at Oxford Town Hall. More than 40 volunteers were
A man has been charged with trying to steal from an ambulance while crews treated a patient in the street. It is alleged he tried to steal from the ambulance’s glove box while it was parked in Walton Street, Oxford, as paramedics gave emergency treatment
MIKE Bellinger, the third generation to take charge of the family motor sales company in Abingdon and Grove, has died aged 59. He died on September 24, having been diagnosed with a rare form of lymphoma in the summer. As managing director of Bellinger
TRIBUTES have been paid to former mayor of Wallingford Denis Strange, who has died aged 77. Mr Strange, from Newnham Green, Crowmarsh, became mayor in 2000. He died on Wednesday, October 5, at the John Radcliffe Hospital in Oxford after suffering pneumonia
JAN Stone, former Wheatley Primary school governor and cancer campaigner, has passed away aged 61. Mrs Stone, nee Emerson, wife of Oxford Mail columnist Clive Stone, died at Michael Sobell House earlier this month after a two-year fight against breast
Didcot Railway Centre has completed a £125,000 fundraising drive so it can rattle ahead with its future development plans. Managers at the steam railway centre next to Didcot Parkway have taken out a 50-year lease from Network Rail so they can pursue
Commuters were offered crime fighting advice from the police using the social network Twitter. As the nights draw in Oxford police are warning workers who leave home early and return in the dark that their properties are easy prey for burglars
A DOCTOR accused of sexually abusing his patients, told jurors all his examinations were for professional reasons. Yenugula Srinivas, who was a locum GP in Oxford, denies seven counts of serious sexual assault and four sexual assaults dating
FORMER England wing Jon Sleightholme has joined Cokethorpe School’s coaching staff. The 39-year-old ex-Bath and Northampton man, who won 12 England caps, is a qualified PE teacher. A school statement said: “His appointment comes at a time when a growing
SHAW GIBBS OXFORDSHIRE FOURSOMES LEAGUE Knockout Cup semi-final Tadmarton Heath 2, Drayton Park 1 (Tadmarton Heath first): S Hallam & J Burton halved with A Griffiths & A Elmey, I Manning & C Lowe bt B James & D Morton 5&4, G Sambrook
Ron How, the man who led Oxford Cheetahs to their most successful season ever, has passed away aged 81. Buckinghamshire-born How was snapped up by Cheetahs prior to the 1964 season, and led them to a first division treble of National League, National
PRIMARY school children took a trip to the past yesterday, as archaeologists showed them historical objects dug up in their town. The pupils, from St Edburg’s School in Bicester, were given lessons by Wessex Archaeology – the firm behind excavations
With the jumps season moving up a gear, Ben Case is looking to take another stride forward after his Edgcote stables, near Banbury, enjoyed their most successful campaign last term. Now in his fifth season at Wardington Gate Farm, the 43-year-old trainer
Kennington kick-started their quest to regain the Johnsons Buildbase Oxford League title with an emphatic 5-0 victory at Didcot Conservative Club, writes PETE EWINS. Steven Sheard (6,190), Mark Trafford (12,800, break 9,460) and captain Pauline
An Oxfordshire man who found himself homeless at 13 but then went on to be a highly successful entrepreneur, is now setting up a scheme designed to tackle record levels of youth unemployment. Jon Treanor wants to arrange internships for NEETS (teenagers
OXFORD University will hope to have turned a corner after securing their first victory of the season. Wing Cassian Bramham-Law scored 28 points as the Dark Blues defeated a Richmond XV 45-29 on Monday. And having lost their opening three matches, this
TADMARTON Heath will play Feldon Valley in the Shaw Gibbs Oxfordshire Foursomes League Knockout Cup final after edging out Drayton Park 2-1. Matches one and three of their semi-final against Drayton were halved, but Ian Manning and Chris Lowe defeated
AEA Technology 1.95 BMW 4821 Electrocomponents 209.5 Nationwide Accident Repair 87.5 Oxford Biomedica 5.4 Oxford Catalysts 56 Oxford Instruments 825 Reed Elsevier 522.75 RM 57.8 RPS Group 163.8 Courtesy of Redmayne Bentley, Abingdon
PARTYGOERS could be key witnesses in a rape investigation, detectives said last night. As officers continue to hunt for a man who dragged a 19-year-old woman to the ground and attacked her on Friday night, they called on people at two nearby parties
A JAZZ musician who grew up in Oxford has told of his love for the city music scene after scooping a prestigious award. Adam Waldmann and his band Kairos 4tet were named best jazz act at the MOBO Awards in Glasgow last week. The 29-year-old saxophonist
Oxford City Stars’ four-match unbeaten run in English National League South Division 1 came to an end with a 7-2 home defeat by leaders Chelmsford Chieftans. With netminder Chris Douglas out injured, 17-year-old Patrick Russell came in for his full senior
BURFORD pair Kate Stagg and Anne Woodsend triumphed in the Midlands South regional betterball competition at Burnham Beeches. They returned a gross score of 73, one-over-par, on the Buckinghamshire course. Stagg and Woodsend also carded
WOODSTOCK Harriers celebrated a double by providing the men’s and ladies’ winners in the Hanney 5. With defending champion Steve Naylor racing the Bupa 10K in Sheffield, clubmate Steve Frear reclaimed the title he won in 2008, while Sophie Carter was
WOODSTOCK Harrier Steve Naylor crossed the line in tenth place at Sunday’s Bupa 10K in Sheffield. But despite that, Naylor was disappointed with his time, which was an off-the-pace 32mins 6secs – almost a minute and half outside his personal best for
Terry Biddlecombe continues to make progress after he suffered a stroke at his West Lockinge home, near Wantage, on Saturday. The three-times champion jumps jockey, 70, is undergoing treatment at the John Radcliffe Hospital, Oxford. His wife, trainer
Wantage-based jockey Cathy Gannon sustained a broken right leg after suffering a bad fall before the opening race at Nottingham yesterday. She was unshipped from Forever Janey on the way to the start for the five-furlong maiden auction stakes. She was
Councillor Tanner (letter, October 6) correctly states that the estimated £750,000 being offered to Oxford City Council by the Coalition Government won’t be sufficient to bring back weekly bin collections. However, it will be ample to reverse one of
Reading the Oxford Mail on September 26 about identical twins Jessica and Amber Jones being sent to different schools: how could Oxford County Council do this? It must have known these little girls are twins. I was an identical twin and I know how
If you gave out a prize for the silliest letter ever printed in the Oxford Mail, that of Mr Sanders and Miss Dhall (October 7) would win it. When someone settles in a foreign country, it is their duty to learn the local language, not to mention that
A DRUG addict shoplifter who threatened to stab a security guard with a dirty hypodermic needle has been given a five-year Asbo. Marc Porter, of Speedwell Street, Oxford, was jailed for 20 weeks for stealing from three city shops and breaching the terms
DRAYTON Park’s Eddie Pepperell is backing himself to earn a European Tour card after coming through the first stage of qualifying at Frilford Heath. The 20-year-old, from Abingdon, produced a superb final round to progress from the stage one Section
A dramatic 12-day makeover transformed a tatty Oxford house and clinched a sale from the first viewing. Software engineer Dr Patrick Fischer and GP Dr Susanne Fischer have owned their five-storey Georgian house in St John Street for 20 years but let
DUAL code Tongan international Tevita Vaikona has been appointed head coach of Oxford Harlequins. Vaikona, whose role encompasses the whole Oxford Rugby set-up, will work alongside director of rugby John Brodley. The 37-year-old former Bradford Bulls
OXFORD Harlequins director of rugby John Brodley says they have a stronger team than last year, despite their poor start to the season. Quins climbed out of the National 3 South West relegation zone after beating Bridgwater & Albion 21-17 on Saturday
This week brought a fresh hammer blow to the Chipping Norton Set. These power brokers are a bit like the Bilderburg group, except with more antiques shops and tea rooms. Apparently, they control Britain from the edge of the Cotswolds by bugging people
After Barack Obama’s disgraceful one-sided speech at the UN, one can’t help feeling the opportunity to create history has passed him by. Didn’t the same US President campaign last year for a Palestinian state? Now, one way or another, the same President
Keith Mitchell is perhaps a Shakespearean jester, keen to mock and then invite mockery in return (Mitchell: His Own Words, October 8). He revives his accusation that those who have opposed cuts to the Oxfordshire library service live in complete ignorance
The chaos at Thornhill Park-and-Ride site you reported (Oxford Mail, October 7) was entirely predictable. It was utter folly to engineer a situation where two sites remained free and the other three introduced charges. Having to pay for parking at a
I fear Cllrs Sanders and Dhall (Oxford Mail, October 7) have entirely missed the point I have been making about translation of council documents. Whether this is deliberate or not, I leave to others to judge. It cannot make sense for children
Woodstock Harrier Paul Brackett is the ultimate marathon man. And this weekend, he is set to clock up a remarkable century at the Abingdon Marathon. Brackett, 52, runs his 100th marathon on Sunday (Oct 16), having completed 96 of them since 2006.
Castle-style turrets and a riverside location make The Moorings at number four Folly Bridge one of the quirkiest buildings in Oxford. The five-storey building, which includes seven self-contained apartments and a large roof terrace, is on the market
Two 19th-century Cotswold stone houses in West Oxfordshire villages are priced around the £650,000 mark. Wenrisc, in Swinbrook, near Burford, pictured left, dates back to 1856 and has views over farmland. The four-bedroom cottage includes
OXFORD’S Lord Mayor reached the heights of office as she inspected the old city walls in a historic practice dating back to 1379. Elise Benjamin scaled the remaining section of the walls inside the grounds of New College yesterday. King Richard II ruled
FORMER glamour model Katie Price fielded questions on her looks, love life and living in the spotlight at the Oxford Union yesterday. The self-styled “rich chav”, otherwise known as Jordan, said she was “petrified” to appear in front of more than 100
Grade-II listed Victorian houses, lodges and a chapel are part of the Fair Mile redevelopment at Cholsey Meadows in Cholsey, near Wallingford. A selection of one, two, three and four-bedroom homes are set within 100 acres of parkland, including a mile-long
A plan has been drawn up to help Oxfordshire County Council combat a financial black hole resulting from new academies. County Hall is hoping to raise millions in income by offering its services to new academies which were created to break free of local
David Hodges started his police career on the beat in Didcot in the 1960s, then moved to West Oxfordshire before rising to take charge of Thames Valley Police’s communications department at Kidlington. After retiring as a superintendent, he became a
Now All Roads Lead to France by Matthew Hollis Edward Thomas was one of the three great English poets killed in the First World War (the others were Wilfred Owen and Isaac Rosenberg). Several books have been written about him — two, by his wife Helen
THE Government has approved plans for NHS hospitals in the county to form a new ‘supertrust’ with Oxford University, it emerged last night. The Oxford University Hospitals NHS Trust would become one of the biggest healthcare providers in the country
THE creation of a ‘supertrust’ merging the Oxford Radcliffe and Nuffield Orthopaedic can only be done with the all-important priority being an improvement in patient care. Sir Jonathan Michael, chief executive of the ORH, says this is the main purpose
I was expecting Neil Oliver to be rather stuffy, all tweed-jacket-with-leather-elbow-pads and no sense of humour. Instead, I found myself not only enthused but charmed by this vibrant Scotsman. Not that he’s out to win you over, but you can’t help but
In a small village in northern France this month hundreds of visitors, including ambassadors and government ministers, gathered outside a startling monument. With its stark, white walls, a roof representing an open book and bold circular ramp
Sir – Dismayed to discover rats at large in my back garden recently, I was not pleased to be charged a standard fee of £28 for a series of three visits by Oxford City Council’s pest-control team — a service which used to be provided free of charge to
Sir – Chaos at Thornhill park-and-ride site was entirely predictable. It was utter folly to engineer a situation where two sites remained free and the other three introduced charges. Having to pay for parking at a park-and-ride site would never have
Sir – On Friday, September 30, I visited Oxford for the afternoon and unfortunately was taken ill because of the excessive heat. I was at a service in Christ Church and the Red Cross people who first attended me there, then the paramedics, one of whom
Sir – I should thank Nicholas Lawrence for inspiring me to study the history of the apostrophe. He is correct that writers of about 200 years ago or more, such as Jane Austen and the others he quotes, would have used apostrophes differently from today
Sir – Hugh Jaeger is clearly very disappointed that the cycle path from Wootton to Abingdon was abandoned some years ago (Letters, October 6). But that is no excuse to have a go at the efforts of people in Eynsham, Farmoor and Botley for making their
Sir – May I add my voice to the pleas for cycle tracks both along the B4017 and the B4044. I am one of the cyclists that dare not ride on the B4044. What is more, when I drive in my car along the B4044 my heart is in my mouth when I see how tightly
Sir – Having on several occasions cycled between Cumnor and Abingdon on the B4017, I am in absolute accord with Hugh Jaeger’s contention that Wootton needs a cycle track. But so does Farmoor. The fact that there have been more accidents and even one fatality
Sir – As Christopher Gray has not ‘wasted a second of his life’ watching Downton Abbey (Gray Matter, October 6), I cannot imagine how he can make any comment about it. Charlotte Wood (Mrs), Ascott-under-Wychwood
Sir – At last a refreshing and subjective review from the admirable Katherine MacAlister (Weekend, October 6). Week after week we are subjected to predictable and sometimes condescending reviews from Christopher Gray. Katherine told us exactly as
Sir – For some time I have argued that the simplest and most effective way of economising on electricity used for street-lighting is to switch off every other light permanently. The exact percentage will vary in different locations, but major savings
Sir – As long-term residents of St Michael’s Street, we are pleased to see the city council’s plans for some of these wonderful old buildings — evolving over eight years rather than 18 months — at last becoming a reality. Your readers will have noted
Sir – It is ironic that on the day four Oxfordshire MPs write in The Oxford Times about how safe the Green Belt is in their care, we learn that Berinsfield’s status as a Green Belt village is to be reviewed. If the Government’s National Planning Policy
Sir – If anyone is travelling through Chipping Norton, Charlbury, Chadlington and neighbouring villages and hears strange noises it is only the gnashing of teeth and cries of anguish because our well-used and popular waste disposal unit and recycling
Sir – You report that because last year’s Key Stage 1 test results of pupils in county primary schools were “the worst in England” (September 29), the future of their headteachers is now under threat from councillors unless the figures improve. The implied
Sir – Ian Scargill asks whether the Green Belt is properly protected around Oxford under the Government’s planning reforms (Letters, October 6). The Government’s draft National Planning Policy Framework makes it clear that “this framework sets out clearly
Sir – The recent closure of Dean Pit was sad and unnecessary. We were told it was not needed although more than 2,000 people signed a petition against the closure. The roadside collection, though extended, does not cope with the bulky articles that were
Nearly a quarter of a century ago, Emily Lloyd became an overnight star thanks to her performance as a rebellious teenager in a sleepy seaside town in David Leland's Wish You Were Here (1987). Sadly, it proved to be the high point of a career that never
With the critics keen to applaud Midnight in Paris as a welcome return to form, it seems appropriate to look back on the early career of Woody Allen when few questioned either his witticisms or his cinematicism. Considering he has been one of the world's
In the next few weeks, about 10,000 citizens of some 140 foreign countries will join Oxford’s universities. Some of them will be apprehensive about their welcome here; all will experience culture shock and homesickness. The vast majority will not enter
PIONEERING East Oxford hospice charity Helen & Douglas House provides care to some of the most vulnerable children and young adults in our community. Part of what makes it special is the intensive, one-to-one therapy offered, with more than
So, the builders have moved in and I have moved out . . . again! Albeit this time with the hope that I’ll be moving back at some point — the contractor says seven months, so I’ve rounded it up to a neat year and have got my fingers crossed. My wine
