YOUNG journalists in Abingdon are having a go at running their own newspaper to serve their school community. Larkmead School pupils published the first edition of The Larkmead Times this month. It contains news articles and columns written by students
CITY council leaders have agreed plans for a 1,200-home estate at Barton West despite fears about how it will link to existing suburbs. Oxford City Council backed the estate, which will become the largest since Greater Leys, at a meeting on Monday.
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NEW ticket barriers at Didcot Parkway could deter visitors from calling in at Didcot Railway Centre, it is feared. Rail operator First Great Western is planning to introduce ticket barriers at the station by November next year. If the barriers are brought
TEENAGER Nazaha Begum found herself at the centre of celebrations this week when she became the 100th apprentice to join a scheme set up by Oxfordshire County Council. Ms Begum, 18, a former Oxford Spires Academy pupil from Rose Hill, was congratulated
THE last intact feature of Banbury’s Northern Aluminium Co factory is set to be restored to its former glory as part of plans to preserve the history of the site. A planning application has been submitted to reinstall gates erected in 1931 at the Southam
Oxford United striker Rob Hall has been recalled from his loan spell by West Ham United. Earlier in the week, the 18-year-old frontman, who has scored six goals in 11 appearances, agreed to extend his loan at the Kassam Stadium. However
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Pre Theatre Dinner Offer at The Randolph 2 courses and a glass of wine from £18.00 per person Combine the wonder of a theatre performance with a visit to the 2AA Rosette awarded Randolph Restaurant Beaumont Street Oxford OX1 2LN
Nine more days remain for audiences to enjoy the wonderful production of Rodgers & Hammerstein’s South Pacific at the New Theatre, Oxford. This has already helped to make it a special Christmas for many thousands, and I urge those who have not yet seen
We critics are a fallible lot. Take the Daily Telegraph’s Charles Spencer, for instance. In his role as Olden but golden music columnist in the Spectator last week he told readers (after one of his now predictable anti-alcohol rants) that he “always
Coffee is important as it is usually the last thing you taste at the end of a meal. It’s the flavour that lingers on your palate when you have tasted everything else — get the coffee wrong and it could spoil the whole meal experience. The
The story goes that King George III and his entourage were caught in a storm in 1774 and sought refuge at The Sun in Begbroke (of all the gin joints, in all the towns, in all the world). As it was known as a ‘disorderly house’ until then I can
Talk about bleak midwinter. Apart from the words of Christina Rosetti’s carol ringing in my head — as they must be for many people this week — I found myself in the middle of the real thing, in the form of snow on the Cotswold hills along the Oxfordshire
If you want to serve a different and tasty roast meal during the festive period and are only catering for a few guests — think duck. Roast duck makes a great Christmas meal and one that is not served often enough, probably because it is much more
Change is good. In the previous Mission: Impossible films, leading man Tom Cruise has been put through his paces by different visionary film-makers — Brian De Palma, John Woo and JJ Abrams — with a distinctive voice and aesthetic. Brad Bird, Oscar-winning
Christmas at Christ Church has become as much a part of the local festive season as mulled wine and mince pies, and this year’s offering, in what is arguably Oxford’s most stunning venue, demonstrated why this event sells out year after year. As always
The Astonishing Rabbitino, Dodo Sminkypuffs, the Cheshire Cat — all are introduced by “Me, your host, the Mad Hatter”, and all are acts in the Queen of Hearts’ Royal Variety Show. Her Majesty (Liza Sadovy, favourite expression: “Off with their
WHEN St Swithun’s Primary School was given “notice to improve” from Ofsted inspectors, the headteacher said it was one of the darkest days of her life. But three years later, she celebrated as the Kennington school was graded as ‘good’ or better in all
RESIDENTS in Claydon, Cropredy, Great Bourton and Little Bourton have been thrown a lifeline with the start of a new bus service. Oxfordshire County Council has put up £15,000 for a Dial-a-Ride service, which will visit the villages on request. The
ABINGDON’S Abbey Meadow could be revitalised with a riverside cafe in a £2m project to entice more visitors to the town. Abingdon Town Council’s plan to revamp the leisure area could also see the outdoor pool refurbished to make more of the park’s Thameside
The Derngate is a great big barn of an auditorium, and it needs a great big, brash, bright, and noisy panto to fill it. This year’s Aladdin certainly fits the bill. “Hi, Wishee Washee,” cries the audience as star Bobby Davro comes on. No audience in
Stacy Daniels, 30, of Trent Road, Didcot, admitted shoplifting alcohol and food valued at £147.35 from BP in Thame on September 29. Given a 12-month conditional discharge.
THE CONGREGATION of a Blackbird Leys church desperately in need of a new roof has raised £5,000 this year towards the cause. But worshippers said they had a long way to go if they were ever going to reach their target of £120,000. A
Jake Orwa, 19, of Edmonds Road, Banbury, admitted assault by beating in Banbury between September 7 and 26. Given four weeks in a young offender institution “because this was a domestic assault on your mother and your previous convictions”. Also
DEVELOPERS of a planned 185-home estate in Witney have been told to redesign the scheme after worries about parked cars blocking roads. The estate, on the former Buttercross Works and Pine Lodge in Station Lane, would include 105 terraced homes and a
HUNDREDS of survey forms are being dished out in Old Marston in a bid to solve the village’s parking problems. Old Marston Parish Council is carrying out the survey in an attempt to find out how residents think the problems should be tackled. The results
The “I can’t hear you” routine is an essential part of every panto, and it has become a staple at the Oxford Bach Choir’s annual Carols for All concert. Mind you, conductor Timothy Byram-Wigfield develops it with much more refinement than the average
Jessica Leighton’s work is an intense exploration of the landscapes that fascinate her. She describes it as about shapes and patterns, and she intends each piece to work close up and from a distance, which indeed is the case. In all her pieces Leighton
Two drawings have stuck in my mind since seeing The Spanish Line: Drawings from Ribera to Picasso exhibition at the Courtauld Gallery, London. The Courtauld has around a hundred Spanish drawings from the 16th to the 20th centuries in its collections
It was a reasonable sized crowd that ventured through the cold and wet to the O2 academy on Saturday night, a good percentage of whom were too young for the bar and packed as close to the stage as possible, eager to meet with the N-Dubz star’s
It was four years ago when linguist Casimira Mostyn decided to return to college to develop her painting skills. Since then she has moved from primarily using watercolours to working in acrylics, with some mixed media, after discovering these suited both
It would hardly be proper to festoon the Ashmolean’s exhibits with Christmas decorations. So what to do? Luckily an answer was at hand: stage a seasonal OSJ Prom, featuring the OSJ Ashmolean Choir singing Christmas music a cappella. Each half of the
ONE lane of the M40 north bound is currently closed between junctions nine and 10 after a small van overturned. The male driver is trapped inside the van and emergency services are at the scene trying to release him from the grey and white Vauxhall
Young audiences need no encouragement to get going in Newbury: at the Robin Hood performance I attended, the singing started before the band arrived, and long before Billy Bumpkin first enquired: “Are you excited?” “YESSS!” came the immediate reply.
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One of the most original and compelling of England’s 20th- century artists, Graham Sutherland (1903-1980) has been rather neglected in recent decades. An exemplary show at Modern Art Oxford of more than 80 rarely seen works on paper — early Welsh landscapes
With poor Cinderella locked in a wardrobe by those beastly Ugly Sisters, she seems to have no chance of placing her foot in the glass slipper and thereby winning the hand of Prince Charming. Thank goodness for a Fairy Godmother with a special spell
Except for Robin Hood’s occasional outings on the pantomime stage — as in Newbury this year — there is nothing especially Christmassy about the hero of Sherwood Forest. His associations, indeed, are more with rites of spring and the Green Man,
First I’ll mention the cat — because, for once in a Dick Whittington, our hero’s faithful companion at Aylesbury is a character that convinces. Properly to scale, down on all fours and with a rat-defying miaow to die for — as many rats indeed do
Nine years on from his first taste of stardom in Pop Idol, Gareth Gates continues to refashion his career in a way that previously never seemed possible. Having conquered the stammer that appeared to rule out theatre work, he is now able to show that
Autumn leaves gently floated down, coming to rest in dappled sunlight on the stream which flows alongside the Newbury Watermill. It is difficult to imagine a more beautiful or appropriate setting for a production of Kenneth Grahame’s classic story
This has been quite a year for Cheltenham’s much-loved Everyman Theatre: the auditorium has undergone a vibrant refurbishment, and the theatre has just celebrated its 120th birthday. All that’s needed to complete the year is an equally vibrant panto.
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Chris Shahab hit a hat-trick for Sutton Revolution in a 3-2 home victory over Standlake Gar-age in the battle of Critchleys Upper Thames Valley League Division 1’s winless teams, writes TIM SIRET. Shahab’s treble included a dramatic late winner, after
HUNDREDS of hampers are being delivered to Oxfordshire’s most vulnerable families to make sure they have something to celebrate at Christmas. Each year, the Oxford branch of the Salvation Army launches ‘Operation Christmas’, a push to hand out food and
ANIMAL rights groups yesterday praised councillors for dumping “archaic and cruel” plans to allow horse-drawn carriages in Oxford. Oxford City Council rejected the plan because of animal welfare and public safety concerns, after a strong campaign
GILES SPORTS WITNEY YOUTH LEAGUE ALISTER Doak smashed a five-timer as Ardley United defeated Chesterton Juniors 14-0 in the Under 15 B League. Liam Greville weighed in with a hat-trick, with Joseph Ridmore notching a double. Thomas Soanes, Jamie
Didcot Casuals went top of North Berks League Division 1 after crushing AFC Wallingford 7-1, writes Phil Annets. Lawrence Hoey, Paul Powell and Dan Cox-Rogers helped themselves to doubles, alongside a Lee Fuller strike as Casuals ran riot. Richard Gross
Oxfordshire fired a three-goal salvo in the first half to set up a 5-0 win over Somerset in the ESFA Under 16 Inter County Trophy second round at Milton United. After Somerset had the better of the opening 20 minutes, Oxon took the lead when
Lauren Page hit a hat-trick as Oxford City twice came from behind to defeat Didcot Casuals 7-2 in the Oxford Mail Girls League's Under 13 League Cup quarter-finals. Didcot took the lead through Isla Nugent’s free-kick before Lily Hernandez
Henrietta Knight believes Somersby will improve for the step up in distance in the William Hill King George VI Chase – but will still not pose a threat to Long Run and Kauto Star. The star of Knight’s West Lockinge stables, near Wantage, was among
ABOUT THE TREE HOTEL & ANNORA RESTAURANT Set in the idyllic, historic and leafy village of Iffley this hotel in Oxfordshire boast of an award-winning restaurant with outdoor seating, a local bar offering a variety of real ales and delicious
OXFORDSHIRE cricket star Jack Brooks is hoping to break into England’s one-day side after being selected for the second-team tour to Bangladesh. The 27-year-old North-ants paceman is in the England Lions squad to play in a five-match one-day series
A HARWELL couple who lost their new caravan and workshop in a mystery blaze have warned householders to be vigilant about arsonists over Christmas. Paul Tredrea, 53, and fiancée Mandy Hutt, 53, only bought the 25ft caravan in September, but watched in
OXFORD United’s on-loan striker Rob Hall has extended his spell from title-chasing Championship club West Ham by another month. The 18-year-old, who has scored six times in 11 appearances since arriving for his first loan spell in September, has signed
A TEENAGER was glassed in the face during an Oxford city centre attack which left him with serious injuries. An 18-year-old man and a 19-year-old man were arrested on suspicion of grievous bodily harm over the attack which happened in the early hours
TRADERS in Abingdon say free parking is likely to have increased footfall but they won’t know the full impact until the new year. Drivers have been enjoying two hours free parking in Vale of White Horse District Council car parks in Abingdon, Wantage
Long-lost footage of David Bowie rediscovered by an Oxfordshire cameraman will be aired tonight for the first time in almost 40 years. It will be shown on a Christmas Top of the Pops 2 on BBC2, 7.30pm. Fans feared the clip of the star
Can I please ask what the bus drivers and people of Oxford have done to whoever arranged the roadworks in St Clement’s, on one of the key routes into the city centre, two weeks before Christmas? I don’t think that the person responsible has ever taken
I CAN scarcely believe the arrogance and stupidity exhibited by James Styring (On Yer Bike, Oxford Mail, December 13) in his explanation of why some cyclists ignore red traffic lights. He is supporting cyclists who are breaking the law, putting
You love them, you hate them, you are scared of them, you think they are a menace but for many disabled people they are a lifeline giving them independence and choice. Have you guessed what I am talking about? If not, then here’s the answer. Electric
OXFORD United’s on-loan striker Rob Hall (pictured left) has extended his spell from title-chasing Championship club West Ham by another month. The 18-year-old, who has scored six times in 11 appearances since arriving for his first loan spell
WITH regard to Paul Wilson's letter (Oxford Mail ViewPoints, December 2), about the European Union. As I pointed out in my previous letter, when it comes to democracy, the EU puts the UK in the shade. The president of the EU Commission is selected by
Your story about the warning from Thames Valley Police about the scam e-mail (Oxford Mail, December 16) was a bit late for me. I was on the computer when suddenly it just appeared. I was astonished and surprised to say the least. However, as I read
IN reply to Chris Halford (Oxford Mail ViewPoints, December 6), I’m so glad that debate is alive and well. But instead of coming back combating what I consider cold, hard facts regards Iran, he decides to use the old right-wing tactic of personal attack
SO Councillor Tilley brands Oxford’s Key Stage 2 results as “basically rubbish” (Oxford Mail, December 15). How insulting to the teachers, children and parents of those schools deemed to have failed. As a result, we are no nearer to finding out why
Jurors at Oxford Crown Court will today continue to consider their verdicts in the trial of three men accused of swindling elderly Oxfordshire residents. Former footballer Phil King, who made more than 100 appearances for Swindon Town, is jointly charged
FOR 19 years, Noreen Scott has sadly watched as other families celebrate Christmas. Sitting alone in her Blackbird Leys flat, the 72-year-old said she used to just “sit and cry”, wondering why everyone else had somewhere to go. But after
FOR most of us, Christmas is a time of family and laughter. How sad then to read of 72-year-old Noreen Scott of Blackbird Leys, who for the last 19 years has sat and cried, alone, wondering why everyone else had somewhere to go... Thankfully, this
RAIL companies should improve train punctuality and tackle overcrowding, a passenger watchdog said last night as new year fare rises of an average 5.9 per cent were revealed. The Association of Train Companies confirmed the new rises yesterday, to come
IT is the Christmas gift thousands of Oxford sportsmen and women have been waiting for – the new £2.1m community arena at Court Place Farm. The new centre at Oxford City Football Club in Marston includes a full-size artificial grass pitch, pavilion and
CHRISTMAS is about good news or bad news – at this time of year, it seems, there is no middle ground. But today’s announcement of a newly-completed £2.1m community sports centre in Marston isn’t just good news – it’s great news. Especially since a properly
There is not even the smallest badge on the back of Volkswagen’s new Tiguan to give you a clue that you are a member of a very exclusive club. Only a subtly different front end gives the clue that the top-of-the-range Escape model, unlike some
AS Christmas draws closer, Hannah Kate Howard is the woman police officers want to speak to about a series of thefts and motoring offences in Oxford. She features as day 21 Badvent suspect after a car and fuel card were taken from a farm near Blackbird
SOME of Oxford’s most vulnerable people will enjoy a slap-up Christmas meal today courtesy of a Cowley grandmother. Icolyn ‘Ma’ Smith’, a grandmother of nine, has been cooking up Christmas dinner for the city’s homeless people for 21 years. Mrs Smith
A “PERSISTENT and shameless criminal” represented himself in a trial and refused to come out of his cell to hear the jury’s verdict. Henry McGrath was jailed at Oxford Crown Court on Monday but was yet again absent from court as he chose to communicate
