Eight years ago, a group of bikers decided to shed their tough image, and do something to help seriously-ill children in hospital. So, armed with chocolate and sweets, almost 200 members of the Oxford UK chapter of the Harley Owners’ Group
FOR parents of very premature babies, finding clothes small enough to fit their new arrival is probably the last thing on their mind. So, in 2007, an army of kind-hearted ladies set about helping out. After hearing of the plight of hundreds of new parents
A GROUP of bereaved children were taken to Cotswold Wildlife Park as a Christmas treat. The group of about 15 youngsters were taken by SeeSaw, the Oxfordshire charity which helps children and their families through a major bereavement. Jake Baxter,
LONG-lost letters written by Lord of the Rings author JRR Tolkien have been returned to their rightful owner and will get top notch protection. Former Oxford University student and professor, Tolkien was the guest of honour at the opening of Deddington
A WITNEY primary school which was last year rated as one of the worst in the country has turned its fortunes around. Tower Hill Community Primary School, in Moor Avenue, was the joint fourth worst out of England’s 14,812 primary schools last year. Just
“I DON’T want him to ever be forgotten, he made such a difference to other people’s lives.” Those are the words of widow Heather Wood who will mark the first anniversary of the death of her hero husband, Warrant Officer Class 2 Charlie Wood, on Wednesday
Icolyn Smith and her team of volunteers helped bring some festive cheer to Oxford’s homeless. Mrs Smith, a member of the Littlemore Church of the God of Prophecy, runs the community soup kitchen at the Asian Community Centre in Manzil Way. And more
A JUDGE told an Eastern European fraudster his crimes gave “all people from Romania a bad name”. Costantin Procopciuc, 20, used a device known as a ‘Lebanese loop’ to steal money from cash machines in Banbury and Chipping Norton. At Oxford Crown Court
TWO further arrests have been made following the arrest and suspension from duty of a 25-year-old serving police officer on suspicion of computer misuse. The female officer based in Oxford was arrested yesterday morning and has now been bailed
ONE of David Merriman and Trevor Bateman’s victims said she could have done a better job herself and now hopes the pair will reflect on their conduct. Crystal Hewlett, who has epilepsy and is a full-time carer for her sister, was convinced by the pair
TWO builders have been convicted of fleecing elderly Oxfordshire homeowners of thousands of pounds in an “extremely obnoxious” scam. Rogue traders Trevor Bateman and David Merriman “proved themselves wholly unworthy to trade in any way in the
Headington Amateurs welcome back Aaron Williams and Craig Dean from injury when they host Clanfield in Division 1 West next Tuesday. Aftab Hafiz (hand) is out. Headington (v Clanfield, home): from Jenkins, Jacob, Williams, B Cuff, L Cuff, Clarke, C
HOCKEY players in Oxford are being encouraged to take up the new sport of rush hockey, which has just been launched in the city. Played on smaller pitches, games are for four or five-a-side teams, and last 40 minutes. Free taster sessions are running
Racing is to return to Mollington, near Banbury, in 2012 after an absence of five years. The popular course, which first staged point-to-points in 1972, was shut in 2007 after landowner David Jeffries applied to build two extra livestock buildings
MONDAY FOOTBALL NPOWER LEAGUE TWO AFC Wimbledon v Oxford Utd (12.15) EVO-STIK SOUTHERN LEAGUE Premier Div (3pm): Brackley Tn v Banbury Utd, Oxford City v Hemel Hempstead Tn Div 1 South & West (3pm): Abingdon Utd
Didcot Town boss Dave Mudge says there is more to come from James Faulkner after the striker scored on his debut in the 5-1 win against Taunton Town in Evo-Stik Southern League Division 1 South & West. The former Oxford City frontman, who signed last
Oxford City boss Mike Ford has told his players not to get carried away with the Christmas festivities and ensure they are right for their Evo-Stik Southern League Premier Division Boxing Day clash with Hemel Hempstead Town at Court Place Farm. Fourth-placed
A man who evaded more than £20,000 of duty on imported tobacco has been made to pay back £680. David Wing, 69, of Ormond Road, Thame, appeared at Oxford Crown Court yesterday for a hearing under the Proceeds of Crime Act. Wing, who was jailed for 15
THE husband of a woman who died after drunkenly crashing her car has been caught drink-driving. Liz Meechan died on July 4 when her BMW left the A4095 as she drove from a Witney pub to her home in Bampton. A coroner recorded a verdict
Barton police have appealed for people who are experiencing antisocial behaviour and noise in Edgecombe Road to get in touch. The neighbourhood team has been dealing with ongoing issues in the area and need more information. Email the team on bartonrisinghurst
A man suffered a suspected broken leg following a two-vehicle crash yesterday. The collision between the red Volkswagen Golf and silver Peugeot 206 happened at about 6.45am, closing the B480 Cuxham Road between the A329 at Stadhampton and Monument Road
FATHER Christmas may only make his rounds once a year, but the task never ends for the Oxford Foodbank. Six-days-a-week, 52-weeks-a-year, volunteers pick up food past its sell-by-date from suppliers, and deliver it free of charge to charities
Cumnor CC have received a grant of £31,769 from Sport England’s Inspired Facility Fund towards their new three-bay practice net facility. The money takes the Cherwell League club a long way towards their target of around £50,000 for the project. It
CHILDREN got an early Christmas present when they called in at Santa’s grotto at Oxford Town Hall. Peering out from behind his beard, Father Christmas entertained youngsters with Christmas stories before they were invited to choose their presents. Among
IT IS no surprise that pavement repair costs have risen so dramatically (Monday’s Oxford Mail), considering the inadequate repairs. In the area covered by the article, three attempts have been made to make repairs, all carried out as quick fixes which
OXFORDSHIRE windsurfer Tom Squires admits his next global contest can’t come soon enough after he made his senior ISAF World Championships debut in Australia. Squires, from Kingston Bagpuize, travelled to Fremantle fresh from a ninth-place finish on
Chris Wilder is looking for his Oxford United side to kick-on in the second-half of the season as they seek to crank up their npower League Two promotion bid, starting with the televised Boxing Day game against AFC Wimbledon. Although the
Mark Bradstock is concerned that sticky ground could hamper Hennessy Gold Cup hero Carruthers as he bids for a big-race double in the Coral Welsh National on Tuesday. The eight-year-old, from Bradstock’s Letcombe Bassett stables, near Wantage, was among
Tempest River, the star of Ben Case’s Edgcote stables, near Banbury, opened her account over hurdles at Hereford yesterday. The five-year-old, winner of the Listed John Smith’s Mares’ National Hunt Flat Race at the Aintree Grand National meeting in April
PEOPLE in Botley and South Oxford complain motorists are beginning to clog up their streets because of the new charges at park and ride sites. The irritated homeowners claim driveways are often blocked as motorists can park there all day for free and
DAMN! Those robots, designed to take on the more mundane tasks in St Aldate’s Post Office, were for a brief moment standing customer-less. I tried to ignore them and joined the long queue that would eventually lead to attention from a flesh-and-blood
SO THE French and Germans want to boycott us, as David Cameron stood up to them. We boycotted South Africa over their racial politics and it worked. Sadly, I don’t think the British public have the backbone to do this. But American and Australian
THE announcement by the Government that culling of our badger population will commence next summer is a declaration of war on our wildlife. Badger, deer and other creatures have contracted TB from cattle as a consequence of the inhumane and cruel practices
When a politician resorts to personal attacks it usually means they’ve lost the argument, so I’m not too put out by David Rundle's charges (ViewPoints, December 15). On the Headington car park issue, I opposed building above it from the start but have
IN HER extensive coverage of Key Stage Two figures released last week (Oxford Mail, December 16), Fran Bardsley includes St Nicholas’ Primary School, in Old Marston, Oxford, as one of seven city schools which failed to meet the Government’s floor targets
Oxford City Council planning officers are wrong to recommend approval of the planning application to replace the Fox and Hounds pub with a new Tesco store, a handful of small flats and 16 parking spaces. Aside from the obvious traffic problems this will
OXFORD’S Sea Cadets raised more than a third of their £30,000 running costs in just a few weeks selling Christmas trees. The unit has been selling trees imported from Ireland for 38 years but this year raised a record of more than £10,000 from their
BURGLARS have been breaking into people’s homes and targeting Christmas presents – and even leaving the ones they don’t want unwrapped. Yesterday police issued an urgent plea to the public to call 999 the minute they suspect a break-in after five Risinghurst
JAMES Constable says he can’t wait to do battle with his old Oxford United teammate Jack Midson in the Boxing Day clash against AFC Wimbledon at Kingsmeadow Stadium (12.15pm). Midson, 28, was part of the front-three that fired the U’s back into the Football
OXFORD shops are sceptical that today will be the busiest shopping day of the year. December 23 is being touted as being the best day for business, but last Saturday was the peak for Christmas shopping in Oxford. Graham Jones, of Oxford High Street
YOUR average burglar has the morals of an alley cat but those prowling around for presents are hitting yet another low. We report today some of them are unwrapping gifts and leaving them behind if they don’t suit. Let’s hope the police
THE spillage of motorists into neighbouring streets because of the reintroduction of charges was entirely predictable. There will always be a chunk of commuters who, having grown used to free parking at one of the three park and rides owned
IT WAS a life-threatening condition so rare it is thought to be the first of its kind in the UK, and only the fifth in the world. While pregnant with her second child, Susannah McKenzie was diagnosed with a potentially fatal heart tumour.
A COUPLE who light up their home each Christmas brought festive cheer to the homeless this week. Each year Pete Bonney and his wife Carol set up an impressive display of festive lights outside their home in Nuffield Road, Wood Farm. And since the lights
BURGLAR Thomas Pancott is wanted on recall to prison and now finds himself featuring as Badvent suspect 23. The 33-year-old admitted breaking into a Headington home on May 14 last year and he is now accused of breaching the terms of his prison
WHILE many sit down to their Christmas lunch, some of Oxford’s bus drivers will still be working hard. Stagecoach will run Christmas Day services through the city this year for the third time. There will be a service to Blackbird Leys and Kidlington
