THE first tenant has picked up the keys to the first eco-home to be built in Bicester. Edward Brassington, pictured receiving the keys from Harj Lota, left, of Sanctuary Housing, has moved into his new flat at the former Bryan House site, now
A SCHOOLGIRL will soon be starring in a short film and a production of The Sleeping Beauty after impressing casting directors at a series of auditions. Despite narrowly missing out on the part of Matilda in the West End hit musical of the same name,
A schoolgirl will soon be starring in a short film and a production of The Sleeping Beauty after impressing casting directors at a series of auditions. Despite narrowly missing out on the part of Matilda in the West End hit musical of the same
Sara Alden, who has been a member for 27 years, drove into office as the Frilford Heath’s new ladies captain on Tuesday. The 17-handicapper drove the ball 130 yards, much to the delight of the many supporters who came out to watch. Alden, whose husband
Oxford City’s Simi Fajemisin struck gold twice in the South of England (SEAA) Indoor Championships at Lee Valley. The 14-year-old (pictured) won the under 15 girls 60m and long jump titles in a successful weekend for the club. Fajemisin clocked 7.86secs
THE sounds of the late 16th century filled Oxford University’s music faculty at lute players gathered for a workshop. About 10 players joined leading lutenist Lynda Sayce to try out traditional lute tunes and folk music. St Hugh’s College graduate
COUNCILLORS will decide whether bells can ring out from an Oxford church for the first time in at least four decades after a cacophony of complaints from neighbours. Russian Orthodox church St Nicholas the Wonderworker has applied to Oxford City Council
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I received a cheery email on Monday from Mel Harris, the press officer of Waterstones. She wrote: “I’ve been away for the best part of a year on maternity leave, so just wanted to renew contact and jog your memory (er. . . and mine!) as to the many wonderful
These are tough times for British pubs, which are said by the Campaign for Real Ale to be closing at the rate of 16 a week — 2,000 of them over the past two years. A spokesman for Camra attributed their decline to cheap supermarket alcohol, high taxes
I learned of the death of Ronald Searle while reading a book graced by one of his elegant cartoons on its cover. This was Roger Lewis’s What Am I Still Doing Here? My Years As Me, which was published last year by Coronet at £20 but which I bought
Locally sourced food was a main topic in my first restaurant review of 2012 and now — following a visit to The Clifden Arms, in Worminghall — the subject is going to feature prominently in my second. The origin of almost all the ingredients
When served warm, preferably straight out of the oven, croissants give you the basis for a delicious Continental breakfast. All you need to go with them is a pot of coffee, fruit juice, butter and jam. They are far easier to make than they appear, the
Can any county be as full of the shades of dead writers as Oxfordshire? A few weeks ago I took a literary gallop in these pages through the city of Oxford, armed with my copy of The Oxford Literary Guide to the British Isles. The outlying countryside
The word breakfast was first coined in English in 1463 to describe the meal eaten to break the fast of the night. If you break that fast with a nutritious meal you are set up for the day. This week, January 22 to 28, is Farmhouse Breakfast Week
Good things come to those who wait and it’s been an agonising seven years since writer-director Alexander Payne ventured to the sun-dappled vineyards of the quirky Oscar-winning comedy Sideways. He has directed a couple of short films and a TV
Moya O’Shea’s Room Service Included is rather more serious than the escapist froth generally supplied by The Mill at Sonning. Though billed as a comedy, it could more fairly be described as a well-written new play with a ready line in wit. You could
Rafael Lloyd Iglesias has always had a soft spot for Oxford — he was born here, and returned after growing up in Spain. Over the past few years he has been assembling small groups of dancers, singers and musicians to perform in the kind of intimate, closed-in
The Rotunda, at Grove House, Iffley, is hosting a performance at 8pm on Tuesday (drinks/crepes from 7pm) of Caroline Horton’s one-woman show You’re Not Like the Other Girls Chrissy, which won her the Best Solo Performance award at the 2010 Edinburgh Fringe
This is a very silly show. Very silly. It is a show that grows in silliness as the evening progresses. It is a show in need of a larger cast, but being an extraordinarily silly show, this doesn’t really matter. Because everyone on stage hurls themselves
After the Russian State Ballet of Siberia’s impressive Giselle earlier in the week, my hopes were high, but their Sleeping Beauty turned out to be a curate’s egg. It’s a severely cut version, and there is no interval after the prologue, when the
MORE than 100 young footballers were left unable to train this month after thieves stole their floodlights. Four nine-metre high portable lights worth £11,000, were stolen from Meadow View Park in Thame. The theft has left many of the
On the penultimate date of his UK Tour, acclaimed composer and performer Nigel Kennedy brought Vivaldi’s The Four Seasons and his own creation The Four Elements to The New Theatre. The concert was certainly one of two halves. Pre-interval, Kennedy — sporting
TRUSTEES are desperately trying to raise £200,000 in three months to help finish a building project that will keep Wantage’s museum open. Work on the two-storey extension at Vale and Downland Museum will finish in April but due to unexpected construction
Beaming conductor Stephen Bell told Friday’s audience at the Sheldonian that he foresaw complaints in The Oxford Times over his exclusion of The Blue Danube from the City of Oxford Orchestra’s Viennese New Year Concert. Well, here is a mention
I was expecting Steve Larkin to turn up in his usual punk T-shirt and quiffed hair for our interview, so was surprised to be shaking hands with a man in a suit. But Steve was about to perform for Prince Edward on his visit to Oxford, so had to
A key moment in Caryl Churchill’s compelling and justly famous play Top Girls comes as go-getting, power-dressing, ball-breaking businesswoman Marlene (Caroline Catz) offers her views on social class to the very different sister — four charring jobs,
Oxford’s O3 Gallery is hosting an exhibition of 26 pieces by those who teach art in the county, to adults or children. It provides an insight into the creative processes of the teachers and an opportunity to experience a rich and varied body of work executed
‘We think winter is drab, but you’re just not looking for the colours. They are there,” says David Hockney. And so, in the Royal Academy’s latest show, David Hockney: A Bigger Picture, the 74-year-old artist gives us purple roads, pink fields,
At 100, great-great-grandmother Ada Marley is still cooking herself meals and completing her favourite word puzzles. The Botley resident turned 100 yesterday and said the secret to her long life was keeping healthy and keeping busy.
OXFORD University's Bodleian Library is publishing a collection of 12 “personal and revealing” essays to celebrate the donation of the archive of city author Brian Aldiss. The 86-year-old writer, a former literary editor of the Oxford Mail
A WIND turbine could be built on the site of an Iron Age hill fort near Wallingford. Sustainable Wallingford, a community group established in 2003, has won a Government grant for £88,000 to carry out home energy surveys for 300 homes in the town. But
United defender Ben Purkiss is set to join npower League Two rivals Hereford United after being released from his contract. The 27-year-old right back joined from York shortly after appearing for them against the U’s in the Blue Square Premier play-off
Would-be ballroom dancers are being urged to sign up to waltz onto the floor and strut their stuff for their favourite charity. Sue Douglas is organising a Strictly Bicester dance show loosely based on the successful BBC programme and needs
TWO teenage car thieves who between them rammed a police car, stole a £30,000 Mercedes and drove at three times the speed limit have been locked up. Joseph Holden and Thomas Noble were sentenced at Oxford Crown Court on Monday for two separate
Crowmarsh stayed in pole position after beating Saxton Rovers in their NOrth Berks League Premier Division top-of-the-table clash. Goals from Will Clements and Liam Currell sealed a 2-0 victory. Faringdon are still level on points with Crowmarsh after
A 51-year-old driver has died following a two-car collision near Bicester last night. The accident happened on the B430 just outside Weston-on-the-Green at 7.25pm. A spokesman for Thames Valley Police said the man’s family has been informed but the
Jamie McMahon and Mark Gregory bagged a brace apiece as unbeaten leaders Rose Hill thrashed Fairview 8-1 away from home in the Oxford City FA. Colin Ryan, Ricky Hastings, Steven Simmons and Damien Spires got their other goals. Aaron Cully scored twice
Witney Royals Res veteran Joe Crosbie is recovering in hospital after suffering a dislocated and broken ankle. Crosbie suffered the injury on 79 minutes after catching his studs in the turf in the Witney & District Division 1 clash with Hanborough
Rob Neal and Ken Johnson were on target for Marston Saints Res in a 2-1 win at Bletchingdon Res in Division 2 of the Oxfordshire Senior League. John Webb hit back after the break, but Bletchingdon couldn’t find an equaliser. Garsington thrashed Oxford
YOUTH FOOTBALL DIDCOT Town reached the Berks & Bucks Under 16 Cup semi-finals after battling back to defeat Burnham 4-1. Burnham struck in the first minute, but Joe Finch volleyed the equaliser before half-time. Chris Hewitt smartly finished a Taylor
Substitute Clarke Lemke struck a spectacular winner as Mansfield Road hit back to beat Stonesfield 3-2 in the Oxfordshire Senior League Premier Division. James Watkins put Mansfield in front, only for Tim Wyatt to level. Nick Clarke put Stonesfield
DRIVERS are paying more than others for fuel in Oxfordshire simply because of where they live. Petrol price statistics reveal the cheapest rates in some towns are up to four pence more than elsewhere in the county. An Oxford Mail survey on Monday found
Ollie Magern, the popular veteran owned by Roger Nicholls, from Milcombe, near Banbury, could make his comeback at Warwick tomorrow following a year off with injury. Now a 14-year-old, the gelding looked to be heading for retirement after fracturing
Sam Waley-Cohen’s dreams of going one better aboard Oscar Time in this year’s John Smith’s Grand National have been dashed with the gelding ruled out for the season with a leg injury. Waley-Cohen finished runner-up to Ballabriggs on the 11-year-old,
A-LEVEL students are finding out what it is like to be an artist by exhibiting their work in a popular city centre restaurant. Students from Cheney School in Oxford and Wheatley Park School will have their work on show at The Turl Street Kitchen until
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GILES SPORTS WITNEY YOUTH LEAGUE Jake Pritchard smashed a six-timer for Bampton Town as they won 10-1 at Grendon Rangers in the Under 14 B League. Jack Holford (2), Haydon Parker and Jonny Stoner scored their other goals. Jack Bradford replied. A
CARCASSES have been removed from the rescue centre near Abingdon at the centre of an animal welfare investigation, it emerged last night. RSPCA officers yesterday continued to work at the centre – known as both Crunchy’s Animal Rescue and Crun-chies
SCHOOLS' FOOTBALL VALE of White Horse came through a dramatic penalty shoot-out 3-2 against Cambridge & District in the ESFA Under 15 Trophy fifth round at Milton United. The last-16 tie finished 1-1 after extra time, with Remi Fawcus-Williams’s 15
PARENTS, pupils and staff are being consulted on a proposal to turn St Birinus School in Didcot into an academy. The school’s ‘good’ rating from Ofsted inspectors has allowed school governors to consult on switching to academy status.
THE A4130 on Milton Hill near Steventon was closed in both directions this morning following a crash between a car and a motorbike. The accident between the B4017 junction and the A417 junction happened outside the Steventon House Hotel. South Central
A BANK clerk stole from the accounts of an 83-year-old and a dementia sufferer to pay for a trip to Barbados. Marlene Williams had worked at Barclays in Cowley for eight years before she began siphoning money from the two customers. In all, the 57-year-old
I WRITE regarding the cost of the NHS reorganisation in Oxfordshire. Two per cent of the annual NHS budget allocation for Oxfordshire over a period of two years is to be set aside for ‘non-recurrent expenditure’. This amounts to about £35.5m, much
LAST Friday, January 20, the British government, through Ofcom, instructed the Sky satellite platform to remove the Iranian English-speaking channel Press TV off the air in an act of political censorship which you would have expected in the old Soviet
IAIN Duncan Smith, the Work & Pensions Secretary, has let the cat out of the bag. He really believes that welfare benefits are about “dependency” and not about fairness. Every reader of the Oxford Mail could find themselves out of work, sick, disabled
We all know that Suggs is a larger-than-life character and hugely entertaining on stage. But who would have guessed that the Madness frontman’s new one-man show Suggs: My Life Story would be so professional, and brilliantly delivered? From the moment
OXFORD MAIL GIRLS LEAGUE APRIL England slammed a four-timer as St Edmunds ran riot with a 9-0 victory over Swindon Spitfires in the Under 15 League. Sophie Grimson and Anna Jiminez added doubles, while Corinna Bage scored direct from a corner. Amy
CRITCHLEYS UPPER THAMES VALLEY LEAGUE CRAIG Hambridge scored twice as Rover Cowley snatched a dramatic 3-2 victory at Oxford Yellows to go top of the Premier Divisison, writes Tim Siret. Hambridge equalised after Piers McGlynn had put
When I told my friends I was going to be writing a column, most of them guffawed... But after the laughter faded, they said ‘oh my God, how are you going have enough material to write about?’. I then guffawed myself and said ‘that won’t be a problem
WILL Wright (Letters, January 20) rightly draws attention to the horrendous nature of badger baiting. According to the RSPCA, this primitive and barbaric blood sport has increased recently and it is no coincidence that David Cameron has given the go-ahead
FOR thrill-seekers wishing to take on a special challenge in 2012, I would like to make you aware that a sponsored charity skydive is taking place at Hinton Airfield, near Brackley, on Sunday, March 18, in aid of The Children’s Trust. Hinton Airfield
I HAVE been a coeliac for more than 40 years and read the comments (Oxford Mail, January 23) from Bill Buckingham. As you have said, the PCT is trying to stop us from obtaining gluten-free food. I was shocked to read that he gets cornflakes on prescription
WHERE else would you get head-bashing monks, a killer wooden rabbit and a former EastEnder pretending to be a horse? It could only be Monty Python. And the flying circus has come to town with the all-singing, all-dancing Spamalot.
FAMILY and friends gathered to say goodbye to an “inspirational” amateur boxer who died while out training. Leigh Horne, 30, died earlier this month after an accident involving a lorry in Middleton Stoney Road, near Shakespeare Drive, Bicester
ROADWORKS on a main commuter route into Oxford will not take place during the rush hour after causing long delays. Transport chiefs yesterday ordered Thames Water to carry out the work in Abingdon Road at off peak times after lengthy queues built up
FOR more than 1,000 years, a ferry operated at remote Bablock Hythe on the River Thames. But since the floods of 2007 the current boat has been languishing on the river bank in disrepair. Now it is hoped Bablock Hythe’s ferry will soon be back up and
HOW delightful it would be to see the 1,100-year-old Bablock Hythe ferry back in service. It has essentially been beached since the 2007 floods but moves are afoot to refloat the service and we hope it turns into a buoyant scheme.
Jon-Paul Pittman is relishing his good run of form in front of goal – and says the secret of his success is to have belief in yourself. Pittman has scored in three of the previous four games for United, and was on the mark once again with the
VILLAGERS and politicians last night called for more security and harsher punishments for cable and metal thieves after a string of raids. Some 350 homes and businesses in North Oxfordshire were cut off from phone and Internet services after thieves
IT IS hard not to think that the Government has have been rather slow to treat cable and metal theft as a serious threat. Once again we have hundreds of people who have lost essential communication services because thieves have stolen about 1km of copper
A LOUT who waved a knife at a paramedic, spat at a policeman and racially abused a carboot seller has been given an Asbo. Kyran McFarlane, who has 45 previous convictions, has been responsible for a string of offending around the Kassam Stadium and Oxford
MG Motor UK today announced it will enter the 2012 BTCC Series with a ‘dream team’ of cars, drivers, constructors and sponsors. Two MG6 GT cars will run in the all-new MG KX Momentum Racing team piloted by Oxford's double BTCC champion Jason
A WOMAN had to be cut out of a car last night after a serious crash between two vehicles. The B430 Northampton Road was closed at its junction with Akeman Street just before 8pm after the collision. A fire service spokesman said a woman had to be cut
A PLANNED third secondary school in Witney on a new 1,000-home housing estate may not be built. Oxfordshire County Council said expanding the town’s existing secondary schools, Wood Green and Henry Box, was likely to be a better alternative than building
A PRIMARY school in Witney wants to create a new entrance and reception area. Batt Primary School, in Marlborough Lane, has applied to create rooms for special needs lessons and meetings in a plan costing £150,000. Headteacher Chris Payne said: “Visitors
COMPUTER users in Oxfordshire are being targeted by conmen who are trying to dupe them out of money for unnecessary work. Oxfordshire County Council’s trading standards department said the fraud was the most reported of any Internet-related crime they
