Archive

  • Sandell holds fourth in Rally Portugal

    Patrik Sandell held on to fourth place at the end of the slippery second day of the Rally Portugal in the Banbury-built Prodrive Mini John Cooper Works WRC. Team-mate Dani Sordo ended the day having set the fastest time in each of the day’s

  • Cricket club faces big lead thefts bill

    A VILLAGE cricket club faces spending £10,000 on new security after thieves stripped all the lead from its pavilion in a second attack in a matter of months. About 60ft of lead was stolen and it is feared the bill will run into thousands. Yesterday

  • Nearly 150,000 drivers caught speeding

    THE number of speeding drivers caught by cameras in the Thames Valley area rose by 40,000 last year. Police issued 148,378 speeding tickets last year compared to 113,361 in 2010, with one motorist being caught doing 142mph in a 70mph zone. And the oldest

  • A special 100-year-old lady

    Centenarian Alexandrina Guiver never forgets a good deed – even after almost 70 years. Mrs Guiver celebrated her 100th birthday this week in Abingdon and asked all of her family and well-wishers not to buy a present but instead to make a donation to

  • Local shares (PM)

    AEA Technology 0.27 BMW 5594 Electrocomponents 247.2 Nationwide Accident Repair 63.5 Oxford Biomedica 3.05 Oxford Catalysts 49 Oxford Instruments 1201.5 Reed Elsevier 553.25 RM 76.9 RPS Group 239 Courtesy of Redmayne Bentley, Abingdon

  • YOUR WHEELS: Express yourself

    FEW cars can match the sales success of Renault’s cuddly Clio. Launched more than 20 years ago, it is the only car to be voted Car of the Year twice: first in 1991 at the time of its launch, and again in 2006, when the second generation Clio received

  • Church could get funding help

    AS The Queen celebrates a reign spanning 60 years, the organisers of the county’s Jubilee Fund for Oxfordshire are urging people to raise cash for our own senior citizens. Just a week after announcing it will be making childhood literacy a priority,

  • Not too old to have fun

    These are old folk who have definitely been getting into the swing of things as they enjoy the fine weather. Residents from Marston Court Care Home, in Marston Road, took over their local children’s play area this week. They recaptured their youth as

  • UPDATE: Tanker drivers' union rules out Easter strike

    THE union representing fuel tanker drivers has ruled out the threat of strikes over Easter and said it wanted to focus on peace talks.Unite, which represents around 2,000 tanker drivers, said it retained the right to call industrial action if talks, expected

  • Cat comes home - after nine months

    WHEN young cat Kariba disappeared from her Oxfordshire home, her family feared the worst. After frantically knocking on neighbours’ doors and covering the area in posters, they eventually gave up and thought they would never see her again. But last

  • Local share prices (AM)

    AEA Technology 0.26 BMW 5652 Electrocomponents 253.4 Nationwide Accident Repair 63.5 Oxford Biomedica 3.1 Oxford Catalysts 48.5 Oxford Instruments 1204 Reed Elsevier 553.75 RM 78.5 RPS Group 238.4 Courtesy of Redmayne Bentley,

  • OAP’s condition is ‘improving’

    WANTAGE: The condition of a 66-year-old woman hurt in a crash with a bus in the town is improving. She was taken to the John Radcliffe Hospital in Oxford in a serious, but stable, condition following a collision with a 31 Stagecoach bus in Wallingford

  • FOOTBALL: Nomads close in on championship win

    Oxford City Nomads can take a giant step towards the Premier Division title at home to Ardley United in tomorrow’s top-of-the-table clash. Nomads, who like Ardley have not applied for promotion to the Evo-Stik Southern League, are six points clear of

  • Flat fire rescue

    OXFORD: A man was rescued from his flat in Rose Hill, Oxford, after a fire broke out on Wednesday. The ground-floor flat in Ashurst Way had filled with smoke after cooking had been left unattended. The man was found asleep in his flat by firefighters

  • Arson attack

    WITNEY: Wood and plastic were set alight causing a large blaze in an arson attack on an industrial estate, police said. Firefighters were called to the Build Centre in Avenue Three of Station Lane Industrial Estate at about 9.50pm on Tuesday. No damage

  • Panic fuel buying grips the county

    MOTORISTS were last night being told not to panic over the fuel crisis despite thousands heading to the pumps to fill up their cars. Yesterday some petrol stations across the county had run dry by a surge of panic buying following the threat

  • Top three still the aim for in-form Oxford United

    A STRONG run of form in March has got Oxford United talking up their chances of automatic promotion, even if recent seasons suggest it will be a tall order. Victory at home to Morecambe tomorrow would see the U’s reach 68 points for the

  • FUTSAL: Lions roar to league title

    Oxford Lions Futsal Club have been crowned Midlands FA League champions following their 12-4 victory over Hereford in a record-breaking season. Oxford rattled in the goals through Luke Ballinger (3), Lucas Totti (3), Bruno Gibbins (3), Paulo

  • Tributes are paid to 'one of our own'

    OXFORDSHIRE paid respects to one of its own as three fallen servicemen were repatriated yesterday. Lance Corporal Michael Foley, 25, of the Adjutant General’s Corps (Staff and Personnel Support), was repatriated alongside Captain Rupert Bowers, 24, of

  • FOOTBALL: Victory is vital says Banbury boss Fuller

    Banbury United manager Ady Fuller says he faces the biggest test since he took over at the helm when they host Frome Town tomorrow. Fuller, whose side are three points above the Evo-Stik Southern League Premier Division relegation zone, says

  • Body in lake

    DUCKLINGTON: The body of a man in his 20s was found at Tar Lakes, near Standlake Road on Wednesday. An investigation has been launched but his death is not believed to be suspicious.

  • Clarke sets bar high for Oxford United's run-in

    RYAN Clarke says a fourth successive clean sheet is the very minimum Oxford United want ahead of Morecambe’s visit tomorrow. A 2-0 win at Accrington Stanley on Tuesday night was United’s third shut-out in a row and their goalkeeper has not conceded a

  • FOOTBALL: Abingdon bubbly put back on ice

    The incentive of a bottle of bubbly could not inspire Abingdon United’s players to break their goalless drought in Evo-Stik Southern League Division 1 South & West. And now boss Richie Bourne is looking at upping the reward for ending their

  • Four players set to give Oxford United fitness boost

    A QUARTET of injured players are expected to provide an extra bonus for Oxford United’s run-in as they return to fitness next month. Injuries have plagued the U’s for most of the season, but there is real hope that within a fortnight, long-term

  • Bananas feed research

    WORLD Cancer Research Fund (WCRF) is offering schools, community groups and businesses the chance to take part in the annual Beat the Banana! event this May. Last year, participants staged fundraising days for the cancer prevention charity through

  • Nuclear scaremongering

    A DECADE ago, Tony Blair came out with his claims that Iraq could attack the UK with chemical and biological weapons within 45 minutes. As we now know, this claim was based on fictitious evidence and was used to justify to the British public an illegal

  • I’m not dead just yet

    HAVING retired, after 46-plus years, I was looking forward – naively perhaps – to a more relaxed period in which I would have a greater say in my daily ‘routine’ – a word I hate. What I have discovered is a tendency for others – usually still working

  • Risking life and limb crossing at red lights

    THE traffic light rules: green is for go, amber get ready to stop or go, red means stop. But not in North Oxford (Woodstock Road, by First Turn): green means go, amber means put the foot down and get over before it’s red, and red is put the foot down

  • FIXTURES March 31

    SATURDAY. FOOTBALL. NPOWER LEAGUE TWO. Oxford Utd v Morecambe. EVO-STIK SOUTHERN LEAGUE. Premier Div: Banbury Utd v Frome Tn, Chippenham Tn v Oxford C. Div 1 South & West: Didcot Tn v Tiverton Tn, North Leigh v Wimborne, Stourport v Abingdon Utd

  • Joshua can dig it

    YOUNGSTER Joshua Barber put all his weight into digging in his school garden. The Stanford in the Vale Primary School pupil is one of 35 children in the after-school gardening club. And on Wednesday they planted seeds and saplings donated by the village

  • Cap ends Brookes plans for extra student spaces

    A NEW cap on student numbers will dent Oxford Brookes University’s plans to open up courses to hundreds more people. Brookes had hoped to expand its programme of foundation degree courses at partner colleges – including Abingdon and Witney, Oxford and

  • Miracle of consciousness

    IN response to my contention that atheism is obsolete, Dane Clouston (ViewPoints, March 20) asserts that “specious and spurious arguments are used”. This is untrue and reflects the atheistical, shallow thinking so prevalent today. Consciousness is

  • Sense of ridiculous

    I HAVE to admit that over the years I have completely misjudged councillor John Tanner. I have been taking him seriously, when actually his letter (ViewPoints, March 23) suggesting that Labour would solve all our economic problems shows that he has a

  • Thames Water need to put their own house in order

    AFTER reading the comical letter from Alan Crowder (Wednesday’s ViewPoints), about Thames Water’s gripe that water shortages are due to little enough rainfall, they need to put their own house in order before blaming Mother Nature. On passing through

  • RUGBY UNION: Make or break

    Quins set for relegation fight against Amersham OXFORD Harlequins manager Steve Chadbone said they cannot even consider defeat in tomorrow’s crunch relegation clash at home to Amersham & Chiltern (3). Quins, who are in the National 3 South West drop

  • UPDATE: Motorists still not heeding appeals for calm

    SOME motorists were continuing to ignore appeals for calm over the the fuel crisis this morning - with one major Oxford petrol station likely to be shut all day. Tesco at Cowley has just said that it would be closed until 7pm, when a new delivery

  • Hill becomes first graduate of Oxford United youth scheme

    A NEW initiative in Oxford United’s youth set-up has begun to bear fruit, with Josh Hill becoming the first player to be offered a scholarship from the advanced apprentice course. The 17-year-old was told at the end of last season he would not be offered

  • Four firms out to win GW rail franchise

    FOUR companies are bidding to run the Great Western Rail franchise from next year. Current operator First Group – which decided not to take up an option to extend running the franchise under the current terms from 2013 to 2016 – has been invited

  • Shadow chancellor gets a grilling

    IT’S not every day Oxford students get to give a front bench MP with a reputation as a political bruiser a grilling in their class. But that’s exactly the opportunity youngsters had yesterday when shadow chancellor Ed Balls dropped in to The

  • Sixfields seat rush for Oxford United supporters

    EXTRA tickets have been made available to Oxford United for the Good Friday trip to Northampton Town following strong demand. More than 1,000 seats were snapped up by U’s season ticket holders in less than three days. The stand behind the goal at Sixfields

  • Fans in a hurry to get Oxford United season tickets

    OXFORD United are thrilled with the response from supporters for 2012/13 season tickets, with demand exceeding the club’s own targets in the first week. More than 800 had been snapped up by yesterday – 20 per cent of the 4,000 total bought for this season

  • COMMENT: Soldiers will never be forgotten

    THE families of three brave soldiers saw their loved ones repatriated yesterday. We hope the turnout in tribute by members of the public will show their sacrifice is recognised. And, as we report further on this page, the actions of Annabelle Asher

  • COMMENT: Woman's extraordinary 'adventures'

    THERE is just something too stunning to believe about the ‘adventures’, if that is the right word, of Nina Raymont. She was on the run from an allegation of drug dealing when, through misfortune, ended up sharing a room in a mental hospital with Sandra

  • Extraordinary tale of woman with two lives

    FOR 30 years Nina Raymont lived a double life around the world after stealing the identity of a mental health patient while on the run from drug dealing allegations. Even the children of “Sandra Forshaw” had no idea of who their mother really was

  • 'Not the Literary Festival' proves a hit

    OXFORD’s dreaming spires are famous for inspiring generations of writers and the city is a Mecca for lovers of the written word. But while followers of the more mainstream forms of writing gathered for the Oxford Literary Festival, it was also the time

  • Spring seeds event

    Youngsters are being invited to call in at a Chilton garden centre to pick up free seeds as part of its spring gardening celebration. From April 14 to April 29 visitors to the garden centre in Newbury Road can collect free packets of cress seeds. Manager

  • Passing the peace torch

    A LITTLE bit of harmony shone through Blackbird Leys. Pupils looked on as the World Harmony Run was passing through Oxford, making its first stop at Windale Primary School on Wednesday. The World Harmony Run is a global torch relay run by athletes from

  • Downton fundraising run

    DIDCOT pensioner Geoffrey Jackson is taking part in a 10km run at the home of TV series Downton Abbey to raise funds for Parkinson’s UK. Mr Jackson, 82, is taking part in the fundraiser at Highclere Castle near Newbury to raise money for the charity

  • Annabelle's walk for Welsh Guards

    WHEN six-year-old Annabelle Asher saw a Union flag draped over a board at school bearing the name of Lieutenant Colonel Rupert Thorneloe, she wanted to discover more. Lt Col Thorneloe was the highest-ranking British Army officer to be killed