Archive

  • Hunting for Easter treasure at Castle

    YOUNG Lewis Ellis was egg-static to take part in an Easter event at Oxford Castle. The four-year-old Yarnton resident joined children for egg hunts and arts and crafts at the city attraction on Wednesday. Dad Rob, 43, said: “We had a

  • Visa row cuts actor's dream movie role

    TWO weeks ago aspiring actor Toby Sebastian was offered his dream job as lead role in a new American film. But on Tuesday the dream was shattered when his application for a work visa was blocked. Filming for the low-budget thriller Backgammon was due

  • The Scales of Justice

    People recently convicted of offences at the county's magistrates' courts OXFORD Christopher Nicholson, 54, of Foster Road, Abingdon, admitted shoplifting a £32.99 bottle of brandy from Waitrose in Abingdon on February 6. Given a 12-month

  • Student flats going green

    STUDENT accommodation in Oxford’s Banbury Road will be refurbished to make it more energy-efficient. The scheme for Summertown House was approved by councillors, although complaints from residents meant plans for an energy centre to heat the building

  • RUGBY UNION: The numbers game

    Henley Hawks secured a battling and entertaining draw. Here is the numbers' game. See Tuesday’s paper for full report. Competition: National 2 South Score: Henley Hawks 16, Richmond 16 Henley Hawks player ratings: 15. Tom Allen 7 (reliable,

  • Abbey remains to get proper burial

    THEY have been languishing in a storeroom for more than 20 years, but finally nine bodies dug up at Eynsham Abbey are set to be laid to rest. The skeletons were uncovered during a three-year archaeological dig which started in 1989 at the site of the

  • Oxford United 0 Gillingham 0

    OXFORD United’s winless streak was extended to four games as they were kept out by a stubborn Gillingham side in a tense afternoon at the Kassam Stadium. The U’s created the lion’s share of the chances, but were unable to find a way past

  • SWIMMING: Ace Oliver's left wanting more

    Young City of Oxford swimmer Lizzie Oliver reached the finals in no fewer than seven Level 2 events at the City of Birmingham Easter Weekend Open. However, the 14-year-old came home without a victory, having to settle for two silver medals

  • Campaigning doctor looks at NHS changes

    A BANBURY hospital campaigner will speak about the impact of controversial changes to the NHS next week. Former Horton Hospital consultant physician Dr Peter Fisher will address the Banbury Labour Women’s Group on Wednesday. Dr Fisher – who helped retain

  • GLOBETROTTER: Urban adventure

    ON arrival in Bangkok I realised that the capital of Thailand really is an urban jungle. Not because its maze-like streets wind like vines on the forest floor, but because in between the city’s impressive array of soaring sky scrapers and gleaming

  • Delays prompt bid for RAF housing

    DEFENCE chiefs have applied for permission to build a temporary accommodation block at RAF Brize Norton, while negotiations over plans for a permanent building continue. The Ministry of Defence, which says the delay is adversely affecting operations

  • DIAMOND DAY: Marking 60 years of love and smiles

    CHILDHOOD sweethearts John and Marguerite Smith say the secret to a successful marriage is love and laughter. And the couple, from Finchley Lane, Bicester, certainly know what they are talking about because today, they will celebrate their Diamond wedding

  • Bringing shadows to life is child's play

    YOUNGSTERS were cast into a shadow puppet workshop in a week of activities put on by Pegasus Theatre. The session from Oxford children’s theatre club Wild Boor Ideas was put on on Wednesday. It was part of an Easter holidays activity

  • Clarke ruled out of Oxford United's game with Gillingham

    WAYNE Brown makes his league debut for Oxford United as Ryan Clarke misses out against Gillingham through injury. The goalkeeper picked up a muscle injury around his ribs in Monday’s 2-2 draw with Torquay United and has failed to recover in time. Brown

  • CHARITY MATTERS: Rock festival plugs into softer sounds

    A CHARITY music festival famed for its ear-splitting rock gigs is turning the volume down for a special concert. Audioscope, which has raised £23,000 for homelessness charity Shelter since it began in 2001, takes place in Oxford every November and

  • CHARITY MATTERS: Cupcakes cash helps children

    FORMER apprentice Hannah Crowder used the sweet tooth of BMW car workers to raise money for charity. Ms Crowder baked and iced 48 Easter cupcakes to sell at the Mini Plant Oxford in Cowley. The cupcakes were sold in support of the Children

  • Campaigners won’t give up

    A COMMUNITY will continue their campaign for a new cycle path on one of Oxfordshire’s busiest roads today. For months, residents in Dean Court and Eynsham have campaigned for a community path alongside the B4044. They say it is winding

  • Everyday art critics are urged to take a punt

    SHOPPERS, commuters, indeed everyone is invited to become an art critic this month in a bid to find the perfect image for Oxfordshire. To celebrate the 30th anniversary of Oxfordshire Artweeks, in which artists all over the county throw open their studios

  • MOTORSPORT: Elliot at home in new class

    Young karting prospect Elliot Harvey, from Didcot, took a big step up in class and recorded two second-place finishes. The ten-year-old was invited to make his debut in the first rounds of the Formula KartStars (FKS) at Kimbolton, near Bedford. FKS

  • MOTORSPORT: Bicester firm pin faith in Norris

    Young British motocross prospect Luke Norris is gearing up for British and European championship glory with the help of an Oxfordshire pension specialists firm. CMS Financial Management are sponsoring the 17-year-old, from Bicester, in his second professional

  • 'I can prove it was not Titanic that sank'

    AS THE world tomorrow marks the centenary of the sinking of Titanic, Oxford author Robin Gardiner has released a new book that he says proves it is a sister ship that sits at the bottom of the North Atlantic. The biggest ship of its kind, Titanic was

  • ANGLING: Brown beats the boats

    The latest North Oxford AS match on the Oxford Canal at King’s Bridge was spoilt for most of the ten anglers by some very heavy boat traffic. Despite that, Roger Brown was able to find three good chub on caster for 7.0.0, plus bits, for a winning weight

  • Closer to a full score

    THE days of the popular Pressed Steel Band ended with the Government’s ‘three-day week’ policy in the 1970s. In its heyday, the band, based at the Cowley car body plant, performed many concerts and took part in numerous competitions. We were reminded

  • TRAMPOLINING: Nikki goes national

    Nikki Bayer, from the Flying Solo Trampoline Club in Oxford and Wantage, will be competing on the national circuit after winning the Southern Region under 17 grade D girls title at the age of 14. Nikki, who trains three times a week, triumphed with

  • Cause of Cowley Road blaze still unknown

    THE cause of a blaze that closed Cowley Road last night is still unknown. Emergency services attended the house fire close to the Cape of Good Hope pub at about 6.30pm. Police today said they had investigated the scene but could not draw any conclusions

  • The Scales of Justice

    OXFORD MAGISTRATES' COURT Craig Mills, 31, of Territorial Way, Oxford, admitted shoplifting a bottle of wine valued at £4.99 from Tesco in Oxford on January 31. Given a 12-month conditional discharge. Claire Cole, 36, of Moorbank, Oxford

  • ROWING: Four hundred crews head for Abingdon

    The Abingdon Head of the River Race, one of the town’s biggest sporting events, takes place tomorrow. More than 400 boats and 1,000 rowers will be racing in four divisions on a busy day, which starts at 9.30am and finishes at 4.30pm. But it’s not just

  • MOTORSPORT: Walkinshaw pleased with progress

    Chipping Norton racing driver Sean Walkinshaw rounded off the first weekend of the 2012 Protyre Formula Renault BARC Championship season at Snetterton 200 Circuit, with a hat-trick of points finishes. In a rain-hit weekend, he managed to avoid any major

  • BILLIARDS: Shield winners

    Victories for Matty Bramall and Gorden Cook gave Oracle a 2-1 victory over Oxford Bowls Club in the final of the Oxford & District Billiards League’s Hashman Shield. LEAGUE RESULTS. Hashman Shield final: Oracle bt Oxford Bowls Club 2-1. Arthur Cook

  • GREYHOUNDS: Bella to shine

    Inashowen Bella, winner of one of the £750 BAGS/SIS Easter Bunny events at Swindon last week, carries the nap in the S1 over 595 metres at Oxford Stadium on Saturday night. TONIGHT’S RUNNERS. 7.45: JACQUELINES JOY, Katies A Magpie, Mossy Kid 3, Lissakyle

  • False hijack alert caused big bangs

    AN investigation has been launched into the helicopter that sparked a hijack scare and led to Thursday night’s sonic boom. Two Typhoon fighter jets were scrambled over southern England at about 6pm on Thursday because of an emergency alarm being broadcast

  • Knifepoint raid

    OXFORD: Two men and a teenager have appeared in court charged with the knifepoint robbery of two men in Blackbird Leys. Kyle Williams, 21, and Christopher Lemonius, 22, are charged alongside a boy, 16, with a string of offences relating to an alleged

  • Rape admitted

    DIDCOT: A 41-year-old man has admitted a string of child sex offences. Timothy Privett appeared at Oxford Crown Court yesterday and admitted two counts of rape. He also admitted four counts of sexual activity with a child. Privett, of Campion Hall Drive

  • Burglar distracts elderly woman

    WITNEY: A distraction burglar who claimed he was searching for his lost dog preyed on an elderly woman in New Road, Sutton. A man arrived at her home at about 12.30pm on Tuesday, claiming to be looking for his lost dog and convinced the victim to help

  • Paedophile given images of abuse

    A DANGEROUS paedophile was given hand-drawn images of child abuse sketched by another prisoner at Bullingdon Prison. Andrew Southall, 52, who was jailed indefinitely for public protection, had a stash of pencil sketches depicting young girls

  • 'Rhino' digs himself out of his own grave

    A BURIED hamster who “came back to life” managed to dig his way out of his own grave. Owner David Eyley, pictured, believed four-year-old Rhino, pictured and inset, had died when he found him lifeless in his box one morning. Wanting to do the decent

  • SNOOKER: Pairs victors

    Simon Aries and David Baker beat Lee Richardson and Paul Evans to win the Sherman Pairs final in the Gentworks Oxford & District Snooker League.

  • GREYHOUNDS: Oxford wait on new trainer

    Management at Oxford Stadium say they are in no hurry to replace outgoing trainer Michael Peterson. Even though there were no trials last week and none again next week due to drainage work, which should at last eliminate problems when heavy rain falls

  • MOTORSPORT: Testing times for Oxon teams

    The Enstone-based Lotus team had plenty of work to do after the first two rounds of practice for the Chinese Grand Prix in Shanghai. No 1 driver Kimi Raikkonen finished bottom of the timesheet in first practice due to a rear-wing issue with his car

  • MOTOR SPORT: Plato says rivals are worried

    Oxford's Jason Plato reckons his MG’s pace out of the box has his rivals “quaking in their boots” as the Dunlop MSA British Touring Car Championship heads to Donington Park this weekend (April 14-15). Plato will arrive at the East Midlands venue holding

  • SWIMMING: Burnett's sights on relay glory

    Simon Burnett has revealed he intends to sacrifice personal gain for the greater good and put all his eggs in the relay basket at the London 2012 Olympics. Burnett, brought up in Tetsworth, made sure of his third Olympic appearance at the British

  • LOOSE ENDS: Conspiracy theorists are in their elements

    The sonic boom heard over Oxfordshire on Thursday evening certainly caught the imagination. Readers from Charlbury, Banbury, Hook Norton, Faringdon, Carterton, Bledington and Burford all reported hearing it. The Ministry of Defence said later it was

  • MOTORSPORT: Liquorish ends five-year wait

    Steven Liquorish, from Wantage, got his 2012 Porsche GT3 Cup Challenge GB season off to a flying start with victory at Snetterton over the Easter weekend. It was just reward after patiently waiting five years for his first victory at the circuit

  • GREYHOUNDS: BAGS results

    APRIL 13, 2012 11.03: 1 EAGLES STORM 3-1 co-fav, 2 Fridays Jewel 4-1. Trio (4x5x3). Trainer: Rayner. Time: 28.18. Liscrea Classic (3), Stapleford Debs (2) 3-1 co-fav. 11.19: 1 CROWS CANT DANCE 4-1, 2 Crown of Thomas 8-1. Trio (3x6x4). Trainer

  • Motorcyclist hurt in A34 crash

    A MOTORCYCLIST was airlifted to Oxford’s John Radcliffe Hospital with suspected neck and pelvic injuries after a crash which closed the A34 for more than an hour yesterday. The man was injured when his bike collided with a car at about 11.50am on the

  • COMMENT: A worthy cause

    Vale House in Sandford-on-Thames cares for those affected by dementia and prides itself on putting the patient at the heart of everything. Now it is launching a £2.5m fundraising drive to ensure the future of the much-loved centre. Perhaps

  • COMMENT: Common sense needs to prevail

    Two words... common sense. What ever happened to it? Because in Headington at the moment it seems to have been over-looked. For years, local residents have had to put up with a crumbling mess of a derelict house. Its owner, Martin

  • MOTHERING SUNDAE: Alternative images of Easter

    EASTER is a time of religious solemnity, obscene quantities of chocolate and, I suspect, an exponential increase in the share price of cardboard manufacturers. The children grumbled through woodland walks, paraded Easter bonnets and deprived

  • Tree for Rachael

    A tree is to be planted to remember the young vet killed in a car crash on the A420. Rachael Jackson, 25, from Lyne Road, died near Buckland after the van she was driving collided with a lorry on Wednesday, April 4. She graduated from Royal Veterinary

  • University warns ministers over donations

    Government proposals to cap income tax relief on charitable donations risk undermining the tradition of philanthropy in higher education, Oxford University officials have warned. The university fears the cap, announced in the Budget last month, could

  • School shut off by sewer works

    Water works delays mean North Hinksey Primary School will be blocked off to cars as youngsters start the new term on Monday. Thames Water had hoped the Easter holidays would be long enough to complete works to expand the sewer outside the school. But

  • 'Improvements' work under fire

    For years, Headington residents have battled for improvements to be made to a crumbling and derelict house. So when builders appeared at 29 Old High Street, on Thursday, there was a collective intake of breath as it looked like work was beginning

  • Dementia care home launches £2.5m campaign

    IF SHE could have, Alice Beck would have nursed husband Peter ‘until the bitter end’. The couple met and fell in love more than 40 years ago when they discovered a shared passion for music and art while at a wedding. But when helping

  • Taking it from the top after family tragedy

    After the death of their newborn son, Dominic and Alison Hardisty abandoned promising careers to chase what was most important in life. Mr Hardisty was managing US band The Killers, pictured far right, when Nicholas died at just 31 days old. The tragedy

  • Funeral set for postie Ronald

    The funeral for postman and well-known Kidlington gardener Ronald Taylor will take place on Thursday. The service will be held at 10am at St Mary’s in Kidlington followed by a reception at the Green Road Social Club. Donations to Help for Heroes are

  • COMMENT: A worthy cause

    Vale House in Sandford-on-Thames cares for those affected by dementia and prides itself on putting the patient at the heart of everything. Now it is launching a £2.5m fundraising drive to ensure the future of the much-loved centre. Perhaps

  • COMMENT: Common sense needs to prevail

    Two words... common sense. What ever happened to it? Because in Headington at the moment it seems to have been over-looked. For years, local residents have had to put up with a crumbling mess of a derelict house. Its owner, Martin

  • Skipper Wright says U's fans can help roar them to victory

    Jake Wright has urged Oxford United’s fans to produce another big performance today when play-off rivals Gillingham visit. Both sides are suffering ill-timed blips in form and with only four games left, need to rediscover a winning habit to keep their

  • 'I really thought I was going to die'

    ONE minute mum-of-four Joanne Fitchett was making sandwiches then, hours later, she found herself being wheeled into the operating theatre for life-saving heart surgery. The 34-year-old is now back at her Bicester home, recovering after open heart surgery

  • Children come out in force for play day

    HUNDREDS of children had a go at face painting, juggling and junk modelling at a play day to celebrate the county’s links to the military. Organised by Oxfordshire Play Association, the first of six Armed Forces Play Days took place around the Families

  • Fears for Bee Gee Robin Gibb

    BEE GEE Robin Gibb was in a coma, it was claimed last night. Th pop legend, who lives in Thame, has been battling colon and liver cancer. The Sun newspaper has reported Mr Gibb Now has pneumonia and his family are keeping a bedside vigil. He missed