Archive

FIVE people have tonight been taken to hospital with neck and back injuries after a two-car crash on Oxford's Eastern Bypass. The ambulance service was called at 7pm to the scene near Headington Quarry. The injuries are not believed to be life

THE managing director of Mini Plant Oxford is leaving the role. Jürgen Hedrich, who headed the plant for nearly four years, will take a new post in the BMW Group production network. Frank Bachmann, 51, will be appointed the new managing director

HOPE SPRINGS (12A) Comedy/Romance. Meryl Streep, Tommy Lee Jones, Steve Carell, Elisabeth Shue, Jean Smart, Ben Rappaport, Marin Ireland, Patch Darragh, Mimi Rogers. Director: David Frankel. Cinema audiences are ageing and film companies are

PARANORMAN 3D (PG) Animation/Family/Comedy/ Horror. Featuring the voices of Kodi Smit-McPhee, Tucker Albrizzi, Anna Kendrick, Casey Affleck, Christopher Mintz-Plasse, Leslie Mann, Jeff Garlin, Elaine Stritch, Bernard Hill, Jodelle Ferland, Tempestt

Super service, scrumptious food and an added celebrity make JEREMY SMITH ‘s Chinese meal just perfect If you ever strut your stuff through Summertown, it’s very highly likely that your eye has been caught by the Xi’an restaurant, its striking frontage

Jonas Torrance of Oxford reggae rockers Dubwiser tells TIM HUGHES why a gig at the castle is right up their street FEW people anywhere know reggae like Dubwiser. The band, one of Oxford’s longest serving, have performed with some of the world

A few familiar names crop us as CLAIRE PULPHER takes a look at some of this month’s latest game releases Time flies, doesn’t it? I remember when we were all celebrating the fact that we, Great Britain, were to be hosting the Olympics in 2012.

JEREMY SMITH checks out the highlights of this year’s Blenheim Literary Festival in leafy Woodstock If you thought this year’s Sunday Times Lit Fest in March had satiated your literary lust, prepare to have your passion reignited. Because the

Sarah Mayhew finds plenty to be excited about in a new event bringing together more than 100 artistic folk at Oxford Castle THE impetus to create, and exhibit fascinates me; regardless of the discipline, or whether or not someone is trying to make

After almost 30 years apart, 80s band Ultravox are back. TIM HUGHES catches up with frontman Midge Ure to find out what fans old and new have in store and how the unforgettable Band Aid legacy is living on ONE of the defining groups of the 1980s

Oxford University has confirmed it plans to sell off the Wolvercote Paper Mill site as a potential housing development. Wolvercote Commoners chairman Michael Buck welcomed the news that it would be developed. He said: “It was inevitable that

Oxford University and the city council clashed at a public inquiry over a bid to make colleges give cash for affordable housing. Oxford City Council wants to make the city’s two universities give funds for affordable homes as part of deals to build

Cypriot Tio Ellinas is being given the chance to test for Banbury's Marussia F1 Team. Ellinas, 20, the most successful Marussia Manor Racing GP3 driver of its 2012 Series campaign, impressed the team and many others in the series throughout

AFC Hinksey could hand Stevie Andrews his debut when they host Division 1 East leaders Rayners Lane tomorrow. Luke Bremner (knee) and Stevie Haines (ban) miss out. Headington Amateurs have Jay Hill back from a ban at home to Thatcham, but Benji

Readers have not let us down in responding to our call for feedback on changes made to the paper as it celebrates its 150th year. Unsurprisingly, we have received plenty of comments, both negative and happily plenty of positive, about the changes

Decades of effort and millions of pounds in traffic schemes have been put into persuading the people of Oxfordshire to get out of their cars and on to their bicycles. But new figures suggesting the number of cyclists killed or seriously injured

 Sir – Congratulations on your sesquicentennial! Such a splendid word, and such a good opportunity to use it. Dr Katy Jennison, Witney

 Sir – As a regular purchaser of The Oxford Times could I add my howl of protest to the howls of countless others at the exorbitant hike in price from 85p to £1.30, over 52 per cent and totally unjustifiable. Even if I use the 12-month subscription

 Sir – Congratulations The Oxford Times! I have a Jackson’s Oxford Journal from 1879; interesting to look through at the news then and compare it with now. I went on a school trip in the mid-1960s around the printing-area in New Inn Hall Street

 Sir – While I am happy to congratulate The Oxford Times for deservedly continuing to flourish for 150 years, I am dismayed at the unheralded 53 per cent increase in the price. Even the ‘special offer’ on page 36 conceals a 24 per cent price

Sir – The new layout looks generally good, but why do you not put the cinema listings with the theatre and music in culture? David Bradnack, Oxford The cinema listings are back by popular demand — Editor

 Sir – The new Oxford Times discounted purchase scheme will be welcomed by all those readers who can now console themselves that they no longer have to pay for the portion of the paper occupied by the multiple photos and prolific self-references

Sir — Change within Oxford is more often than not greeted with howls of derision and the subsequent formation of a preservation and protest society, so I thought I’d better express my pleasure with the new format of The Oxford Times to add balance

Sir — Carfax tower’s two jacks have been striking the hours (no longer the quarters) for well over 100 years. But for a long time now the smaller of the two bells needs attention. Instead of a nice ding we get a dull clunk. The dong of the other

 Sir – Your article about Wilderness Festival last week failed to point out that Wilderness at Cornbury Park provides huge benefits to our local communities and we are proud to have such a vibrant arts and outdoors festival on our doorsteps.

Sir – It is almost never the case that votes in planning committees are split along party political lines. Parallel universe or not, this in itself should be enough to reassure Hugh McManners (Letters, September 6) and your readers that planning

Sir – Last year, the first scheme for the redevelopment of St Clements car park (Plan A) was narrowly rejected at a meeting of the area planning committee by the casting vote of the chairman, who had the courage to break party ranks. Speaking

Sir – Temple Cowley Pool is facing impending closure again. Following my letter, published before Christmas, the plans to demolish were suspended. However since then the Labour council have come up with a new reason: they say the foundations to

 Sir – I recently visited the Neuroscience In-Patients department at the John Radcliffe Hospital as arranged by my GP because I had developed worrying symptoms which had affected my vision. I was seen very soon after arriving at 9.30am and did

 Sir – The late, greatly loved councillor and Lord Mayor, Maureen Christian, strove valiantly for many years to establish a new, capacious concert hall on the Oxpens car park adjacent to the Oxford and Cherwell Valley college. But, like

ONE of the 20th century’s leading Anglican New Testament teachers, Christopher Evans, has died aged 102. Prof Evans became chaplain, fellow and lecturer in Divinity at Corpus Christi College, Oxford, in 1948, where he established himself as a brilliant

 Sir – So, the long-awaited building of much-needed housing as part of Barton moves a step closer. The planning inspection has actually improved the scheme, getting rid of the commitment to reducing the ring-road to a snail’s pace — that was

 Sir – I don’t know whether to be alarmed or amused by Oxford City Council ’s ludicrously-named “Barton Area Action Plan”. Centred on what the council calls a “strategic development site” (translation: some fields earmarked for a housing estate

 Sir – Your report on toilet refurbishment (September 6) says that fresh flowers, books and newspapers will greet convenience visitors; but, for the foreseeable future, many will be greeted with a closed notice and a telephone number. Councillor

CROWDS cheered on double Olympic gold medallist Andrew Triggs Hodge as he completed a charity kayak race on Saturday. Oxford’s London 2012 Olympic champion – who won his gold medal as part of the coxless fours rowing team – joined Tim Baillie and

Sir – In relation to the proposed Barton West development, councillor Cook says “Thames Water are covering their backs. I don’t think it will have that big an effect. But Thames Water has to try to get its pound of flesh out of any developer.” (Report

Sir – We note the article (Plans for £1m flooding prevention plans on show, August 23) about Thames Water’s scheme in Kennington to reduce flood risk. As you say, the scheme will relieve flooding locally in Kennington and more widely by getting

Sir – Richard Mann’s (Letters, August 23) interpretation of the laws covering cyclists and subways is misleading. It is an offence for cyclists to ride across the pavements either entering or leaving a subway. (Laws HA1835 sect72 and R(S)A1984,

AEA Technology 0.06 BMW 4782 Electrocomponents 235.6 Nationwide Accident Repair 60.5 Oxford Biomedica 2.2 Oxford Catalysts 73 Oxford Instruments 1332 Reed Elsevier 600.75 RM 79.4 RPS Group 255 Courtesy of Redmayne Bentley, Abingdon

SPORT England could scupper Banbury Academy’s bid to sell part of its playing field for houses. Councillors will tonight be asked to approve the plan for 50 homes, along with a new all-weather pitch and sports hall extension. But this will be conditional

A STAR-STUDDED evening of entertainment will celebrate Oxfam’s 70th birthday. Some of the charity’s most famous supporters will be taking to the Oxford Playhouse stage next month as part of Eight Stories High – an evening of storytelling and

A NATURE reserve in Oxfordshire has become one of the first in the UK to be awarded a yellow plaque. The plaque is in honour of Vera Paul who left a gift to the Berkshire, Buckinghamshire and Oxfordshire Wildlife Trust in her will. Her legacy

OXFORD GP Catharine Benson is setting a good example in her 50th year by tackling the country’s most famous charity bike rides. Dr Benson, from Oxford, has been a GP at 27 Beaumont Street since 1993 and since turning 50 she has has completed the

WITH rural shops continuing to close at a rate of 500 a year, Leafield Community Shop is determined to weather the storm, and is looking forward to a more productive future, thanks to the Jubilee Fund for Oxfordshire. The Jubilee Fund was launched

MUSICIANS from Bicester played a fitting tribute to mark the end of the Paralympic Games. The bandstand in Garth Park was one of 217 in towns and cities across the country chosen to take part in Bandstand Marathon, part of the London 2012 Festival

A team of Abingdon sea cadets proved their mettle on Saturday in a gruelling canoe and kayak tournament, and brought home gold. Fourteen cadets from Abingdon joined two from Oxford, and three from Buckinghamshire, in a district team at the Southern

A LANDLORD is the toast of the town after he transformed a struggling boozer into an award-winning pub. The Shoulder of Mutton in Wantage has this week been crowned the best pub in central southern England by the Campaign for Real Ale (Camra).

THE St Aldate’s Tavern in Oxford has reopened after a £130,000 revamp. The pub, which closed last year, has a new kitchen, more seating, upgraded toilets and improved staff accommodation. It reopened on Saturday. General manager Lucas Van Rensburg

A £2M recycling centre is finally up and running after a six-year planning wrangle which threatened to put its operator out of business. The operation at Dix Pit, Stanton Harcourt, was put forward by the Sheehan group of companies as a site for

Anyone who has caught a glimpse of a vivid blue kingfisher flashing across the water’s edge, watched marbled white butterflies dancing through a native wild orchids in an old quarry, or strolled through a meadow filled with an array of flowers and

A NEW factory manufacturing plant pots has officially gone into production. The switch was thrown on the machinery at the Stewart plant in Banbury by broadcaster Pippa Greenwood, pictured, marking the end of a nine-month development project involving

Many of you will know Farmoor Reservoir as a major county stopping-off point for migrating birds. Probably fewer people know that it’s also an important inland gull roost and the western perimeter has an enhanced environment of scrapes, bird seed

SQUASH players in Witney have hit out at leisure centre plans to close courts as part of a £350,000 gym expansion. And a similar plan at an Oxford centre will be reviewed after players complained. GLL Nexus, which runs Witney’s Windrush Leisure

OXFORD United have ended Sean McGinty's loan from Manchester United several months early. The 19-year-old was due to have stayed with the club until January, but has instead returned to Manchester this week. The left back was unable

OXON: The repatriation of a serviceman killed in Afghanistan at the weekend will take place today. Sergeant Lee Davidson, 32, of The Light Dragoons, was killed in Helmand province on Sunday when his vehicle hit an improvised explosive device.

TWO men have been charged with raping a woman in an Oxford park and will appear at court this morning. A 20-year-old woman reported being attacked in Bury Knowle Park, Headington, at about 11pm on Tuesday. Julio Dos-Santos, 28, of Nightingale

CHIPPING NORTON: Racehorse trainer Charlie Brooks is launching his second thriller at Jaffé and Neale bookshop tomorrow. The launch party for the novel Switch starts at 6.30pm at the shop in Middle Row. Patrick Neale, co-owner of Jaffé and

STEVE Naylor, from Woodstock, smashed the course record in winning the Peasemore Festival five-mile race. The 33-year-old Bedford & County athlete completed the course in 25mins 44secs to beat the mark of 26.33 set by Oxford City’s Steve Male

SUPER fast broadband is on its way to Kidlington as BT continues to roll out the service across the UK. About 7,000 homes and businesses in the area are expected to benefit. The latest development will help take the number of premises in Oxfordshire

SCOUTS have been forced to meet outdoors after a TV makeover show left their headquarters an “unusable shambles”. Scout leaders have appealed for help from the community to finish off a list of 100 jobs. The building off Lashford Lane, in Dry

STEVE Chadbone has stepped down as Oxford Harlequins manager. The former Quins wing and brother of captain Simon Chadbone took up the manager’s post least season. But he announced yesterday that he was quitting the National 3 South West club

W OXON: Shares in May Gurney, which provides food waste recycling services for West Oxfordshire District Council , have continued to tumble after the company issued a profit warning. Last week, the business removed chief executive Philip Fellowes-Prynne

BERNADETTE Downes’s delightful letter (ViewPoints, August 27) concerning the American visitors who advocated demolishing some of the historic Oxford colleges to make way for car parks reminded me of an occasion in 1990 when I commuted daily by rail

EYNSHAM: A 29-year-old man has been charged following the death of a village firefighter in a road crash. Joe Wilkins, 39, died when his bicycle was involved in a collision with a Ford Focus in Eaton Road near Appleton on May 25. Paul Brown

First Great Western has increased the number of seats available on its trains in the Thames Valley following a £29m investment in 48 additional carriages. The 4,500 extra seats have been provided for customers heading to London Paddington from

FIVE Oxfordshire athletes helped the Southern Counties team finish third in the Veterans Inter-Area Challenge at Solihull. Radley’s Alistair Duncan and Lyn Ahmet claimed individual victories in the men’s vet 50 400m and ladies’ vet 60 long jump

GROVE are celebrating their 40th anniversary by launching a new kit at their first home game of the season. The club, who were established in 1972, have also teamed up with sponsors Hallder Safety Netting, Nightingale Associates, Sainsbury’s and

BANBURY: A 23-year-old man appeared at Banbury Magistrates’ Court yesterday charged with a robbery at Michael Jones Jewellers in High Street on Tuesday morning. Jimmy Stringer, of Popham Street, London, was remanded in custody and will appear at

FRED Temlett and his wife Valerie loved the theatre so much they decided to create one in their own home. Since 1971 the couple have been staging plays and musicals in their Grade II-listed home to full houses. Mrs Temlett reckons to have directed

I REALISE schoolchildren have to carry so much in their backpacks because too many subjects are on the school curriculum. Surely a more thorough teaching of the basic subjects such as maths and English should be on the agenda first. I wonder

I TOTALLY agree with Mrs Taylor (On the Spot, September 6). I hope Chris Boswell is not in pain or suffering from any kind of illness, if so I hope he will soon be well. Mr Boswell has nothing good to write about. I suggest he takes a look at the

IN RESPONSE to Mrs P Taylor (ViewPoints, September 6), I am so glad that she finds my letters irritating and I hope the people I moan about find them irritating too. Isn’t this why the Oxford Mail has such view points on its pages? Perhaps Mrs

HOW I agree with Michael Clarke (ViewPoints, September 11) that those of us who meet at ‘The Final Turn’ for our poor soldiers being repatriated from Afghanistan respect them by standing silently with bowed heads as they pass by. I have been

WITH its rotors pounding and its engines roaring, the first of the newly-refurbished Puma helicopters took to the skies over Oxford Airport yesterday. It is the first trial version of the 24-strong revamped Puma fleet to be delivered to the Ministry

I WONDER if you can help me. I am searching for my aunty Doreen and uncle Tony. My aunty Doreen has two girls, Christine and Ann. Aunty Doreen was my dad’s step-sister. My dad’s name was Ronald Henry Green. Doreen’s dad’s name was Len

YET again Glyn Limmer has subjected readers to more of his complete drivel (ViewPoints, September 11) . If Oxford City Council employs 30 community wardens and expands its current areas of control, how does this impact financially on Oxford City

Witney Town have been rocked by the resignation of boss Justin Merritt after only three months in charge of the Uhlsport Hellenic League club. Merritt took over in early June, but increased work commitments meant he could no longer devote enough

Banbury trainer Alex Hales is excited by the challenge of a new National Hunt season after experiencing a tough time over the last two campaigns. With his Edgcote string under a cloud for much of 2011, Hales saw his hopes of a fruitful time

Racing enthusiasts get the chance to see behind the scenes at Aston Rowant trainer Lawney Hill’s Woodway Farm stables when she opens the doors to the public for the first time on Saturday (10am-12.30pm). Visitors will be able to look around the

THE cause of a car crash which killed “one of life’s stalwarts” remains a mystery. Valerie Ford was driving along the A420 not far from Botley Interchange when her VW Passat estate veered “abruptly” off the road before rebounding into the carriageway

NO... Tony Baldry, Conservative MP for Banbury Close your eyes and think back and try to think of any time when a strike has actually made a situation better. Most of the unions’ concerns appear to relate to what is happening in the public

OXFORD City Council is a leak-proof local authority, it turns out. The Insider wondered when the annual Port Meadow cattle round-up would be taking place and tried to check the details with some of those who would be taking part. The traditional

HANNAH England will look to defend her title at the Great North CityGames this weekend, while Lawrence Clarke is set for his debut. Oxford’s England goes again in the one-mile road race on Saturday, which is part of a series of events to showcase

OXFORDSHIRE’s Fairport Convention, who headlined the Cropredy Festival last month for 20,000 folk rock fans, are being given their own TV night. BBC Four will broadcast an evening of programmes to mark the band’s 45th anniversary this year.

London Welsh have an added incentive to maintain their Aviva Premiership status. The league is to be televised exclusively on BT from next season, in a £152m deal. The four-year contract will see BSkyB and ESPN, who split coverage of matches

FRILFORD Heath moved five points clear in the Shaw Gibbs Oxfordshire Foursomes League Section 1 with a 3-0 win over lowly Buckingham. Harry Collins and Chris Little won 6 & 5 in a one-sided opening match, but Frilford’s other two victories

My concern about the expansion of Windmill Primary School is that the timescale for the process of consultation and decision won’t leave much time for action at the end. I have three children at Windmill and they love it. We wouldn’t want that

THE new Oxford United chairman and the club should hang their heads in shame. I’m an Oxford United supporter and season-ticket holder and I feel totally ripped off by the ticket prices for the first round of the Johnstone’s Paint Trophy. Most

JAMES Bolton and Sophie Carter secured a Woodstock Harriers double in the Portfolio Property Cotswold Classic ten-mile race. Bolton was the men’s champion and Carter the ladies’ winner in the challenging event, organised by Witney Road Runners.

JOHN Carter hopes Oxford University could become a feeder club to their new city neighbours London Welsh. Carter, who is captaining the Dark Blues for a second successive Varsity Match campaign, believes the arrival of Premiership rugby in Oxford

THREE players with strong local links head up Oxford University ’s recruits for the new season. Flanker Gus Jones, who was England Under 18 captain last season and lives in Oxford, is among the leading undergraduate recruits. The former Oxford

A drunk breached his antisocial behaviour order (Asbo) after trying to force his way into a homeless shelter and verbally abusing staff. Bryn Barrick, 41, tried to get into The Oxford Night Shelter in Luther Street on Saturday. He admitted

A NEW course at The Oxfordshire is scheduled to open next year. The extension will see a nine-hole par three venue added to the existing facilities at the club near Thame. It will be designed by renowned American golf achitect Rees Jones, who

An army major from Bermuda, who volunteered at the Olympics, was killed in a car crash on the A34. Major Christian Wheddon, 43, pictured, of the Bermuda Regiment, trained at the defence academy in Shrivenham as part of a four-month visit to England

London Welsh head coach Lyn Jones wants his players to keep home fans coming back for more at Oxford’s Kassam Stadium . Welsh host Exeter Chiefs in their second home match of the Aviva Premiership season on Sunday, still looking for their first

JUST six weeks ago she had the eyes of the world on her as she competed in the Olympics. But now Caroline O’Connor is back at the day job – teaching science at Oxford Academy . What a wonderful role model she must make for her pupils.

SIX weeks ago she was cheered on by a home crowd while competing against the world’s best rowers in an Olympic final. But now it’s back to the day job for Oxford Academy science teacher and Olympic cox Caroline O’Connor. Instead of focusing

THEY were nearly 7,000 miles away from Bicester Village. But it didn’t stop the Duchess of Cambridge finding a fellow outlet shopping fan to talk to in Singapore. Kate reportedly swapped stories about Bicester Village with Sadiah Bte Shahal

NEW Students at Oxford Brookes University were perplexed to see another person’s picture waiting to go on their ID card. Students are asked to upload a picture for their ID card and then to later check course details added by the university.

CABBIES are set to become the eyes and ears of the police thanks to an innovative new crime-busting initiative. Using the Neighbourhood Watch, Shop Watch and Pub Watch model, taxi drivers are being drafted in to help fight crime. It is the

CAB drivers are like hairdressers and newsagents in being some of the most ‘in-the-know’ people in our community. So it is a great idea for police to use them as their eyes and ears. Taxi drivers often have a front-row view of any trouble,

RESIDENTS and park users last night spoke of their shock after a 20-year-old woman was raped close to an Oxford children’s playground. Two men were last night being quizzed by police after the attack in Bury Knowle Park, Headington, at about 11pm

BANBURY gets the chance to relive some of the best music of the 70s and 80s when two very different bands play The Mill. The fast and furious world of punk is recreated by the Sex Pistols Experience on Friday, September 14, while the distinctive

SPORT England could scupper Banbury Academy’s bid to sell part of its playing field for housing. Councillors will tonight be asked to approve the plan for 50 homes, along with an all-weather pitch and sports hall extension. But this will be

THE Chipping Norton pairing of Graham and Claire Reynolds proved a winning combination in a nationwide Fathers and Daughters competition staged at Tadmarton Heath. With dad Graham, playing off a seven handicap, and Claire off six, the duo went

Completing an unofficial trilogy of musical biopics, Florent Emilio-Siri's Cloclo may lack the heart-warming charm of Stijn Coninx's Soeur Sourire (2009) or the narrative inventiveness of Johann Sfar's Gainsbourg (2010). But Jérémie Renier's impersonation

PLANS for 71 new homes in East Challow look set to go ahead despite opposition. Housing developer Bewley Homes wants to build a mix of flats and houses on the Nadler industrial estate in East Challow, to include 28 homes with affordable housing

ABINGDON residents are calling for urgent repairs to a dilapidated street after an elderly man was badly injured in a fall. A public meeting will take place tonight to discuss the hazardous state of Thames Street after Michael Barnes, 74, tripped

TWO American airmen were hailed as heroes for preventing their stricken swing-wing fighter-bomber from crashing into village houses seconds before they smashed into a hillside. Pilot Captain Jerry Lindh, 28, and navigator/weapons systems officer

When maverick Canadian auteur Guy Maddin claims that his latest feature is an exercise in `pure narrative film-making' that is essentially a loose adaptation of `the Wikipedia page of The Odyssey', one knows instinctively which half of the statement