Archive

An 80-year-old man escaped from his car when it overturned as he was driving it this afternoon. The driver of the Volkswagen Golf said he had back pain, and was taken to the John Radcliffe hospital. The B4437 at Pudlicote Lane near Chipping

Any doubt that Ali Bastion isn’t in this for the long run evaporate as soon as we speak. She’s still bubbling over with enthusiasm for her part as Roxie Hart, even though Oxford signals the end of the tour. “We started in January and finish in Oxford

THE B4437 at Chilson, near Charlbury, is blocked tonight after a car flipped over. It is thought at the driver is not seriously injured. Traffic updates are available here.

FOR A GOOD TIME, CALL... (18) Comedy/Romance. Ari Graynor, Lauren Anne Miller, Justin Long, James Wolk, Mark Webber, Mimi Rogers, Don McManus, Nia Vardalos, Seth Rogen, Lawrence Mandley. Director: Jamie Travis. Co-written by lead actress

* It’s all go in the food world this week with Cote opening on George Street on Monday. The French brasserie style restaurant says it is ‘unashamedly midmarket’ and aims to provide great French food, a chilled atmosphere, amazing service and excellent

KATHERINE MacAlister takes a gaggle of teenage boys to try out a new pizza pub The human food chain is alive and well I was pleased to see when we visited The Red Lion Pizza Kitchen & Bar on Friday night. Lots of girls in tiny shorts and

For many, November is one of the year’s less pleasant months so it’s good to know that there’s plenty of quality comedy to lighten the gloom. Would you expect to find arguably the country’s best loved comedian at a suburban arts centre? No, I wouldn

SIX Oxfordshire rivers and brooks were tonight on flood alert after Wednesday’s night of heavy rain. The Environment Agency listed the River Thame and Chalgrove Brook, River Ray, as well as Ginge Brook, Langford Brook and Wendlebury Brook as being

FUN SIZE (12A) Comedy/Romance/Action. Victoria Justice, Jane Levy, Osric Chau, Thomas Mann, Jackson Nicoll, Thomas McDonell, Chelsea Handler, Thomas Middlemarch, Abby Elliott, Johnny Knoxville, Josh Pence. Director: Josh Schwartz. Set on October

Chicago is back. And now that its West End run is over, you can only catch the famous musical on tour. Katherine MacAlister tracks down the two main leads Stefan Booth and Ali Bastion to see if they’ve got what it takes * Stefan Booth is homesick

*  THE Vagina Monologues are back. Narrated this time by Hayley Tamaddon of Emmerdale, Clare Buckfield of 2point4 Children, and Vicky Entwistle of Coronation Street, one of the funniest, least militant narratives of women’s sexuality is on from 8pm

Enthusiastic golfer NICK IVE is seduced by two breathtaking courses – complete with luxurious accommodation and food – in South Devon AUTHOR Mark Twain once once described golf as “a good walk spoiled”. Either he was as useful with a club as me

Tim Hughes looks forward to a show by a hugely talented musician who says he feels like he is starting over FROM an early age Jack Savoretti loved film. Then when, as a precocious 16 year-old, he saw The Graduate, and fell under the spell of its

Mystery Jets frontman Blaine Harrison tells Tim Hughes why they had to fly half-way around the world to the wide open spaces of Texas to truly find themselves as a band THERE aren’t many places less like inner London than the wide open spaces of

A GRANDMOTHER from Wantage, the owner of a popular garden centre, has passed away. Muriel Stevenson worked at the Charlton Park Garden Centre in the town from the 1950s until her retirement 10 years ago. She was born Muriel Caroline Lloyd Smith

A TATTOO artist has raised nearly £2,000 for charity after carrying out a tattoo marathon. Warren Jeffrey, 41, pictured, from Thame, more commonly known as ‘Bugs’, took part in a charity tattoo marathon on Friday and Saturday at Oxford’s Black

THREE self confessed couch potatoes got through a 10-mile race knowing every step was for a very special little girl. Toddler Polly Stafford has an incurable genetic condition called Tuberous Sclerosis, which causes tumours to grow on her organs

WHEN cancer touched the lives of sisters Molly and Emily Powell, they decided to fight back. The girls’ grandmother Sarah Keen is battling breast cancer and their great aunt Georgina Benns sadly died because of it. Earlier this year the pair

Owning a large. luxurious 4x4 is enough to give anyone a warm glow — but in the case of the Infiniti FX the glow is a reality. Walk up to the car in the dark with the key in your pocket and the vehicle recognises that you are approaching and turns

RUST AND BONE (15) Drama/Romance. Marion Cotillard, Matthias Schoenaerts, Armand Verdure, Corinne Masiero, Mourad Frarema, Celine Sallette. Director: Jacques Audiard. Love is messy and chaotic in Jacques Audiard’s grimly compelling romance

Given the sheer number and scale of its building schemes in the heart of the city, Oxford University and its colleges have had a reasonably untroubled ride. How Oxford Brookes, locked for so long in a costly planning battle over its new library

A mysterious figure lurking in wintry Brasenose Lane helped an Oxford teenager win a national photography prize. Stephen Colbrook, 16, from Greater Leys, took the atmospheric image and entered it into the Landscape Photographer of the Year competition

VISIONARY, genius , dreamer and recluse; all words readily used to describe Karl Wallinger during his tenure producing music for 25 years under the World Party banner. After a hiatus from the live scene for over a decade - a great deal of this

PIZZA Express has announced it will open a restaurant in Witney but not at the Marriotts Walk shopping centre. The company had hoped to open a restaurant in the centre, off Welch Way, but could not agree on a planned extension of a unit with new

NEW Myro, The Smallest Plane in the World iPad story apps, story books and CDs, narrated by Christopher Biggins, are about to take off. To celebrate, we've got a great competition for four lucky children and their classes. The first prize winner

* THE weekend well and truly lands tomorrow, with a night of tunes by Radio 1’s Annie Mac. The DJ, pictured, whose Friday evening show goes out to more than a million people, appears at the O2 Academy Oxford as part of a night of cutting-edge dance

With Remembrance Day fast approaching again, there is no better time to support the troops by making a donation to the Royal British Legion, who work on behalf of retired and serving members of the armed forces and their families. Next time you see

 Sir – I am writing to express regret at the indiscriminate cutting of verges in the district which is a waste of taxpayers’ money and a form of ecological vandalism. There are huge swathes of the countryside verges and areas in parks around towns

 Sir – Several letters (October 18) predicted disaster if nothing was done to alleviate the traffic pressures in Oxford. Two letters advocated a rapid transport system (RTS) or tramway with appropriate connections to other forms of surface transportation

Sir – Several of your correspondents have written about the problems of public transport in Oxford (Letters, October 18). The suggestion has again been made that trams or light rail would be suitable. Although there are excellent light rail

 Sir – Tramways can cost significantly less than railways and can repay their capital costs, but only on the busiest public transport routes. For Oxford, these are Cowley Road, Banbury Road, London Road, Iffley Road, Oxford–Witney and Oxford–Abingdon

Sir – Now that the Government is relaxing its rules about planning, at least in the area of housing, wouldn’t it be good if they were to do so with infrastructure projects, so that fiascos like the Cogges Link Road, Witney, aren’t repeated? The pattern

In a sensational climax to its autumn visit to Oxford, Welsh National Opera delivered a Bohème as heart-rending as any I have seen. Under the direction of Annabel Arden, co-founder of Complicite, the production possessed the emotional heft and

Sir – Thank you to Nigel Clarke (Safety is simple, Letters, October 18) for his suggestions on how cyclists can improve their safety on the roads. Continuing that line of thought, may I suggest some simple (and free) improvements that car drivers

A CHARITY fair in support of the Jubilee Fund for Oxfordshire was held this week. The fund was launched in January by the Oxfordshire Community Foundation in recognition of the Queen’s commitment to the voluntary sector and Oxfordshire residents

OLYMPIC rowers Zac Purchase, Katie Greves and Natasha Page gave a talk to schoolchildren in Wallingford to inspire them to take up sport. Mr Purchase, 26, from Wallingford, won a silver medal at the London Olympics alongside Leander Club member

 Sir – It was interesting to hear from Trevor Stevens, of Marston, (Letters, October 18). I share his scepticism about providing cycle tracks alongside roads; even quite good ones are often of little benefit. However, there seems to be some confusion

Dance ANNIE MAC O2 Academy, Oxford Tomorrow (Friday), 10pm Tickets: £14 in advance from wegottickets.com THE weekend gets off to a flying start with a visit by the queen of UK club culture, Annie Mac. The Radio 1 DJ, whose

Sir – The new Oxford-to-Marylebone rail route (Report, October 25) is a fantastic vote of confidence in Oxfordshire. It is just the kind of investment in public transport we need to get commuters and the local economy moving. For too long Bicester

 Sir – On October 22, David Davies, MP for Monmouth, received a written reply to his question in the House of Commons concerning what progress had been made with the award of a campaign medal for those who served on the Arctic convoys. In his response

 Sir – How does our county council expect people to help in their leader’s Big Society with the current draconian parking enforcement policy outside Oxford Town Hall? May I explain. Last Friday, a little after 9.40, I parked outside the Oxford

Sir – I was pleased to be at the opening of the newly-restored Radcliffe Infirmary last week. This gem of a building, which now heralds the entrance to the Radcliffe Observatory Quarter, will be the home of the Humanities teaching for the University

Sir – Just been to the cinema in Walton Street which was great (Skyfall) — but, afterwards, walking down this once vibrant, interesting street, it is really so sad to see that it is now just full of estate agents and eateries. What is going on?

 Sir – Last week, I received through the letter box some polling cards so that I and my family can elect the next police and crime commissioner for the Thames Valley area on November 15. Maybe someone can tell me why it is considered the public is

GIG-goers are invited to join a night featuring some amazing bands and artists while backing a great local cause. Meursault, Family Machine, These Are Our Demands and Huck unite to play a benefit show for Helen and Douglas House at The Cellar

Sir – It is stated that the position of police and crime commissioner is outside of party politics and that those appointed to the role will be required to swear an oath to that effect. If that is the case, then why are candidates clearly identifed

Sir – Julian Le Vay is right (Letters, October 25). The election of police and crime commissioners is another US import we could do without. I hope many people will, like me, choose to send Cameron a clear message by spoiling their ballot papers

 Sir – Our thanks to Colin May on his complimentary letter (October 25) about East Oxford Orchestra’s concert on October 14. A small correction — the East Oxford Orchestra is a professional orchestra comprising freelance musicians from the East

Sir – As an inveterate bellringer myself I found it gratifying that a non-ringer commented so accurately on the art of bell-ringing (An issue that will chime with many of our readers, Quad Talk, October 25). All too often we encounter uninformed

Sir – Much as I admire Chris Gray’s honesty (Gray Matter, October 25) in admitting that he eats vegetables from packets enhanced with sticky plastic sauce, this must surely bring into question his ability to continue as this newspaper’s chief restaurant

It was a love of the music of Led Zeppelin that first made Tigran Hamasyan’s parents realise their son was different from other boys his age. The couple reached for their video camera when they found the youngster gently playing and singing the

HUNDREDS of men in Oxfordshire will grow moustaches for the next 30 days to raise money for Movember. The annual month-long campaign aims to raise awareness of prostate and testicular cancers by asking men to sprout a sponsored moustache and donate

Headington Amateurs welcome back Joe Barrett from holiday when they host Premier Division high-fliers Witney Town in the Bluefin Sports Insurance Challenge Cup second round tie tomorrow. Veteran Shaun Pearce is called up as cover for skipper Benji

A FARM labourer who killed a Witney couple has had a bid to appeal against his convictions dismissed today. John Cooper was given a whole life jail term with no hope of parole last year for two double murders and a string of robberies in Wales

DRUGS police raided a home in West Oxford this morning. A police van was seen driving into Osney Court, off Botley Road, at about 8.45am and about 10 officers were then seen heading to a house. Police have so far been unable to release further

The New Theatre is packed to the rafters for WNO’s new La Boheme. A truly popular classic. And while I favour the company’s more adventurous programming I remain a big fan. I relate to the starving artists in Giacosa and Illica’s libretto - their

NEW bus operators have taken over six school bus routes after the company which ran them collapsed. Students in the Bicester and Banbury area will now be able to get to school next week on routes run by Cheney Travel and County Connect. The

FIVE Oxfordshire rivers are currently on flood alert after a night of heavy rain. The Environment Agency has put the River Thame and Chalgrove Brook on flood alert as well as Ginge Brook in the Steventon area, Langford Brook and Wendlebury Brook

N OXON: A broken down vehicle caused delays on the A34 near Bicester yesterday morning. One lane was closed at about 9.45am and there was slow traffic on the northbound stretch of road at Weston-on-the-Green.

BICESTER: Connor Aldous, 21, suspected of stealing £35,000 from his triple amputee soldier friend Alex Stringer, has been bailed again by police. Aldous, from Essex, was arrested over money allegedly missing from the former Bicester soldier’s account

JOE Edwards hit a superb hat-trick as Oxford City Stars posted a 5-3 home win over Bristol Pitbulls in English National League Division 2 South. The victory saw Oxford move up two places to sixth. Stars got off to the perfect start with Joe

WHEN Jane Axford started working for Marks & Spencer in the 1970s, managers would throw sand under the counters to make sure staff swept up properly at night. “A lot of things have changed since I started out,” said Mrs Axford, after the Queen

OXFORD: Korean rapper Psy who became an Internet sensation is to address the Oxford Union. His debut single Gangnam Style got to number one in the UK charts in September after becoming a worldwide hit on YouTube. The 34-year-old singer will

OXFORD: Homeless people living under a bridge have moved on and are receiving support, say police. As reported in last week’s Oxford Mail, residents in Botley Road were living in fear of the group and their two dogs who were staying under Frideswide

“MINDLESS” vandals have angered Littlemore residents after scratching more than 20 cars and vans. Vehicles were hit by deep scratches to paintwork – some up to a metre long – during a series of attacks earlier this week. The damage, which was

HOCUS Pocus! Science Oxford boffins served up some spooky chemistry with a Halloween theme. A play about a magician helping an apprentice brush up on her spells was the perfect excuse for lots of puffs of smoke and bangs at yesterday’s event.

ROGER Goodall (5-6-6) missed with his first doll, but then clanged off the next 17 as Six Bells C stormed to a 6-0 win over Unknowns in the Kidlington Indoor League. John Towned (5-6-5) was also in cracking form with 16 dolls to help Black Prince

OXFORD A took a giant step towards regaining the Inter-Area Cup by whitewashing Reading A 5-0 in the home leg at Kennington, writes PETE EWINS. Stuart Florey saw off Dave Alder 8,300-1,720, Mark Trafford scored 13,630 and Steven Sheard recovered

BANBURY Under 15s won two matches out of two on their tour to Kent and raising £500 for Help for Heroes. They hammered Canterbury 66-0 before seeing off Kent champions Tonbridge Juddians 24-15. Reece Lines, Jacob Turner, William Hopkins and

OXON: A date has not yet been set for the repatriation of two Gurkhas who were killed in Afghanistan. Lieutenant Edward Drummond-Baxter, 29, and Lance Corporal Siddhanta Kunwar, 28, both from 1st Battalion The Royal Gurkha Rifles, were killed on

NEARLY three quarters of people waiting for social housing in North Oxfordshire are to be wiped off the waiting list overnight. Cherwell District Council’s list is to be cut by 70 per cent in a bid to curb “unrealistic” demands for properties.

OXFORD: A total of 178 cyclists were stopped by police for not having lights on Tuesday night. Officers pulled over those without lights from two locations in High Street and one in Botley Road over three hours.   Those stopped have

CHOLSEY: A 20-year-old man from Abingdon was killed when he was hit by a train at the village station on Tuesday morning. Police and the ambulance service were called to the scene at about 7.20am and the man was pronounced dead at the scene.

A PENSIONER was lucky not to have made a splash after her car crashed through a garden fence and landed in a swimming pool. The 83-year-old’s red Vauxhall Corsa crashed through a garden fence in Foxborough Road, Radley, yesterday morning, and into

HOW refreshingly honest for Cherwell District Council to lay it on the line when it comes to the impossible task of housing everyone who asks for a taxpayer-subsidised roof over their heads. It is set to take 2,700 people off its 4,000-strong waiting

WOODSTOCK Harrier Sophie Carter set a personal best and new club record in finishing 20th at the BUPA Great South Run. Carter clocked 1hr 1min 3secs for the ten-mile course, which took in many of Portsmouth’s landmarks. Among the men, Oxford

OXFORD Rugby League will hold a second trial session as they prepare for the 2013 Championship One season. More than 70 players attended the new club’s open trial at Oxford RFC and now 25 have registered for their second gathering at the same venue

A personal trainer is celebrating after making a record-breaking powerlifting debut just three months after taking up the sport. Oxford’s Lisa Cuerden lifted 172.5 kilos in her final attempt at the British Deadlifting Championship in Woking.

TWO Oxfordshire MPs will today help decide the future of compensation for criminal injuries in the UK. Oxford East Labour MP Andrew Smith and Henley’s Tory MP John Howell both sit on the committee which will look at changes to the government’s

BREWERIES, pub landlords and beer drinkers in Oxfordshire are today urging MPs to scrap tax hikes on beer. Peter Fowler, landlord at The Shoulder of Mutton pub in Wantage, says the increase in tax is killing the pub industry, with higher prices

I note that residents living in streets close to the east side of Oxford are bracing themselves against being inundated with displaced parked commuter cars from the East Oxford parking restrictions. In 2004, Gosford & Water Eaton Parish Council

PAUL Fernandez expects a tough task to defend his Oxford Mail Cross Country League title when the series gets under way at Ascott-under-Wychwood on Sunday. The 38-year-old Abingdon Ambler and England ultra distance international has had a fine

I READ with amusement and incredulity the letter (October 25) from the lady who was complaining there were too many empty buses going both ways up and down St Aldate’s. Of course there will always be plenty of empty buses going up and down that

NO DOUBT all your readers who are voters have received a pink pamphlet from the Government about the police commissioner election on November 15. I read it with interest and was pleasantly surprised to learn that local voters will, for the first

REGARDING your Loose Ends column on October 27, Points to be made. South Central Ambulance Service’s management seems to be somewhat upset by the Oxford Mail’s continuous criticism with reference to its poor performance, when more than 300 staff

RE: Police and crime commissioner elections. Further to my previous letter on the subject – as I understand the situation, this fast-approaching farce is going to cost the taxpayer in excess of £78m. Why spend that money to alter a police authority

OXFORD Mail readers can win ten pairs of tickets to watch Oxford University host Russia at Iffley Road on Sunday. The showpiece of the Dark Blues’ home programme kicks off at 2pm, with Russia, ranked 19th in the world, set to prove tough opponents

I am not good at running marathons or hiking up Everest — don’t have the time or the energy — but I enjoy being part of a team which works to govern a charity, making sure it is run in accordance with the law and our constitution,” says Kiera Bentley

James Roberts continued his incredible goal streak as Oxford United beat Yeovil Town 4-2 in the FA Youth Cup first round on Wednesday night. The 16-year-old striker released by Wycombe Wanderers earlier this year, scored twice in the first half

WE HAVE a need for a central swimming centre. The ice rink should be situated outside the city boundaries – as the scarcity of rinks should be attracting people from outside Oxford, it would reduce traffic. The ice rink site should become a central

RECENTLY we travelled along Donnington Bridge Road and were glad to see that those responsible for pruning the trees alongside the pavement have finally decided to cut back the overhanging branches that were a danger to pedestrians, cyclists and motorists

ON reading your editorial Market In Deep Crisis (October 18), I found the whole business disgusting. Isn’t the use of an independent property management company by Oxford City Council to handle the leases on their behalf adding to the huge increase

HIS cabinet colleague the Prime Minister may have danced “Gangnam Style” with Boris, but Wantage MP Ed Vaizey has no intention of taking a leaf out of South Korea’s book. The communications minister said he believed South Korea could teach the

OXFORD University captain John Carter has pledged a big improvement from his side as they build towards the Varsity Match. The Dark Blues have yet to win a game this season, with their best result coming in a 17-17 draw at Moseley. And having

THE Oxfordshire won the Shaw Gibbs Oxfordshire Foursomes League title for the first time with a 3-0 whitewash of Ellesborough away from home. Star player Craig Hinton made only his second appearance of the year and his efforts helped lift them

IT’S the election which has even got Oxford’s best brains baffled. Academics at Oxford University are struggling to predict how next week’s American election will pan out. Nigel Bowles, the director of the university’s Rothermere American Institute

A PAIR of benefit cheats have been ordered to pay back thousands of pounds they claimed illegally. Emma Williams, 33, of Dorchester Court, Kidlington, admitted one charge of benefit fraud at Banbury Magistrates’ Court on Monday. She did not

PLANNERS are asking for help from the people of Oxford to shape the new Barton West development. A series of consultation events are being held in the next few days where residents can shape the development “masterplan”. Oxford City Council

OXFORD drinkers could be forgiven for having a sense of deja vu when they walk down George Street soon. One of the city’s busiest bars is going back to the future as Copa of Oxford looks to change its name back to the Wig and Pen. The bar,

A TRANSPORT boss has pledged to investigate “crazy” dial-a-ride problems which are seeing pensioners refused seats on empty buses. Oxfordshire County Council’s Rodney Rose spoke after three friends were told they couldn’t book a seat on a “full

OXFORDSHIRE County Council’s Rodney Rose rightly brands the newly created problems on the dial-a-ride bus service as “crazy”. Irrespective of the cut in funding and complexities of the service, it is simply unacceptable for needy OAPs to be refused

EYNSHAM: The 29-year-old man accused of killing cyclist Joe Wilkins by dangerous driving appeared at Oxford Magistrates’ Court yesterday. Paul Brown, of Oxford Road, Eynsham, will appear at Oxford Crown Court on Monday. Part-time firefighter

NORTH OXON: Internet rumours of a suspicious white van seen near schools have been dispelled by police. Police yesterday said there was no cause for concern as there had been no incidents reported. Insp Dave Hibbert, Banbury neighbourhood inspector

Residents of a house in The Warren, Abingdon, escaped unscathed from a fire. Fire crews were called out just after 7pm on Tuesday to an electrical fire in the kitchen. Watch manager Dean Hazell said: “The occupants did exactly the right thing

A HOLE-IN-ONE helped Jane Hackett spectacularly come from behind to win the Oxfordshire Ladies Lucy Davies Scratch Trophy. The Tadmarton Heath golfer was trailing in the final to Hadden Hill’s Linda Dowzall by one hole heading to the ninth tee

JOSHUA Kearns scored an impressive 44 points to be named Champion of Champions for 2012. The Tadmarton Heath golfer, 12, won the boys 13 and under section in the final at Studley Wood and his round was good enough to claim the overall prize at

Britain Begins, by Barry Cunliffe Barry Cunliffe’s overview of our island’s first inhabitants encompasses a lifetime’s experience as an archaeologist. Now Emeritus Professor of Archaeology, he has excavated in Fishbourne, Benebury, Hengistbury

The No-Nonsense Guide to Equality by Danny Dorling Oxford-based New Internationalist magazine publishers have produced a series of 29 paperbacks on topics that “voters care about, but politicos evade”. This one, on Equality, is by Danny Dorling

Peter Leven will be the best midfielder in npower League Two once he regains full fitness, according to Oxford United manager Chris Wilder. The Scot has endured a frustrating start to the season following surgery to correct shoulder and knee problems

Oxfordshire soundly beat neighbours Buckinghamshire by 14-6 when the two counties met in a Chiltern League open section match last weekend. The consensus after the match was that the contest on board 2 was the pick of the games — despite the fact

CARSWELL juniors held their nerve on the final green to win the Oxfordshire Junior Golf League final. All three matches went down to the 18th green, as the winners of the South Division beat Chipping Norton, the champions from the North Division

Personal cinema has been one of the enduring legacies of the nouvelle vague. It has also been the cornerstone of much American independent cinema since the early 1980s. Yet, in drawing on his liaison with literary agent Bill Clegg for his new drama

Following on from last week's look at the classic horror movies recently released on DVD, we come up to date with some of the newer offerings. SUPERNATURAL. Few modern film-makers favour the restraint that made James's stories so potent. Consequently

WHEN the Royal British Legion stepped in to help Brian Leach at the lowest point of his life, he had no idea how he would ever repay the charity for its help. But he has taken on the role of running the Poppy Appeal in Bicester at the 11th hour

A NEW centre designed to support and encourage the growth of small businesses in Witney has opened its doors. The building in Wittas House, Station Lane, is the second Hexagon business centre to open in the last 18 months. The first was quickly

AN OXFORD estate is preparing for its big annual party this weekend. Up to 1,000 people are expected to head to The Barton Therapy Bash, a mix of facepainting, bouncy castles and arts and crafts workshops. It all takes place on Saturday at