Archive

  • Fight goes on over Hinksey railway bridge revamp

    A CAMPAIGNER has vowed to fight on after the Government snubbed a call for a footbridge linking a village and Oxford to be upgraded. Peter Rawcliffe said South Hinksey Parish Council would push for cash from other sources to make the bridge more

  • Oxfam bookshop raises £5m in 25 years

    A CHARITY bookshop in St Giles celebrates 25 years on Saturday having raised a staggering £5m for the developing world. The Oxfam store was the first of the Cowley-based charity’s specialist bookshops, and there are now 141 across the UK, run by

  • Developer withdraws house plan

    A CONTROVERSIAL developer has withdrawn an application to demolish outbuildings and extend a property in Headington. Neighbours of 29 Old High Street, Headington, owned by Martin Young, had raised no objection to plans to demolish outbuildings

  • Ash disease confirmed in Oxfordshire

    The first confirmed case of Chalara ash dieback has been confirmed in Oxfordshire tonight. A map published by the Forestry Commission shows an infection at a recently planted site north east of Oxford, near Bicester. The disease has now been confirmed

  • Serial offender gets last chance to go straight

    A SERIAL criminal who has racked up 24 convictions at the age of 20 has been given one last chance to mend his ways. Kyle Chadbone, of Windmill Road, Headington, admitted possessing 14 bags of varying quantities of cannabis on October 10 – breaching

  • COMMENT: One last chance must mean just that for justice

    KYLE CHADBONE should this morning consider himself a very lucky young man. Others will question whether the harsh words of Oxford’s judges can be taken at face value following Judge Gordon Risius’ decision to put off sentencing Chadbone until next

  • Flooding fears spark call for river to be cleaned out

    A WITNEY man fears the town could suffer a repeat of the devastating floods of July 2007 if silt is not cleared from the River Windrush. Dr Lawrence Harr, of Woodford Mill, in Mill Street, says the Environment Agency is being short-sighted after

  • Take a butcher's at the Brill new pub

    Discovering a new pub is always an exciting experience particularly when you stumble upon one that comes complete with its own purpose-built butcher’s shop. It’s doubly exciting when you discover that the proprietor runs a farm down the road and it

  • On the Horizon

    THEATRE 9 to 5: The musical New Theatre, Oxford December 3–8, 7.30pm Box office: 0844 871 3020 Dolly Parton’s new musical just opened in the UK to sparkling reviews and is sure to pack in happy punters here. Based on the hit film, the show tells the

  • A close shave to raise money for research

    WHILE many men have stopped shaving this month, Simon Kenton has picked up a razor for the first time in a while. The 40-year-old, who manages a network of community groups in Oxford, had his beard shaved off to raise money for prostate cancer

  • The Merry Wives of Windsor: Royal Shakespeare Theatre

    Shakespeare invites us to laugh at one fat Englishman and a couple of foolish foreigners in The Merry Wives of Windsor. This is one reason why, in these more tolerant times, the play does not make entirely comfortable viewing. Another is that it is

  • Rough Justice: Oxford Playhouse

    Television personality, newspaper columnist and all-round controversialist James Highwood becomes the biggest story of the day when he goes on trial for the murder of his nine-month-old baby son. The tough-talking pundit admits that he killed the brain-damaged

  • Chicago: The New Theatre

    Frankly, what’s not to like? Long, leggy women in fishnets and pumped, ripped guys wearing fishnet vests. You don’t even need a story – just some great songs, a switched-on band, a lot of flesh and you’re smokin’... And that, as they say, is

  • F1 designer develops small scale wind turbines

    A FORMULA One aerodynamics expert is racing to produce wind turbines for the mass market. Ben Wood was part of the Brawn GP racing team that produced the car in which Jenson Button won the world championship in 2009. But since then he has turned

  • Classical music highlights

    Oxford University Orchestra WAGNER & PROKOFIEV Sheldonian Theatre, Oxford Thursday, 8pm Tickets: ouo.oums.org/ tickets.php Join this outstanding student orchestra for excerpts from Wagner’s Tannhäuser (including the Pilgrimage, Overture and Venusberg

  • The French reconnection with Rameau's Anacreon

    The Sheldonian Theatre has been the scene of many major music events down the centuries, but tomorrow a new landmark occasion will be added to the list – the modern première of French composer Jean-Philippe Rameau’s one-act comic opera Anacréon, which

  • An Evening with Boycie previewed

    An Evening with Boycie says it all: that sneering, greasy, aspiring, clipped monotone reminding us of the glory days of Only Fools And Horses. But under the second-hand car dealer facade resides John Challis, an endearing, articulate, surprisingly

  • New TV station announced for Oxfordshire

    A NEW TV station for Oxfordshire has been announced this morning. Broadcasting regulator Ofcom has revealed it is to give a licence to Abingdon-based That's Oxford. The newsdriven channel will be based at Oxford Brookes University and is the

  • Students make their red carpet debut

    MOVIE stars in the making were given red carpet treatment as they attended the premiere of their first films. Students at the Abingdon Youngstar film school wrote, directed and starred in the two scary films over the summer. Chloe Coker-Taney

  • Romanian to be taught at Oxford

    THE Romanian language is to be taught at Oxford University for the first time. A teaching post in the Faculty of Linguistics, Philology and Phonetics has been funded by the Romanian Ministry of Education and was launched in Oxford last week by

  • Residents upset at plans for 160 homes

    NEIGHBOURS say their concerns have not been addressed after “daft” plans for 160 new homes in Abingdon were submitted. Sheffield-based Hallam Land Management has now lodged an application to build the one to five bedroom houses on a field off Drayton

  • Toilets closed as big revamp starts

    OXFORD’S busiest toilets have been closed for a major revamp. The Market Street toilets have shut this week as Oxford City Council continues its scheme of upgrading all the city’s public facilities. And people across Oxford are being given

  • A4074 jams

    Motorists experienced delays on the A4074 yesterday morning near Wallingford. Traffic queued southbound for about a mile due to roadworks between Benson and Crowmarsh Gifford. Side roads also suffered congestion as drivers tried to avoid the

  • Tributes to 'devoted' gran

    A GRANDMOTHER who died in a car crash on Friday was born and raised in Headington. Chris Gatenby, 61, was killed when her blue Ford Focus was involved in an accident with a recovery truck on the A418 Aylesbury Road near Haddenham, Thame, at about

  • Coach provides boots for girls football team

    SOME of them had never kicked a football before. Then they lost their first three games and didn’t have enough football boots to go around. But determined coach Samantha Bone spent £20 of her own money to provide her players with sports drink

  • Woman injured

    A woman in her 50s was taken to Oxford’s John Radcliffe Hospital complaining of neck pain after a two-car crash in Banbury Road, Tackley. The smash happened at about 5.20pm on Monday and police, ambulance, and fire services were all called.

  • Dead cyclist is not yet named

    The 67-year-old cyclist who died after a collision with a car on Saturday had last night not yet been named. The cyclist was riding a silver road racing bike when he was involved in the crash with a black Renault Megane at about 11.35am at the

  • FOOTBALL: Fouracre saves North

    Player-manager Ben Fouracre grabbed a late equaliser for Woodstock Wanderers in a 2-2 draw at North Oxford Conservative Club in Critchleys UTV League Division 3 – on his first league appearance. Fouracre’s decision to bring himself on with 20 minutes

  • FOOTBALL: Odhiambo hits rivals for six

    Anaclet Odhiambo smashed a six-timer as Kidlington Royals destroyed King & Queen Wheatley 14-0 in one of only three Oxfordshire FA Sam Waters Sunday Cup second-round ties to survive the heavy rain, writes TIM SIRET. Ryan Curtin and Liam O’Callaghan

  • Centre go-ahead

    A new £190,000 recycling centre will be built near Chipping Norton next year to replace one closed by County Hall last year. West Oxfordshire District Council has granted planning permission to itself to convert its former depot Greystones into

  • Free parking over Christmas

    Parking will be free three days a week over Christmas in council car parks in Banbury and Bicester, it has been agreed. Cherwell District Council’s executive agreed this week to scrap charges every Saturday, Sunday and Monday between December 1

  • Homes transferred

    ALMOST 200 county properties have been transferred between housing associations after bosses said they could not guarantee standards. Sovereign Housing Association has taken on 193 homes from Buckinghamshire-based Paradigm Housing Association.

  • Cause of fire

    A candle near an altar started a fire in an Oxfordshire church. Firefighters were call to St Peters Church in Deddington at 5.15pm on Sunday. Two fire engines from Banbury discovered a fire involving tea light candles placed on a table in front

  • Housing waiting list cut

    COUNCIL bosses have agreed to take nearly three-quarters of people seeking social housing off its housing waiting list. Cherwell District Council’s executive backed reforms to social housing on Monday night. Two of the five bands people are

  • Owner to fight ban on makeshift crate home

    PLANNING bosses have refused to allow a shipping crate to be used as a makeshift home. But last night its owner vowed to fight the decision all the way to the High Court. Vale of White Horse District Council has ruled the converted container

  • FOOTBALL: Gonzales at the double

    TOM Gonzales bagged a brace as Hailey Res picked up their second win of the season in a 5-3 home victory against Hanborough Res in Division 1 of the Witney & District FA. Dan King, Mo Semlali and Stuart Morrison were their other marksmen, with

  • FOOTBALL: Bronk is spot-on for Brize Norton

    PAWEL Bronk scored the winning penalty as Brize Norton reached the third round with a thrilling 4-3 shoot-out win over Carterton Rangers in the Oxfordshire FA John Fathers Junior Shield, writes Anthony Barlow. The sides were locked together at

  • Cyclist taken to hospital after Headington crash

    A CYCLIST has been taken to hospital after a collision with a car in Headington this morning. London Road was blocked for around an hour after the collision outside the Shell garage at around 5.45am. The road was closed in both directions while

  • Cancer is costing UK £15bn a year

    SMOKING costs lives, and also costs the Oxfordshire economy millions of pounds each year, new figures have revealed. Researchers at Oxford University have calculated that lung cancer drains £2.4bn from the UK economy each year in healthcare costs

  • FOOTBALL: Berinsfield hit seven to roar clear

    Chris Murphy scored twice as Berinsfield beat Benson AFC 7-1 to go two points clear at the top of North Berks League Division 1 as their closest rivals faltered. David Murphy, Mark Ingram, Andie Sampson, Brian Rawlings and Luke Saunders also found

  • Good luck to Usman and his family

    WITH reference to your article about Usman Baker, the boy who suffers with the rare condition PKU, (October 26), I read with interest as my son also has the same condition. My son was five days old when he was diagnosed but, with the great care

  • Recycling centre rule is nonsense

    RECYCLING is a nightmare. On Saturday, November 3, we had such a lot to take that we loaded the Land Rover (because it does not have windows in the sides at the rear, it is classed as a van and therefore requires a permit, which we have) and attached

  • Mac the Knife: Battle of dames left me on my own

    How had it come to this I wondered, squashed amongst an orgy of silks, satins, fishnets and stubble. Yes, the battle of the dames had begun and we were here to witness the real Oxford Playhouse pantomime dame Doris Doughnut and the wannabe dame, our

  • FOOTBALL: Ace Keeble bags brace

    James Keeble fired a double as Oakley United knocked holders Riverside out of the Oxfordshire Senior League President’s Cup with a 4-1 first-round victory. Aaron Rogers and Rob Goaldney sealed their tally, with Kynan Isaac replying. Nick Giles

  • Councillors should reject house plan for pub

    I WAS surprised to learn that Oxford City Council planning officer Andrew Murdoch had recommended a change of use for the Chester Arms. He acknowledges that the first criterion for change of use – evidence of adequate marketing of the premises

  • US election like a TV talent show

    THE US election has been reminiscent of an X-Factor final. We have Obama performing his big ballad “Change” against Romney’s classic rap, “Bomb, Bomb, Iran”. There have been flag-waving, banner-holding, speeches totally without substance and simply

  • Benefits of life in Cuba

    IAN Cummings’ recent letter on conditions in Cuba (ViewPoints, October 23), would be more interesting if he gave an accurate account instead of a one-sided one. He talks of a Cuban worker’s take-home pay but omits to mention the ‘social wage’ that

  • Criticism where it's due

    WELL at least the reply from Nicholas Wilson (ViewPoints, Nov 5), contained debate as opposed to the childish “go live somewhere else”. For the record, I do criticise any government, no regime is perfect and I have said so on many occasions.

  • THE DISABLED SPACE: Rules are there for a reason

    Are you a city, town or rural dweller? If you are a rural dweller you will be used to sharing the road with traffic, but those of you who are town or city dwellers will have very different expectations. For instance, there are pavements in built-up

  • Woman injured as car overturns on busy road

    A WOMAN was pulled from an overturned car after a crash which shut a main road in South Oxfordshire for nearly two hours. The accident, which only involved the one vehicle, happened on the A417 near Blewbury at about 10.40am yesterday. Police shut

  • £1.5m boost for bursaries to St Anne's

    AN OXFORD college is hoping to increase applications from students from disadvantaged areas after receiving a £1.5m donation. The money from Mike and Helen Danson’s The Danson Foundation to St Anne’s College will mean the college can offer an additional

  • Bike sex attack

    A cyclist had her bottom grabbed by a sex attacker on a bicycle. The assault happened at about 8.55am on Thursday in High Street when the 23-year-old victim was heading towards the city centre. Police only released details yesterday. Call

  • Car door kicked in road rage

    A man travelling in a lorry got out and kicked another man’s car door in a traffic jam. The incident happened on the A41 slip road by Bicester Village at about 1.50pm on Friday. The attacker, described as about 55 with grey hair, got out of

  • COMMENT: We'll never forget

    IT may have taken almost 70 years, but as we approach Remembrance Sunday, the award of a Defence Medal to Second World War pilot Leslie Valentine shows we shall never forget.

  • Suspended sentence for A34 incident

    A MOTORIST tailgated another driver while waving an eight-inch bayonet on the A34. David Wyatt, of Retreat Gardens, Crowmarsh Gifford, was driving a white Mercedes sprinter van on the slip road at the Milton interchange when he undertook Alan Turner

  • Flood alerts

    Just four county waterways were said to be at risk of flooding last night. The Environment Agency yesterday said nine waterways could flood after heavy rain at the weekend. Last night the River Thames north of Oxford to Eynsham through to Yarnton

  • Heroic veteran given honour he deserves

    HE risked his life in some of the most important battles in the Second World War. But despite surviving enemy fire and helping British troops during the D-Day landings, Leslie Valentine missed out on the medal he deserved. Now, nearly 70 years

  • Oxford United boss Wilder bemoans "ridiculous" goals

    MANAGER Chris Wilder bemoaned the “ridiculous” goals Oxford United conceded as their encouraging run was derailed by Dagenham & Redbridge last night. The Daggers triumphed 3-2 in npower League Two at the Kassam Stadium, thanks to two headers

  • Grim arsenal being carried in the street

    SAWN-OFF shotguns, axes, handguns and acid are among the weapons held by criminals in the city. Police statistics show 633 weapons were used or held during crimes in Oxford alone between August 1 last year and July 31 this year. The most common

  • Central Oxford hit by power cut

    CENTRAL and East Oxford was hit by a powercut last night. Properties in the OX1 and OX4 areas of the city were without power for around two hours. Southern Electric restored the power at around 11.30pm.

  • Piping up donations

    BAGPIPER Graham Neil played stirring tunes for commuters to raise funds for the Royal British Legion’s Poppy Appeal. Mr Neil, 74, who runs The Grange B&B in Long Wittenham, near Didcot, is used to getting up early to serve his guests breakfast

  • Poppy Appeal also to help new casualties

    REMEMBRANCE Sunday is not just about those who lost their lives during the two world wars. It is also about those killed more recently. Royal British Legion Oxfordshire vice president Mike Henderson, who has helped organise the repatriation ceremonies

  • POPPY APPEAL: Appeal also to help new casualties

    REMEMBRANCE Sunday is not just about those who lost their lives during the two world wars. It is also about those killed more recently. Royal British Legion Oxfordshire vice president Mike Henderson, who has helped organise the repatriation ceremonies

  • POPPY APPEAL: Piping up donations

    BAGPIPER Graham Neil played stirring tunes for commuters to raise funds for the Royal British Legion’s Poppy Appeal. Mr Neil, 74, who runs The Grange B&B in Long Wittenham, near Didcot, is used to getting up early to serve his guests breakfast

  • Ancient meadow gets some DIY maintenance from Commoners

    ONE of Oxford’s oldest landmarks is getting more regular care and attention in a DIY initiative by villagers. The Wolvercote Commoners have organised monthly work days for villagers as part of a programme of more systematic maintenance of the large