Archive

  • RUGBY UNION: London Welsh beaten in Grenoble

    Amlin Challenge Cup Grenoble 20, London Welsh 9 A MUCH changed London Welsh slipped to defeat at a freezing Grenoble tonight, further denting their qualification hopes in Pool 5. Welsh head coach Lyn Jones initially made 14 changes from

  • SCALES OF JUSTICE

    Banbury. Jaroslaw Milek, 44, of West Street, Banbury, admitted stealing a motor bike chain and £20 cash in Banbury on October 9. Fined £150 and a £20 victims’ surcharge. Donovan Nellis, 22, of Trinity Road, Chipping Norton, admitted possession

  • SCALES OF JUSTICE

    Oxford Ralph Porter, 33, of no fixed address, admitted shoplifting 26 packets of bacon worth £88.92 from Tesco Express in Hart Place, Bicester, on September 18. Community order made with a six-month supervision requirement. Told to pay £88.92 compensation

  • Human remains found in Middleton Cheney

    Human remains have been found at a building site in the Middleton Cheney. Builders discovered bones of an adult aged 25 to 45 on Thursday. Northamptonshire Police are working with archaeologists to determine the age of the remains.

  • ‘Keep away from A&E department’

    PATIENTS are being urged to stay away from Oxfordshire’s hospital emergency departments unless it is vital. Oxford’s John Radcliffe and Churchill hospitals and Banbury’s Horton, which have 1,200 beds between them, are all struggling to meet demand

  • Fans queue to meet stars

    TWO top BBC presenters excited fans when they visited Oxford yesterday. Oxford University graduate, comedian and travel presenter Michael Palin and BBC sport presenter Clare Balding, signed copies of their new books. Brasenose College graduate

  • Sweet sounds fill air at Spirit of Christmas

    CANDLE glow and angelic voices lit up Christ Church Cathedral at the annual Spirit of Christmas event on Wednesday night. People packed the iconic building for the event, organised by and in aid of the Muscular Dystrophy campaign. Spirit of

  • Making waves - Towan Valley is Cornish paradise

    We were clambering along the bare knuckle of one of Porthtowan's cliffs when the storm hit.Not just a dousing of English rain, but the full force of Mother Nature chasing in, throwing a whole bruised sky at us. And, with nowhere to hide, I just

  • Museum takes a journey into Middle Earth

    THE hat worn during the 1950s by Lord of Rings author JRR Tolkien is among exhibits celebrating his work at Banbury Museum. Journeys into Middle-Earth features paintings by leading Tolkien artist Ted Nasmith and three letters by The Hobbit author

  • Local shares (PM)

    BMW 55.6 Electrocomponents 216.9 Nationwide Accident Repair 57.5 Oxford Biomedica 2.25 Oxford Catalysts 142.5 Oxford Instruments 1363.5 Reed Elsevier 646.75 RM 78.25 RPS Group 211.9 Courtesy of Redmayne Bentley, Abingdon

  • Bats still threatened

    Sir – The problem with Deutsche Bahn’s (aka Chiltern Railways’) approved rail service to Bicester and London is that the speed of 75mph through Wolvercote is too high. According to the railway company’s bat ecologist, we have 13 species of bat

  • Cut flooding risk

    Sir – I live in Old Botley and in 2007 my house was comprehensively flooded, so you can imagine that I pay close attention to the Environment Agency’s efforts to keep water moving. Since 2007, they have put in a programme of dredging and clearing

  • Floodplain eroded

    Sir – So, this is the fourth major flood to hit Oxford in a decade. While the flood defences put in place in the last few years have had a noticeable impact, at least in West Oxford, we should not ignore the main reason why we have this problem

  • Prevention is better

    Sir – Way back in time, when people first began working the land, they soon realised the land would need draining and they did this by digging drainage channels (ditches) and, because the only way they had to do this was by hand, they would only dig

  • Carbon credit

    Sir – Credit where credit is due for cutting carbon emissions (Report, November 22). In the last year, Oxfordshire County Council reduced its carbon footprint by an impressive 15 per cent or 10,000 tonnes of carbon dioxide. Low-energy lighting,

  • School capacity

    Sir – While I am largely in agreement with your editorial of November 22, Schools are putting so much trust in council, I do not share your view that the county council had little time to plan for the rise in the number of primary school age children

  • Perennial problem

    Sir – Last month, cabinet discussed provision for the city’s children amid disquiet that certain schools may grow considerably, coupled with acknowledgement that the squeeze for places and funds is firmly on. If, as Oxford parents, you feel

  • Fourth option for pool

    Sir – Sylvia Lymbery is quite right in saying that Oxford council’s intention to deprive the people of Cowley and nearby areas of their local pool is perplexing (Letters, November 29). There are, in fact, quite a few perplexing aspects to this

  • Power of prayer

    Sir – Many thanks for publishing the two responses to my letter (November 8) about the way Oxford’s current Remembrance Sunday services, in practice, cold-shoulder the many thousands of us who do not believe in the “power of prayer”. In common

  • Reducing mobility

    Sir – 24,000 cars per day entering central Oxford cause congestion; a few hundred buses per day prevent gridlock. Almost half of all travel in or out of central Oxford is by bus. Passenger increases in recent years have required bigger buses on

  • Christmas thanks

    Sir – A beautiful Christmas tree has appeared in Summertown. I do not know who is responsible, but may I through your paper say a big thank you. Barbara Bailes, Oxford

  • Pardonable prose

    Sir – A hyperactive spell-checker seems to have had a hand in William Poole’s moderately funny rant against New College’s intrusive ‘Harry Potter’ tourists (I dislike tourists . . . November 22). Confessing that he and his fellow dons are to

  • Modernist carbuncles

    Sir – Re: Oxford’s latest planning proposal: courtesy of Herzog de Meuron at the Radcliffe Observatory Quarter location. Obviously our Swiss architects are determined to bring Oxford into line with the latest in architectural fashions as constructed

  • Out of balance

    Sir – Henry Brougham (Letters, November 15) is absolutely right — the key objective of the Green Belt was that it should protect the setting and views of Oxford, but, in reality, there are many hundreds of acres of the Oxford Green Belt which by their

  • Capitalising on parks

    Sir – With its proposal to sell a corner of Bury Knowle Park for housing, Oxford City Council appears to have come up with a cunning plan that will enable it to capitalise on this and other parks. The steps are, firstly, fence off part of a park

  • Vandalised view

    Sir – The photographs of the views from Port Meadow (before and after the current destruction of the view, Report, November 15) which I took, have a caption underneath saying that they were taken at different times of year. It is implied that this

  • Filling up

    A national report this week suggested that staff at “full to bursting” hospitals across the UK are struggling to maintain the safety and quality of patients’ care. The Dr Foster report also highlighted that bed occupancy rates in many hospitals

  • Mother’s plea after son kills himself

    THE family of a young man found hanged at the golf course where he lived and worked hope his death will act as a warning to others. An inquest into the death of Leon Preedy, 22, on Tuesday ruled that he had taken his own life on July 10 at Banbury

  • Pegasus production takes a quirky look at Dickens

    CHILDREN and the young at heart are packing out Oxford’s Pegasus Theatre for a quirky take on Charles Dickens. This year’s Christmas production at the Magdalen Road theatre is What the Dickens?, presented by Gonzo Moose theatre company, described

  • Hospital work eyed for 2013

    FUNDING for the replacement for Bicester’s community hospital has been approved, removing the last major hurdle from the project. A business case for the £5m hospital was given the go-ahead by the Board of NHS South of England Strategic Health

  • Giving tree wraps up festive cheer for children

    DISADVANTAGED children will receive at least one book for Christmas this year thanks to the generosity of Oxford shoppers. Blackwell’s Bookshop, in Broad Street, is taking part in the Giving Tree, organised by The Children’s Society. Names

  • ‘Sewage leaked into my shower for days’

    A COWLEY woman had sewage bubbling up through her shower for 12 days before a housing firm fixed the problem. Joyce Pottinger, of Owens Way, said she had suffered ill health as a result of prolonged exposure to the contaminated waste. Extreme

  • Students sign up to boost literacy

    A GROUP of college pupils are the latest to sign up as volunteers for the Oxfordshire Reading Campaign. Five teenagers taking sixth form qualifications at Oxford and Cherwell Valley College, who hope to pursue a career in teaching, have put themselves

  • FOOTBALL: Kidlington's Tabor battles to be fit for tie

    Kidlington's Jordan Tabor will have a late fitness test ahead of their trip to Bath to take on Larkhall Athletic from the Toolstation Western League in the third round of the FA Carlsberg Vase tomorrow. Skipper Danny Mason has fully recovered from

  • Public inquiry over plans

    A public inquiry will be held for an appeal over plans for 70 homes west of Bourne Lane, Hook Norton, on Tuesday, December 18. Taylor Wimpey has appealed to the independent Planning Inspectorate after Cherwell District Council threw out the plan

  • FOOTBALL: Boss Ford keeps faith

    Oxford City boss Mike Ford will stick with Ashan Holgate and Steve Basham in attack when they travel to Bradford Park Avenue in Blue Square Bet North tomorrow. The pair linked-up for the first time in Tuesday’s 1-0 FA Carlsberg Trophy first-round

  • 'I did not kill Denis Witney' defendant tells jury

    ONE of the men accused of a fatal assault on Denis Witney told a jury he had no part in his death. Daniel McCollin told Oxford Crown Court yesterday that he had nothing to do with the attack in a house in St Clement’s Street, Oxford, which left

  • £1m joint taskforce to fight child exploitation

    MORE than £1m is being spent to fight criminals sexually exploiting children in Oxfordshire. A new specialist team has been set up at Cowley Police Station to prevent abuse, protect youngsters at risk, and prosecute the perpetrators. It comes

  • Phoenix Cinema's new owner pledges 'no change'

    ONE of Oxford’s last two independent cinemas has been bought out. Picturehouse, the company which runs the Phoenix cinema in Walton Street was sold to the Cineworld chain for £47.3m, it was announced yesterday. But Cineworld has guaranteed

  • Stadium must stay open

    THE closure of the Oxford Greyhound Stadium would be a great loss of an important leisure facility within Oxford that supplies important employment to the local area. The present owner has only his well-being and financial gain at heart, with no

  • Festive concert sparkles

    THE stars came out last night to create a little Christmas magic for Oxford Children’s Hospital. Monty Python actor Michael Palin, actresses Wendy Craig and Hannah Gordon and musical lyricist Sir Tim Rice entertained about 600 people at the Dorchester

  • Injury to head

    A 24-year-old woman suffered a lump on her head after an altercation with a man outside Tesco Express in Cockcroft Road, Didcot. The assault happened on Sunday at about 4.30am, but police only released details yesterday. A 21-year-old man has

  • Pool forced shut

    The training pool at Bicester Leisure Centre was forced to close yesterday because of a leaking pipe. Cherwell District Council said it would be fixed as soon as possible. No other facilities at the Queens Avenue centre were affected.

  • Drivers hurt in road accident

    Two drivers suffered bruises after a crash in Castle Street on the corner by Castle Meadow, Wallingford. The collision between a black 4x4 BMW and a white Ford Transit van happened on Monday at about 12.50pm. The victims did not require hospital

  • Stop making more cuts

    WHILE I welcome George Osborne’s announcement that he will invest £5bn in schools, science and transport projects, I question the need to pay for it with even more cuts. Since 2009 the UK Government has, through a system called quantitative easing

  • ROWING: Nine oxon rowers to fly the flag

    A host of Oxfordshire rowers will go for glory in the Australian Youth Olympic Festival in January. In total, 1,700 athletes from 30 different countries will bid for glory, with Great Britain sending 20 rowers. The GB crews will race across

  • RUGBY UNION: Fringe players get chance to shine

    Lyn Jones has challenged London Welsh’s fringe players to stake their claim for first-team spots in their Aviva Challenge Cup Pool 5 clash in Grenoble. The Exiles’ head coach makes 14 changes from the side that defeated London Irish 15-9 at the

  • Villagers have their say over flooding problems

    OWNERS of flood damaged properties in South Hinksey will air their views at a public meeting tonight. The recent flooding which hit Oxfordshire again highlighted problems in the village, on low-lying ground close to the Hinksey Stream, as homes

  • Fight to keep area tidy

    OH! You naughty man Mr Buckingham! You probably put the cake tin in the wrong recycling bin (ViewPoints, November 28). Sad to say we ‘would-be tidy-uppers’ often do get stick. When I was more able than now, I often used to fill a carrier bag with

  • Progress of our technology

    MR Limmer is absolutely correct (ViewPoints, December 3) that patients must come first and that should mean the NHS keeps up with the rest of the world in technological advances, whether that be the latest body scanners or using the internet to choose

  • We need more housing

    STEVEN Bennett raised the issue of social housing in Marston (ViewPoints, November 19) and suggested that the housing on the Milham Ford site was all private owned. This is not quite correct. Although the 47 homes on the site were built by a private

  • CABBAGES & KINGS: Hard times shortened his Christmas list

    “I’M not sending many Christmas cards this year, so you won’t be getting one.” Thus declared Clive, one of Oxford’s long-time ‘characters’, when we met on the steps of the Ashmolean – he was leaving; I was entering. I pointed out this would be

  • Hope they're satisfied

    I HOPE that the ‘faceless wonders’ who have closed down Oxford Stadium are satisfied with themselves. The businessmen and housing companies that were behind it have robbed the local community of the well-attended activities of greyhound racing,

  • Women should be equal

    THIS debate of women in the church will go on for a long time yet. However, I am referring to the letter (ViewPoints, December 6, Bishop vote was right) labelling the Katherine Macalister article as ‘feisty’. If supporting our rights as equal

  • The facts of royal link to city's Port Meadow

    IN YOUR article (December 5), there is the often repeated statement that Port Meadow was given to the Freemen of Oxford by King Alfred. I think this view has to be treated as legend because I can find no evidence that this was the case. In

  • RUGBY UNION: Ross is loving life with Exiles

    Gordon Ross may not be featuring tonight, but he has defied his own expectations by playing such a key role for London Welsh this season. The former Scottish international fly half, who has been rested for the Amlin Challenge Cup clash at Grenoble

  • RUGBY UNION: Henley in table-top mission

    Henley Hawks will put their title credentials on the line when they entertain second-placed Hartpury College at Dry Leas tomorrow. The duo are tied on 51 points at the head of the National 2 South table, having each won ten of their 12 games.

  • BADMINTON: Gold glee for Atkins and Roberts

    Louse Atkins and Ben Roberts won gold in the the Gloucestershire Open tournament in Cheltenham. Roberts, of Brize Norton, and Atkins, of Drayton, beat fellow Oxfordshire players Jamie Cackett, from Abingdon, and Long Wittenham’s Megan Ready with

  • Wilder looks to extend Oxford United's unbeaten run

    AFTER two encouraging cup results in the last week, Oxford United turn their focus back to the all-important league campaign tomorrow. A 3-3 draw at Accrington Stanley last weekend set up a replay in the FA Cup next week, while a 1-1 midweek stalemate

  • RUGBY UNION: Coach Wade hails comeback

    James Wade played down his own involvement in Oxford University's second-half comeback which brought them a 26-19 victory over Cambridge in the Varsity Match at Twickenham yesterday. The Dark Blues head coach commented: “It wasn’t something I said

  • RUGBY UNION: Captain Carter's eager for more

    John Carter would not rule out returning for one more year after leading Oxford University to a third successive Varsity Match victory over Cambridge at Twickenham yesterday. The 31-year-old No 8 went off after 22 minutes with torn medial knee

  • Railway station gate to be shut to stop fare dodgers

    RAIL bosses are shutting the back entrance to Oxford Station to stop fare dodgers. The gate off platform two is open during the morning and evening peak hours and leads out into Roger Dudman Way for commuters heading to and from West Oxford.

  • FIXTURES December 7

    SATURDAY FOOTBALL NPOWER LEAGUE TWO Oxford Utd v Aldershot. BLUE SQUARE BET NORTH Bradford PA v Oxford City. EVO-STIK SOUTHERN LEAGUE Premier Div: Banbury Utd v Bashley. Div 1 South & West: Bishops Cleeve v Didcot

  • Duberry set for Oxford United comeback game

    MICHAEL Duberry is set to make his playing return next week in a friendly specially organised by Oxford United. The 37-year-old has not played this season after undergoing neck surgery in August. But after getting the all-clear from specialists

  • COMMENT: Keep options open

    THE shutting of the back gate at Oxford Station is not that unexpected. The reality is few major stations these days have gates without barriers during peak times. However, First Great Western should be aware of the consequences of its decision

  • Nuisance neighbour spared jail

    NUISANCE neighbour Keith Quartermain has been spared jail after finally moving house. The 67-year-old, pictured, was handed a six-month sentence suspended for two years yesterday at Oxford Crown Court for two breaches of a restraining order.

  • Princess Royal joins horseriders for class

    FATHER Christmas joined Princess Anne to make the day of a group of disabled children and young people. The Princess Royal joined young disabled horseriders, most of whom attend John Watson Special School in Wheatley, for their riding class at

  • Duke officially opens £109m cancer centre

    THE Duke of York came to Oxford to officially open the city’s £109m cancer centre. Although the centre at the Churchill Hospital opened in 2009, it was not until yesterday that a member of the royal family had been able to come and officially open

  • Missing teenager has been found safe and well

    Missing teenager Antigone Buck has been found safe and well. The 14-year-old girl from Bicester, who was reported missing on Monday, was found last night following an appeal from Thames Valley Police .

  • COMMENT: Chain must be alive to appeal of the Phoenix

    CINEWORLD is the second largest cinema chain in the UK and so it is not unexpected that some people fear the Phoenix will lose some of the inidiviuality that makes it such an icon. Large operators swallowing up niche operations can often lead to

  • Scrapyard dealers to face court

    METAL dealers at two Oxfordshire scrapyards are among 20 people charged with 146 crimes. A Thames Valley Police specialist team from Operation Symphony has interviewed and charged dealers and staff linked to five scrapyards after raids in May.

  • Clarke's poker face key to penalty saves for Oxford United

    RYAN Clarke admits he loves playing mind games with the opposition during penalty shoot-outs. The 30-year-old enhanced an already strong reputation by saving two of Plymouth Argyle’s four efforts on Tuesday night. It proved crucial, as Oxford

  • Batt wary of former U's players

    Damian Batt has warned Oxford United to be on their guard against a trio of old boys who will be looking to impress for visitors Aldershot tomorrow. Anthony Tonkin, Josh Payne and Danny Rose are all in line to face their former club for the first

  • Versatile Potter happy to help Oxford United

    ALFIE Potter says he is delighted to play anywhere in an attacking role for Oxford United after featuring in several different positions in the last month. The 23-year-old has played on the right of a four-man midfield, as a right-winger in a front

  • MPs see the work of team tackling child sex exploitation

    THE work of a special unit to tackle child sexual exploitation was shown to MPs yesterday. The Kingfisher team, based at Cowley Police Station, is the first unit in the Thames Valley to bring together council and police staff to fight the problem

  • Killer gets 30 years for 'ferocious' attack

    A NATIONAL Front sympathiser who beat a grandmother to death in his caravan will serve a minimum of 30 years in prison. Stewart Dale said he did not know why he punched and kicked Jennifer Hume unconscious before battering her with a light fitting

  • Oxford United plan Cole tribute

    THERE will be a minute’s applause before tomorrow’s game against Aldershot as a tribute to Mitchell Cole, who died aged just 27 last weekend. The club have been hit hard by the news, particularly the players and staff who worked alongside the winger

  • Ice forces Oxford United inside

    FROZEN pitches at Oxford United’s training ground saw the players go through an alternative session in the gym yesterday. The forecast does not appear to put Saturday’s fixture at the Kassam Stadium at risk, but plummeting temperatures on Wednesday

  • Tsunami warning in Japan after major earthquake

    A strong earthquake jolted north-eastern Japan today and a tsunami warning has been issued. Buildings in Tokyo swayed for several minutes. The Japan Meteorological Agency said the earthquake, with a preliminary magnitude of 7.3, struck in the

  • December 7: Thief left city hotel without paying

    LURKING behind door seven of our criminal Christmas calendar is an Oxford woman suspected of shoplifting and staying at a “high quality” hotel without paying. Each day in our Badvent calendar, the Oxford Mail is revealing a different suspect’s

  • 'Brilliant' decorations light up Summertown

    CHRISTMAS decorations lit up the streets of Summertown last night. Pupils from Cutteslowe Primary School and Cherwell School sang carols as the lights in Banbury Road were switched on. Among them was six-year-old Ronnie Smith-Noble, pictured

  • Give press a chance to prove itself on Leveson, says MP

    LORD Leveson’s call for the state to oversee press regulation risks “political interference” Banbury MP Sir Tony Baldry has warned. After reading last Thursday’s long-awaited report, the Conservative said the press should have two months to prove

  • Historic house stays standing

    THE REJECTION of plans to bulldoze an Edwardian house designed by a famed architect has been roundly welcomed. Vale of White Horse District Council refused Bewley Homes permission to knock down Larkbeare, at 85 Cumnor Hill, to make way for a 21

  • Police appeal for help to find missing teenager

    Police appealed for help last night in the search for a 14-year-old girl who had been missing since Monday. Antigone Buck, known as Tiggie, was last seen leaving Meadowbrook College, Marston, Oxford, at about 4pm. Police say she is slim, 5ft