Archive

  • The Scales of Justice

    Simon Nicol, 23, of Warneford Hall, Roosevelt Drive, Headington, admitted fraud by false representation in Hythe Bridge Street, Oxford, after using counterfeit £20 notes to buy alcohol on April 7. Also admitted possessing 13 counterfeit £20 notes

  • Joy as homes plans rejected

    A DECISION to reject two plans for 160 homes in Bloxham has been welcomed by the parish council. Cherwell District Council rejected plans for 75 homes in Barford Road and 85 in Milton Road. Bloxham Parish Council chairman Dave Chapman said:

  • Get set for a second People’s Supermarket

    A SECOND branch of the People’s Supermarket could open in Oxford or Didcot following the success of the first store. The supermarket in Cowley Road, Oxford, was opened in July by grocer Chris Waites, 25, from Long Wittenham, near Didcot. It

  • Bus bonus for Saturday shoppers

    SATURDAY shoppers in the Chipping Norton and Wychwoods areas can benefit from an extra bus service being launched tomorrow. A morning journey has been added to the No 811 route, operated by Pulhams Coaches. The route links Salford, Chipping

  • Curtain comes down on another hit film festival

    This year’s Oxford Mail Senior Citizen’s Film festival closed in true cinematic style with a special screening of the multi Oscar-winning The Artist. Cinemagoers from around Oxfordshire and the surrounding counties have made a beeline this week

  • Nursery says goodbye to 'miracle man' Ted

    A BOTLEY nursery’s most treasured volunteer has said farewell after 40 years of dedicated service. Ted Lainchbury, 83, has been doing odd jobs for the Botley Primary School nursery since he sent his children to what was then called the Elms Road

  • Hats off to pupils who serenaded shoppers

    SHOPPERS in Kidlington were serenaded by the sounds of Christmas this week. About 30 children from St Thomas More School went carol singing outside the Co-op in Oxford Road on Tuesday from 3.30pm to 4pm. The event raised £76 for Women’s Aid, a

  • Exeter marks the spot for Ruskin site plans

    EXETER College has put its plans on show for the former Ruskin building in Walton Street. Earlier this year Ruskin completed its move from Jericho to a new multi-million pound campus in Old Headington. Its former building, completed in 1912, has

  • Lecturer wins prestigious sonic art prize

    A LECTURER at Oxford Brookes University has been honoured at the British Composer Awards. Artist and lecturer Ray Lee won the Sonic Art category for his piece, The Ethometric Museum. His winning piece, a sound installation commissioned by Oxford

  • The Nutcracker. The Royal Ballet, Covent Garden

    Peter Wright’s production, based on Lev Ivanov’s nineteenth century original, is now 25 years old, but still looks great. Wright has constantly tweaked and refined it, and it comes up fresh as ever on the big opera house stage. This version stays closer

  • Olympic rower's just champion with awards

    FOR once Olympic champion Katherine Grainger wasn’t receiving an award – she was handing them out. Gold medal rower Ms Granger paid a visit to Bicester Community College in Queens Avenue on Wednesday where she met sixth formers. She presented

  • MARTIAL ARTS: Gorka in glory bid

    Rafal Gorka, representing Oxford Martial Arts Academy, will go for glory in Luton tonight. The 28-year-old will compete for a British Muay Thai title in an International Sport Kickboxing Association event.

  • Drink-driver went wrong way down an M40 slipway

    A DRINK-DRIVER went the wrong way on a motorway slip road after fleeing the scene of a pub brawl. Sylwia Niedzwiedz was drinking with her boyfriend and two men at the Crazy Bear in Stadhampton when a fight broke out. The three men then urged

  • School's eco warriors are flying the flag

    A TEAM of eco warriors have been making changes to how their school is run, to help save the planet. And now pupils at Fritwell Primary School, Fritwell, near Bicester, have been rewarded for their work by getting the Green Flag Eco Schools Award

  • Eco upgrade adds new spin to Porsche's flagship

    THERE are not many cars that warrant dragging yourself out of bed at 5am, but the new Porsche 911 Carrera is one of the chosen few. It was the computer read-out from my first rush-hour trip that suggested an early morning wake-up call would be

  • BADMINTON: Oxon rally for victory

    OXxfordshire 3rd overcame a bad start to beat Shropshire 2nd 8-7 in Division 6 of the County Championship. Jamie Blair recorded the only win as Oxon trailed 3-1 after the singles. But a teriffic round of level doubles saw the hosts win six

  • Police quiz drivers over cyclist's fatal accident

    POLICE stopped drivers to find out more about the crash that killed cyclist Dave Parris in Bicester. Mr Parris, 48, died following the collision between his bicycle and a silver Ford Escort on the A4421 Neunkirchen Way, near Langford Village, at

  • Funds fear for victims of violence

    A DOMESTIC violence charity that protects hundreds of women at risk of attack says its future is in doubt over funding worries. Reducing the Risk of Domestic Abuse celebrated its fifth birthday last Thursday but managers say money is drying up.

  • Family are all committed to hospital run

    THIRTY operations would be enough for anyone, let alone a 12-year-old girl. But brave Harriet Thomas is a much happier and healthier child thanks to the team at Oxford Children’s Hospital. The staff helped care for Harriet after she was born

  • Kora king Jali Fily brings a taste of Africa to East Oxford

    HAILING from Casamance in the lush south of Senegal, in West Africa, Jali Fily Cissokho, pictured, is a world-class artist and master of the Kora – an African harp made of gourd and goat skin. Now living in Witney, this Mandinkan griot, a traditional

  • Pin Drop festival is all for a good cause

    A clutch of the city’s finest artists convene in a church this Sunday for one of the best quality music events of the winter. The Pin Drop Midwinter Festival, at St John The Evangelist Church, in Iffley Road, Oxford, is the antidote to the winter

  • Nephew is in the pink to show aunt support

    WHEN James McAleer’s aunt was diagnosed with breast cancer he felt helpless. But he decided to use his head. Well his hair, beard and moustache to be exact. He dyed the lot bright pink to raise cash for Cancer Research UK. Thankfully his

  • ROWING: Women shine in sculling success

    Wallingford recorded four wins at the 59th Scullers Head on the Thames from Mortlake to Putney. Their women posted three wins in the lightweight class, with Caroline Greves taking the elite, Minna Jones-Walters the intermediate and Jess Lewis the

  • FOOTBALL: Headington in triple lift

    Headington Amateurs welcome back Yannick Nkwanyuo, Aaron Williams and Shaun Pearce at home to Penn & Tylers Green in Uhlsport Hellenic League Division 1 East tomorrow. AFC Hinksey add a new signing from Witney Town, Denel Thomas, to the squad

  • Dance troupe’s call for twirl power

    A TROUPE of Oxford dancers has launched a rallying call for people to sign up to a charity dance contest. The British Red Cross will hold the Oxfordshire heat of Dance: Make Your Move at Abingdon School in June 2013. Groups choreograph a dance

  • Store staff do lap of honour for cancer cash

    TESCO staff have cycled to Lapland – without moving from the front of their Bicester store. The supermarket chain asked all their staff to jump on exercise bikes last weekend to raise money for Cancer Research. For the Christmas-themed ride

  • Highlights: Irregular folk, blues and the Electric Six

    Folk IRREGULAR FOLK CHRISTMAS PARTY The Cellar, Oxford on Sunday, 3-9pm Tickets from £3 wegottickets.com The dynamic and imaginative Vez Hoper has pulled together a humdinger of a Yuletide get-together. The line-up features

  • Blenheim exhibition closes today

    Today is the last day of the 2012 season at Blenheim Palace and the last chance to see The Story of the Three Kings. The listings in this week's issue of The Oxford Times incorrectly say that tomorrow is the final day of the palace opening. We

  • Mental health patient jailed for attacking nurse

    A MENTAL health patient who kicked a nurse in the stomach and sent her death threats from prison has been locked away for four years. Julie Holmes, pictured, who suffers from a personality disorder, lashed out at staff nurse Rachel Pitman in Littlemore

  • HOCKEY: Cranford celebrate

    CRANFORD School are celebrating the opening of a new all-weather sports pitch in their Moulsford grounds. To mark the occasion, the school’s first XI hockey squad played a match against members of staff. Director of sport, Amanda Watkins-Cooke

  • FOOTBALL: Stein hails Isaac's attitude

    Banbury United boss Edwin Stein has praised the contribution of Kynan Isaac to his Evo-Stik Soutehrn League Premier Division side and says there is more to come. Isaac, who was released by Oxford City in September, took his tally to six goals with

  • RUGBY UNION: Quins targeting festive booster

    Oxford Harlequins are targeting some Christmas cheer when they host Brixham tomorrow in their final National 3 South West clash of 2012. Manager Steve Chadbone is hoping for a morale-boosting effort from the relegation-threatened side, especially

  • Charlbury actor up for a gong

    Former Abingdon School student Toby Jones, from Charlbury, has been nominated for a Golden Globe award for best actor. He has been nominated in the Best Actor – Mini-series or Motion Picture made for TV category, for his role in The Girl. He

  • Wilder: Oxford United need wins now

    CHRIS Wilder has acknowledged Oxford United have little margin for error after a patchy first half of the season. The npower League Two campaign reaches its halfway stage next weekend and since winning their opening three games, United have been

  • Checking family tree

    I AM looking into my family history and have discovered that my great-great-grandfather was Abraham Zachariah who owned a jeweller’s shop in Oxford, at 1 Cornmarket and his son Joel was a glass and china dealer at 27 Cornmarket in the 19th century.

  • Details now corrected

    I WANTED to respond to some of the points raised by your reader Julian Moody (ViewPoints, November 30). TV Licensing has a database of over 30 million addresses and mistakes can sometimes happen. We apologise for having written to Mr Moody

  • County's responsibility

    RE: Dial-a-Ride. Cllr Arish Fatemian, who is pushing Oxfordshire’s social care into the gutter, has got a cheek. The county council is now responsible for pensioners’ bus passes and Dial-a-Ride. It is they who have cut the number of minibuses for

  • Paying for past errors

    IF one looks at the ariel view of the River Thames flowing through Oxford, from Wolvercote to Kennington, one will see that the width of the river is not constant. It is narrow at Wolvercote, wide through Port Meadow, narrow through Osney where

  • It is no surprise fewer people follow religion

    FURTHER to your article about the 2011 Census in Wednesday’s Oxford Mail, it’s no surprise to Oxford Humanists that the proportion of Oxford citizens now having no religion has increased by more than 50 per cent over the past 10 years. Oxford Humanists

  • SPORT CALENDAR: December 15-21

    SATURDAY FOOTBALL NPOWER LEAGUE TWO Morecambe v Oxford Utd (1pm). FA TROPHY 2nd round: Sutton Utd v Oxford City. EVO-STIK SOUTHERN LEAGUE Premier Div: Bedford Tn v Banbury Utd. Div 1 South & West: Abingdon Utd v Poole

  • FOOTBALL: City boss Ford eyes glory bid

    Oxford City manager Mike Ford says a place in the last 16 and a draw against a big club should be the perfect incentive for his players to win at Sutton United in tomorrow’s FA Carlsberg Trophy second round. But Ford says victory at Gander Green

  • Help fight meningitis

    EVERY year around 95 people living in Oxfordshire fall victim to meningitis. At the Meningitis Trust we help local families rebuild their lives following the disease. To support everybody who needs us and meet the increased demand we’re seeing

  • Scheme was unworkable

    AS YOUR article points out, Sustrans and Oxford City Council have been faced with a difficult decision – build an unsafe path that puts cyclists, walkers and wheelchair users in danger, or risk damaging protected local wildlife (Voles scupper plans

  • Advice on sending Christmas cards

    WORD of advice to our pensioners. The post office now charges for envelopes by: 1. weight 2. size 3. thickness. So only send small thin cards. Or the recipient will have to go to the sorting office to collect and £1 per oversized and too

  • RUGBY: Injured Henson eyes Wasps return

    LONDON Welsh hope to have Gavin Henson back for their Christmas clash with Wasps at Oxford’s Kassam Stadium. The 30-year-old fly half initially aggravated a back injury during Welsh’s Aviva Premiership victory over Bath last month, but then picked

  • Poyet planning Forster-Caskey return from Oxford United loan

    ANY hope Oxford United had of extending Jake Forster-Caskey’s loan now looks remote after Gus Poyet signalled his intention to bring the teenager back to Brighton & Hove Albion. The 18-year-old has been a big hit since joining the U’s in the

  • Rabbi lights up city for Jewish festival

    JEWISH people in Oxford have been celebrating the Chanukah festival of light. Each year the Chabad – or Jewish community – lights a 12-foot long candlestick called the menorah in Oxford’s Broad Street. Rabbi Eli Brackman, director of the Oxford

  • Paintings raise transplant cash

    Paintings by artist Weimin He have raised £2,130.97 towards a kidney transplant operation for a friend in China. Originally from Northern China, Mr He, 48, from Summertown, is artist-in-residence at Oxford University’s Radcliffe Observatory Quarter

  • Murder jurors 'can consider manslaughter'

    A JURY was yesterday told it could convict three murder suspects of manslaughter. Homeless Denis Witney, 39, suffered fatal injuries when he was beaten in a St Clements Street house in November last year. Daniel McCollin, 30, Wayne Cattell,

  • Principal of academy is given leave

    THE principal of the Oxford Academy has gone on leave ‘for personal reasons’. Mike Reading has been on leave from his post at the Sandy Lane West secondary school since at least November 14. A message sent to parents and pupils read: “As principal

  • Santa flies in to deliver presents to patients

    LITTLE did Emily Davis know when she went to Oxford’s John Radcliffe Hospital yesterday that she would meet Santa Claus himself. The 11-year-old from Witney suffers from Williams syndrome, a rare neurodevelopmental disorder, and was at Oxford Children

  • MP urges action as homes debate stalls

    TWO of Oxfordshire’s leading politicians should get their heads together to talk about how to solve Oxford’s housing crisis, it was warned last night. Oxford East MP Andrew Smith hit out after learning talks about building thousands of homes on

  • Long wait is over for Duberry

    MICHAEL Duberry was thrilled to get a first taste of match action in seven months yesterday, but insisted his recovery would only be completed by a return to Oxford United’s first-team. The club arranged a special 60-minute practice match on Oxford

  • Capaldi braced for Morecambe boo-boys

    TONY Capaldi is not expecting the warmest of welcomes tomorrow as he returns to Morecambe for the first time since an acrimonious departure 18 months ago. The left back joined the Shrimps in 2010 after leaving Cardiff City, but made just 17 starts

  • Mums flock to pre-school

    THE patter of tiny feet filled the Dovecote Centre in Blackbird Leys yesterday as a new pre-school was launched. Little Doves drew in more than 50 mums from the busy estate as their children got a taste of what they could soon enjoy. When it

  • New role at Oxford United suits Davis

    LIAM Davis has enjoyed playing in a more attacking position in recent games, although he admits it can be difficult shaking off a defensive mentality. The 26-year-old has been used solely as a left back since joining Oxford United last season.

  • Key Stage 2 results shoot up across city

    RESULTS at Oxford primary schools have shot up to top off a record year of educational attainment. In September the Oxford Mail revealed the proportion of children across Oxfordshire achieving the benchmark Level 4 in English and maths at age 11

  • Supporters thanked for £25,500 Poppy Appeal donations

    POPPY sellers have raised thousands of pounds again this year to support servicemen and their families. The Bicester & Launton branch of the Royal British Legion raised £25,500 from this year’s collection. Organiser Brian Leach took on