Archive

  • MBE for ‘remarkable’ pilot

    A PILOT at RAF Benson has been awarded an MBE in the Queen’s birthday honours list. Sqn Ldr Toby Sawbridge, 42, who flies Merlin helicopters, is currently the second in command of 28 Squadron. He was honoured for his contribution to the RAF

  • ‘If I’m dead, how can I still hear lifesavers?’

    A GREAT-grandmother who came back from the dead has described hearing medics say her heart had stopped. Former Lord Mayor of Oxford Carole Roberts was being taken to hospital in an ambulance when she ‘flatlined’ twice. The 69-year-old, who

  • New freight line back on track for 2015

    NETWORK Rail is making preparations to lay the new freight line through North Oxford. Vegetation has been cleared along Port Meadow and Wolvercote Common over the past few months to make way for the track. Spokesman Sam Kelly said: “Bringing

  • Council pitches in for football teams

    THE teams they are a changing in Blackbird Leys. A sports pavilion revamp will bring new changing rooms and a tuck shop for the football teams of Oxford’s largest estate. The new-build will also secure the future of the teams as income generated

  • Thanksgiving raises the roof

    ST BRITIUS Church in Brize Norton held a celebration on Sunday to mark the completion of a new roof. Grants from English Heritage, landfill tax grants body Waste Recycling Environmental (Wren), Oxfordshire Historic Churches Trust and fundraising

  • Armed robbers threaten teens with knives and hammer

    ARMED robbers threatened teenagers with knives and a hammer in a “frightening” raid on a village home. Six victims, aged between 14 and 17, were robbed of mobile phones and cash in the incident in Cholsey on Tuesday evening. Three men forced

  • Ping pong for senior citizens is a hit at firm

    RESIDENTS of five of the county’s care homes discovered a love of ping pong at the Oxford base of market research giant Nielsen. Thirty elderly people from the Isis and Glebe House care homes in Oxford, Westgate House in Wallingford, Madley Park

  • £700,000 school improvements plan unveiled

    PLANS for the next stage of the transformation of King Alfred’s Academy in Wantage have been unveiled. The £700,000 scheme would renovate the secondary school’s assembly hall and art and design teaching block and create a new reception area at

  • Liquid Asset

    I wrestled with my conscience over this one, wondering whether a juice bar actually constitutes a meal. It does for me, but when you have to eat as much as I do, you need days off and if I need a breather, this is where I come. They know me

  • Role Call

    Actor Gary Mackay tells MATT OLIVER about the challenges of playing 30 different characters in Hitchcock’s The 39 Steps Murder! Mystery! Treachery! Romance! was the original brief for Alfred Hitchcock’s The 39 Steps. But now the thriller has been

  • Major Project

    Victoria Melody tells KATHERINE MACALISTER why her latest show took so long to make If you can, move hell and high water to get to Victoria Melody’s new show, because if nothing else you won’t see anything like it again. Think of her as a real-life

  • Pretty Special

    A luxurious weekend in Wales leaves ELLIE SIMMONDS with stars in her eyes SLEEPING in the same bed as Prince William has long been one of my favourite boasts. And now, thanks to the delightful Ynyshir Hall in mid Wales, I do believe I can add

  • Dead Good

    WORLD WAR Z (15) Action/Horror/Thriller/Romance. Brad Pitt, Mireille Enos, Sterling Jerins, Abigail Hargrove, Fana Mokoena, Daniella Kertesz, Peter Capaldi, Pierfrancesco Favino, Ruth Negga, Moritz Bleibtreu. Director: Marc Forster Some of

  • Hot country from Gretchen Peters

    TIM HUGHES talks to acclaimed singer-songwriter Gretchen Peters ahead of her show in Oxford GRETCHEN Peters is trying to keep cool. It may be grey and overcast in England but in Nashville the mercury is rising – and it’s getting unbearable.

  • Rugby Songs

    Rugfest organiser Guy Hewitt tells TIM HUGHES Wally is going Bolly this year THE heady rhythms of Indian pop may not be the first thing you’d expect to hear in the sedate riverside Wallingford. After all, the town is better known for antiques and

  • Team scales Peaks for Army charity

    It HAS been almost 20 years since former Bicester mayor Dan Sames climbed a mountain. But now he has scaled three in little more than a day. Mr Sames, 40, tackled the Three Peaks Challenge climbing Ben Nevis, Scafell Pike and Snowdon with fellow

  • Hospital fundraisers top a million

    A GROUP of fundraisers, whose membership has sometimes been as low as two, has just raised its millionth pound for Cancer Research UK. The Churchill Partners formed in 1993 and has spent the last two decades raising funds for research and treatment

  • Police Authority: Tony Jones

    A FORMER Oxfordshire police officer has died at the age of 85. Tony Jones was assigned to Didcot when he first moved to the county in 1966 after joining Berkshire Constabulary as a Chief Inspector from the Gloucestershire force. His time there

  • Scientist dipping an oar into boat design

    AN amateur rower is looking to turn his hobby into a successful business after combining his science background with engineering expertise. Paul Godsafe has designed a boat that could open up the sport to schools and rowing clubs thanks to its

  • Upset over work on Osney hydro-electricity scheme

    RESIDENTS in Osney have hit out at the disruption caused by work starting on a £500,000 hydro scheme at Osney Lock. Earlier this year Osney Lock Hydro group secured the money to create the first community-owned turbine to be installed on the Thames

  • 'We want a bake-off' say Headington pupils

    PUPILS are perfecting their baking, icing and decorating skills for their very own bake off in an attempt to raise cash for a £20,000 artificial turf area. Inspired by hit BBC television show The Great British Bake Off, children at Windmill Primary

  • Man suspected of assaulting woman arrested

    OXFORD: A 41-year-old man has been arrested after a man allegedly hit a woman and dragged her towards a car in the city. The assault happened at the crossroads by the Carfax Tower on Sunday. The suspect was released on bail until July 8.

  • Plans for Tesco distribution centre criticised

    BUSINESS leaders and residents have objected to plans for a major new Tesco distribution centre. Tesco bosses said the site at Milton Hill, near Didcot, will create up to 750 jobs, but neighbouring businesses and homeowners are concerned about

  • Man receives £36,000 refund instead of £36

    SHOPPER Bob Simpson was stunned when he was told he had been refunded £36,067 for a £36 pair of shorts. Cotton Traders credited his credit card with £36,067 for the £36.68 online purchase of the three-quarter length shorts. The firm offered

  • AMERICAN FOOTBALL: Ferrigno on song

    OXFORD Saints edged out Farnham Knights 8-6 to boost their play-off hopes in the National Division South Conference. Running back James Ferrigno blasted visiting Saints ahead with an eight-yard touchdown in the second half. Then Jonny Dover

  • Man suffers stab wound during row

    A 27-YEAR-OLD man was stabbed in the shoulder during an argument in Headington yesterday. Police believe a knife was used in the attack at about 1am at the junction of London Road and Gladstone Road. The victim was treated at Oxford’s John

  • Arson suspect rebailed

    OXFORD: An arson suspect has been rebailed by police investigating a flat fire in Hawksmoor Road, Cutteslowe, in February. Three people were arrested on suspicion of arson after the blaze. The 26-year-old man was told yesterday to return on

  • Charges after drugs found

    ABINGDON: A man has been charged after drugs and a knuckleduster were found at the weekend. Joshua Johnson of Spear Close, Luton, was arrested on Sunday in Milton Park, Milton, near Abingdon. The 27-year-old has been charged with dangerous

  • BOWLS: Oxon Under 25s bow out

    Oxfordshire Under 25s missed out on a place at Worthing after being beaten 40-33 by Surrey in the White Rose Trophy (National Two Fours) regional final at Iver Heath. Oxon had beaten Sussex 38-33 in the semi-final earlier in the day. RESULTS

  • ATHLETICS: Depleted Radley in second place

    RADLEY came second in their Sweatshop Southern League Division 1 third round meeting at Bromley, despite fielding a depleted team. Having finished 17 points adrift of hosts Blackheath & Bromley, Radley remain second in the table, but are now

  • RUGBY UNION: Purdy's England delight

    HENRY Purdy’s dream season shows no sign of letting up after he helped England reach the Under 20 World Championship final. The 19-year-old Leicester Tigers player, from Milton-under-Wychwood, came on at outside centre as England defeated New Zealand

  • A Mad World My Masters: Swan Theatre, Stratford-upon-Avon

    FIVE STARS   The RSC has itself a smasheroo in the gleefully smutty version of Thomas Middleton’s A Mad World My Masters. This superbly acted revival does for Middleton (Queen’s, Oxford) what the National Theatre did for Carlo Goldoni in One

  • Delays as lorry narrowly avoids getting stuck under bridge

    Drivers in Oxford suffered delays this morning as a lorry narrowly avoided getting stuck beneath the Botley Road railway bridge. Police were called at 10.15am as the lorry approached the bridge from Frideswide Square. Thames Valley Police spokesman

  • Restraint tally high in county

    OXFORD: A controversial restraint technique was used on Oxfordshire mental health patients 225 times, according to charity figures. Mental health charity Mind said the Oxford Health NHS Foundation Trust used the face-down restraint move fewer than

  • Bike lock charge

    A 41-year-old man has been charged with hitting a driver over the head with a bike lock. Luke Wilmshurst, of Banbury Road, was charged with actual bodily harm and criminal damage after the incident in Parks Road on Saturday. He was released on

  • Ending free transport ‘could close schools’

    PARENTS could be hit by a £540 bill to send each of their children to the secondary school of their choice. Oxfordshire County Council is consulting on plans to end free school transport to parents who choose to send children to a school further

  • ATHLETICS: Naylor is county champion

    STEVE Naylor and Cordelia Parker were crowned Oxfordshire 5,000m champions at Iffley Road. Naylor, from Combe, and Abingdon’s Parker took the honours in races run as part of the Town v Gown meeting. The men’s race saw Naylor ease home in 15mins

  • GOLF: Lakes get off the mark

    WITNEY Lakes won their first Shaw Gibbs Oxfordshire Foursomes League match of the season with a 2-1 success at home to Drayton Park in Section 2. Charlie Normanton and Ross Steeples got them away to a fine start in the opening contest, beating

  • GOLF: Jackson secures crown

    NORTH Oxford professional Lee Jackson carded a magnificent five-under-par round of 65 to win the BB&O Open at Reading Golf Club. Jackson finished one shot ahead of Dave Stanton. CLUB RESULTS NORTH OXFORD Paton Cup (medal): 1 R Davies-Monk

  • GOLF: It's a family affair at Drayton

    THE Elmey family celebrated a rare double at Drayton Park, with father and son winning the club championship and junior titles. Windy conditions on both days made scoring difficult, but Andy Elmey became club champion for the fourth time with a

  • RUGBY UNION: Bateman leaves London Welsh for Exeter

    LONDON Welsh hooker Greg Bateman has signed for Aviva Premiership side Exeter Chiefs. Bateman, 24, is the second hooker to leave the Exiles this summer after Neil Briggs moved to Leicester. Championship club Welsh have strongly hinted they

  • GOLF: Hinksey's hole-in-one mission

    COMPETITORS in Hinksey Heights’ captain’s day this weekend could get more than they bargained for, with a car up for grabs. A Skoda Fabia, worth £10,500, is the reward for anyone who gets a hole in one at the 171-yard par three tenth hole.

  • Accountant is guilty of fraud conspiracy in Torex case

    AN ACCOUNTANT has been convicted of being part of a fraud conspiracy at an Oxfordshire software firm. Mark Woodbridge was yesterday found guilty of plotting to defraud the shareholders of Torex Retail, which had offices in Witney and Banbury.

  • BOWLS: Clanfields fulfil family dream

    Brothers Robbie and David Clanfield have fulfilled a dream for their late father, Cyril, by teaming up with nephew Remy Clanfield to represent Oxfordshire in the Middleton Cup this season. Robbie, 46, and David, 38, who play for Carterton, and

  • BOWLS: Oxon dish up Wight-wash

    Oxfordshire kept their Middleton Cup hopes alive with a resounding 142-98 win over the Isle of Wight at Oxford City & County. Needing a win to have any chance of qualifying from Group 2 Section B (South), Oxon made no mistake as they won on

  • BOWLS: County VPs' joy

    Oxfordshire Vice Presidents won on all five rinks to post a 118-72 victory over Northamptonshire Vice Presidents at Brackley & District. Northamptonshire Vice Presidents 72, Oxfordshire Vice Presidents 118 (Oxon VPs’ rink scores): T Mold, A

  • BOWLS: Hawes helps England to glory

    Oxfordshire's Katherine Hawes helped England to victory in the British Isles Women’s International Series in Glasgow. The Oxford City & County ace played at No 2 in Ellen Falkner’s rink as England recorded a clean sweep of wins over Wales,

  • Agreement on views

    AMAZING. Chris Robbins has actually produced a letter that is not politically biased and one that I can agree with. NICK DUVAL, The Highwayman Hotel, Kidlington

  • Full marks on spelling

    HANS Hammerschmidt complains about ‘Police operation’ signs in Between Towns Road (itself a bit of a porky, at least nowadays), despite there being no evidence for this for a fortnight. It must be an undercover one then. As for “Police follow

  • Democracy is no fun

    IT is quite alarming to watch ‘local democracy’ at work. Our local councillors have been re- elected so many times they have acquired an authoritarian persona that would embarrass Hitler. Take the Port Meadow flats fiasco. This is just the tip

  • Shoppers not served by the supermarket sweep

    DESPITE the doubts put forward about the proposed Barton West development, it seems that the city council is determined to go ahead with it, even though it was told, long ago, that Barton East should never have been built. It makes one wonder why it

  • ATHLETICS: O'Hara secures national silver

    HAMMER thrower Emma O’Hara bagged a silver medal in the England Under 20 Championships at Bedford. The 18-year-old Radley athlete finished second in the under 20 ladies’ event, throwing 54.07m in blustery conditions. O’Hara (pictured), who

  • Search and rescue teams practise at Blenheim

    A VOLUNTEER search and rescue team has practised scouring the countryside at Blenheim Palace. Oxfordshire Lowland Search and Rescue honed their skills looking for people around the lake at the Woodstock stately home this week. The charity,

  • BOWLS: Headington hot-shots rack up century to go top

    Headington recorded the week’s only century to romp home 6-0 at Banbury Chestnuts and go top of Division 1 in the Oxford & District League, sponsored by Yarnton Nurseries. With leaders Carterton having a week off, Headington took full advantage

  • Reading between lines

    NOW I am getting cross. Mr Gove rings up Melinda Tilley to congratulate her on the Reading Campaign. We at Assisted Reading for Children (ARCh) have been working with Key Stage One students for many years and as I pointed out in a previous letter

  • Verging on roads mess

    THE article Action pledge on Rose Hill parking eyesore (June 11), drew welcome attention to a problem not limited to Rose Hill. The central avenue in Barton – Burchester Avenue, leading down to Underhill Circus and the shops – has the same problem

  • On the spot: Euro domination

    WHAT a great year for Germany. Great success at football. Their one-time ally, Croatia, is about to join the Euro and EU. Germany’s leader Angela Merkel’s popularity is at an all-time high. It’s like 1940 all over again. Italy, among others

  • ATHLETICS: Headington's relay joy

    HEADINGTON Road Runners set a club record time in winning their first Ridgeway Relay title since 2006. Their team of ten completed the challenging 87-mile course from Ivinghoe Beacon to Marlborough in 9hrs 36mins 41secs, holding off Newbury and

  • Pub closure shocks U's fans

    A PUB popular with Oxford United fans has suddenly closed. Landlord of The Priory Tim Rackley said he and his staff were ‘thrown out’ by owner Firoz Kassam for accruing debts. Mr Rackley said Mr Kassam had rejected his plea to keep him in place

  • Camilla shares stage with stars of Strictly show

    THE Duchess of Cornwall and her former dancing partner Craig Revel Horwood joined osteoporosis sufferers for a dance spectacular in Oxford last night. Camilla is president of the National Osteoporosis Society (NOS), and Strictly Come Dancing judge

  • Paralympic star picks up historic honour

    FOR someone who has won 16 Paralympic medals, you might think getting another certificate wouldn’t be special. But yesterday former wheelchair racer Baroness Tanni Grey-Thompson said it was “wonderful” to be in Oxford to collect her honorary degree

  • HSE in Austen death inquiry

    The Health and Safety Executive last night confirmed it was providing support to a Thames Valley Police and Cherwell District Council investigation into the death of Austen Harrison, four, who was hit by a falling mirror at Bicester Village. Austen

  • Oxfam fraud chief facing theft charge

    THE former chief of counter fraud at Oxfam appeared at court on Tuesday accused of defrauding the charity out of more than £60,000. Edward McKenzie-Green, 33, pictured, is said to have taken £62,857.58 while working at the aid organisation’s Cowley

  • Rail survey shows satisfaction levels

    More passengers on Chiltern Railways are happier with their trains’ punctuality than either of the county’s two other rail operators, according to a new survey. Pressure group Passenger Focus has published its ‘rail passenger survey’, which shows

  • Power struggle

    Bridges will certainly need to be built as work gets under way on the community hydro scheme at Osney Lock. For it is now clear that this exercise in people power and clean energy production is causing deep divisions on Osney Island. The idea

  • Oxford Brainfoods

    Why hasn't anyone thought of it before? That was the main question in my mind as I cycled to meet the founders of a company called Oxford Brainfood. With a little mortar board logo, the snack pack of seeds and nuts looks irresistible. It also looks

  • Happy Birthday Boswells

    Happy birthday Boswells. Oxford’s largest independent department store, standing on the corner of Broad Street and Cornmarket, is celebrating its 275th anniversary this year — and there can be few of us, who grew up in or near the city, who do not

  • 180km row to help Beat eating disorders

    Without the support of Beat, I wouldn’t have had the strength to wait for treatment and my self-destruction would have spiralled fatally out of control.” These are the words of Esther Rich, an Oxford student who will be rowing from Oxford to London

  • Grassroots training

    Suggest doing business in Africa, and people look bewildered. But Bicester-based Peter Wright, who has just joined Government export body UK Trade & Investment (UKTI) South East, believes business people ignore the continent at their peril.

  • On your bikes

    The introduction of Oxford’s very own ‘Boris Bike’ scheme is another green initiative launched this week. Some readers may blink at the £150,000 cost of the Oxonbike scheme, being piloted by County Hall, given that we are talking about providing

  • Parky at the Pictures (In Cinemas 20/6/2013)

    Still prevented from working in his native Iran, Abbas Kiarostami looks like remaining a peripatetic exile for a while longer. So, the odds must be quite short that his next project will be set in the Americas or Australasia, as he has already covered

  • Parky at the Pictures (DVD 20/6/2013)

    Comparisons are odious. But they are also wholly unavoidable in the case of the respective portrayals of Alfred Hitchcock by Toby Jones and Anthony Hopkins in Julian Jerrold's The Girl and Sacha Gervasi's Hitchcock. Although Jones merely bears a passing

  • 'I survived the death railway'

    TENS of thousands of servicemen perished in the construction of the Burma Railway during the Second World War, enduring unimaginable conditions. Forced by brutal Japanese soldiers to carry out back-breaking work in intolerable heat, often without

  • Archaeologists not throwing the trowel in yet

    VOLUNTEER archaeologists are hoping garden digs this weekend will unearth more about Littlemore’s medieval past. The Archaeology of East Oxford Project did not find anything of major historical significance last weekend. But they said this

  • COMMENT: Council must explain detail of proposal

    REMOVING free school transport for up to 1,000 pupils a year will cause howls of protest. There always is when you remove a service and ask people to pay. But surely there are two underlying problems about why children end up at schools that are

  • Student homes plan ‘farcical’

    A CONCERNED resident has claimed it would be ‘a farce’ if more student housing is built on the former Travis Perkins site in East Oxford. Chris Honeywell, of Ablett Close, was speaking out after development company Harepath LLP unveiled its plans