I am very excited to be given the opportunity to write this column and hope to give you an insight of what goes on in my racing life – and outside of it too – as well as my thoughts on the big stories in the motorsport world. I first became a fan
Outdated and sexist or a force for good? As the latest Miss Oxfordshire is crowned, we ask if beauty queens are relevant in 2013 MORE than 10,000 girls from across the UK applied for Miss England 2013. Among them was Lydia Williamson from Cowley
A LATE header from Deane Smalley saw Oxford United get their pre-season off to a winning start on a sweltering afternoon. The striker headed in a 90th-minute corner to finally see off a hard-working Ardley United. After a goalless first half
THREE people have minor injuries following an accident between a land rover and a caravan on the A34 Western By Pass Road Southbound this afternoon, causing delays. Two ambulances were called to the scene between the A44 Woodstock Road near the
A CARTERTON man who had bowel cancer plans to cycle the length of Britain to raise cash for a charity that helped him. Father-of-two Christian Alvey, 34, was diagnosed with the cancer in March 2011 and received help from cancer caring centre Maggie
A TEAM of pub landlords took part in a pub crawl with a difference by cycling 200 miles to visit 15 watering holes. Staff, suppliers and publicans from Oxfordshire-based Peach Pubs left The Fishes in North Hinksey and rode 200 miles in four days
AT The Henry Box School in Witney, George Manning, Harry Fletcher, Matthew Fathers and Will Parker arrived in an eye-catching VW for the year 11 prom. It was held at the school and a special event surprised students. The RAF Falcons display
A YOUNG dancer from Oxford wowed judges at a world dance competition to win two trophies. Leah Jones, from Cowley, triumphed in two sections of the under-12 intermediate section with her solo contemporary dance and her slow performance at the annual
TEENAGE sweethearts Alf and Lily Collier celebrated their 60th wedding anniversary with their large family. The Headington great-great-grandparents marked the diamond milestone with a meal on Saturday, June 29, and were even sent a card from the
FEW people have been together long enough to see England winning the World Cup, the first man on the moon, the invention of the world wide web and the discovery of DNA with their spouse. But great-grandparents Raymond and Marina Smith can claim
TWO former employees of Vale of White Horse District Council have celebrated their 60th wedding anniversary. Sheila and Stan Hall were married on June 13, 1953 at Tilehurst Methodist Church and the service was conducted by Mrs Hall’s brother, Donald
VOLUNTEERS are helping youngsters learn to read as part of the Oxfordshire Reading Campaign. For 10 weeks, people from all walks of life have come into schools in the Oxford Mail-backed project to read with children who need extra help to achieve higher
Drivers have been delayed after an accident on the M40 this morning. Delays were reported near junction 11 A361/A422 for Banbury and junction 10 A43 for Brackley and Cherwell Valley Services where the accident happened. The road was cleared
Good afternoon and welcome to a gloriously sunny Ardley United, where Chris Wilder's men begin their warm-up games. It's a mere ten weeks since the end of last season, but after a short break we only have another four weeks until they kick-off
SCHOOLGIRL Ameera Nur, 10, was on the ball as she learnt a thing or two from former Chelsea and Oxford United winger Peter Rhoades-Brown. The Wood Farm school pupil, left, with Mr Rhoades-Brown, now Oxford United’s football in the community officer
PRIVATE Sidney Arthur Blay left behind three children when he died during the First World War. The 39-year-old, who was from Oxford, died in battle on May 3, 1917, in Vis-en-Artois, France. He was awarded the Victory Medal and the British War
COWLEY Road has been spruced up with layers of colourful spray paint ahead of tomorrow’s carnival. And the graffiti artist behind the mural next to the former Cycle King shop, based on the event’s Wheels of Change theme, isn’t the only one preparing
AFTER 16 years, thousands of visitors and overseeing a £16m extension, the Ashmolean’s director is stepping down. The Ashmolean has announced Professor Christopher Brown will retire on September 30, 2014. The 65-year-old took up the post at
OXFORD: The city council’s head of development in Oxford is giving a verbal update about the controversial Castle Mill student accommodation development next week. Michael Crofton-Briggs will be making a progress report at the council’s west area
A lot has changed in athletics since the London Olympics finished last year. Many of the faces we saw winning medals in Stratford have been unable to capitalise on last year’s high, mainly due to bad luck or injury. It seems – as is often the
A MAN on trial for allegedly hitting a fellow guest over the head with a bottle at a black-tie birthday party said he was “terrified” of being beaten up. Luc Foley, 18, of White House Road, Oxford, left, is accused of unlawful wounding after trouble
THERE was gold medal success for Wantage and Henley-based Vale TKD at the Celtic Cup in Penarth as they topped the points per student ratio table. Jamie Harmon won gold in the aged 13-17 55kg sparring and a bronze in patterns. In the same age
A MULTI-MILLION-POUND revamp of Oxford’s largest further education college has been given the go-ahead. Approval for the £6m redevelopment of Oxford & Cherwell Valley College's Oxpens Road campus comes as the organisation is set to relaunch
OXFORD Academy’s Under 12 boys were crowned national champions after beating AC Finchley 3-2 on penalties in the final at Birmingham. A goal down and with only seven minutes left, it looked all over for Oxford, only for Kyran Lofthouse to score
SCORCHING temperatures and the cooler sounds of an Oxford pop group greeted campers at the first day of the Cornbury Music Festival yesterday. Thousands of weekend visitors arrived at Great Tew Park for the event – Oxfordshire’s first major music
A 16-year-old boy suffered “very dark thoughts” after taking a controversial acne drug, an inquest heard yesterday. Wantage teenager Jack Bowlby, nephew of former champion racehorse trainer Jenny Pitman, was found hanged in his room on October
JACK Briggs played the key innings as Banbury defeated Oxford Downs by eight wickets in the Oxfordshire under 15 final at Tiddington. Having won the Harry Secombe Trophy, Banbury will now visit Somerset champions Bristol in the first national round
WOMEN'S & GIRLS' CRICKET BANBURY stay unbeaten in ECB Women’s Midlands League Division 2 Northants after a seven-wicket home win over Wellingborough Town. Chloe Hill starred with 4-14 as Wellingborough were dismissed for 93. Captain
SCHOOLS' CRICKET BENSON Church of England School’s year 5/6 girls, who won the Oxfordshire ASDA Kwik Cricket finals, will play in the regional round at Edgbaston on Tuesday. OXON ESCA TWENTY20 VASE Quarter-final: Cheney 143-7 (S Khawaja
Confidence comes not from always being right, but from not fearing to be wrong. This quote, from Eleanor Roosevelt, is one of my favourites and one which I would say best describes me. I have always been a confident person, on and off the football
A meeting about proposals to withdraw free home-to-school transport from some school pupils will be held at Kennington Village Centre, Kennington Road, on Monday. It is set to run from 6.30pm and children, education and families cabinet member
ACROBATS from Gifford’s Circus are reaching dizzying heights at Oxford University Parks this weekend. Iurii Karpliuk, of The Godfathers acrobats, pictured, said: “We heard Oxford is a beautiful city and we are so happy with how enthusiastic the
OTHER RESULTS Kidlington: (Gaybourne Tankard, Cherwell at Thrupp, 19 fished) 1 J Cebula 8.2.0 (1 chub, 1 bream & bits; pole & worm), 2 P Blackman 5.9.0, 3 A Middleton 5.8.0. Dynamite Baits: (Open, Oakfield, Red Kite Lake, 19 fished)
Tackley Estates AC smashed the lake record at Stable Lake, Kirtlington, with nearly 600lb of fish caught by 12 anglers. Anthony Alder led them home with 161.6.0 of carp on method feeder, and second-placed Stephen Malone also hit the ton with 132.4.0
Henley dressage exponent Samantha Thurman-Baker, 20, is competing for Britain in the Young Rider European Championships at Compiegne, France, starting next Wednesday. She rides Aram Gregory’s Diamond Hit-sired bay gelding Douglas IV, a new partner
A man has pleaded guilty at Oxford Crown Court to perverting the course of justice. Robert Wilson, of Kingfisher Green, Greater Leys, Oxford, yesterday admitted lying to police about his Renault Megane being stolen on December 9 last year.
A burglary “tweetathon” by Thames Valley Police reached almost 400,000 people. Police used Twitter to let its followers know all recent burglaries reported in a 24-hour period on Tuesday and Wednesday. Around 382,750 people were reached in
The Bishop of Oxford has welcomed a commitment to look again at the importance of RE teaching. The Right Rev John Pritchard, right, who chairs the Church of England’s board of education, this week quizzed Education Secretary Michael Gove over changes
A SUPERB century from Mike Beard was not enough to prevent Oxfordshire Academy from a 45-run defeat to Free Foresters at Bicester & North Oxford. Oxfordshire were set a formidable first innings target of 389 after Free Foresters shone on a
I have been walking the banks of the Thames in and around Oxford city, and it is looking in very good condition. The shoals of bream and roach seem to be in the faster, streamier water – I think they are cleaning themselves after spawning, as the
Hammer thrower Emma O’Hara heads Oxfordshire’s 25-strong challenge in the English Schools’ Track & Field Championships at Birmingham’s Alexander Stadium this weekend. The 18-year-old, from Larkmead, Abingdon, won the intermediate girls’ competition
A 6ft 8in man was found sleeping inside a children’s Wendy house at the Kidlington Family Centre. He ran off from the scene towards Crown Road after being disturbed at the Oxford Road learning centre at about 9am on Tuesday. He was described
A SERIAL burglar has been jailed for four years after stealing £1,400 worth of goods from a house in Oxford. Richard Sawyer, of Bignell View, Chesterton, near Bicester, committed the offence in Bennett Crescent, Cowley on June 12 this year.
Two Oxford residents will stand trial at Lincoln Magistrates’ Court on October 7 charged with criminal damage at an RAF base. Susan Clarkson, 66, of Bath Street, East Oxford, and Christopher Cole, 49, of Wilkins Road, Cowley, were among six arrested
A person found dead in Abingdon on Thursday has been confirmed as a man in his 40s. Police were called to the unexplained death in Lumberd Road at 4.49pm. Thames Valley and Chiltern Air Ambulance, an ambulance and a rapid response vehicle also
HELEN and Douglas House is urging the public to vote for Olympic champion Denise Lewis on a new talent show tonight to help the charity win £10,000. The star, known for her athletic achievements, is preparing to sing her heart out for the charity
MORE than £20m of public funds could be used to upgrade a railway line connecting Oxford, Milton Keynes and Bedford. The move could make Oxford “the centre of the UK rail universe outside of London”, it has been claimed. The ambitious plan
Helen and Douglas House is undoubtedly a very worthy cause, and its portfolio of big name supporters continues to impress. Olympian Denise Lewis should be congratulated for backing the charity, but now she needs your support. Whatever you think
Matt Heath will be given a chance to stake a claim for a contract as Oxford United kick-off their pre-season games at Ardley United today. The U’s have been busy reshaping their squad this summer, but are still looking for a centre back. Heath
THESE are exciting times for Oxford and Cherwell Valley College, sorry, City of Oxford College. With a new name, new heads and a new look, the college continues to move in the right direction. Approval of the £6m revamp was the correct decision
COMMUNITY figures and residents have welcomed a decision to retain the police base on Oxford’s largest estate. Blackbird Leys police office will either remain in its current location in Blackbird Leys Road, in a reduced form, or move to another
WHILE many people were tucked up in bed, 700 hardy souls took to the streets of Banbury on Saturday to raise cash. Everyone did the equivalent of a half-marathon at the Midnight Walk. A total of 164 marshals and helpers were out in force for
TEENAGER Mamadou Barry from Guinea was born without a thumb. But after three operations and help from physiotherapist Emily McMullen, the 15-year-old is now able to count money and help his uncle run a market stall. He was one of countless
