So our T20 campaign is finished for another year and we can concentrate on trying to win the big one – the County Championship. With five games remaining, we are top of the league, with everyone trying to knock us off our perch. This is the
WORK has started on a multi-million-pound pound science centre at an Abingdon school. The £4.2m facility will be built at the School of St Helen and St Katharine to provide a purpose-built environment for biology, physics and chemistry studies.
HARRIET Gascoigne-Pees may be starting a new business but it is very much a case of going back to the future. That is because the Gascoigne-Pees name has been synonymous with the Oxfordshire estate agency scene for more than 80 years. It was
SCHOOL leavers looking for a stepping stone into the workplace are being urged to visit a one-stop shop offering advice and information on apprenticeships. The Apprentice Shops will open on and around GCSE and A-Level results days and give young
Most people will see one or two dead bodies during their lifetime but Darren Hancock spends almost all his time with them. The 39-year-old owner of family business D L Hancock has funeral parlours in Headington and Bicester and is chairman of the
DRUG development company Summit has been given £2.4m to fund trials of a new treatment for the fatal muscle-wasting disease duchene muscular dystrophy (DMD). The potential drug, called SMT C1100, was discovered by Summit’s chemistry researchers
A JOBS expert has opened an operation tailored to the demands of employers. Michelle Howie has set up Career Connect Select at Bicester Innovation Centre after fellow tenants started asking her to fill vacancies. Now she is matching jobseekers
TIMON Colegrove is not a great believer in convention.Within minutes of meeting him, you realise he is someone who likes to challenge existing views of business, turn them upside down if necessary and work on developing a new model. It is something
Marc West goes out & about around Oxford... this week: the lovely Irregular Folk all-dayer at The Perch Th-th-th-that’s all folks! Over the past four months they’ve popped-up overground and delivered some of the most wonderful music on the
This week sci-fi fans around the world are imploding with emotion as Peter Capaldi was announced as the new Doctor Who. As I write this, Twitter is working overtime with excited fanboys and fangirls speculating, debating and outright arguing about
THE driver who killed cyclist Joe Wilkins has this afternoon been found not guilty of causing his death by dangerous driving. Paul Brown, 30, had admitted causing the 39-year-old part-time firefighter’s death through careless driving but denied
This week we’re all very jolly after the brilliant fifth Cornerstone Music and beer festival that lit up Didcot this weekend. The few showers peppering the sunshine did not put us off one jot. We had 15 musical acts across Friday, Saturday and Sunday
WHAT HAS HE DONE NOW? You may have heard that Simon Cowell is to be a father. If you haven’t heard, I envy you. The cycle of stories rolls on: at first he was distraught, then he was excited, in love, looking forward to becoming a father. One fact
ONE of the most prominent land owners in the Wantage area has died, aged 90. Christopher Lewis Loyd was head of the 7,500-acre Lockinge Estate, home to some 60 commercial units and 150 homes. During his life he won a Military Cross while fighting
ONE of the founders of Witney RFC has died aged 84. Frank Grant, pictured, was one of the committee members in 1965 responsible for merging the rugby teams of West Oxfordshire Technical College and Smiths Industries. He remained involved in the
A COMMUNITY leader who was involved in organising the Cowley Road Carnival has died aged 78. When he retired from his job at Oxford Bus Company, Velu Vesudevan stepped up his participation in the community and was active for more than two decades
A DEDICATED supporter of Bletchington Cricket Club for more than 60 years has died. During the past six decades Willie Kirtland, 90, had done every job at Bletchington Sports and Social Club, from cleaner to linesman, scorer, secretary, treasurer
It’s all go at The Rickety Press, judging by the noise coming from the former printing works where extensive renovations are under way. Manager of the superb Jericho restaurant/pub, Fred Samengo-Turner, said work was being carried out to replace the
Believe me, I didn't need an ounce of persuasion to try out Malmaison's Sunday Brunch offer: Mal on Sunday. Just the opportunity to do time in a transformed Victorian prison was enough to entice me through the door. And not only did it turn
Liz Nicholls reckons you can’t go wrong at Wagamama (except if you’re her) Let me be clear: I don’t do food envy. With food, unlike almost everything else in life, I am greedily driven to make the right choice. I wake up every morning thinking
Everyday Moments is created to be heard while alone in the darkness of the Burton Taylor Studio. You move around on stage accompanied by a podcast of words and music, in private. Fascinating and freeing, Everyday Moments is an experience like no other
Every week, without fail, people stride into the café looking around eagerly for a roasting pig. When confronted with the menu of tofu, lentils, vegan cakes and freshly grown salad, the carnivores’ disappointment is obvious. “What, no meat at all?
Dribbling and dummies are what you expect from a bunch of pre-schoolers. But seeing this lot on the pitch, a few of them could give Wayne Rooney a run for his money. Except – and I am more shocked than anyone by this – their behaviour was a good
Tim Hughes catches up with soul country-rocker, Reid Morrison of Treetop Flyers, who went from busker to country-rock star For one of the most laid-back men in rock, Reid Morrison is in something of a rush. He’s not stressing – that would be
THERE is no shortage of quality music festivals this summer, but few are as quirky as this weekend’s Supernormal. Held at Braziers Park, near Wallingford – the same spot as Wood Festival – this three-day gathering is the antidote to the grasping
THE first of more than 40,000 music-lovers are today descending on two county festivals for Oxfordshire’s biggest weekend of live music. Fairport’s Cropredy Convention, near Banbury, and Wilderness, near Charlbury open their gates to revellers this
P ush Me Pull You! is the perfect title for the circus show premiering at the Oxford Playhouse because not only is about the physical exertions of a circus artiste, but it also touches on the roles of the two performers. Linn Broden is a slack rope
BBC Introducing has handpicked some of Oxford’s most engaging independent talent to warm up the crowds each day at this year’s Wilderness festival. Count Drachma will get the party started Zulu style on Friday, while Saturday will begin with a
It’s an exciting time for Wez Woods, lead singer of Didcot based rockers Late Night Lights. His band’s debut EP, What You Wanted To Be, was released last Friday, and he’ll have the opportunity to show it off at the Wheatsheaf on Saturday. Having also
MATT AYRES meets a well-known musician who is breaking new ground, exploring the rich musical roots of his African birthplace Of the few local acts playing at Wilderness Festival in Cornbury Park this weekend, Count Drachma are the most unique
HE fought to build a proper boxing club in Abingdon and dedicated 40 years if his life to his beloved sport at Abingdon Town Amateur Boxing Club. Now Robert Southey says he has finally had enough of fighting and hung up his gloves. But the
BANBURY MAGISTRATES Damon Alvey, 44, of Gascoigne Way, Bloxham, admitted drink driving in Banbury on July 15. Had 101 micrograms of alcohol in 100ml of breath, above the legal limit of 35 micrograms. Banned from driving for 24 months and fined
OXFORD MAGISTRATES CORY BETNAY, 19, of Benouville Close, Oxford, admitted damaging a mobile phone without lawful excuse in Oxford on July 8. Told to pay £100 and £85 costs. ABDALAH AMINU, 35, of Kestrel Crescent, Oxford, admitted using threatening
YOUNGSTERS on the Rose Hill estate got rid of some excess energy at one of the city’s free summer holiday sports programmes. Oxford City Council is running its StreetSports sessions across the city until September 1. Activities on offer include
Farmoor Village Hall Committee is hosting a free ‘Play Your Cards Right’ evening on Saturday, September 7. The event will run from 7.30pm to 10.30pm in the village hall in Cumnor Road, Farmoor, and hot food will be on sale. Donations are welcome
OXFORDSHIRE Mind is looking for donations of raffle and tombola prizes, bric-a-brac, good quality teddy bears and cakes for its summer fete. The evening will include live music from Adina & Johnson, Sandy Lenny and The Missing Notes. There
A drop-in centre for advice and support on a range of issues will be running in Banbury on August 22. The session at Neithrop Library in Woodgreen Avenue will take place from 10am-1pm. Information on housing benefits, employment and unemployment
EVENTS designed to bridge the generation gap are being held in Blackbird Leys, Oxford. The charity FullCircle, based in Donnington Community Centre, Oxford, will run three groups for the first time in Blackbird Leys after receiving a £13,000 grant
FAMILIES have been enjoying getting lost at an outdoor county attraction. The “maize maze” – a natural labyrinth created in the corn crop at Millets Farm in Frilford – has already attracted more than 3,000 families since it opened on Saturday,
A ROAD in south Oxfordshire closed by a fuel spillage from a crash reopened after more than 24 hours. The A329 was closed between Little Milton and Great Milton from about 6pm on Monday until 10pm on Tuesday. The county council highways team
A car, three bottles of Champagne, and a wallet were stolen from a woman whose keys went missing on a night out in the city. Police said the victim had her purse and keys stolen and later discovered her home in Frenchay Road had been burgled and
GOLD and silver treasure found by metal detectors in the county could be displayed at the Oxfordshire Museum. A gold medieval ring, silver decoration for a sword, and silver seal matrix were among the finds by metal detectors in south Oxfordshire
VIKINGS bounced back from last week’s reverse to win 5-1 at home to West Oxford Democrats Club in Group A of the Johnsons Buildbase Oxford League, writes PETE EWINS. Bob Allsworth (5,450 & 5,500), Sean Stratford (6,550 & 3,980), plus a
PLANS for 300 homes are due to be refused tonight, partly because balls from a neighbouring golf club could strike properties. Cherwell District Council’s Tracey Morrissey has urged councillors reject the plan for up to 300 homes west of Warwick
A CONMAN, who is facing jail after admitting fraud, is still on the run. Andrew Griffin, of Market Place, admitted 17 counts of fraud but failed to attend a sentencing hearing at Oxford Crown Court on July 12. The 43-year-old posed as a representative
A SON who blamed himself for his mum’s death spoke of his relief yesterday at finding out there was nothing he could have done to save her. Kyle McDougall said he blamed himself because he was present when his mum Penny McDougall collapsed on April
OXFORD City Stars have retained the services of forwards Joe Edwards and Sam Broughton, as well as defender Sam Arnold. All three were part of the side which won the National League Division 2 South title last season, having come through the junior
MORE than 30 youngsters are lined up to join Oxford’s first free school when it opens in September. The opening of the Tyndale Community School has been controversial to say the least, not because of its Christian ethos, but simply because of its
CHINNOR begin their pre-season campaign with a trip to Coventry on Saturday. Craig Chalmers’s first match as head coach sees Chinnor take on the National 1 club, but it gets tougher after that. They host Oxford-based Championship side London
MOTA-VATION SERIES 4th round - Combe (senior men, unless stated) 1 D Bruce (Highgate) 21.50, 2 D Bellinger (Oxf) 22.03, 3 D Hamilton (Abn) 22.16, 4 T Wright (Ban) 22.48, 5 A Burgess (Oxf) 23.09, 6 J Richardson (V40, Oxf) 23.18, 7 D Lewis
MULTI-EVENTS OXFORD City’s Alice Byles finished tenth in the under 15 hexathlon at the UK Combined Events Championships in Stoke. Byles was the fifth placed English athlete in the six-event competition, scoring 2,927 points. She will look
For the last few weeks I have been pulling out handfuls of ‘nuisance’ plants that have popped up as seedlings. Too afraid to add them the compost heap, lest they perpetuate in years to come, I have filled up the green bin with pincushion scabious (
A LOCK-KEEPER was yesterday accused of “driving blind” when he struck and killed a cyclist. Matthew Walsh, prosecuting, said Paul Brown, 30, was not looking when his Ford Focus hit father-of-two Joe Wilkins, 39, from behind on May 24 last year.
ALCHESTER chairman Chris Kimber has welcomed a Rugby Football Union (RFU) Better Facilities Grant to improve their Fritwell base. Their ‘Lead Up & Legacy Pitch Maintenance Award’ grant is part of the RFU’s £10m grass roots investment ahead
ULTRA RUNNING RADLEY College will host a ‘groundbreaking’ week of ultra marathon events starting on Sunday. The British Ultra Fest combines six-day, 48-hour and 24-hour races for the first time in the UK as runners put in thousands of laps
It was a bright and crisp snowy day the first time I volunteered with BBOWT, and I was told we’d be ‘working with sheep’. As soon as I saw the snow-blanketed nature reserve, scattered with ice-covered anthills and animal tracks, and a small flock of
WALLINGFORD: A strimmer and a chainsaw have been taken from a Vauxhall Corsa parked in Wilding Road. The break-in happened at 4.33am on Monday, police said. Call 101 with information.
OXFORD: A beggar has been handed an Antisocial Behaviour Order (Asbo) banning him from asking anyone in Oxford for cash. Ashley Nimmo, 24, is also prohibited from sitting within 10 metres of a cashpoint and within five metres of an entrance to
PEDESTRIAN roundabouts, fibre broadband in the sewers and an app to find car parking spaces could be on their way to Oxford. A group has been formed to investigate the possibility of Oxford becoming a “smart city”, and yesterday heard about initiatives
New statistics show more lung cancer patients are treated in Oxfordshire than anywhere else in Thames Valley. The Roy Castle Lung Cancer Foundation has released the interactive map on its website. The Oxford University Hospitals NHS Trust (
THE next generation of the Mini is due to be launched in Oxford. Rather than unveiling the third version of the car at a foreign motor show, as is usual practice, bosses at parent firm BMW want to ensure it is seen for the first time in its home
MORE than 50 firefighters attended three blazes across Oxfordshire that broke out within hours of each other on Tuesday. In just seven hours fire crews were called to a children’s summer camp after gas cylinders caught fire, dealt with a suspected
HENLEY Hawks have snapped up 13 new players as they prepare for life back in National 1. Hawks, who were promoted as National 2 South champions, have lost four of last season’s title-winning squad. But they are confident the new recruits have
MOTA-VATION SERIES DAVID Bruce clinched the senior and overall men’s titles after victory in round four at Combe. The 28-year-old, from Oxford, has been the dominant man this summer, collecting four wins out of four. And he showed no signs
It’s not been the easiest time for local businesses but I’ve recently had a run of excellent service at Oxford shops. I needed a small part to fix a bath plug and the staff at Headington Homewares provided the precise thing for 20p. A few doors
I am writing concerning late swimming at Abbey Meadow pool. What a fine sight it is to see people enjoying Abingdon’s wonderful Abbey Meadow outdoor pool in this wonderful weather. Children of all ages and I include myself, have swum outdoors as
In relation to the Castle Mill and Blavatnik developments, both the city and University have rushed to defend themselves without taking notice of – in fact, dismissing – the views of local people. In my view there should be no need for the people
TECHNOLOGY is a wonderful thing and we should take advantage of every new development if it is for the greater good. So the conference in Oxford yesterday on turning Oxford into a ‘smart city’ is to be welcomed. As long, that is, as the fine
ACTIONS speak louder than words and that is certainly the case when it comes to the ailing Oxford Academy. The school’s failures are a blot on the city’s education landscape and on the prospects of the pupils it is meant to prepare for adult life
LITTLE WITTENHAM: Baby weighing scales have been taken by a thief who smashed their way into a car in the Wittenham Clumps car park. The scales were in a laptop bag when they were stolen from the car between 6pm and 6.30pm on Tuesday. Call
OXFORD: Burglars took two laptops and a games console after breaking into a Donnington residence. The house in Donnington Bridge Road was burgled between Friday and Sunday. Call police on 101 with any information.
OXFORD: Work is under way on a new charity shop due to open on Monday. The Cancer Research outlet will be based in the former Halfords store on Botley Road. The charity is currently expanding its retail presence across the country.
CAMPAIGNERS challenging student accommodation blocks built next to Port Meadow will get the chance to put their case to a judge in October. The Campaign to Protect Rural England wants a judicial review held into Oxford University’s Castle Mill
YOUR paper seems to have given a lot of space to Jacob’s Inn (Red Lion is now Jacob’s Inn after makeover for foodies, August 3, above right). While I wish the new owners success, I must present a counter opinion on new owner Damion Farah’s quote
I am writing regarding council finances. I would suggest the county council cabinet ministers sit down and think to themselves: If this was my money would I be spending it this way? ROBIN EADLE, Hastoe Grange, Headington, Oxford
LIBRARIES are closing, youth centres are closing, old people are struggling, families are struggling, free transport for school children is set to stop, roads are a disgrace and £25m is to be cut from the council budget. How did we get into this
Bricklayer Trevor Paine, above, had a surprising break from his day job when he got a sneak preview of the new East Oxford Community Classics Centre. The 59-year-old Oxford United fan, who got to grips with a Roman Samian pottery bowl, said: “I
OXFORD’S Hannah England is not getting sidetracked by medal talk as she prepares to compete in the World Championships this weekend. The 26-year-old Oxford City athlete claimed a superb silver in the 1,500m at the last World Championships in Daegu
THE new chairman of governors at failing Oxford Academy has pledged to treat children and parents as ‘customers’ to drive on improvements. And businessman and former Cowley resident John Putt warned he would adopt a “take no prisoners” approach
The English Chess Federation grading database is now published twice yearly online and the new grades have just appeared in readiness for the new season. In Oxfordshire, Witney players Peter Wells (rated 234) and Marcus Harvey (227) and Cowley
Wolvercote, particularly its lower end, may well be part of Oxford but has all the feel of a small village. Which is why its residents can be forgiven for being particularly concerned about the prospect of almost 200 new homes being put on the
There is no shortage of towns and cities whose publicity material speaks of “hidden treasures” and “best kept secrets”. But in Oxford’s case the number of beautiful and historic buildings that remain largely hidden to the public behind closed gates
Market traders in Thame are saying thank you to their community by offering a free stall to local community groups and charities for the day. The Thame Market Community Day is an annual event run by the Thame Market Traders’ Co-operative which
Pascal Bonitzer has been a quietly effective presence in French cinema for many years. He started out as a critic at Cahiers du Cinéma before turning screenwriter with René Allio's fascinating adaptation of Michel Foucault's book Moi, Pierre Rivière
While the new media age has brought about a democratisation of creativity, in so far as anyone can now publish their own blogs or post their own movie clips online, the cyber revolution has also seen a growing willingness to trust the integrity of
CHILD sex abuse victims are to be given greater protection in court under new proposals drawn up in the wake of Operation Bullfinch and other high-profile exploitation cases. The Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) is consulting on new guidelines
FOUR STARS Aha! The long-awaited Alan Partridge movie is finally here. And it’s textbook Partridge. Alan’s radio station, North Norfolk Digital, has been taken over by a big media company and renamed Shape. Part of their business plan for reshaping
THREE STARS It’s “Hi-ho, Silver. Away!” for Gore Verbinski and Johnny Depp, director and Oscar-nominated star of Pirates Of The Caribbean, who reunite for this rootin’ tootin’ reinvention of the masked avenger. The Lone Ranger began life
FOUR STARS A young and ebullient cast drawn from the Oxford University Dramatic Society make the most of the fun to be had in one of Shakespeare’s jolliest plays, The Comedy of Errors. Launching their annual touring production at the University
Charivari Agreable Eliza in love Exeter College Chapel, Oxford n Friday, 8pm Tickets: 01865 305305 or ticketsoxford.com Another exciting programme from the Early Music by Candlelight Summer Festival, exploring the lovers and suitors of
FOUR STARS Oxfordshire’s leading youth ensemble was in fine fettle on Sunday night, tackling a challenging programme with exceptional energy and pizzazz. Strauss’s Don Juan is such a notoriously difficult piece that apparently one of the horn players
Anyone who has ever played a stringed instrument will know how much strain it can put on your back, neck, shoulders and wrists, whether you play every day or for only a few hours a week. Nervous tension and severe stage fright are also demons that
That fine historian David Kynaston celebrated — if celebration there was — his 62nd birthday eight days ago, two weeks ahead of my reaching this same gloomy anniversary. Our being of an age means that we share many memories and can call up similar
Notoriously a shocking play, August Strindberg’s Miss Julie, dating from 1888, has been given an extra level of controversial content in the adaptation, as Mies Julie, by South Africa’s Baxter Theatre Centre under the award-winning writer and director
FOUR STARS It says much for the compelling interest of Rory Fellowes’s A Victorian Eye that straight after seeing it I went on to Amazon to order a copy of the book that had supplied much of the information for what is depicted on stage.
FIVE STARS The general critical view that All’s Well That Ends Well is a no-good play, which has been boldly challenged in the past by the great Harold Bloom, is now firmly disproved in a cracking new production from the Royal Shakespeare
To Doreen Lawrence — indefatigable campaigner for justice following the murder of her son Stephen — has gone the honour of a seat in the House of Lords. But is it really such an honour to join the shabby institution that is our Upper House? The
The Cherwell Boathouse Bardwell Road, Oxford OX2 6ST 01865 552746 cherwellboathouse.co.uk According to Mr Greedy’s latest temperature app it was 28 degrees in our bedroom at midnight on Tuesday. It was hotter than a chilli- eating competition
Open-air theatre THE WIND IN THE WILLOWS Mapledurham House, near Reading Wednesday, August 14 Call 0871 2200 260 or visit seetickets.com Bring seating and then sit back and enjoy this classic English tale, an animated retelling of Kenneth Grahame
Magic, legends, magical beings and magical beasts have over the centuries inspired a wonderfully rich vein of imaginative writing. This exhibition, drawn from the fabulous Ashmolean and Bodleian collections, has been skilfully and eruditely curated
