Archive

One lane of the A34 northbound is shut after a three-vehicle crash this evening. Traffic is building up around the Abingdon north junction with the A4183.

THREE teenagers have been given apprenticeships to maintain facilities in West Oxfordshire’s towns and villages. Dan Payne, of Witney, Dan Maddocks, from Ducklington, and Stonesfield’s Richard Moss will undertake two-year apprenticeships with West

AMBITIONS, opinions, dislikes, and frustrations are things most people have and express each day. But imagine if you felt all these things, but couldn’t put them into the right words. Worse still, imagine people thought you were incapable of

WHEN Oxford’s Central Library opened in Westgate 40 years ago, its computerised systems were unusual for the time. But now it is the second busiest in the country– only trumped by Nortwich – lending hundreds of thousands of books every year.

TAKE a look through my wardrobe and you’ll find a lot of clothes in sizes 12, 14 and 16 and even the odd 10 and 18. And you know what . . . they all fit. It’s the same for many of us. Certain styles look better tighter, or looser; perhaps you

HE’S used to the high life commanded by playing one of the world’s most graceful sports. But ex-top polo player Henry Brett will soon face a sporting challenge like never before. The 39-year-old former England number one from Witney is to row

Now is a great time of year to be lifting and dividing plants in the garden. This simply means taking plants out of the ground, dividing them up at the roots and replanting the pieces in different locations. The new plants that you have created

When it comes to my favourite things, a good pudding is up there with my love of science. So when the two combine I admit I am as excited as a kid at Christmas. The advance of fruity technology has really whetted my appetite. We have blackberries and

Forget all the jokes about throwing pots in frustration, I reckon that the master craftspeople who let visitors ‘have a go’ at the Wedgwood Visitor Centre in Stoke on Trent have patience of saints. Not only do they have to contend with contrary

‘Katy, I just don’t want to hear it’ Katy Perry was in the news this week (when isn’t she?) talking about pill-popping, clean living and autobiographical song lyrics. Unfortunately – for the newspapers – Perry’s pill-popping was actually an

Stop talking and get the fire going The whole Venus and Mars story tells us that men and women speak different languages but what it never tells you is that they are most easy to translate in front of a fire – so that’s my recommendation for this

SOME women might have a problem working with their husband... but not children’s author Charlotte Guillain. “We can go for a walk around the lake at Blenheim on a beautiful sunny morning and call it work,” she says with relish. And that’s just

When the cupcake craze hit at the turn of the millenium – maybe down to TV show Sex And The City – who’d have thought the little fancies would be going strong 12 years later? Well, that would be mumpreneuers Linda Williams and Julia Atkinson —

Ooohs’ and ‘ahhhhs’ are what most people want from a decent fireworks display. Whether you’re planning to light up your life with a trip to a professional display or turning garden pyromanic yourself, no one wants a damp squib. Luckily, you

After weeks and weeks of milk tooth-watch and oodles of dribbling, tons of biting and endless sucking, finally there is something to show for it. Two little teeth are now starting to protrude through our daughter’s aching gum. It’s the newest chapter

A LOCKER system to coax internet shoppers into Wallingford has been installed in the town centre. The self-service locker units aim to make it easier for people to pick up packages when they aren’t at home. Mayor of Wallingford Bernard Stone, said

THEY are among the familiar four-legged sights that help make Oxford’s Port Meadow such a beloved spot for city walkers. Now a top photographer has been honoured for these striking images of dogs at the west Oxford meadow. Rory Carnegie, 51

THERE is one key component missing from the standard equipment of every F-Type – and it is one that Jaguar is unable to fit. That vital part is the smile on the face of the driver, around whom the entire car is focused. Most cars are designed

Is SHE really going out with HIM?!” This is the sound of women reading gossip pages. Oh how we love to catch up on the latest celebrity ‘news’, marvelling over an ill-matched pairing of a gorgeous nubile babe with a crusty, brushed with the ugly

A common tricky scenario: A patient comes in with symptoms of a cold, or a similar viral type illness. The conversation usually is along the lines of ‘this never goes away without antibiotics’, or ‘I wouldn’t normally ask but I am on holiday next

Equality is an issue that is often considered from a female perspective. Years ago, when I first watched the film Made In Dagenham about the female workers of an Essex car plant in the 1960s, I was inspired by their determination and sense of injustice

Following on from last week’s article regarding the effect that exercise can have on depression, I wanted to discuss the importance of your diet and how this also has a huge effect on your mood. For this article I contacted a colleague of mine

In the course of my work I get to hit the high street on a regular basis, experiment personally with the latest trends and find out about the next big thing in fashion well in advance. But a large part of my job involves putting a price on things

When you were 15, were you thinking about saving for the future? If you’re anything like me, the answer is ‘Not likely’. I splashed every spare penny on clothes, make-up and going out with my friends and I bet that’s still fairly typical today.

The Kendal Wool Gathering, held in early October, provided a great template for a celebration of wool which could be held in towns throughout Oxfordshire with a history in the wool trade. The event in the famous Lake District town mixed fun and

The gentleman of pop, Will Young, has bridged that hazardous move between the worlds of music and theatre with alacrity. Not content with selling millions of records, he did it the hard way, by proving he could act his way out of a paper bag, and winning

I always thought I would be a really tidy person by now. I spent years under the impression that keeping an immaculate house was somehow related to age – that you got neater and neater with every birthday that passed. I imagined that, somehow

DAMIAN Fantato’s account on ‘Half a century later and a relief road is unthinkable’, October 24) of the 1960s proposals for a sunken relief road across Christ Church Meadow raises many points still pertinent today. When Sir Frederick Armer reported

INCREASING numbers of your readers will be taking on care of loved ones – over half will be juggling paid work with unpaid care for loved ones. In particular we are seeing a rise in the number of working families supporting a loved one with dementia

THE Government has made a deal with EDF and the Chinese to build a nuclear power station, saying the UK cannot fund this work to have an independent British power station. It would cost £14 billion, an enormous cost according to the UK Government

I WAS pleased to see that Godfrey Smith has been reinstated as a community first responder for the South Central Ambulance Service, pending a driving test and a review of his job. Mr Smith was on his way to help a man with breathing difficulties

THE only slight disappointment with my visit to the beautiful Oxford colleges last month during the Open Doors event was the parking ticket received on return to my vehicle. The park and ride stations were closed, so I carried on to find parking

THE book by Pamela Roberts, pictured, (previewed October 28), about well-known Oxford university black students does, to me, seem something of an irrelevance because I can’t see what it is trying to say. Our skin colour is only an indication of

WE hear a lot about culling badgers, but I think they are lovely. But how about culling meerkats? These silly creatures on TV drive me bats. Just a thought – or will the RSPCA and the anti-hunt mob be after me ? R TUCKER Kingsway Drive

A STRIP of riverbank where unregulated mooring has caused problems could be taken over by Oxford City Council. It wants to take control of the grass bank between the towpath and River Thames behind Abbey Road in West Oxford. It is not known

THE man behind Oxford’s £35m Science Discovery and Innovation Centre has urged people to see the “big picture”. Steve Burgess, chief executive of Science Oxford, said there is a false perception that it is all about arts and humanities and that the

THE “tackiest pub in Britain” is back on the market after a sale fell through at the last minute. Gerry Stonhill’s Individual Mason Arms and Cuban Cigar Club – which has been acclaimed by celebrity chefs and has its own helicopter pad – was put

OXFORD United fans have called on supporters to get behind the 12th Man Bar, as the future of the Priory pub remains unclear. The Priory, next to the Kassam Stadium in Grenoble Road, was used as the match day bar for U’s fans but shut suddenly

THE owner of a badly injured dog rushed to the vets by a mystery Romanian man wants to thank him and everybody who helped. Joanne Ross, of Pine Close, Blackbird Leys, Oxford, discovered her pet eight-year-old Jack Russell Barney had been hurt in

THEY have been building up in Bill Faulkner’s home for years and span more than a century. Now, 42 vintage bicycles, dating back more than 100 years, are on display at the Oxford Bus Museum in Long Hanborough. They belong to Mr Faulkner, 77

The Covered Market is historic and iconic for Oxford and it is, as we say, a jewel in the crown of the city council’s assets. We are keen to see the market continue and remain vibrant into the future and we see what we are doing in terms of the

A masonry firm accused of committing corporate manslaughter is due to enter a plea today at Oxford Crown Court. The Bristol and Bath-based company has been charged with two offences relating to the death of employee David Evans on February 9, 2010

IT’S time to dust off your wet shaving kit and moustache comb, gents – Movember is back – to raise awarnes of men’s health issues. Men across Oxfordshire will be finding out what they look like with a moustache for the cause of men’s health.

OXFORD Brookes University, who have have frequently ruled the roost at the Henley Small Boat Head, were absent, and it was left to Tethys, the women’s lightweights from the Oxford Boat Race squad, to produce the most eye-catching local performance.

Fuel was stolen from two lorries while their drivers slept during a spate of thefts from commercial vehicles. Burglars targeted ten business vehicles to steal tools and siphon fuel over the weekend in Cowley, Rose Hill and Blackbird Leys, Iffley

OXFORD councillors will hold talks with Thames Water over the city’s flood-prone sewage network. A group on Oxford City Council’s scrutiny committee has said it will be asking Thames Water exactly how it plans to upgrade the network which the water

HEADINGTON School are returning home victorious after picking up two gold medals at the Head of the Schuylkill in Philadelphia, USA. They won the women’s High School coxed fours and eights races. The winning Headington eight were nearly four

While they may not be ready in time for this year’s appeal, DIY giant B&Q’s poppies are offering people the chance to create their own living Flanders Fields, in time for next year’s 100th anniversary of World War One. Packs of Flanders poppy

SPARKLY, enamelled, knitted or just plain traditional, Royal British Legion poppies are available in many fashionable forms across the county this year – and you can even grow your own. The first British remembrance poppies were made from paper

WE SEEM to be in the middle of a period of low-level industrial unrest. Of course, it is nowhere near as intense as the strikes that regularly ground life to a halt until the Thatcherite reforms of the 80s. But strikes appear to be back in

Wantage Town midfielder Luca Riccio has been ruled out for the rest of the season due to knee surgery. He misses Town’s clash at fellow high-fliers Oxford City Nomads in the Uhlsport Hellenic League Premier Division tonight. Abingdon United

Didcot Town’s interim manager, Paul Davis, is hopeful that he will be offered the job on a permanent basis, writes MATTHEW BRUCE. Davis, who is in sole temporary charge with Gary Elkins now out of the frame, is among 15 applicants for the post

Oxford City have signed Swindon Town’s teenage striker, Kayden Jackson, on loan and he could make his debut at Harrogate Town in Skrill North tomorrow, writes MATTHEW BRUCE. The 19-year-old has yet to play for Swindon’s first team, but has scored

SATURDAY FOOTBALL SKY BET LEAGUE TWO Oxford Utd v Bristol Rov. SKRILL NORTH Harrogate Tn v Oxford City. CALOR LEAGUE Premier Div: Frome Tn v Banbury Utd pp. Div 1 South & West: Taunton Tn v Didcot Tn, North Leigh

ANDY Titterrell is relishing a return to his former club when London Welsh visit Leeds Carnegie in the Greene King IPA Championship on Sunday. The former England hooker is one of five ex-Leeds players in the Welsh squad, whose 100 per cent league

Oxford’s Sarah Widdowson missed out on a chance for a dream trip to Richard Branson’ Necker Island in the Caribbean. This was the prize from the winners of the Necker Cup tournament, in which professional players took on leading amateurs. Widdowson

Woodstock won 5-3 at home to Abingdon to go top of Ladies Division 1 in the Thames Valley Winter League. The match was heading for a draw until Woodstock’s first pair, Jenny Corfield and Taysie Gujral, won the decisive final set 6-0 against Kathryn

Oxfordshire has a new rising star after Sebastian Rey earned his first ATP Tour point in the United States. Playing in the ITF USA F29 Futures event at Pensacola in Florida, the 18-year-old, from Wantage, came through four qualifying rounds to

OXFORD Harlequins have set their sights on going through the season unbeaten after winning their first eight matches in South West 1 East. Leaders Quins bid to make it nine straight wins when they take on lowly Cheltenham at North Hinksey Lane.

Oxford band Foals missed out on the Mercury Prize. James Blake scooped the award at a ceremony in London on Wednesday.

A Freedom of Information request has revealed that the number of hate crimes recorded against people with disabilities in Oxfordshire has fallen in the last three years. In 2011, there were nine recorded crimes in total across Oxfordshire. This

HUNDREDS of family and friends lined the streets of Abingdon to officially welcome back 300 soldiers from Afghanistan yesterday. The Princess Royal presented 180 of them with personalised medals for completing their first tour of duty in Afghanistan

Steve Burgess tells Reg Little about Oxford's attitude to science and a missed opportunity   Steve Burgess must be finding it difficult to put Oxford Castle Mound out of his mind. It sits just a few yards from the window of the office into

Interview: Frank Wolff Philip Hind talkls to a Dutch-born cornet player about Oxford Silver Band and life under the Nazis Park, if you’re lucky, in Temple Cowley on a Monday night in autumn and you will see an eager procession making its way

UK Hill Climb Championship OXFORD’S Tejvan Pettinger made it ninth time lucky when he won the UK title at The Strang in Yorkshire. Sri Chinmoy rider Pettinger, who lives in Florence Park, pipped James Gullen (Team Hope Factory Racing) by just

Woodstock's Bob and Ben Coomber have won through to the semi-finals of the National Powder Byrne Parent and Child doubles tournament. They beat No 2 seeds, Kieran and Mike Thomas, from Cornwall, 6-1, 6-4 in the last eight.

Oxford High School pupils Raia Jagger and Asha Badiani are set to rub shoulders with some of the world’s greats at the ATP World Tour Finals at London’s O2 next week. Jagger 12, and Badiani, 14, are two of just 30 Barclays ball kids, who will be

OXFORD University head coach James Wade says competition for places is the fiercest it has been in his time at the club. Wade, whose side host Worcester Warriors at Iffley Road on Sunday (3), has won two out two Varsity Matches since taking the

A woman is on trial accused of “punching” a man trying to film a hunt near Faringdon. Amanda Benson denies assault on January 12 this year, in an alleged altercation with a member of a hunt monitoring group. Karen Cushing, prosecuting, told

UNIVERSITY lecturers and support staff have complained about their low salaries after hundreds walked out in a pay dispute. There were picket lines across Oxford yesterday as members of the University and College Union, Unite and Unison from both

Burglars targeted houses in Headington and Jericho this week in two separate incidents. Thieves broke in through the front door of a house in Dene Road, Headington, between 7pm and 8.30pm on Monday. On Tuesday, burglars stole a laptop and iPad

A 19-year-old man was robbed in Pullens Lane, Headington, close to Oxford Brookes University’s main campus at 6.50pm on Wednesday. Two offenders stole his rucksack, which contained items including an HTC mobile phone, a Sony camera, text books

Oxford University researchers say a 20 per cent tax on sugary drinks would cut the number of severely overweight people in the UK by 285,000. And they say the tax on the drinks – which would put about 12p on a 330ml can of fizzy drink bought in

A Witney man who admitted concealing more than £100,000 before and after he was declared bankrupt is due to be sentenced today. Francis Laight, of Mill Street, Witney, has pleaded guilty to concealing £50,000 on February 25, 2005, before his bankruptcy

GERALD’S family bought him an expensive camera for his birthday. This retired painter and decorator had been getting used to it by recording the final days of the Water Eaton silos. Soon what was left of this landmark would be hidden below the line

AFGHANISTAN’S president is today visiting Oxford as part of his five-day trip to the UK. Hamid Karzai will make a speech at the Oxford University student debating society, the Oxford Union.  The Afghan premier has been in the UK since Monday

MICHAEL Raynes wants to keep the smile on his face when Oxford United host Bristol Rovers tomorrow as the defender looks to continue his most enjoyable spell for years. The 26-year-old is in superb form and has been influential as the U’s have

BEFORE a ball was kicked in anger a meeting between Oxford United and Bristol Rovers in November would have been seen as a clash between promotion contenders. Anyone suggesting there would be 20 places and 15 points separating the sides would have

FEW of us can imagine the heartbreak that the mother of Martha Fernback is still going through three months after her death. Anne-Marie Cockburn has been frank about the agony she has endured. But her message today about drugs and the need

THE grieving mother of Martha Fernback has warned about the dangers of drugs as 300 people marked what would have been the girl’s 16th birthday. The Cherwell School pupil, from Summertown, collapsed in Oxford’s Hinksey Park in July after taking

DEANE Smalley is looking to smash his previous goals tally for Oxford United this season. The striker scored only seven times during the previous two seasons, but a penalty in the 2-0 win at AFC Wimbledon last weekend was his fifth effort in nine

Summing up began yesterday in the trial of five men accused of attempting to conceal, disguise or convert criminal property. The six-week trial at Oxford Crown Court has concerned employees of TR Rogers and Sons, in Nuneham Courtenay, who are alleged

CHRIS Allen is hoping Oxford United’s youngsters can make an impact in the FA Youth Cup this season. A 3-0 win over Didcot Town on Wednesday night saw United safely through to the second round. A trip to either Southend United or Maidstone

THE Yellow Army are looking to pack out Field Mill in a fortnight’s time after designating the trip to Mansfield Town as their Big Away Day. Oxford United have travelled in significant numbers this season and have been rewarded with the best away

Several police cars and a riot van have swooped on an estate off Botley Road this morning. Riot police and officers descended on Osney Court, opposite PC World, at around 8.15am. Police said they were attending to a report relating to the fear

PETER Foley has backed Oxford United’s increased emphasis on bringing through young, local players. The Bicester-born forward was part of a cluster of Oxfordshire youngsters to get a chance in the team during the mid-1970s. Foley went on to

Meryl Smith reflects on 34 years' service to the rural community You may not have heard of the Oxfordshire Rural Community Council, although without realising it you may well have benefited from the outcome of our work in your community. In

Send us your Fireworks pictures - both at displays or your own ones at home. Email your pictures to picturedesk@nqo.com with a caption and we'll put them online. OXFORD Friday, November 1 A: 22nd Oxford Sea Scouts display with

PLANS to turn Abingdon’s weir into a hydro-electric power generator have been approved by councillors. Vale of White Horse District Council’s planning committee approved the proposals for the scheme at Abbey Meadow weir on Wednesday night.

Jobcentre Plus is to run a support and advice event for people with health problems. The event will help put people with health problems in touch with organisations that can support them. It takes place on Tuesday at Oxford Town Hall from 11am

Cherwell District Council’s priorities for the next five years will be discussed at a meeting next week. The five-year business plan includes priorities like increasing recycling, ensuring land is earmarked for major housing development and stimulating

The internet is linked to an increased risk of suicide and self-harm among vulnerable adolescents, say Oxford researchers. A review of existing studies into internet use and young people was undertaken and the researchers suggest that clinical

Plans for 85 homes in Deddington have “no place in this countryside location” a council boss said at the first day of a public inquiry. Prudential Pensions Limited has appealed to the independent Planning Inspectorate after Cherwell District Council

OXFORD’S ice rink will be staying put as part of a major redevelopment of part of Oxford’s city centre. Plans are afoot to demolish all the buildings on the Oxpens site and replace them with homes, student flats and business premises. As part

THIS giant lantern will tower over the annual parade at Oxford’s Christmas Light Night. The creation, in the shape of the White Witch from the Chronicles of Narnia, was made by teenagers during a three-day workshop at Fusion Arts in East Oxford