MARIANNE Lansbury and her mum, Elizabeth, probably had the hardest job during Cinderella’s run at the Apollo Theatre in 1986. Their job was to look after the charming ponies which pulled Cinderella’s glittering coach. And they cared for the
Above, Police demonstrated the gadgets on a police car and police motorcycle at the village school fete in 1975 and got a reward – lollipops. And another of the day’s attractions, clown Ken Jordan, was there to hand them out. The village set
CILLA Black delighted audiences when she starred as Dick Whittington in the pantomime at the Apollo Theatre, Oxford, in 1984-5. The glittering production also featured comedians Jimmy Cricket and Billy Dainty – and brought a welcome return for
IT IS 46 years tonight that the last regular passenger train ran between Oxford and Bletchley. On Saturday, December 30 1967, hundreds of rail enthusiasts travelled up and down the track for the final time. The future of the 116-year-old line
Last Rolls-Royce was a sad day I AM in the picture of workers at Pressed Steel, Cowley, with the last body of the Rolls-Royce Silver Shadow coming off the production line (Memory Lane, December 2). I am on the right, with my hand on the car.
Thirteen villagers strode out on a 12-mile hike from the Bowyer Arms to Oxford city centre and back in 1983, the village’s traditional Good Friday event. They raised £103, a record in the walk’s 20-year history, to take members of the Darby and Joan
A PHOTOGRAPH of II Squadron, RAF Regiment during the current operation in Afghanistan reminded Peter Ponting of his own service with the unit. As a paratrooper, he had the distinction of being chosen to make the squadron’s 1,000th parachute jump
CHRISTMAS may have been over, but there was still plenty to celebrate in Oxford as the old year gave way to the new 60 years ago. The arrival of 1954 was the signal for a large number of dances and parties. As midnight chimed to say farewell
A BROKEN down coach on the A34 has shut one lane Southbound near Abingdon. Traffic is slow on the road before the Marcham Interchange at the A415, Marcham Road. Updates will be automatically posted to our Live Traffic Service
WET weather in Wales has cast doubt over Oxford United’s visit to Newport County on New Year's Day. Newport RFC’s match on Saturday was postponed due to a waterlogged pitch, as it was for County’s fixture against AFC Wimbledon on December 21.
We are giving away 10 January breaks to the Bluestone National Park Resort in Wales. Here's how to win one... After a long festive season spent eating, drinking and generally making merry, there is nothing better than getting away from it all and
ONE lane of the A34 Western Bypass is closed after a tree fell on the road. It is closed Southbound between the A44 Woodstock Road (Peartree Interchange) and the A420 (Botley Interchange). Live updates will be automatically posted on our Live
THREE firefighters still have a burning desire to keep battling blazes as they celebrate clocking up a total of 100 years of service. On-call firefighters Charlie Williams, Dave Hemming and Steve Edginton are thought to have responded to 13,000
A NEW, ill-conceived cycle route on Wootton Road, Abingdon, will encourage cyclists to make a dangerous crossing of this main road. Despite a gallant attempt by John Sanders to stop lives of children and vulnerable people being placed at risk,
Good morning everyone and welcome to our final chat of 2013. Unfortunately Oxford United have finished the year on a low note, following up the 3-2 defeat to Plymouth Argyle on Boxing Day with another loss at home yesterday, going down 2-0 to Scunthorpe
A COUPLE of weeks back I spent a Saturday afternoon with 40 other people of all ages in the beauty of Wytham Woods. It was the first gathering of the Oxford Forest Church group, and we had come together to explore nature and connect with God. On
THERE are plenty of Christian words in the lexicon whose meaning I find myself having to explain. Many have been taken over by business. So, ‘Confirmation’, is something I do after pencilling in a meeting and then making sure I can attend. ‘Font
DESPITE the irresponsible and scaremongering headlines in many a national newspaper — and I have not bothered to read any further — I fully accept that most GPs’ surgeries are clean, tidy and discreet and that they keep medication safely. By the
NO-ONE should be fooled by the utopia shown in the artist’s impressions of the ‘new Botley’. They show us what looks like an eternal summer of happy people, embracing each other and strolling about in a carefree manner – just what we crave at this
FOR more than 10 years Owen Baily gambled away thousands of pounds. He was left unemployed, homeless and developed a drink problem. At the age of 19, he lost £2,000 in one sitting at a roulette machine in a casino, which sent him into a downward
DURING this season of goodwill, we should reflect on the plight of those less fortunate than ourselves. We should also feel proud of our generosity to suffering children in war-torn and destitute countries. Our Coalition Government has increased
I hate the New Year. I hate the conceit that just by waking up on January 1, everything will somehow be different. Better. And I hate New Year resolutions because they’re always the same (diets or cigarettes). But most of all I hate the days
A furious Chris Wilder tore into his Oxford United players, and admitted they were lucky to lose only 2-0 against Scunthorpe United. The U’s have won plenty of plaudits for their resilient streak, which had taken them top of Sky Bet League Two,
DOORSTEP criminals are on track to steal £1m from the county’s most vulnerable this year. Trading standards officials fear thieves preying on the isolated elderly in their homes will scam more money than in recent years as the crime rate rises.
AS A newspaper one of our biggest achievements is making a difference to people’s lives. So we want to take this opportunity to say thank you to all of our readers who reacted to the moving story of Gabriel Masih-Gill and who then made donations
FOOTBALL SKRILL NORTH Oxford City 0, Solihull Moors 2. CALOR LEAGUE Premier Div: Banbury Utd 2, Burnham 2. Div 1 South & West: Cinderford Tn 2, Didcot Tn 3; North Leigh 0, Stratford Tn 4. UHLSPORT HELLENIC LEAGUE Premier
Goalkeeper Ryan Clarke was one of the few Oxford United players who could take anything from the Sky Bet League Two home defeat by Scunthorpe United yesterday. Clarke saved Deon Burton’s first-half penalty to keep United in the match when they
AN energy company has asked customers left without power over Christmas to get in touch about compensation. Scottish and Southern Electric Power Distribution (SSE) says it has now restored power to 130,000 UK homes hit by power cuts over the festive
CROOKS who prey on the vulnerable in their own homes are on track to steal more this year than ever before. Trading Standards are right to highlight the shocking increase in these cowardly crimes – and people need to be on the lookout. The
FIREFIGHTERS were called after police alerted them to a tent surrounded by flood water. A spokesman for Oxfordshire Fire Service said crews were called about 11am on Saturday to a flooded field off Kennington Road to see if anyone was inside the
THAMES Valley Police vehicles were involved in 789 car crashes this year, with repairs costing a total of £396,000, it has been reported. According to a national newspaper, more than 400 of the incidents were deemed to be the fault of the police
A TEENAGER is a step closer to his dream of being able to walk thanks to the generosity of community groups and Oxford Mail readers. Gabriel Masih-Gill, who has cerebral palsy and relies on a wheelchair, is hoping to undergo a life-changing operation
THE number of spaces at a community sports pavilion used as a rest area for bereaved families during military repatriations has been increased. West Oxfordshire District Council says the car park has been extended, resurfaced and spaces reconfigured
The British Heart Foundation has opened a new online service which it says will help the 450,000 women with heart disease in the South East. The Women’s Room is an online hub featuring the stories of women living with heart disease, information
MILITARY equipment is being flown back to RAF Brize Norton from Afghanistan as forces begin to draw out. Some items, including helicopters, are flown directly to the base near Carterton. In one month, RAF logistics experts at Camp Bastion have
A chemist claims research shows a quarter of women in the South East say they forgot to take their contraceptive pill after drinking. Lloyds Pharmacy said an online survey showed that festive partying can lead to contraceptive mishaps for women
SHE was the first classical singer to sign a £1m recording contract and her debut album reached number one in the US iTunes charts and number two in the UK. But Summer Watson’s singing career all started when she was a pupil at Didcot Girls’ School
Banbury United scored twice in the last ten minutes to rescue a dramatic point from a 2-2 draw in their Calor League Premier Division match at home to Burnham on Saturday. The hosts looked to be heading for their second defeat of the holiday period
THIEVES smashed their way into a cricket club and left a trail of broken glass and a repair bill estimated at more than £1,000. Abingdon Vale Cricket Club was raided on Friday night when more than £100 worth of bottles of alcohol were stolen and
A HUMBLE Mini belonging to Jason Field has won this year’s classic car of the year competition at the Birmingham NEC. His 1960 Austin Se7en Super-Deluxe saw off 200 other old favourites, including a Jowett Javelin, a Hillman Imp, a pre-war Morris
Ben Whitehead’s dramatic injury-time winner made it a landmark day for Didcot. Th 3-2 victory at Cinderford Town came just two days after their narrow success over local rivals North Leigh on Boxing Day. Incredibly, it was the Railwaymen’s
A protester was last night continuing his demonstration outside Prime Minister and witney MP David Cameron’s constituency house. Tony Ashby, 48, from Herefordshire, claims the decision to put his children into foster care and allegations that he
THE community trust fighting for the future of the Jericho boatyard has welcomed the approval of a masterplan for the site. Oxford City Council has formally adopted the new planning document for the derelict Castle Mill boatyard. And the Jericho
AN academy sponsor tipped to run a new primary school in Didcot has defended its record after concerns were raised. The GEMS Learning Trust has been identified along with the Glyn Learning Foundation (GLF) as a preferred sponsor of schools on the
YOUNGSTER Fenn Hewitt has got a taste of success after his dish was chosen as the cream of the crop. The 12-year-old Moulsford Preparatory School pupil came up with a so-called ‘make your own pizza’ dish which will be put on the menu of the Old
Oxford City manager Mike Ford expressed his dismay after seeing his side lose 2-0 at home to Solihull Moors. The defeat came just 48 hours after a vital 1-0 win over fellow strugglers Gloucester, and with results elsewhere going against them, City
A golfer has received a limited edition watch after scoring a hole-in-one. Raymond Jeffs, 78, scored his ace on the 136-yard, par-three fourth at Oxford Golf Club and the 17-handicapper was rewarded with membership of the exclusive Boss Watches
Two teams, well fed after Christmas Day, took part in a traditional charity match at Wallingford Town Football Club on Boxing Day. The Dads and Conservatives match kicked off at 11am and was played in aid of Thames Valley and Chiltern Air Ambulance
The Thames Valley Police force area has seen a rise in anti-Muslim crimes this year. Thames Valley Police recorded 39 of the hate crimes from January to mid-November this year in Oxfordshire, Berkshire and Buckinghamshire, compared with 20 in 2012
FREEZING temperatures overnight meant many across Oxfordshire woke up to a hard frost yesterday morning. The Met Office reported temperatures in the county dipped as low as -4.3C during the early hours. It may not have pleased everyone, but
Oxford City were brushed aside 2-0 by a ruthless Solihull Moors outfit in Skrill North at Marsh Lane on Saturday, despite a determined second-half showing from Mike Ford’s side. Peter Till gave Solihull the lead in the first half and Omar Bogle
A DECISION on whether the Oxford Stadium can be flattened for homes to be built there will be made next month. A year after the greyhound stadium in Blackbird Leys closed down, planners have revealed a vote will be held on January 8 on its future
North Leigh’s side continued as they conceded four goals in a disastrous second half of their Calor League Division 1 South & West match to lose 4-0 at home to Stratford on Saturday. This was the fourth straight defeat for the Millers, who
A burglar forced open an outbuilding in Bucknell, near Bicester, to steal propane bottles and bird-scaring equipment, overnight on Friday. Police have asked anyone with information to call 101.
CAMPAIGNERS and council officials have agreed to spend hundreds of pounds to discover what was said at a High Court hearing they both attended. Oxford City Council has been unable to agree with the Save Port Meadow campaign on what High Court judge
VULNERABLE sex crime victims could get better protection when questioned in court under plans drawn up following the Oxford grooming gang trial. The Operation Bullfinch case saw six vulnerable young women give evidence against their abusers at
THERE were a series of accidents on Oxfordshire’s roads yesterday following freezing overnight temperatures. In the first incident, near Thame, a woman in her 20s was taken to hospital after being cut free from her car. Emergency services were
RESIDENTS are protesting against plans to cut a bus service linking Oxford with Dean Court, near Cumnor, insisting it will leave them isolated. Oxford Bus Company has announced it is scrapping its 4C service – which connects Wood Farm and the city
Ryan Brooks bagged a double as Ardley United extended their lead at the top of the Uhlsport Hellenic League Premier Division to five points with a 3-0 home win against Flackwell Heath. Brooks opened his account on three minutes with a neat shot
A 23-YEAR-OLD man from Witney has graduated from the Royal Military Academy at Sandhurst. James Conrad Curry joined more than 200 officer cadets for the passing out ceremony. As part of the ceremony, all the commissioning officer cadets took
ON January 26, Joan Creese will celebrate her 80th birthday with a bracing walk – across the 1.7mile, 220-feet high Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco. Most sightseers only venture as far as the first tower, but Mrs Creese is not one to shrink
MUSICIANS have banded together in a bid to raise more than £4,000 for a new car park. The 150-person strong Wantage Silver Band has been playing Christmas carols around the town almost every day since December 1 to raise cash. The band moved
