A VICTORIAN warehouse in East Oxford could be flattened and replaced with two semi-detached homes. Developer Cantay Investments Ltd has resubmitted plans to build a pair of four-bedroom houses on the site of the Old Bookbinders, in Green Street
SPACE at the Old Fire Station gallery in Oxford has been carved up for its first exhibition of the year. The studio in George Street is featuring two giant axes to divide up the space to underline the architecture of the gallery. Artist Jack
THE hunt for hiker Tom Billings, missing in Canada, has led to hours of helicopter flight tapes going online to spread word of the search. The 22-year-old from Boars Hill has not been seen since he set off for a short mountain trek in Vancouver
IT is not often that a car makes you feel like a five-year-old on your first day of school, but within a few miles of taking to the road in the Golf Estate I was transported back a good half-century. Not that the car is anything but bang up to
TWO swimming coaches say they are taking a Bicester club to an employment tribunal over the way they were dismissed. Craig Pankhurst and his wife Kirsten had been head coaches with Bicester Blue Fins since 2009. They say they were fired in November
Traffic lights are still broken following a crash earlier today near Abingdon. The accident between a car and a lorry blocked the A338 at the A415 Frilford crossroads. Following the accident traffic built up southbound towards Wantage.
THE Blenheim Palace Pink Ribbonwalk celebrates its 10th birthday in May and organisers Breast Cancer Care hope 825 women will mark the occasion and raise £230,000 for breast cancer sufferers. Taking place on Saturday May 10, the Ribbonwalk began
Pegasus Theatre in Magdalen Road, Oxford, has been nurturing talent, staging productions and introducing the magic of the performing arts to young people since 1962. But none of this would have been possible without the support of its committed
A BID to turn a former village post office and shop into a takeaway should be approved despite objections, a council planning officer has said. The plan for Garsington Stores in Elm Drive, Garsington, has been opposed by residents and parish councillors
PEOPLE in Oxfordshire are being warned to stay alert for flooding this weekend. The Environment Agency has said that further rainfall on already saturated ground may worsen conditions and lead to flooding. There are currently no flood warnings
Firefighters are battling a blaze at an empty care home in Carterton. Fire engines were called at 7.15am to The Doris Watts Care Home in Milestone Road. The building is believed to be for sale after the home shut down several months ago.
Kick start your weekend with these top stories from the week's lifestyle section Find out what happened when columnists Rebecca Moore and Gill Oliver attempted stand-up comedy for the first time Jaine Blackman meets a first-time novelist
IT has gained a major reputation for hosting talks by big names in small venues. Now thousands of book lovers are expected to buy tickets for Chipping Norton Literary Festival when they go on sale next week. Celebrity speakers will include
A man who admitted four firearms offences following a 12-hour stand-off with police in Kidlington has been jailed for 12 years today at Oxford Crown Court. Daniel Rodriquez, 38, admitted possession of a firearm at the time of committing an offence
OXFORD City goalkeeper Victor Francoz has put himself out of action after rescuing a cat up a tree. You can read his story here after reading about other footballers whose injuries raised an eyebrow. TOP TEN FREAK INJURIES Dave Beasant: The
Oxford entrepreneur and man about town Max Mason, 37, shares his views on love and life... This week while everyone was miserably enduring Blue Monday, I was having quite a different experience. I was collecting some Australian dollars from the
Oh, I love a whodunit. And this week offered the crème de la crème when a nun in Rieti, Italy was taken to hospital with stomach pains and within hours had given birth. She hadn’t even known she was expecting. This story reads like a Carry On film
Jaine Blackman enjoys life with the Romans as history is brought back to life Gandam-style There are not many times or places when you turn round and find a Roman centurian stood next to you at the bar. But for 10 days a year in Cartagena in
Remember when the government announced before Christmas, that it would be slashing £50 off everyone’s yearly energy bills? Apparently, it’s now more likely to be a measly 20 quid. And when you think that the average household pays out £1,200
Lisa Cuerden gives an essential guide to finding the right exercise for you At this time of year especially, many people are looking to lose body fat and to increase fitness levels. To achieve this, first and foremost, it is important to find exercise
Alison Boulton digs beneath the city's dreaming spires Anyone who’s ever knocked over a full glass knows that a little water goes a long way. More goes farther. It was only a small sound, the crack of breaking glass – but suddenly there was water
I am extremely territorial when it comes to the kitchen. It’s my space, my husband doesn’t get to touch my heavy bottomed pans. I’m like a lion stalking my culinary perimeter. With this in mind it’s not often that he even offers to peel the potatoes
Gill Oliver's respect for stand-up comedians rockets after her making her nerve-wracking debut It’s the most terrifying thing I’ve ever done. And I’ve given birth twice. Making my stand-up comedy debut in front of a live audience last week was
Journalist and part-time shepherd Tim Metcalfe on the impact of flooding Water, water, everywhere. And not much pasture for sheep to graze. Watching the flood waters rise over our field adjacent to the Thames last week was worrying. As the pasture
Sheena Patterson of Oxford Garden Design looks at herbal remedies to beat a range of ills Last Monday was Blue Monday, traditionally the most depressing day of the year, and for most of us January is definitely the worst month of the year, a time
Oxford entrepreneur and man about town Max Mason, 37, shares his views on love and life... I’ve been on way too many dates already this year; dinners, theatres, boat-trips, pubs and even a trip or two to London Town. But each date has been not
"Stars flock to the White House to celebrate the birthday of Michelle Obama, whose popularity outshines her husband’s" writes Rebecca Moore Michelle Obama hit 50 last weekend in a star-studded party at the White House, surrounded by her nearest
A MAJOR scheme to try to attract £400m worth of low carbon projects to the county is being launched today. Council bosses hope the cash from investors and institutions will help cut city carbon emissions by 40 per cent by 2020. The OxFutures
STAFF and children are jumping for joy after two nurseries were rated outstanding by Ofsted. Willow Cottage Nurseries, which has two centres in Eynsham and Farmoor, was visited by inspectors in December. In a report published last week the
January is a swamp of disappointments, bitterness and rage. If you’re not broke, bloated or bored, you’re on the 5:2 diet, trying to negotiate your way from one end of the day to the other without a meltdown. And the clever telly executives know
During these short grey January days, thoughts invariably turn to the year ahead and in particular holidays. But in cash-strapped Britain the question on many parents’ lips this year may not be “Where shall we go on holiday?” but rather “Can we even
As Oxford’s Chinese community prepares for celebrations, Jaine Blackman discovers why Get your party frock back out, and perk up your January by celebrating the New Year all over again. Next Friday, Oxfordshire’s 8,500-strong Chinese community
Ask any dentist, or probably doctor too, just how annoying the 21st century phenomenon of internet self diagnosis is, and you will be met with a resounding sigh. We’ve all done it, a tickly cough that a quick google search reveals could be a Grade
Frankie Goodway is feminist and proud! Catcalls. They’re a compliment, right? Women should feel great about the fact that sometimes a man can’t help himself, has to shout across a street or in her face about her arse or her breasts, about how much
First-time novelist and mum of three Lucy Atkins tells how she moved from reviewing fiction to writing it. Jaine Blackman reports Being a mum of three might make finding time to write a novel more difficult – even for someone who makes their living
Exercise is vital for good health and wellbeing - and that applies to everybody. But if you're disabled, getting started with a fitness regime can be particularly challenging. Jaine Blackman speaks to the people hoping this will change At this
Sharp, smart and sixteen - Sara Bailey looks at the teenage desire to become slim The gym memberships have risen, an infestation of pre-dusk joggers has hit Oxford, chocolate bars are abstinently being swapped for apples – it can only mean one
Recent research, attracting global interest, suggests that we can only maintain a small number of close friendships and also, that we can count the number of our true friends on just one hand. It also theorises that as our situations change and
Christopher Gray talks to the respected artistic figure about his new role at Ruskin John Retallack loves Oxford — the city in which he was born — and talks about it with such bubbling enthusiasm that it is sometimes hard to steer him away from
THE city was too quiet, I complained. How could a chap find something to write about when Oxford wore the atmosphere of a public lending library? Then it happened...the tall newcomer stood firm, gazing down at the smaller and somewhat chubby man sitting
I AGREE with Michael Lawrence’s comments about the state of the London Road. The inspectors who consider this road as okay ‘should have gone to Specsavers’. They should try travelling on a bus along it. It will not be long before the council
WHAT a good idea to waste (spend) £160m on digging a drainage channel around west Oxford to tackle the flooding. But where will the water then go? And will it just move the flooding from one area of Oxfordshire to another? I would think for £160m
JUST to correct Roger Tucker’s latest batch of myths concerning the UK’s relationship with the EU. The European arrest warrant does not allow the ‘European Police’ permission to come to the UK and arrest someone. Instead, it requires a member
I feel very annoyed at the decision of the Oxford Bus Company to re-route the remainder of the No.4 service from Mason’s Road to Wood Farm Road. Many people in Headington Quarry, Quarry Road, Mark and Weyland Road use the bus stop named as Mason
I NOTE yet again S Nicholson’s comments (Letters, January 22). The comments seem to be fixated on some rose-tinted opinion of education in 1958. And I do not think the children have changed at all in that time, but the expectations of them has,
With reference to your headline article (January 20) Parking rakes in £7.5 for councils and OurView (A Cut in city’s park-and-ride costs will bring economic boost), it is amazing and coincidental on the day this hit the news-stands, local residents
Oxfordshire is beautiful, but it’s also terrible, and we don’t often get a chance to see the terror. I’ve been to the inner sanctum of some of that terror – the war room left behind by the Americans when they departed from Upper Heyford airbase.
A NATIONAL souvenir store chain is set to open a branch in central Oxford. Cool Britannia has been given the lease of the former Blackwell’s music shop. The shop at 23-25 Broad Street is owned by Oxford City Council and has been empty since
MUSICIANS old and young came to play songs in Witney at the first session of the year of a popular open mic night. Alan Lawrence, of Witney’s Charley Alan Band, entertained the audience in the Winchester Room of St Mary’s Church playing a resonator
Oxford United boss Chris Wilder declined to speak to media at this morning's press conference. The U's manager is the favourite with bookmakers to take over at League Two basement side Northampton Town. The Oxford Mail understands that an approach
ALFIE Potter says he no longer holds a grudge against the Bristol Rovers player who caused the worst injury of the Oxford United winger’s career. The 25-year-old is running again and on course to make a playing return within the next month.
THE cost of £33,800 to rescue animals – whether it be a dog stuck in a sofa or a hamster involved in a nasty incident involving an extractor fan – might get the odd person complaining about misspent public funds. But we are an animal loving nation
ANDREW GRIFFIN is no Frank Abagnale, the legendary conman who was charismatically portrayed by Leonardo Di Caprio in the movie Catch Me If You Can. Yesterday Griffin was handed a four-year prison sentence after defrauding companies out of £270,000
CONMAN Andrew Griffin has been handed a four-year prison sentence for an “astonishing” £270,000 fraud, despite being on the run from police after he was released from court on bail. The 44-year-old from Wantage pretended to work for multinational
JOSH Ruffels is focused on gaining a regular place in Oxford United’s starting line-up after impressing in both FA Cup meetings with Charlton Athletic. The 20-year-old was named man-of-the-match in Tuesday’s 3-0 replay defeat and also acquitted
THE bitter memory of suffering relegation from the Football League is driving Chris Hargreaves to get a result when he returns to Oxford United. The 41-year-old took over at Torquay United three weeks ago and brings them to the Kassam Stadium tomorrow
Parents sacrificed their own children as an offering to Gods hundreds of years ago, Oxford researchers have found. The Oxford University research proves parents of the ancient civilisation Carthage killed young children as sacrifices. Most of the
A man who admitted four firearms crimes following a 12-hour stand-off with police last July is due to be sentenced at Oxford Crown Court today. Daniel Rodriguez, 38,has admitted possession of a firearm and an imitation firearm, use of a firearm
People can get advice on community led neighbourhood plans at a free event tomorrow at Exeter Hall, Oxford Road, Kidlington, 10am to 2pm. Run by Oxfordshire Rural Community Council, it will include workshops, speakers and Q&A sessions.
The new chairman of a design panel set up in the wake of the Castle Mill controversy has been appointed, but Oxford City Council said it cannot reveal the name until the appointment is formally announced. The panel will be made up of people with
A trial of a Banbury police officer accused of stealing crash victims’ personal data is due to resume today. Pc Sugra Hanif, 27, of Bretch Hill, Banbury, denies obtaining and disclosing personal data and conspiracy to commit misconduct in a public
A man being treated for cancer died after falling in hospital and breaking his hip, an inquest heard yesterday. Brian Annetts, 78, of Old Witney Road, Eynsham, was having radiotherapy at the Churchill Hospital in Headington for cell cancer.
The protection for a corner shop which is listed as a community asset ended yesterday. The Post Box in Wolvercote has been given community asset status by Oxford City Council, which means that when the seller put it up for sale last year a six-month
The A40 Westbound is blocked after a collision involving a car and a motorbike at Barnard Gate. South Central Ambulance Service spokeswoman Michelle Archer said they were called just before 7.30am and sent a rapid response car and an ambulance
OXFORD City’s French keeper Victor Francoz is in the doghouse with his boss Mike Ford after injuring himself while trying to save a cat. The 23-year-old, who was born near Lyon and made his City debut last September, suffered a bad calf wound after
THE director of a museum in Bath has been appointed to take charge of Oxford’s Ashmolean Museum. Alexander Sturgis, who is currently director of the Holburne Museum, will replace Prof Christopher Brown when he retires in September. Dr Sturgis
YOU may think firefighters occasionally provide assistance to cats stuck in trees but local moggies are not the only animals rescued by firecrews. Figures released under the Freedom of Information Act reveal Oxfordshire Fire and Rescue Service
GOVERNMENT funding of £11m has been handed out to three major road projects around Oxfordshire. The money will pay for putting traffic lights at the Cutteslowe roundabout in North Oxford, improvements to a road in Bicester to cope with extra train
Oxford West and Abingdon MP Nicola Blackwood has asked whether the Department of Health will review its guidance on the provision of insulin pumps on the NHS. Her question follows recommendations from the National Institute for Health and Care
Oxford City manager Mike Ford has thrown down a challenge to Mark Bell – make it impossible for me to drop you. The winger, 23, has put in some excellent displays since winning a place in the side following his return from Skrill Premier side Nuneaton
PLANS for a 300-place technology studio school in Bicester have been approved by the Government. Activate Learning, formerly the Oxford and Cherwell Valley College group, submitted a proposal last year to create a college for 14 to 19-year-olds
SEVENTEEN leading figures have urged Oxfordshire County Council leaders to reconsider plans to cut £1.5m from homelessness services. The signatories to the open letter – which was sent to leader Ian Hudspeth, chief executive Joanna Simons and director
8:35am There has been another collision on the A40 at Barnard Gate involving a car and motorbike. The ambulance service say one man has been treated for a leg injury at the scene and taken to the John Radcliffe
Three white garages in Summertown have been vandalised with black spray paint. The graffiti appeared on the garages in Century Row overnight on Tuesday. Police have urged anyone with information to call 101.
A TRAIN operator has been named best in its class for passenger satisfaction. Chiltern Railways is the highest-rated rail operator in Oxfordshire, according to the latest National Rail Passenger Survey. The operator scored overall passenger
A cancer sufferer was found dead by his brother after collapsing in his own home, an inquest heard yesterday. David Buckley was found in his living room in Lincoln Close, Bicester, by his brother Chris Preen on July 25 last year. Oxfordshire
THERE are major delays on the A40 Eastbound this morning after a multi-vehicle accident. It happened just after 6.30am near Eynsham Road at the Cassington traffic lights and involved a Renault van, a lorry, a Ford van and a Nissan Micra.
Didcot Town joint boss Ian Concannon has praised the side’s character after their 4-2 midweek win at Swindon Supermarine and called for more of the same at Evesham United tomorrow. Trailing 2-0, they fought back for victory against the Calor League
HOSPITAL rotas have been changed to provide better cover at weekends and holidays after parents’ concerns over the birth of twins at a city hospital. Extra staff and better communication and pain management have been pledged after the parents wrote
COULD one of these young film-makers be the next Steven Spielberg? Film Oxford is offering two free 10-week In the Frame courses for teenage directors. Ashtee Shaho, 19, of Cowley, has already signed up. He said: “I am excited about getting to
A MAN caught up in a brawl outside an Oxford takeaway has described being hit by a car and waking up in hospital. Yesterday Dexter Williams, of Coriander Way, Greater Leys, gave evidence at Oxford Crown Court during his trial for violent disorder
Saturday FOOTBALL SKY BET LEAGUE TWO Oxford Utd v Torquay Utd. SKRILL NORTH Leamington v Oxford City. CALOR LEAGUE Premier Div: Banbury Utd v Bideford. Div 1 South & West: Evesham v Didcot Tn, North Leigh v Thatcham
Joe Roberts achieved a double gold success as Oxfordshire boys dominated the Bedfordshire Under 17 silver tournament in Luton. Oxon lads captured four medals between them, with Roberts, from Brize Norton, claiming two of them, winning both the
ANOTHER firm is considering drastic measures after counting the cost of the recent flooding. Harish Dhariwal, manager of the Mediterranean Fish Bar in Abingdon Road, Oxford, said he is now considering moving to a new location in the city. He
STEVE Chadbone says Oxford Harlequins’ victory over Oxfordshire Cup holders Chinnor 2nd can inspire them to aim high. Quins battled to a 6-3 win in Wednesday night’s quarter-final at Kingsey Road to end Chinnor’s four-year reign as county champions
OXFORD University head coach Sean Bowden was pleased with the performance of both boats in their trial eights race, which saw ‘Persistent’ pip ‘Stubborn’. Normally held before Christmas, this year’s contest was postponed due to illness. And
THE gap at the top of the Thames Valley Winter League Men’s Premier Division is down to one point after Oxford Sports could only beat Abingdon 6-2. Rivals North Oxford and Virgin Active cashed in with 8-0 victories at Oxford City and Banbury respectively
All eyes will be on Oxford United’s press conference this morning after manager Chris Wilder was yesterday linked to the vacant job at Northampton Town. Speculation began when the Cobblers revealed they had approached another club in Sky Bet League
A MAN who admitted sexually abusing four children during the 1970s has been spared jail, after his victims asked a judge to show mercy. Paul Laxton, formerly from Benson but now living in Reddington Road, Plymouth, was charged with six counts of
Wantage Town keeper Lewis Noice returns from injury for tomorrow’s trip to fellow-Premier Division side Shrivenham in the Uhlsport Hellenic League's Bluefin Challenge Cup third round tomorrow. Jack Rowe and Steve Davis are also back after missing
PROLIFIC criminals can now volunteer to be tracked by police under a new pilot scheme. The electronic ankle tags let Thames Valley Police and Thames Valley Probation follow the volunteer in real time. So far three criminals in the South and Vale
ACADEMICS yesterday had their pay docked for going on strike over wages. Oxford University staff lost two hours’ pay and Oxford Brookes University workers lost a day’s wages over the 11am to 1pm walk-out. They want a pay increase of at least inflation
A FAMILY has spoken of their despair of not knowing what happened to their missing mum. Mental health patient Jackie Gulliford has not been seen since she left her Eynsham home early on Tuesday last week. Yesterday her daughter Sarah, 32, said
YOUNG workers and small businesses in Abingdon are being encouraged to consider apprenticeships. ApprenticeSHOP, a pop-up shop, will open in the town on Monday to give information on apprentiship schemes to young people and their parents. Staffed
A BURGLAR has been jailed for a break-in where he threatened to stab a grandmother in her bed. Mark Haddock, of Harlech Close, Banbury, pleaded guilty to one count of burglary on Wednesday at Oxford Crown Court. The 34-year-old father-of-three
LONDON Welsh captain Tom May believes being knocked out of the British & Irish Cup can work in their favour. Welsh won 21-18 at London Scottish on Saturday, but it was not enough for them to qualify for the knockout stages. The Exiles host
THE county’s conker trees are under threat from an alien insect invader, a Wallingford scientist has warned. In the past 10 years, the horse chestnut leaf-mining moth has spread from London into England and Wales. The moth, which arrived from
AN OXFORD mother-of-four says she and her family have been without heating for a year because of a faulty heating system. Monica Thomas, 25, lives in Salesian Gardens in Cowley with her four children aged eight, five, four and two, in a three-storey
A HEROIN user who had made several attempts to take his own life died a drug-related death, an inquest heard. David Ridley, 28, of Croxford Gardens, Kidlington, was found dead at his home by a friend on July 15. Needles were found near his
THE lives of pedestrians are being put at risk because traffic cannot cross the closed Fulscot Bridge, South Moreton Parish Council has said. While the bridge is closed, heavy traffic is being diverted on to Dunsomer Hill, a winding road that connects
