BANBURY residents are going to have their streets cleared of rubbish, graffiti and chewing gum next week. Thanks to Cherwell District Council’s spring clean, the Hardwick estate will be blitzed by the environmental services team. Nigel Morris
Community groups in West Oxfordshire can apply for funding to mark the centenary of the First World War. The district council is offering grants of up to £500 to help with projects, including tree planting, floral displays, plaques or benches.
PUPILS slam dunked with joy as new basketball courts were unveiled this week. The new courts were opened on Monday as part of a redevelopment of Oxford Spires Academy’s site. The old science building at the Glanville Road school was demolished
SUZUKI’S new crossover vehicle makes an instant impression – and luckily for Suzuki it is a good one. The sheer solidity and build quality of the SX4 S-Cross shine through the second that you fire up the engine. Well-made, rattle-free and economical
WHEN Army bomb disposal experts are killed or injured on the front line, the Felix Fund charity is there to offer support. Now the organisation supporting soldiers from 11 Explosive Ordnance Disposal Regiment, which has its headquarters in Didcot
David Connolly's close range header gave Oxford United a priceless victory against Hartlepool United in what looked like being Mickey Lewis's final game in caretaker charge. The former Republic of Ireland striker nodded in 13 minutes from time
8:53pm #oufc 0 #hartlepool 0 Almost a calamity in the opening minute of the half as Long's weak header puts Clarke in trouble but they just sort it — @OxfordMailOUFC 21 March 2014
A woman suffered facial injuries after being assaulted in a Wantage pub. The 26-year-old was involved in a fight in the beer garden at The Swan on Sunday at 2am. She did not need hospital treatment. Police revealed information earlier today
IAN Lenagan expects Oxford United to unveil a new manager this weekend after their chosen candidate verbally accepted the post this afternoon. If all the formalities are completed as expected then they will take over in time for Monday's trip to
Champions Banbury lost against Great & Little Tew, while Charlbury and Preston Capes were relegated from Division 1 of the Banbury Indoor League after the final round of matches. RESULTS Sandford St Martin 119-3 (C Thompson 26no, M Anson
IT opened nearly 32 years ago and has helped support hundreds of children and families. But now the world’s first children’s hospice, Helen House in Leopold Street, East Oxford, is getting a £1.5m makeover to bring it up to scratch. The hospice
HUNDREDS of county residents are getting ready to pull on their trainers for Sport Relief. Events will be taking place from today to Sunday across Oxfordshire for the cause, which raises cash for Comic Relief. People are urged to walk, run
ABOUT 150 residents were allowed back inside their Bicester homes last night after a gas leak caused by a damaged pipe. London Road was cleared and shut off by Thames Valley Police from about 2pm to 7pm yesterday. The leak started when a gas
Alison Boulton digs beneath the city's dreaming spires At last the opportunity to cast off your waterproofs and waders, and slip into something more seasonal. The Botanic Gardens opposite Magdalen College beckons, an agreeable suntrap and delightful
Alison Boulton digs beneath the city's dreaming spires Oxford is changing. Personal experience and hard, quantifiable data suggests an uncomfortable reality: that Oxford is becoming a city of ever increasing inequality. Danny Dorling left Oxford
Sara Bailey is sharp, smart and sixteen... The beauty industry is phenomenal. Gone are the days when women owned just one multi-tasking lipstick – red on the cheeks, red on the mouth. It is now the service that allows us to put our best face
I’m no gym class hero. I’m the sort of girl who considers cue games serious sport. And even then I’m not particular adept at them. Shopping and clubbing is the most exercise I get in a week. But I know I’m just kidding myself and this sort of exercise
Debt charity StepChange says it is seeing more people struggling to cover essential bills such as rent, energy and housing. It’s keen to highlight the perils of expensive payday loans, especially now that the Financial Conduct Authority (which
In this second article on fitness trends, I’m going to discuss two popular classes. First, let me tell you about the Insanity workout. It’s another fitness trend from America that is about to become huge in the UK. It has been available to purchase
Space. The final frontier. Not any more. The final frontier has now been breached, with the general public encouraged to tweet their questions to the astronauts living on the International Space Station, 250 miles up from earth, during Live From Space
Primordial Gravitation Waves are the talk of the scientific town this week. We have heard of Stephen Hawking’s bets with rivals and Einstein’s missing link but what on earth are they and how do they make a difference to you? A gravitational wave
Last week I was tutted at loudly in the street twice in the space of five minutes by two different women. I hadn’t forgotten to get fully dressed (I have almost left the house without my skirt on twice now, it is only a matter of time) and I hadn
Actor’s daughter Tara Cole is used to wheeling and dealing but in a whole different way to her dad’s dodgy on-screen persona. Jaine Blackman talks to the successful small businesswoman about life on the road with Daisy, her ice cream van Tara Cole
Kick start your weekend with the highlights from this week's Friday Life Actor’s daughter Tara Cole is used to wheeling and dealing but in a whole different way to her dad’s dodgy on-screen persona. Here she talks about life on the road with
Sheena Patterson of Oxford Garden Design goes into a battle against a furry garden terrorist In my bid to create a haven of serenity and tranquillity in my countryside garden, I seem to have yet another a fight on my hands. There is sufficient
Journalist and part-time shepard Tim Metcalfe is on the lookout for lambs Waiting for your first lambs of the season is a frustrating time. You may think that you’ve got your breeding calendar right – and check it every day just to make sure –
I greatly admired Tony Benn, who sadly died last week. He was principled and honest: a deeply moral man who not only had ideals I align with but also – and here’s what set him apart – had the courage to carry out the weight of those ideals and convictions
Rebecca Moore gets ready to take a trip to America and thanks her lucky stars for the great British health service It’s been a bizarre few weeks: a plane vanished into (actual) thin air, March has been hot enough for barbeques and vest tops and
Jaine Blackman soaks up the atmosphere in a hotel full of character, history and indulgences I love buildings with a lot of character, railways and being spoilt, so to say I was delighted to stay at St Pancras Renaissance hotel is something of
GREED, envy, jealousy: Negative emotions that we are all born with which as we go through our lives we learn to control (hopefully). I have definitely got better at this as I have gotten older. Twenty years ago I used to get very irritated by certain
At 9.30pm on a Monday, after a nine hour day spent drilling, filling and extracting, one of the last things I have any desire to partake in, is a Year 3 presentation on crocodiles. Yes, it’s true, there are many things worse that researching the
Give yourself the gift of wellbeing this Mother’s Day. Experts share their personal tips with Jaine Blackman and show that you don’t always need fancy spas and endless spare time to boost the feel-good factor * Oxford graduate Louisa Van Den Bergh
As gentle BBC Two comedy Rev returns for a third series, co-creator and leading man Tom Hollander, who was brought up in Oxford, tells of unexpected requests for blessings, writing his first episode and piling on the pounds to play poet Dylan Thomas
I was standing on the platform at Long Hanborough station eavesdropping. It’s a pastime I quite enjoy but this time I got entirely the wrong end of the stick. As I stood with a huddle of London-bound pinstriped commuters I overheard a conversation
The NHS is calling on people to donate more blood, as stocks have dropped dramatically. Organisers are particularly looking for people with O negative and B negative blood types to donate. People who have not donated blood before must be healthy
CHINNOR Community Sports Club has received £237,000 to help replace the village’s sports pavilion. The club has received National Lottery funding from Sport England’s Improvement Fund for a new and sustainable pavilion. The site is on the playing
A red Mazda was found burnt-out after it was taken during a burglary. The keys to the car were stolen when burglars forced their way into a Marcham Road house between 8pm on Saturday and 10.20am on Sunday. The Mazda was later found in Southmoor
PEOPLE with learning disabilities were stimulated when a striking production came to Didcot’s Cornerstone Arts Centre. Theatre company Frozen Light brought Tunnels to the centre for people with profound and multiple learning disabilities aged 13
AS someone who travels to Oxford from Witney twice daily, I have noticed the many hold-ups that occur on a regular basis and the frustration for drivers going about their business. On Saturday, March 15, a car had broken down on the A40 near to
I was surprised when I read that litter pickers on Shotover were being given firewood in return for their labours. I thought that it was illegal to remove any organic material from woodland. I seem to remember that, within recent years, someone was
I HAVE known the Terrible Two long enough not to expect compliments. Former car worker Jeff and retired council clerk Eric, chums for more than 40 years, do not hold back. “Hell fire. You’ll get us barred,” cried Jeff when we met in our favourite
I am writing concerning an unfair parking fine by Euro car park at Templars Square. Has anybody had this problem: my car broke down at lunchtime in November. I could not find any attendant, so I had to walk back to work and pick the car after work
PLEASE warn your readers not to grow old in Botley. We are a nation of gardeners, so for many the move to sheltered housing can be less distressing if there is a garden for residents. Field House in Botley has perfectly adequate facilities
FOLLOWING the announcement by representatives of the Covered Market Tenants Association that the city council will not honour the findings of the arbitrator (brought in to try to find a resolution to the on-going rent dispute between the council and
Once again it looks as if the survival of Temple Cowley Pools is in doubt. Oxford City Council is asking for bids on a subject-to-planning basis for next Tuesday. The Save Temple Cowley Pools group are putting forward a plan that would include
Writer and broadcaster Bill Heine on the late Tony Benn Tony Benn died at his home in Notting Hill last Friday. Almost everything he did made the television news programmes and the newspaper headlines, so most people thought they knew him, or at
PLANS to expand Bicester Village and build a new Tesco have been delayed. The existing Tesco supermarket is to be demolished, making way for the shopping outlet’s expansion. The supermarket firm received permission in January 2013 from Cherwell
MICKEY Lewis is urging Oxford United to put all the distractions to one side and focus on stopping the rot with a win tonight. The U’s are desperate for a result against Hartlepool United after a run of six games without a win. It has seen
SEAN Rigg is ready to put a “nightmare” season of injuries in the past as the winger admits his future at Oxford United is on the line. The 26-year-old has been used sparingly in recent games, but is available to face Hartlepool United this evening
CLOSING Queen Street to buses is seen by many as radical. It is very easy though to propose a radical change. The hard part is providing a radical solution to where those buses will then go. As a key shopping district, Queen Street is a bit of
WHEN will the saga of rents at the Covered Market end? The dispute over proposed rents has been rumbling on for far too long and most reasonable people would have expected the announcement of a figure by an arbitrator would have been the end of this
MORE potholes on Oxfordshire’s battered roads can now be filled in after the county was given a £4.7m emergency grant by the Government. The Department for Transport yesterday announced Oxfordshire County Council would get a £4,782,149 emergency
JAMES Constable is hoping Oxford United can reproduce the resolve they showed when under pressure earlier in the season as they look to end a barren run tonight. Just two points have been collected from a possible 18 over the last month, putting
FOR a number of years, my husband and I have donated very generously to Sobell House, Witney, including several pieces of antique furniture. However, on our last visit approximately six weeks ago, we encountered much the same attitude as David
SKY BET LEAGUE TWO OXFORD United will turn to youth as they plug holes against Hartlepool United tonight caused by injury and suspension. Tom Newey and Michael Raynes are suspended after red cards in the 3-0 defeat at Chesterfield last Saturday
OXFORD United may be bottom of the form table, but Hartlepool United manager Colin Cooper admits he would love to trade places. The teams meet at the Kassam Stadium tonight, with the home side seven points and four places better off. Hartlepool
Standlake Road in Ducklington is partially blocked both ways this morning after an accident between Standlake Road and B4449 outside Cokethorpe School.
A MAN arrested in connection with a series of courier frauds in Oxfordshire has been rebailed by detectives. The 62-year-old, from London, was arrested in connection with 18 crimes in the Thames Valley during November and December last year.
A man suffered a cut to this face in a fight in East Oxford on Wednesday afternoon. The 45-year-old, who police say was seen holding a piece of wood, was hurt in the fight with another man in Magdalen Road at about 5.20pm. Last night no arrests
A 28-year-old Wantage man has admitted criminal damage after kicking over a cup of hot chocolate in a police cell. Jamie Weaving, of Springfield Road, was being held for assault at Abingdon police station when he kicked over the drink on December
The estate of JRR Tolkien, which is based in Summertown, has signed a deal with HarperCollins to publish the author’s translation of Beowulf. The book will be published in May and has been edited by Tolkien’s son Christopher. Tolkien, who also
Oxfordshire County Council is urging parents to plan ahead for next week’s teacher strike. Members of the National Union of Teachers (NUT) are set to walk out on Wednesday in their dispute over pay, pensions and working conditions. There are
RESIDENTS in areas affected by this year’s flooding were unhappy with the Government’s response, a survey has found. Three out of five people polled in Oxfordshire, West London, Somerset and Cornwall said they were not satisfied with the reaction
SOME of you may have missed it, but yesterday at 4.56pm was the vernal equinox – the official start of Spring. And right on cue, this magnolia at the Botanic Garden, Oxford, is springing into life. Trainee horticulturalist Ness Newman said
THE mum of a boy who could be one of only two people in the world with a rare condition is backing a volunteer scheme helping families of sick children. The Middleton family finally have a name for their son’s extremely rare condition, but now
CONSERVATIVE stalwart and former county council finance chief Charles Shouler has died, aged 79. The former cabinet member for finance, who represented Bicester for more than 20 years, had battled cancer for several years. He stepped down from
A 23-YEAR-OLD man yesterday denied committing a public order crime shortly after Jayden Parkinson’s killer appeared in court. Ben Blakeley, 22, admitted killing his 17-year-old girlfriend but denied her murder at a hearing at Oxford Crown Court
THE Yellow Army are organising a ‘Big London Day Out’ aimed at getting Oxford United fans together before their visit to Dagenham & Redbridge next weekend. They are encouraging fans who are heading for Victoria Road to meet up in the capital
A burglar forced open a window to get inside a home and steal jewellery and watches from bedrooms. The break-in happened in Godstow Road, Wolvercote, between 7.45am and 8.30pm on Tuesday. Anyone with information should call police on 101.
Swarovski earrings, a necklace, cash and a laptop have been stolen from a home in Botley. The burglary happened in Hazel Road, Oxford, on Thursday, March 13, between 2.30pm and 6pm. Anyone with information should call police on 101.
A 24-year-old man has been charged with planning to deal cocaine. Carl Skelton, of Tubbs Close, Grove, was arrested last month when drugs police raided a property. He was charged with possession of a Class-A drug with intent to supply and has
THERE will be added tension at the Kassam Stadium tonight for a father and son, who have a foot in both camps. Andrew Galloway is born and bred in Oxford, but decided to support Hartlepool United in the 1970s “to be different” to his schoolmates
A LEADING councillor who played a role in pedestrianising Cornmarket has said Oxford’s transport bosses have to “take the bull by the horns” and pedestrianise Queen Street. The removal of buses from the street leading from Bonn Square to Carfax
SSE ENGLISH CLUBS CHAMPIONSHIP PREVIEWS IT may be only mid-March, but Oxford Harlequins could well be celebrating landing the South West 1 East title tomorrow night. If Quins win their derby clash at Grove, and nearest rivals Towcestrians fail
A FORMER cafe manager who stole more than £16,596 from the Oxfordshire Museum must repay £11,702.44. Helen Seacole, 52 of Woodstock Road, Witney, admitted theft from the museum in Woodstock last August and was sentenced to eight months in jail,
A former international rowing coach has admitted committing nine counts of indecent assault while he was a PE teacher in Oxfordshire. Nigel Mayglothling, of Church Gate, Colston Bassett, near Nottingham, pleaded guilty to sexually abusing a girl
Police were last night searching for a 35-year-old man who has not been seen since Sunday. Mark Jones was last seen in Fir Tree Avenue and police said he has links to Cornwall, Lancaster, and Edinburgh. Police described him as white, about
2:09pm Here's another chance to listen to this week's featured artist on our Oxford Mail local bands showcase, in collaboration with the O2 Academy Oxford. The band are called Dubwiser, the song is Eyepopper - and we think
COUNCIL leaders and representatives from a whole host of companies and government bodies have met in Oxford to discuss flooding today. Following the Oxfordshire flooding summit they agreed to set up a sponsorship group made up of representatives
ONE lane of the A40 is closed due to a broken down mobile crane. It is Westbound between the Witney East and Ducklington Lane turn-off.
GRASS and trees are to be protected from parking damage as Barton becomes the latest estate to benefit from council cash. Oxford City Council wants to spend at least £60,000 to put down plastic mesh and bollards in Burchester Avenue to smarten
TRADERS in Oxford’s historic Covered Market face months more of uncertainty as a row over a proposed rent rise continues. Oxford City Council has refused to pass on the rise recommended by an independent arbitrator to traders, who have accused
Oxford City manager Mike Ford says the arrival of three new recruits has helped invigorate their fight against relegation from Skrill North. On-loan Forest Green keeper Matt Bulman, ex-Gloucester City midfielder Darren Mullings and winger Vic Solomon-Otabor
OXFORDSHIRE teams have enjoyed success last weekend at either end of the age scale. Their over 65s side will compete in the national finals next month after topping the Midlands region of the county championship. Victories over Notts, Bucks
WOODSTOCK are set for a showdown with Oxford Sports to settle the Thames Valley Winter League Men’s Premier Division title. Leaders Woodstock saw their advantage trimmed to three points, after beat Witney 5-3, while second-placed Sports won 6-2
THE Oxfordshire Cup final between Banbury and Oxford Harlequins will be played in midweek, due to the backlog of league fixtures. Iffley Road will host the tie on Wednesday, May 7, with an 8pm kick-off to allow Banbury supporters to travel down
PUBLIC toilets in Eynsham could be closed to save funds. West Oxfordshire District Council said they were under-used and has proposed shutting the facility in Oxford Road to save £9,100 per year. It is also reviewing its policy to only charge
Today FOOTBALL SKY BET LEAGUE TWO Oxford Utd v Hartlepool Utd. Saturday FOOTBALL SKRILL NORTH Telford Utd v Oxford City. CALOR LEAGUE Premier Div: Truro City v Banbury Utd. Div 1 South & West: Cirencester
Oxford RL will not have to wait long to try and gain revenge following their heavy Tetley’s Challenge Cup defeat away to Hunslet Hawks last Sunday. The teams meet again in the league this Sunday (3pm) when Oxford will be trying to make the most
JUSTIN Burnell says losing to Bedford Blues still hurts, but his London Welsh side won’t be side-tracked by a desire for revenge this weekend. Bedford, who visit the Kassam Stadium on Sunday (2.30), ended the Exiles’ nine-match winning start to
PUPILS at Didcot Girls’ School took on the challenge of building model reservoirs, pumps and wind turbines. The engineering day was held at the Manor Cresent school last Tuesday to encourage girls to try out the trade. The 60 pupils aged 13
AN RAF doctor faces being struck off for writing “misleading” medical examination reports after assessing an Abingdon pilot who later died in a plane crash with a teenage passenger. Dr Douglas Wyper, who was based at RAF Benson, assessed Flt Lt
A CRISIS-hit unit for people with learning disabilities that closed to new admissions following the death of a teenager may never reopen. But Southern Health NHS Foundation Trust, which ran Slade House in Headington, said it could re-open the unit
A SERIAL burglar was nabbed by police after only changing one of the licence plates on a stolen car. William Connors, of Shaftesbury Way, Hayes, in Middlesex, admitted carrying out seven break-ins and one attempted burglary during March last year
Oxford City keeper Victor Francoz, who was injured after falling out of a tree rescuing a cat, has used up his nine lives. Francoz, 24, has not played in the league since January after gashing his calf. He tried to make a comeback in the Oxfordshire
A PROGRAMME designed to boost performance at low-achieving primary schools in Oxford has been hailed a success at the end of its first year. The Leadership for Learning programme launched last January. Now a report to Oxford City Council’s
CLASSIC fairytale Beauty and the Beast is coming to Deddington. Deddington Primary School pupils are on stage at St Peter and St Paul Church, Church Road, Deddington, tonight. Joe Sydenham, 11, plays the Beast. He said: “It’s amazing. It’s
A MAJOR new space research centre has been recommended for approval. Called the R100 space hub, it will house more than 6,000sq m of giant vacuum chambers to test equipment in the environment of outer space. The new centre at Harwell, created
Banbury United boss Edwin Stein says he has never once considered quitting the Calor League Premier Division club, despite their wretched run. And he accused a small section of the home support of being ‘idiots’. On Saturday, the Puritans crashed
THE Great Western franchise may be directly awarded to train operator First Great Western (FGW) for another five years, from 2015 to 2020, without a tendering process, officials have said. The Department for Transport had previously suggested a
A LABOUR council boss has branded as “nonsense” claims his authority is using housing rules to socially engineer communities . Oxford City Council’s Ed Turner spoke after it was revealed the authority offered families homes as far away as Birmingham
Didcot Town’s joint boss Ian Concannon is hoping to bring in Reading youngster Germaine Ofori for a second loan spell due to a striker shortage at the Calor League Division 1 South & West club. With Pablo Haysham sidelined with a hamstring
TODDLERS got their hands dirty when they took part in outdoor activities at an East Oxford community garden. Kangaroo Playgroup raised £150 in a fun day at Barracks Lane Community Garden, where it meets. Organiser Amber Hatch said the money
A CARE home in East Oxford is to close this summer after the charity that runs it said it was unable to recruit “suitable staff”. Disability charity Scope had planned to close Jack Howarth House, in Hill Top Road, in 2016 because it is out of date
A LIBERAL Democrat town councillor, whose father represents the party in the House of Lords, has resigned and defected to form a Bicester Independent group. Nick Cotter, a Lib Dem for about 30 years, said he was “disillusioned” and “ashamed” of
PRINTMAKERS from Oxford are now showing off their work at the Cornerstone Arts Centre in Didcot. The new exhibition, Focus on Print, features the work of the Oxford Printmakers group and runs until Sunday, March 30. Work on display by the Oxford
