A YOUTH football club is facing an uncertain future after its lawnmower was stolen in a £3,000 break-in. Leaders at Chipping Norton Town Swifts fear the theft will leave them unable to practice at their Burford Road ground when pre-season training
THOUSANDS of people are expected to converge on the town centre to join Bicester’s second annual Big Lunch. Preparations have begun for the free event on Sunday, June 1, from noon to 5pm. Hundreds of tables and chairs will line Sheep Street
SWEET treats and boxes crammed with delectable doughnuts were delivered to Oxford’s John Radcliffe Hospital. Staff at the children’s ward were thrilled with the tasty treats. The iced, custard and jam doughnuts were presented to medical secretary
MORE than 10,000 people will be unable to vote in Oxford today after failing to register with election bosses. Voters go to the polls today for 25 out of 48 seats on Oxford City Council and for the European Parliament. But about one in 10 electors
MOVES to close a bridge used by 13,000 commuters to and from Oxford each day have been dropped by rail bosses. Network Rail wanted to shut the A338 Volunteer Bridge at Grove for six months so it can be rebuilt as part of plans to electrify rail
A Samaritan is urging mobile phone addicts to ditch the dialers to raise money in memory of her daughter. Cilla Squires, who has volunteered at the Samaritans in Banbury for more than 25 years, is fundraising in memory to her daughter Claire,
You learn a lot more from bad results than you do from good ones. I’m confident we can lift our game and learn a great deal from my teammate Pol Espargaro’s superb effort with fourth place at Le Mans last weekend. We need to check all the data
A 28-YEAR-OLD burglar is on the run after breaching the conditions of his prison release. Thames Valley Police wants to take Lee Doyle back to prison after he breached the terms of his parole licence. Doyle was jailed for 32 months in February
RESEARCHERS from Oxford University’s Department of Education contributed to a major report examining the professional development of teachers in UK classrooms. Dr Katharine Burn and Trevor Mutton examined a number of innovative teacher trainee
Last year, the Government pledged no more Post Offices would close and instead said branches would be changed and moved to keep them viable. PETE HUGHES talks to people affected by the changes to find out if the 354-year-old institution is fit for
THE A40 London Road at Wheatley is closed eastbound due to an overturned vehicle. Drivers are facing delays and there is queuing traffic on the Eastbound carriageway at B4027. Police spokeswoman Connie Primmer said: “We were called at 3.50pm
AN HISTORIAN and prominent figure amongst Oxford’s colleges has died, aged 94. Michael Brock CBE was a long-serving member of Corpus Christi College, deputy-president of Wolfson College and warden of Nuffield College. He formed a formidable
A BELLRINGER of more than seven decades and prominent Marston parish councillor has died, aged 78. Roy Jones was a pharmacist and a member of many ringing societies and could often be seen conducting the activity at St Nicholas’ Church, in Church
AN Islip house which 80 years ago was home to the acclaimed war poet and St John’s College professor Robert Graves now bears a plaque in his honour. The poet, novelist, essayist and critic lived at World’s End, Collice Street, from 1921 to 1925
A 19-YEAR-OLD drug dealer was jailed and told by a judge he has a “bleak future” if he doesn’t change his ways. Robert Jolly, of Straight Road, Old Windsor, was sentenced to two years and nine months on Tuesday at Oxford Crown Court. The teenager
People convicted of offences at magistrates' courts in Oxfordshire recently: OXFORD MAGISTRATES Virgilio De Ponte, 52, of Rutters Close, Kidlington, convicted of driving while using a mobile phone in Botley Road, Oxford, on October 10.
A BID by a man with Parkinson’s to row the Pacific with a school friend to aid research into the disease has been put back due to lack of funding. Alex Flynn and firefighter Darren Taylor were planning the 70-day trip from California to Hawaii
When Dante Gabriel Rossetti’s painting of William Morris’s wife goes up for auction next week, it is expected to fetch a record-breaking £7m. This may not seem to have much to do with business but it is more proof that art is where the money is right
PASSENGERS are facing delays of up to 15 minutes on trains between Reading and Didcot Parkway. There is a broken down freight train between Goring and Streatley. First Great Western confirmed on Twitter that all lines have been blocked and
COUNCILLOR Mark Cherry has been suspended by the Labour Party after a allegedly posting a tweet which compared Conservative Party policy to the Holocaust. Mr Cherry, who represents Banbury Calthorpe, sits on Oxfordshire County Council, Cherwell
A STONEMASONRY firm has been found guilty of corporate manslaughter today at Oxford Crown Court. Bristol and Bath-based Cavendish Masonry now faces a large financial penalty after being convicted of a gross breach of its duty of care to employee
SMALL businesses in Oxfordshire are being urged to consider taking on an apprentice. While apprenticeships have traditionally been the preserve of larger firms, major strides have been made to attract employers of all sizes and backgrounds.
When it comes to examples of classic design, the Airstream caravan is a prime example. The sleek, shiny aluminium creations, which date back to the 1920s and the vision of American inventor Wally Byam, are still a rarity on British roads but have
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THE booming world of art has prompted an entrepreneurial duo to start a new gallery in Chipping Norton. John Eades and fellow art collector Steven Daniels felt confident enough to launch the Albion Gallery in Chipping Norton, earlier this month
A MAJOR drive aimed at boosting business involvement with Oxford United has been launched. United in Business has been set up to bring local companies and entrepreneurs together under the umbrella of the club with a host of specially themed events
WITNEY High Street has flooded, forcing some shops to close, while sandbags have been put around a church. Drains along the High Street overflowed after a sudden downpour just after 1pm. And police have warned drivers via Twitter to reduce
OVER-60s in South Oxfordshire and Vale of White Horse are being asked what sport they would like to do. The two district councils are planning to bid for money from Sport England’s Community Sport Activation Fund, which would pay for sports classes
A MAJOR figure in the arts could build an underground house on top of an Oxfordshire hill. Plans for the eco-house have been submitted to South Oxfordshire District Council. The building, on Britwell Hill in the Chilterns near Watlington, is
No, we cannot believe Seamus Perry is quite that old either! My students are getting ready for their finals. The English exams are always among the first to start, which is often a cause of disgruntlement. But then, as I tell them, the plus
JUST 12 people completed a questionnaire used to gauge the impact of cuts to police station opening hours. Thames Valley Police scaled back public access hours at its police stations by up to 70 per cent two years ago to save £600,000 over three
AMERICAN art students showed their creative flair when they designed original artwork for one of Oxford’s churches. The group of nine from Chicago’s North Park University spent the week with members of St Luke’s Church, on Canning Crescent, before
Paul Hobson makes a case for funding the arts in the regions With the local elections taking place today, the contested question of funding for the arts and culture is back on the agenda. Some of you may have been following the controversy
Reg Little talks to the man behind a biography of former Home Secretary Lord Jenkins As a biographer John Campbell is a man who certainly likes to get close to his subjects. He has laboured for five years over his new life of Lord Jenkins of Hillhead
Philippa Logan enjoys two books bringing fresh perspectives to the First World War Clever title — the trigger that fired the shot, and the trigger that set in motion a series of events that led to the First World War. The assassin who pulled the
The Boathouse survived the winter’s flood. Katherine MacAlister is awash with praise for the restaurant Noah himself would have viewed the flooding with the same sense of impending doom as Shaun Dickens. Admittedly Shaun did not have the entire
Helen Peacocke extols the virtues of meat-free diets - and the taste If I’d been asked to choose the date for a national vegetarian week, I think I would have selected one of the first weeks of June, which is the point in the year when Spring merges
Val Bourne on the best examples of mauve-lavender flowering plant If you drive through the village of Bloxham in May, you can’t fail to notice the huge wisteria that festoons one house close to the village hall. I see it most years and this year
There are always projects for volunteers to get involved with in and around the city of Oxford, says BBOWT's Wendy Tobitt Helping to look after places for wildlife is a great way for people to enjoy the Oxfordshire countryside and urban green spaces
Damon Smith is dismayed to find that, in spite of the star voices, this big screen animation is second class The residents of the fictional village of Greendale are sitting on the secret to eternal youth. Trusty postman Pat Clifton has been doing
Giles Woodforde on the new take on a Mackintosh musical ‘Something has happened on this show that has never happened in my whole career,” said top theatre producer Cameron Mackintosh. “Some newspapers have been giving us free ads for the last few
Popular Oxford Company Troika returned to the OFT with a stylish production of Lord Arthur Savile’s Crime. Loosely (and I mean loosely) adapted in the 1960s by Constance Cox from the 1891 short story by Oscar Wilde, this black comedy of manners
AFTER last January and February floods along the Abingdon Road, into Oxford city, it seems unbelievable that planning permission for a Travelodge was approved by a government planning inspector Alan Wood. Permission for the 83-bed hotel near the Redbridge
THE article University Life by Matthew Collier, right, on May 20) was of interest to me because I attended the Oxford School of Art and Technology, from 1939, when it was located in Church Street, St Ebbe’s and, at a time when John Henry Brookes was
HE HAS seen education from two polar opposites. As a maths teacher at independent St Edward’s School in Woodstock Road, Oxford, Henry Chitsenga serves Britain’s public school system. But he has never forgotten the dire need for education in
A HOME is surely one of our basic requirements. In the past, generations were able to rent Oxford accommodation at a reasonable standard and at an affordable price. Now greed is the cause of our housing scandal. Private landlords accrue vast
IT would seem that those at the top of the Police Federation have been discovered unjustifiably hoarding funds and indulging in bullying. How bizarre for an occupation of which the Oxford Mail, earlier this year described the “overwhelming majority
I refer to the article on May 14 which summarises the Care Quality Commission (CQC) report into the Oxford University Hospitals NHS Trust. We are extremely pleased with the overall rating of ‘good’ for the Trust and a rating of ‘good’ across all five
The first time I heard the Rev Canon Ann Easter in the Pause for Thought slot on Radio 2’s Chris Evans Breakfast Show I thought the Old Woman had been borrowed from Steve Wright in the Afternoon. How odd that one of the Queen’s chaplains should sound
Iwould be failing in a duty to an old friend — to several old friends — if I were not to mention the various ancillary events arranged to add further lustre to what is already one of the shining beacons of the county’s cultural life, the biennial on
Giles Woodforde is impressed by a steamy production of John Ford's 17th century masterpiece Declan Donnellan and his Cheek by Jowl theatre company are terminally incapable of producing anything dull, so it was little surprise that their production
Angie Johnson witnesses commanding performances in this new play by Oxford student Douglas Taylor Vico is a sharp new play written and directed by Oxford student Douglas Taylor. Playing at the Burton Taylor Theatre, the intimate studio space
Nicola Lisle talks to founder Em Marshall-Luck about this year's English Music Festival Em Marshall-Luck doesn’t usually go in for themes when it comes to planning the English Music Festival. But for this year’s festival — the eighth — the
Reg Little enjoys a live wire performance from Jeff Beck at Oxford's New Theatre Jeff Beck sits in fifth place in Rolling Stone magazine’s table of all-time guitar greats. But it is doubtful that any of the guitarists still going in that top 100
Cornbury reveals Romany party band will top the bill on festival's closing night THE organisers of one of Oxfordshire’s biggest music festivals have ended months of speculation by revealing their mystery headline act. We can today reveal that
Tim Hughes speaks to the X Factor winner who used to work in a prison Singer Sam Bailey laughs as she tells me about the night she won X Factor. It wasn’t just her family and friends rooting for her, it seems. So were the inmates of HM Prison
Anne James reports on two ceramicists 'thrown together' This is the first time this ceramicist father and son Clive and Dylan Bowen have shown their work together. And it is a strong, substantial show, one that makes an immediate impact. Comprised
Esther Lafferty says Oxford's rich heritage is apparent in the art on show in the city You’ve probably seen Oxfordshire Artweeks flags waving vigorously in the wind as Oxford celebr-ates its artistic contingent and throws open a myriad of studios
WHITTLING the list down to a top five proved a difficult task for James Constable. After all, what makes a goal special? Is a tap-in to win a big game better than a thumping volley which is just a mere consolation? Memorable efforts against
Interviewing food critic Jay Rayner is scary enough to make Katherine MacAlister lose her appetite. Or is it, really? Jay Rayner is within my sights, the famous restaurant critic and generally angry man, who has a stare Clint Eastwood would envy
Abingdon Horticultural Society chairman and beekeeper, David Bingley buzzes around Chelsea to find the highlights of this year’s Chelsea flower show for Oxfordshire gardeners If you're lucky enough to be going from Oxfordshire to the world’s greatest
This week's gadget comes from Central Living, Little Clarendon Street, Oxford Black & Blum have put the sizzle into barbecue design with The Hot Pot BBQ. They have created a unique barbecue and herb-garden in one. It looks like a terracotta
Ruth Hawkins of Oxford law firmTurpin & miller answers your legal queries Q: My child’s Social Worker is saying that I am not managing my daughter and that I should agree for her to go into voluntary accommodation. I do not want my daughter
The Insider gives us the scoop from inside the corridors of power HANDING over political power can often cause disruption, and Oxfordshire County Council seems no exception to that rule. When outgoing county council chairman Tim Hallchurch handed
Carnivores sit up and take notice! Following on from two weeks of highly popular Spanish nights, St Giles Café has announced a fortnight of ‘Taste of The Argentine’ evenings commencing tonight. Argentinian chef Sebastian’s menu includes chilled garlic
Katherine MacAlister tries a second helping to find out if her original opinion of a restaurant was accurate or not You need the skin of a rhinoceros to do this job, the appetite of the Hungry Caterpillar and the conviction of a lifer. You
Chariots and Cherry Pie is the brainchild of my husband, Jonathan, and myself. We thought up the idea while on our sunloungers in Turkey on our summer holiday last year. Jonathan and I both love America – and all things American – and wanted to
I am Nick Welford and I’m the chef at Cherwell Boathouse. I used to enjoy helping out at home with my mum, and started cooking them meals aged about 13. Discussing my future with my dad, he suggested becoming a chef as I enjoyed cooking so much too
As he heads out on the road for live dates and a slot at Latitude festival, TV regular Josh Widdicombe tells Katherine MacAlister why he gave up sports journalism to make people laugh for a living Journalism’s loss is comedy’s gain because in 2010
On the eve of its 10th birthday, Tim Hughes finds out about Wychwood's eclectic line-up A decade ago, a group of West Oxfordshire music lovers hit upon an ambitious idea. Inspired by the number of music festivals springing up around the county,
Gareth Malone, star of TV's The Choir, is bringing his own show to Oxford's New Theatre. He tells Katherine MacAlister what we can expect Gareth Malone, he of The Choir and The Military Wives, NHS specs and the Mr Tumnus beard, who spurs us all
JAMES Constable is gutted at saying goodbye to Oxford United after his six-year spell with the club ended. The iconic striker, who is just one goal off equalling the all-time club record, has signed a two-year deal with Conference Premier side
EASTLEIGH boss Richard Hill was delighted with the signing of James Constable, saying it sent a message of intent to the Conference Premier. The former Oxford United midfielder, who led Eastleigh to the Conference South title last season, is confident
A KARATE instructor who groped two teenage girls has been jailed for three-and-a-half years. Yesterday Darren Lymer was found guilty of two counts of sexual activity with a child and one count of sexual assault. As the verdicts were read out
IT may be one for sorrow but it was definitely two for joy for a baby magpie taken in by a pair of homeless people. Lottie Pauling and her partner Gabriel Chamberlain, who live at the O’Hanlon House shelter in Oxford, found the nestless bird and
When deciding on the future of development in Oxfordshire, the Strategic Housing Market Assessment figures, which suggest that the county needs 100,000 new homes in the next 15 years, have provoked much debate. The Campaign to Protect Rural England
WHEN this homeless baby bird fell from his nest, little did he know others without a home would come to his help. Homeless Lottie Pauling and her partner Gabriel Chamberlain, who stay in the O’Hanlon House shelter in the centre of Oxford, have
A DRIVER has been reported by police for careless driving after a crash in Abingdon on Monday. Police said the driver of a white Mercedes Sprinter van was reported for careless driving after the collision, in Dunmore Road, shortly before 5pm.
YOUNGSTERS might not be in school next week but they can still learn a thing or two about the world around them. The Earth Trust is running a series of events over half-term at its reserve near Little Wittenham. Oliver Rathmill, pictured, the
A PREGNANT teenager woke up in a strange house after a night out and was sexually assaulted by two men, a jury has heard. The girl broke down yesterday at Oxford Crown Court as she listened to a 999 call in which she pleads with police: “Come quickly
THE Gipsy Kings will top the bill on the closing night of the Cornbury Festival, ending months of speculation over the headline act. The Latin-pop act join fellow headliners Jools Holland and Simple Minds at the event at Great Tew Park, near Chipping
There are a number of wines from outside Italy that can go well with pasta but somehow Italian and Sicilian wines just work that little bit better when it comes to finding the perfect partner to this classic dish which comes in so many different forms
West Oxford Democrats Club were crowned Johnson Buildbase Oxford League Section 1 champions after picking up the two points they required in a 3-2 defeat at Didcot Conservative Club, writes PETE EWINS. Terry Green (3,560) and John Patey (5,570)
Oxford Shooting Stars, the recreational team affiliated to Oxford City Stars, captured their first silverware with a 15-14 aggregate victory over the RAF Bluewings in the Southern Conference Plate final. Following an 8-7 victory in the first leg
Tim Jarvis, son of Alan Jarvis, has had his application for a training licence turned down by the British Horseracing Authority. Jarvis senior, who is based at Twyford, near Bicester, lost his permission to train under the BHA’s ‘fit and proper
RADLEY’S ladies led the way in round two of the Sweatshop Southern League at Tilsley Park. But fielding just ten male athletes meant they only finished third in their home Division 1 meeting. Kathryn Woodcock won the A String discus in 41.99m
Banned lighters aimed at children have been seized by Trading Standards officers. The lighters contained a game involving a small plastic dice in the fluid. Oxfordshire County Council spokesman Marcus Mabberly said that the investigation was ongoing
The number of cancelled hospital operations rose over the first three months of the year, new figures show. Some 188 operations were cancelled by Oxford University Hospitals NHS Trust from January to March at the “last minute” for “non-clinical
Oxfordshire slumped to a 139-107 defeat against Gloucestershire in their second Middleton Cup trial match at Barnwood BC, Gloucester. Oxon started brightly enough, but from the fifth end onwards the home players scored more heavily to secure a
OXFORD’S first career college is to open in September 2015, an education chief has confirmed. The City of Oxford College plans to launch a new learning hub at its Blackbird Leys site by the start of the next academic year. And local construction
Headington went top of Division 1 in the Oxford & District League, sponsored by Yarnton Nurseries, after blowing away champions Banbury Central A with their first century of the season for an away 5-1 victory. Mark Charlett’s side led the way
RAINBOW hairpieces sat atop children’s heads to raise vital funds for young people battling cancer. More than 60 children aged between 11 months and four took part in the fundraiser for yesterday’s Wig Wednesday event. Little ones at Jack Straw
BAFA NATIONAL CENTRAL CONFERENCE OXFORD Saints continued their superb start to the season with a 14-0 victory at Leicester Falcons to record a third straight success. The win keeps Oxford on top of the table after previous triumphs over Lincolnshire
Oxford's Fracture could well be the future of anthemic pop-rock. Listen here and decide for yourself... THIS week’s featured band on our MP3 showcase are Oxford pop-rockers Fracture. We’ve got high expectation for this up-and-coming band who
Some four years ago we carried a story suggesting that Oxford University was to defy the crisis gripping higher education by planning a £1bn spending spree, which would see the biggest building programme in the university’s 800-year history. At
Indie aficionados will doubtless have been discomfited recently to see John Turturro fronting an advert for a leading internet domain registrar and web hosting company. Long viewed as one of America's most interesting character actors, he seemed above
It's back to the Golden Age of Hollywood for this week's DVD selection. However, one title is of a more recent vintage, as it harks back to the Swinging Sixties and boasts a soundtrack by a much lamented former resident of Henley-on-Thames. BOOMERANG
A WEATHER warning remains in place for Oxfordshire today, with heavy rain forecast to sweep in this afternoon. The Met Office has a yellow warning in place for London and the South East - including Oxfordshire - and the East Midlands, East of England
A DRINK-driver travelling down the wrong side of a dual carriageway at 60pmh had her car rammed by police to prevent a serious crash. Perri Game, 21, below, from Mill Lane, Chalgrove, was today starting a four-month jail sentence for dangerous
DAVIDSTOW VILLAGE CUP SIMON Hole hit an unbeaten 57 as Shipton-under-Wychwood beat Oxford Downs by seven wickets in the Oxfordshire quarter-final. They now visit Great & Little Tew in the last four on Sunday. Justin Cantrell top-scored
THERE were some red faces at Oxford CC when their first team turned up to play Valley End on Sunday – only to find they had arrived a week early! The Club Cricket Conference Cup first round match was scheduled for May 25 when the draw was made
EDDIE Pepperell is determined to give the ‘Pepper Army’ plenty to shout about at Wentworth as he attempts to recapture the magic which shot him into the spotlight 12 months ago. The Abingdon golfer tees off in the opening round at 3pm today.
THE last single-track section of the Cotswold Line rail route through West Oxfordshire should be redoubled as a matter of urgency, according to Prime Minister and Witney MP David Cameron. He has written to Chancellor George Osborne and Transport
HOLDERS Horspath must travel to either Tiddington or Thame in this year’s Bernard Tollett Oxfordshire Cup. Action gets under way next Tuesday, with Horspath and Shipton-under-Wychwood handed byes into the second round. The four seeded teams
OXFORD City’s vet 65-74 men’s team secured a silver medal in the British Masters Road Relay Championships at Sutton Park. Roy Treadwell clocked 18mins 48secs on the hilly, three-mile course for the second fastest split in the age group, Allan Matthews
IT was honours even as the Varsity Match celebrated its 150th anniversary at Iffley Road. Oxford University won the men’s Blues contest 108-104, while Cambridge University claimed the women’s spoils 110-89. The annual event, first held in 1864
5:11pm Police hunt for burglar on the run 4:50pm Overturned vehicle causing delays on A40 2:49pm
ANYTHING could happen when you meet a a hit singer-songwriter in person. But Linda Angeletta was thrilled to meet the glamorous Ellie Goulding in Bicester. Miss Goulding wowed shoppers at the launch for the British Designers Collective yesterday
THE head of an international police agency has refused to speak at the Oxford Union following president Ben Sullivan’s arrest earlier this month. Interpol secretary-general Ronald Noble withdrew his agreement to speak at the historic venue after
PRIVATE planning consultants “grossly overstated” Oxfordshire’s housing need by more than double, a planning expert has claimed. The Campaign to Protect Rural England (CPRE) Oxfordshire’s consultant, Alan Wenban-Smith, says the assessed need to
SWEATSHOP SOUTHERN LEAGUE Division 1 – 2nd round Radley A String details MEN 100m: 2 D Gain 10.67. 200m: 2 D Gain 21.52. 400m: 4 R Craze 52.39. 800m: 2 C Hewitt 1.58.15. 1,500m: 2 C Hewitt 4.17.58. High jump: 3 F Jesus 1.75. Pole vault
SPORTS teams in Witney could be in line for better facilities as club officials try to overhaul how they are run. West Witney Sports Ground users currently separately rent football, cricket and bowling pitches from Witney Town Council but they
VISITORS to the John Radcliffe Hospital explored the hospital’s world-class research at a special interactive exhibition on Monday. The annual open day at the Oxford Biomedical Research Centre (BRC) demonstrated the latest technology and techniques
BICESTER councillors have called-in a controversial decision to approve plans for speed humps on a “main artery” route into town. Last week Oxfordshire County Council’s cabinet member for transport David Nimmo-Smith approved plans to install 16
SHE was thrown out of the Army when she fell pregnant but Catherine Jones is still using her curtailed career as material for her new book. The author today publishes her 17th book Soldiers’ Wives, her seventh about life in the forces, with publisher
It was a chance conversation during a routine day that led Ian Jenkins to establish a business that has been flourishing for more than 35 years. He was out on a buying trip for a previous company when his supplier asked him: “Do you want to buy a
