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Abingdon’s Eddie Pepperell missed the halfway cut in the Irish Open, after adding a round of 74 to his first-round 72. Finn Mikko Ilonen leads the way on 132. Latest Sport news

YOU might expect the Oxford Donor Centre at the John Radcliffe Hospital to resemble a sedate doctors’ waiting room, quiet with perhaps a few National Geographic magazines for company. Yet as soon as you walk in you see a row of people hooked up

A TAXI driver in Oxford was robbed by knife-wielding thieves on Wednesday . Police said the man, 32, was parked in The Slade when he was approached at about 1.15am by two men, who threatened him before taking money from him. They fled in the

A BOAT-LIKE prow will be the centrepiece of a new university development, plans have revealed. The £45m Big Data Institute in Headington will see workers analyse large sets of patient data, to improve understanding of diseases and treatments.

THE awards from Cottsway Housing for her community work were amongst Molly Barlow’s pride and joy. The 69-year-old had been named resident of the year for 2012 and received another award for being part of the active communities team. She was

A LORRY and a car were involved in a collision on the M40 southbound near Junction 7. The accident happened at 1.55pm and there are no details about whether there were any injuries. The motorway was not blocked and the vehicles were moved to

Finding a house in central Oxford for under £300,000 is hard enough but when you are looking for a period property with character features, a large garden and potential for another one or two bedrooms, it is nigh on impossible. After seeing lots

THE new head of a city school’s sixth form hopes to inspire pupils to apply for Oxbridge universities when she takes up the post in September. Jackie Watson has been appointed to lead Oxford Spires Academy’s post-16 education. She said she

PICKING up the phone to make a 999 call is not part of everyday life for most children. But school pupils from across Oxfordshire are being taught how to react in an emergency as part of a special safety scheme. Year 6 pupils have been visiting

IT is almost impossible not to feel a little self-conscious piloting such a massive beast as the Range Rover Sport through city streets. It might be the fastest, most agile and responsive Land Rover, but weighing in at around the two-ton mark,

WHEATLEY Road in Garsington is closed following a crash involving a moped rider. A police spokeswoman said: “We were called at 1.30pm after a man came off his moped on Wheatley Road. “There were no other vehicles involved. “The road is

SOME years ago, while on holiday with my wife-to-be, we visited Land’s End. A few years later, when again holidaying there, we thought that we would show our two young children the same beautiful rugged cliffs and coastline that we had seen once.

BOB Johnston’s response to my comments on his first letter about the overhead electrification of the UK railways are somewhat inaccurate, and in fact he has scored an own goal by his contradictory input. Firstly he stated that AC current was not

HELEN Wright’s feature on refugees in ‘Refugee Week’ was very welcome. She does, however, misdefine ‘asylum seeker’ and ‘refugee’, as set out by the 1951 UN Convention Relating to the Staus of Refugees: an asylum seeker is someone who has applied

WAS interested to see the lovely picture in the Cherwell Link recently of the newly-screened toilets in the Piazza – fantastic. Sadly there was no mention of the High Street. I was told the bollards would be installed in May – then June – now it

Witney is apparently a wealthy town. Look at the registration plates in the supermarket car parks. But, of course, those who cannot afford a car are not represented in this type of data. This example illustrates the ease with which a superficial

Want to give your opinion? Email letters@oxfordmail.co.uk

AS a newly-appointed disability officer (Labour) for Oxfordshire and Abingdon, I am interested in making contact with disabled groups and forums in the mentioned areas. This will contribute to me producing a dictionary containing the information that

A CYCLIST was taken to hospital last night after a collision with a police car. The vehicle was on its way to an emergency call at about 11.30pm when it happened, near the Tesco store at the Cowley eastern bypass junction. The 25-year-old cyclist

Sir – Cowley Road Carnival is quite rightly getting lots of coverage, prior to the big event. Unfortunately, a large area of Cowley and Florence Park will again be without transport to get there (or anywhere else) for the whole day. Bus companies

Sir – A condemned man asked whether he had any last request before he was shot, said “Don’t shoot me”. It turned out to be not really an option though. Nor are the “options” South Oxfordshire District Council is consulting on about where draconian

Sir – I sometimes wonder if the city and county are deliberately ignoring each other. The county is proposing to focus development on the Didcot-Oxford-Bicester corridor. The city is looking at building houses in the Green Belt. The

Sir – Oxford Labour leader, Bob Price, seems completely unaware, when he advocates major housing development in the Oxford Green Belt (June 11), that the Green Belt policy was introduced by the Labour Government just after the Second World War because

Sir — I agree with the general message of Paul Smith’s letter (June 12), that all road-users — both pedal or motor powered — should obey the designated speed limits. Safety, courtesy and respect for the rule of law are all paramount considerations

Sir – In answer to your three readers (Letters, June 12) who replied to my letter (June 5). I must thank Mr Lawrence for his diagnosis of my mental disability and for his advice that I should contact the DVLA. All, criticising my three seconds

Sir – Gill Oliver’s excellent interview with the poet-publisher-scholar Jon Stallworthy (Profile, May 22) rightly mentions Professor Stallworthy’s sensitive and always illuminating biography of Wilfred Owen. She could also have mentioned Stallworthy

Sir – We get many requests to put out unwanted clothes for the benefit of various charities. Some of these we treat with suspicion as the benefit seems to favour the collector more than the charity. We have no such doubts about the Salvation

Sir – A while ago I wrote that shale gas may be better than nuclear energy as it is low in carbon and nil in plutonium. Indeed all of the main parties and even UKIP now say that we should embrace low-carbon shale gas to avert climate change.

Alison Boulton digs beneath the city's dreaming spires One of the pleasures of Oxford is its green spaces. There are so many of them – 55 parks in all, and in these long summer days, they offer something for everyone. A high standard of play

Rebecca Moore wonders why there's so much pointless basic information online I went to my wardrobe the other day and pulled out a sundress. Just as I slipped its strappy sleeves from the hanger and undid its zip I realised something crucial

This weekend, we took parental sacrifice to a whole new level by taking four children; three of our own and a carefully chosen extra to Legoland in Windsor. Dentistry is not a profession renowned for its corporate entertaining and unlike many of

Spiders are not the most loved creatures in the world. I get it, they can be deadly, creepy and at times just downright ugly. But when I saw a picture of Britain’s rarest spider – the ladybird spider – I felt a desperate need to help arachnids

As tennis fever starts to grip Oxford ahead of Wimbledon, TV presenter Helen Skelton tells Jaine Blackman about free tennis weekends designed to get families playing together It's that time of year again when Britain goes tennis crazy, with children

Alison Boulton digs beneath the city's dreaming spires I’m caught up in the passport furore, unable to make any immediate travel plans for the summer holiday. We’re meant to be completing the second half of a house swap. Last year a white van

Following on from Kirstie Allsopp’s assertion recently that women should have children by the time they’re 27 I stumbled upon a debate between a man who became a father aged 20 and another who fathered a child aged 58. They were arguing the pros and

A warm welcome for guests - and their pets - at a Cornish hotel turns Angela Swann's rain-soaked weekend in St. Austell into a refreshing break When I was young and living in the Midlands, family holidays were spent either in a chalet in Borth

Anxiety and phobias have followed former Oxford Revue president, actress and writer Rebecca Front since childhood. Therapy has helped but it’s laughter that has proved the best medicine You won’t generally find actress Rebecca Front in a lift,

Highlight of the World Cup so far, besides all the marvellous football obviously, is the referee’s magic can of foam. Normally solely employed by toddlers in the bath, it’s absolutely brilliant/daft that it has appeared on the professional footie field

Sheena Patterson of Oxford Garden Design devises a cunning plan It’s hard to believe that a creature so small could cause such a lot of trouble. The latest unwelcome visitor chez Patterson measures just 20cm long, but does ENORMOUS damage.

Try, if you can, not to feel emotional when reading the following written by Rik Mayall’s youngest daughter Bonnie. “We will never forget the man, and neither will the world,” she tweeted. “RIP to the man, the myth, the legend – my wonderful

Jaine Blackman meets a woman who wants to share her passion for Spanish dance and culture and will be getting Cornbury ready to rumble When Rosa Maria Reed moved to Oxfordshire she felt a bit like a fish out of water. “For the first time I

Did you hear that loud, clanging sound of a warning bell? It’s for anyone who owns a property, or thinking of buying one. Last week, the dishy George-Clooney-lookalike who is guv’nor of the Bank of England dropped a really strong hint that bank

Somewhat alarmingly, I’ve just realised what might possibly be my very favourite vice. And it’s not the luxury of online shopping for shoes to litter the house with nor my addiction to false nails. It’s not even eating a tub of chargrilled

As National Insect Week approaches, Jaine Blackman meets a woman who’s happy to spend her working life with bugs... seven million of them Don't tell her daughter but Zoe Simmons isn’t keen on live varieties of spiders. Not a surprising thing

Sir – When Richard Bowen (Letters, June 12) spots an improperly parked car, he can alert the county council on 0845 337 1138. An enforcement officer should soon appear. Our monarch always appoints as her ministers, craven ninnies who won’t stand

Sir – Not being familiar with "Balkan" brothel bouncers (Brothel bouncers, June 12), I can’t comment on the validity of the comparison. However, I do question whether the use of such an adjective is necessary or  a regrettable indication of prejudice

Sir – Freedom of Information enquiries reveal the following: Nurses’ pay rises over last two years = 1.6 per cent: NHS executive directors’ pay rises = 6.1 per cent. Our local Oxford University Hospitals Trust (which needs to make cuts of £44.7m

Sir – Congratulations to Harris Manchester College in Mansfield Road, Oxford, for having built an architectural delight as a part of their new build. Their new clock tower is so in keeping with the rest of the architectural splendour many of

Sir – Every day our roads seem more congested. A new slip road on the A40 at Shores Green, Witney, on Oxford Hill will help a lot in Witney town centre and Bridge Street. Thanks to everyone who has signed the petition to make it a priority for

Sir – Your correspondent, Bruce Ross-Smith’s letter (June 12) is a splendid example of why Oxford allows such crass developments as the Port Meadow blocks to be built. Answering a letter criticising the University’s equally ill-thought out developments

Sir – I would like to pass on my thanks to the staff at the Nuffield Health Centre, in Witney. On the morning of June 12, my 10-year-old son was due to go on a school trip and stay overnight. During the normal morning rush it came to light he had

Sir – Nicola Lisle’s preview (Weekend, June 12) of open air Gilbert and Sullivan productions by Opera Anywhere was informative and enticing, but wrong in describing the Waterperry venue as an ‘amphitheatre’; it is in fact a pretty good reproduction

Sir – It is not often the city council gets praise in your letters column, but I must say that the provision of an extra grassed area at Hinksey swimming pool was a great idea. On Friday, it was a joy to see so many enjoying the pool and sunshine

Sir – I have noticed in the Cornmarket, on Saturdays, there is a stall where a woman brandishes an axe and offers to carve wooden spoons for passers-by. I am not quite sure how health and safety haven’t picked up on this, as it doesn’t look the

Sir – What an extraordinary article written by Christopher Gray (Gray Matter, June 12). He seems completely unaware of his emotionally immature response to a colleague’s childhood memoir (Richard Littlejohn) as he discovers with bewilderment that

Sir – In your D-Day article (Oxford plays its part, June 12) you mention Dakota bombers at RAF Broadwell. The Dakota was not a bomber. It always served as an unarmed transport for people and cargoes. It is in this capacity it carried paratroops such

Sir – A major part of the Tingewick village fete and beer festival on Saturday, June 21, at 12.30pm is the Classic Car Show. Last year we had 102 cars and a few motorcycles. This year we hope to top 200. If you have a classic or ‘interesting’ car

Whatever your opinion about foundation hospital trusts, the bid to become one has certainly concentrated minds at Oxfordshire’s main hospitals. The application has ground on for two years now. What was already a long and difficult journey, has

  How fitting for the name Cuthbert Ottaway to be included in the Oxford Dictionary of National Biography just as the World Cup was getting under way. Precious few people will know that Cuthbert was the first man to captain the England football

IT’S the chance of a lifetime. Grab it.” The words came from Clive, a retired financial adviser and long-time Oxford chum who has turned stinginess into an art form making Scotsmen (and Yorkshiremen) look like philanthropists on speed. We met outside

‘I want businesses to make money out of disabled people.” That would sound cynical and ruthless if it came from Gordon Gekko the fictional character of the 1987 film Wall Street, but it’s the view of former branch secretary of Oxfordshire Unison, Mark

A SPECIAL Turning the Pages ceremony is planned to mark the outbreak of the First World War. The commemorative event is usually held four times every year, but there are hopes that 2014 will be an exception. The usual ceremony takes place at

GARY Waddock will wait as long as it takes in order to bring the right players into Oxford United. The U’s head coach has only so far signed striker Danny Hylton as he shapes his squad for next season’s campaign. But while several other Sky

THREE clubs in Oxfordshire are offering free play to the public as the second Great British Tennis Weekend gets under way tomorrow. Oxford’s David Lloyd Club (2-5) host free sessions on both days, with Florence Park (12-4), on Saturday, and Oxford

FELIPE Barcelos has rejoined Oxford City ahead of next season’s Conference North campaign. The 22-year-old spent 2013-14 playing in Italy for Serie D side ASD Santhià Calcio after leaving City last summer. Barcelos came back to Oxford in May

A WINDFALL of £3m to fix Oxfordshire’s potholes has been called “a drop in the ocean” as the county battles to repair its battered roads. Last night the county council’s leader Ian Hudspeth said while it was grateful for the extra Government cash

THE new document looking at housing options appears to be a significant shift in attitude from South Oxfordshire District Council, which has been implacably against building on the Green Belt for so long. It is only a discussion point at the moment

THE story of how Liliane Umubyeyi has gone from hanging from an avocado tree while her relatives were being butchered to receiving a degree tomorrow from Oxford Brookes University is beyond inspiring. Miss Umubyeyi has done well even to be alive

4:48pm A taxi driver was robbed at knifepoint in Oxford this week 11:27am A cyclist was taken to hospital after a collision with a police car in Cowley

Oxford’s cycle hire scheme was relaunched yesterday. Oxonbike is modelled on London Mayor Boris Johnson’s similar scheme and is based initially in the Headington area. Previous operator Grand Scheme Bike Share went into liquidation last November

A funding application to refurbish Witney’s Corn Exchange was turned down yesterday. Witney Town Council had bid for £1.8m from the Heritage Lottery Fund (HLF) to update the Grade II-listed Market Square building, which closed suddenly in November

OLYMPIC gold medal rower Katherine Grainger CBE visited Oxford yesterday to receive an honorary degree from Oxford Brookes University. It was part of the series of honorary degrees from Brookes to others including Baroness Lawrence, the mother

A man died and another was seriously injured after two separate collisions in Sotuh Oxfordshire A 39-year-old from Merseyside, was killed in a collision between his van and a HGV on the M40 on Wednesday. The motorway was closed in both directions

AFTER witnessing her whole family being killed in the Rwandan genocide, Liliane Umubyeyi was determined to survive. And tomorrow, 20 years later, she will graduate from Oxford Brookes University with a degree in International Relations and Politics

A SECURITY van driver was robbed in a city shopping centre yesterday afternoon. It is understood the G4S employee was walking back to the vehicle in Between Towns Road, Cowley, from Barclays Bank in Templars Square Shopping Centre when he was set

Frilford Heath’s Eddie Pepperell carded a one-over par 72 in the Irish Open first round to finish eight shots off the lead held by Finland’s Mikko Ilonen at Fota Island, County Cork.

Felipe Massa, from the Grove-based Williams team, has slated Sergio Perez as a driver he can no longer trust in the wake of their horrific accident in the recent Canadian Grand Prix. The duo have continued their war of words at the Red Bull Ring

Oxfordshire's Izzy Taylor could hardly contain her excitement after being selected for Great Britain’s squad to compete in the World Equestrian Games in Normandy from August 28-31. The 31-year-old, from Aynho, near Banbury, will ride Allercombe

More than 150 people registered their bikes as part of a police safety event yesterday. Thames Valley Police held a cycle safety and security advice roadshow in Broad Street as part of Oxford Bike Week. People registered to the online bike

Christ Church’s new Jubilee Bridge will be opened today. The footbridge links Christ Church Meadow with the college’s playing fields over the River Cherwell. But while members of the public will be able to enjoy views from the 28m-long steel

A DISTRICT council has for the first time revealed it would consider building homes on Oxford’s outskirts that would encroach on the Green Belt. South Oxfordshire District Council (SODC) has opened a public consultation, asking its residents to

LOVE is the theme for the Ashmolean Museum’s latest Live Friday event. Since last year the museum in Beaumont Street has been running a series of late-night events so visitors can see exhibits after normal opening hours. Love Friday will highlight

OXFORD’S Andy Triggs Hodge and his crewmates can add to their gold-medal haul at this weekend’s second World Cup meeting in Aiguebelette, France. Triggs Hodge strokes Great Britain’s four alongside Henley’s Alex Gregory, Mohamed Sbihi and George

MORE than 11,500 solar panels are helping cutting carbon emissions at Cowley Mini Plant. More than 20,000sqm of panels – the size of five football pitches – have been installed on the plant’s bodyshop, which opened last year. As summer gets

A 36-year-old man appeared at Oxford Magistrates’ Court yesterday charged with three sex offences. Tilal Mahdi, of Friars Street, Hereford, is accused of conspiracy to rape a girl under 16, conspiracy to indecently assault a girl under 16 and a

DEBUTANT WILL Rooney wants to take his chance after being called up for Oxfordshire’s Western Division clash with Devon at Banbury. The 20-year-old Thame Town seamer comes in for the game starting on Sunday after helping Oxfordshire Academy defeat

SATURDAY  CRICKET SERIOUS CRICKET HOME COUNTIES PREMIER LEAGUE Div 1: Aston Rowant v Gerrards Cross, Burnham v Banbury, Harefield v Oxford, Slough v Henley. Div 2: Dinton v Shipton-under-Wychwood, Finchampstead v Great & Little

Aston Rowant handler Alan Hill has spoken of his great sense of pride at being crowned champion trainer. Hill’s title was confirmed following the final meeting of the season at Umberleigh, near Barnstaple, on Saturday. He topped the table in

Tejvan Pettinger, a second claim Oxonian rider, smashed the course record when winning the Oxford City Open 10 at Witney. A north-easterly breeze made for fast times and all ten of Oxonian’s riders recorded either personal best or season’s best

Wallingford RC swept the board in the Reading Amateur Regatta, bringing home ten gold medals and the Victor Ludorum Trophy, for the club winning the most events. Lizzie Polgreen kicked things off with an easy win in the elite single sculls.

CAMPAIGNERS against a £100m shopping redevelopment in Botley have threatened legal action if it is approved. West Way Community Concern have hired Botley-based Blake Lapthorn solictors to look into the planned shopping centre. They are worried

EVIE Phillips and Tom Craig won the Oxfordshire finals of the Road to Wimbledon. The duo will play on the famous grass courts of the All England Club at the national finals in August. Top-seeded Craig defeated Ollie Broadhurst in three sets

OXFORD RL bid to stop a dismal run of four straight defeats when they visit Gloucestershire All Golds tomorrow. Tony Benson’s side have slipped down the Kingstone Press Championship One table after a poor run of form, but the coach is backing his

The proposed £100m redevelopment of Botley’s West Way shopping centre was discussed by North Hinksey Parish Council last night. Developer Doric has submitted the environmental impact assessment to go with its proposals. The firm has already

JIMMY Phillips wants leaders Banbury to regain their early season form when they visit Burnham in Division 1 tomorrow. Banbury won their opening three matches before the next two were abandoned due to wet pitches and then they experienced a frustrating

DAVIDSTOW VILLAGE CUP ANDY Harris believes Great & Little Tew are a more mature side as they prepare for their second venture into the national rounds. The Oxfordshire champions visit Dorset’s Parley in the last 32 on Sunday, having crashed

THE England fans in Oxford’s Wahoo bar fell silent as Uruguay’s Luis Suarez slammed the ball into the back of the net, all but eliminating the Three Lions from the World Cup. There had been a carnival atmosphere at the Hythe Bridge Street venue

Cash from a fruit machine was stolen when a Headington pub was raided. A man broke into The Six Bells in Beaumont Road through a ground-floor window on Sunday between 4.15am and 5.20am but police only released details yesterday. He forced open

ECB 50+ COUNTY CHAMPIONSHIP PAUL Tew completed a remarkable fourth century against Gloucestershire as Oxfordshire Over 50s made it three wins from four matches in Group 4 with a 15-run victory at Banbury Twenty. Winning the toss, Tew and Darryl

ORGANISERS of a new eco-festival at Hill End nature centre this weekend are expecting up to 300 people to arrive by bike. Nicholas O’Brien, 27, founded Tandem Festival with Nina Brown, 23, this year to create a festival that relied less on electricity

A decision over plans for hundreds more homes on the Kingsmere development has been deferred. Countryside Properties had hoped to add 700 homes as part of the second phase of housing on former farmland off Oxford and Middleton Stoney roads.

ACTOR Rupert Friend is to auction his motorbike in aid of a West Oxfordshire charity. The Homeland star, who grew up in Stonesfield, revealed on Twitter he had put his red Honda Shadow 1100 – which has also been ridden by co-star Damien Lewis –

Post Office customers faced long queues yesterday after self-service check-outs went on the blink in the newly-renovated St Aldate’s branch. A server issue, lasting 50 minutes, was blamed. A Post Office spokesman said: “The problem was resolved

AS proposals come, a song is one of the most romantic ways to do it. Chris Briscoe took to the stage at Wittfest last Friday to pop the question to his other half Maxine Ford. And the couple, who live in Clifton Hampden, came full circle as

ENGLAND captain Steven Gerrard has applauded the inclusion of an Oxford student into the annals of history as the first man to lead the Three Lions. Cuthbert Ottaway was in his final year studying classics at Brasenose College, when he became the

OXFORDSHIRE Academy belatedly began their season with a 46-run victory over their Berkshire counterparts at Aston Rowant. Home player Richard Cook (77) top-scored in Oxon’s 270-6 from 50 overs, with Oxford’s Jasper Davies adding 48 not out.

CHILDREN from across Blackbird Leys will be joining professional gardeners at this year’s Blenheim Palace Flower Show, starting today. The Blackbird Leys Academy – composed of Pegasus Primary School, Windale Primary School and Orchard Meadow Primary

SPEEDING traffic has long been a concern in Hailey but one wouldn’t expect Elton John and Freddie Mercury to be the solution. Drivers travelling through the village this month have been confronted by the sight of music legends gracing lawns, verandas