Archive

  • Thame gets ready to remember war dead

    Thame Remembers, an historic community project to place crosses on the graves of 190 men from the town who have died in conflicts in the past 120 years, formally launches tomorrow. Crosses will be laid at the 32 graves and memorials in St Mary’

  • Capturing the moments that made a week of pictorial news

    Our deputy picture editor Richard Cave takes his pick of the week’s best photographs and tells us why he reckons they make the grade   I’ve always been a big fan of cooling towers, not least because my father spent his working life as an engineer

  • River rowing for the care of their siblings

    BROTHERS and sisters of seriously ill youngsters rowed down the River Thames to raise cash for their care. Teenagers aged 13 to 16 took canoes from Oxford to Pangbourne to row 50km (31 miles) over three days. They set off from Donnington Bridge

  • Residents’ concern over cafe proposal

    EXTENDING a cafe and takeaway business will cause distress to residents’ daily lives in Jericho, it has been claimed. The owner of the Walton Cafe, in Walton Street, Melih Tanyeri-Aladag, has applied for permission to add an extra floor with a

  • Jason, 22, wins recognition for community aid

    A VOLUNTEER dubbed a “shining example” has been presented with an award from Bicester Rotary recognisng his hard work. Jason Slaymaker, 22, from Bicester, organised last year’s Queen’s Jubilee Celebrations and worked on this year’s Bicester Big

  • Nostalgic day at railway centre steams along

    VISITORS enjoyed a nostalgic steam day at Didcot Railway Centre on Wednesday. Visitors were given rides on the trains and shown the history of how train travel has developed. Josh Granger went along with his grandfather, Vic Trace, 66, from

  • Managing to juggle a work-life balance

    BECKY Considine is one of the first nominees for the new Oxfordshire Business Mother of the Year Award. The mum-of-two provides temporary admin work on a freelance basis and has been nominated for the Oxford Mail’s category in the NatWest Venus

  • Burglar's window leap

    A burglar fled through a window when he was disturbed in a North Oxford home. The break-in happened in Bradmore Road shortly after midnight on Thursday. Nothing was stolen. Police said the burglar escaped when the occupier heard a noise and

  • Trial date for sex case

    A 36-year-old man accused of child sex offences has had a date set for his trial. Tilal Mahdi, of Friars Street, Hereford, is accused of two counts of conspiracy to rape a girl under 16, conspiracy to indecently assault a girl under 16, conspiracy

  • Manure on fields not responsible for pong

    Council officers have ruled out fields near Bayswater Road, Oxford, as the source of the mysterious bad smell that wafted through Oxfordshire this week. A spokesman for South Oxfordshire District Council, which is investigating with Oxford City

  • New signing Brown out to entertain U's fans

    Junior Brown is aiming to excite the fans at Oxford United this season after admitting the chance to join was too good to turn down. The 25-year-old signed a 12-month deal on Thursday and is in line to make his debut against Bournemouth in the

  • Two avoid jail over stolen gold ornaments

    TWO men who sold stolen solid gold ornaments to a shop which melted them down have avoided jail. Steven Newell and Jed Haynes both received suspended prison sentences yesterday for handling around £5,000 worth of stolen property. Jonathan Stone

  • Story brings home the horror of Gaza

    THE situation in Gaza is worsening. No matter what political views we hold, we must all be in agreement that the conflict is intolerable. And it is Hassan Alhallaq’s story that brings home, quite literally, the horror of the war. Most of us

  • Power tools are taken

    Copper pipes and power tools were stolen when burglars forced their way into a site in Wallingford. Thames Valley Police said gate locks were forced open at the Lupton Road property overnight last Friday and Saturday. Do you want alerts delivered

  • Ceremony for judge

    Judge Mary Jane Mowat has retired after 18 years as circuit judge in Oxford and Reading. Yesterday, the city judge was honoured by her fellow judges, barristers and court staff during a ceremony at Oxford Crown Court. Judge Mowat gave a speech

  • £500k funding for uni's smart glasses

    ‘Smart’ glasses designed by Oxford University which help blind people to see have been awarded £500,000 worth of funding. The Royal National Institute of Blind People (RNIB) and the university worked together to develop the technology to maximise

  • Mon Dieu! It’s table tennis by any other name

    SPORTING rivals in Oxford and across the Channel took part in the ultimate table tennis battle yesterday. Students from OISE Language Coaching’s Oxford and Paris schools went head-to-head as part of the Ping! Oxford table tennis festival. The

  • Five police face misconduct inquiry over Jayden search

    FIVE police officers are facing a misconduct probe over the search for murdered teenager Jayden Parkinson. The investigation is concentrating on the period of December 4 to 12, 2013. On December 4, her ex-boyfriend Ben Blakeley was arrested

  • Joust a moment

    THERE were exultant cheers at Blenheim Palace as the Knights of Arkley charged and jousted with one another in an annual tournament. The event on the estate’s South Lawn yesterday saw an array of medieval activities, such as falconry displays,

  • Rise in children who go missing three times or more

    CHILDREN in Oxfordshire went missing more often this year despite safeguards put in place after the Operation Bullfinch child sex grooming case. Figures from Oxfordshire County Council show it missed its target for reducing the number of children

  • Albert Hall Proms date for 'war choir'

    WHEN servicemen fly off to battle, singing with friends helps their wives get through a worrying time. Now nine members from two of Oxfordshire’s Military Wives Choirs will perform at London’s Royal Albert Hall as part of the BBC’s annual Proms

  • 'Time to move these boats on'

    THE body charged with managing Oxford’s waterways has come under fire for failing to move on illegally-moored boat dwellers. In June, a group calling themselves “Friends of Castle Mill Stream” took over a 100-yard stretch of Oxford Canal’s banks

  • CRICKET: Garrett breaks record with double ton

    JORDAN Garrett re-wrote the county age group record books with an unbeaten double century for Oxfordshire Under 17s against Bucks in the ECB Championship. Garrett, 15, smashed an astounding 208 not out to help Oxfordshire to a four-wicket win on

  • CRICKET: Porter shines as Oxon bounce back in style

    OXFORDSHIRE bounced back emphatically to beat Leicestershire & Rutland by eight wickets at Ashby Hastings in ECB Women’s County Championship Division 3. Having lost six matches out of six the previous week, Oxon were never in danger of extending

  • CRICKET: Russell's half-century secures semi-final repeat

    CALLUM Russell’s gutsy 57 not out led Oxfordshire to a thrilling four-wicket win at home to Buckinghamshire in their last ECB Under 17 Cup group match. As a result, Oxon secured a place in the national semi-finals for the second year in succession

  • ANGLING: It's Devon delight for Paul

    WITNEY angler Paul Claridge’s third carping holiday trip to Furzebray Lakes in Devon proved one to remember. The 54-year-old yardsman at Toll Chains Supplies in Stanton Harcourt caught a 22lb linear, a 28.0.0 common, topped by a 40.8.0 UK mirror

  • Car break-ins alert

    Drivers are being warned to lock their cars and take valuables with them after a string of thefts. Police said there were 12 car break-ins in Oxford in the second half of last month. Cash and tools were among items taken by thieves who smashed

  • Sex case defendant trial date is changed

    A man accused of engaging in sexual activity with a child had his trial date changed yesterday at Oxford Crown Court. Joseph Tsang, of Sandy Lane, Oxford, has pleaded not guilty to three counts of the offence as well as two counts of causing or

  • Station marks conflict

    First World War poetry and songs will be recited in a ceremony at Charlbury Railway Station tomorrow from 6pm when train company First Great Western and volunteers hold a commemorative service to mark Monday’s 100th anniversary of the outbreak of the

  • Neighbours join hands at Muslim festival of Eid

    FRIENDSHIP blossomed as youngsters united with their Muslim neighbours to celebrate the Islamic festival of Eid al-Fitr. Festivities included decorating hands with traditional henna tattoos. More than 40 families gathered at Donnington Doorstep

  • Clumps trust lost money on cooling towers event

    A CHARITY has been left £2,200 out of pocket after an estimated 2,500 people watched the demolition of the three Didcot power station cooling towers from Wittenham Clumps last Sunday. The Earth Trust spent £4,000 providing stewards for parking,

  • St Clement’s traders cheer as car park reopens at last

    TRADERS have welcomed the reopening of St Clement’s car park after work to build student flats over it was completed. Most of the 120 spaces were lost when construction began on the controversial Alice House, near Magdalen Bridge, for 140 students

  • FOOTBALL: Crendon are runners-up

    Long Crendon Res finished runners-up to Aylesbury Park Rangers in the DAF Trucks Cup on their home ground. Crendon Res had earlier upset the odds by defeating their first team 2-0 in the 11-a-side tournament. Alistair Banham, chairman of Long

  • CRICKET: Noble nails top knock

    OXFORDSHIRE Under 15 girls experienced mixed results in a festival at Malvern College. Having hammered the Netherlands in their opening match, they fell to defeats against Kent and Devon. Captain Ellie Noble (136no) hit her maiden county century

  • RUGBY UNION: Smith steps up as coach

    RALPH Smith has taken over as Wallingford’s new head coach. The utility back replaces Stuart Mount and plans to combine his role with playing. Smith will be assisted by lock/back-row forward Jermaine Webster, who will also have a playing role

  • Legion stalwart steps down but will still sell his poppies

    AFTER 41 years selling poppies to raise funds for the Royal British Legion in Oxfordshire Jim Lewendon is preparing to bow out as county chairman. As chairman of the RBL in Oxfordshire, Mr Lewendon, from Girdlestone Road, Headington, has attended

  • Salute to a true local hero who has honoured our troops well

    IN THIS age of celebrity, it can become increasingly easy for the true legends in life to miss out on the recognition they deserve. But Jim Lewendon is entirely worthy of all the praise he gets. The 85-year-old has dedicated years of his life

  • MOTORSPORT: Top riders in Berks bonanza

    Top riders from across the country will be battling it out for honours in the Berks Bonanza Arena Super Trial at Seymour’s Arena, Aston Tirrold, near Didcot, next weekend. The two-day event roars into action at 10am on Saturday, August 9 with the

  • CRICKET: Eyles bags a brace of five-wicket hauls

    OXFORDSHIRE Under 15s are celebrating two wins in the space of a week. They opened up with a 13-run success over Guernsey at Thame Town and then saw off Shropshire by six wickets in their final ECB County Cup Group 2B clash at Stonesfield.

  • ANGLING: Swimmers, boats - a cracking match to boot

    THE 25 anglers fishing the practice match for the next round of the Oxford Summer League on the Thames at Folly and Medley had to contend with boats and swimmers, but it still turned out to be a cracker. Bream and perch showed at Folly and there

  • City re-election bid

    OXFORD City Council’s former leader Alex Hollingsworth is making another attempt to become a councillor again. Mr Hollingsworth is the Labour candidate in the Carfax by-election which will be held on September 4. He stood for election in the

  • £8,800 benefit cheat must do unpaid work

    A BENEFITS cheat has been ordered to do 120 hours of unpaid community work after dishonestly claiming more than £8,800. Yawahab Badmus admitted dishonestly claiming housing and council tax benefit between July 2010 and September 2012 and dishonestly

  • Collectable vinyl's for sale on the record deck

    IF COLLECTABLE vinyl floats your boat, then Luke Guilford’s river record store will be worth a visit. The 39-year-old quit his London job as a librarian earlier this year to run The Record Deck from his boat Tashtar. His journey has this week

  • Nursing home fails standard checks again

    A CARE home housing 13 people failed standards checks again after already being fined £4,000, but a Government watchdog said some improvements had been made. Owner Dr Brian Cheung had been warned he must make improvements to Beech Court Nursing

  • Railway station’s £75m masterplan is unveiled

    DESIGNS for the £75m redevelopment of Oxford Station could be unveiled later this year. And people can now comment on the masterplan to help set out what the new station should look like. Network Rail, Oxfordshire County Council, Oxford City

  • No one will face charges over unlawful killing

    POLICE and prosecutors have said no one will face charges over the killing of a 52-year-old man in Carterton last year. Jeweller Melvin Hillier, from Witney, was found dead in a flat after a night of heavy drinking with friends in March 2013.

  • MOTORSPORT: Polden returns to the podium

    Kidlington racer Georgina Polden bounced back with a third and three fourth-place finishes in the latest round of the Aprilia Superteens series at Rockingham in Northamptonshire. Having crashed on the first lap at Knockhill and suffered electrical

  • CRICKET: Brown is on song

    RHIANNON Brown took 4-9 from six overs as Oxfordshire Under 17 girls won by nine wickets away to Staffordshire in ECB County Championship Performance Group 2. Lucy Gladdy backed up Brown with 3-7 to ensure the hosts were all out for 51 in the 19th

  • CRICKET: Reid seals it for Rowant

    ASTON Rowant maintained their 100 per cent record in Oxfordshire Under 17 League Group B with an eight-wicket win at home to Bicester & North Oxford. Joe Moorman (48) and Cameron Hill (47no) saw the visitors to 136-2 off their 20 overs.

  • ROWING: Oxfordshire quartet set for title bid in Hamburg

    FOUR Oxfordshire rowers will compete for Great Britain at next week’s World Junior Championships in Hamburg, Germany. They join a further eight selected for Britain at the Coupe de la Jeunesse in Libourne, France, which began yesterday. Witney

  • Education chief hits out at schools' 'lack of ambition'

    SOME people in the county’s schools don’t have enough ambition for their pupils, Oxfordshire’s education chief has claimed. It comes as figures show that Oxfordshire has failed to meet its target for improving the attainment gap between pupils

  • Pictures recreated using distant descendants

    WHAT do Clive of India, Oliver Cromwell, Napoleon, Emmeline Pankhurst and Charles Dickens have in common? The answer is quite unexpected - they have had iconic pictures of themselves recreated using their own distant descendants. The dazzling