Archive

Oxford Cheetahs’ famous name will be revived on Monday night with a side in the special four-team event at Wolverhampton’s Monmore Green stadium. Cheetahs will line up against Wolves, Cradley and Birmingham.

DELAYS are reported on the A34 northbound this evening after a kit car broke down. Motorists are currently facing 10 minute delays due to the breakdown between the Milton and Marcham Interchanges. Automatic updates on our Live Traffic

A MOTORCYCLIST has been taken to hospital with arm and leg injuries following an accident this afternoon. The biker, a man in his 20s, came off his bike in Banbury Road near to the roundabout with the A40 at about 4.55pm. The accident blocked

IT was a case of art imitating life as a folk group struck up Smoke on the Water at Cropredy Festival today as a generator overheated and billowed smoke across the stage. Conservatoire Folk Ensemble started their rendition of the Deep Purple classic

People have been asked to “go yellow” for Sobell House hospice this month. The Headington hospice is organising a team to join Sweatshop Oxford on their weekly 5km training run, setting off from Gloucester Green at 6pm on Monday. Participants

VILLAGERS are urging Stagecoach to bring back the S2 to Minster Lovell, saying they are struggling to make hospital appointments in Oxford. The bus company removed the village centre stop from the route to improve reliability as part of changes

In Wednesday’s Oxford Mail, we told the story of how Oxford’s schools were affected by the oubreak of war as pupils and staff left, with many never to return. Here REG LITTLE looks at how the city’s university colleges gave their bravest and finest

TWO teenage St John Ambulance volunteers have been honoured for assisting people in need of medical help. Rebekah and Lauryn Durnall, 16 and 14, helped a woman drifting in and out of consciousness and victims of a car crash, respectively. The

A SHOPKEEPER and designer who pioneered the sale of ethnic wares has died aged 74. Ruth Stockland ran Stockland in Little Clarendon Street, Jericho in the 1960s to 1980s with first husband Jonathan. It opened in 1965 and became one of the first

There is nothing I would like more than arriving at Silverstone in three weeks’ time for the Hertz British Grand Prix with two good results at Indianapolis and Brno in the bag. A new contract in my back pocket for 2015 would make it the perfect

A LANDLORD who ran some of the most popular pubs in Abingdon has died aged 69. Keith Heritage was the former landlord of Abingdon’s Crown, Mr Warrick’s Arms and the Brewery Tap. The Crown was popular with townspeople in the 1980s and the Brewery

AN UNSEASONAL panto delighted patients and parents at the Oxford Children’s Hospital. The production of Robinson Crusoe was put on by the Starlight Children’s Foundation as part of an eight-week tour across the UK. Eight-year-old Annabelle

ABOUT 100 people are still without internet after a car crashed into a broadband cabinet in Carterton on Tuesday. Spokesman for BT Paul Hayward said: "Engineers have encountered a considerable amount of works and we are hoping at this stage we

THE DEATH of toddler Sarah Dahane last year was not preventable or predictable, an investigation has concluded. The youngster - known in the report as Child N - was found dead at her Oxfordshire home last year. No cause of death was given.

SMALL firms across the county are hiring new staff at their fastest rate for 25 years, according to a survey. UE Coffee Roasters, which supplies coffee and tea to Number 10 Downing Street, celebrity chef Rick Stein, and hotels and restaurants,

A NEW centre for the research of materials is to be built at the Harwell science campus. Oxford University and Diamond Light Source, the particle accelerator facility, are working together on the project. It will see cutting-edge microscopes

FROM Wantage with Love – business leaders have been invited to a James Bond-style private party and casino. The black-tie networking event at The Beacon is being organised by Wantage and District Chamber of Commerce. Special guests will include

STAGECOACH Oxford has diverted the 31 bus so that it can avoid the delays around the A34 Hinksey Hill roundabout. The 31 will no longer serve Hinksey or Bagley Wood Sawmill, and will instead divert via Kennington Village and Bagley Wood Road.

Sarah Mayhew-Craddock immerses herself in an exciting exhibition created by two award-winning local artists In October and November last year OVADA (Oxfordshire Visual Arts Development Agency) turned its post-industrial floor and wall space over

* Carluccio’s will be opening in a few weeks time in the old Strada site on Little Clarendon Street with its usual caffe/deli scenario, having been searching for a suitable site since leaving the Old Castle site in 2010. They will be writing a start-up

Mel Fewster tries the tea at Oxford's Macdonald Randolph Hotel The MacDonald Randolph in the heart of Oxford was my tea destination on this beautiful summer’s day. The concierge showed us to the Drawing Room, where we waited for a few minutes

With teens in tow, Katherine MacAlister gives very big thanks to the new-look Pret A Manger Shopping is the new leisure activity, especially for teens who take an avid and enthusiastic part in this all encompassing sport, preferring to shop in

Starting Up with Claire Hilsdon @ Chariots and Cherry Pie Inspired by the fun and fearlessness of the 1950s, when America’s love affair with cool cars and fabulous food was in full swing, Chariots and Cherry Pie is the only place where you can

Serves 4 Preparation Time: 25 Minutes Chilling Time: 1 Hour Cooking Time: 20 Minutes This goes down a storm with everyone I make it for. There’s something so comforting and satisfying about the combination of warm, sweet lobster and soft

Fresh from a sojourn in the Big Apple, soul-pop singer Jessie Ware is living life to the full with a new album and much-anticipated Cornbury Park debut. Tim Hughes reports Classically beautiful, elegantly dressed and with her jet black hair pulled

Katherine MacAlister talks to actor Stephen Arden about the toughest role he has ever been given – playing a puppet monster in the hit show Avenue Q Most actors revel in the applause and recognition, the fame and fortune, that playing a lead part

Top restaurateur Russell Norman tells Katherine MacAlister why he’s looking forward to Wilderness Someone famous has arrived at Wilderness judging by the crowds gathering and the phones being held up, the selfies and the cameras flashing. Having

A consultant anaesthetist who put dreams of professional hockey career aside for medical training has been selected to play for his country. John Radcliffe Hospital employee Dr Mark Crowley, from Stanton St John, has been chosen to represent England

Janey Messina writes an open letter. Or is it really aimed at a certain person? Dear estate agents of Oxford (and presumably the UK), I thought the last time I’d get to deal with you was when I moved to Oxford in 2012. I had the exciting experience

Director Ursula Corcoran on the birth of a new military museum In November 2013 the Soldiers of Oxfordshire were handed their purpose-built museum and research centre in Woodstock, and the task of moving the vast and varied collections relating

As its 50th staging nears, Reg Little looks at the history of the Towersey Village Festival Bob Dylan went electric, the Beatles played Shea Stadium, Mick Jagger declared he couldn’t “get no satisfaction” and the Towersey Festival was born.

Christopher Gray enjoys the top bites on offer at the village-owned Red Lion in Northmoor I owe my pals at the Cotswold Brewing Company a big thank-you for supplying me with an introduction to the Red Lion in Northmoor. With more than an introduction

Helen Peacocke leafs through some fun facts on salad Beatrix Potter’s fans will probably know that the Flopsy Bunnies almost ended up in Mrs MacGregor’s rabbit pie when they fell asleep after eating a surfeit of lettuce. Yes, lettuce. Lettuce

Q I want to make sure that if something happens to me, my son will be cared for by my current partner, who is his step-father. I do not want him to live with my ex-husband. Would the easiest option be for my partner to adopt my son? A This is a

Val Bourne is dazzled by a garden with some small-flowered scramblers Visiting an NGS garden the other day I was completely wowed by the Viticella clematis, small-flowered scramblers that looked completely delectable in early August when many things

Anthony Cheke takes us on a visit to one of the city’s best-kept secret places Everyone in Oxford knows Christ Church Meadow, but Christ Church Rubbish Dump? I’m not joking, between the wars and into the 1940s, Oxford’s tip lay on college land

Gill Sutherland suspects that behind the laughs and Brit comedy capers, the Inbetweeners are counting the cash Hurrah, yells most of teen Britain and the, erm, more puerile among us, as we are once again treated to the sexual misadventures of socially

Following the adage ‘the show must go on’ English Repertory Theatre swung into action before their evening performance at Oxford Castle when their Sir Toby Belch (Jack Taylor) had to be rushed to A&E — but all’s well that ends well, as veteran

OXFORDSHIRE is in for a wet weekend after the Met Office issued severe weather warnings for Friday and Sunday. The yellow warning, in place from 10am to 8pm on Friday, means there is likely to be heavy, slow moving and possible thundery showers

Giles Woodforde previews a student production of Twelfth Night that is heading to Japan Twelfth Night has, says The Oxford Companion to Shakespeare, been presented as everything from “unfashionable whimsical trifle to happy romantic comedy to bittersweet

It’s 1914, and a young comic’s jokes are falling flat with the sparse audience at the Kilburn Empire — and that’s before someone yells out: “Why haven’t you joined up, and gone to fight for your country?” But standing in the wings, actor-manager Lena

Christopher Gray appreciates play’s acting and a grand setting As with so many of Creation Theatre’s innovative and entertaining productions over the past two decades, the impact of its new Macbeth depends to a significant degree on a wonderful

The peeling wallpaper and the crucifix hanging above the bed have both been around for a long time. And so has Patrick Lynch, who is lying there motionless. Is he about to expire? “His condition isn’t listed in any book I know,” says Dr Soames (Michael

Firmly associated with the verismo repertoire, Opera Holland Park gave its first performances of Francesco Cilea’s potboiler Adriana Lecouvreur in 2002, the centenary year of its composition. What seemed a rare novelty then seems rather less of one

Nicola Lisle talks to choir founders Chris Watson and John Duggan It’s been two years in the making, but a new recording project by the Oxford-based chamber choir Sospiri is finally coming to fruition. A Multitude of Voices, a collection of

Dead Rat Orchestra are now in their 13th year of performing together and in that time have developed a unique musical style that incorporates explorations of folk music traditions juxtaposed with fractious electronic dissonance and a free-form approach

OXFORD MAGISTRATES Dominic Brown, 40, of Speedwell Street, Oxford, admitted handling a stolen nine-carat gold pendant and a nine-carat gold necklace worth £206 between March 11 and March 17 in Oxford. Given a four-week prison sentence suspended

A couple of weeks ago I had a letter from West Oxfordshire District Council telling me that the way I register to vote is changing. There will now be two registers – the electoral register and the open register. The latter is not used for elections

My daughter, amongst thousands of others, was waiting for her nine-month-old son’s first passport to return from Peterborough Passport Office. She sent the application off in May by recorded post and then monitored progress online. She then made

A 19-YEAR-OLD who told police “I can’t come to the station because I’m busy in Oxford dealing drugs” has avoided a prison sentence. Kieran Webb, of Austin Place, Abingdon, made the admission after his worried mother contacted Thames Valley Police

The release of the conceptual masterplan for Oxford’s new Railway and Coach Station has raised the prospect of an efficient and gleaming metal and glass structure which will be the subject of an international design competition. I gather one of

BLACKBIRD Leys teenager Peter Wright is hoping to be first across the line in Saturday’s race through the estate. Peter, 16, will be taking part in his third Blackbird Leys Mile at the weekend. He said: “My best time for the Mile is last year

Was it just an oversight that led your reporter to leave a few vital items out of the list of what Doric Properties want to demolish in Botley (August 5)? There was no mention of the destruction of the vicarage, of the iconic and much-loved Elms

Your recent report of the approval of the initial traffic order for Frideswide Square – a scheme that now, as you noted, also encompasses the George Street/Worcester St junction – failed to report the concerns I raised at the meeting about the effects

As Wilderness festival gets underway, hostess Lady Rotherwick shares her tips for a stylish weekend in the country with Tim Hughes The prospect of throwing open the curtains to find thousands of hedonistic festival-goers roaming around one’s garden

Theresa Thompson discovers a trove of Tutankhamun treasures As stories of discovery go this has to be one of the most spectacular. And as storytelling goes, the Discovering Tutankhamun exhibition at the Ashmolean this summer does a great job in

Becky Hallsmith of Ultimate Picture Palace looks forward to some late summer celebrity action and a bit of a break too... With our new seats safely installed back in May, this is the first summer that we aren’t embarking on a major upgrade or renovation

Cropredy’s Simon Nicol tells Tim Hughes it’s their ‘don’t mess with the magic’ approach and exciting new music that makes the festival so well loved For a man who is ready to welcome 20,000 people to his own festival, Simon Nicol seems oddly relaxed

CHANGING the world through the power of wallpaper is top of the agenda at Cornerstone Arts Centre, Didcot. Artist Samatha Wadham, 24, has put a twist on traditional wall coverings with her Interior Growth exhibition using paper, painting, film

STATION Road in Brize Norton is closed due to fallen power cables after an earlier accidetn involving a lorry. It is understood a lorry collided with the power cables near to A.K.Timms and Sons Builders Merchants yard between Manor Road and A4095

YES: Becky Considine, virtual assistant (freelance administative expert), mum of two SINCE the age of 16 I’ve worked, although I had always wanted children, I wasn’t blessed until the age of 40. In those 24 years not once did I think about

THE family of a man who died of a brain aneurysm 48 hours after being sent away with painkillers are suing his doctors’ surgery. The family of Peter Berry are working with solicitors to take action against the Leys Health Centre, which declined

THE Insider was interested to see Thames Valley Police put out an alert to the people of Banbury earlier this week. In it, our boys in blue warned the public that the filming of a zombie movie would be taking place around the town. The force

GEORGE Long will start the season as Michael Appleton’s first-choice goalkeeper, but the Oxford United head coach says Max Crocombe is firmly in his plans. The Sky Bet League Two campaign kicks off this weekend, with Burton Albion visiting the

FOUR cows were on the loose in central Oxford early this morning. Police were called to Abingdon Road at 4.04am where they found four medium-sized cows by the Head of the River pub. The cows then moved to St Aldates and Floyds Row. Police

THE summer holidays are the perfect chance for children to take in Oxfordshire’s natural beauty, and Earth Trust Centre’s summer play days are showing youngsters the best of the countryside. Dozens of children have spent this week embracing outdoor

A 21-year-old man has been arrested after a car crashed into a broadband cabinet in Carterton and left 100 people without an internet connection. Police officers were called to Swinbrook Road at 10.42pm on Tuesday where they found a Vauxhall Corsa

A woman charged with attempted murder after a car crash in Blackbird Leys has appeared at Oxford Crown Court. Monica Thomas, 25, of Salesian Gardens, Cowley, did not enter a plea during the hearing yesterday and has been remanded in custody.

VODKA, whisky and beer were confiscated from 47 underage foreign students caught drinking in Oxford’s South Park. Police went to the park on Tuesday night, following three weeks of complaints from residents in the St Clement’s area about drunken

MARKS & Spencer’s food hall in Oxford was closed for a second day yesterday after the store continued to investigate a reported sewage leak. The Queen Street store’s cafe and toilets were closed from about 2pm on Tuesday as reports emerged

OFTEN in the pages of the Oxford Mail we get to tell you some amazing stories – sometimes they tell of family tragedy and heartbreak. They can also be tales of courage and determination. And sometimes they can bring a real smile to faces. A

At the age of four, Lyndall Gordon did not go to nursery school like other children. Instead she became her mother's ‘sister’, learning what to do when she had one of her ‘attacks’. She must fling water in Rhoda’s face when she collapses: “If she

PERHAPS we should not be surprised the Covered Market saga is dragging on, traders love to haggle after all. But it is time both they and the council bury the hatchet and get on with the latest arbitration. There has already been two years’

THOUSANDS of music lovers are expected to enjoy a bumper weekend at two Oxfordshire festivals. The 34th annual Cropredy festival began today in the village just outside Banbury, with hosts Fairport Convention upholding the tradition of opening

A ROW over rents at the Covered Market is set to rumble on as the two parties struggle to agree on an arbitrator. Oxford City Council and traders have been unable to reach agreement on rent levels since the council proposed an increase of 70 per

SHE was the woman who came back from the dead after swine flu drugs almost killed her, now Samantha Goddard is celebrating becoming a mum. After 20 hours in labour, the 23-year-old from Bicester gave birth to Vinnie, her ‘miracle boy’, who weighed

6:16pm There are delays on the A40 after a collision involving a motorcyclist 11:43am A severe weather warning has been issued for Oxfordshire as the

THE trial of a man facing a series of rape and sexual assault charges started yesterday at Oxford Crown Court. Craig Preston, of Longfields, Marcham, near Abingdon, denies 17 sexual offences allegedly committed against three underage girls between

A DRUG dealer has been jailed for two-and-a-half years after police called to a noise complaint found 14 wraps of cocaine on him. Brian Loggoh-Robertson, 24, was arrested in Banbury in March after he gave police officers false details following

THERE are reports of heavy traffic on the A40 after a crash earlier this morning. All lanes have now reopened after the incident on the Oxford-bound carriageway near Witney this morning. The road was partially blocked before 7.15am. Get

MORE than 1,400 music lovers have been refunded their ticket price after a festival near Bicester was cancelled. A total of 3,000 were expected at the first Ox and Bucks Homegrown festival on August 15 to 17 in a field just outside the village

West Witney stormed to the Division 2 title in the Oxford & District League, sponsored by Yarnton Nurseries, with a crushing 6-0 home win over Thame. Kevin Alder’s side led the way for West Witney with a 22-10 victory as they recorded a clean

THE public is being urged to “ride along” with police officers to help boost confidence in the force. In a special briefing at Kidlington police headquaters yesterday to talk about the challenges facing the Thames Valley Police, Chief Constable

Half Way continued Wantage trainer Henry Candy’s winning run with a runaway victory at Lingfield yesterday. The 5-1 shot made all the running under Amy Scott to romp home by four lengths in a seven-furlong maiden stakes. West Ilsley trainer

THE Oxford City Stars squad continues to take shape ahead of the new season, with two players in and one out. Netminder James Skaife has re-signed and will fight for his place in goal alongside new face Ryan Bainborough, but Alan Green has moved

ANDY Harris says he would sacrifice Great & Little Tew’s Lord’s final if it meant they avoid relegation. Tew captain Harris was delighted to lead his side to the Davidstow Village Cup final with a nine-wicket victory at Dinton. But with

What better for summer than a spot of sparkling wine? The quality of these wines has risen greatly over the last ten years and they represent superb value compared to Champagne. Try this selection of delicious sparklers and find out for yourself.

Oxfordshire BA were unable to repeat the previous week’s successes as they slipped to a 126-101 defeat in a friendly against Hertfordshire at Harpenden. Oxon enjoyed success on just two of the six rinks. Mike Andrew’s four led the way with

Phil Gladden became the first Adderbury bowler in the club’s 88-year history to win an Oxfordshire Bowling Association competition when lifting the Allison Cup at South Oxford. Gladden triumphed in the competition for non-badged players with a

Oxfordshire's Carol Gaskins and Carol Penson had a terrific run in the women’s National Senior Pairs at Royal Leamington Spa before bowing out in the semi-finals. The Oxford City & County duo were pipped 27-24 by eventual winners Yvonne Woodcock

A 35-year-old has admitted two counts of possessing cannabis with intent to supply. David Smith, of Saxton Road, Abingdon, pleaded guilty to two counts of the offence yesterday at Oxford Crown Court, committed on May 31 and September 21 last year

A CHARITY which lost money after allowing people to watch the Didcot Power Station cooling towers demolition from its land has now recovered its costs. The Earth Trust spent £4,000 providing stewards for parking, tea and coffee and temporary toilets

Two people appeared at Oxford Crown Court yesterday facing child sexual exploitation charges. Ahmed Hassan, 20, of Glyndebourne Gardens, Banbury, is charged with sexual assault and a 17-year-old from Banbury, who cannot be named for legal reasons

Oxford was the seventh most visited town or city in the UK last year, figures show. In 2013 there were 456,000 people who came to the city for “staying visits” – meaning they spent at least one night here. The figure is up from the previous

Alfred Hitchcock made 11 features in the 1950s. Five of them were as playful as they were suspenseful and each made teasing use of what Hitch called a `Macguffin'. This was a plot device that sparked the action and became increasingly peripheral as

We complete our summer survey of arthouse boxed sets with Alain Robbe-Grillet: Six Films 1963-1974 . Best known as one of the architects of the nouveau roman, Robbe-Grillet first became involved with film when Alain Resnais asked him to collaborate

OXFORD Saints ran in five touchdowns as they stunned leaders Peterborough Saxons to claim a 33-12 win on the road. Rob Johnson, Martin Fitzpatrick and Kev Brooks all scored in the first half to give the visitors a commanding lead and a double from

SOME might see this as a wooly-brained idea for closure-threatened Temple Cowley Pools. But Oxford Brookes University architecture student Will Field has won a top award for his plan to replace the pools with a building made out of wool. Areas

CONSULTATIONS over controversial plans to redevelop Botley’s West Way shopping centre have been further delayed, causing more discontent among local people. Developer Doric Properties Ltd was due to unveil its third set of plans to local residents

ROMAN coins, a gold ring and a silver brooch found under South Oxfordshire farmland are among artefacts to be offered to the county’s museums. Two coin hoards, some dating back to the third century, were among five discoveries by people using metal

VIKINGS moved top of Group A despite drawing 3-3 at Berinsfield Club, writes PETE EWINS. The result was enough to leapfrog Didcot Conservative Club, who were on a free week. Vikings led 3-1 thanks to wins from Bob Allsworth (8,970), Allan Lacey

RADLEY were relegated from Division 1 of the Sweatshop Southern League after finishing fourth in their final meeting at Bromley. This consigned the club to last place in the table and a return to Division 2. There were still some good performances

BOTANIC Garden staff have been compared to an evil wizard for cutting down a tree that is said to have inspired Lord of the Rings author JRR Tolkien. The black pine – pinus negra – is being felled for safety reasons after two of its branches fell

ONE swallow doesn’t make a summer, but these two made the shot of a lifetime for wildlife photographer George Reszeter. In a year when he has found it hard to spot swallows, the former Oxford Mail staff photographer came across this adult feeding

FREDDIE Curtis says he will use his IAAF World Junior Championships disappointment to make him a better javelin thrower. The 19-year-old, from Hardwick, near Bicester, was unable to produce a legal throw in qualifying when competing for Great Britain

OXFORD academics are leading the fight against cardiovascular disease which kills hundreds in the city each year. The British Heart Foundation (BHF) revealed the disease blights the lives of 12,000 Oxford residents killing 260 each year from conditions

SIX Oxfordshire athletes secured podium places in the South of England Under 15/20 Inter County Championships at Hendon. White Horse Harriers’ Ben Claridge finished second in the under 20 men’s 800m after clocking 1min 55.36secs. Redford Curtis

MORE than 700 houses, a primary school and sports pitches could be built in Bicester if plans are approved tonight. Countryside Properties have submitted the plans to Cherwell District Council for 36.9 hectares of land between Middleton Stoney

CUTTESLOWE Community Centre has been pulled back from the brink of financial ruin after trustees launched a public appeal to save it. In June it was warned the building was losing £2,000 every month and would be forced to close by November.

THE horrors of trench warfare were brought to life in Abingdon this week by two secondary school teachers. Rick Stevens and Gareth Howell, from Nottingham, are giving a series of free talks on the First World War at Abingdon County Hall Museum.

WAR was the focus for flowerbeds in Witney as part of the town’s entry in a national floral competition. Six community groups have planted beds as part of the town’s Britain in Bloom bid. They have adopted Witney in Bloom’s own First World

BARTON’S Royal British Legion social club has shut its doors amid concerns about lack of interest. Tough financial times have been blamed for the closure of the Barton-based Headington Royal British Legion. Members of the Edgecombe Road club