Archive

MONEY needs to be spent on safety imporvements to a key Wantage road before there is a serious accident, it has been warned. Calls have been made to improve Ickleton Road out of the town as more houses are planned for the area. Developments

Oxfordshire's Lawrence Clarke had to pull out of the 110 metres hurdles final at the European Championships in Zurich tonight after injuring himself in the warm-up. Clarke, who qualified for the final after coming third in his semi-final earlier

There once was a time when summer music festivals were wild, creative events populated by colourful, friendly characters who were there to have a good time and make friends. Sadly, practically every event these days has been turned into a commercial

Oxfordshire's Lawrence Clarke has reached tonight's final of the men's 110m hurdles after coming third in his heat. The Christmas Common athlete timed his dip to perfection to grab third place in a time of 13.47secs and will now line up in the

STAGECOACH services will run to Sunday timetables on Bank Holiday Monday (August 25) in the county. All routes were affected, the firm said, including the Oxford Tube and X5. Oxford Bus Company said its city services would run to Sunday timetables

PATIENTS across the county are being urged to give their views on eye services on the NHS. Oxfordshire Clinical Commissioning Group wants people to complete an online survey that will inform how eye services are run. It said issues include

LONG Wittenham villagers are seeking permission to set up their own Neighbourhood Plan to help chart future development. South Oxfordshire District Council has opened a consultation about the idea. Introduced in the Localism Act in 2011, neighbourhood

HEAVY traffic is building up across the city this afternoon. There are severe delays along Banbury Road, Frideswide Square, Abingdon Road, Weirs Lane and Donnington Bridge Road. Motorists travelling along Botley Road are also facing severe

MOST people may see children playing around with tablets and games consoles and think that the devices are rotting their brains. But not so in many of the county’s schools. Smartphones and tablets are everywhere, so it is not surprising that

A £390,000 project to improve parking at an Abingdon leisure centre will start soon. Work on an overflow area with 99 new spaces is to start at the White Horse Leisure and Tennis Centre from Tuesday, August 26. The new spaces will be next to

TRAFFIC was delayed after two accidents on the M40 southbound today. A silver Vauxhall Corsa and a Renault Clio were both involved in separate crashes between junction 9 at Bicester and junction 8A at Oxford. Thames Valley Police were called

THE number of people with learning disabilities who need state-funded help has risen 16 per cent in the last two years, it has been revealed. Council and NHS bosses are funding care for 2,078 people in their own homes or care facilities in March

Forget costly summer outings, entertain the kids with inexpensive experiments at home, says Jaine Blackman When the children start to moan that they’re bored during the summer holidays, parents need go no further than the kitchen table to provide

Chris Hutchinson explores North Cyprus and tells of delightful places and people Excellent customer service and lots of information from Leanne at Anatolian Sky Holidays – and the cost, well within budget – made the decision easy to go to North

E-FIT pictures of two men have been released after an man's house was burgled on Monday. Police said a man had knocked on the elderly man’s door, in Main Street, Forest Hill, between 8.45pm and 9pm and asked to see his back garden. He said

As far as brunch goes there are plenty of options in and around Oxford city centre but Headington’s growing reputation as a culinary suburb is built on strong foundations, with Jacobs & Field underpinning the area’s rise. Jacobs & Field

CATCH up on all the issues and quips raised by our readers in their Letters to the Editor today. Do you want alerts delivered straight to your phone via our WhatsApp service? Text NEWS or SPORT or NEWS AND SPORT, depending on which services you

AFTER banging their heads against a brick wall, Oxfordshire’s builders can see light at the end of the tunnel. The construction industry has been in the doldrums for the past six years but new figures show it is on the up. According to the

THREE friends are hoping to cause a stir at county events after opening a cocktail bar in a vintage van. Andrew Gregory and brothers Alistair and Richard Sanderson have turned a 1981 Citroen H van into a well-stocked bar in their business venture

A £15.6m centre in Culham, for training engineers to use robotic arms, has lodged plans for a 3,000sqm facility. The Remote Applications in Challenging Environments (RACE) building, in the Culham Science Centre, will have cutting-edge facilities

Nick Edwards puts his dietary concerns to the test and enjoys a suberb meal with a gluten-loving friend It’s amazing how gluten seems to find its way into everything. I’m not just talking of the obvious things – you know, bread and cakes and

THE man who found Connor Tremble after he was fatally stabbed has told a jury he still hears his friend screaming. Kyle Martin, 20, was staying with the 17-year-old on February 13 this year and this morning he gave evidence in Oxford Crown Court

Starting Up with Yvonne Oppon @ The Roof at TVC What do they say? Time flies when you’re having fun? Well, this last month at The Varsity Club has gone by in a blur which must mean we have been having a whole lot of fun! Since we opened the

EMERGENCY repair works have started on Botley Road after a leak was spotted this morning. A lane has been closed near Osney Bridge – where the road was dug up last month causing traffic delays – because of a broken water main. Workmen from

John Footman is Executive Chef at Summertown’s new restaurant The Oxford Kitchen. John traces his love of cooking with fresh quality produce to his childhood and the imaginative home grown food cooked by his family. This passion for fresh produce

Unlikely author John Healy takes success in his stride after enduring an abusive childhood, homelessless, alcohol addiction and time in jail. Katherine MacAlister is impressed... John Healy’s story is so graphic, so shocking, so unlikely, that

Tim Hughes speaks to Klaus Flouride, guitarist with US hardcore band Dead Kennedys Irrelevant, intelligent and revolutionary, Dead Kennedys are the ultimate anarchist punk band. Bursting on to the San Francisco underground in 1978, their white

Oxford producer Victor Glynn talks to Katherine MacAlister about how his small film made it big An animated table football team has finally brought Oxford’s Victor Glynn the kind of success he has always dreamed of. His new movie The Unbeatables

TWO years ago nursery teacher Dawn Farrell was attending a business conference when she saw photos of an African school washed away by flash flooding. Now, after raising £3,500 since October 2012 to help improve the lot of children in Tanzania,

Seamus Perry gives gory details on the career he didn't pursue I’ve been reading Dylan Thomas, whose centenary comes this year. I remain slightly allergic to Under Milk Wood, while recognising its almost overwhelming charm; but in the shorter pieces

Richard Scrase, communication manager for Understanding Animal Research I am 57 and I expect to die of cancer, heart disease or a stroke, but not infectious disease. That expectation is thanks to medical research that sometimes uses animals, research

The curious thing about Aldi’s podded peas is that they come in their pods. The packet (above) was one I bought recently. Good job it was clear plastic; otherwise these would have been — well, surprise peas (if anyone remembers those). Evidently

Katherine MacAlister tries an American-style diner that’s a hit with the family With the divorce season of map-reading and holiday driving upon us, I thought it serendipitous to bring Chariots and Cherry Pie to your attention. It’s a new concept

A SERIES of audio plays written by residents and produced professionally about an historic Oxford waterway are set to be published online. Four winners were chosen in June in the Oxford Canal Heritage Project competition by Oxford author Philip

SHE dreamed a dream, and it came true. Harwell girl Maia Hawkins, 13, was the youngest singer in this year’s Has Reading Got Talent? competition. Her performance of I Dreamed a Dream from the musical Les Miserables wowed judges and won her

Robert Ogilvy, 40, of West View, Tree Lane, Oxford, convicted of failing to give information relating to the identification of a driver alleged to have been guilty of an offence between October 30 and November 27. Fined £300 and told to pay a

Keeping illnesses at bay is essential when preparing summer feasts, as Helen Peacocke discusses Now that high summer is here it is time to discuss the dangers of careless food preparation once again. I realise I say this every year, but this

Val Bourne explores the origins of the border phlox August wouldn’t be August without the scented heads of border phloxes bobbing up in the border. Sadly they bob up far less than they used to, despite being great garden plants, because they

That’s the suggestion of Ben Vanheems of the Berks, Bucks & Oxon Wildlife Trust With the summer holidays now well advanced, the familiar trill of “I’m bored!” may be starting to grate. Little minds need big adventures to keep them occupied,

Damon Smith finds laughs and lads in The Expendables’ third outing Following a spectacular stunt aboard a moving train that opens this third instalment of the action franchise, Arnold Schwarzenegger turns to Sylvester Stallone and wearily confides

Nicola Lisle talks to producer/actress Olivia Frazer-Smith about Fairy Dust Arts Oxford-based community theatre group Fairy Dust Arts has a huge project on its hands — a series of three plays about the make-believe world of Oxage, which is embroiled

Gill Sutherland enjoys a filthy and foul-mouthed performance by the puppets of Avenue Q Call me oxymoronic, but the idea of cute fluffy puppets that swear like troopers really appeals to me. Show creators and major Muppets fans Jeff Marx and

Fifteen young men set upon a 39-year-old man in Wood Farm and kicked and punched him. The man was left cut and bruised after the attack at 9.30pm on Monday on in Blackstock Close. The victim was treated at the John Radcliffe Hospital and has

Christopher Gray is swept away by this Shakespeare in the open air The Met Office shipping forecast echoed around the windy walls of the Bodleian Library’s Old School’s Quadrangle on Tuesday night, setting the scene for the shipwreck that separates

The National Theatre’s gleeful celebration of vulgarity, One Man, Two Governors, was seen in Aylesbury in 2011 prior to its triumphs in the West End and on Broadway. Put off by the self-consciously ‘starry’ turn from James Corden and a running-time

Nicola Lisle talks to conductor John Traill about this year’s Oxford Proms Less than a month ago, John Traill was conducting the Oxford County Youth Orchestra in the final concert of their current season. On Saturday, as he steps on to the

There once was a time when summer music festivals were wild, creative events populated by colourful, friendly characters who were there to have a good time and make friends. Sadly, practically every event these days has been turned into a commercial

I READ with interest the article yesterday, ‘Campaigners turn to prayer to protect community pool’. Do they really think praying to an imaginary supernatural God will do anything at all? They must be living in Cloud Cuckoo Land, not in the

AFTER 27 years trimming locks Gareth Clarke’s cutting-edge talents have won national recognition. The Wallingford barber is the first person in the county to receive the Master Craftsman in Barbering award by the Hairdressing Council. The accolade

AS A regular tennis player who lives in Oxford and uses the Alexandra tennis courts, I would like to respond to city councillor Andrew Gant’s suggestion that the green space should be used in a better way (August 12). He says that “it could be

OUR wonderful national parks are a vital part of our rural heritage that need to be cherished. I was, therefore, horrified to read that the Government had considered granting licences to drill for shale gas in our national parks. Has this country

I'M NOT a frequent traveller on trains, but can appreciate the frustrations outlined in Alex Wynick’s report (‘We should get a better service for the price we pay, August 11). When buying a coach ticket everyone is guaranteed to have a seat. Rail

PERHAPS it was the effect of listening to the D-Day anniversary edition of Vera Lynn, songs dreaming of the end of war and hopes of a more sane world, that prompted my reaction. The strains of We’ll Meet Again had died away and I had changed over

Not even the tail end of a hurricane could take the edge off the summer’s twin big-hitters last weekend. Wilderness and Cropredy festivals were hailed by punters, artists and organisers alike as a pair of triumphs. The liveliest of the pair

Legendary Alan McGee plays himself in upcoming film Svengali. He tells Tim Hughes about his highlights and his love of Oxford Outspoken and larger than life, Alan McGee has never been a man to mince his words. The record label boss, producer and

Anne James goes through The Eye of the Needle to enjoy embroidery This is the first public exhibition drawn from Oxfordshire-based Micheal and Elizabeth Feller’s truly fabulous collection of 17th century embroideries. The collection is the

Musician and promoter Sebastian Reynolds discusses his latest project and the news from Oxfordshire’s music scene — and says one band is well worth investigating Having come back from a meditation retreat in rural Wales with no phone or Internet

Christopher Gray talks to Jonathan Lloyd who fashioned Charlie and Lola’s Extremely New Play for its theatrical tour Children’s favourites Charlie and Lola take to the stage of Oxford Playhouse next week in a captivating production that has wowed

Heavy showers and thunderstorms are forecast for Oxfordshire today as the Met Office issued a severe weather warning. The warning is for between 12.10pm and 9pm today and could see more than 30mm of rain in a two to three hour period as well as

POLITICS is a fickle business, and so Oxfordshire County Council leader Ian Hudspeth may well be preparing for life after voters decide they are fed up with him. Mr Hudspeth has been spotted all over the country scouting for public transport ideas

TEENAGER Ben Goodall has been selected to compete in one of the world’s biggest gymnastics competitions — the Loule Cup. The 15-year-old, from Harwell, will be representing Team GB in tumbling — where gymnasts perform a series of somersaults and

A BOXING club in Blackbird Leys is still waiting for an answer to see if it can move into the empty Blackbird Leys Pool. The pool, on Blackbird Leys Road, will be drained once the £9.23m pool on Pegasus Road is opened. Construction work, which

Q I want to take my son on holiday to Spain but his mum will not agree. We do not live together anymore. It will only be for a week during school holidays. Can I take him anyway? A Usually, when two separated parents share parental responsibility

TV chef Brian Turner will be one of the stars of the show at the town’s annual food fair on Sunday. In addition to more than 100 stalls cooking and selling foods from across the globe, Mr Turner will perform cooking demonstrations. He will

THOUSANDS of people across Oxford will this week be receiving letters telling them about important changes to the electoral registration system. The city council will be writing to all 113,000 people on Oxford’s electoral register and the authority

OXFORD United have been rewarded for their Capital One Cup exploits with a game against Premier League opposition later this month. After knocking out Bristol City 2-1 on Tuesday night, the U’s have been drawn away to West Bromwich Albion in the

A 13-year-old horse was pulled from a ditch in East Hanney by firefighters yesterday. Rescue crews from Abingdon and Kidlington were called after the animal got stuck in Station Road at about 10.15am. Firefighters used straps to get the horse

ALEX Jakubiak is determined his age will not prevent him from making an important contribution to Oxford United after signing on loan from Watford. The Scotland youth international striker, who does not turn 18 until later this month, completed

POLICE say a flasher exposed himself in front of four women in two days. Police are hunting the man who they said exposed himself to two women in Norman Avenue, Abingdon, at 6.20pm on Sunday, July 27, and again in front of two more women in Sandford

A MAN who admitted voyeurism will be sentenced tomorrow at Oxford Crown Court. Philip Harper, of Edinburgh Way, Banbury, pleaded guilty to a charge of voyeurism and breaching an antisocial behaviour order on August 17 last year. The 45-year-old

THE bodies of a reclusive mother and daughter were found mummified in their dilapidated Oxford home after lying dead for months. When police forced their way into Pauline and Caroline Jessett’s Littlemore home last year they found seven-month-old

TOURISTS visiting Oxford’s dreaming spires provide a vital boost to the city’s economy. But it could be bad for business if coach drivers bringing in visitors struggle to find somewhere to park because of temporary arrangements at Oxpens. There

BRADLEY Smith has set his sights on achieving his full potential after signing a new contract at Monster Yamaha Tech3. The deal will keep the rider from Forest Hill in the elite series for the 2015 season – and it extends his stay with the team

ORGANISERS of a classic car heritage day are looking forward to their next event after almost 1,000 people attended their first two. Hundreds of people have turned out to see a variety of classic and vintage cars, motorbikes, tractors and commercial

IT IS concerning to hear that a number of women who took part in breast screening in Oxford have been recalled because there is a possibility they were told – wrongly – that they were fine. As a result of this possible error by Oxford University

A CHANGE in approach helped Lawrence Clarke as he safely progressed into tonight’s 110m hurdles semi-final in the European Athletics Championships. The athlete from Christmas Common, near Watlington, eased through in Zurich by finishing third in

There's a special treat for fans of indie rock at the Ultimate Picture Palace on Friday 15 August, as Alan McGee will be taking questions following the evening screening of the music comedy, Svengali. The founder of Creation Records and the manager

IT WAS a nostalgic day yesterday for Phil Marsh as he took passengers along the preserved railway line between Chinnor and Wainhill. He was the Chinnor & Princes Risborough Railway’s first passenger 20 years ago. To celebrate the heritage

Katherine Hawes described Oxford City & County’s triumph in the Bowls England Women’s National Fours Championship as a “wonderful achievement”. Hawes skipped the quartet of Myra Lewis, Donna Knight and Gail Gilkes to a 25-15 victory over Brenda

DARRELL Bellinger and Diane Moore sealed the men’s and ladies’ titles after victories in round four of the Mota-Vation Series at Combe. Bellinger (Oxford City) collected his second win in four races to regain the senior and overall men’s crowns

YOUNGSTERS used their heads to learn about the history of the First World War at a hat-making event at the Soldiers of Oxfordshire Museum. The junior historians made hats at the Woodstock attraction yesterday in the style of soldiers’ helmets and

Wantage trainer Henry Candy landed a 125-1 double at Salisbury yesterday with Twilight Son (5-1) and Lady Pimpernel (20-1). Lady Pimpernel landed the Listed EBF Stallions Upavon Fillies’ Stakes under Dane O’Neill, while Fergus Sweeney was on board

THE only thing Will Blencowe regrets is not watching Connor Tremble bleed to death, one of his friends allegedly said. The claim was made in Oxford Crown Court yesterday by a mutual friend of Blencowe, 21, and the teenager he fatally stabbed on

Witney Mills were relegated from Division 1 of the Oxford & District League, sponsored by Yarnton Nurseries, following a crushing 5½-½ defeat by Oxford City & County A. Going into the final round of matches, Mills knew they had to post

Oxfordshire are bottom of the Home Counties League after being pipped 123-122 by Sussex at Thame. Oxon won on three of the six rinks, but were edged out with Sussex taking the points 16-6. Jason King skipped Oxon’s highest-winning rink to a

Telephone numbers for services run by the county’s mental health and community services authority are changing. Oxford Health NHS Foundation Trust said it has changed its phone system that will save £1m over five years. It will cover 100 sites

Commuters on the A40 faced severe delays while emergency repairs were carried out on the Cassington traffic lights yesterday. Temporary traffic lights installed in Eynsham Road caused long queues in both directions after a collision involving one

THERE are delays on the A40 between the Eynsham and the Wolvercote Roundabout after reports of a swan in the carriageway.  Automatic updates on our Live Traffic Service  Do you want alerts delivered straight to your phone

2:06pm Botley Road reduced to one lane after water leak, a month after sewer repairs 11:43am Man set upon by 15 youths in Wood Farm

ABINGDON’S Paul Fernandez triumphed after beating his deadly rival James Bolton (Woodstock Harriers) in a thrilling duel at the Hooky 6. Fernandez came out on top in the wind and the rain at Hook Norton in 32mins 35secs, just two seconds ahead

CENTURIES old rivalries between Oxford and Cambridge will be put to a new test this autumn when student riders go head-to-head in the first Flat race between the two universities at Newmarket’s historic Rowley Mile course on Dubai Future Champions

OXFORD City returned with a clutch of medals after a strong showing in the British Masters Championship at Birmingham’s Alexander Stadium. A haul of four gold, three silver and two bronzes represented a successful weekend. Bruce Hendrie led

LINES have reopened following a person being hit by a train at Slough, but there are still delays on First Great Western services. Trains were suspended between Reading and Paddington following the incident but have since reopened. But First

A pair of gripping documentaries commands attention this week. Each profiles an engaging character who found himself being prosecuted by the American authorities for pursuing what he believed to be a legitimate business. Yet, even though moral boundaries

Having previously collaborated on L'Année Juliette (1995) and The Cost of Living (2003), writer-director Philippe Le Guay travelled to the Ile de Ré to ask Fabrice Luchini to star in The Women on the Sixth Floor (2010). During the course of his stay

  We have a Live Blog running of updates, pictures and tweets. We also have a Picture Gallery SCHOOL A / B / C / D Abacus College, Oxford NS / / Abingdon 14-19 Consortium 171 / 27 / 53 / 97 Abingdon School 150 / 64.5 / 86.9 / 99.8 Banbury

NON-STRIKING firefighters have been called out three times in Oxfordshire during strikes led by the Fire Brigades’ Union this week in their pay and pensions dispute. Crews have been striking from noon to 2pm, and 11pm to midnight, every day this

A BMW was towed away from Oxford's Botley Road when police found it did not have valid tax. The car was seized during a lunchtime police check on Tuesday. Officers fined 12 drivers who were using mobile phones and seven for not wearing seatbelts

THEY may be more commonly heard on popular TV series and seen on the web. But now words including side boob (the side part of a woman’s breast), YOLO (short for you only live once) and listicle (an Internet article in the form of a numbered or

IT’S all-change at the top of the Oxford Summer League Group A table with Masons moving to the summit after beating Didcot Conservative Club 4-2, writes PETE EWINS. Martyn Wood (4,550) and Alan Lowe, who narrowly edged past Sue Atkins 3,690-3,500

LEA Perry sought solace in the tattoo parlour chair following the death of his 10-year-old son. The coach driver is now planning to have a seventh tattoo in memory of Freddie, who died after he was hit by a car last September. The family took

A MENTAL health charity will take a trip to Neverland when they host their 23rd annual fundraising festival in Oxford this weekend. More than 3,000 residents are expected to flock to Restore’s Elder Stubbs Festival on Saturday. The Peter Pan

THIRTY women who underwent breast cancer screening in Oxford are being urgently recalled amid fears they could have been wrongly given the all clear. Oxford University Hospitals NHS Trust (OUHT) has launched a “serious incident” investigation after

HUNDREDS of pupils across Oxfordshire will find out today how they did in their A-Level exams. Schools will be open this morning as pupils return to find out their grades and if they have been able to get into the university of their choice.

ALICE Hopkins broke the magic 4,000-point barrier when finishing seventh in Bedford. The Lord Williams’s School, Thame, pupil recorded personal bests in the 100m, 200m and javelin, and although she fell short in her normally-reliable shot put,

A FISH and chip van has been allowed to continue trading despite complaints from nearby businesses. Oxford City Council agreed Goujon Monkey could retain its right to trade at a licensing and registration sub-committee meeting last night. The

THE number of people claiming Jobseeker’s Allowance (JSA) in Oxford has halved during the past year. It fell by 48 per cent from 2,112 to 1,099 in July, new figures from the Office for National Statistics revealed yesterday. And across Oxfordshire

COACH drivers have said more thought should have been given to the timing of redeveloping their parking spaces in Oxpens. Oxford City Council closed off part of the coach park on Monday as it prepares for the £400m Westgate redevelopment. More

OXFORD City Stars believe they have sent out a strong message to the rest of the National Division 1 after securing the signature of Romanian international Zsolt Mastaleriu. The defenceman not only plays for his country, he has also gained a wealth

A SOLDIER’S widow had the bicycle he gave her stolen during a First World War memorial service. Brenda Monk, 75, and her daughter left their bikes outside St Helen’s Church in the centre of Abingdon during the special service marking 100 years

PARKING is a key issue for people in Summertown ahead of one of the biggest developments the area has seen. The four-acre Diamond Place car park site is to become a ‘retail-led’ development and residents have been quizzed on what they think of

A BICESTER teenager has completed a 50km canoe challenge to help raise thousands for the hospice that cared for her younger brother. Ellie Laurie, 13, was in a team of nine youngsters who all have siblings who are cared for at Helen and Douglas

AMATEUR cyclists wanting to be the next Bradley Wiggins or Chris Hoy can take part in a festival of cycling at Blenheim Palace this weekend. About 1,000 people will compete in a timed 60-mile or 100-mile Cotswolds course beginning and ending at

Precisely a century ago a baronetcy was awarded to James Horlick. As may be guessed, the honour arose from his invention, with his brother William, of the malted milk drink that bears their name — or, rather, in recognition of the social position and