Archive

  • Good cheer as charity charioteers hit streets

    HUNDREDS of villagers turned out to cheer on those taking part in the annual Bampton Shirt Race. Competitors wearing fancy dress pushed a variety of ‘chariots’ around the village, stopping along the way to down half pints of ale.  Members

  • New recreation ground finally open for play time

    AFTER more than two years in the planning, a former Second World War airfield in Oxford has been turned into a recreational paradise. On Saturday the new Herschel Crescent Recreation Ground in Littlemore was officially opened after a £80,000 transformation

  • Cathedral is perfect for helping young to learn

    IN January I was appointed as Christ Church Cathedral’s new education officer and I feel very blessed to have one of the oldest and most beautiful buildings in the diocese as my “classroom”. Although it is one of the country’s smallest cathedrals

  • Memory Mailbag: The creators of village journal

    MY MUM, Brenda Kasten, is one of the nine girls who produced Wittenham Ways, the quarterly journal for villagers in Long and Little Wittenham (Memory Lane, February 16 and April 20). Back row, left to right, are Ann Winter, Mary Greenough, Brenda

  • Memory Mailbag: Teachers’ names are recalled

    I ENCLOSE a picture of staff at Northfield School, Littlemore, Oxford. Teachers I remember include Mr Webb, Miss Callard, Mrs Church, Mrs Kirby, Mrs McDonald and Miss Orchard. MARION WEST (nee Powell) Blenheim Way Horspath THE City

  • Land of giants

    THESE huge earthmovers helped build the M40 through Oxfordshire. Peter Forbes, of Headington, captured this impressive picture of the giants when he walked on to the motorway construction site near Tetsworth one Sunday in the early 1970s. The

  • Sports day is a healthy option

    THERE were attractions for all ages at the Co-op sports day in Oxford in 1963. The more energetic took part in a 10-mile road run from the Botley Road venue. It was won by Benny O’Sullivan, a member of Oxford City Athletic Club. Meanwhile,

  • Schoolchildren cook up a storm with mums

    THESE children were keen to show their cookery skills. Rainbow tops, American brownies, Hungarian chocolate biscuits and flapjacks were on the menu at Dunmore Infants’ School in Abingdon. The cookery classes had become some of the most popular

  • The rugby legend who lost his life on the Western Front

    WHILE a First World War victim was being remembered in Oxford, another tribute to him was taking place at his graveside in Belgium. Former England rugby captain Ronald Poulton Palmer, who was born in Headington, was shot and killed by a sniper

  • Memory Mailbag: Memories sparked by old picture

    I CAN name all the teachers in the picture of staff and pupils at the Oxford Central Girls School in 1949 (Memory Lane, May 4). From the right, they are Miss Stogdale (cookery), Miss Haigh (history), Miss Babbington (English), Miss Soulsby (science

  • Darby and Joan members in fine voice for its birthday

    IT WAS time to burst into song – and the conductor was determined that everyone would take part. No-one was going to escape the clutches of Mr WW Allsworth as, hands at the ready, he prepared to keep them in time and in tune. Some of the singers

  • Mud, mire and mould – festivals leave me cold

    As I write this, emails continue to ping into my inbox offering the band I play with a dazzling array of festival gigs. Some are great, others get deleted straight away. And occasionally we’ll get an offer that I keep hold of, just so the lads

  • Our fight for full inquest into death will continue

    JUST a brief note to thank your paper for printing our letter concerning Dr David Christopher Kelly, and our peaceful campaign to force “the establishment” in Oxford to hold a full coroner’s inquest into his suspicious and untimely death in July 2003

  • Castle Street bus stop is a real problem for elderly

    I KNOW someone has written about this problem some weeks ago. I am wondering if anything is being done. I refer to the number 35 bus dropping its passengers in Castle Street – but you are not allowed to get on there to go home. I am in my 80s

  • Buskers lift atmosphere and we should be proud

    IS the city council mad? One of few things that helps lift the atmosphere of our depressing city shopping streets is the busking. Compared to the desultory buskers you see in many other foreign cities, street music in Oxford is something to be

  • Why is Kidlington getting the rough end of things?

    NOW the elections are over and the Conservatives have taken full control of Cherwell District Council, are the residents of Kidlington expecting more of our council tax and more attention to the fast deterioration of our village coming our way? I think

  • We have a good MP who has already made a mark

    CATHERINE Bearder says that Layla Moran would have made an excellent MP. We may never know whether that is the case, but what is certain is that, in Nicola Blackwood, we already have an excellent MP who has made her mark both in Parliament and

  • Banger racing is not good news for health of dogs

    I AM a third year veterinary nursing degree student studying at Edinburgh Napier University. After reading about the dog show organised for the Carterton May Day Fair I was thoroughly disappointed in the lack of consideration for the health of

  • First past the post system completely undemocratic

    TIM OATES is absolutely right to complain about the unfair results of the recent General Election. I was on holiday in Spain from May 8 to 18 and on my return was horrified to discover that nearly four million Ukip voters had only one MP, whereas

  • Latest shopping centre will be another white elephant

    ON May 20 you devoted two pages to the demolition of the Westgate car park, something, which is only the start of the work to be done here, which will include a new shopping centre. Originally this area provided homes for those who worked in Oxford

  • Missing: Police appeal to find Cowley woman Sandra McDonald

    POLICE are appealing for help to find a Cowley woman who has been missing for three days. Sandra McDonald, from Ivy Close, was last seen on Friday and officers are becoming increasingly concerned about her. Police spokeswoman Connie Primmer

  • Top surgeon backs pro-Palestinian festival

    AN OXFORD surgeon who performed Britain’s first successful heart transplant has backed the city’s first Palestine festival. Sir Terence English has travelled to the Gaza Strip 13 times in the past six years to work with doctors and help them deliver

  • COMMENT: Scheme is helping families in need

    WE ALL want our own families, and those in our communities, to thrive. But so often it can be all too easy to write off those that need an extra bit of help. Maybe there’s one such family in your street. A mum who might be struggling to keep

  • Man wanted after Didcot murders works for town council

    THE MAN suspected of killing Philip Howard, Janet Jordon and Derin Jordon is employed as an apprentice gardener for Didcot Town Council. According to a town council newsletter, Allen joined the council’s gardening team in September 2013. Newly

  • CRICKET: Three wins out of three for super Shipton

    Shipton-under-Wychwood maintained their 100 per cent record at the top of Division 2 with a comfortable six-wicket victory at home to Cove on Saturday. Simon Hole’s side were on top from the moment they reduced the visitors to 29-4 after winning

  • Locomotion gets festival fun moving

    BANK holiday weekend events got off on the right track on Saturday as visitors celebrated the historic locomotives on show at Didcot Railway Centre. The Station Road centre hosted a Diesel Gala and Real Ale Festival for visitors to view engines

  • Fears that new Frideswide Square ‘a hazard for blind’

    A REVAMPED Frideswide Square in Oxford could become a no-go area for blind people, campaigners fear. Oxfordshire County Council began work to overhaul the junction in February and is set to replace it with a roundabout connected to two mini-roundabouts

  • Dogs train alongside one another at special club

    SADIE the golden retriever showed off her newest tricks at a training session at the Fair Weather Dog Training Club. The 18-week old was at Arncott Village Hall, near Bicester, at a session for puppies under the age of five months. The club

  • Troubled families will get more help with problems

    THOUSANDS more families in Oxfordshire are set to be helped by a scheme aimed at people struggling with crime, employment, health and education. The so-called Thriving Families scheme targets troubled families and helps them address issues and

  • CRICKET: Horspath blown away by record-breaker Roberts

    Horspath were blown away by Henley opener Michael Roberts, who hit a league club record 155 to set the reigning champions on the way to a resounding 143-run victory in Division 1 at the Brakspear Ground. Roberts flayed the Horspath attack to all

  • WEEKEND RESULTS: May 23-24

    CRICKET REPRESENTATIVE Berkshire 2nd 221 (B Tyler 46, B Rogers 34, R Cook 3-28), Oxfordshire Academy 224-3 (H Smith 84, V Perera 53, R Cook 48). SERIOUS CRICKET HOME COUNTIES PREMIER LEAGUE Division 1 Slough 160 (48 ovs, N Akhtar

  • Play-off heartbreak for Swindon Town and Wycombe Wanderers

    SWINDON Town and Wycombe Wanderers suffered play-off agony over the weekend. Swindon were thumped 4-0 by Preston North End, for whom Jermaine Beckford hit a hat-trick, in yesterday’s Sky Bet League One final at Wembley. And 24 hours earlier

  • Classical music rocks for young string musicians at showcase

    YOUNG musicians from 50 Oxfordshire schools showed their playing skills at a special Baroque rock string day organised by Oxfordshire County Council’s music service. The event, held on Tuesday, was set up in partnership with the Oxford Philomusica

  • City council head of planning standing down after 13 years

    THE man who has overseen major planning decisions in Oxford over the past 13 years, Michael Crofton-Briggs, is standing down. Oxford City Council has confirmed that Mr CroftonBriggs, has volunteered to take retirement and will leave at the end

  • City farm funding bid needs public votes to realise plans

    A GROUP working to set up Oxford’s first city farm are leading the county’s bid for £25,000 in charitable funding. The Oxford City Farm group is one of 19 charities, groups and organisations from Oxfordshire trying to get the money from Aviva.

  • It’s DIY jewellery time

    A RETIRED goldsmith with over 60 years of experience helped jewellery enthusiasts make their own trinkets. Trev Edwards hosted the event at The Mix Community Space in Mill Street, Wantage, earlier this month. Lucy Print, 38, who made a bracelet