HUGE tracts of Oxfordshire were flooded this week in a detailed Lego model. Children at Dorchester St Birinus Primary School inundated a model of the county to learn more about the challenges of defending the real world from floods. Engineers
DOCTORS, nurses and administrative workers are getting fit this week as Oxfordshire’s biggest hospital trust embarks on Workout at Work Week. More than 11,000 members of staff at Oxford University Hospitals NHS Trust (OUHT) are being encouraged
PROTESTORS gathered outside a city college to campaign against adult education cuts today. Members of the University and Colleges Union (UCU) held a protest at the City of Oxford College in support of the union’s national #lovefe campaign.
Soldiers from Oxfordshire played a key part in the famous victory at the Battle of Waterloo. With the 200th anniversary of the battle taking place today, their courage is not forgotten. Andrew Ffrench reports The brave exploits of troops from the
David McManus recalls Pong, Space Invaders and the latest hi-tech wizardry The world of computer gaming has evolved beyond all recognition since the legendary Pong bleeped itself into existence in 1972. I am not quite old enough to recall the
Gill Oliver talks to Peter Gowers, chief executive of Oxfordshire-based chain Travelodge When Peter Gowers was a law undergraduate at Keble College, his parents had problems finding somewhere affordable to stay when they visited. Fast forward
Stuart Macbeth meets an entrepreneur, inventor and writer now focusing on painting Orde Levinson tells me over a glass of chenin blanc: “I’m finally back to where I should have begun. Writing and painting is what I’m going to continue to do from
Rethink Mental Illness is at the forefront of service improvements With a quarter of the British population affected by mental illness each year, the charity Rethink Mental Illness is making recommendations to the new government in its crucial first
Sir – Marie Curie is encouraging people in Oxfordshire to get together with friends and family and walk 10k around Blenheim Palace on Saturday, August 8, to raise money for people living with a terminal illness. After the walk, which starts at
Sir – The repeal of the Hunting with Dogs Act 2004 would further threaten the survival of our inoffensive brown hare, listed in a 2011 zoology report as being one of our iconic native species most at risk of extinction by 2050. About one third of the
Sir – On June 5, The Daily Telegraph published an article written by their chief reporter about recognition by France of 6,000 UK D-Day survivors who may die before they can be presented with their Legion d’Honneur award. We simply do not know
Sir – It seems my trusty 40-year-old lawnmower and then some may be getting an extra workout cutting the grass verge for a stretch along Moorland Road, Witney, that intriguingly doesn’t seem to get cut when the lawn-mowing gang comes to cut it.
Sir – Broadcaster Bill Heine once said, ‘Kennington could claim to be the most generous village in England.’ So imagine how appalled I feel about the image of my village being promoted in the national press. Even the ‘i’ version of The Independent
Sir – Dr Martin Barnes makes some good points concerning cut and fill on the proposed HS2 route, but he omits to mention the many tons of gravel/ballast that will be needed to provide a base for the track. However, I must take issue with his comments
Sir – I am surprised that if Dr Barnes is as experienced in rail engineering (Letters, June 11) as he suggests, that he can claim in all seriousness that “trains do not cause any vibration”. Heavy goods trains crossing junction points cause audible
Sir – As a supporter of the Palestinian cause, I found the headline of your Weekend section “Occupational Risk” deeply offensive in the way that it trivialised such a serious issue. I also found the pictures shown part of the stereotype of Palestine
Sir – I think I am an average reader of The Oxford Times. If I want to read about the Middle East, its violence and its convoluted politics I buy one of the national newspapers, look at Al Jazeera or one of the other excellent sources of international
Sir – I am staggered by the suggestion made by Ms Dance, representing the Oxford Preservation Trust (OPT), that the University’s now infamous Castle Mill Flats adjoining Port Meadow should be allowed to stay for the majority of their design lifetime
Sir – I read with trepidation the update on the plans for Wolvercote and Cutteslowe roundabouts (Council chief warns drivers of disruption, Report, June 11). Along with thousands of local commuters, I have been dreading yet another period of delay
Sir – I refer to David Williams’ letter (June 11). I’m sure you miss the point David, where I think you will find local people do not object to anyone in a wheelchair playing tunefully on a “Penny Whistle” or similar, if the instrument is not amplified
Sir – Your readers may be interested to know that, such has been the success of Oxford Decorative and Fine Arts Society (Oxford DFAS) since its inauguration in 2010, the society is enlarging and is currently able to offer membership to new members.
Sir –Managers at the Oxford University Hospitals NHS Trust need to made aware of one of the main reasons for the waste of money caused by missed hospital appointments. Over the past year I have had more than six outpatient appointments and for
Sir – Alex Regan’s article on the costs of missed appointments mentioning the OUHT’s awareness campaign, focused on car parking, access from Banbury, communication between clinics and centralised appointment services in the hospital as being reasons
Sir – Mark Barrington-Ward (Letters, June 11) takes me to task over the comments of Lord Segal’s condemnation of planning in Oxford in that he had in mind the Seacourt development just outside the city. I do admit that when Segal made his remarks
Sir – The impact of asbestos on a worker’s health usually does not come to light until many years after exposure, at which time the employer’s insurance details have sometimes been lost or destroyed, making it impossible for victims to pursue compensation
Sir – Mr McNaney (Letters, June 11) neatly makes a point for me in his reply to Mr Emlyn-Jones letter on lay-by sex. In recent correspondence I tried to persuade Mr Emlyn-Jones that we should not censor something on the grounds that it might offend
It has been a year since Alexander Ewing was able to drink free coffee I realised the other day that it’s been roughly a year since I stopped being a junior dean, where I was in charge of student discipline. Once in a while I miss it. The
Sir – Mr McNaney (Letters, June 11) is being rather English and lower-middle-class in dismissing my idea for a sex centre on the A40. Admittedly, sex in public toilets will not get into Debrett’s Guide to Etiquette, but on the other hand it needs to
Lucy Atkins reveals how her US experiences influenced her When my husband, John, was offered a job in Boston my initial reaction was ‘no way’. We were happy in Oxford, and we’d already lived in Seattle for four years (our middle child, Sam, was
My own choice of footwear was rather carefully selected before I set off last week for the V&A’s Shoes: Pleasure and Pain exhibition, which I write about on the left. After all, it seemed likely in the circumstances that my selection would be the
There is now a double reason for paying a summer visit to London’s Victoria and Albert Museum where the mind-blowing exhibition devoted to the work of the late Alexander McQueen (on until August 2) has now been joined by a show dealing with footwear
Reg Little looks at the re-release of long-lost material written by the late Bee Gee On one of his many visits to America, Bee Gee Robin Gibb happened to catch an old interview with John Lennon on television. The former Beatle was meant to
A FORMER policeman who worked in Oxford has died aged 81. Ralph Taylor served with the Royal Navy before becoming a police officer in the city centre and Newbury. Mr Taylor was born in Loughborough on January 25, 1934, to Wilfred and Winnie
THE former proprietor of a long-running family business in Bicester has died aged 84. Jean Penhallow ran independent department shop The Handy Stores with her husband Brian, after taking it over from her parents Grace and William Cherry. They
A NEW blue plaque in Abingdon honours a man who did more than almost any other individual to preserve the town’s history. Arthur Edwin Preston (1852-1942) was the first person to be elected Mayor of Abingdon without being a councillor first.
A NEW charity cafe employing people with special needs aims to help them build links with the Thame community. The 1950s pop-up cafe in Christchurch was given £5,000 in grants to get it off the ground nine weeks ago. It helps special needs
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AN evacuation of the Clarendon Centre this afternoon was sparked by a fire, Oxfordshire Fire and Rescue Service has confirmed. Shoppers were asked to leave the centre, in Cornmarket, after reports of a fire in Costa Coffee. Firefighters were
TWO people needed hospital treatment following a crash in Bicester last night. South Central Ambulance spokeswoman Michelle Archer said staff were called to Peregrine Way at 8.50pm following an accident involving two cars. She added: “One of
SIXTY jobs will be created when two new Travelodge hotels open in Abingdon Road and Bicester next year. And the budget hotel chain is actively searching for three more sites in Oxfordshire, which will generate another 90 jobs. Chief executive
PRIME Minister and Witney MP David Cameron visited Eynsham-based advanced engineering company Polar Technology Management Group last Friday to inspect its apprenticeship scheme. Polar co-founder and chairman Scott Roberts said the PM’s office approached
I WRITE with reference to the article about renaming Bicester Town Station. The article does not reflect the huge opposition to renaming the station. This decision has been driven by money, greed and power of Bicester Retail Village. Chiltern
I AM at a loss to understand the fuss about the closure of the Ampleforth Arms. With pubs closing at an alarming rate throughout the UK this is just a casualty of a culture that is more akin to the dinosaur than the mobile phone. Back in the good
It makes me smile, it should make me angry, but life is too short. Nevertheless some myths have to be exposed, especially when I read about the way working people are portrayed as having always been duped by their unions to take industrial action
SUPERMARKET chain Morrisons appears to have scrapped its plans to open a new store in Wallingford. The former G Stow premises in Lupton Road on the Hithercroft industrial estate, where Morrisons said it would build a 30,000 sq ft store, is now
Dan Brotzel on Threads — the story of the fisherman-turned-sea-loving-artist John Craske John Craske was a Norfolk fisherman born in 1881. In 1917 he fell seriously ill with a mysterious condition that left him in an intermittent ‘stuporous state
In the programme they printed the names of the cast of Calamity Jane in alphabetical order. Quite right too, for if ever there was a show in which all 16 artistes were stars, then this was it. The New Theatre audience were treated to first-class
Jack Dee’s trademark cynical persona was put on hold when he transformed into an agony aunt in his new, incredibly original show, right in front of your eyes. It was a world away from his usual stand-up act, which just goes to emphasise his true comedic
Nicola Lisle finds Oxford’s newest girls’ choir flourishing in its first year Oxford has a long history of boys’ choirs, with the best English chorister tradition, but now the girls are getting in on the act too. Girls’ choir Frideswide Voices
Tim Hughes meets the Grammy award-winning jazz singer Gregory Porter, ahead of his brace of rarefied outdoor Oxfordshire shows this summer Gregory Porter is having a good year. For a man raised in, by his own admission, humble circumstances in
* After the excitement of last weekend’s superb Isle of Wight Festival, the fun continues with a pair of intimate local events. And while they may lack the famous headliners of the big events, they more than make up for it in community spirit.
Festival Flo Fest Florence Park, Oxford Saturday Free Ran Kan Kan, former Candyskin Nick Cope, Art Theefe and Duotone are among the engaging acts lined up for the first instalment of this fabulous new community festival. See Soundbites
Multi comedy award-winner Lucy Beaumont talks about her hotly anticipated debut show, We Can Twerk It Out It was when I was working as a cleaner at Hull University, from where I’d graduated a few years before, that I decided I wanted to pursue
Sarah Mayhew Craddock heads to the riverside to see what’s on offer at the Magdalen College School Festival From a small island in an otherwise cordoned-off corner of the city comes the MCS Arts Festival Oxford 2015 boasting more than 40 events
Where did you go? I know I have already reviewed Mission Burrito, but this time I went to the King Edward Street branch off the High Street and decided to try something different for a change. I usually have the normal 12in chicken burrito which
Starting Up with Kathy Slack @ Gluts and Gluttony I am not a natural risk taker. I don’t like change. I haven’t got an entrepreneurial bone in my body. But I am a glutton. And greed (the food variety not the financial) has led me well out of my
LIKE Tony Augarde, I am horrified at Oxfordshire County Council’s proposal to spend a staggering £9m “improving” the Wolvercote and Cutteslowe roundabouts at a time when care for the disabled and elderly is being seriously reduced. Where is this
COUNCILLOR Janet Godden complains bitterly about the current traffic chaos in Oxford caused by Oxfordshire County Council road works (June 15). She castigates council cabinet members for this chaos, and asks “how many of them represent people living
AS THE mum of a pre-school daughter I have highly valued the children’s centres I have attended (in Barton, Wheatley, Wood Farm and Cutteslowe). It was at a children’s centre when my daughter was barely 10 weeks old that I learned about the childminding
Christopher Gray enjoys a sunny visit to The Bell at Hampton Poyle, a popular haunt for foodies We sat in the sunshine on the front terrace of The Bell, in Hampton Poyle, glasses of a crisp, biscuity champagne (De Telmont, since you ask) in our
Kathryn Hobbs of Waddesdon Manor on the revival of the old Feast Weekend A feast for all the senses awaits at Waddesdon Manor this weekend. When making plans for our events programme for the year, the team decided 2015 was the time to offer
You can ‘Notts’ be serious! Peter Truman enjoys the cream of world tennis in the heart of the East Midlands Nothing says summer in Britain like sunburnt arms, strawberries and cream and the loud thwack of a tennis ball. For many, the verdant
Sir Ian McKellen stars as Sherlock Holmes, who comes out of retirement to solve a tricky case in Mr Holmes. Damon Smith is impressed No one is immune to the allure of that cruel and merciless mistress: time. She saps strength and suppleness from
Giles Woodforde looks ahead to an eclectic celebration of art and fun ‘It’s just over 100 events, held in 25 different venues,” says Tim Hands, tossing off the figures almost nonchalantly. You’d think he was describing a major international festival
Christopher Gray applauds this summer’s lusty and fun-loving opening productions from Garsington Opera In its fifth season in the glorious setting of Wormsley, Garsington Opera returns in its opening productions to two operas that have featured
As one half of Goldfrapp, Will Gregory’s keyboard grooves are lodged in the brains of fans of their sophisticated brand of multi-layered indie-pop. But the Bristolian keyboard virtuoso is not one for standing still or sitting on his laurels, being
Sarah Mayhew Craddock on the Ruskin School of Art Degree Show Unlike the private, closed book nature of most examination processes art students must take a very public show-and-tell approach to their graduation process. Could there be a more nerve-wracking
Military historian Antony Beevor tells Katherine MacAlister about his latest war epic You would expect someone of Antony Beevor’s calibre; the award-winning, world-renowned military historian, whose books continually grace the best-seller lists
Tim Hughes investigates one of city’s newest and most beautiful music traditions as a mix of established and up-and-coming artists converge to take part in the Irregular Folk Summer Sessions It sounds idyllic: 14 incredible artists playing a quirky
* Rumour has it that the large empty shop/restaurant at the top end of George Street in Oxford is being transformed into a moules and frites joint complete with trestle tables and lots of frothy beer. A Belgo’s perhaps? Watch this space. * With
A much-hyped new restaurant on George Street lives up to its novelty reputation but is so much more, says Katherine MacAlister There's been so much hype surrounding the opening of Thaikhun (pronounced Tycoon) in George Street that it was never
I APPLIED to join the navy as an engineer, but missed out so my father suggested that I apply as a chef since I was good at cooking at school and I have always loved eating. Here I am 22 years later, head chef at Killingworth Castle in Wootton.
Katherine MacAlister discovers how clowning around and making a disaster of Peter Pan led actors to develop a farcical stage act Last time I saw Henry Lewis on stage, I was laughing so hard, I could barely breathe. Unsurprisingly The Play That
Katherine MacAlister talks to the former ballet dancer and composer, whose dream to create an innovative new show came true Combining one of the world’s most famous choirs with two globally renowned ballet companies was always going to be a tall
BANBURY MAGISTRATES Ashley Townley, 25, of The Grange, Hinton Waldrist, near Faringdon, admitted speeding at 46mph in a 30mph zone on the A4074 at Nuneham Courtenay on August 23. Fined £100 and told to pay a £20 victims’ surcharge and £85 costs
Councillor David Nimmo Smith Oxfordshire County Council cabinet member for Environment With work to improve the junctions at Wolvercote and Cutteslowe now on the horizon and the Frideswide Square project still in full swing, we want to assure
THOUSANDS of families are expected to bask in the sunshine as a summer fiesta arrives in Florence Park on Saturday. Organisers of this year’s Flofest are hoping the six hours of celebrations will be as big as last year’s event, which saw about
IT COULD be the smallest cheque you ever write. Campaigners fighting to save Oxfordshire’s community hospital kitchens are asking people to write them a cheque for just 45p. Oxford Health NHS Foundation Trust plans to close the kitchens at
A WONDERLAND of music, magic and Mad Hatters is set for St Hugh’s College as it hosts an outdoor performance of Alice. The 14-and-a-half-acre Oxford college site will provide the backdrop for Creation Theatre’s 19th annual outdoor performances
KEMAR Roofe views Oxford United’s tricky start to the season as an opportunity for the side to put down a marker as Sky Bet League Two promotion contenders. The fixture list, released yesterday, sees Michael Appleton’s men visit Luton Town, Bristol
A rock band has been left devastated after £10,000 worth of equipment was stolen from their van. Thieves broke into three-piece Steamroller’s white Seat van when it was parked outside a band member’s house in Cutteslowe on Monday. A bright
POLICE have closed a small section of the right-hand lane of the Eastern Bypass approaching Headington after a car crashed into the central reservation. Force spokeswoman Hannah Williams said the crash had happened at about 8.10am, but it was not
CHILDREN’S health in Oxfordshire has been scrutinised by the Government in an annual report looking at the health of children and young adults. Public Health England released its Child Health Profile for Oxfordshire yesterday, which paints a picture
MORE than 8,000 homes could be built as “urban extensions” at the northern and southern edges of Oxford, city leaders have said. Oxford City Council said there was space for 4,000 homes in the area around Pear Tree and Water Eaton, as well as for
CHIEF executive Mike Stevens says the time is right to leave Oxfordbased London Welsh. Stevens, who lives in Abingdon, became the Greene King IPA Championship club’s CEO on May 12 last year. However, after being relegated back to English rugby
THE family of a 22-year-old emergency call handle who died driving home from work after Christmas have paid tribute to her “utterly commendable” good nature. Ayesha Idris, from Kidlington, died when her car crashed into a tree on the A34 slip road
A ROYAL python was dumped with its tank outside a betting shop in Oxford. The large snake was left with its vivarium outside Ladbrokes in Gloucester Street on May 31 at about 5.30pm. The owner is believed to have unloaded the snake with some
1:19pm The Clarendon Centre in Oxford has been evacuated after a fire broke out 9:04am Delays on the Eastern Bypass after car crashes into central reservation
Vive la difference! Sometimes you just have to admit, you don't see the appeal. Thomas Cailley's Les Combattants won the Césars for Best First Film, Best Actress and Most Promising Actor on the back of rave reviews and bumper box-office takings. Some
The piles of DVDs have been rising alarmingly up the walls at Parky at the Pictures HQ. So, there is nothing for it but to have a clear the decks dash through as many titles as possible in order to keep the distributors and PR companies off our backs
LITTLEMORE RFC may be about to celebrate their 40th anniversary season, but plans are being put in place to ensure this year marks the rebirth of the club. Availability and injury hampered last season’s BB&O Premiership campaign and they were
NATHAN Lewis comes in for his first Middleton Cup game this season as Oxfordshire bid to get their challenge back on track when they face Surrey at Croydon on Saturday. The Headington bowler takes the place of Paul Lopez for the South Group Section
A CAMPAIGN has started to raise almost £700,000 to finally complete the construction of a 105-year-old church in North Oxford. Rev Gavin Knight, of St Michael and All Angels’ Church, said its new extension to the west was part of a drive to expand
OXFORDSHIRE’S Katherine Hawes and Carole Galletly helped England complete a hat-trick of British Isles Women’s International Series titles. The pair featured in wins over Scotland, Jersey and Ireland at Royal Leamington Spa, and a narrow defeat
NEIGHBOURS of £6m Mini fraudster Johannes Franken have branded him a “fool” and described their shock at learning of his crimes. The 60-year-old, of Fockbury Road, Dodford, near Bromsgrove, Worcestershire, was jailed for five years and four months
A worker was rescued from an excavation site after injuring his leg. It is understood that he was working at the building site at St Cross College, off St Giles. Oxfordshire Fire and Rescue Service said it was called at 12.43pm on Tuesday to
TWO-HUNDRED-AND-FIFTY jobs are up for grabs at the new Waitrose store opening on Botley Road, Oxford. Job hunters will be able to apply online at the John Lewis Partnership website jlpjobs.com from next Friday. And Waitrose will hold a recruitment
DRIVERS are being warned they face additional congestion as 10,000 prospective Oxford University students descend on the city for two open days. The events for prospective undergraduates will be held on Wednesday, July 1, and Thursday, July 2.
HEADINGTON A recorded the biggest winning margin in the Oxfordshire League, sponsored by Bridle Insurance, for some seasons – a massive 68 shots as they whitewashed Oxford City & County A 6-0. The 111-43 away victory saw the reigning champions
STAFF at Magdalen College School vowed that it would be “business as usual” despite a serious blaze damaging buildings on the site in East Oxford. More than 60 firefighters were called to the independent school to stop the flames spreading from
OXFORD’S Lucy Brown begins her Wimbledon play-off campaign against fourth seed Francesca Stephenson at Aorangi Park today. The 22-year-old, who is ranked 927 in the world, is vying for one of two wildcard places into next week’s qualifying event
OXFORD City will face Didcot Town and Banbury United as part of their Conference South preparations. All six of City’s friendlies are away from home due to reseeding and repair works to their Marsh Lane pitch. Work on the surface started late
PAUL Jegou produced one of his best performances for White Horse Harriers to finish third at Saturday’s gruelling Man v Horse race near Llanwrtyd Wells in Wales. He completed the mountainous 20-mile route in 2hrs 45mins 28secs. Jegou was also
CENTRE Steve Osman and netminder Connor Ranby have joined Oxford City Stars ahead of the new National Ice Hockey League South 1 campaign. The duo’s arrival coincides with the departure of experienced netminder James Skaife, who leaves the club
A CAMPAIGNER hopes residents will be protected from noise and vibrations under the council approval given to a new rail route. More than 50 residents attended the west area planning committee meeting about the East West Rail scheme on Tuesday.
PEOPLE in Yarnton will be able to experience chilli and maple syrup-flavoured sausages for the first time thanks to a school project. Pupils from William Fletcher Primary School have been making and selling sausages to fundraise for the school.
FINAL budget figures released by Oxfordshire County Council show the authority spent £196,000 less than it budgeted for last year. The local authority’s budget for the 2014/15 financial year was £424.19m for all its directorates, but the final
A NEW therapy service for those suffering from long-term illness is going to be set up in Bicester. Therapist Becky Fletcher is starting a new venture with a team of volunteers to provide therapy to those with terminal or life-limiting conditions
FILM fanatics can look forward to a new-look cinema after Oxford’s Ultimate Picture Palace underwent its latest makeover. A new screen has been installed because bosses at the cinema said the old one was beginning to look a little worn. New
