PLANS to invest £5m in a homeless housing scheme to combat a crisis in temporary accommodation in Oxford have been backed by councillors. Earlier this evening, senior councillors of Oxford City Council agreed to join the Real Lettings scheme, which
A MOTHER has branded a group managing the city’s leisure centres as “inconsiderate” after it offered her a birthday treat at Temple Cowley Pools. Fusion Lifestyle offered Virginia Moffat a complimentary exercise class of her choice at the leisure
YOUNGSTERS embarked on a wild adventure this week, as part of the Earth Trust’s holiday activity week. Clumps club, which is running until tomorrow, offers a group of 20 children the opportunity to enjoy different activities in the woodland in
WHEN her first-born child developed a dangerous facial birthmark threatening her eyesight, mother Lynn Bailey feared for the worst. But thanks to the care of paediatric consultant Kokila Lakhoo, all her fears “disappeared” and her five-year-old
A MAN has been arrested after an attempted rape in Sandford-on-Thames earlier today. Police said 24-year-old woman was walking in Sandford Lock, heading away from the large bridge at Littlemore when she was approached by a man at about 12.39pm.
A “remarkable” woman who spent a huge portion of her life devoted to the organic agricultural movement has died aged 97. Pamela Gwendolen Schiele died on June 29. Fascinated by science, she worked tirelessly in striving to conserve rare species
A captain who spent more than 25 years working with the Oxford Army Cadet Force has died at the age of 86. Great-grandfather Kenneth Hill, also known as Ken, died on July 14 after a short illness. Captain Hill completed more than 25 years with
OXFORD United have handed a trial to ex-AS Monaco Under 21 player Gaetan Lenoir. The 20-year-old came on as a substitute in the 4-0 win at Thame United on Tuesday and is training with the club this week. U's boss Michael Appleton is hoping
INCREASING numbers of people apparently taking nitrous oxide gas in north Oxfordshire has prompted police to issue a warning on the dangers. Thames Valley Police has warned the legal high, used by dentists as so-called "laughing gas" for years,
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Oxford-based biopharmaceutical company Circassia expects to launch an asthma drug later this year and has begun to generate turnover following two recent acquisitions. Circassia chief executive Steve Harris said the firm, which employs 64 people
More Oxfordshire dairy farmers will abandon the industry if the price of milk keeps falling, warn local farmers and their union. John Hook, a fourth-generation dairy farmer who runs Cote Lodge Farm, near Witney, with his son Tim, said: “People
Gill Oliver talks to estate agent Rowan Waller about changing his company’s identity What’s in a name? Thousands of pounds and the future of your business, if Rowan Waller’s experience is anything to go by. The father-of-one changed the name
A BURGLAR initially spared prison for breaking into an Oxford home and stealing laptops has now been jailed after being caught with heroin, cocaine and cannabis. Jonas Messacki was given a 12-month prison sentence, suspended for two years, last
I FOLLOWED Ian Hudspeth’s advice to seek alternative ways to get to work during the debacle that is the result of the ill-advised decision to carry out the A40 roadworks at the same time as the Frideswide Square work. I ended up on a bus, which
WHAT on earth has happened to good old-fashioned entertainment on the television? Long gone are the good old comedy programmes such as The Two Ronnies, Morecambe and Wise etc. What do we get instead? Nothing but soaps and ‘celebrity’ shows,
Sir – I read with some interest the review of the Lexus car in last week’s issue. As a sound engineer, I am not really into the market for high performance cars, but my eye was caught by a reference to an ‘837W’ audio system. If we allow for the
Sir – The staff at Blenheim Palace have invited China’s best-known contemporary artist to visit the stately home after hosting one of his exhibitions last year. I was privileged to review the show for Weekend, but Ai Weiwei never got to see it
Sir – I have not yet got used to standing for long journeys jammed together in crammed airless train carriages with elderly people, children and pregnant women who have paid for ordinary rail tickets, whilst the first-class carriages mock us with their
Sir – The technique of ‘mindfulness’, which is currently very much in vogue is not particularly new. Techniques of stilling the mind and concentrating on positive attributes are at the heart of the Judeo-Christian faith. This is seen particularly
Sir – On August 3, it is the 60th anniversary of Green Belts. In August 1955, the then Minister of Housing encouraged local authorities to designate land as Green Belt for the first time. The Oxford Green Belt was established in 1958. The key
Sir – So the student group Rhodes Must Fall Oxford wants to remove a statue of Cecil Rhodes from Oriel College because he was racist? Why not remove Oxford portraits of Henry VIII who authorised religious genocide and multiple uxoricide? Why
Sir – As a West Oxfordshire resident for more than 30 years I cannot believe that we are getting another half-baked scheme costing £34m to ‘ease’ congestion on the A40. It beggars belief that our elected representatives think that another park-and-ride
Sir – Oxfordshire Highways has started work to improve (?) the two junctions on the A40 at Wolvercote and Cutteslowe. My wife and I attended an exhibition at Cutteslowe Community Centre to speak to some of the highways engineers. This was not a rewarding
Sir – I have used Seacourt park-and-ride daily for the last two years, parking my car there and cycling in to my office in the city centre. The ‘new bike parking’ that the council has installed isn’t improved, just a newer version of what already
Sir – The inspector of the Northern Gateway Area Action Plan has accepted the plan and the council has adopted it, in spite of the serious local concerns expressed at the examination. As a neighbourhood forum we are concerned about the effect of
Sir – I was an undergraduate at Merton College 1965-68. I was deeply saddened to see the letter from Paul Hornby about the proposed development near Holywell Cemetery (July 23). I read History. I draw three conclusions. One is that Oxford colleges
Sir – Residents of Wolvercote, Waterways and Waterside welcome Network and Chiltern Railways’ new services from Oxford to Marylebone and eastern England and the transfer of many containers from lorries on the A34 to the railway. However, the communities
Sir – I support the views of Stuart Mitchell (Letters, July 16) regarding the names of business parks, the airport etc, being prefixed with Oxford, when they are outside the city boundary. I regret the loss of local names and local districts. I
Sir – I wholeheartedly agree with Dr Katy Jennison’s letter (July 23). As she says, the Shores Green Slip Road scheme was supposed to be started as soon as possible. Four years on and nothing. The Secretary of State for Transport, Justine Greening
Sir – After 15 years of attending Art in Action at Waterperry, my wife and I finally decided to visit Oxford. We were in our motorhome and drove to the park-and-ride site at Thornhill. Unfortunately all the barriers limited entry to vehicles under
Sir – Today (Tuesday, July 21), I had to travel from North Oxford, where I live, to a place in the countryside near Chippenham. Not even the greenest person would attempt to do this by public transport: it is impossible. So I have to drive. And
Sir – The drivers of Oxford are continually, and I really mean continually, bombarded with totally unnecessary roadworks to ‘improve’ their driving experience in the city and around the ring road. Put lights on a roundabout and you instantly change
OXFORDSHIRE NHS community hospital buildings, staff and services are facing a new threat from the steamroller of privatisation, under the guise of cost savings. Decisions taken today will affect the quality of health and social care services in
WHAT a shame that Bill Heine decided to indulge in some village gossip rather than take the time to talk to the organisers of the Forest Hill Feast (Heine on Friday, July 24). Instead of celebrating a really pleasant event that provided outdoor
I HAVE lived next to the A420 for five years and in that time I know of at least eight fatalities. It is time for the A420 to be a ‘no overtaking’ road until you reach the dual carriage ways. I take the bus every morning and every day watch
THE person who set up Sure Start family centres, a campaigner for parental leave, a former trade union official and a fan of music and sport. Labour is really spoilt for choice in the contest for the next party leader and possible next Prime Minister
Kyle Butler, 26, of St Leonard’s Close, Banbury, admitted assaulting a woman by beating in Banbury High Street on July 4. Fined £155 and ordered to pay £100 compensation, a £150 courts charge, a £20 victims’ surcharge and £85 costs. Daniel Hinton
A FAMILY of five escaped with their lives from a serious fire at their home in Bicester last night. Oxfordshire Fire and Rescue crews were faced with a "severe" first floor bedroom fire when called to the Kennet Close home at 10.45pm last night
AN AMERICAN travel expert who has championed Cambridge for the past 20 years has changed his alleg-iance to Oxford after a recent trip. In his travel blog, Rick Steves strongly promoted the city’s “urban energy”, “more stately buildings” and “more
David McManus says reason to download latest OS version is compelling By the time this column is published, a momentous event in the world of computing will have taken place but you can be forgiven for it passing you by unnoticed. Twenty years
I travelled to Worcestershire last week to the funeral of an old friend whose sudden death, together with that of his partner, came as a huge shock to all who knew him and provoked, such were its circumstances, widespread publicity. Alan Green,
Jaine Blackman enjoys her maiden voyage to Liverpool, the luxury of the Titanic Hotel and a bit of Beatlemania Looking out of our bedroom window in Liverpool we were faced with a dilapidated abandoned warehouse ... and were delighted. Staying
Landlady Ruth Woodley talks about taking on The Plowden Arms with husband Matt Woodley and the challenges of its historical menu . . . My husband and I left London in search of the good (pub) life and a bit of history and found The Plowden Arms
James Rogers manager of the Pointer in Brill talks about its new Big Pig Gig I took over the management of The Pointer in Brill at the beginning of August. Prior to taking on the position I met with the owners David and Fiona several times to discuss
Katherine MacAlister on Mikron’s plan to play 150 summer venues It was deemed an impossible project and yet if you venture up Oxfordshire’s canals over the next few weeks, it’s likely you’ll come across a curious band of players. Yes Mikron
An alliance between the Garsington Opera and the Royal Shakespeare Company resulted in the rare treat of A Midsummer Night’s Dream being performed with all of Felix Mendelssohn’s incidental music. It was difficult leaving the innovative performance
Nicola Lisle talks to musicians bringing children to classical music’s delights Pianist Mark Hooper smiles as he proudly tells me about his latest piece of critical acclaim. “I was walking along Walton Street one day, and this mother went past
Festival In the Garden Manzil Way Garden, East Oxford Saturday, from 5.30pm Tickets are £7 advance (£9 on the door) from wegottickets.com Big-hearted fundraiser for mental health organisation restore, featuring some of the city’s best bands
Ben Prior talks to us about getting teenagers active and social while having fun during the summer holidays As a dad to two teenage children, I know how hard it can be to find suitable summer holiday activities. That’s what inspired me to create
Simon Fenton on his lifechanging decision to make a new start in Africa Why would I want to leave the comforts of England to live in rural Senegal with extreme heat, the threat of a maggot that buries into my feet, internet connections slower than
Andy Graham Lib Dem West Oxfordshire district councillor As the Prospective Parliamentary Candidate for the Witney constituency and now the successful district councillor for Charlbury, Finstock and Fawler, I have been able to reflect
Nicola Lisle meets one of Oxford’s most popular musicians as he marks an anniversary If you go into the Blackwell’s Sheet Music department, you will almost certainly come across the genial figure of Peter McMullin, a man who has become such a popular
I noted with surprise the whole page recently given over in the Daily Telegraph to a review of the West End’s new production of The Importance of Being Earnest written by the chief critic of the newspaper’s principal rival, The Times. The notice
When it comes to curry, Aziz is a Cowley Road institution. Among the oldest and best-known Bangladeshi restaurants in Oxford, this empress of a curry house has, since 1990, been the go-to destination for quality food in the kind of slightly kitsch
Matt Woodley of The Plowden Arms in Shiplake Cross presents this week's recipe Matt started out as a pot washer, aged 14, and says becoming a chef was a natural progression. Now 32, he is owner and head chef at The Plowden Arms, in Shiplake
From Sherwood to Woodstock, Katherine MacAlister pursues our favourite outlaw Another sign that Blenheim Palace is stepping up to the mark – following its Ai Wei Wei exhibition and recent series of Nocturnes which saw Van Morrison ramping it up
Tim Hughes heads into the garden to spend an ‘enchanting, relaxed and joyful’ night of music How many songbirds fly to and fro, in an English country garden?” So sang the sonorous Jimmie Rodgers in his top five 1962 paean to British horticulture
Mark Benton talks to Katherine MacAlister about life as a Scoundrel Every time you turn on the TV, Mark Benton is there, being whisked around the dance floor in Strictly Come Dancing or in his long-standing role in Waterloo Road. But it’s the
Tim Hughes discovers how food lovers can enjoy festival fun in style and comfort at the Kingham Plough, in the heart of the Oxfordshire Cotswolds The phrase Chipping Norton Set has become synonymous with privilege and influence. But to those who
Katherine Macalister says Featherdown Farm offers all of the luxuries of home out in the fresh open air I don’t do camping. Not now. Not ever. I have tried it. We bought the kit and did some practice runs and you know it really wasn’t that
Singer-songwriter Rhodes tells Tim Hughes about love, underwear, surprise stardom and returning to next weekend’s Wilderness festival Rhodes laughs when he looks back at the past few weeks, which have seen him on a relentless tour of mainland Europe
It’s a decision that comes to us all – When do you leave the hedonism aside and knuckle down and get a proper job? For most of us, of course, pleasure-seeking extends to a couple of pints at the weekend. If you’re a rising superstar DJ, however
Theresa Thompson on the wonders of the arts and crafts movement Locally, to see the work of the arts and crafts movement you need look no further normally than Kelmscott Manor, near Lechlade, the summer home of arts and crafts pioneer William Morris
Chef Raymond Blanc tells Tim Hughes about his star debut at the Wilderness festival He is one of our favourite television chefs; known to millions as the affable face of one of the country’s best restaurants. But next weekend, Raymond Blanc
Welfare reform is leading to growing demand for free support in the Blackbird Leys community, The Agnes Smith Advice Centre reported. Gail Craig, the centre’s senior advisor and volunteer supervisor, said that requests for help with money, debt
Edward Clarke on Richard II and the takeover of the city by a horde of overseas students I was seated in the round space of Shakespeare’s Globe the other day and I started thinking of the square spaces of Oxford’s quads. As the performance of Richard
CALLUM O’Dowda says Oxford United’s stronger squad means he is prepared for his playing opportunities to be harder to come by than last season. The winger from Kidlington was one of the big success stories in the previous campaign. During a
Radiohead have become the latest favourite to record the next James Bond theme tune. The Oxford rock band has overtaken soloist Ellie Goulding as the favourite to sing the track for movie Spectre. William Hill suspended bets over who would
PEOPLE in the Leys have given their heartfelt approval to equipment that could save the lives of people going into cardiac arrest. At a meeting of Blackbird Leys Parish Council on Tuesday those present were shown different models of defibrillators
AN ELECTRICIAN who has been advised to change his company’s name because of associations with a terrorist group says he won’t ditch “a strong local brand”. Chris Carey, who runs Kidlington-based Isis Electrical, also plans to carry on wearing a
A gold wedding ring was stolen in a burglary in Feilden Grove, New Marston. Police said the crime occurred between midday and 6pm on Tuesday when the offender or offenders got into the property through an unlocked rear window. They searched
MAJOR plans to redevelop Didcot’s Orchard Shopping Centre were approved last night. The £50m scheme will see new shops, restaurants and a gym go into the centre in eastern Didcot, along with landscaping, new public toilets and a “new public realm
A NEW water main being installed underneath Oxford Eastern Bypass is causing congestion on the road again this morning. Traffic is queuing on the A4142 eastbound at the Cowley Road roundabout. Oxfordshire County Council is overseeing the installation
A BOMB disposal unit was last night still working to remove canisters containing an unknown substance from a house in Cowley. The Royal Logistic Corps unit was called to Brasenose Driftway on Tuesday evening after contractors working at the house
CONCERNS about the safety of the A420 were raised yesterday following the death of a man in his 70s in a crash on the road on Tuesday. He was one of four people killed in 24 hours of chaos on Oxfordshire’s roads. The names of those who died
A DIGGER is now on the scene at Brasenose Driftway where police say canisters containing an unknown substance have caused soil contamination. The road had been closed and cordoned off by police throughout yesterday after a Royal Logistic Corps
Caroline Campion scuppered Katherine Hawes’s bid for a record-breaking 14th Oxfordshire ladies’ singles title with a scintillating display. Hawes had the advantage of playing on her home Oxford City & County green as she attempted to extend
OXFORD could invest £5m in a homeless housing scheme pioneered in London to combat a crisis in temporary accommodation. Senior councillors at Oxford City Council will tonight be asked to back proposals to join the Real Lettings scheme, which would
Window coverings been ordered to help reduce the night-time glare from the Leys Pools and Leisure Centre in Pegasus Road. Residents in neighbouring properties have complained that lights at the pool reflect off mirrored panels on the ceiling and
The leaders of Oxfordshire’s six biggest councils will meet to discuss strategic plans for housing today. The Oxfordshire Growth Board is made up of Oxford City, Cherwell, South Oxfordshire, Vale of the White Horse, West Oxfordshire district councils
Oxfordshire Under 25s' hopes of staying in contention for the Junior Home Counties League title were dashed despite recording a 70¼-49 win over Bucks at Iver Heath. Bucks U25 49 (2pts), Oxfordshire U25 70¼ (8) (Bucks skips first): J Seagrove 13
Bicester were relegated from Division 1 of the Oxfordshire League, sponsored by Bridle Insurance, following a 4-2 defeat at Oxford City & County A. Wins on two rinks weren’t enough to save Bicester, with Alan Ley’s 35-12 triumph guaranteeing
GENEROUS people across the city have donated thousands of pounds to support youngsters and families at a Cowley creative arts centre. The Ark T Centre in Crowell Road launched an online appeal at the start of the month to raise £10,000. It
5:46pm TRAFFIC is again backing up as drivers try to make their way out the city centre along Botley Road. Temporary
Born in Mauritania, but raised in Mali, Abderrahmane Sissako trained at the famous VGIK school in Moscow and has steadily been building a reputation as one of the finest film-makers in Africa since making his feature bow with La Vie sur Terre in 1998
A SUMMER course for young musicians in Blackbird Leys may not get an encore if organisers cannot get funding. Last year, Oxfordshire County Music Service ran a successful free four-day course at the end of the holidays for Leys youngsters to brush
A GROUP of artisans and crafts people have moved into an empty town centre shop as part of innovative plans to give it a new lease of life. The Wallingford High Street store is being let as part of a plan to reduce the number of vacant units in
A few weeks ago, the British Film Institute launched the Britain on Film initiative by placing online hundreds of clips that chronicle over a century of everyday life. Among the standout titles was Anson Dyer's A Day in Liverpool (1929), the first
TRIALLIST Vinny Mukendi scored the only goal as Oxford City won 1-0 in a pre-season friendly at Banbury United. The visitors had chances before Mukendi broke the deadlock five minutes into the second half, finishing Luke Coulson’s cross. Mark
The sentencing of a convicted drug dealer for concealing cash from a heroin and cocaine ring was adjourned because of the national barrister’s strike. Gavin Preston, of Astrop Lane, Oxford, was jailed for 12 years in March for his part in a multi-million-pound
JOSH McEachran will miss the first three months of the season after breaking three bones in his foot. The 22-year-old midfielder, from Kirtlington, only signed for Sky Bet Championship side Brentford from Chelsea earlier this month. But an
A MAN denied attacking a tenant in the street while acting as an enforcer over rent arrears, a court heard. Tahir Ali is accused of jumping out of a car and punching Thangaperumal Rajasingh twice in the face while an unknown attacker hit him with
FORMER Witney captain Jez Hicks admits he will miss playing for his hometown club, but says it is the right time to hang up his boots. The 34-year-old, who made his first-team debut at the age of 19, has called time on a 15-year career after struggling
COUNCIL leader Matthew Barber yesterday said decisions over the failed £100 million West Way scheme were made “in good faith”. But he admitted things could have been “done better on all sides” after an 18-month battle over information relating
A councillor representing Sandford and the Wittenhams ward on South Oxfordshire District Council has resigned. Jon Woodley-Shead who was elected on May 7, stepped down from the role yesterday. The Conservative Party councillor was elected with
AN ABINGDON man was sentenced to more than three years in prison for breaking into a woman’s house and threatening her with a knife. Ashley Cooper, of John Morris Road, Abingdon, was sentenced to three years and nine months in prison at Oxford
PAULA Owen’s preparations for next week’s World Masters Championships could not have gone any better after she became a double British champion at the Alexander Stadium in Birmingham. Radley AC’s Owen won the W35 100m hurdles and 400m hurdles at
MARK Trafford starred as Oxford A lifted the Johnsons Buildbase Oxford and District Supplementary Shield with a 5-0 win over Eynsham, writes PETE EWINS. In the first leg at Kennington, Trafford ran out the table with 20,390. Steven Sheard (
MARSTON residents sounded out loud as they unveiled a memorial bench on the site of a former Second World War air raid siren. Oxford City councillor for Marston, Mick Haines spearheaded the campaign to raise £900 for a bench to mark the sport where
THE public examination of plans to build 20,560 new homes in the Vale of White Horse will begin on Tuesday, September 22, it has been announced. Government planning inspector Malcolm Rivett will oversee an in-depth examination of the Vale district
A PILOT support service for survivors of child sexual exploitation (CSE) and abuse has been started in Oxfordshire. It emerged as a report on progress made by county authorities since the Bullfinch child sex abuse scandal in 2011 said a key area
ALEXIS Canter missed out on his second professional ranking point in a straight sets loss at an ITF Futures tournament in Sharm El Sheikh. The 17-year-old, from Long Wittenham, lost 6-4, 6-2 to Italian fifth seed Riccardo Bonadio in the first round
IT might be overstating the case to say a chicken enchilada saved Zoe Patrick’s life, but it certainly played a part. The Liberal Democrat Oxfordshire county councillor for Wantage and Grove was left with heartburn after the meal, made with chillies
Overcoming huge doubts about faking a rural idyll in a retail outlet, Katherine MacAlister enjoys her shopping respite I wanted to hate it. Just the name Farmshop was a bit too pretentious, too contrived for me, the restaurant being nestled
