THREE vehicles have crashed on the A34 Western Bypass in Oxford, according to traffic reports. The road is partially blocked and traffic has been queuing northbound between the Botley Interchange and the Peartree Interchange. A spokeswoman
THERE is now just over a week to go before staff at Didcot’s University Technical College welcome pupils for their first lessons. Monday, September 7, will be the first day of term for students who have signed up to attend the £10.5m specialist
LAWRENCE Clarke insisted he could take some positives despite bowing out of the World Athletics Championship yesterday, writes STUART WEIR. The 110m hurdler, who comes from Christmas Common near Watlington, finished seventh in his heat in 13.53secs
CAPTAIN Andy Harris says Great & Little Tew’s home match against relegated Dinton is a “must-win” if they are to secure promotion from Division 2. Tew still top the league, but had their lead cut to 14 points on Saturday after they were beaten
BANGLADESHI boat racers will be celebrating a decade of the annual Great Oxford Canoe Race on Sunday. Anam Hoque, 42, who will be racing in a Bangladeshi nowka boat, said: “It’s amazing how far we’ve come. “What began as just a few Bangladeshi
A NURSERY that has been on its current site in Didcot for more than 70 years could be moved to a different part of the town. An application which was submitted earlier this year for the £60m revamp of land opposite Didcot Parkway rail station,
SHE was a woman who her friends say would have loved the idea of doing something “crazy”. So when loved ones wanted to honour the memory of Kelly Pope – who died after a three-year battle with cancer – they decided to do something fitting.
The M40 is blocked northbound towards junction 9 for Bicester following a four-car crash. Reports said all traffic had been held while vehicles were moved to the hard shoulder and debris was cleared from the road. Delays are reportedly back
Tran strikes planned for the bank holiday weekend will now definitely go ahead. Train operator First Great Western announced this afternoon there is no possibility of reaching agreement with members of the RMT union who plan to strike on Saturday
CHURCHES across the county are falling into disrepair, due to a lack of funds and ageing congregations, it has been warned. According to Historic England there are 14 listed churches in Oxfordshire in a “very bad” or “poor” condition, placing them
A convicted rapist due to be sentenced for a series of sexual offences may have fled to Hong Kong police have said. Officers are hunting for Joseph Tsang, of Sandy Lane, Blackbird Leys, who failed to turn up to court on Tuesday, August 25, but
A MINISTER at a Cowley church has said more affordable housing is needed in the area to prevent poor families being priced out of the city. The Rev Beth Allison-Glenny, of John Bunyan Baptist Church, said she sees families struggling with high
Room on the Broom is a bedtime favourite in my house. Not so much for the fun plot which sees a witch and her cat fly off on a broomstick - accompanied by a dog, a bird and a frog. It’s more because of its sturdy card cover which I can grasp while
A MAN has been charged with causing death by dangerous driving after a woman was killed on the A34 last month. Claudiu-Ioan Almasan, 45, was charged on Tuesday following his arrest on July 13. Police did not release details of the charge until
THE leader of West Oxfordshire District Council is to be given a knighthood.
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PROLIFIC robber John Rooney who escaped from an open prison in Aylesbury and travelled to Oxford is no longer believed to be in the area. Officers from Thames Valley Police are supporting Greater Manchester Police and the Prison Service in trying
DRIVERS are experiencing long delays and queuing traffic on the A34 northbound this afternoon due to a broken down lorry. One lane is closed on the A34 northbound in Weston-on-the-Green before Bicester. Congestion is currently stretching all the
A WHOLEFOOD company that helps disabled adults receive a true learning experience has celebrated 25 years in business. Oxford Wholefoods was established in 1990 with the aim of providing disabled people with work and boosting their self-confidence
RETAIL giant Asda’s decision to pay 28 pence per litre for fresh milk is unlikely to directly benefit struggling Oxfordshire dairy farmers, according to a leading local industry figure. David Christensen, a dairy farmer from Kingston Bagpuize who
Ben Holgate meets the founder of Oxford Space Systems after his trade tour to the US Earlier this month, Oxford Space Systems founder and chief executive Mike Lawton returned from a whirlwind tour of the United States that might have made even
A CRASH on the A4421 this morning between Bicester and Finmere saw the road entirely blocked by a lorry and two vans. Crews from Oxfordshire County Council Fire and Rescue Service and Milton Keynes and Bucks Fire and Rescue Service arrived to find
IN current affairs, the worst thing that can occur is secrecy. The Chilcot report and the death of Dr Kelly has been shrouded in silence. A lot of the information was hidden away for 70 years. No one has been allowed to see what these writings
I AM writing about the loss of WG Powell’s and the comment that it “serves the wider public interest”. Tell that to all the carpenters and builders for all the Oxford University colleges who have relied on this extraordinary company for an unparalleled
THE Field Close land to which Mr John Brown refers ( Villagers outraged by housing proposals, Tuesday’s Mail) was earmarked for further housing over 20 years ago when The Paddock was developed. The end of Field Close was left open for future access
Oxfordshire Community and Voluntary Action (OCVA), which supports non-profit groups and volunteers, is hosting two free events for organisations interested in bidding for funds to work with disadvantaged young people. The Building Better Opportunities
Sir – Christopher Gray (Gray Matter, August 20) writes that he met a gentleman in The Rose and Crown pedalling moustache wax. ‘That’s quite some feet,” I thought as I poured over the image he had conjured up. Christopher at the peek of his powers
Sir – I am a member of the blind veterans which is better known as St Dunstans. I am registered blind and as an ex-serviceman I have received all the help necessary from blind veterans which has enabled me to live as full a life as possible. Blind
Sir – When John Tanner calls for the removal of atomic weapons (Letters, August 20) does he mean from the world of from the UK? If he means from the world I think that he’s being more than a little naive. The trouble is that you can’t uninvent
Sir – Passing by the Oxford Skate Park in Meadow Lane , which was created and is managed by Oxford Wheels Project (OWP), we stopped to watch the action. All around, children, young people and the not-so young were riding skateboards, BMX bikes
Sir – I was interested to see (Report, August 20) the dissension between the Corn Exchange, Witney, and Adrian Hewitt, whose company put on the excellent Accidental Death of an Anarchist recently. I cannot comment on the contract between Mr Hewitt
Sir – Now not having been to Oxford shopping for three to four years it was a stark reminder as to why I haven’t been – the horrendous parking charges. It’s cheaper and a better shopping experience in Reading, Swindon, even Southampton, People
Sir – I have, this week, had cause to make three visits to Stanford in the Vale recycling centre. On each occasion there were six to eight cars queuing, in addition to the four in the bays. It is sufficiently close to Wantage to make a visit a
Sir – The letters from Jean Fooks on urban sprawl and from Sarah Redston on the Green Belt (August 20) are symptoms of a country not knowing what to do about the size of its population and the housing crisis. We have a desperate need for more housing
Sir – At least four articles and six letters in your issue of August 20 relate to concerns about development and transport issues in the region. There are anti-development protest groups across the county and the Green Belt is progressively nibbled
THE draft “Supplementary Planning Document” for West Way has been published with the opportunity to comment on it until September 25. The supposed idea is that it will guide development in the area for the long term future, but it’s also apparent
YOUR correspondents, Derrick Holt (August 20) and David Diment (August 24) variously subscribe to the view that President Truman’s decision to use atomic bombs on the populations of Hiroshima (August 6, 1945) and Nagasaki (August 9, 1945) was the only
I HOPE that included with the reconstruction of the Westgate Centre is the preservation of the plaque to the medieval scientist Roger Bacon,who died in 1292. The plaque, in Old Greyfriars Street, is written in both Latin and English, saying that
OXFORD James Lineker, 24, of Tarret Burn, Didcot, was convicted of assaulting Alistair Hughes by beating him in Didcot on March 7. Ordered to pay £85 costs. Karl Scale, 25, of Luther Street, Oxford, admitted threatening to use unlawful violence
Sir – Particulate airborne pollutants from vehicles and open wood or coal fires etc kill around 50,000 people a year in the United Kingdom and more than two million people worldwide. As I have written previously, Ed Miliband`s 2008 Climate Change
Sir – As more and more of your paper seems to be devoted to advertising, it is good to see three pages devoted to readers’ letters. Inevitably, they are mainly concerned with local issues and day-to-day problems. But in amongst them, there is one
Sir – Having observed progress so date on the Woodstock and Banbury Road roundabouts, it must be clear to most people that the person responsible for letting this contract, and the terms thereof, should be dismissed from his position with immediate
Sir – Some recent items in your paper led me on to broader thoughts. I’ve noticed that while some violent offenders have been spared prison sentences, some people who have committed property offences – having lost their good names and employment
Sir – I was interested to read Chris Gray’s musings on Oxford pubs, both in his article and in the book review he wrote (August 20). It’s noteworthy that an earlier guide, Pubs of Oxford and Oxfordshire (published in 2009 by Oxface) carries much
Sir – Oxfordshire Local Enterprise Partnership (LEP) has denied access to agendas and meetings to local and county councillors in Oxfordshire and refused minutes until after they have been approved by the next meeting of the LEP – when it is too late
Sir – Talk of the parking charges in Oxford city centre reminds me of when I ran a guesthouse during the 1990s in Iffley Road. I had a group of guests from America, three went out exploring the beautiful city while one stayed in his room.When I
Sir – Regarding the Headington Access Transport Plan, I had a very positive meeting with both Stewart Wilson and Martin Kraftl at Oxfordshire County Council offices at Speedwell House. I put forward the main concerns for Marston and Headley Way
Sir – There is a battle going on in South Oxfordshire and the Vale to protect the North Wessex Downs Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB). The AONB has a higher level of protection than the Green Belt, being designated by act of Parliament
THE new landlord at Wantage’s award-winning vegetarian pub The Shoulder of Mutton has said he plans to serve “vast quantities of meat”. Guy Ripley, 53, has taken over the reins at the Wallingford Street pub, having led successful careers as a songwriter
Ian Hudspeth Leader of Oxfordshire County Council There has been extensive coverage in the Oxford Mail about the locations of bus-only gates and lanes in Oxford, as well as the £4m fines issued since 2008 to motorists who use bus-only
In 2014, I competed in the BBC’s Great British Menu and won with my fish course. It was a huge honour to then cook for the war veterans at St Paul’s Cathedral in a banquet commemorating the 70th anniversary of the D-Day landings. So I was thrilled
Glastonbury may have the vibes, Wilderness has the setting and the Big Feastival has the food… but Reading has the bands. Quite simply no other festival has quite the lineup of this big, messy three-day party just over the Thames, at Little John
Hit albums and world tours can’t hold a candle to putting on the Big Feastival, as Alex James tells Tim Hughes Alex James is a lucky man – and this is his summer. The Magic Whip, the new album by his band Blur is being hailed one of the best
My practice as a traveller has sometimes been to show a cussed resistance to doing what is expected. In Arezzo in 1992, for instance, I surprised friends by ducking a quincentennial exhibition of the work of Piero della Francesca in favour of visiting
Drew Brammer previews the August Bank Holiday Beer Festival at The Chester All for the love of beer! Imagine… basking on an ‘alternative’ summer’s day in the British Isles, quaffing a cleansing ale, with fine and fresh, locally sourced food under
Sarah Mayhew Craddock gets up close with the Bard at the ‘Bod’ Whilst the curtain has come down on the Globe Theatre’s production of Much Ado About Nothing in the Bodleian Library’s Old Schools Quad, Shakespeare’s summer’s lease has been extended
Bampton founders Jeremy Gray and Gilly French are experts at dusting off forgotten operatic treasures and giving them a new lease of life, and this year’s offering, Salieri’s La Grotta di Trofonio (Trofonio’s Cave), is probably one of their most glittering
Katherine MacAlister accompanies her children to this Julia Donaldson classic It’s going to be a very short play mum,” my girls said anxiously as we queued to get into Room on The Broom at the Oxford Playhouse. “The book only takes a few minutes
Nicola Lisle looks forward to the Ukulele Orchestra’s visit to Oxford They’ve been plucking all over the world for 30 years and by September will have clocked up one billion seconds of playing time. It’s the Ukulele Orchestra of Great Britain
By Alex Murray Far more than a music festival, Hampshire’s BoomTown Fair is a giant art, circus, music and theatre show in the self-proclaimed largest pop-up city in the world. As it has grown over the past seven years, it has evolved and adapted
Tim Hughes finds out about the Bear necessities from a bunch getting ready to take their folk and country-tinged rock to Reading Sex, drugs and rock & roll; love, hate, pride and pain… When it comes to finding inspiration for their art, most
Theresa Thompson is dazzled by the colours of an Iberian summer Colour rarely thrums in an English summer. Not like in a Spanish one. There, in the ferocious midsummer heat it pounces off walls, multiplying its tones as it goes. Foreseeable therefore
Tim Hughes talks to Joan Armatrading ahead of a very special solo date Fifty years ago, a teenage girl in Birmingham sat down at an old piano and started writing her own songs. Seven years later she released her debut album – following it up
The Greeks may be in a mess with their economy, but Marc West discovers they still know how to make an excellent tipple Wine has played an important part in Greek culture for thousands of years – it’s as ancient as the marble columns that line
It seems almost cruel to be writing about Oxford’s first gelateria while the rain pours down outside. But Iscream has a brilliant all-weather back-up plan, situating itself in the snug, water-tight Covered Market, where you can eat ice scream all
* The Rickety Press in Jericho closed its doors on August 10 for a long-awaited refurbishment. While they were at it, the owners decided to change a little more than just the paint. In fact they rethought the entire philosophy of the pub, to make
Having sampled the delights of the plate decorating class Katherine MacAlister decides to try out the eaterie at the Roald Dahl Museum The starter of eyeballs on toast with a side order of scabs was followed by frogs legs served on a bed of sick
The Kingham Plough was opened in 2007, by husband and wife team Emily Watkins and Miles Lampson, and is located in a village near Chipping Norton. Their aim was to create a dining pub in the Cotswolds that they themselves would like to visit, with
* While the holidays meander on and the theatres gear up for their big autumn programmes, there is still lots to see and do before the summer is over. A must see is 4x4 Ephemeral Architectures at Oxford Playhouse on Wednesday, a wondrous collaboration
Sue Hitchin talks about the 10th anniversary of the Foodies Festival, which is set to kick off in Oxford’s South Parks this Bank Holiday A lot of people ask me why the Foodies Festival has been such a success and I think it’s down to the fact that
David McManus looks at the way in which we pay for using our mobiles A lot of discussion has been made over the past couple of weeks about new charging plans in the US mobile phone market and whether such changes could find their way to these shores
Stuart Macbeth talks to the person behind the area’s first white-collar boxing club John Houston smiles, raising his eyebrows as though he can’t quite believe his luck. “It’s amazing how my life my has come together,” The huge 45-year-old father
Alexander Ewing makes another plea for better bookshops Unlike the average academic journal article, which few read and fewer bother to comment on (or at least in my case), I’m always pleasantly surprised by the reader responses generated by my
Cat Kelly, the organiser of Folk Weekend: Oxford, shares her goals I don’t really remember a time when music wasn’t an integral part of my life; whether it was recorder lessons at school, the hours of practice to pass my flute exams, playing for
Someone told me they thought the statue looked just like Jonathan Ross, which I suppose it does a bit. But the lolling figure could really be nobody but Oscar Wilde. This striking work (see below) was executed by the Irish sculptor Danny Osborne
Katherine Macalister stays up too late caught up in an engrossing domestic thriller There are some books that you savour, that you save for a long weekend or a holiday. I didn’t have the luxury, but I knew it was going to be a long night once
Angela Swann gets a taste of the ‘unashamedly old fashioned’ cuisine that The Plowden Arms has on offer There’s no denying Oxfordshire is a big old county with no shortage of fine eateries to please even the most fussy of foodies. Big hitters
It’s almost time to start planting for spring colour. Hannah Stephenson checks out the best bulbs and asks if going organic produces better blooms Summer is almost over and canny gardeners will now be stealing a march on spring by ordering their
Now in its seventh year, the mecca of 80s pop was a real celebration of the music and style of the decade. Known for its party atmosphere, most festival goers dressed for the occasion in eighties wigs and neon ra-ra skirts – including the men.
Festival Reading Festival Richfield Avenue, Reading Tomorrow-Monday Readingfestival.com The greatest, messiest rock fest of them all gets underway tomorrow with tens of thousands of predominantly young music-lovers shaking their stuff to
Tents, sleeping bags, wellies and flip flops at the ready, as Oxfordshire enters its last – and busiest weekend of the festivals. Bank Holiday weekends used to be so simple. If you were young and crazy you’d head to Reading. If you preferred something
Cast member Darcy Rak talks about the enthusiasm and professionalism of the young people he works with at RicNic RicNic is an authentic youth theatre company – a unique social enterprise where young people really do get to run the show. Each summer
BRADLEY Smith has unfinished business at the British Grand Prix ahead of this weekend’s MotoGP race at Silverstone. The 24-year-old, from Forest Hill, near Oxford, heads to the Northamptonshire circuit after signing a new one-year contract with
Work to fill in a hole in St Georges Road in Wallingford should be finished by tomorrow, according to the mayor. On Saturday, August 23, reports surfaced of a hole “big enough to swallow a van” between Clapcot Way and Blackstone Road. A single
THERE are some schools of thought that may be shocked to find the likes of “bants” and “hangry” creeping into the online OED. But really this is “NBD” (no big deal). The whole point of language is that it’s one of the most effective ways of
THERE is probably not one person on this earth who has not been touched by cancer in some way. Whether it’s a scare you’ve had yourself, losing a loved one or helping a friend battle the disease, cancer is one of those illnesses that seems to be
CANCER patients are being signed up to a massive genetic study that could improve the treatment of their conditions. From today researchers will be asking eligible patients from around the county for genetic samples as part of the national 100,000
A PROLIFIC robber who escaped from an open prison in Aylesbury and travelled to Oxford should not have been moved there if he was a danger to the public, union bosses have warned. John Rooney, 47, who is halfway through a 24-year jail sentence
TWO schoolchildren have been hailed heroes after rescuing a woman they found unconscious in a ditch. Connor Fowles, 12, and Chloe Ellis, 11 were cycling through Steventon, near Didcot, last Thursday night when they spotted Rebecca Lake lying face
Firefighters were at the scene of a farm fire in Longcot, near Faringdon, most of yesterday after a silo containing 300 tonnes of barley caught alight. Fire crews were alerted to the blaze at 2.10am after a neighbour reported it. A gas LPG
KAYLEIGH Hines is looking forward to another opportunity to test herself against higher-league opposition as Oxford United Women visit Bristol Academy in FA WSL Continental Tyres Cup group 3 tonight (7). The U’s were beaten 3-0 at Birmingham City
A man has been sentenced to 40 months in prison after sexually assaulting a woman in Sandford Lock. Gary Norris, 34, of Luther Street, Oxford, was handed the sentence on Tuesday at Oxford Crown Court after pleading guilty to one count of sexually
A TRICKSTER who posed as the Duke of Marlborough while spending more than £2,000 at a five-star hotel on a suite and drinks he never paid for has been warned he could be jailed. Alexander Wood lived a “life of luxury” while racking up bills of
CHILDREN put some adults to shame at a new cookery course aimed at teaching them healthy eating habits. The Children’s Food Trust set up the three-day course with Tesco at the store in Lockheed Close, Banbury. The youngsters rolled up their
Over 180 years ago, six men from Tolpuddle in Dorset were transported to Australia for administering oaths. The names of George and James Loveless, Thomas and John Standfield, James Brine and James Hammett are hardly renowned. But, each year, the Trades
LAWRENCE Clarke will race in the semi-finals of the 110m hurdles at the World Athletics Championships in Beijing today, having qualified as a fastest loser in yesterday’s heats, writes STUART WEIR. The 25-year-old, from Christmas Common, near Watlington
PASSENGERS travelling by train between Oxford and Banbury this morning experienced delays earlier of up to half an hour due to a cow on the line. Both First Great Western and Cross Country trains were affected after reports of animals on the railway
It's 35 years since Michelangelo Antonioni and Monica Vitti last worked together on The Oberwald Mystery (1980). They had first met 23 years earlier when Vitti had joined the director's Teatro Nuovo di Milano and were already lovers by the time he
A FLEDGLING firm offering IT training to autistic people has turned to the internet to fund its next venture, saying employers are “missing a trick”. Switch IT Training and Consultancy, based in Headington, was launched last year as a means of
5:09pm First Great Western confirms strike will 'definitely' go ahead as no breakthrough with union
A multi-storey car park was targeted in an arson attack. A small fire was started in a stairwell in the Charter car park off Stert Street in the town at about 2pm on Tuesday. Police said they believed white spirit was poured on to the floor
A Grade II listed bridge on the A4095 could be closed to wide vehicles until at least November. Radcot Bridge, which crosses the River Thames between Faringdon and Carterton as part of the A4095, closed on August 11 after it was hit by a lorry.
RAIL passengers in Banbury experienced delays of more than an hour yesterday following signalling problems. Due to a problem at Leamington Spa, passengers were left waiting up to 90 minutes for their trains between London and Birmingham. Some
THINGS are looking rosé for wine drinkers who are celebrating the corking decision to add “wine o’clock” to the Oxford English Dictionary. Oxford University Press has announced that wine o’clock is one of a variety of new words that have been added
VISITORS are being urged not to abandon Oxford as the county gears up for a bumper bank holiday weekend. With the weather set to improve, traders are hoping the weekend will bring the last big opportunity for tourist attractions to cash in before
BICESTER lost 41-36 at South West 1 East side Newbury Blues in pre-season. Played over three periods of 30 minutes, Bicester won the first session 19-5, thanks to tries from Pauliasi Sema, Tim Farrow and Dave Aslett. Dan Spencer kicked two
HEADINGTON A were too strong for their C side to lift the Hawker Cup with a 45-22 success at Oxford City & County. Stars of the show were Bernie May, Ian KibbleWhite, Paul Mabbutt and Ian Snowdon, whose 28-6 win ensured there was no way back
CARTERTON’S Wendy Sandy went one better than last year as she won the Gwen Steele Unbadged Singles. The 2014 runner-up beat Sue Stewart, from South Oxford, 16-12 in the final at City and County. In warm conditions, Sandy began with a crushing
BANBURY missed the chance to take control of the Division 1 title race as they suffered a nine-run defeat to new leaders High Wycombe. Victory would have seen them top the Serious Cricket Home Counties Premier League after Henley lost to Burnham
ALICE Hopkins and Amy Herrington starred for Oxfordshire at the Southern Inter-County Championships at the Allianz Park in Hendon. Radley AC’s Hopkins won the Under 20 long lump, setting a personal best of 5.68m on her second attempt. Herrington
THE funeral of a former city councillor and Lord Mayor of Oxford will take place tomorrow. Veteran Labour politician Carole Roberts died aged 71 on August 9, a week after receiving a national award from her party. She represented Northfield Brook
TRAFFIC and roadworks in the city has led a long-established Oxford clothes shop to move to Witney. Casa Rose Boudoir owner Rose Lyburn had planned on opening a shop in Witney alongside her Walton Street ladies clothes shop. Despite a revamp
CANDIDATES can stand for election for Banbury’s Grimsbury and Castle wards following the death of councillor Ann Bonner. The former mayor of Banbury passed away at the age of 62 earlier this month after a short illness, having stayed at Katherine
REVISED plans for a new zebra crossing in one of Witney’s busiest streets are set to be approved. Oxfordshire County Council now wants to put the Bridge Street crossing at the road’s southwest end before the Mill Street mini roundabout. It
FIVE Radley athletes returned home from the World Masters Championships in Lyon after earning three bronze medals between them while representing Great Britain. Ben Owen (M35), in his first international masters, picked up his medal in the 4x100m
DIDCOT Conservative Club pulled off the shock of the season with a 6-0 whitewash over leaders Vikings, writes PETE EWINS. However, although the staggering success took them top of the Johnsons Buildbase Oxford & District League Group A table
ANDY Gunn’s late header earned Banbury United a thrilling 3-3 draw at Cinderford Town in Evo-Stik Southern League Division 1 South & West. The Puritans have taken eight points from their first five games. Ethan Moore’s lob put the hosts
THE future of Lye Valley Nature Reserve will be discussed by the leader of the Green Party on a visit tomorrow. Natalie Bennett will tour the reserve in Headington to discuss threats to its existence with Dr Judy Webb of the Friends of Lye Valley
THE HEADMASTER of Magdalen College School has vowed it will be “functioning normally” when it opens next weekafter a devastating fire in June. The blaze on June 16 started in the drama office of the Cowley Place school and more than sixty firefighters
MOST couples decide to wait a while before tying the knot, but this pair have brought the phrase a “long engagement” to a whole new level. Kim Farquhar and Stewart Jamison will today no doubt be in the throes of preparing for their wedding tomorrow
