Archive

  • News feature: All aboard for a trip down memory lane

    A new book chronicles the path of the county’s buses over the past 40 years. Callum Keown reports. It might seem like a strange hobby, but John Law has been spotting Oxfordshire buses since the early 1970s. Now he has turned his obsession into

  • BAR BILLIARDS: Vikings top table after 6-0 romp

    Bob Allsworth took two wins as Vikings whitewashed West Oxford Democrats Club. The 6-0 win saw them finish top of Group A in the Buildbase Oxford & District Summer League, ahead of Didcot Con Club. Skipper Allsworth (4,420 & 5,840)

  • What went down when Oxford rock band Foals hit town

    THE Oxford rock band Foals thanked local fans for their support by turning up at the city’s only record store to sign copies of their new album. Hundreds of music-lovers queued outside the Truck Store, in Cowley Road, yesterday afternoon, for a

  • Mosque collections raise funds to aid flood victims

    VITAL funds to provide aid for flood victims in Pakistan are being raised in a series of street collections at Oxford mosques. Pakistan-born Oxford city councillor Saj Malik, who still has family in the country, has organised collections at the

  • Community unites over plans to build on community space

    A CAMPAIGN to save Bicester’s green spaces has been set up by people who fear the loss of their community’s “ornamental garden”. People in Derwent Road and Dryden Avenue have launched Save Our Local Green Spaces in response to plans to build on

  • Donkey work to help fund animal hospital

    A DONKEY sanctuary near Wallingford has raised enough money to start work on an equine hospital which will transform the way it cares for animals. But it still needs to raise another £20,000 or else it will not be able to buy any of the equipment

  • Charity hits fundraising road to buy stroke victims minibus

    A CLUB for stroke survivors is appealing for help to buy a new minibus so its members get the support they need. The Stroke Club UK is trying to raise £40,000 for the minibus to help its members who cannot drive or do not have transport get to

  • Pickleball aims to keep people active

    AN EMERGING racket sport is giving an older generation of players a new lease of life. Pickleball is a cross between table tennis, badminton and tennis and involves hitting a large ball over a net with a paddle. It may not sound revolutionary

  • Charity bike ride kicks off day of fundraising events

    A DIDCOT fundraiser is organising what he thinks may be the town’s biggest event for five charities. Richard Williams and eleven friends will set off from the Wheatsheaf pub at 6am on Saturday on a 100-mile cycle around the county. While they

  • Labour leadership vote has not been infiltrated

    SUSAN Thomas (September 1) is not correct when she claims members of other political parties are able to vote in electing the Labour leader. The new rules allow people to register as supporters and to vote alongside party members, but they must

  • I got a duck by hook or by crook

    FOR the second year running, members of the Didcot Community Hospital League of Friends got drenched at their annual fundraising fete. But people still turned out to buy home-made crafts and cakes, take a chance in the tombola and hook a duck,

  • So many good reasons why it’s right to get on your bike

    THE ‘Smart Oxford’ initiative (Oxford Mail, August 31) is to be welcomed as sensible new technology that would contribute towards traffic reduction. But it would be just as valuable to Oxford and Oxfordshire if we were able to increase cycling

  • Building more roads will not stop traffic problems

    I AGREE with Mary Clarkson (September 1) that traffic lights might be one of the answers to the problems at the Cherwell Drive junction. Traffic lights have been used to regulate the flow of vehicles at the roundabouts at some major roads, so why

  • Shopping and parking experiences compared

    IN RESPONSE to Bernadette Downes (August 21), I only compared the shopping and parking experiences of Oxford with Reading, Swindon and Southampton – not on whether they were more beautiful than Oxford, on that I will agree. In regards to the American

  • Money should be invested in villages

    I REFER to the article (Oxford Mail, August 27) by the leader of Oxfordshire County Council Ian Hudspeth regarding bus gates and park and ride fines funding wider transport strategy in Oxford. It is hoped that some of this surplus money from fines

  • Foreign-born residents could solve Tory issue

    THE report in the Oxford Mail (August 26) saying that the foreign-born UK population is to exceed eight million could have a silver lining with regards to the problems of the A40. Because the newcomers are not conditioned to vote Conservative,

  • Crowd shrugs off rain to enjoy fete

    DESPITE the poor Bank Holiday weather, a good crowd turned out to enjoy the annual Shipton-under-Wychwood fete. The clouds parted just enough for people to enjoy the dog show, charity stalls and traditional games in the village near Burford.

  • CRICKET: Jack Brooks back with a bang for Yorkshire

    JACK Brooks led Yorkshire’s charge towards retaining the LV=County Championship title by grabbing 5-35 as Somerset were skittled for 110 on the first day of their Division 1 match at Headingley. The former Oxfordshire seamer returned his best figures

  • Smartphones welcome in the classroom but not playground

    THE headteacher at a leading Oxford independent school has claimed mobile phones offer “limitless” possibilities for education in the classroom. Meanwhile, a student at another Oxfordshire school is trying to overturn a ban on their use during

  • Motorcyclist hospitalised following van collision

    A teenage motorcyclist was taken to hospital after being involved in a crash with a van. The collision happened at about 3.15pm on Monday on the B4425 towards Upton, near Didcot. South Central Ambulance Service spokeswoman Catherine Morrow

  • Two are released in cyclist death case

    Two people arrested in connection with a hit-and-run in which a cyclist died have been released without charge. The incident occurred on June 4 when a cyclist collided with a car in Cholsey. A 22-year-old woman arrested on suspicion of causing

  • Museum turns print clock back

    IN THE modern world all it takes to print a letter, poster or story is a few clicks of a mouse. But the Museum of the History of Science in Broad Street showed what it was like in years gone by demonstrating the technique of linocut printing.

  • Wedding winners enjoy ‘a perfect day’

    NEWLYWEDS Ross and Ciara Gardiner celebrated their special day at the weekend after winning their wedding through an Oxford Mail competition. The Eynsham couple, who have a three-year-old son called Cory, met in 2010 and got engaged less then a

  • CRICKET: Wolvercote triumph in OCA's Telegraph Cup final

    Wolvercote clinched the OCA League’s Telegraph Cup with a four-wicket win over Kidlington at East & West Hendred on Sunday. Batting first, Kidlington posted 179-9, Andy Oliver hitting 52 and Tom Bozman 43. Jamie van Santen took 4-57 for

  • Westgate probe as residents complain of sleepless nights

    SLEEPING residents claim they have been abruptly woken in the middle of the night by drilling at the Westgate building site. But the developer behind the multi-million pound project has denied the noise was its fault, with Oxford City Council now

  • Session to meet police officers in Cutteslowe

    A drop-in session for residents in Cutteslowe to speak to police will be held today. Thames Valley Police will be holding the event in Cutteslowe Community Centre, in Wren Road. Neighbourhood police officers will be on hand to discuss local

  • RUGBY LEAGUE: Outclassed Oxford given battering by Swinton

    OXFORD RL crashed to their heaviest defeat of the season when outgunned 84-16 by in-form hosts Swinton Lions in Kingstone Press League 1 on Monday. Swinton, on an eight-match unbeaten run, romped home as Stuart Littler and Chris Atkin scored 52

  • Campaign calls for community building tax break

    A COUNTY councillor has called for tax breaks on work to construct and maintain community buildings. Roz Smith, who represents Headington and Quarry in Oxford, is to put a motion to Oxfordshire County Council that would see the authority back a

  • Window cut during Cutteslowe burglary

    A PlayStation and a television were stolen during a burglary in Cutteslowe. Police said the offender or offenders cut a hole in a glass window next to the front door of the property in Hayward Road on Sunday. They then reached inside to open

  • New school bus service to launch

    A new bus service will launch tomorrow to link Kennington with Matthew Arnold School, Cumnor Hill. The 35A, operated by Oxford Bus Company, will run to the school on school days only, with outbound services picking up from Kenville Road at 7.51am

  • Convict in custody after week on run

    A convict who escaped from prison and was seen heading towards Oxford by bus has been caught. John Rooney, 47, pictured, was halfway through a 27-year sentence when he walked out of Springhill Prison near Bicester, at about 6.30am on August 24.

  • Care home gets a better report

    A CARE home which was of concern for the country’s health watchdog has been rated good in its most recent inspection. In October 2014, the Care Quality Commission (CQC) visited Iffley Residential and Nursing Home in Oxford following “concerning

  • Spectre of dog mess casting a shadow over park celebration

    THE Leys Festival could be marred by dog fouling, with a councillor warning of a recent spate at Blackbird Leys Park. Thousands will flock to the area on Saturday for the festival and will be greeted with new benches, saplings and flowerbeds.

  • MP calls for 30mph limit on ‘death road’

    A COUNTRY road near Drayton where a woman died in a crash must have a lower speed limit, the area’s MP has said. Ed Vaizey, MP for Wantage, urged Oxfordshire County Council to reduce the limit on the B4016 between Drayton and Sutton Courtenay from

  • Man is jailed for ‘reckless’ crime spree

    A FORMER cocaine addict who broke into a man’s house and threatened him in front of his children has been sentenced to 33 months in prison. Timothy Joyce Jr, of Redbridge Hollow, Old Abingdon Road, Oxford, was sentenced at Oxford Crown Court for

  • Youngsters have a ball with Street Sports sessions

    CHILDREN in West Oxford enjoyed the last days of the summer holidays by taking part in a variety of sports. The summer-long Street Sports sessions, run by Oxford City Council, came to an end last week. The Botley Park session saw children aged

  • Fair blessing on mayor’s agenda

    THE annual blessing of St Giles’ Fair is one of a number of events which will be attended by the Lord Mayor of Oxford in the coming week. City councillor Rae Humberstone will take part in the tradition on Sunday at 5pm at St John’s College along

  • It’s hip-hip hooray for 100-year-old birthday girl

    NOT even a broken hip could get in the way of Gladys Todd celebrating her 100th birthday in style. While Mrs Todd, from Ardley, near Bicester, lay recovering in hospital, she was unaware of family plans for her surprise birthday celebration.

  • Plans finally go in for new homes and pool

    PLANS for nearly 2,000 homes, schools and a sports centre with swimming pool in Didcot have finally been put forward. Proposals for land to the north east of Didcot had stalled because South Oxfordshire District Council was unable to buy the land