I AM WRITING in response to your article in last Friday’s Oxford Mail: (College wants ‘Burgerfest’ to be withdrawn from the menu) A meeting between representatives of Balliol and the city council enabled everybody involved to understand the importance
I WAS at the recent cup-tie between Middlesbrough and Oxford United. I would like to congratulate the Oxford team and the supporters for a magnificent performance.The team played some excellent football and were unlucky not to have a least earned a
I HAVE a 1969 book about birds, which states that red kites are so rare, they can only be seen in Wales. One frosty afternoon in January a flock of land gulls circled low over my back garden and were dive bombed by four red kites. One of the latter
IT WOULD appear that our politicians are not at all interested in the population of our country. They tell us there is no money for the NHS, in fact there is no money full stop, and then on the radio this morning I hear that we are sending £200m
HAVING just read the self-appointed Oxford City Council’s minister for propaganda John Tanner’s comments regarding council mergers in Tuesday’s Oxford Mail. Oxford City Council is defunct and continues to demonstrate that it is simply unfit for
AS THE minister responsible for school funding in England, I am determined to end the historic postcode lottery of the current school funding system which sees children with similar needs receive very different amounts of funding in different parts
LUKE Sproule’s report (Oxford Mail, February 22) of the Oxfordshire County Council (OCC) vote in cabinet in favour of an officers’ recommendation for the sale for £1 of the Harlow Centre site to the secretive Education Funding Agency (EFA) misses much
THE pilot of an RAF passenger jet which went into a nosedive after his digital camera allegedly caused the autopilot to disengage has said he was "utterly devastated" when he was told his actions were believed to be responsible for the incident.
MUCH is written in the Oxford Mail, especially in the comments section, about the so-called need for 30,000 houses to be built locally, to which end Cherwell DC (who govern my bit of turf) have suggested 4,400 to be built around Kidlington town and
OXFORD United's game against Bolton Wanderers next month has been selected for live coverage on Sky Sports. The details of the clash at the Kassam Stadium, rearranged from January due to the U's Emirates FA Cup commitments, will not be changed.
A MAN has been arrested following a pile-up involving six cars and an HGV on the A34 on Monday. The smash near Bicester saw five people taken to the John Radcliffe Hospital including a 10-year-old boy and his mother, who ambulance crews said were
A ROUTE map of Sir Winston Churchill's funeral and other ceremonial details have sold at auction for £400. The folder full of documents was bought by an online bidder in the UK at an auction in Surrey this afternoon. Together, the half-century
A 35-year-old man died after being stabbed ‘multiple times’ in his chest and abdomen, an inquest heard. Oxfordshire coroner Darren Salter opened an inquest this afternoon into the death of Domingos Ramalho, of Wharton Road, Headington, Oxford,
WHETHER Oxford University had any plans to be part of a new campus in Paris is probably for the “canards” (University says ‘non’ to French campus claims: February 21). What is true, however, is that Oxford has the largest department of French in
RESEARCHERS at Oxford University's zoology department, who are currently in their own state of upheaval after being evicted from their buildings, have co-incidentally discovered that challenging times do not seem to make stronger bonds in groups.
OXFORD’s new Aldi supermarket will open for business on March 9. The store will be open from 8am and is expected to create up to 50 jobs. The discount supermarket is replacing a former Currys shop and will have a sales area of 906 square metres
CALLS have been made for elections at Oxford City Council to be held every four years instead of two. The move would save £52,000 over four years and lead to higher turnout, Liberal Democrat group leader Andrew Gant said. There are two seats
TWO raiders armed with a machete kicked a man's front door in and stole his shotguns. The victim was alone at the house in Station Road, Bampton, at 10.20pm on Sunday when he said a man knocked on his door. He later told police he was on the
B&Q has said firefighters were called to its Witney store this morning because of an 'overheated server' - but denied there was a fire. Staff at the shop on Thorney Leys Business Park called 999 at 9.07am and closed the store because of a suspected
HAVING read the article this evening about residents asking for the speed limit on Botley Road to be reduced to 20 miles an hour, my thinking is on a different plain. I travel up and down the Botley Road twice a day to and from work, also at various
A CONSERVATION work party due to meet at Botley’s Raleigh Park this Saturday has been moved to Sunday at the same time of 10am to 3pm.The Wild Oxford Group led by Andy Gunn will be clearing scrub from the wetland, creating dead hedges and burning the
Katie Herring unwraps the problems of plasticVACUUM-packed cucumbers: fiddly to unwrap and, as they have their own natural skin, the plastic is completely unnecessary. It's these sort of item that make me realise what a low-plastic environment Cultivate
IT has been 18 years since nuclear physicist Ray Spackman died, but his family still fondly remember where he spent his final days. The grandfather-of-one was on Sobell House's ward for four days before his death in 1999, following a three-month struggle
WATCH the main moments from Oxford United's 1-0 win at Charlton Athletic. Video via Oxford United's official Youtube channel MATCH REPORT - Charlton Ath 0, Oxford Utd 1 REACTION - Conor McAleny thrilled to be U's match-winner
JOINT work is under way between councils to tackle ‘out of town’ taxis in Oxford. Oxford City Council said it was working with other authorities to tackle the ‘loophole’, which allows hackney carriages to take on pre-booked work outside the area
A MAN who caused thousands of pounds worth of damage to cars parked in a single street was handed a restraining order by Oxford Magistrates' Court. Richard Hutchings, 37, of Newlands Avenue Didcot, admitted nine charges of scratching vehicles in
POWER tools were stolen after burglars prised open the shutters of a business in Oxford .Police are appealing witnesses following the break in to the property in Pony Road, Cowley sometime during Tuesday night.Power tools were taken from a wall display.Anyone
MEMBERS of the public gathered to celebrate the life of an Oxfordshire collector and folklorist at the city’s historic Bodleian Libraries.Marking the 100th anniversary of the death of Percy Manning, the Weston Library is hosting a special display, which
RICHARD Blackmore has left Oxford United after 17 years in the club's coaching set-up. The most recent of his wide variety of roles has been as general manager at the U's academy. He said: “I have loved my time at the club and it has been a
A FOLK group will perform at a medieval theatre in Abingdon.Said the Maiden will play at the Unicorn Theatre on Thursday, March 16 at 7pm.Tickets cost £14 and are available from Remade Guitars shop or by visiting musicattheunicorn.org.uk.
IF you visit The Story Museum during the depths of winter there are times when if feels quite chilly – almost as cold as Narnia where, legend has it, winter never ends.The dilapidated buildings at the attraction in Pembroke Street, Oxford, can be difficult
WHO knew that a threepenny stamp would be the start of a 50-year-old legacy in Didcot? Four teenagers wrote to a railway magazine in 1967 with the hopes of starting the Didcot Railway Centre. Angus Davis, Graham Perry, Jon Barlow and Mike Peart
COUNCILLOR Liz Wade, leader of the Lib Dem city councillors, fails to accept the recent referendum results and vilifies our two elected MPs, Andrew Smith and Nicola Blackwood, for supporting the Government’s Brexit Bill (Oxford Mail, February15).
AN official complaint has been made against John Tanner, the Oxford City Councillor, who branded the city's rough sleepers as a 'disgrace' this week. Oxford East Conservative Association has issued a formal code of conduct complaint to the city
Private landlords have been urged to open up their properties to people fleeing civil war in Syria. Cherwell District Council is working to resettle six families between now and 2020 and is emphasising the support available to those willing to
PLANS to reshape the local NHS were dealt a blow yesterday as councillors voted not to support Oxfordshire Clinical Commissioning Group's proposals. Cabinet members at Oxfordshire County Council gave approval to a cutting report by its leadership
A COMMUNITY in Abingdon will show support for residents of the Philippines.Christians will gather at Abingdon Baptist Church for the annual Women’s World Day of Prayer service, which has a different theme each year.This time the prayer was written by
THE Soldiers of Oxfordshire Museum in Woodstock is to host a talk about EH Shepard, who illustrated the Winnie-the-Pooh stories by AA Milne.Mr Shepard was also an artist in the trenches in the First World War.James Campbell’s talk takes place on Wednesday
PUPILS at The Bicester School learned more about the Holocaust when they were visited by a survivor of the genocide.John Fieldsend, now 85, came to Britain on the Kindertransport programme in the late 1930s from Czechoslovakia.He visited The Bicester
RESIDENTS can bring their own beverages to a jazz concert in South Hinksey.The village hall in Manor Road will be brought to life with smooth tunes from saxaphone player Ian Millar and piano player Dominic Spencer.Audience members are welcome to bring
AN Oxfordshire artist has helped a school celebrate its 40th anniversary with an art project.James Ort, who runs the Phoenix Studio in Towersey, worked with pupils to create a piece of art for everyone to enjoy.The artist spent six days with youngsters
COWLEY's car building heritage will be celebrated with the reopening of the founder's home to the public for this year.A parade of Cowley-built cars will be driven from the Oxford Mini Plant to Nuffield Place next week – the final home of William
MICHAEL Appleton was hugely encouraged by the way Oxford United were able to rotate their side and still come out on top against Charlton Athletic. The 1-0 win was secured by a long-range effort from Conor McAleny - one of three players brought
MEMBERS of a football club struggling with the loss of their former pitch hope plans for 200 homes will provide them with a new place to play. More than 100 people turned out to a meeting in Chipping Norton Town Hall last Wednesday to discuss the future
SHORT stories by two leading authors will be read aloud at an evening session at Blackwell’s Bookshop in Oxford.On Tuesday stories by Kate Hamer, whose debut The Red Coat was shortlisted for the 2015 Costa First Novel Award, and multi-award-nominated
A PRIMARY school that has worked hard to address a dip in results has been rated ‘good’ again by Ofsted.Dunmore Primary School in Northcourt Road, Abingdon, was subject to a short inspection earlier this month – for schools rated good at their last inspection.Inspectors
FREE art lessons for disadvantaged young adults are being launched at a Banbury shop in memory of the owner's mother.Barry Whitehouse, a professional painter who runs The Artery in Parson's Street, was supported in his endeavours from an early
THE voters of Oxfordshire must be pleased that city and county councillor John Tanner has publicly expressed his cold, heartless and uncaring feelings at the working poor and those who nightly sleep on the streets of our affluent city. He said
THE latest ceremony to remember soldiers from Oxfordshire regiments who died in the two world wars will take place next month.Turning the Pages ceremonies are regularly held in the Military Chapel at Christ Church Cathedral and veterans and families will
WANTAGE MP had twitter talking last night not just about his politics but also his sideburns. Ed Vaizey made an appearance on BBC Two's Newsnight Tuesday night and during his interview top Tories were tweeting out their support. Michael Gove
Here are the crimes police have appealed for your help in solving over the past 24 hours. If you have any information relating to the crimes, contact the force on 101. Here is the Oxfordshire crime round-up for Wednesday, February 23.
HEALTH bosses were faced with cries of ‘shame’ from an audience in Witney after refusing to call the closure of a GP practice with more than 4,000 patients a ‘substantial change’.More than 100 residents filled the town’s Corn Exchange last Thursday for
WITNEY beat Royal Wootton Bassett 32-17 on Saturday, despite playing with only 14 men for over an hour.The west Oxfordshire side had centre Callum Godfrey sent off after 12 minutes of the South West 1 East clash.But four tries and 12 points from the boot
DAVID Murphy and Max Palmer each hit a hat-trick as Berinsfield dumped Long Wittenham Athletic out of the North Berks Cup 8-1, writes RICHARD UNDERWOOD.The home side set up a semi-final meeting with Kintbury Rangers in emphatic fashion against an understrength
HANBOROUGH claimed their place in the final of the Witney & District FA’s Fred Ford Cup with a 6-0 thrashing of Carterton Town A, writes HARRY ROSE.Aston Leach and Jack Morton bagged a brace apiece, while Joey Burgess and Craig Johnson were also on target
READERS have rallied against the 'messy' state of Oxfordshire's roads after a councillor warned they are not set to improve. Drivers and cyclists complained about 'dangerous' pothole hotspots following a special report in Monday's Oxford Mail,
THE meticulous plans detailing the funeral arrangements of Sir Winston Churchill will be auctioned today. They map out the procession, St Paul's Cathedral ceremony, military flypast, and the coffin's transportation on the Thames and by train for
To diet or not to diet, that is the question. A leading nutritionist from Oxford University has waded into a debate on the affects of yo-yo dieting. Professor of diet and population health at Oxford University Susan Jebb has pointed out it
ONE of Britain's most successful orchestras based in Oxfordshire is moving to Belgium due to fears of a post-Brexit crackdown on immigration.The European Union Baroque Orchestra has been based in the county since 1985 but will give its last UK concert
A JUNIOR doctor suspended for 12 months after allowing falsified information to be published has been deemed fit to practice again.At a Medical Practitioners Tribunal Service hearing in Manchester last Friday it was noted that Dr Gemima Doolub, who formerly
IT SEEMS to me that the debate over the question of a county unitary is in danger of generating a great more heat than light. I would therefore like to draw you attention to two points, which I believe none of the parties questions. The first
CONOR McAleny’s first goal for Oxford United was enough to see Michael Appleton’s side bounce back from their Emirates FA Cup exit with three precious points at the Valley. The Everton loanee stunned former employers Charlton Athletic with a 25
JUST five per cent of landlords in Oxford are prepared to rent to people who receive housing benefit, according to a report. Oxford City Council said it found people letting private properties ‘generally reluctant’ to do so in a survey it carried
DIDCOT Town Youth earned a 3-0 home victory over Thatcham Town Harriers in the Oxford Mail Youth League. Tyler Brown, David O’Connor and Jack White were on target in the Under 15 C League encounter. Wheatley Boys lost 5-1 at Rotherfield United
A CAR park at an Oxfordshire train station could be more than doubled if plans by a rail operator go ahead. Great Western Railway proposes increasing the parking spaces at Charlbury railway station from 200 to nearly 500 to help deal with increasing usage
MCDONALD’S in Botley Road in Oxford is getting a makeover. Staff at the American burger chain shut the restaurant on Monday and it will reopen on Tuesday, March 14. The revamp follows a £230,000 refurbishment in 2007 after the area was seriously
A NEW 900-pupil secondary school is set to go ahead in Marston despite concerns being raised about its proposed location.Yesterday Oxfordshire County Council‘s cabinet voted to sell off the Harlow Centre site to the Department for Education after hearing
AN ANIMAL sanctuary has hit back at claims it is unfit to operate. Didcot Animal Sanctuary defended its care of rabbits and chickens after a woman who visited to volunteer wrote a 1,700-word Facebook post accusing it of poor standards. Kriz
YOUR money has been used to send ‘blatantly political’ letters to 60,000 households by Oxford City Council, it can be revealed. Bosses at the Labour-run authority have shelled out £27,000 on the printing and distribution of the letters, which urge
CONOR McAleny was thrilled to become Oxford United’s match-winner as his first start was lit up by a superb strike which bagged a hard-fought victory at Charlton Athletic. The 1-0 win against ten men lifted the U’s to tenth in the Sky Bet League
A TEENAGER has been taken taken to hospital with a head injury after being hit by a coach. The 19-year-old woman was involved in the collision at about 2.40pm yesterday in central Headington, in Oxford. A passerby said the crash happened close
A MAN who took his own life will be gifted with ‘the send off he so deserves’ thanks to friends and strangers who funded his funeral. The family of Neil Barnacle, who grew up in Abingdon, appealed for help after struggling to meet the cost of his
ROADWORKS which brought Oxford to a standstill yesterday ‘could not have been carried out during half term’ the firm responsible has said. Thames Water set up temporary traffic lights at the junction of Western Road and Abingdon Road, Oxford, on
TRANSPORT data service INRIX says traffic congestion cost UK motorists £30.8 billion in 2016. Its huge survey of 38 countries says the UK is the fourth most congested developed nation on Earth. Decades of road building show only that traffic expands
RESIDENTS forced from their homes after the Gibbs Crescent explosion said they feel they have been ‘left in limbo’ a week on. People living in about a dozen flats near the blast site remained in temporary accommodation yesterday, with no clue about
