Archive

  • Banjos at the ready... It's time for Oxford Folk Weekend

    Tim Hughes grabs his tankard and Morris dancing bells and looks forward to the start of Folk Weekend Oxford THEY come from across the land, clutching fiddles, guitars, sticks and bells – and all agree there is no better place to be in the spring

  • Good rating for West Oxfordshire pre school

    A PRE-SCHOOL with ‘strong leadership’ has been awarded a good rating by Ofsted once again.Ascott-under-Wychwood Pre-School near Chipping Norton in West Oxfordshire received a positive report from the education standards watchdog after a visit in March.In

  • Taster evening to by held for air cadets squadron

    YOUNGSTERS interested in joining the Air Cadets can attend a taster evening tonight.The Cowley Air Cadets will meet at their HQ in Sandy Lane West, Littlemore, from 7.30pm until 9.45pm.Youngsters aged from 12 to 17 have been invited to attend, and there

  • Labour MEP hopes to replace Andrew Smith in Oxford East

    AN MEP is hoping to return home from Brussels to become Labour’s next parliamentary candidate for Oxford East. Anneliese Dodds, who lives in Rose Hill but spends several days a week representing the South East in the European Parliament, has revealed

  • Care quality in Oxfordshire races up a national league table

    OXFORDSHIRE has raced up a care quality league table, a new study has revealed.TrustedCare tracks the quality of services across the country’s 47 counties and Oxfordshire is now ranked 24th.This is nine places higher than its December 2016 ranking, where

  • Volunteers wanted to work in Tandem

    THE organisers of Tandem Festival are seeking volunteers to help shape this year’s event.Tandem, which will be held this year at a Cotswold farmyard, describes itself as an eco-friendly non-for-profit music festival that celebrates international culture

  • Grow at green day

    GREEN groups have a week left to apply for a stall at this year’s Big Green Day out on Broad Street.This year’s event on Saturday, June 10, will run from 10am to 5pm and organisers have promised ‘a fun-filled, environmentally-friendly day out for all

  • Charity retro rave

    PUBLICANS are hosting a retro rave and barbecue bash for charity.The managers at the Queen’s Head in Horspath will throw their big-hearted bash on Sunday, May 30, the day before the bank holiday.From 3pm to 11pm the team have booked ten DJs to spin the

  • Cheers! Raise a pint glass to toast Oxford Beer Week

    Raise a glass to Oxford Beer Week with Dan Hearn of Loddon BreweryUNLESS you’ve been living under a rock for the past five years, you’ll have noticed Britain is in the midst of a beer boom.From pilsners to porters, milds to milk stouts, it has never been

  • Power outage hits homes and businesses

    Homes and businesses in Kidlington have been hit by a loss of power. Energy supplier SSE said 31 postcodes - 29 of which are in the OX5 area - were affected by the power cut. A fault was reported to the company at 3.50pm today and the company

  • Thousands of pounds raised by Sainsbury's in Heyford Hill

    FUNDRAISERS at an Oxford supermarket have announced the total amount of money they raked in for Comic Relief.Last month staff at Sainsbury’s Heyford Hill took part in weeks of fundraising for the charity, which helps people in the UK and abroad.On Red

  • Pensioner's home burgled as she slept in garden

    Money was stolen from a pensioner's home as she snoozed in the garden. Police said the 84-year-old was taking a nap in the front garden of her home in Dry Sandford between 4pm and 5pm on Wednesday when a burglar or burglars broke in through an

  • Obituary: Former town mayor dies

    DR ALAN Birchall, who has died aged 59, was a dedicated public servant, a former Mayor of Didcot and a research scientist in radiation protection who lectured all over the world. Dr Birchall served on Didcot Town Council for twelve years including a term

  • Obituary: Friend of legendary boxer dies

    Paddy Monaghan, a world champion bare-knuckle boxer who has died at the age of 73, had to keep his title winning success a secret – unlike his close friend Muhammad Ali.Fighting opponents behind closed doors and keeping his winning belts under the bed

  • Youngsters enjoy day of seasonal crafts

    DOZENS of children filled a church hall in Kidlington to enjoy a wide variety of seasonal crafts. The youngsters enjoyed the Easter-themed activities yesterday at St John the Baptist Hall. Kids had the opportunity to make 3D butterflies, daffodils, Easter

  • UPDATE: Road cleared after Headington crash

    THE road has now cleared after an earlier crash was causing traffic to build up in Headington. Two cars smashed into each other at the crossroads with London Road, Windmill Road and Old High Street. Traffic was backed up in both directions, all

  • Chess champions battle on the boards at junior junket

    MORE than 30 young strategists did battle on the boards at this year’s Wantage Junior Chess Tournament.Competitors from as young as six pitted their wits against each other at Grove Parish Church on Saturday, April 1.Wantage Chess Club, which organises

  • Parents to get lifeline following closure of children centre

    PARENTS left struggling for support following the closure of Witney's Children Centre will be given an alternative, a mother-of-two has vowed.Helen Hambidge quit her job at the centre fourteen months ago when she realised it would close down but the

  • Will Oxford’s colours turn in the Brexit election?

    HERE we go again. For the third time in as many years, the UK is going to the polls.Prime Minister Theresa May has ripped up her promise not to hold a general election before 2020, meaning we are all now set to vote on June 8.So what does the situation

  • Calling all young snappers: estate photography contest is back

    SNAP-HAPPY youngsters with an eye for the perfect picture are preparing to fight for the crown of Leys Young Photographer of the Year.Now in its fifth year, the annual competition is open to children and teens on the Blackbird and Greater Leys estate,

  • Date set to unveil Spanish Civil War memorial

    A CAMPAIGN for a permanent memorial to Oxford volunteers who fought in the Spanish Civil War will be celebrated this summer with a special ceremony.In February Oxford City Council's west area planning committee gave permission for the granite tribute

  • Neighbour plan is to be finalisedin Dorchester

    RESIDENTS in Dorchester are being asked to contribute their views on the future of the village.A draft of the Neighbourhood Development Plan, which can be used for guidance when planning applications for new homes are being considered, is out for consultation

  • Lego expo build-up

    A LEGO expo will give amateur architects the chance to show off their skills.Wantage’s Vale and Downland Museum is hosting the exhibition from July 22 to August 5 in collaboration with Wantage LEGO group and Toy Planet Collectors in the town.See wantage-museum.com

  • Dog show dollar

    A VILLAGE dog show raised more than £200 for Oxfordshire Animal Sanctuary.The puppy parade was held at Benson Village Hall near Wallingford in the sunshine on Sunday, April 9.Organisers announced this week they had about 60 families turn up and raised

  • Discover ancient secrets at fossil dig

    FOSSIL hunters will be able to get expert help to identify their finds at an Oxford nature reserve this Sunday.Owen Green of Oxford University’s Department of Earth Sciences will be offering her services at Rock Edge nature reserve in Headington from

  • Fees for planning applications to rise

    COUNCILLORS in West Oxfordshire expressed their delight over proposals to raise planning fees - saying the extra cash would save taxpayers from 'subsidising developers'. In February, the Government revealed plans to increase planning fees by 20

  • Author prepares to battle it out on Countdown

    A WRITER from Oxfordshire will put his little grey cells to the test in a ‘tense’ episode of Countdown this afternoon.Nick Smith, 59, who has written the bridge column for the Oxford Times for 20 years, is pitting his wits against a contestant on his

  • From abseiling to walking on custard

    CANON Sue Booys can't walk on water but she will walk on custard for the seventh Dorchester Festival.On Friday, April 28 the festival will open its doors, with 55 events across 10 days all based in and around Dorchester Abbey.The following day at

  • Twin town trip a success in Bicester

    SCHOOLCHILDREN from both Bicester and France have been building bridges by taking part in a special school visit.Students from the town of Les Essarts in France, which is twinned with the Oxfordshire town, hopped on a plane to visit The Bicester Technology

  • New strategy to take 'tough' stance on empty homes in Oxford

    HOUSING bosses have vowed to take a 'tough' stance on homes that have long sat empty as they create a new strategy to tackle the problem.Oxford City Council said its current plan to bring vacant buildings back into use was now out of date and

  • R&D plea from firm

    AN OXFORD firm specialising in research and development tax credits has urged political leaders to commit to carrying on with the policy.Speaking a day after Prime Minister Theresa May called a snap General Election on June 8, Jumpstart business development

  • More firms struggling, says survey

    BREXIT and rising inflation are blamed for a rise in the number of firms across Oxford in financial distress during the first three months of this year.Business recovery firm Begbies Traynor’s Red Flag Alert research showed 776 businesses in Oxford reported

  • Could this be the county's first trampoline park?

    PLANS for a trampoline park have been submitted which will transform a Bicester warehouse into a bouncy space. Despite growing in popularity across the country, no trampoline parks appear to have sprung up in Oxfordshire yet. Rebound Revolution

  • BOXING: Jordan Flynn's ready for Elite Championship title shot

    COWLEY fighter Jordan Flynn is ready to take on some of the country’s best as he targets a shot at national glory this weekend.The 20-year-old has been busy preparing for tomorrow’s Elite Championship quarter-finals in the 56-60kg category.He will find

  • Parky at the Pictures (DVD 20/4/2017)

    A decade has passed since Vladimir Putin launched a campaign to make Orthodox Christianity a compulsory subject in Russian classrooms. He started in just four regions. But, since 2013, schools across the country have been compelled to teach a course in

  • Parky at the Pictures (In Cinemas 20/4/2017)

    The annals of sporting cinema are filled with underdogs plucking unlikely victories from the jaws of defeat. But the debuting Juho Kuosmanen is more interested in personal gratification that professional glory in The Happiest Day in the Life of Olli Mäki

  • BOWLS: Chipping Norton hand out indoor awards awards

    FOUNDER members Grace Barnes and Barbara Pearce made the presentations at Chipping Norton BC’s indoor season awards night.The men’s singles title was retained by Martin Shepherd, while Nicola Jones took the ladies’ crown.Nigel Siford, who is stepping

  • BAR BILLIARDS: Vikings Club A remain top after victory

    LEADERS Vikings Club A are now just three points clear in the Johnsons Buildbase Oxford League Premier Division following a 5-1 win over Donnington Club. Ian Moss (5,920), Alan Oliver, Mike Jones (6,800) and Allan Lacey, who hit a winning break

  • Scales of justice: Latest round-up of convictions

    James Gerald Cimiskey, 38, of Wheatfields, Didcot, admitted knowing that payment on the spot for goods supplied, namely diesel fuel, was required or expected from him, dishonestly made off without having paid as required or expected and with intent