NOW the season of goodwill is upon us, I hope that Oxford City Council will not look the proverbial gift horse in the mouth. The gift horse that I am referring to is the promise made in the recent Budget. The Government said that it would
MIKE Clarke (‘The bill goes up but things getting worse’, December 11) reminds us that the Access to Headington phase 3 is about to be upon us, to begin on January 14 and to last about 12 weeks. For those of us who live in the Headley Way-Cherwell
A CCTV image has been released by Swiss police reportedly showing a missing Oxford man near the UEFA headquarters in Nyon. Bernard Ross, 51, has been missing from his Jericho home since October 18. He initially travelled to the south of France
CONCERNS are growing for a 61-year-old man who has been missing for three days and may have travelled to Oxfordshire. John Walton was reported missing on Monday December 11. He is originally from Sheffield but was reported missing from Salisbury
A WITNEY man described as a 'sexual predator' has been jailed for two years for sexually assaulting children. Samuel Fowler, 24, of Bourton Close, Witney, was sentenced at Oxford Crown Court on Monday. He was convicted of three counts of sexual
THE Salvation Army has praised people's generosity as volunteers sorted gifts donated as part of an annual collection. Volunteers for the Christian organisation were busy sifting through hundreds of donated toys yesterday in the South Oxford Baptist
A LAPTOP was stolen in a burglary in Oxford. Police want information from witnesses after the computer was stolen from a property in Denton Close, Botley on Thursday, December 7 between 7am and 7pm. Anyone who can help is asked to call Thames Valley Police
OXFORD University has announced a new partnership with four German universities, which it will create new initiatives across academic disciplines. Academics based in the city will be able to develop new research projects and partnerships will link up
RUNNERS in Bicester are just days away from the annual Santa run when a sea of red will blanket the town.The Bicester Santa Fun Run will be staged on Sunday, from 11am, with everyone ready and raring in their Santa-style get-ups.It will be held in Pingle
OXFORDSHIRE residents are being urged to check their gas appliances are safe before the Christmas get together. A survey found that less than five per cent of homes in the UK have a gas safety check at their property before the holiday season – but a
OXFORD City Council’s Customer Service Centre at Templars Square will close permanently next week. Its final day in operation will be Friday, December 22. The council said it will shut it because the number of visitors has been in ‘steady decline’. It
YOUTUBE stars and Oxford University’s very own all-male a cappella group Out of the Blue has given the city an early present with its charity Christmas single. The popular a cappella group have recorded their very own version of Slade’s classic
ANOTHER planning application has been submitted for the long-delayed project to build a new shopping centre in Botley. Savills - which is working with developer Mace on the West Way project - says the application is needed to ‘make a number of
EVERYONE felt the effects as an icy chill swept through Oxfordshire this week.Schools were cancelled, businesses closed and transport chaotic.But as the winter sun came out to brighten things up, camera club member Mark King captured the beauty of the
A BUDGET hotel chain has won permission to open a branch in the historic heart of Oxford. The new Premier Inn will now replace the 1980s Critchleys office block opposite the Westgate Centre and next door to the Jolly Farmers pub. Oxford City
A WANTED man with links to Oxfordshire has been found. Warwickshire Police announced it was looking for Michael Grantham, 38, yesterday. Grantham was released from HMP Hewell in October after serving a sentence for possessing an offensive weapon
GREAT British Bake Off contestant Christine Wallace is to give a talk on how to make Christmas food really tasty.Ms Wallace, a contestant on the BBC series in 2013, will speak to members of Didcot’s Archaeological and Historical Society on Thursday, at
VILLAGERS in Cholsey near Wallingford are being invited to take part in a ‘Living Nativity’ event.St Mary’s Church is organising the nativity and from 3.30pm on Saturday donkeys will gather on The Forty, before being led to the stable at Laurence Hall.The
A CREATIVE fundraiser put in hours of work to raise money for a charity that helps sick youngsters and their families.Long Wittenham-based crafter Liz Yuille held a personal marathon card-making challenge in aid of Ronald McDonald House Charities and
IDEAS are being sought for a new ‘outdoor gym’ in East Hanney.The parish council is planning to install a ‘trim trail’ with new wooden equipment in the field it is leasing to the north of the village playing field and has asked residents to send in ideas
'TWO MILLION leaves' were swept up by volunteers at a town park.Beavers, Cubs and Scouts joined other residents for the winter clean-up at Wantage's Betjeman Millennium Park on Saturday, December 2.Now the trustees who look after the green
OXFORD East MP Anneliese Dodds is spearheading a campaign in Parliament to block changes to the bank levy so funds saved can be reinvested in children’s services.Ms Dodds is one of the four members in Labour’s Shadow Treasury Team calling for the Government
PARENTS and staff at a school in West Oxfordshire have worked with Oxfordshire County Council to improve school transport arrangements.Since September a shuttle service between Long Hanborough and Bartholomew School in Eynsham has been provided but this
THE annual village Christmas tree carol service will be held in Grove on Thursday night.Residents are invited to gather around the tree at the junction of Main Street and Vale Avenue, opposite Grove Methodist Church, from 7pm.Reverend John Durant will
Peach Croft Farm near Abingdon is busy preparing 9,000 turkeys and geese for Christmas Day tables across the nation. Reporter Erin Lyons went to visit and meet the turkeys in the run up to the big day. THE first thing that hits me is the almost
A CRIMINAL who carried out burglaries in Oxfordshire has been jailed for a total of five and a half years. Lawrence Connors, of no fixed abode, admitted three burglaries and another count of handling stolen goods.He carried out two burglaries in Horton-Cum-Studley
RETIRED residents in Littlemore can learn more about computers at free workshops.The last of this year’s Computers for Retirees events will take place at Littlemore Community Centre tomorrow.Sessions are sponsored by Age UK and volunteers work on a one-to-one
SEVEN-year-olds 'shocked' by Oxford's homeless crisis have piled pressure on city politicians.While many children in the county sent present requests to the North Pole this month, one class had more important prose on their minds.Year 3 pupils
TICKETS are still available for an evening of drama, poetry, comedy and dance in Oxford.Performers will entertain an audience at St Clement’s Family Centre tomorrow night, to raise money for Littlemore-based mental health charity Response. The Christmas-themed
CHILDREN and staff from St Barnabas Primary School in Oxford collected more than £250 for a charity by singing Christmas carols outside the Westgate Centre.The Jericho school collected £251.18 from shoppers on Tuesday. The money will be given to the Oxford
WHILE some churches are facing dwindling congregations, one place of worship in Oxford has built a new gallery to cater for the growing demand.About 180 worshippers will be able to use the new £1.5m U-shaped gallery at St Ebbe's Church, which was
STAFF were praised for providing a nurturing environment at a pre-school near Witney.North Leigh Pre-School has maintained a ‘good’ rating after being inspected by Ofsted.A report released on Tuesday by the education regulator said: “Staff support children
QUESTION: If 60 Year Fives, three mums and one charity champion have two hours and give 110 per cent – how many Christmases can they transform?The answer – at Millbrook Primary School in Grove anyway – is at least 10, and possibly a lot more.Last Thursday
A CANOE club fighting to secure a new home says it has renewed confidence after getting more than 800 signatures from members of the public.Members of Abingdon's Kingfisher Canoe Club collected a total of 826 signatures for their campaign in the town
FREE bags for food waste bins are being given away in West Oxfordshire in the run up to Christmas. The bags will be on offer from council reception offices and at the Town Centre Shop, Woodgreen or Elmfield offices in Witney and the Guildhall in Chipping
CHILDREN and school staff braved icy weather to serenade Westgate Centre shoppers.Pupils and employees at St Barnabas’ CE Primary School in Oxford gathered in the city centre on Tuesday, to raise money for the homeless.Though scores of other schools across
MORE than 4.6million train journeys have been made on the new line between Oxford and London since it opened exactly a year ago. The high-speed link between Oxford Station and London Marylebone marking its one year anniversary yesterday and with
EVERYTHING from Brexit to nostalgia to carpet weavers in Iran form the inspiration for a new student exhibition at Oxford Brookes University.Students from the master of fine arts programme will present a new exhibition at the universities' Glass Tank
OXFORD City and Abingdon Youth battled out an exciting 2-2 draw under floodlights as both sides maintained their unbeaten league records in the Oxford Mail Girls League's Under 15 League.After a goalless first half, City went 2-0 up as Damini Bhagat
SUCCESS breeds success as perfectly illustrated by Eve Johnson Houghton’s Blewbury stables, near Didcot.With a personal best 51 winners in Great Britain this year plus Ice Age’s valuable victory in Ireland, her runners have racked up more than £700,000
BLEWBURY reached the quarter-finals of the North Berks League War Memorial Cup with a 3-1 victory over Cholsey United, writes RICHARD UNDERWOOD.Goals from Arran Gray (2) and John Robinson saw the Division 2 high-fliers book their place in the last eight.Mickey
VALE of White Horse Schools Under 14s had to settle for a 1-1 draw against Mid Somerset in their Vale Cup clash at Milton United.The hosts had the perfect start with Georg Gudjohnsen-Mitchell giving them the lead in the third minute.But Vale were then
HANBOROUGH booked their place in the fourth round of the John Fathers Oxfordshire Junior Shield after edging out fellow Witney & District FA Premier Division side Charlbury 3-2, writes ANTHONY BARLOW.Craig Johnson, Jack Morton and Will Potter netted Hanborough
A BULLINGDON inmate who had already been caught hiding a mobile phone in prison twice was caught a third time by prison guards, this time stashing the prohibited device up his backside.Abdul Adan, of HMP Bullingdon, was jailed for eight and a half years
OTTERS, flamingos and penguins were among the animals that enjoyed the snow at Costwold Wildlife Park, but most remained stuck inside as the attraction was shut due to bad weather. Keepers snapped this photo of a red panda curling up to keep warm
NIALL McWilliams believes a career spent in education makes him well-suited to becoming Oxford United’s managing director. It was announced on Friday the Scot would be taking up the role, while continuing to work as executive headteacher at both
THIEVES used a stolen 4x4 to ram into an Aldi supermarket in a botched bid to steal a cash machine. Police are now appealing for witnesses after the attempted burglary at the Banbury Road, Chipping Norton, store. At about 12.40am yesterday
THE latest phase in Oxfordshire County Council's Access to Headington project will go on public display tomorrow. Headley Way and Cherwell Drive will see 36 weeks of roadworks from January 14 as the £12.5m overhaul of Headington's roads, pavements
RESIDENTS in Oxford’s Rose Hill can contribute to an EU research programme about transport tomorrow.Cities-4-People, a £3.5m project coordinated by Copenhagen Business School, wants people to have their say about transport in the area.Its aim is to find
PERILOUS conditions thwarted thousands of pupils from returning to school on Tuesday, as temperatures crashed to their lowest in five years. But schools look set to reopen this morning after two days of disruption. Parts of the county plummeted
VISITORS to Christ Church Meadow today may be in for a surprise: dozens of council workers are planning a two-mile sponsored sprint around the quiet haven.Staff from Oxfordshire County Council and Oxford City Council will set off on their fun run at 12.45pm
THE MOST controversial planning application in Oxford for years has tonight been approved by the city council. Members of public shouted 'shame' and 'you should resign' as Oxford City Council's West Area Planning Committee narrowly voted in favour
RESIDENTS have just today left to comment on plans for a new car park on a grass common in Blackbird Leys.Oxford City Council is planning to create 17 parking spaces on the grass at Briar Way to help deal with longstanding parking problems on the estate.The
THE councillor responsible for air quality in Abingdon, Wantage and Faringdon will today be asked to explain what has happened since an 'action plan' was made two years ago.Vale of White Horse District Council cabinet member Elaine Ware has been
PARKING in the busiest city council-owned car parks could cost up to 50p an hour more from next year in a bid to push people into using public transport. The authority has also proposed that park and ride charges at its five sites will stay the
OXFORDSHIRE councillors voted unanimously to support preventing cyber abuse being directed against politicians and people they represent on social media yesterdayCouncillor Kieron Mallon proposed the motion – even though he said he has never used social
FILM actress Florence Pugh was praised by Hollywood star and wrestling superstar Dwayne Johnson after winning her latest movie accolade, and was even invited to join him for a hot dog.In 2016, Miss Pugh, 21, from Oxford, was picked out as a Breakthrough
FATHER Christmas ditched his traditional sleigh for a Puma HC2 helicopter yesterday as he made a flying visit to drop off presents to ill children. Santa touched down in style on the helipad at the John Radcliffe Hospital in Headington that also
A FORMER cosmetics store in Cornmarket Street is to be turned into a temporary shelter for the homeless. Lush moved into the Westgate Centre in October, leaving behind a vacant unit. Temperatures in Oxfordshire fell to -9C during the early
OXFORD United's FA Youth Cup tie tonight has been postponed after the referee deemed the pitch at Court Place Farm was unplayable. Earlier the U's were confident the third round tie against Dagenham & Redbridge would go ahead. But despite
STUDENTS at St Joseph’s Catholic Primary School in New Marston, Oxford, made the most of the snowfall at school by learning how to build a Quinzee - more commonly known as an igloo.The early years youngsters were given the lesson outside in the snow by
A STUDENT died after suffering a cardiac arrest while in the back of a police van, an inquest has heard. Oxfordshire coroner Darren Salter formally opened the inquest of Nuno Cardoso, 25, who died on Friday, November 24. The inquest heard how
With Christmas Day just around the corner, Oxford Story Museum is offering visitors a chance to fill themselves with festive cheer. Over the winter, the theatre has been transformed into a magical wonderland with fairy lights, gifts and a sleigh-shaped
A HERO farmer who ploughs snow from rural roads as a community service has said the council is putting lives at risk now that it will longer fork out for it to be done. Christopher Lewis has warned that emergency services cannot drive at the speed
