A HEROIC helper has today proven that revellers at this weekend’s Witney Music Festival are in very safe hands indeed. As organisers set up staging this afternoon and made the final sound checks, a hero member of the festival team showed off his
DESPITE changes designed to make the exams 'tougher', Oxford's schools produced another strong performance in this year's A-Level exams. Many out-performed the national average for the number of A* and A grades awarded. Schools also bucked
THE wife of a man hit by a runaway horse at a county show in Wales has praised the kindness of members of the public who helped them. Regular Pembrokeshire visitors, Bicester couple Jane and John Armitage of Bicester, travelled to the Pembrokeshire
A LIFELONG Witney resident has landed his dream job at a famous Oxfordshire brewery after more than 25 years of service. Jon Tillson has been appointed head brewer at Wychwood Brewery, following the retirement of previous top dog Jeff Drew last
THE majority of speeding drivers caught by police during a clampdown across the Thames Valley were men and those aged over 25. A total of 463 people were caught going too fast as part of a seven-day enforcement operation last week. Of these 70
RISING dance star Holly Ford-Langstaff is among those busily rehearsing for the 20th anniversary of the English Youth Ballet’s Swan Lake. The 12-year-old from Launton, in Bicester, bagged a part in the performance after wowing judges in auditions
A MAJOR police and ambulance operation has taken place at Sainsbury's in Bicester after reports a young person either jumped or fell from the roof of the store car park. Workers in nearby shops said that the emergency services descended on the
WOULD you like to host a festival at South Park? Oxford City Council is calling for event submissions from organisers who would like to host a large-scale event at the green space in 2019. South Park, which is managed by the city council, can
OXFORD beer fans are being offered the chance to have a bespoke craft beer bar built in their home. Pub chain BrewDog, which opened a bar on Cowley Road in September, is offering the prize as one of the rewards in a new crowdfunding campaign.
A MUSEUM cafe with ‘one of the best views in Oxford’ is celebrating a top hygiene rating. Mortons, which also has branches in Broad Street and New Inn Hall Street, opened at the Oxford University Museum of Natural History in 2014. With its
By Clive Fewins Around 50 churches a year have closed in Britain since the late 1960s. This works out at just under one a week. The dwindling of congregations is a cause of this, but so too is the high cost of maintaining buildings that are very
THE latest Ray Collins Trust event involved children who had never seen the sea being taken on an old-fashioned day out to the seaside. Earlier this month, a luxury 85-seater coach took a group of 20 local families to Southsea, in Portsmouth, where
THIS magnificent group of hares will gain a new friend this weekend as a West Oxfordshire artist brings the collection's latest addition to life. Rod Craig will paint 'blank canvas' hare Sher at The Real Wood Furniture Company's Chipping Norton
A WOMAN on crutches was pushed to the ground and robbed in Abingdon, police say. The incident, which also involved the victim being told to "watch your back" occured at around 3.30pm on Friday, August 10. The victim, a 38-year-old woman, was
A NEW restaurant is set to open on the Cowley Road. A Bicester-based company called Thor Investments Ltd has revealed plans for number 191 next door to Red Star noodle bar – formerly NatWest bank until 2015. Because the unit currently only
STORMZY won plaudits yesterday by announcing that he would fund two black students’ degrees at Cambridge University – but the move appears to contrast with the popular grime artist’s previous comments, which suggested he favoured Oxford. The new
INTREPID Camera Club members have journeyed far and wide to send in their best snaps of signs this week. From amusing notices on pubs to tantalising hints of times gone by, there was a deluge of entries with something to say. Many submissions
THE Oxford Hospitals Charity has received £2,000 funding from local housebuilder, CALA Homes, towards upgrading children’s monitors in hospitals across the county. The charity was initially founded off the back of the need to organise and distribute
A VILLAGE fundraiser will be held at the historic Manor Country House Hotel at Weston on the Green next month. Visitors will have the opportunity to look around the late 15th century manor house and grounds while over 40 artisan food and drink and
CHILDREN in southern Oxfordshire have been treated to a masterclass in cartoon drawing by a well known illustrator. Youngsters at Wantage Library had the session with Clive Goddard, a Private Eye cartoonist and author and illustrator of ‘Fintan
A MUSEUM will celebrate the life of Agatha Christie with a series of events next month. Wallingford Museum is holding a special day of activities on Saturday, September 8 ahead of Agatha Christie Day 2018, which takes place seven days later.
MILLIONS of pounds worth of contracts have been awarded to provide major testing facilities for the UK space industry in Oxfordshire. The contracts are seen as the first steps towards providing the industry across the UK with all the major testing
A LOCAL resident has hit out at a North Oxford road sign which appears to ‘contradict itself’. Peter Haxworth says he has tried to contact a councillor about the sign but received no response. He said: “The sign appears to say: if you want
DEVELOPERS have been handed outline permission to build another 240 homes at Kingsmere in Bicester. The approval comes as the most recent plans approved for building homes on the site which has been under construction since 2010. Hundreds of
A RARE butterfly has returned to a West Oxfordshire beauty spot after a 30-year absence. The Black Hairstreak was spotted on North Leigh Common for the first time since 1988 by Stuart Hodges of Butterfly Conservation. Mr Hodges visited the
AS the French say, plus ça change – plus c'est la même chose. In May 1986, Oxford City Council announced its latest innovation for tackling the scourge of potholes – getting residents to write them a postcard. The authority's Post-a-Pothole scheme
THE location of Oxford United’s pre-match press conferences in the past week shows this is not a normal start to the season. Karl Robinson previewed tomorrow’s visit to Portsmouth from Thame United. Last Thursday they were at Bisham Abbey and
A CHARITY that supports people with learning disabilities has been chosen as the local charity partner for a major supermarket. Customers of Sainsbury's in Didcot voted for the store to help raise funds for Style Acre. The partnership was launched
HUNDREDS of worshippers across Oxfordshire will get on their bikes to raise funds to preserve historic churches. Ride+Stride, which takes place on Saturday, September 8 is a sponsored bike ride or walk between churches for individuals, families,
By Christ Church Cathedral School headmaster Richard Murray I am sitting on the tenth floor of a hotel in Jinan, a city midway between Shanghai and Beijing. In Chinese terms it is not particularly big but its population is more than that of Glasgow
JAMIE Hanson admits leaving Derby County was not easy – but the midfielder hopes it will not be long before he is back in the Sky Bet Championship. The 22-year-old was Oxford United’s big deadline day investment and is in line to make his debut
BANBURY United boss Mike Ford is delighted at his side’s good start to the season – but is fully aware a real test awaits his side tomorrow. The Puritans were frustrated when a goal seven minutes from time denied them all three Evo-Stik South League
DIDCOT Town manager Andy Ballard cannot wait to see his new-look side in competitive action when they travel to Welwyn Garden City. The Railwaymen finished pre-season in style last weekend, thrashing Moneyfields 5-0. And Ballard is upbeat about
OXFORD City Council is seeking the public's feedback on the city's open spaces as it looks to improve services on offer. Residents are being asked their views as part of a satisfaction survey, which will ask what people think of their local green
GARETH Andrew is relishing his role as Oxfordshire’s senior player, writes PAUL BOLTON. The 34-year-old all-rounder was recruited to add experience to a young and talented squad. And he has made a huge impact, taking 24 wickets and scoring three
A CHURCHYARD plagued by drinks, drugs and bad behaviour has left residents scared to visit their relatives’ graves. The team at St Edburg’s in Bicester hope extra police patrols will help combat the regular groups who have been congregating among
ASTON Rowant have not given up on the Home Counties Premier League Division 1 title – but know they cannot afford another slip. Defeat against Tring Park last week saw Rowant drop to third, 21 points off leaders Slough. Will Pendered comes in
KENNY Jackett has called for a rapid start against Oxford United tomorrow to banish the memories of his Portsmouth side’s midweek defeat. Pompey were on course for a third straight win at the start of the season, but AFC Wimbledon struck twice in
OXFORD City boss Mark Jones says Tuesday’s morale-boosting victory over Torquay United should kick-start their season. St Albans City travel to Court Place Farm in the Vanarama National League South tomorrow with the hosts buoyed by a first success
SATURDAY FOOTBALL SKY BET LEAGUE ONE Portsmouth v Oxford Utd. VANARAMA NATIONAL LEAGUE SOUTH Oxford City v St Albans. EVO-STIK SOUTH LEAGUE Premier Div Central: Banbury Utd v Leiston. Div 1 Central: Kidlington v Bedford
*ONE STAR Mira Spice, 6A High Street, Steventon: Food Hygiene and Safety: Poor. Some major non-compliance with statutory obligations – more effort required to prevent fall in standards. Confidence in Management: Little.Varying record of compliance
KARL Robinson was unfazed about picking up his first booking since retiring as a player on Tuesday night. The Oxford United boss was furious a chance for Coventry City was not flagged offside when the Carabao Cup first round tie was goalless.
To mark Oxford United’s 125th season, we are looking back at what made the news this week in three of the club's promotion-winning campaigns. 1964 OXFORD United officials were confident they can make a definite impression in the Fourth Division
OXFORD has become a ‘scruffy, poorly-managed clone town, trading on its past glories’ and the city must provide more help to small businesses, an industry expert has said. Ian Middleton ran two jewellery shops in the city but shut them down – the
MARCUS Browne is looking for Oxford United to kick on tomorrow after helping them set the right standards for the first time this season in midweek. The West Ham United loanee admitted he had been watching his goal on a loop since Tuesday night’
THE city council hopes introducing charges at a car park in Marston will clampdown on staff from the nearby John Radcliffe Hospital using it. The authority hopes to make £9,000 a year by charging at the Court Place Farm car park. It has plugged
PATIENTS could be denied access to some NHS treatments as health chiefs desperately try to bring spending under control, with vasectomies the first to be cut. The operations have been suspended for new patients on the NHS in Oxfordshire for the
