The European Formula 3000 runner-up Romain Dumas is to be given a test by the Enstone-based Renault F1 team. Dumas was a front runner in the Euro F3000 title this year driving for John Village Automotive in a Lola. It is expected that Renault will soon
Baroness Young, the only woman Cabinet minister to serve under Margaret Thatcher, will be remembered by friends and fellow Peers at a memorial service at Westminster next month. Baroness Young Janet Young, a former Oxford city councillor for 15 years,
Eynsham's Mark Mitchell continued his excellent season as he cruised to victory in the under 1400cc banger racing meeting at Standlake Arena. Mitchell, who has already secured the 2002 points championship, will now represent the track at the Champion
Oxfordshire would not be able to cope with a major terrorist attack, the county's emergency planning officer has warned. At a planning exercise for the emergency services, hospitals and councils, held in Abingdon on Thursday, November 21, John Kelly was
The closure of local magistrates' courts has been criticised by south Oxfordshire MP Boris Johnson. He spoke out in the House of Commons against the loss of locally dispensed justice and has asked for a rethink. He said 96 magistrates' courts, including
An American company has asked Oxfordshire researchers to help it in its quest for anti-ageing drugs. Elixir Pharmaceuticals, of Massachusetts, which develops pharmaceuticals that slow aging and delay the onset of age-related diseases, has announced a
Patients of Oxfordshire GP Nick Bell may be surprised to spot their family doctor in the new James Bond film Die Another Day. Nick Bell in fencing form Clifton Hampden GP Dr Bell appears in a fencing scene in which Bond star Pierce Brosnan crosses swords
Shipton-under-Wychwood's feat of becoming the first Oxfordshire cricket club to win the National Village title at Lord's was honoured by Oxfordshire County Council at a reception at County Hall last night. Shipton players and officials with County Council
A council is putting up a £250 cash prize to attract people who do not recycle their household waste. Volunteer families will be given a composter and a green box. The amount of waste recycled during the next three months will be weighed, and the most
Banbury travel to Market Bosworth, who are in the top half of the Midlands Division 2 East table, having lost only twice. Banbury are without experienced centre Andy Noyce, who was injured last week.
Thirty years ago, the Football Association ordered Oxford United to put up warning notices at the Manor Ground. Unruly fans were told that the ground could be shut if there were any more pitch invasions and violent incidents. Clearly, we have gone a long
The closure of the Oxford Pensioners' Club will come as a devastating blow to many elderly people. Liz and Fred Ingram will feel particularly sad about the decision. They have run the club for 31 years, providing daily activities for hundreds of pensioners
A new service to support tenants has received a grant of £4,000 from West Oxfordshire District Council. The West Oxfordshire Housing scheme will start in January with two full time workers. It will help people settle into their tenancy and deal with any
The Visitor Information Centre in Chipping Norton will be stepping back in time with an exhibition to celebrate the town's history. The exhibition, on December 5, 6 and 7, will display local 17th century documents transcribed by the Chipping Norton Historical
Founder members of the Oxfordshire Golf Club, which has gone into liquidation, will lose up to £22,500 each as the company is wound up. The club at Milton Common, near Thame, now has a secure future after being bought by Leaderboard Golf. Its previous
Rover Oxford welcome back skipper Ruth Tuthill for tomorrow's trip to Aldridge in Division 2 of the English Women's League. Tuthill broke her hand in the second league match of the season. On the debit side, Liz McVey joins the injury list with a pulled
Matches to be played on Saturday, November 23, 2002 ENGLISH LEAGUE Div 2: Formby v Oxford Hawks. SOUTH LEAGUE Premier Div 1: Purley Walcountians v Oxford Univ. MBB&O Regional: Banbury v City of Oxford. Div 1: Lions v Bicester, Rover Oxford v Hendon
Campaigners are pressing for a public inquiry into the proposed building of an asylum seekers' centre on the outskirts of Bicester to be postponed. The move came as Bicester's MP Tony Baldry instructed lawyers to investigate a judicial review over when
A website serving Didcot has been redesigned and updated. The website ladygrove.com has been re-branded as www.didcot.info The popular community facility, run by Mark Arme, has enjoyed more than 75,000 'hits' during the past year with people from the
Oxford speedway promoter Steve Purchase will be among the Elite League promoters who meet again today (Nov 21) ahead of the sport's annual meeting in Swindon at the weekend. Some clubs are not ready to pledge their involvement with the top flight for
Oxford's first Pensioners' Forum, devoted to discussing issues affecting the elderly, is to meet for the first time on November 27. The forum has been set up by Iffley Fields city councillor and former Lord Mayor Bill Baker. The move comes after pensioners
Children suffering from the effects of nuclear fall-out have been in Banbury for a health-boosting holiday. A group of six to 11-year-olds from Mogilev in Belarus spent a month in Banbury for health checks, education, and relaxation. Marina Labkova, nine
A multiple sclerosis sufferer is devastated after finding out her care will be cut by half just two days before Christmas. Sandra Hunter, of Great Bourton, near Banbury, is the latest victim of a series of cutbacks by Oxfordshire County Council's social
Allison Hirst took home a team gold medal and a bronze in the women's Vet 35 race at the Masters International Cross Country in Northern Ireland. Allison HirstRepresenting England in the Belfast race, the Headington Roadunner finished strongly over a
Oxford City's Martha Lloyd took pride of place as she won the gold medal for Oxfordshire under 13s in the Berks, Bucks & Oxon Cross Country championship at Shotover Park. There were also medal successes for City's Phillip Castle, who took home silver
Seventeen-year-old Witney Roadrunner Mathew Ashton won his first-ever call-up for the South of England after a magnificent display at the third round of the Reebok Cross Country Challenge in Margate. Mathew Ashton Ashton, running only his second cross
Goal machine Norman Sylla faces a late fitness test before high-riding Banbury United take on lowly Newport IoW in the Dr Martens League Eastern Division at the Stadium on Saturday. The Frenchman took his tally for the season to 26 when scoring twice
Goalkeeper Alan Foster could return from a two-match suspension for Thame United's trip to Ryman Division 1 North leaders Northwood - the club he was sent off against last month. Steve Smith has done well in his absence, and manager Andy Sinnott said
Football League clubs have been warned not to rush the introduction of a salary cap for players after a meeting of chairman at Oxford United's Kassam Stadium on Thursday. The temptation for some clubs may be to see the intended restriction on player wage
Matches to be played on Sunday, November 24, 2002 OFA SAM WATERS CUP 1st round: Clanfield 85 v Donnington Hotspur. MORRELLS OF OXFORD SUNDAY LEAGUE Premier Div: Oxford Exiles v Rose Hill, Cowley Cosmos v Morris Motors, Wolvercote v Mansfield Rd, Star
Mentmore clinched the second promotion place in Section 3 of the Shaw & Co Oxfordshire Foursomes League when they beat Hazlemere 2-1 in a play-off at Waterstock. With the bottom two ties being shared, the outcome depended on the top match, with Mentmore's
Solicitors at an old established firm have pledged it is business as usual after a major town centre redevelopment forced them to move. Partner Eric Ferguson prepares to move The construction of the Orchard Centre -- a shopping and homes development in
American regulators have decided to reconsider a drug produced by Oxford GlycoSciences after initially rejecting it. Scientists at the firm, based at Milton Park, near Abingdon, can now resubmit an application for approval of its Zavesca product -- designed
Motorists who have been given parking tickets in Oxford will be delighted if accountant Joe Hannigan wins his legal fight with the county council. But it will be bad news for the rest of us, if the council is forced to pay back parking fines totalling
Nissan has announced that its new UK-built Micra will be priced from £7,495 for the 1.0 E three-door. Instead of January 23, the new Micra will go on sale on January 15. Nissan MicraThe company said about 9,000 people asked for information at the Birmingham
Hundreds of Harry Potter fans are due to visit Oxford and Didcot when the Hogwarts Express train steams into the county again on November 24. The special service will bring more than 400 fans from Birmingham for the second day out to Oxford. The tour
A bereaved parent has urged the public to support the Oxford Children's Hospital Campaign for the sake of our future. Nigel Wemyss, whose eight-year-old son Luke died of leukaemia in April, was one of three speakers at a meeting on Wednesday night who
A jeep used to ram raid Bloxham post office has been found. The silver-coloured Cherokee Estate was used by five men who smashed through the front of the shop and stole a cash dispenser. The vehicle was found near Enstone on November 20. It had been driven
NHS accountants have blamed staff shortages for further debts at Oxfordshire's hospitals. The Oxford Radcliffe Hospitals NHS Trust, responsible for Oxford's John Radcliffe Hospital, Churchill and Radcliffe Infirmary, and The Horton in Banbury, has overspent
A cat abandoned to die in a sealed box was rescued by a man walking his dog in west Oxfordshire. Holly with Janet Butler of West Oxford Animal Rescue Terence Trinder, 46, found it in a cardboard box in a hedge between Aston and Cote on November 20. The
Domestic violence officers in Oxford are struggling to deal with up to 60 answer-phone messages each night, putting pressure on response times. The Oxford domestic violence unit is staffed by two officers based at Cowley police station, but many calls
Uniforms and false moustaches were donned and young voices paraded at their best as Oxford University's new Professor of Opera put singers through their paces at a masterclass in the Holywell Music Room. Director Graham Vick with young voices The distinguished
Nearly one fifth of nursing vacancies at Oxfordshire's major hospitals have been filled, following the launch of new recruitment schemes across the county. Managers at the Oxford Radcliffe Hospitals NHS Trust are celebrating after enlisting 68 qualified
A popular free book scheme for babies in Oxfordshire must not be allowed to die, according to the county council's executive member for culture and learning. The Bookstart scheme, which provides free books to children aged eight months is under threat
An Oxford solicitor was airlifted to hospital after breaking her ankle on a Welsh mountain. If it had not been for the prompt action of the Ogwen Valley mountain rescue team, Jo Maun said she might have had to spend a freezing night stuck on the side
An explosion in the number of new vehicles available in the UK has improved choice for car buyers, but has also made the task of selecting a new model and pricing a used one much more of a challenge, according to Glass's Information Services. Over the
Muggers driven off city centre streets by police crackdowns are now targeting cars in suburbia, according to a new survey. Thefts from cars, mainly when parked outside homes, are up for the first time in 10 years leaving motorists and insurers with an
The judge who gave a man two-and-a-half years for abusing a four-year-old girl should be sacked (Oxford Mail, November 15). Men usually get four or five times that for raping a woman. To attack a child is far worse. If there is no room in prison or in
Banbury's Jamie Derbyshire, teamed up with Oxford's Tim Graves and Californian Brad Pearce to win the Sports Car Club of America four-hour endurance crown at Thunderhill, California. Earlier, the 25-year-old sports science graduate had set the team up
Children are being put at risk by Oxfordshire County Council's failure to inspect dangerous-looking trees, it has been claimed. Pensioner Davinia Hitchcock said she has repeatedly warned the council about the poor state of two lime trees on land near
Petter Solberg paid tribute to the work of Banbury's Subaru World Rally Team as he celebrated his first World Rally Championship victory on the Network Q Rally of Great Britain. Co-driven by Welshman Phil Mills, the Norwegian finished 24.4 seconds ahead
American regulators have decided to reconsider a drug produced by Oxford GlycoSciences after initially rejecting it. Scientists at the firm, based at Milton Park, near Abingdon, can now resubmit an application for approval of its Zavesca product -- designed
I write in support of other pensioners who have commented on the possible forthcoming council tax rises of £200 a year. As one writer correctly pointed out, many households have two or three wage earners bringing money into the house. All we have is the
Champions Shipton-under-Wychwood have been handed one of the toughest possible draws in the first round of next season's National Village Championship. The west Oxfordshire side, who became the first club from the county to lift the title at Lord's last
A pensioner had £100 stolen from a wallet in his living room after three men called at his door claiming to be concerned about a cat they said had run into his garden. The men told the 65-year-old, who answered the door at his home in Brookside, Watlington
Games to be played on Sunday, November 24, 2002 DAVID CHARLES OXFORDSHIRE CUP 2nd round: Oxford Harlequins v Harwell (2.30). CLUB MATCH Abingdon v Blue Boar.
Henley Hawks coach Nigel Dudding has resisted the temptation for change after last week's defeat at Bracknell. He keeps the same starting line-up for tomorrow's National League Division 2 game at home to Penzance & Newlyn. One possible change on the
Matches to be played on Saturday, November 23 ENGLISH NATIONAL LEAGUE Div 2: Henley v Penzance & N. ENGLISH CLUBS CHAMPIONSHIP Powergen South West Div 1: Chinnor v Dings Crusaders. Powergen SouthWest 2 East: Amersham & Chiltern v Oxford Harlequins
One major plank in the Government's fight against drugs is the rehabilitation of offenders. But the policy will succeed only if there is enough money. The work to wean people off drugs in Oxfordshire looks like coming unstuck. With five months of the
Does Whitehall really know what it is doing? Seven years ago, the Abingdon area was listed as a possible site for a fifth London airport. After a spirited campaign, in which the Oxford Mail played a significant part, the Lox (London-Oxford Airport) project
A small town museum, freshly renovated and extended, is once again open to the public. The building at Charlbury, originally opened in 1962, houses many artefacts from the town's history, including a room dedicated to traditional local trades and crafts
A newsagent had her purse containing £70 stolen after being distracted while serving in her Thame shop. A man entered The Chocolate Box in North Street on November 17 and began talking to the 60-year-old woman about special interest magazines. A second
Artist David Meeks has donated three limited edition prints of a watercolour to worthy causes. David Meeks with one of his watercolours and its inspiration Mr Meeks, 64, of Huxley Close, Bicester, has given framed prints of his painting of St Edburg's
Bicester gymnasts have taken part in their first competition out of the area, and surprised themselves by making it into the top four. Two teams from Bicester and District Gymnastics Club were invited to join the Lincolnshire Gymnastics Association for
The Park have jumped into the lead in Division 2 of the Five Disciplines Badminton League after their 116-103 victory over Abingdon B in the latest round of matches. John Boyd was the only player to keep a clean sheet, winning the mixed with Rachel Tavener
Thames Valley Police are to rethink plans to move their headquarters to a greenfield site on the edge of Bicester. The force planned to relocate its headquarters from Kidlington to Howes Lane, next to their M40 patrol base and maintenance workshops. The
Embroidered wall hangings showing the ancestry of a south African tribe are on display at an Oxford art shop. Art Works of Africa, in South Parade, Summertown, is hosting an exhibition of traditional hangings created by tribesmen living in the Keiskamma
Sponsored leg waxing and dressing up as film characters were some of the events that helped staff at an Oxford-based builders' merchants raise £75,000 for charity. Chief executive Kevin Middleton with Peter Cardy, holding the cheque, and Sue Prowse from
Girls from Headington School, Oxford, will be among those sleeping outdoors on November 23 to raise money for the city's homeless. Some of the students at Headington School get ready for their sleep-out About 50 sixth-formers at the girls' school will
Car parking charges in Bicester and Banbury are set to go up for the second time in less than a year. Parking in the two towns will cost up to 20p more an hour and parking fines will increase by £10. Cherwell District Council only introduced increases
Witney Roadrunners' club coach Charlie Batts finished third in the Vet 40 category at the South of England indoor pentathlon in Windsor. He amassed 2,525 points, recording 4.97m in the long jump, 7.58m in the shot, 11.2 secs in the 60m hurdles, 1.30m
Witney Roadrunners' juniors produce a string of fine performances at the second round of the Oxfordshire Indoor Athletes League. They got off to a flying start, winning both the boys and girls under 11 obstacle race, while first-timers Alice Parsons and
Alchester athletes were out in force at the weekend in a variety of local races. These included the Buckingham 10k road race and the Herbert's Hole 10k multi-terrain challenge at Chesham. The Herbert's Hole Challenge proved to be a gruelling afair over
Chris Webb, an 11-year-old schoolboy, top-scored with 11 dolls for Cowley Workers in their 6-0 defeat by Plough in the Gladiator Beer Seller League. Nick Chapman (14) and John Simms (12) were Plough's top scorers. GLADIATOR BEER SELLER LEAGUE FP CC 4,
Garry Parker's arrival at Abingdon Town has set the Division 2 club buzzing. The 37-year-old former Leicester City midfielder is due to play his first home game against bottom club Wokingham Town tomorrow. Town are also boosted by the return of captain
Midfielder Nando Perna has done a U-turn and rejoined Oxford City. Nando PernaThe former Thame United player left City last month when manager Paul Lee had his budget cut, and has since had brief spells at Chesham United and Slough Town. But he hasn't
Ian Atkins is asking his Oxford United players to do something which the fans will find impossible - forget Swindon Town! Ian AtkinsThe U's boss wants his players to ignore all the excited talk about next month's live FA Cup clash with derby rivals Swindon
Seagrave Haulage Combined Counties League: AFC Wallingford are all set for the biggest game in their history when they take on AFC Wimbledon in a mouth-watering Premier Division top-of-the-table clash at the Hithercroft on Saturday. The South London-based
Kidlington have been left reeling by the news that midfielder Paul Donnelly will miss the rest of the season after snapping his cruciate knee ligament. Clanfield's Adam Lock, left, has been ruled out for the season with a cruciate knee ligament injury
Matches to be played on Saturday, November 23, 2002 NATIONWIDE LEAGUE Div 3: Kidderminster Harriers v Oxford Utd. RYMAN LEAGUE Div 1 North: Northwood v Thame Utd, Wembley v Oxford City. Div 2: Abingdon Tn v Wokingham Tn. DR MARTENS LEAGUE Eastern Div:
Golf results update FRILFORD HEATH Ladies' Stableford (Green Course): 1 E Sadler 35pts (cb), 2 M Richter 35, 3 K Bartlett 34. Ladies' November Stableford: 1 S Webb 40pts, 2 V Sydenham 37, 3 E Wilson 34. NORTH OXFORD Winter Challenge 3rd round: 1 J Burnett
Two Wheels goes to the 2002 International Motorcycle and Scooter Show . . . THE biggest two-wheel festival of the year is at Birmingham's NEC all this week, with a mouth-watering line up of new sports bikes, funky scooters and wild, live, motorcycle action
Struggling group Allders, which has a department store in the Westgate Centre, Oxford, saw its share price rise after confirming it had received a takeover approach. Allders has been the subject of takeover speculation since issuing a shock profits warning
An American company has asked Oxfordshire researchers to help it in its quest for anti-ageing drugs. Elixir Pharmaceuticals, of Massachusetts, which develops pharmaceuticals that slow aging and delay the onset of age-related diseases, has announced a
Solicitors at an old established firm have pledged it is business as usual after a major town centre redevelopment forced them to move. Partner Eric Ferguson prepares to move The construction of the Orchard Centre -- a shopping and homes development in
An Oxfordshire woman who was badly injured in the Paddington rail disaster three years ago is suing for damages. In a writ issued at London's High Court, Ursula Querino claims she has spent months having counselling after suffering serious psychiatric
A former jump jockey has received an award after making a new career as a firefighter. Gary Crone, 31, of Ancholme Close, Didcot, joined Oxfordshire Fire Service after failing to achieve his ambition of becoming a top-flight jockey. The unusual career
Studies into the forced migration of refugees has won Oxford University the Queen's Anniversary Prize for Higher and Further Education for a fourth time. The award was given to the Refugee Studies Centre, part of the university's International Development
Primary school children have helped bring a conservation area to life. About 90 children from Brookside School, Southwold School and St Mary's School, Bicester, braved the rain to plant trees and prune shrubbery. The tree planting event -- an initiative
STRUGGLING group Allders, which has a department store in the Westgate Centre, Oxford, saw its share price rise after confirming it had received a takeover approach. Allders has been the subject of takeover speculation since issuing a shock profits warning
Oxford's Miss England Daniella Luan was expected home this weekend after organisers called off the Miss World contest in riot-torn Nigeria. They decided to cancel the contest after fighting broke out in the northern city of Kaduna before spreading to
A dentist has been found guilty of serious professional misconduct, but will be allowed to continue working at his Oxford surgery. Hamid Mozneb, who works at the Manor Dental Surgery in Osler Road, Headington, escaped a ban at the General Dental Council
Teachers at two schools facing closure under the re-organisation of education in Oxford have learnt their jobs in teaching are safe. Teaching staff wishing to transfer to the city's new Catholic secondary school next September have been assured posts
DISGRACEFUL scenes with a minute left of extra time took the gloss of Mid Oxon's splendid 3-2 win over Reading in the ESFA Wizards Under 15 Trophy third round at Witney United. With Mid Oxon on the brink of a notable victory, their tremendous effort was
A RUGBY player who started as a seven-year-old with the Bicester club is being tipped to become one of the stars of the world game. Gloucester flanker James Forrester, who was born and bred in Oxford, looks certain to play a part in England's 2003 World
Vauxhall has confirmed that a compact coupe-roadster will be introduced in 2004. The new model will feature an electro-hydraulically operated, retractable steel roof. Kevin Wale, Vauxhall Motors chairman and managing director, said: "This car is another
New sulphur-free petrol with the potential to reduce environmental impact, bring down running costs and improve performance will start to filter into UK filling stations early in 2003, and Audi has already fielded the technology needed to capitalise on
What message are our judges sending to paedophiles (Oxford Mail, November 15)? A man was sentenced at Oxford Crown Court to only two-and-a-half years for assaulting a four-year-old, because the prisons were overcrowded. What planet are these judges on
A family like mine, who had had a fire more than 20 years ago, would praise fire crews for their attendance and for the professional manner in which they stayed until the house was considered safe. It beggars belief that some people appear to complain
Two articles (Oxford Mail, November 15) contradict each other. On page two, Oxford Brookes wants to increase the number of buildings and students, which thankfully was opposed. On page six, Risinghurst residents complained about Brookes' students taking
I read with interest the article about the girl injured crossing Headley Way in Headington, Oxford, on her way to school (Oxford Mail, November 15). While it is certainly lamentable that there is only one pedestrian crossing in Headley Way, the reality
Founder members of the Oxfordshire Golf Club, which has gone into liquidation, will lose up to £22,500 each as the company is wound up. The club at Milton Common, near Thame, now has a secure future after being bought by Leaderboard Golf. Its previous
I had just returned from walking my dog when I read Pat White's letter (Oxford Mail, November 12). I use the term 'walk' loosely. We had been out of the house for only a few minutes when someone started letting off fireworks. My dog has never been happy
As landlord of the Eagle Inn public house in Dover, can I thank the large group of Oxford United fans who came into the pub on Saturday afternoon? They arrived in quite large numbers and, instead of intimidating our non-football supporters, some of whom
Up and down the country, one sees in local papers pictures of cheques being handed to charities and good causes from all types of people and organisations. Ian Judge (Oxford Mail, November 11) has taken exception to your picture showing members of the
The county council is conducting an open, comprehensive and thorough consultation exercise on the redevelopment of homes for older people across the county. I cannot accept in any way that this consultation process is monstrously biased (Oxford Mail,
An Oxfordshire study could lead to routine health screening for men in their 60s -- saving hundreds of lives a year. Researchers in Oxford said they have found compelling evidence that screening could reduce by half the number of deaths from a certain
