Archive

  • Good food tried: Branca

    Now there's a job we'd all like. Working for the Good Food Guide, swanning around the country incognito, stuffing our faces in the country's best restaurants, and being paid for the privilege. Branca, Walton Street, Jericho OK, you might need to hand

  • University defends animal tests centre

    An animal rights group says a new centre to house animals for research at Oxford University could become a target for protests. The building, planned for the science area off South Parks Road, will bring animals now kept at several sites together under

  • Cricket: Horspath blast decision

    Horspath CC have blasted the Oxford Times Cherwell League's decision to place their sides in Divisions 5 and 9 this season following the controversial de-merger of Oxford & Horspath CC. The village club, who had attained Division 3 and 7 status before

  • Memorial bells will be blessed

    Two new bells given to a Wallingford church by a life peer and councillor in memory of his late wife will be officially blessed next month. Lord Bradshaw's late wife Jill was a keen bellringer and one of her last wishes before she died in 2002 was for

  • Wallingford close in on Twickenham

    Wallingford have been boosted by the return of four backs from injury for their Powergen Junior Vase sixth round tie at home to Old Dunstonians on Saturday (2pm). Wingers Gavin Hull and Lee Lewis and centres Donald Jenkins and Kieran Murphy, who missed

  • Lost property to be claimed

    The Players' Theatre in Thame has a variety of interesting items of lost property it wants to return. Three pairs of knickers, two bras, tights, umbrellas, contact lenses, holdalls and books are among the items left by actors and audiences over the past

  • Lollipop lady on assault charge

    A school crossing warden accused of assaulting a disabled neighbour is to have her case heard at Oxford Crown Court. Catherine Morgan, 38, of Goodlake Avenue, Faringdon, made a first appearance before Wantage magistrates on Monday, February 2, with co-defendant

  • Specialists can excel in sport and performance

    Two schools are set to realise ambitious plans after being given specialist school status by the Government. Sports teacher Fin Robb and PE team leader Adam Barker are pictured with some of their pupils Chipping Norton School has been given specialist

  • Redefield march on

    Redefield A continue to dominate Division 1 of badminton's Five Disciplines League after trouncing Feathers B 150-40. Heather Titcombe, Caroline Ashdown, Nicky Watkins and Dave Soanes did the damage in the sixth round of matches hosted by Gosford Hill

  • Cash machine dragged away

    RAIDERS used a Land Rover to pull a cashpoint machine from out of the shop, smashing glass window panes in Bicester before making off with a large amount of cash. Police were called at 11.21pm on Wednesday night to Balfour Convenience Stores in Kingsley

  • Something's Gotta Give (PG)

    Perennial bachelor Harry Sanborn (Jack Nicholson) has never dated a woman his own age. In fact, if a woman is over 30, he's just not interested. Harry much prefers the company and attention of younger women and is completely infatuated with his latest

  • Speedway: Oxford v Witches going out live

    The Oxford Silver Machine will feature live on Sky Sports early in the season when they host Ipswich Witches on Monday, April 5. Sky Sports will be screening more than 30 live meetings, plus every Grand Prix meeting and every race from the 2004 World

  • Saulsbury turns down switch

    Thame United have had a massive boost ahead of tomorrow's visit of Enfield with skipper James Saulsbury rejecting a move to local Ryman League Division 1 North rivals Oxford City. Player-manager Mark West said: "It's great news, he is vital to us. We

  • Football fixtures - Sunday

    Games to be played on Sunday, February 8, 2004 MORRELLS OF OXFORD SUNDAY LEAGUE League Cup 3rd round: Chalgrove v Highfield, Blackbird Sunday v AFC Rileys, AFC Vikings v Cold Arbour, Marston Village v Northway, Wolvercote v South Leigh, Rose Hill v Mason

  • Golf: Frilford juniors give students a lesson

    Excellent displays from several of Frilford Heath's promising juniors were the highlight of the club's convincing victory over Oxford University. Playing on their own Red Course, Frilford won the annual contest 13-4, despite being without two of their

  • Interview: The Zutons

    First there was The Beatles, then The Farm, The Las, and more recently The Coral and The Stands. Will Liverpool ever stop exporting great rock bands? Judging by Merseyside's latest offering, let's hope not. The Zutons are a four-piece who play bluegrass

  • Readers help track down football hooligans

    Three men wanted by Oxford police in connection with violence at a football match have been identified after their faces appeared on the front page of the Oxford Mail. Bottles and missiles from a building site were hurled at police and officers were spat

  • 250 jobs to go as factory closes

    The Parker Knoll furniture factory in Chipping Norton will close by the end of the year with the loss of 250 jobs. The factory, part of the Silentnight furniture and bedding group, will close by December 31 on a phased basis, with the loss of 250 jobs

  • Prisoners help deter charity shop thieves

    Prisoners are helping to fight crime at an Oxford charity shop. Inmates from Springhill Open Prison, near Bicester, have deterred thieves who plagued Marie Curie Cancer Care in London Road, Headington. Last year, the Oxford Mail revealed London Road shops

  • Big names queue up for town site

    Retailers are queuing up to stake a claim in the £50m redevelopment of Didcot town centre. A foundation ceremony marked the start of work on the new 16-acre Orchard Centre site in Didcot. From left, Robert Jackson MP; Ann Ducker, leader of South Oxfordshire

  • Sir Roger given freedom of city

    Sir Roger Bannister, who ran into the history books by becoming the first man to run a mile in under four minutes, is to be given the Freedom of Oxford. Sir Roger Bannister The famous athlete, now 74, will receive the rare honour in a ceremony at Oxford

  • MP bids to break plans deadlock

    Oxford West and Abingdon MP Dr Evan Harris has stepped in to try to break the deadlock of a seven-year dispute over the future of a famous house at Boars Hill near Oxford. Yatscombe Hall in Boars Hill after the fire Yatscombe Hall, a three-storey house

  • Quins play rearranged game

    Oxford Harlequins travel to Clifton for a re-arranged South West 1. The original game in September was abandoned just before half-time because of an injury to the referee. Quins were leading 7-0 at the time. Paul DeLange or Lee Donnelly will replace the

  • Rugby fixtures - Saturday

    Games to be played on Saturday, February 7, 2004 ENGLISH NATIONAL LEAGUE Div 1: Wakefield v Henley. POWERGEN JUNIOR VASE 6th round: Wallingford v Old Dunstonians (2). ENGLISH CLUBS CHAMPIONSHIP Powergen South West Div 1: Clifton v Oxford Harlequins. Midlands

  • Car ban idea abandoned

    PLANS to pedestrianise part of Witney's High Street have been dropped. Instead, improvements will be made to the High Street and Market Square to make the area more pedestrian friendly. Last year, the county council, together with West Oxfordshire District

  • Hockey fixtures - Saturday

    Games to be played on Saturday, February 7, 2004 SOUTH LEAGUE Premier Div 1: Oxford Univ v Spencer (Wandsworth). Middlesex Berks Bucks & Oxon Regional: Banbury v Milton Keynes, West Hampstead v City of Oxford. Div 1: Abingdon v Newbury, Mill Hill

  • Wolvercote duo march on at Reading

    Wolvercote's Paul Stedman and Steve Mullins booked their place in the next stage of this year's ABA Championships after recording points boxing victories at Reading University. Stedman claimed his place in the Home Counties light-welterweight final with

  • Address area's needs, says MP

    Banbury's MP Tony Baldry has called on the Government to recognise the problems of homelessness in north Oxfordshire. Speaking in the House of Commons he listed a lack of funding and a shortage of affordable housing as the main problems. He said Cherwell

  • Athletics: Bannister milestone to be marked

    Sir Roger Bannister's famous four-minute mile will be marked on its 50th anniversary at Iffley Road on Thursday, May 6 this year. Runners will restage the original meeting at which the world record was set, at Iffley Road, with Oxford University athletes

  • Brock warning

    Banbury United manager Kevin Brock has warned his side they will have to be strong mentally and physically, at the Dr Martens Eastern Division's second-placed side King's Lynn. "They are excellent at home record and it's a very intimidating place to go

  • Stadium back on track

    Remedial work is being out at the Kassam Stadium following the crowd safety scare at Oxford United's Division 3 game against Kidderminster. Structural engineers from stadium builders Birse carried out an inspection of the roof of the South Stand on Thursday

  • Football fixtures - Saturday

    Games to be played on Saturday, February 7, 2004 NATIONWIDE LEAGUE Div 3: Leyton Orient v Oxford Utd. RYMAN LEAGUE Div 1 North: East Thurrock Utd v Oxford C, Thame Utd v Enfield. Div 2: Abingdon Tn v Ware. DR MARTENS LEAGUE Eastern Div: King's Lynn v

  • Golf: Dier drives in as captain

    Pete Dier smiled with relief after driving into office as the new captain of Frilford Heath. "That's a weight of my mind," said the nine-handicapper after sending his drive well over 200 yards. "I didn't want to be remembered for a bad drive, as a previous

  • Bike built to be a star

    When Schaefer's wife, Helen, tries to dish up tea at her Horspath home, more often than not she has to jostle with her bike-mad husband for space on the kitchen table. Schaefer on board his custom Hayabusa He uses the table as his workbench to mould the

  • Interview: Post-match Pinter

    A casual game of football produced an unexpected result when two of the players decided to team up again -- after becoming successful actors. From left, Jason Watkins, Toby Jones and Douglas Hodge Jason Watkins, who recently finished filming for the new

  • February 2: Why all the secrecy?

    A veil of secrecy is drawn over pay negotiations for senior officers at Oxfordshire County Council. But since council salaries are paid from the public purse, does the public not have a right to know how their money is spent? If it is true that the salary

  • A glimpse at our bone-shaking past

    The Model T Ford may have formed the platform for today's cars but in fact it has little in common with modern motoring. Buildbase transport manager Phil Alexander with the company's Model TT commercial vehicle Ask Phil Alexander what driving the Model

  • Blood donor nears century

    Peter Small is well on the way to achieving a rare ambition of donating 100 units of blood. The National Blood Service presented him with the Emerald Award in recognition of donating more than 75 units --a figure achieved by only three per cent of the

  • Jury clears trio of gang attack

    Three Oxford men have been cleared of a violent attack on a man in his home following a seven-day trial at Oxford Crown Court. Anwar Ali, 19, of Cobden Crescent, Oxford, Sajad Tasib, 18, of Boundary Brook Road, and Rashad Ali, 22, of Howard Street, were

  • Reveller smashed car windscreens

    New Year's Eve ended in violent confrontation for some revellers in Abingdon when a local man took his anger out on cars, property and people after being barred from a riverside pub. A court heard on Thursday that teenager Craig Monaghan stood in the

  • Paint workshop sparks concern

    Solvent fumes have aggravated children's asthma and killed goldfish, claim residents. People living near Humphris of Oxford, the car dealership in Rose Hill, have also claimed spray-painting, carried out in a first-floor workshop, is preventing them using

  • Regulars will fight to save pub

    PUB-GOERS and neighbours are fighting plans to demolish an Oxford pub and build an apartment block in its place. The Plasterers Arms in Marston Road, Oxford The Plasterers Arms in Marston Road could be bulldozed to make way for a four-storey building

  • SOS to refs

    Oxford United have asked for a referee to come to the Kassam Stadium and talk to the players about the new interpretation of the offside law, which is causing confusion throughout the game. The problem is, even the officials seem unclear about it! A directive