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AEA Technology 111 BMW 2779 Electrocomponents 258 iSoft 94.5 Oxford Biomedica 27.75 Oxford Instruments 206.5 RM 185.75 Reed Elsevier 525.75 RPS 213.5 Torex Retail 90.25 Courtesy of Redmayne Bentley, Abingdon

AEA Technology 111 BMW 2779 Electrocomp 258 iSoft 94.5 Oxford Bio 27.75 Oxford Inst 206.5 RM 185.75 Reed Elsevier 525.75 RPS 213.5 Torex Retail 90.25

The heat is on in the battle to find the county's best businesses of the year. A shortlist of finalists has been drawn up in the Oxfordshire Business Awards after they overcame competition from hundreds of entrants to reach the final three in each of

A pharmacist has won her battle to re-open a chemist's shop a year after she first put in her application. Selma Harb has overcome red tape, opposition from big name rivals and a large financial outlay to relaunch the Roundway Pharmacy in Headington

A pharmacist has won her battle to re-open a chemist's shop a year after she first put in her application. Selma Harb has overcome red tape, opposition from big name rivals and a large financial outlay to relaunch the Roundway Pharmacy in Headington

Oxford is the most improved postal delivery area in the Midlands, hitting record levels of service, according to an independent survey. Last year its performance was the worst in the country, with only 85.7 per cent of first-class post delivered on

Some Thames Valley Police officers have said they would rather resign than carry a gun, new research has found. The Police Federation survey also revealed that 70 per cent of officers in the Thames Valley region were opposed to the idea of being kitted

An emergency drought order should be introduced in Oxfordshire now because water supplies are already at serious risk, according to the Environment Agency. The agency is calling on Thames Water to ban all non-essential use of water as the county faces

AEA 111 BMW 2773 ELECTROCOMPONENTS 255.5 ISOFT 93 OXFORD BIOMEDICA 27.75 OXFORD INSTRUMENTS 206.5 REED ELSEVIER 526 RM 185.25 RPS 210.5 TOREX RETAIL 90.25 Courtesy of Redmayne Bentley, Abingdon

AEA 111 BMW 2773 ELECTROCOMPONENTS 255.5 ISOFT 93 OXFORD BIOMEDICA 27.75 OXFORD INSTRUMENTS 206.5 REED ELSEVIER 526 RM 185.25 RPS 210.5 TOREX RETAIL 90.25 Courtesy of Redmayne Bentley, Abingdon

Oxfordshire have arranged a youth team friendly against Dorchester on Sunday. OXON TEAMS Under 21: M Brain (Nuffield Arms, Cowley & Lyon Transport), J Coates (capt), S Holley, D Jones, T Tillier (Alan & Lorraine), M Maule. Under 18: M Adams (The Crown

Will Bratt produced a faultless drive in round four of the Formula Renault UK Championship at Oulton Park to take his first victory in single-seaters. Having qualified in second position his first front row start since debuting in Formula Renault UK

AFTER a difficult weekend, 15-year-old Oxfordshire schoolboy Bradley Smith (pictured above) continued his grand prix education with a 22nd place finish in the 125cc race at the Pollini Moto GP of China. The race was won by KTM rider Mika Kallio. Wheatley

Honda team boss Nick Fry is a man with a plan to revitalise the Brackley team's season after a disappointing Spanish Grand Prix at Barcelona. Fry saw Jenson Button and Rubens Barrichello finish sixth and seventh respectively in a race dominated by home-hero

Will Bratt produced an absolutely faultless drive during round four of the Formula Renault UK Championship at Oulton Park to take a memorable first race victory in single-seaters. Having qualified in second position on the grid, his first front row

The Banbury-based, Prodrive-run Aston Martin Racing team recorded a podium finish at the second round of the American Le Mans Series in Houston, Texas. Tomas Enge and Banbury-based Darren Turner, who finished third in the GT1 class at Sebring in March

Britain is full of follies; curious, bizarre and often outrageous structures built by people with money and a passion, just because they could. The fact that this country boasts so many of these useless creations is evidence of the inherently eccentric

May is a leafy month full of soft foliage. Using swathes of colurful tulips above the spring-green surge can lift a garden to new heights. But the technique only works when three of four excellent varieties are planted en masse. Using lots of different

Highwaymen were a hazard to travellers for centuries. One notorious highwayman was Captain James Hind, a saddler's son, who was born in 1616 in Chipping Norton, educated at the local grammar school and apprenticed as a butcher. James however wanted a

BANBURY 3rd recovered from 48-7 to get within four runs of Shipton-under-Wychwood 2nd's 185-9 before a direct hit run-out handed Shipton maximum points. Jason Constable took 6-63 to put Banbury in dire trouble, but tailenders Andrew Harris (34) and

The brass nameplate had slipped when three of the screws holding it had corroded away several years ago. It slewed diagonally and reclined upon the base plate of the brass doorbell with an air of decayed elegance. The doorbell was answered by Margaret

CHALLOW & Childrey 2nd regretted dropping stand-in opener Tim Brooker on nought as he went on to hit a fine 100 not out for Princes Risborough, who triumphed by 271 runs. Adam Morton added 79 as Risborough rattled up 254-2. Spinner Steve Greaves (

CUMNOR 2nd and Sandford St Martin's game ended in a tense draw with both sides left rueing a heavy shower. Julian Easterbrook (5-93) bowled throughout for Cumnor, who reined in the Sandford batsmen once Chas Taylor (53) had gone. Chasing 225-7, Will

Couples who have difficulties conceiving often find themselves in physical and emotional turmoil. Deciding whether or not to take the plunge and have IVF treatment often brings up all sorts of issues that only the partners themselves can really understand

A FLUENT unbeaten 65 from Dan Gaunt swept Cumnor to a surprisingly easy nine-wicket win over last year's promotion challengers, Tiddington. The home side never really recovered from Ayaz Khan's opening burst of 3-25, although captain Jon Talbot (55)

ROBIN Newman took 5-20 from 23.2 overs as Abingdon Vale 2nd dismissed Wolverton Town 2nd for 131 to win by 149 runs. Earlier Chris Babbs (62) and Dave Ward (49) had taken Vale to an imposing 280-6, despite Glen Dickinson's 5-86. Abingdon Vale 2nd 30

A brief chat with the Californian Wine Institute serves to tell me two things. Firstly, they are feeling quite pleased with themselves, having seen imports to the UK of Californian wine increase by 17 per cent in 2005 and secondly, they are still battling

ASTON Rowant signalled that they intend their return to the league to be a temporary visit by thrashing Buckingham Town on the opening day. Rowant, relegated from the Home Counties Premier League last season, were the only winners in the top flight

Watching Carson Hill create a dish from the spring menu he designed for the Cherwell Boathouse is rather like witnessing a whirlwind in full flight. In fact, he moves with such speed and confidence it is mesmerising. One moment he is standing before

I didn't just return home from Worton Farm Organic Vegetable Garden clutching a box of freshly laid guinea fowl eggs with their glorious creamy yolks. I returned with a wealth of natural images supplied by the birds that inhabit this lovely part of Oxfordshire

A flat identified as a so-called 'crack den' has been closed by police after residents complained that addicts had been making their lives a misery for years. Officers raided the ground-floor flat at Hughes House in Leon Close, East Oxford, yesterday

That's a hairdresser's car," were the first words uttered to me when I announced I was test driving the Mazda MX5 for the weekend. The cheek of it! Did they not know that this iconic convertible has won a string of awards? This year alone its accolades

Two Oxford United fans have been banned from all football games for three years including the World Cup after trouble flared at the U's final league match. Richard Mellis and Stewart Gallagher were at Oxford Magistrates' Court yesterday and admitted

For a really creamy dish with loads of flavour, try making this dish with a clutch of free-range guinea fowl eggs, with their attractive sandy coloured shells, from Worton Farm Organic Vegetable Garden. As these eggs are slightly smaller than standard

Oxford lobby group Pro-Test has welcomed Tony Blair's decision to sign an online petition in support of animal testing. Pro-Test organised a march in February in support of Oxford University's new £18m animal research laboratory being built in South

Police have recruited just a fifth of the number of community support officers necessary for "proper coverage" of north Oxfordshire, according to Tony Baldry, Conservative MP for Banbury. He told the House of Commons yesterday that "cumbersome" vetting

In my Wordplay article last December, I mentioned Gustave Flaubert's Dictionnaire des Ides Reues, which consisted of definitions of hackneyed expressions and thoughts (such as Weather, eternal topic of conversation'). Flaubert was not the first person

Doctors in Didcot and Wallingford have criticised a new patient referral system introduced in December. A survey of GPs has revealed that 94 per cent think the scheme, aimed at giving patients more choice, had made things worse. The Clinical Advice

A milkman admitted receiving benefits he was not entitled to because he did not declare he had started full-time work. Lee Dixon, of Bader Drive, Upper Heyford, appeared before Bicester magistrates, charged with dishonestly failing to report a change

With a commitment to reduce carbon emissions by 60 per cent by 2050, the UK has set itself a tough challenge. Indeed, a recent government report hints that this may might no longer be a viable target. But the message from the International Solar Cities

A woman was killed yesterday and eight other people injured during another day of gridlock and pandemonium on Oxfordshire's roads. The fatal accident on the westbound carriageway of the A40, near Wheatley, was one of four collisions on county highways

ADAM White scored a brace of tries as hosts Oxford Cavaliers opened their TRL Conference West Midlands Division season by defeating Redditch Ravens 30-22. His second proved crucial after Redditch had pulled them back to 22-22. Other Cavs' tries came

So-called 'postcode snobs' have complained that a new sign welcoming visitors to an Oxford estate may send the price of their neighbouring homes tumbling. A 'Welcome to Blackbird Leys Sign' was put up last month on the parish boundary above the Eastern

Drivers using Oxford's Southern Bypass have demanded action from highways managers after repeatedly getting caught in rush-hour traffic. Commuters who were delayed for more than an hour last week between the Rose Hill and Hinksey Hill roundabouts on

RAAKAI Maxwell has revealed how his season turned around after making the most of his workplace. The Chinnor back row man was in outstanding form for Oxfordshire against Berkshire on Saturday and played a big role in his club's title push. But this

Burglars were scared off committing crime during the police's Operation Backlash against them. Backlash targeted the city's worst criminals with up to 30 officers a day flooding Oxford's streets, arresting or stopping and searching known thieves getting

OXFORDSHIRE found another gear as they destroyed Berkshire 50-19 in their final County Championship Plate Pool 3 clash at Tadley. Having scored six tries against Hampshire and seven against Dorset & Wilts, they put eight past Berks to set up a semi-final

There are many different ways to start collecting antiques. For some, a favourite designer can become a passion. Country Seat, based at Huntercombe Manor Barn run by William and Sally Clegg and Harvey Ferry has built its reputation on researching

Oxford's residents have been told to recycle more after it was labelled among the worst in the South East. The city council, together with West Oxfordshire District Council and Cherwell, are among eight local authorities in the region to have their

Pupils at an Oxford school are being sponsored by local businesses for the amount of time they spend revising for GCSE exams. Oxford Community School in East Oxford is hoping the innovative scheme will motivate students to cram harder in the run-up

A Cowley couple have just returned to England after celebrating half a century of happy marriage with a holiday in sun-soaked Mauritius and South Africa. On the holiday Robert Harris said he and his wife Margaret, toasted their golden wedding anniversary

It seems logical to follow up the story of Mike Hailwood (Limited Edition February) with a tribute to his equally talented father, Stanley William Bailey Hailwood. In the 1930s Stanley was able to compete with the finest exponents of both car and motorcycle

Friends of a teenage boy killed in Oxford's Eastern Bypass tragedy parachuted from 15,000 feet to collect £3,000 to help fund a memorial garden. Ten friends and family of Marshall Haynes, of Greater Leys, including his father Dwain, 38, made the leap

Film star Johnny Depp's The Libertine grossed $2.2m on its release in North America earlier this year. The movie tells the story of John Wilmot, second Earl of Rochester, a courtier, wit and poet who lived a dissolute life as X-rated as his brilliant,

Award-winning artist Joy Perkins is half way through her part-time art degree at Banbury College of Art. Although she was awarded the high accolade of the Mary Moser award in Oxford Artweeks 2004, Joy drives up to Banbury every Thursday and Friday, working