Archive

  • Today's local closing share prices

    AEA Technology 109.25 BMW 2611 Electrocomponents 240 Isoft Group 63.25 Oxford Bio 24.75 Oxford Instruments 208.75 Reed Elsevier 517 RM 160 RPS 205 Torex Retail 71.5 Courtesy of Redmayne Bentley, Abingdon

  • Today's closing local share prices

    AEA Technology 109.25 BMW 2611 Electrocomponents 240 Isoft Group 63.25 Oxford Bio 24.75 Oxford Instruments 208.75 Reed Elsevier 517 RM 160 RPS 205 Torex Retail 71.5 Courtesy of Redmayne Bentley, Abingdon

  • Backing from employers — but not Nigel

    The cycling world is busily gearing up for Bike Week - scuse the pun. There are thousands of events going on up and down the county you can log on to www.bikeweek.org.uk to see just how many. The events range from the sublime to the ridiculous.

  • We pay you for nothing

    I could not agree more with John and Gill Sanders about the 'illegal' and unfair plan to make some residents of Oxford pay to park outside their own home (Oxford Mail, June 15). I also received the most blatant one-sided questionnare ever produced.

  • We will chase tax debtors

    Collecting council tax is a tough job, and probably not the most popular one among Oxford residents. Partly, this is because council tax is a grossly unfair tax, unrelated to ability to pay. This is why the national Liberal Democrats are committed to

  • On the run to commit more crime

    The escape of armed robber Andrew Ivison illustrates what is wrong with our criminal justice system. A judge sentenced him to six years in prison presumably because that is what his crime deserved. But after a year in Bullingdon Prison, near Bicester

  • Put screws on car reg thieves

    Oxford's criminals are stealing motorists' number plates to avoid being caught by the plethora of 'Big Brother' cameras now watching the city. There has been a 25 per cent surge in licence plate thefts in the past 12 months in the city with one stolen

  • Hodge faces race against time

    Rally driver Dominic Hodge faces a race against time to repair his car ahead of his next event, after retiring from last weekend's Abingdon Rally Carnival with a blown head gasket on his Peugeot 205 GTi. Hodge, who competes in the Quaife Peugeot 205

  • VX delighted at Turkish signing

    Turkish touring car champion, Erkut Kizilirmak, is to join VX Racing, based at Greatworth, near Banbury, for the next round of the Dunlop MSA British Touring Car Championship. The 36-year-old, who is second in his home championship, will drive the team's

  • Down on the farm

    Last year Cogges Manor Farm Museum in Witney faced closure when West Oxfordshire District Council withdrew its annual £196,000 funding contribution. Now, thanks to a rescue package from Oxfordshire County Council, the museum looks set for another busy

  • Heavenly scents

    A June evening in the garden is so much better with the scent of garden pinks. It is a divine mixture of clove and cinnamon and their spicy aroma led to garden pinks being used to flavour wine and puddings, especially in the Elizabethan era. Indeed,

  • ‘To your health’

    We carefully wove our way along a grassy path illuminated by candles suspended from the gnarled branches of the apple trees. It was a magical night. Only the lightest of light breezes brushed our cheeks and caused the glass jars in which the lights were

  • Today's local share prices

    AEA Technology 109.25 BMW 2596 Electrocomponents 238.25 Isoft Group 62.5 Oxford Bio 24.75 Oxford Instruments 206.25 Reed Elsevier 518.5 RM 165 RPS 203.75 Torex Retail 72 Courtesy of Redmayne Bentley, Abingdon

  • Bird flu and your pet

    B ird flu is a highly infectious disease that can affect many species of birds. It impacts primarily on the respiratory and digestive systems. Although the virus has been in existence for many years, the H5N1 strain is a particularly virulent mutation

  • Today's local share prices

    AEA Technology 109.25 BMW 2596 Electrocomponents 238.25 Isoft Group 62.5 Oxford Bio 24.75 Oxford Instruments 206.25 Reed Elsevier 518.5 RM 165 RPS 203.75 Torex Retail 72 Courtesy of Redmayne Bentley, Abingdon

  • When yoga is child’s play

    I f you love yoga, then you and your child will love yoga the Tatty Bumpkin way. Set up by yoga and Birthlight teacher Sam Petter over a year ago, a network of classes is now being set up all over the UK, with 30 teachers already practising and the

  • Viva verdicchio!

    Until last week, what I knew about the Italian grape variety, verdicchio, could have been written on the back of a very small wine label: a white grape with good acidity, grown mostly in the Marches region of Italy, making pleasant everyday drinking

  • Scientists join Man U's team

    Weeks of almost hysterical debate over the state of Wayne Rooney's foot injury could have been avoided if an Oxfordshire firm's invention had been adopted sooner. Scientists at Oxford MediStress based at Upper Heyford have developed a technique for

  • Scientists join Man U's team

    Weeks of almost hysterical debate over the state of Wayne Rooney's foot injury could have been avoided if an Oxfordshire firm's invention had been adopted sooner. Scientists at Oxford MediStress based at Upper Heyford have developed a technique for

  • CRICKET: Fixtures for June 24

    FIXTURES Div 1: Banbury XX v Challow & Childrey, Buckingham v Banbury 2nd, Dinton v Aston Rowant, Oxford Downs v Milton Keynes Park, Shipton v Oxford 2nd. Div 2: Bledlow Ridge v Abingdon Vale, Bourton Vale v Cumnor, Great Tew v Tiddington, Kingston

  • CRICKET: Results for June 17

    RESULTS Division 1 Banbury Twenty 227-8 (D Clark 66, J Wright 39, T Foster 3-61), Aston Rowant 169-7 (A Hicks 47). Oxford Downs 249-7 (W Bartlett 73, C Sandbach 60, P Hill 4-91), Banbury 2nd 131 (C Sandbach 4-7, L List 3-18, G Bhayat 3-43). Challow

  • CRICKET: Jack has mum in tears!

    GREAT & Little Tew 2nd's Jack Taylor, who is just 14, took 5-66 then hit a cultured 111 not out to beat Wolverton Town 2nd on his own. Town looked well set after scoring 250-7, Taylor's impressive spell lasting 20 overs, and the youngster then brought

  • The lexicographer’s tale

    Whenever I tell people that I used to be a lexicographer, working on the Oxford dictionaries, they usually ask how compilers decide which words to include in dictionaries. Perhaps it would be useful if I try to answer this FAQ. Most modern dictionaries

  • CRICKET: Raza sinks Banbury

    BANBURY 3rd were the latest side to fall at the hands of Stokenchurch's prolific batsman Hasnain Raza. Chasing Banbury's 141 all out, Raza hit an unbeaten 68 while Paul Maddock struck 47 not out in their side's eight-wicket win, which keeps them joint

  • CRICKET: Hope shines for Downs

    PRINCES Risborough climbed to the top, despite having the worse of a draw with Oxford Downs 2nd. Liam Hope hit 102 in Downs' 248 all out. Despite having 52 overs to attempt victory, Risborough could manage only 118-6. Oxford Downs 2nd 16pts, Princes

  • CRICKET: Baggs in top form

    MATT Baggs produced an astonishing innings to take Oxford & Bletchingdon Nondescripts to a remarkable win at Kimble. The home side set a useful target of 250 all out, with Lee Griffiths (50) leading the way. But Baggs hit 21 fours and one six in his

  • Bakery rises to the top

    The head of the new Oxfordshire Business of the Year has paid tribute to his dedicated workforce after receiving the top accolade. Paul Morrow, managing director of Bicester-based bakery ingredients firm British Bakels, was elated as well as surprised

  • CRICKET: Kingston frustrate leaders

    KINGSTON Bagpuize were on the receiving end of a hiding from leaders Cumnor, but managed to escape with a draw. Bagpuize's decision to field first backfired as the home side plundered 342-5. James Neilson batted throughout to compile a classy 122

  • Clutching at straws

    A new breed of eco-house is making its presence felt throughout the UK. And although there is less than 100 of them nationwide two are located in East Oxford, with a third currently under construction. Not only is this kind of dwelling cheaper to build

  • CRICKET: Sandbach is Downs hero

    CHRIS Sandbach turned in a man-of-the match display with 60 and remarkable figures of 4-7 as Oxford Downs conquered Banbury 2nd by 118 runs. Downs elected to bat first, and the decision was vindicated thanks to the efforts of Sandbach and Wes Bartlett

  • SPEEDWAY: Dryml is back

    OXFORD Cheetahs have tempted one of their former riders, 26-year-old Czech international Ales Dryml, back to Cowley on loan from parent club Peterborough. Dryml, younger brother of another former Cheetah, Lukas, is set to make his reappearance against

  • Game, set and match

    For many, June will mean strawberries at Wimbledon and the sound of leather on willow at Lords. But this year, of course, we also have the football World Cup in Germany. Given the nation's interest in sport, it is not surprising that sporting memorabilia

  • FOOTBALL: Abingdon United sign duo

    ABINGDON United have made two significant signings as they prepare for their first season in the Southern League, following their promotion from the Hellenic League Manager Andy Slater has strengthened the side with the capture of Banbury keeper Simon

  • Word-class double act

    In the1950s, the Italians made huge technological advances in motorsport. A stunning example of their engineering skill was the V8 cylinder 500 GP motorcycle built by Moto Guzzi, a family company founded by Carlo Guzzi in the 1920s. Maintaining this

  • DARTS: Motors end Quarry run

    QUARRY Gate B's fine start to the season in Section 3 came to an abrupt halt when they entertained Morris Motors Social Club A. The visitors stormed into a 3-0 lead thanks to Dennis Moss, Dave Hopkins and Bob Harwood. Gate pulled one back when Stuart

  • SWIMMING: Sam bags eight titles

    CITY of Oxford's dual national Sam van de Schootbrugge starred in the Dutch National Junior Championships in Amsterdam. In a rehearsal for the British Age Group Championships at Sheffield in five weeks' time, van de Schootbrugge took eight Dutch titles

  • A life lived along laureate's lane

    To mark this year's centenary of the birth of the former poet laureate, Sir John Betjeman, a country-wide programme of events is being planned. They will celebrate his many well-remembered interests, which included architecture, railways and the countryside

  • Baker rises to the occasion

    The boss of the new Oxfordshire Business of the Year has described winning the award as the pinnacle of the company's achievements. Bakery products firm British Bakels based in Granville Way, Bicester, employs 147 staff and managing director Paul Morrow

  • The incomparable Max

    It was George Bernard Shaw who called Beerbohm "the incomparable Max", and it seems that nobody since has come up with a more apt description although "unconventional" has to be a strong contender. Emerging from an unconventional childhood he became

  • An Oxford enigma

    One of Oxford's most influential scholars of the 19th century was the writer and critic Walter Pater, who attracted both admiration and controversy with his contribution to Victorian attitudes and ideas. He was one of the pioneers of the aesthetic movement

  • Hunt on for escaped robber

    An armed robber who attacked a shopworker with an iron bar has been spotted on the run in Oxford after walking out of an open prison. Andrew Ivison was seen in Cowley, on Saturday morning, hours after escaping from Spring Hill Open Prison just months

  • Medeival magnificence

    About three miles south-west of Thame, off the A329, lies an enchanting medieval chapel that speaks of a spirituality strange to modern faith. Rising like a pocket-size parish church from its patch of greensward, Rycote recalls a time when lords and ladies

  • Swede dream

    Their English friends may be looking for 'Swede revenge' in tonight's World Cup game, but the Winkler family are confident of a win for the Blagult (blue and yellows). Swede Claes Winkler, his wife Jayne, their son Callum, 15, and daughter Holly, 12

  • Oxford Mail's Jim dies at 66

    Friends and colleagues have paid tribute to former Oxford Mail editor Jim McClure, who has died at 66. In a long and varied career which encompassed photography, reporting and crime writing, he became the only person to have edited both this paper and

  • Staff pitch in for Elton gig

    Yesterday it was just an empty football stadium. But by the weekend, it will be a concert venue fit for one of the music world's biggest stars. Sir Elton John is to perform at Oxford's Kassam Stadium on Saturday, but five days before he sets foot

  • Thousands in a show of force

    Campaigners fighting to save services at The Horton Hospital in Banbury received a massive show of support at a public rally. At least 5,000 people packed into People's Park on Sunday to send a firm 'No' message to Oxfordshire's health bosses who want

  • Parents off on a walk of hope

    The parents of a man who vanished while trekking in Nepal have set off on a 190-mile walk to raise awareness and funds for a charity dedicated to finding missing people. David and Gillian Koch, from Wantage, are tackling the Coast to Coast route across

  • An odd couple?

    When rock stars and barristers cross paths we can usually assume drugs, guns or missing millions are involved. But the friendship between Jon Lord and Sir John Mortimer has been forged in altogether happier circumstance, resulting in one of show business's

  • Bands flying off the shelves

    Demand for Oxford Loyal wristbands is so high that stocks are almost exhausted. It seems everyone wants a yellow band on their arm, with some fans trawling across town to find one. The bands were launched last week by Oxford United chairman Nick Merry

  • University awards honorary degrees

    Top scientists and prize-winning writers are among those receiving honorary degrees from Oxford University tomorrow (21 June). Encaenia, the university's annual honorary degree ceremony, will be held in the Sheldonian Theatre after a parade from Brasenose

  • Eco-home scoops national accolade

    A 'green' granny from Oxford, who is converting her home into the country's most eco-friendly house, has won a national competition. Averil Stedeford, 73, beat thousands of entrants to scoop the DIY Award at the Observer Ethical Awards ceremony. The

  • Police delay upsets victim

    Police have apologised after an assault victim waited three days before officers came to see him. Kevin Walsh was with friends in East Oxford in the early hours when he said a "nutcase" ran up to him and began attacking him. The incident was reported

  • Baby Felix arrives aboard family boat

    Water baby Felix Pounds knows how to make an entrance: the bouncing boy was delivered by his father and uncle aboard his parents' narrowboat. Six pounds, four ounce Felix is the latest addition to the Pounds family home moored on the Oxford Canal at

  • Trader to carry on after fire

    A shopkeeper whose stock was destroyed in Witney's Sobell House charity shop blaze is having to start her business from scratch because her insurance does not cover the damage. Thousands of pounds worth of gifts, holistic and spiritual healing treatments

  • Pathway workshop tackles Minister on funding

    People who run an Oxford charity that gives disabled people paid work want more than "just a pat on the back" from the Government help with their constant battle for funding. Staff at the Pathway Workshop in Dunnock Way, Blackbird Leys, were pleased