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A close friend of Michael Humphries - who is accused of murdering academic Barbara Johnston, right, - spent the evening drinking with him hours after he is alleged to have killed her. John Clewer-Wolk, a prison officer who lived in Gloucester Street

Oxford University wants to build a new health centre at the Radcliffe Infirmary as part of the site's £240m redevelopment. But the proposed £10m healtcare facility will be only a quarter of the size of the super surgery originally put forward. And

A six-year-old Bicester boy and his little sister helped save their dad's life during a diabetic fit - by summoning one of Santa's elves. When Reece Sullivan's dad Paul collapsed semi-conscious on the kitchen floor, the Longfields Primary School pupil

The mother of a teenage girl who took an overdose because she was being bullied has spoken of the moment she realised her daughter was trying to kill herself. The 14-year-old pupil of Peers School in Littlemore had returned home from classes on Monday

A 22-YEAR-OLD woman was assaulted on a bus in Banbury. Police said that about 5.30pm on Tuesday the victim was travelling home on the bus, which leaves from Debenhams and goes to Bretch Hill via Woodgreen Avenue, when an argument started between her

TO find out more details of the events listed below, contact Business Link Solutions on 0845 606 4466 or visit www.businesslinksolutions.co.uk unless otherwise stated. DECEMBER 15: Enterprise Day, Exeter Hall, Oxford Road, Kidlington OX5 1AB, 9am,

Until the early 1990s, the Oxfordshire seam lay untapped. Cambridge had a 20-year head start on commercialising research, as its futuristic science park was home to a wealth of technology companies and St John's College had opened its Innovation Centre

In a recent judgement, the UK Court of Appeal has made a clear stance on patenting ways of doing business using computers. In doing so it has thrown down the gauntlet to Europe to resolve the issue. It also reinforces that business models with underlying

'Tis the season to be jolly - which can make finding time for swimming, cycling and running a little tricky. It's a bit of a no-brainer really when you're faced with a choice of a weights session at Marston Ferry gym or a swanky Christmas bash at the

You are running a small business and you need a website that looks good, but is cheap. Many designers will charge you thousands of pounds and even then it may not be what you were looking for in the first place. But a popular solution is to actually

Technology is essential to modern small businesses but it can become a technical headache for time-pressed owner-managers, as well as being very expensive. It is often not practical to employ an IT expert full time to service just a few machines and

What little excuses there ever were for buying, or for that matter selling, wooden objects from illegally felled trees are disappearing as fast as the forests from which they come. One Oxfordshire company has come up with software that enables buyers

Oxfordshire enjoys a rich variety of high-tech industry, which helps to attract and maintain a highly-skilled workforce. This benefits local employers by ensuring a rich and vibrant pool of potential employees, but similarly has its drawbacks, most notably

For many small businesses in Oxfordshire, the Christmas trading period is a crucial one. Small and medium-sized companies will be hoping to have the year's deals closed by the first week of December, so they can enjoy a break over the festive period.

Traditionally, higher interest rates are believed to be bad news for equity investors, because as corporate borrowing costs increase, so profits inevitably suffer and share prices fall. The equally painful flip side of this theory is that as interest

Headaches or back pains at work? Help is a step or two away, indeed just down the corridor if you are lucky enough to work for the growing number of employers who invite a chiropractor on to the premises. Chiropractor Terry Dixon, who trained at the

A film designer had a major problem on his hands when a New Zealand movie project folded - 1,000 spare tree ferns. Philip Sharpe, of Bladon, near Woodstock, has plenty of time between his assignments as a special effects designer for big movies, such

A film designer had a major problem on his hands when a New Zealand movie project folded - 1,000 spare tree ferns. Philip Sharpe, of Bladon, near Woodstock, has plenty of time between his assignments as a special effects designer for big movies, such

Carmel Ardrey was so fed up with having to stop off at the supermarket on the way back from holiday, with hungry and tired children in tow, that she set up her own business offering domestic bliss to people returning from trips away. She said: "I was

What are the career possibilities for a journalist with a lifetime's worth of memories and newspaper cuttings, a bulging contacts book, and an active imagination? This was the dilemma facing freelance travel, interiors and design writer Bridget Stott

Russians in search of the elegant English lifestyle are being drawn to the talents of two Oxford entrepreneurs. Richard and Ying Groves run Silk Cocoon, which designs, manufactures and sells tasteful pure silk nightwear and bedding to clients wanting

When First Great Western decided to utilise dead space near a redundant exit at Oxford station, they probably were not thinking of the phrase: "When one door closes, another one opens." But that is exactly what happened when the space was offered to

OXFORD University have named nine new Blues in their team to face Cambridge in next Tuesday's Varsity Match, writes Ed Mezzetti. The Dark Blues' entire front five will be making their debuts in the Twickenham showpiece, but lock Richard Graham, a starter

FIXTURES SATURDAY FOOTBALL NATIONWIDE CONFERENCE Rushden & Diamonds v Oxford United. BRITISH GAS BUSINESS SOUTHERN LEAGUE Premier Div: Banbury Utd v Mangotsfield Utd. Div 1 South & West: Abingdon Utd v Windsor & Eton, Bracknell Tn v Didcot Tn,

RESULTS FOOTBALL NATIONWIDE CONFERENCE Stevenage 2, Oxford United 2. PONTIN'S HOLIDAYS COMBINATION East Div: Oxford Utd Res v Milton Keynes Res pp. BRITISH GAS BUSINESS SOUTHERN LEAGUE Saturday Premier Div: Gloucester City 1, Banbury Utd 4.

In his early 30s, with a house near the beach, a fast car, and a dog which he had rescued from a local shelter, Derek Ludlow was living the good life in Sydney, Australia. But then came the devastating news from home that his mother, Helen, had Alzheimer's

Over the past eight years, Phil Muil has built more than 50 tree houses, and no two have been the same. He has made simple platforms a few feet above the ground and luxurious summer houses high up in the branches with the squirrels and woodpeckers; kids

Greek-born Manos Vernicos has got used to the English weather since he arrived in the country 22 years ago at the age of 13. But he still yearned to create the kind of place that he remembers from his childhood in Greece, where customers can buy homemade

Oxon's two sides were both hammered 14-1 in the latest round of Inter-County League matches. Oxon 2nd travelled to Wimbledon to take on Surrey 3rd in Division 2D, and only avoided the whitewash when the final mixed doubles was claimed by Jonathan Barrett

Oxford Hawks chalked up their first win of the season in the National Men's Division with a 3-2 triumph at St Albans on Saturday. Gareth Parker was their hero, notching a hat-trick in a game where all five goals came in open play. Parker fired Hawks

There was good and bad news for Wallingford Rowing Club in the past week, writes Mike Rosewell. No fewer than five of their ten-strong team won their classes in the 327-strong Scullers Head from Mortlake to Putney on Saturday. It was the Wallingford

Another English winter, and despite the prospect of global warming rearing its ugly head, it is still predictably cold and wet. Traditionally, once the turkey and presents are out of the way, thoughts turn to the summer holidays, with just the prospect

Here is an old question, probably as old as Christmas itself: what is the difference between need and want? Jonathan Reynolds of the Oxford Institute of Retail Management, responsible for a Government-commissioned report about the effects of the London

THREE pensioners in Oxford were targeted by a conman posing as a police officer in a bid to burgle their homes. Two homes in East Oxford were targeted on Monday by the burglar, who claims he needs to get into homes to assess whether he can install security

It began with an innocent enquiry at a party: "How are things?" Not: "How are you?" or "How's business?", but "How are things?" Roger-Pol Droit realised that he had no idea how things were - in any case, what things? All things or things in general? He

Blewburton Hill, one of the many chalky hummocks lying in the triangle where the Thames meets the Ridgeway, is not as prominent in the landscape as Wittenham Clumps, but it plays a huge role in the psyche of local people. A View From the Hill is a beautifully

SANTA CRUISE Mary Higgins Clark and Carol Higgins Clark (Simon and Schuster, £9.99) Mary Higgins Clark made her name in the 1970s with a string of romantic thrillers about well-heeled, but vulnerable women in scary situations. Her books contain no

This fascinating story, which weaves its way through the dark days of November and towards Christmas Day in the novel The Xmas Factor, by Annie Sanders (Orion, £9.99), reads so smoothly it's difficult to imagine that it was written by not one, but two

The trouble with 11-year-old Dawn Buckle is that nobody ever noticed her, writes Philippa Logan. The lollipop lady didn't notice her; even her own family didn't notice her. Which is why she was a good choice for a spy. Dawn Undercover (Bloomsbury, £6.99

There was an interesting discussion at Club Night this week when opening salvos were invited as to what the next play should be. Now at this point bear in mind this is a successful group and has been in existance since 1949 when many others have bitten

Historian William Woodruff came to Oxford in 1936 as one of the university's first mature students, from a poor background in Blackburn, where he was born in the carding room of a cotton mill. His biography The Road to Nab End, a bestseller, has now been

Six Impossible Things Before Breakfast Lewis Wolpert (Faber, £8.99) Wolpert, a biologist, looks at why people believe things - from superstitions such as avoiding walking under ladders to angels and the resurrection of Jesus Christ. He examines why

Interviewing Mathilde Madden is rather an odd experience for both of us, I think. To me she's Tilly, mother of Coco and Boris. We meet up at pre-school and coffee mornings and our children sometimes play together. But her alter ego, Mathilde Madden, writes

After a slightly disappointing production of The Jungle Book last year, the Watermill Theatre is back on form with a new show for Christmas, The Snow Queen, which runs until January 6. Just one word of warning: this is not really entertainment for the

A church packed to the rafters, infectious enthusiasm from conductor and choir, a whiff of Berlioz - all things that I noted when reviewing Eynsham Choral Society's concert last December. All featured again this year. The whiff of Berlioz occurred at

How does one capture the spirit of an elephant? The internationally acclaimed Chinese artist Qu Lei lei whose work features in a series of limited edition prints at QI's Christmas show, manages to harness the essence of this incredible beast with the

Grumpy old women they may be in their everyday lives, but it was an audience of distinctly non-grumpy old women who put on their gladrags and packed Oxford's New Theatre on Monday. They were there to see the stage version of the popular BBC2 show Grumpy

They may not have the TV advertising budgets of Katherine Jenkins or Cliff Richard, but that hasn't prevented two local choirs from bringing out their own Christmas CDs. He came all so stille (RR 1039) concentrates on the period just before Christmas,

OXFORD University has agreed to build a new health centre at the Radcliffe Infirmary as part of the site's £240m redevelopment. The university is to create a £10m purpose-built health centre to allow cramped GP practices to be rehoused and to offer

A NEW wave of local NHS jobs are to disappear following the closure of the Thames Valley Strategic Health Authority. The strategic health authority, based in Cowley, has merged with strategic health authorities in Hampshire and the Isle of Wight, as

AEA Technology 93.5 BMW 2827 Electrocomponents 295.25 Isoft Group 39.5 Oxford Biomedica 32.5 Oxford Instruments 252 Oxonica 153.5 Reed Elsevier 567.25 RM 185.25 RPS 265.5 Torex Retail 54.25 Courtesy of Redmayne Bentley, Abingdon

A NUMBER of staff at a data recovery firm in Bicester have been made redundant after a takeover - and more jobs could be lost. Vogon, based at the Talisman Business Park in London Road, was taken over by American firm Kroll Ontrack about eight months

Baby is booked into a nursery from March next year. Trying not to think about it at the moment but couldn't avoid a visit last week. It was our second time there. The first visit was when I was about eight months' pregnant and I waddled around while the

Serving up its traditional festive fare both onstage and in its restaurant, the Mill at Sonning has surpassed itself. Their production of Ray Cooney's hilarious farce It Runs in the Family is one of the most energetic pieces of theatre to be seen this

Wallingford town council member John Beeton has been found dead in his flat. Mr Beeton, 53, was known throughout the town as Sailor John as he had been a merchant seaman for most of his life before moving to BMW at Cowley. He had missed a meeting

CHRIS KOENIG reveals a time long ago when every village was a microcosm - with its own, special trades All the moving about we do these days is probably the aspect of early 21st-century life that would most astonish a time-traveller from the rural

WALLINGFORD Town Council member John Beeton has been found dead in his flat. Mr Beeton, 53, was known throughout the town as Sailor John as he had been a merchant seaman for most of his life before moving to BMW at Cowley. He helped to organise the

Textile artist Ruth Smith has used her home, garden and home county of Oxfordshire as the inspiration for the series of weavings that comprise this exhibition (until December 16). Ruth works mainly in silk, dyeing her own silks to create colours ranging

VAL BOURNE praises Jenny Steel's new book on wildlife gardening Jenny Steel is an Oxford girl and many of you will have read her well-informed, wildlife articles in The Oxford Times supplement Limited Edition. Jenny also pops up regularly on the radio

The great thing about Richard Alston is that you feel you're in safe hands - you go to the performance expecting to enjoy it, and at Wycombe expectations were justified. There is a lot of new blood in the company - six out of the ten dancers joined in

Absolutely wonderful. Huge choir, huge orchestra, huge noise - the combination of the Oxford Bach Choir and the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra in Brahms's Ein deutsches Requiem was almost overwhelming in its power and emotional intensity. A few years ago

The giant excavator introduced by the RSPB to create new wetlands in Oxfordshire and encourage wading birds is already producing results, writes PETER BARRINGTON Lapwings and golden plovers have been flocking to the new wetland habitats created in

Jazz is back in Thame thanks to the efforts of Eddie Fowler who has managed to sort out a new venue and a remarkable line-up for a special December gig. The outstanding young seven-string guitarist Jo Caleb teams up with great saxophonist Stan Sulzmann

As leading soloists from the Philharmonia Orchestra head for Uffington, NICOLA LISLE talks to event organiser Daniel Rye What do London, Leicester, Bedford, Basingstoke and Bristol have in common? Answer: they are all cities where the Philharmonia

For the ever-growing public of the Jacqueline du Pr Music Building, the annual concert by its patron, Steven Isserlis, is an eagerly anticipated event. (Also, judging from the comments in the interval, among the country's cello-players). Last Sunday,

NICOLA LISLE talks to Opera Anywhere's founders, Mike and Vanessa Woodward, about their Christmas double bill and a revolutionary Don Giovanni Ever since Opera Anywhere burst on to the scene for Opera on the Pond at Sunningwell in 2000 - an event Vanessa

My private life is my own," snaps harassed Dr Prentice. He is under investigation by Dr Rance, who has been sent from the Ministry to find out what is going on in Dr Prentice's consulting room. As Dr Rance arrives, Dr Prentice, a psychiatrist, is interviewing

There are several excursions down memory lane available for adventurous cinemagoers to explore this week. Despite being personally vetted by Yoko Ono, David Leaf's documentary The US vs John Lennon is anything but a portrait of a victimised saint. It

With a dreamy, festive setting and underlying message of love to all men and women - especially if they're single and unspeakably attractive - The Holiday is a corny comedy that will appeal to hopeless romantics. In sunny California we meet Amanda (

Another Christmas - another cookery book. And why not? Can anyone one have too many cookery books? Some excellent ones have been published this year, several with the emphasis on British and regional food and many extolling the virtues of local ingredients

JEANNINE ALTON is swept along by Dick Whittington and the panto spirit at the Oxford Playhouse There was a tiny audience at the Oxford Playhouse when I went to this year's pantomime. Very tiny. It consisted in its virtual entirety of three local

Christmas is the time to dress meals up a little, transform a dish with a fancy sauce that you wouldn't bother to make at any other time. Joanna Farrow's Sauce offers more than 100 different sweet and savoury sauce recipes that will make all the difference

United call to defend future of adult learning, writes ROSAMOND HUTT More than 30 charities and educational organisations have united to warn the Government it will face serious economic and social consequences if it fails to support mature learners

The opening of Le Petit Blanc remains vividly in my mind for the lavish quantities of champagne consumed by Raymond Blanc's guests and the exceptional vigour shown on the dance floor by Richard Branson - the second possibly a consequence of the first.

How on earth did we ever manage before television experts arrived to sort out our problems? I suppose we didn't manage very well, as we had the Black Death, the Fire of London and the Boer War. Nowadays such minor difficulties could doubtless be settled

Looking back across an interval of 40 years, I can't recall for sure whether I first became aware of H.P.Lovecraft as a writer or a rock band. It is more likely the writer because from my early teens I was devouring the sort of omnibus volumes of creepy

A performer who looks to have stepped, perfectly formed, straight from the Summer of Love is the comedian, now Radio 2 host, Russell Brand. Chiefly, of course, it is a matter of those amazing clothes. But the sex and the drugs - in which he boasts about

Staff at a data recovery firm in Bicester have been made redundant after a takeover - and more jobs could be lost. Vogon, based at the Talisman Business Park in London Road, was taken over by American firm Kroll Ontrack about eight months ago. At

There's something murky about 'Auld Reekie', as Edinburgh is sometimes known. The city has a history of crime, plague and mischief, and when the 'haar' (the fog rolling in from the Forth) billows across the volcanic crags of Arthur's Seat and the Castle

THE labyrinth that is local government in Oxford - and the most convincing argument we have yet heard for a city unitary authority - is best conveyed in this missive from a correspondent who contacted The Insider this week. He said: "If you were given

My feelings were hurt, reading the letter from Keith Simpson, of Torquay, and his wretched visit to Oxford (Oxford Mail, November 27). It made me feel like saying - "you should have stayed with me. I would have brought you breakfast in bed and free

Yes, I can see young pub-goers falling over themselves to get on the Connect 4 table, and putting their names down to play Monopoly (Oxford Mail, December 2). The mind boggles at lengths gone to, for what? To make the good old English pub extinct.

The reality TV show I'm a Celebrity Get Me Out of Here is best known for its stomach-churning 'bushtucker trials', sobbing stars and tabloid-filling gossip. But it also does a lot of good for charity. Some of the cash from the vote lines goes to good

MEMBERS of the University of the Third Age have been warned not to try to contact their national headquarters which has been hit by a major fire. The fire, at the base in Bromley, damaged a large part of the offices. A spokesman said: "We are in the

FRILFORD HEATH Ladies' November Bisque Bogey: 1 A Payne level, 2 E Newton 1 down, 3 F Banks 1 down. DRAYTON PARK Monthly Medal - Div 1: 1 I More 83-12=71, 2 S Berry 81-8=73, 3 K Bowker 86-12=74. Div 2: 1 P Power 87-16=71 (cb), 2 S Coombes 93-22=71

OXFORD coach Darryl Morvan was satisfied with his team's display, but slammed Solent's "cheap shot" tactics. He said: "The team performed adequately against a side, that although had spirit, had considerably less ability than Oxford. "Their two goals

Staff and clients from advice centres won an early victory after demonstrating yesterday about council moves to axe their funding. Sixty people protesting outside County Hall in Oxford, warned that thousands would be hit by the cuts in some of the region's

Two boys were arrested by police following allegations they sexually molested a nine-year-old child. The boys, aged 10 and 13 years old, were first questioned by police after reports another boy suffered an assault in Windale Avenue, Greater Leys, Oxford

Sorting out new licences for pubs and clubs across Oxford was the main reason for the large increase in the amount of expenses claimed by city councillors, it has been claimed. In the financial year to April 2006, city councillors claimed £242,804

A returning champ has described how a desert rally became an experience that was out of this world. Tamsin Jones, a 34-year-old motorbike rider from Oxford, is back at work at the Trax youth motor project in Osney Mead after becoming female winner of

Tw0 more parents have told the Oxford Mail how their children were victims of bullying at an Oxford secondary school. One mother said her daughter had acid thrown at her during a science lesson at Peers School, in Littlemore, and became so unhappy that

Thames Water allowed raw sewage to leak into the River Windrush and three other watercourses, a court heard. The company was fined £100,000 at Witney Magistrates Court yesterday, after admitting allowing the sewage to pollute the River Windrush, Colwell

The parents of a talented academic who was found in her bloodstained home contacted police when they did not hear from their daughter for two days, a jury heard. Michael Humphries, 43, of Ferndale Street, Faringdon, has denied killing Barbara Johnston

A former homeless man has decked his house out in illuminated decorations to try to improve the lives of people facing the prospect of a cold Christmas on the street. Peter Bonney, of Nuffield Road, Wood Farm, is asking people to donate clothing, food

A woman who lived in Wallingford all her life has died at the age of 94. Mary Bitmead was the only child of Benjamin William Hilliard and was from a family that produced three mayors of Wallingford. She was educated at Wallingford Grammar School

A single mother whose disabled son is being cared for more than 60 miles away is desperate for him to be moved closer to home. Julie Ayres' son 15-year-old Jonathan Hastings was moved to a special unit in Southampton six months ago because Oxfordshire

Banbury's newest school is one of the best in the country after its first-ever Ofsted report described it as outstanding in all areas. The report, released this week, put Hanwell Fields Community School in the top 10 per cent in the UK. Government

It is looking increasingly likely that Tesco will win its fight to increase the size of its store in Abingdon by more than a quarter. A report by Sign1et Planning consultants on the impact a bigger retail outlet might have on town centre trade said

Christmas has come early for some Oxfordshire primary schools as league tables out todayshow them scoring top marks in national tests. The county's pass rate in the Key Stage 2 tests, which are taken by all 11-year-olds, has improved again and pupils

Festive cheer in Wantage came close to being sabotaged when electrics powering lights on the town Christmas tree were tampered with. Mayor Julia Reynolds condemned the behaviour, saying it could have ruined the Christmas festivities in the town. Organisers

I'm a Celebrity finalist Jason Donovan is giving his hard-earned cash from the show to the Oxford Children's Hospital Campaign - and it could reach £200,000. The soap star-turned-pop singer - most famous for hit single Especially For You - came third

GLADIATORS B recorded their second victory of the season in the Oxford & District League with a 3-2 home win over Democrats B. Phil Clark (11,740, break 8,000), Reg Johnson (4,300) and Alan Hart (8,080, break 5,000) took the first three games for Gladiators

DIDCOT & District League president Jim Stevenson led Didcot A to a 9-1 victory over Abingdon A to keep them in touch with Division 1 leaders Drayton A, writes Roger Templeman. Letcombe A climbed out of the drop zone when Mike Haddrell and Richard Taylor

FOURTH division St James B pulled off a giant-killing act in the Oxford & District League's Handicap Shield first round by dumping out Division 1 side Vikings A. Bob Ford, Paul Oakley and Paul Guest have won all their league games so far and - with

TWO goals from Anaclet Odhiambo earned Abingdon a 2-2 draw from their British Gas Southern League Division 1 South & West trip to Lymington on Wednesday. He put them ahead after 60 seconds following a flick-on by Andy Ballard, but United found themselves

CHIPPING Norton Town, one of the longest-established clubs in Oxfordshire, are in danger of folding. The Sport Italia Hellenic League Premier Division outfit, who were founded in 1893, are in crisis due to a lack of helpers. And now they have called

THE parents of a talented academic who was found in her bloodstained home contacted police when they did not hear from their daughter for two days, a jury heard. Michael Humphries, 43, of Ferndale Street, Faringdon, has denied killing Barbara Johnston

THAMES Water allowed raw sewage to leak into the River Windrush and three other watercourses, a court heard. The company was fined £100,000 at Witney Magistrates Court yesterday, after admitting allowing the sewage to pollute the River Windrush, Colwell

BANBURY United could launch a public appeal for funds after the weekend's gales demolished part of a grandstand at Spencer Stadium. The cost of rebuilding the stand - the corrugated iron covering over the Town End terracing - will run into thousands

RESIDENTS in low-lying areas of Banbury are being visited by Environment Agency officers this week to discuss flooding issues. The move comes after a £12m flood protection scheme to protect the town was cancelled earlier this year because of a lack of

GREEN Belts everywhere continually come under pressure for housing developments, so anything that can help prevent an urban spread outwards must be welcomed. Among the green lungs to the north of Oxford and its surrounding villages is Stratfield Brake

DANNY the Dragon will join Radio Horton volunteers for the hospital station's annual Christmas fundraising collection this Saturday. Mascot Danny will greet shoppers to Sainsbury's Oxford Road store and Radio Horton's mobile studio will provide a seasonal

WOLVERCOTE light heavyweight Vince Sessegnon recorded his second successive win by stopping Midlands champion Ashley Farrell in round two of their club contest at Coventry. The opening minute saw the boxers weighing each other up like a pair of chess

STRUGGLING for those last few Christmas presents? Explored every avenue you can think of, but just can't find that one last gift? Well, this superb competition could be your saviour. The Oxford Mail have teamed up with Waterstone's to offer our readers

REIGNING champions Saxton Rovers ended their poor run with a 6-2 victory at home to Division 1 rivals Sandman in the Autotype UTV League. Steve Steptoe struck twice, with Garry Hartley, Michael Quinan, Jim Smith and Steve Pitson also finding the target

SHAUN Flaherty smashed a five-timer as Oxford Yellows beat Chalgrove 7-1 to ease into the fourth round. Ronnie Kababwe and Andy Lovegrove scored the others in a one-sided match. Mark Ingram smashed a hat-trick as Berinsfield thumped AFC Flyer 7-2.

A COLLECTION of rare books built up over a lifetime by Sir Basil Blackwell has been given to the Bodleian Library by his family. The outstanding collection was presented to the Bodleian by Julian Blackwell, the president of the celebrated Oxford booksellers

BANBURY'S newest school is one of the best in the UK after its first Ofsted report described it as outstanding in all areas. The report put Hanwell Fields Community School in the top ten per cent in the country. Government inspector Catherine Munt

BUSINESSES in Oxfordshire have called for road pricing to prevent the county's traffic grinding to a halt. The Oxfordshire Chamber of Commerce, which represents 350 companies in the county, welcomed the publication of a report last Friday which said

STUDLEY Wood ladies champion Lauren Jupp has been named as Oxfordshire junior captain for 2007. The 16-year-old was a natural choice for the Oxfordshire Ladies County Golf Association as she has already played for their senior team. Jupp started playing

OXFORD City Stars rose to fourth in the English National League South Division table after demolishing Solent & Gosport 14-2 in a bad-tempered clash. Stars Darren Elliott and Solent's Kevin Tanner were both sent off after brawling, but the game also

OXFORDSHIRE lost their 100 per cent record in Premier Group 5 as they were held to an 18-18 draw by Hampshire at Winchester. Oxon were indebted to the extra points for compiling the most shots - 185-150 - in sharing the spoils. It means they need

OXFORD United have come up with the ideal way to do your Christmas shopping in peace - drop the kids off at one of the club's soccer courses. Dubbed 'Drop and Shop', United believe it is the perfect way to ensure both children and parents enjoy a good

FOURTH division St James B pulled off a giant-killing act in the Oxford & District League's Handicap Shield first round by dumping out Division 1 side Vikings A. Bob Ford, Paul Oakley and Paul Guest have won all their league games so far and - with

GLADIATORS B recorded their second victory of the season in the Oxford & District League with a 3-2 home win over Democrats B. Phil Clark (11,740, break 8,000), Reg Johnson (4,300) and Alan Hart (8,080, break 5,000) took the first three games for Gladiators

AFC Watlington recorded only their second victory of the season in Division 2 when defeating Marston Saints 2-0 in the Morrells of Oxford Sunday League. Strikes from Jim Oliver and Danny Smith secured the much-needed points. Woodchip Wanderers ran

RESIDENTS in an Oxfordshire village hit by repeated flooding will have to pay thousands of pounds from their own pockets to pay for future damage. Householders in Nuneham Courtenay are finding insurance companies are adding to their misery by insisting

THERE has been a significant rise in the expenses claims of councillors sitting on Oxford City Council and Oxfordshire County Council. City councillors claimed £242,804 in the financial year to April 2006 for travel and subsistence, special responsibilities

I'M a Celebrity contestant Jason Donovan is giving thousands of pounds to the Oxford Children's Hospital Campaign - and the total amount could reach £200,000. The pop singer, who lives with his wife and two children in Oxfordshire, came third in the

A LATE-NIGHT Jacobean Christmas shopping evening will be held in Chipping Norton tonight. Shopkeepers will be dressed in Jacobean-style clothes and will be dispensing wine and sweetmeats. Shops in the town will be open from 6pm to 9pm and there will