In the past four months since littl'un was born, I've started noticing the strange, sometimes bizarre things people come out with when they see you pushing a pram. "What is it?" (uh, it's a baby!) "You look reallllllly tired" (thanks!) "Feeding her yourself
CAMBRIDGE coach Tony Rogers hailed his players' superb defence after they won their second successive Varsity Match. Rogers said: "I think we hoped to have a little more ball, but the defence was just fantastic. "To see someone like Joe Ansbro put
JOE Roff said the Varsity Match reminded him of playing in a cup final. The Oxford University centre was left frustrated by his team's 15-6 loss, but has the consolation of another crack next year. He said: "I found it to be very similar to finals
OXFORD University captain Kevin Brennan felt Cambridge had been there for the taking in the second half. He said: "Going into the second half we were confident we could win it. "I think they were beginning to flag after 15 minutes. If we had scored
JOE Roff said Oxford University's 15-6 loss to Cambridge in yesterday's Varsity Match was among the worst experiences of his rugby career. The Oxford centre was left frustrated at a game where the Dark Blues couldn't make their second-half possession
The mother of a schoolgirl who died of meningitis last month thanked pupils and teachers for their support when she visited her class. Jackie Williams, mother of 12-year-old Kyomie who died at Oxford's John Radcliffe Hospital on November 10, met her
A report predicting gridlock on the A34 could hit unpopular plans for new homes in Didcot. The Highways Agency predicts that by 2026 the A34 in Oxfordshire will become one of the most congested roads in the South East. Experts say the road will not
An Oxford woman said it was a miracle no one was killed after a car careered off the road and shunted her car into her house. Christina Bayat, of Leiden Road, Wood Farm, was woken by what she thought was a bomb going off at 2am on Monday - but it was
Abingdon could take a leaf out of Oxford's book when it comes to redeveloping the Old Gaol. The fabulous redevelopment of a similar site in Oxford - the former prison - shows that the right commercial partner can breathe new life into a historic quarter
It is not surprising to hear the Highways Agency predict that the A34 will come to a standstill if new homes planned for Oxfordshire are built. Its statement was made to the inquiry into the South East Plan. Widening the dual carriageway is ruled out
We are pleased to see that commonsense has prevailed at Oxford Town Hall and the city council will not be throwing thousands of pounds at lawyers to fight the county council's plans to charge for residents' parking permits. As we have said before,
Sir - The campaign against junk food and for healthy eating does not seem to have reached Oxford city leisure facilities. Crisps, sweets, sugary drinks and chocolate are pleasantly displayed near the entrances, enticing children especially. Surely sports
Sir - It is good news for the public and for patients that the University and Oxfordshire Primary Care Trust have reached agreement on a compromise solution for the health centre on the Radcliffe Infirmary site, and we urge the city council to play their
Sir - I can't imagine why we should take advice on motoring topics from a man who by his own admission (in his Sunday Times column a few months ago), had great difficulty changing lanes on motorways in the United States (Clarkson 'will be killed' if limit
Sir - James Styring (Letters, December 1) is right to remind us that the environmental situation in the High Street is now significantly better than before the introduction of the Oxford Transport Strategy and the removal of cars and lorries using it
Sir - Can anything be done to protect the safety of elderly pedestrians walking along the Oxford pavements? Several of my octogenarian friends have been terrified by close brushes with cyclists riding on these pavements. During the dark hours my friends
Sir - We have until December 18 to voice any concerns re the plans for the Westgate Centre. This October, councillors voted to accept the massive plans for a centre that would reaching down from the Central Library as far as Thames Street to the south
Sir - Your front page (November 24) at last tells us how the vote-catching freebies are to be paid for. We get free bus travel for the elderly and free street parking for residents. The social services, already under funded to the point of being of very
Sir - Edward Sanderson in his condemnation of Richard Dawkins (Letters, December 1), is, I'm sorry to say, like so many writers to The Oxford Times (including myself, no doubt, at times) guilty of false logic. He says that it would be "utterly pointless
Sir - Comments in The Oxford Times about the number of buses in the High Street seem to have focused on the visual impact on a historic street, or, in the case of the Oxford Bus Company, on the use of the road by non-bus traffic. However, the fact that
Sir - I would like to thank the Newsquest Oxfordshire group as a whole for the extensive coverage you have given, through your titles across the county, to this year's town Christmas Lights Switch-On events. This is a crucial time for traders in our
Sir - The residents of our four blocks of flats want to give them names instead of the current letters. The usual botanical ones have been suggested but so has 'Rosebery' for one of the blocks since this was the original name of the development. Even
Sir - After all these weeks of chaos, we thought that at least we would get an effective system for removing the A40 through traffic from the local traffic. I thought we were going to get a curved flyover (even a bailey bridge could have been put up
Sir - The article (December 8) gives a false impression of the county council position on the traffic signals at the George Street/Cornmarket Street junction. The article quoted from the letter sent out by an officer which clearly refers to the operation
Sir - Green councillor Deborah Glass Woodin complains about the plastic wrapper containing the city council's magazine (Letters, December 8) and I agree with her. On another note, I've just received a copy of the Oxfordshire Green Party newspaper through
Sir - Oxford Pedestrians Association welcomes the news that the Cornmarket/George Street traffic lights may be removed. Contrary to your report (December 8) OxPA did not request these lights, which have not improved conditions at this junction for pedestrians
Sir - Oxfordshire county councillor Roger Belson threatens us with increases in our council tax if we don't recycle more (Letters, December 1). Oxfordshire is apparently threatened with fines if it doesn't reduce the amount of waste it sends to landfill
Sir - While the confusion over sorting between blue and green boxes remains, and the eyesore and physical obstruction of giant green wheelie bins causes increasing resentment, it now seems the council is trying to defray costs by refusing to collect more
Sir - Kate Lack, (Letters, December 8), seems to think that those against this scheme are either ignorant of the need to recycle, anti-recycling, or perhaps too lazy, which is obviously not the case. Since moving to Oxford I have recycled from day one
Sir - Love him or loathe him, no one can deny that you know where Christopher Gray stands. And when it comes to Oxford's recycling revolution, he's full square against it. Mr Gray mentions New Headington, which Stephen Tall and myself represent on the
POLICE have launched a major search using a helicopter and teams of divers to try to trace a woman missing from her home in Nettlebed. Maria Pereira, 46, of Catslip, Nettlebed, has not been seen since 10.30am on Sunday, December 3, at the Church of
ELDERLY people in Blackbird Leys are being warned to be on their guard as a bogus caller pretending to be a police officer continues to target them. The man, who is 5ft 8in to 5ft 10in tall and thought to be in his early 30s, has made three further
TWO teenagers accused of murdering 43-year-old Stephen Langford in Henley will appear before Oxford Crown Court tomorrow. Kes Ingoldsby, 18, of Wargrave Road in Henley, and James Diggins, 19, of Devon Drive, Caversham Park Village, Reading, were granted
Motor crash repair company Nationwide Accident Repair Services is set for expansion after taking over a major rival. The firm which has its head office in Witney, snapped up Aquilo Motor Services for £1.275m. Aquilo, based in Northwich, Cheshire,
There's a dead drunk bishop in the car, dad, and he's throwing my toys all over the place." "Where's it from?" "Waddya mean?" "What's its diocese?" "Well, it looked a bit Bath and Wells-ish to me . . ." Further speculation was rendered unnecessary
Don't mention the war! But television seems unable to stop itself repeatedly mentioning war - especially the two world wars of the 20th century. This week both those wars received some attention. Housewife, 49 (ITV1) was a play written by and starring
Saturday's concert at St Mary's University Church, was given by the Madrigirls, a gifted female trio who specialise in unaccompanied 16th-century madrigals, but are happy to vary the menu with traditional Irish and a touch of Gershwin. They are classically
Marios Papadopoulos brought to a close his performances of the complete Mozart Piano Concertos, with the Oxford Philomusica Orchestra, in the Sheldonian Theatre on November 23. The three works, all written in Vienna, concluded with Mozart's last piano
There was a real buzz at this popular annual selling exhibition, as people discussed the comparative merits of the different techniques and mediums employed by the wide range of craftspeople taking part. And Christmas shopping was clearly taking place
Charivari Agrable's new season of candlelit concerts kicked off at Exeter College on Tuesday night with a joyful and uplifting recital by The Three Countertenors, making a welcome return after their popular appearance here in the summer. As the programme
'We've never printed so many words in a programme before," conductor Paul Ingram told the audience at St Mary Magdalene Church last weekend. And indeed, looking at the programme, the profusion of words looked somewhat daunting, and I began to wonder if
Sir John Falstaff's search for financial security through the love of a rich woman sets in motion the plot of one of Shakespeare's most glorious comedies. Entirely convinced of his own magnetic attraction, the fat knight makes his amorous target not one
This year's Mainly Mozart festival by the Oxford Philomusica, in honour of the composer's 250th anniversary, has rightly had as its highlight Marios Papadopoulos's performances of the complete Mozart piano concertos. On a smaller scale, yet no less important
Pensioners in Blackbird Leys are being warned to be on their guard as a prolific bogus caller pretending to be a police officer continues to target elderly residents. The man, who is 5ft 8ins to 5ft 10ins tall and thought to be in his early 30s, has
It's a pleasure to salute such a piece of sheer theatrical ingenuity as Ellen Kent's production of Die Fledermaus with her Moldovan National Opera at the New Theatre on December 6. Many a sad experience at Sadler's Wells and the Colisseum have taught
Is it really 18 years since Michael Collins played his clarinet to victory in the BBC Young Musician of the Year competition (an event now deemed too competitive and too highbrow for transmission on mainstream TV)? It must be since that's the age of his
It's the panto season, which is perhaps why Tomahawk Productions is staging The Winter's Tale rather than more substantial Shakespearean fare. This magical tragicomedy boasts bumbling dolts, a villainous king, an impish rogue and a pair of soppy lovers
Bellowhead finally did it. They managed to get the band together - a bit difficult when it's the size of a football team - to record their first album, Burlesque (Westpark). The 11-piece outfit, led by the extraordinary talents of Oxford duo John Spiers
The latest album from Swiss guitarist Nicholas Meier features both Gilad Atzmon and Dave O'Higgins on saxes, but on alternate tracks. Thus, with only Gilad with him at the Spin on Thursday, the Israeli needed to take on both roles as far as he was able
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Young voices ring out all around as I sit writing this in the vast foyer of Northampton's Royal and Derngate theatres, which are back in business with a vengeance after 18 months' closure for renovation work. The youngsters streaming out to my left have
Tony Blair was recently reported to be considering the establishment of parenting classes "to teach people how to sing nursery rhymes to their children". And what, you may ask, has that to do with this year's Chippy panto? Well, Mr Blair can forget the
Was this to be a festive season without slapstick? After watching three pantomimes in which no one received a pie in the face or a bucket of dirty water over their head, I was beginning to think so. But then - just as I was beginning to regret the loss
When a small boy in the row in front appeared to raise a giant finger to the cast, the gesture might have been misconstrued. But it wasn't meant as an insult - the digit was in fact a thumb, stuck on a foam hand, and the lad brandished it frequently during
The huge new big wheel whirring yards from the entrance to Milton Keynes Theatre might seem an entertainment draw so powerful as to 'upstage' the pantomime Cinderella taking place inside. Almost but not quite: for after watching its revolutions with giddy
AN OXFORD woman believes it is fortunate no one was killed after a car careered off the road into her driveway and shunted her car through the front of her house. Christina Bayat, of Leiden Road, Wood Farm, was awoken by what she thought was a bomb
It's best to confront the things you are afraid of, and for my two lads there was nothing scarier than King Rat in Dick Whittington at the Oxford Playhouse. The panto season is now well under way, and we persuaded the boys, aged three and six, to take
While Milton Keynes (see below), has Cinderella at the mercy of her two horrid stepsisters, the Everyman's version of the tale throws in her odious stepmother as well. As portrayed by Roger McKern, Lady Cleeve is the stuff that childhood nightmares are
Is there no end to the influence of Captain Jack Sparrow? Even in High Wycombe, the ripples of Johnny Depp's iconic pirate can be felt, in the unlikely guise of Nigel Havers. Following the lead of venerated luvvie Sir Ian McKellen - who last year made
Cats is back in Oxford after a gap of three years, and has turned up as fresh and entertaining as ever. As you probably know, the musical is about the annual reunion of the tribe of Jellicle cats. We meet them at midnight as they slink through the darkness
Police still do not know who the man is who has found dead in wasteland in Oxford yesterday. A post mortem examination determined the man died from a head wound but police have refused to elaborate on what they believe caused the injury. No identification
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THE number of people claiming jobseeker's allowance in Oxfordshire rose slightly, official figures showed today. In Britain as a whole, however, unemployment has fallen for the first time in 18 months as thousands more people found jobs in over the
FANS of comedian Ricky Gervais snapped up 1,800 tickets for his show at Oxford's New Theatre in under an hour yesterday. The stampede began at 10am and the show, on February 7, was sold out by 10.45am. By 11.30am, more than 15 of the £25 tickets
POLICE said today that a young man found dead on the outskirts of Oxford died of a head injury. The body of the man, who has not yet been identified, was found on grassland near the Seacourt park-and-ride, off Botley Road, Oxford, yesterday morning.
Banbury Utd 2, Chesham 0 BANBURY United got back to winning ways after a torrid run of three successive home defeats with a comfortable passage into the fourth round of the British Gas Business Southern League's Errea Cup. They saw off Chesham at Spencer
Two drivers escaped injury following a collision on the A34 this morning which caused heavy tailbacks. The accident happened on the northbound carriageway near the Hinksey Hill interchange at 7.10am and caused delays for drivers. Paramedics treated
TWO drivers escaped injury following a collision on the A34 near Oxford today which caused long rush-hour tailbacks. The accident happened on the northbound carriageway near the Hinksey Hill interchange at 7.10am and caused delays. Paramedics treated
Phil Adams hit a superb 16 dolls and Kevin Baker returned a 15-doll haul - but it couldn't save Cricketers from a 4-2 defeat by the Ox in the Gladiator Beer Seller Friday League. Consistent scoring from the Ox proved enough to foil the efforts of Adams
RT Harris Oxford City FA Neil Hanlon scored a hat-trick on his debut as he helped his new side Shelley Arms cruise into the final of the Premier Cup with a 5-0 victory against Golden Ball. Wayne Desmond and keeper Martyn Clarke (penalty) were also
North Berks League Andy Cooper rescued a point for Division 1 leaders Ardington & Lockinge as they held second-placed Saxton Rovers to a 1-1 draw. Nathan Brown netted for Rovers, only for Cooper to hit back. Marcham hammered East Hendred 7-1, their
Goalkeeper John Hunt was Faring- don's hero with two shoot-out saves as his side beat Letcombe 4-2 on penalties in the third round. Faringdon's Gary Sutton came closest to breaking the deadlock in normal time, heading against a post. But Hunt proved
THAME B turned the tables on their A team knocking them out of the Oxford & District League's Stephen Reiss Cup with a shock 4-1 victory. Tom Fletcher (+50) led the way for the B team when he thrashed Mark Syrett (+60) 150-83. But Derek Syrett (+100
A former Oxfordshire headteacher accused of 24 counts of misconduct said even Mother Theresa would struggle to escape his predicament. Alan Klee, former headteacher of Carterton College, yesterday admitted at a General Teaching Council hearing that
Two doormen abused their power by beating a man as they threw him out of an Oxford bar, a court heard. Alec MacDonald, 25, a soldier from Andover, was found guilty of assault causing actual bodily harm against Peter Riddell. Shane Sherbourne, of Pinnocks
A teenager accused of murdering a man in Henley is the son of a prominent record producer. Kes Ingoldsby, 18, of Wargrave Road, Henley, and James Diggins, 19, of Caversham Park Village, Reading, have been charged with murdering Stephen Langford at the
They came, they saw, they voted. The Romans are about to make a comeback on Oxford's Barton estate, and the exact nature of how it will be done was up for discussion yesterday. Barton is believed to be the scene of the first Roman settlement in the
A man has been jailed for nearly three years in Australia after being found guilty of causing an accident that left an Oxford backpacker brain damaged. Lucy Keen, of Laburnum Road, Botley, plunged 66ft to the ground after ride attendant Steve Clark
Ten people in the county will have to take up sporting activity every day until 2012 if Oxfordshire is to meet an ambitious Olympic target. A campaign launched by the Oxfordshire Sports Partnership aims to increase the number of people taking part in
It might be an ambitious target, but it is one we should aim to achieve. The Oxfordshire Sports Partnership wants to recruit 25,000 people in the county to take up sport by the launch of the 2012 Olympics in a campaign entitled Our Sporting Future.
Tony Blair and Gordon Brown are wrong to replace Trident submarines and missiles. All parties on Oxford City Council voted overwhelmingly a few weeks ago to ask the Labour Government not to renew Britain's weapons of mass destruction. The Non-Proliferation
As the festive season is upon us, we have been inundated with advice from police telling us that thieves are about and will take any opportunity to break in and steal Christmas presents. The advice ranges from "don't leave presents in your car", "don't
Oxfordshire's waterways are overflowing with wildlife - including Britain's most endangered mammal, a new survey has revealed. Ecologists welcomed the news that the endangered water vole appears to be alive and well in the county's rivers and canals
Young dancers heading for the stage in London are appealing to local firms to help them look the business. A team of street dancers from KC's School of Dance have been training every day at the Blackbird Leys Leisure Centre for a performance at the
Fans of comedian Ricky Gervais snapped up 1,800 tickets for his show at Oxford's New Theatre in under an hour yesterday. The stampede began at 10am and the show, on February 7, was sold out by 10.45am. This means 40 tickets - at £25 a head - were sold
This is officially Oxford's most fly-tipped road - and lazy shoppers have been blamed. Between April and September this year, 122 incidents of illegal dumping were recorded in Ambassador Avenue in Cowley - almost one a day. But what makes the location
A man could be jailed after attacking two women because they were lesbians. Gavin Jewell, 21, of Stowford Road, Barton, Oxford, was convicted by a jury at Oxford Crown Court yesterday of assault causing actual bodily harm on Debbie Baxter and Helen
A paramedic crew was threatened and their ambulance attacked after responding to a call about a motorcyclist having a heart attack in Oxford. Paramedics arriving in the Shepherds Hill area of Greater Leys found a group of about 15 youths, including
Detectives investigating the death of a man on waste ground in Oxford believe it could be an elaborate and bizarre suicide. The body of the man - whose identity had not been released last night - was found by a passerby on grassland near the Seacourt
Plans for a new super-school in Abingdon look to be losing favour with education chiefs. Many parents are worried at the option of creating a school for three- to 19-year-olds by combining Dunmore Infants and Junior schools with Fitzharrys secondary
Oxford's new bishop, the Rt Rev John Pritchard, is planning to visit his predecessor to seek advice on the best way to tackle his new job. Bishop John arrived in the Oxford Diocese in style on Monday in a new Mini borrowed from the city's Cowley car
THE man accused of murdering Oxford academic Dr Barbara Johnston went on hunger strike and was deemed a suicide risk by doctors after he was arrested, a jury has been told. Michael Humphries, 43, has denied stabbing, beating, strangling and suffocating
THE headteacher of a special needs school in Abingdon has condemned vandals who "spoiled Christmas" for the children. Four tricyles were stolen, outside walls were daubed with abusive graffiti and a storage shed and front gates damaged. The total cost
HERITAGE experts have won a battle to protect 14 aircraft shelters at a former USAF base near Banbury - taking the site's development a step closer. Cherwell District Council has agreed not to knock down the hardened concrete shelters on the Somerton
A BLOCK of public toilets in North Oxford used by drug dealers and people meeting for sex is being closed down over winter. Residents have made repeated complaints to the police about the misuse of the toilets in St Bernard's Road, which links Woodstock
Oxford 6, Cambridge 15 OXFORD failed to capitalise on vast swathes of second-half possession as they went down to an ultimately disappointing defeat at Twickenham. Trailing 10-6 at the break, they broke into the Cambridge 22 on several occasions
Scrums Oxford: won 8 Cambridge: won 6 Lineouts Oxford: won 14 lost 1 Cambridge: won 9 lost 2 Penalties conceded Oxford: 11 Cambridge: 10 Compiled by Malcolm Bradbrook
Oxford 15. Chris Mahony (9/10). The pick of the Oxford team. Strong, elusive running from deep. Was a constant threat. 14. Jonan Boto (5). If only he could catch. Dropped at least two passes which could have put him in space. Disappointing game for
Luke Bremner hammered his first hat-trick as Rover Cowley thrashed BCS Bardwell 5-0 away from home in the Premier Division. Stewart McCleary and Murat Islaf were the other marksmen for Rover. First-half goals from Danny Taylor and Richard Bustin secured
A MAGNIFICENT display from UK steeplechase star Hatti Dean secured the senior women's title at the SEAA Inter-Counties Cross Country Championships at Parliament Hill Fields in London. Dean, the former Radley athlete, romped to victory over the 6.5km
LAP-dancing club Cassiopeia, the first in Oxfordshire, opened in Banbury last Thursday. Brackley businessman Ashley Brown spent nearly six months converting the former Churchill's nightspot premises in Broad Street into a club which features striptease
THREE people from Kidlington have been remanded in custody in connection with a fire a family home in Southampton. The two men and a woman appeared yesterday at Southampton Magistrates Court to face a charge of arson with intent to endanger life.
WORK has started on a £15.1m scheme to refurbish kitchens and bathrooms for thousands of council tenants. Charter Community Housing, which controls about 4,000 council homes in north Oxfordshire, has appointed contractors Property Care and the Apollo
TWO members of the animal rights group Speak could be sent to prison for refusing to provide a list of email addresses of its 700 supporters. Robert Cogswell and Mel Broughton have been summoned to appear at the High Court in London on Tuesday, December
SHOPPERS were snapping up environmentally-friendly and ethically-aware Christmas presents at the Green Party's annual winter fair. The fair, now in its 26th year, was held at Oxford Town Hall at the weekend. More than 90 stalls were set up in three
A COCKTAIL bar can claim to be one of the UK's mixing masters of the year after winning a hat trick of industry awards. Raoul's in Walton Street, Jericho, has just been named Best Neighbourhood Bar at the prestigious UK bar awards held in London, and
