I'm blaming Central TV for the appalling weather we've been having. Ever since they took the crass decision to axe the delightful Emma and Charlie, it's been nothing but rain, rain and more rain. What has happened to our favourite weather girls? Have
I'm blaming Central TV for the appalling weather we've been having. Ever since they took the crass decision to axe the delightful Emma and Charlie, it's been nothing but rain, rain and more rain. What has happened to our favourite weather girls? Have
I'm blaming Central TV for the appalling weather we've been having. Ever since they took the crass decision to axe the delightful Emma and Charlie, it's been nothing but rain, rain and more rain. What has happened to our favourite weather girls? Have
Warning signs have gone up along the River Thames towpath in Oxford after bad weather caused the river to overflow on to footpaths. Oxford City Council, which is in charge of most of the towpath, put up signs warning it could be flooded in bad weather
AN 83-year-old man has been taken to hospital with potentially life-threatening injuries after a crash in Eynsham. Paramedics took the man, who suffered serious chest injuries, to the John Radcliffe Hospital, Oxford, following a crash involving four
AEA Technology 104.75 BMW 2878 Electrocomponents 266 Isoft Group 38.25 Oxford Biomedica 48.75 Oxford Instruments 258.75 Reed Elsevier 589.75 RM 193.5 RPS Group 301 Oxonica 128.5 Courtesy of Redmayne Bentley, Abingdon
THE NEVER-ENDING DAYS OF BEING DEAD Marcus Chown (Faber, £15.99)Drawing on the latest in cutting-edge theoretical physics, science writer Marcus Chown here attempts to answer some of the bigger questions regarding life, the universe, and everything
Last year, it was the centenary of the birth of former Poet Laureate Sir John Betjeman. This year, it is the turn of his Oxford contemporary W.H. Auden, who would have been 100 on February 21. Auden became an Honorary Student of Christ Church in 1961
THE PESTHOUSE Jim Crace (Picador £16.99)Dystopian novels - from Lord of the Flies to Margaret Atwood's A Handmaid's Tale - don't usually have happy endings. However, Jim Crace provides a glimmer of hope in his story of two lovers in a post-apocalypse
Mark Mills, a screenwriter whose film credits include The Reckoning, an adaptation of Barry's Unsworth's Morality Play, lives in Oxford with his wife and two children. His first novel, Amagansett, of the Whaleboat House, won a Crime Writers' Association
Ark Royal Mike Rossiter (Bantam Press, £20) The hunt for the German battleship Bismarck was one of the greatest naval episodes of the Second World War. She had already sunk HMS Hood, pride of the British navy, with just three survivors from a ship's
One in every 15 young people in Britain self-harm, a recent report concluded. Statistically, that means each classroom in Oxfordshire contains one or two self-harmers, usually young women who deliberately cut into their skin with a razor blade or other
Ten years ago, she was living happily as a North Oxford mother and wife of history don Michael Aris. Now there are fears for the health of Aung San Suu Kyi, who has been under house arrest in Burma since July 2003. This photograph shows her speaking at
Every family holds secrets: kept from daughters, sons, parents and partners, they become as much a part of the web of our relationships as the shared truths. In Afterwards, Rachel Seiffert examines the tangled truths and silences in the relationships
Doris Lessing repeats herself so often in her latest novel that her words are like waves washing over us, over and over again, each differing only slightly from the last. The main thrust of her theme is fascinating - confusing, too. Through the lips
A CERTAIN AGE: TWELVE MONOLOGUES FROM THE CLASSIC RADIO SERIES Lynne Truss (Profile Books, £12.99)Lynne Truss is best known for her best-selling book about punctuation, Eats, Shoots And Leaves, but she is garnering a reputation as a fiction writer and
A fifth person has been arrested this morning in connection with an armed robbery in Banbury. The 28-year-old man is currently in police custody on suspicion of robbery. Police made the arrest in connection with an armed robbery at a jewellers in
POLICE today arrested a fifth person in connection with a ramraid on a Banbury jewellers. Just before midday yesterday, three men wearing balaclava helmets reversed a dark blue Honda Civic into the new Michael Jones shop in High Street, Banbury, before
A new Mini estate car to be known as the Clubman will be launched from the Cowley plant this year. Early versions of the car are already being built at the plant with bosses saying the first models will be available for sale by November. Details of
TWO men, one wearing a Hallowe'en mask, robbed a man in South Parade, Summertown, in the early hours of Friday. The 33-year-old victim was approached by two men who demanded he hand over his mobile phone and bag. The two ran off with his bag containing
Two men, one wearing a Halloween-style mask, robbed a passer-by in Oxford. The thieves forced him to hand over a bag containing his mobile phone and bank card. Police appealed today for witnesses after the 33-year-old man was confronted in South Parade
Police are appealing for witnesses after tyres on three cars were slashed in a vandal attack. The rear tyres of a Toyota Corrolla, a Citroen van and a Ford Mondeo were damaged. All the vehicles were parked in Banbury Road, Kidlington. The vandal is
THE woman whose body was found in the Oxford Canal on Friday has been named as Rachel Severn. She was spotted face down in the water, between Bridge Street and Mill Lock, Banbury, by a member of the public. The death is still being treated as unexplained
As you are no doubt aware, this is the year in which we celebrate the county of Oxfordshire being 1,000 years old. Well, when I say 'we', I don't mean me, as, being an economic migrant, I'm not actually an Oxonian, although some people sometimes think
VANDALS slashed tyres on three cars parked in Kidlington. The vehicles were parked along Banbury Road and all had their rear tyres slashed sometime between 10pm on Friday and 8.30am on Saturday. The vehicles damaged are a Toyota Corolla, a Citroën
Motorsport developer Prodrive is reported to have made a bid for luxury car maker Aston Martin. The Banbury-based firm is said to be in discussions with Ford and offered £450m for the iconic brand and is said to be in talks with investors from the US
JIM Smith saluted Oxford United's resolve after they held on to win 1-0 at Southport last night despite Rob Duffy's first penalty miss of the season. It turned out to be a great night for Oxford, because Nationwide Conference leaders Dagenham & Redbridge
A woman had her bag snatched as she walked home late at night in Banbury at the weekend, police said today. Police are appealing for witnesses following the snatch theft in Broughton Road at 2.30am on Sunday after a night out in the town centre. A
A man has been arrested over attacks on a stretch of towpath in Oxford. The 19-year-old was arrested on suspicion of robbery and assault yesterday and is now being interviewed by detectives. Four incidents took place on the Thames towpath between
POLICE said today that a teenager had been arrested in connection with attacks on the River Thames towpath in Oxford. They said a 19-year-old man had been arrested on suspicion of robbery and assault. Four incidents took place on the Thames towpath
I just thought I'd better clarify that I'm not the same Green Goddess that's commenting on Oxfordmail.net about the current rubbish bin situation in Oxford. Obviously, I do own a car and - as much as I'd love to live without it - don't think I could in
A WOMAN had her purse snatched while walking home in Banbury. Police said the woman was walking along the Broughton Road at about 2.30am on Sunday after a night out in the town centre, when a white car, possibly a Vauxhall Astra, pulled up alongside
The devil has a party, so he invites the angels and the demi-gods, to make it sexy it is a masquerade. There I am at the door welcoming the guest, nicely dressed beautyful home made masks and costumes.There comes a giant of a man dressed in an angel outfit
POLICE and Oxfordshire's Nightsafe partnerships are joining forces today with licensees to combat drug dealers operating in the county's pubs and clubs. In a joint initiative by Operation Falcon and Nightsafe, posters are being supplied to hundreds
Fly half Bethan Walsh will win her fourth Blue when she captains Oxford University's women's team against Cambridge at Grange Road on Saturday. The Lehman Brothers-sponsored clash will also see flanker Rhiannon Evans and centre Stacey Beard make their
CHINNOR Academy lost their debut fixture 56-0 to Nottingham, but there were plenty of positive signs. Although the backs were outclassed, there were some good performances in the pack from captain Sam Ludgate, Sam Blewett and Dan Blinkhorn.
Oxfordshire's under 15 B team have been teaching their A counterparts a lesson after going unbeaten for two seasons. While the As have barely managed a 50 per cent win record in the same period, the Bs have won eight out of eight matches, scoring 131
This picture of past and present Oxford RFC presidents was taken before a recent home game at the club's Southern Bypass ground. All attended a presidents' lunch and watched the team beat Broadmoor Staff 40-0. Pictured are: (back from left) Don Barrett
Slade Farm United produced a sub-standard display as they went down to a disappointing 3-2 penalty shoot-out defeat against St Johns in the second round of the Benovolent Cup. The awful playing surface was a major factor as both teams struggled to play
Dave Large smashed a hat-trick as Spartan Rangers reached the second round of the Senior Cup with a 5-3 extra-time victory over Hailey. Gavin Kominek and Dan King were also on target, with Joel King (2) and Tom Perry replying. Carterton and North
Oxford University lock John Chance (left) and flanker Doug Abbott are pictured after helping England Students to an 8-6 victory over their French counterparts in Cahors. The pair will hope to complete a double in the return fixture at Iffley Road on
Charlbury Town failed in their bid to regain top spot in the Premier Division, as they were held to a 2-2 draw by Hanborough. But it could have been far worse, after their mid-table visitors took the lead before half-time through Paul Rose. And when
Micky Nichols hit the winner as Tetsworth reached the next round of the RT Harris Junior League Cup with a 2-1 win against Union Street. In a tie switched to Union Street due to a waterlogged pitch, Arran Patience fired Tetsworth ahead. Although Street
Matty Aplin hammered a hat-trick for Harwell Village as they reached the final of the War Memorial Cup with a 6-0 thrashing of Didcot Casuals. He bagged his first, before Harwell's stand-in keeper Danny Morris denied Luke Hammond a leveller. Tom Fisher
Pete Sloan netted a double as strugglers Coleshill United boosted their hopes of avoiding the drop with a shock 2-0 win at North Berks League Division 1 leaders Lambourn Sports. The victory, Coleshill's second on the spin, lifts them five points clear
Alan Goodgame hit a six in his 12 dolls to help Gin'll Fix It to a 4-2 win over Punch Bowl in the Kidlington Indoor League. RESULTS Kidlington Indoor League: Gin'll Fix It 4, Punch Bowl 2; Kings Arms 2, Unknowns 4; Anti-Social Club 0, North Oxford CC
Ashton's four-match winning streak in the Oxford & District League came to an abrupt halt with a 3-0 defeat by Fieldside. Norman Woodcock (+70) gave Fieldside a superb start, beating the in-form Keith Maskens (+60) 150-99 with the help of a break of
Phil Hails produced a terrific run to win the Milford 21-mile race. The Witney Roadrunner clocked an impressive time of 2hrs 17mins 8secs. In the Berkhamstead Half Marathon, Natasha Rhymes, representing Witney Roadrunners, crossed the line in 1.44.14
John Griffiths, from Headington Roadrunners, posted his 50th Oxford Mail Cross Country League finish at Banbury. It took Griffiths 14 seasons, to reach the milestone, since making his debut in December 1993. His personal best of tenth came at Cirencester
HENLEY Wanderers cancelled all their fixtures on Saturday after one of their most popular players, David 'DJ' Jones was killed in a car accident. Jones, 31, (right) died on Friday evening while on his way from work to the gym in Henley. He joined
Headington Roadrunners' Steve Kimber retained his senior and overall men's titles in atrocious conditions in the final round at Drayton School, Banbury. Kimber, who had withdrawn from the previous round with a calf injury, went head-to-head with clubmate
CHRIS Norrington is already looking for more success after coaching Wallingford to the BB&O Premier Division title. The club's second team are still hunting for promotion from BB&O Division 2 South and the firsts are in the Oxfordshire Shield final.
Banbury United set up an Oxfordshire Senior Cup semi-final clash with Chinnor after easing to a 3-0 victory against North Leigh last night. Victory put an end to a string of bad results for the Southern League Premier Division side whose goals all came
Jim Smith saluted Oxford United's resolve after they held on to win 1-0 at Southport last night despite Rob Duffy's first penalty miss of the season. It turned out to be a great night for Oxford, because Nationwide Conference leaders Dagenham & Redbridge
A JEALOUS husband stabbed to death his estranged wife and her Oxfordshire boyfriend before setting fire to her home to cover his tracks, a court has heard. Alex Marshall, 37, is alleged to have murdered 41-year-old Fiona Marshall - the stepsister of
If proof were needed of the dangers of carrying knives, a case at Oxford Crown Court yesterday provided it in abundance. Samuel Marriott-Gray's life was wrecked in the split second it took Leonard Morrison to plunge one into his skull. Six months
A young girl has told a jury she was ordered to film a woman carrying out sex acts which were screened on an internet chatroom. The girl, who cannot be named, told a jury at Oxford Crown Court yesterday that she pointed a web camera as Christine Nicolson
Two city centre businesses have become the first in Oxford to be fined for littering. Top Shop in Queen Street and Colours Sports Bar in St Ebbe's Street were given £100 fixed penalty fines for persistently failing to manage trade waste. The city
Model railway enthusiasts steamed along to the annual Abingdon and district model railway exhibition at the White Horse Leisure and Tennis Centre. Enthusiasts young and old - including Allan Goode, pictured - enjoyed a vast array of track layouts, models
An estate has been dealt a blow with the news it is to lose its post office. Royal Mail has confirmed it will shut the branch, in Courtland Road, Rose Hill, Oxford, on March 19, after failing to reach an agreement with the shop's owners Anna and Bharat
Tickets are selling fast for the Oxford Literary Festival which will bring thousands of book lovers to the city later this month. Highlights this year include an appearance by Oxford author Philip Pullman, who will be talking about how his prize-winning
An Oxford professor has hit back at students who have called for him to be sacked because of links to an immigration think tank. Oxford Student Action for Refugees has circulated a petition calling for the 'removal' of Prof David Coleman, an expert
A school time capsule buried to help future generations in Wantage uncover more about the past has been lost. Staff and pupils from Charlton primary school gathered in Limborough Road in the late 90s to bury the capsule. It was sunk beneath the ground
Parking is so tight in Oxford that drivers are now being told to park on pavements in two narrow streets. Oxfordshire County Council has painted parking spaces on pavements in Ferry Road and William Street in Marston, where a new controlled parking
Two teenagers police believe continued to search a house despite finding the owner dead were yesterday sent to a detention centre. Jordan Anderson, 18, of Wolsey Road, Oxford, Andrew Reilly, 18, from Lowestoft and a 17-year-old who cannot be named were
Youngsters will soon be able to resume night time football training after Oxford City Council agreed to pay for the floodlight repairs. Vandals destroyed the box at Barton United's training pitch, in Barton Village Road, Oxford, last month, and the
A woman who lost hundreds of pounds to burglars has called on the crooks to do an honest day's work. The 55-year-old woman, who did not want to be named, was raided early in the morning while she was asleep at her home in Rose Hill. A burglar forced
Car manufacturer BMW has pledged its support for the Cowley Road Carnival, in Oxford, for a second year. The German firm, which owns the Mini plant in Cowley, offered an 11th hour boost to last year's event. This year it will again be the principal
Street wardens have clamped down on parents parking outside an Oxford school - to the delight of neighbours. Parking outside St Nicholas Primary School, in Raymund Road, Old Marston, had become a nightmare, with the school run causing queues and congestion
Community charities could be in line for thousands of pounds thanks to a foundation set up by the Oxford Mail's parent company. The Gannett Foundation is offering awards of up to £5,000 for charitable projects that take a creative approach to community
A suspected arson attack on a pensioner's shed could have ended in tragedy had the blaze spread to his home before firefighters arrived. Alick Elithorn, 86, was at home alone in Rose Hill, Oxford, in his downstairs study when he heard a noise just before
A mother last night described the man who plunged a knife into her son's brain as "wicked and evil". Family and friends filled the public gallery at Oxford Crown Court yesterday as a jury found Leonard Morrison, 37, guilty of the attempted murder of
So Stagecoach is withdrawing its direct No 7 bus across Oxford between Barton and Kidlington (Oxford Mail, March 3). This means that people will have to pay for two journeys, not one, and it will be more inconvenient for everyone, especially the elderly
The Audit Commission's rating of the performance of local councils was excellent news for Oxfordshire County Council which, as you reported (Oxford Mail, February 22), now becomes the only council in Oxfordshire to be given a four star or excellent' rating
Who would believe it? The Bush Government, with the complicity of Tony Blair, invented a series of excuses, downright lies in reality, justifying an illegal invasion of Iraq. Now it appears Bush is intent on trying the same scam in regards to Iran.
It seems that in this power hungry world, only the rich get their own way. Whatever happened to the idea that people have the power? It is clear to me that all is not well with the world when RWE npower can devastate Radley Lakes with spent fuel ash
POLICE today appealed for witnesses after an attempted abduction of a woman jogger in north Oxfordshire. At about 5pm on Sunday, a woman was jogging on the lane leading to the Mill at the rear of Broughton Castle's grounds. She was approached by a
North Leigh 0, Banbury Utd 3 BANBURY United set up an Oxfordshire Senior Cup semi-final clash with Chinnor after easing past North Leigh last night. Victory put an end to a string of bad results for the Southern League Premier Division side whose goals
The family of a nine-year-old boy killed by a speeding joyrider will not receive a penny in compensation because their solicitor failed to submit an application in time. An independent arbitration panel has ruled Cheryl Doyle, of Redwood Close in Greater
THE family of a nine-year-old boy killed by a speeding joyrider will not receive a penny in compensation because their solicitor failed to submit an application in time. An independent arbitration panel has ruled Cheryl Doyle, of Redwood Close in Greater
TWO city centre businesses have become the first in Oxford to be fined for littering. Top Shop, in Queen Street, and Colours Sports Bar, in St Ebbe's Street, were given £100 fixed penalty fines for persistently failing to manage trade waste. The city
A SUSPECTED arson attack on a pensioner's shed could have ended in tragedy had the blaze spread to his home before firefighters arrived. Alick Elithorn, 86, was at home alone in Rose Hill, Oxford, in his downstairs study when he heard a noise just before
TWO teenagers police believe continued to search a house despite finding the owner dead were yesterday sent to a detention centre. Jordan Anderson, 18, of Wolsey Road, Oxford, Andrew Reilly, 18, from Lowestoft and a 17-year-old who cannot be named were
A MOTHER last night described the man who plunged a knife into her son's brain as "wicked and evil". Family and friends filled the public gallery at Oxford Crown Court yesterday as a jury found Leonard Morrison, 37, guilty of the attempted murder of
CROSS country running conjures up many images in people's minds, mostly negative ones to do with school. For all but a talented few, it meant running in cold, wet, muddy and generally unpleasant conditions for no obvious gain other than drumming out potential
CROSS country running conjures up many images in people's minds, mostly negative ones to do with school. For all but a talented few, it meant running in cold, wet, muddy and generally unpleasant conditions for no obvious gain other than drumming out potential
Wallingford captain Olli Henderson hailed his players' skill and spirit after they captured the BB&O Premier Division title. Saturday's 48-7 victory at Gosford All Blacks meant no other team can catch Wallingford, who are celebrating their 40th anniversary
Worcester & Bletchingdon reached the semi-finals of the Oxfordshire Senior League President's Cup with a thrilling penalty shoot-out win against Kennington. With the sides locked at 3-3 after extra-time, Worcester held their nerve to go through 4-3.
CROSS country running conjures up many images in people's minds, mostly negative ones to do with school. For all but a talented few, it meant running in cold, wet, muddy and generally unpleasant conditions for no obvious gain other than drumming out potential
DRIVERS who use the A34 in Oxfordshire are breathing a sigh of relief now roadworks have almost been completed - two weeks ahead of schedule. But there will still be restrictions as night time working continues this week. Last Thursday the southbound
OXFORD'S crumbling Castle Mound has been covered with plastic sheeting to protect it from heavy rain. Last Wednesday, safety fencing was put up along the pavement in New Road which borders the ancient monument after earth started to slip two days earlier
BLIND sportsman Steve Cunningham has thanked a thief who returned his stolen phone. Mr Cunningham was drinking in the Cricketers pub in Middleton Road, Banbury, when his special phone was taken from his coat pocket. It has been adapted for use by
PARENTS have been left upset after being denied places for their children at their village school. At least six families in Minster Lovell are lodging appeals after being turned down for St Kenelm's School. All the families had listed it as their
THEATREGOERS who packed out Oxford's New Theatre to watch stars of the comedy circuit have raised about £40,000 for a children's hospice. More than 1,800 comedy fans were at the theatre in George Street on Sunday night to watch stars including Stephen
SCRIPTWRITERS are working on a second series of Lewis. The first series of the Morse offshoot, starring Kevin Whately, above, finished on Sunday night and ITV pronounced itself delighted with viewing figures of the final episode of 8.4 million - a million
THE first person in Oxfordshire to appear in a name and shame poster campaign has won an appeal against his Antisocial Behaviour Order (Asbo). Ian Joseph, of no fixed abode, appeared at Oxford Crown Court yesterday to appeal against an Asbo made by
