My blogs are boring arent they? Well I don't mean to make them so, but it's been incredibly difficult writing about village cricket throughout a dreary and miserable winter. But now, the days are lengthening, the clocks have gone forward, and the cricket
My blogs are boring arent they? Well I don't mean to make them so, but it's been incredibly difficult writing about village cricket throughout a dreary and miserable winter. But now, the days are lengthening, the clocks have gone forward, and the cricket
My blogs are boring arent they? Well I don't mean to make them so, but it's been incredibly difficult writing about village cricket throughout a dreary and miserable winter. But now, the days are lengthening, the clocks have gone forward, and the cricket
Traces of a bacteria which can lead to a potentially fatal disease have forced the closure of a sports centre. The Kidlington and Gosford Sports Centre closed at 4pm after samples taken from the hot water taps showed traces of the Legionella bacteria
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Spring arrives and rehearsals continue, both for our main play and festival entries, everything seems bright with the prospect of long summer nights and a season of social activity with the drama group. One of the main social events KBDG-wise is the annual
With the tennis season now upon us, a lot of tournament dates had to be sorted out, members assigned different tasks and fund-raising social events discussed. Yes, this week was that bane of a sportsman's life . . . a committee meeting. Now the date for
With the tennis season now upon us, a lot of tournament dates had to be sorted out, members assigned different tasks and fund-raising social events discussed. Yes, this week was that bane of a sportsman's life . . . a committee meeting. Now the date for
With the tennis season now upon us, a lot of tournament dates had to be sorted out, members assigned different tasks and fund-raising social events discussed. Yes, this week was that bane of a sportsman's life . . . a committee meeting. Now the date for
Last week, I dropped in at the launch party of James Attlee's Isolarion, which recounts the author's journey along the Cowley Road. He meets some very interesting characters along the way, and the book has already won many complimentary reviews. The party
Am I the only one to find Mr Bean just a bit creepy? With his bug-eyes and monosyllabic grunts, I've always felt that there's something a little bit care-in-the-community about him. Maybe it's the transition to the big screen. On TV he's just about
Writer-director Wes Craven has taken the pulse of the horror genre - and sent it racing - for more than 30 years. Last year, he produced Alexandre Aja's remake of The Hills Have Eyes and for the sequel, directed by Martin Weisz, Craven co-writes the
TWO hundred and sixty-nine Oxford-built Minis illuminated Blackpool and set a new Guinness World Record for the longest Mini convoy in the world. Owners travelled from as far as Croydon and Cardiff to be part of the historic two-mile route and help
GREATWORTH-based VX Racing are starting the 2007 Dunlop MSA British Touring Car Championship (BTCC) season with high hopes, after introducing their brand-new Vauxhall Vectra. 2006 saw Vauxhall score its landmark 100th victory at Knockhill and the Luton-based
Based on the book A Day With Wilbur Robinson by William Joyce, Disney's latest state-of-the-art, computer animated feature is a triumph of style over substance, and technical might over emotional subtlety. To say that Stephen Anderson's film is madcap
A photographer had thousands of pounds worth of equipment stolen in a knife-point robbery on the River Thames towpath. The man was stopped by two muggers on the towpath near the Southern Bypass fly-over in Oxford on Sunday at 10.30am. One man pulled
'It's going to be really nice to be playing back in Oxford. It's like going back to my roots' Maybe it's the powerful soaring harmonies, perhaps it's the melodic hooks, or it could just be the deceptively dark lyrics. Whatever it is, there's something
A MAN was robbed of several thousand pounds worth of property as he walked along the River Thames towpath near Oxford. The man was approached by two men as he reached the bridge carrying the Southern Bypass over the river at 10.30am on Sunday. One
Six people have been charged with a series of offences following a number of dawn raids by police in Oxford. On Wednesday officers carried out Operation Bridgetown at 6am, mounting raids on homes across the city and arresting 23 people on suspicion
Revellers will be donning their best suits and gowns to help raise £4,000 for Oxford's Helen and Douglas House hospices. Volunteers are staging a glittering charity ball to raise funds for the hospices, which care for children and young adults with
DEFENDER Mickey Corcoran is back in contention to play for Oxford United against fellow play-off hopefuls Burton Albion tomorrow - after Northern Ireland slapped a ban on him playing for the U's against Dagenham & Redbridge. Corcoran, who is on loan
OXFORD United are determined to stay in the box seat for the play-offs - and beating Burton at home tomorrow will go a long way towards that. The U's have already won 2-1 against Nigel Clough's team, at the Pirelli Stadium last August when they came
The sun was shining and it was hot. There was no time to waste. Before the snow/sleet/hail or rain descended once more and postponed the arrival of spring, I headed for the Covered Market for what the Americans would call a "great take-out". Owned
Michael Ball has given up smoking, so he admits he's a bit grumpier than usual. But charming as ever, one can only imagine that he must have been sickly sweet before he gave up the fags. What's even more surprising is that he smoked in the first place
They do make 'em like they used to... though perhaps they shouldn't. Harking back to the golden era of Hollywood, when big screen icons including Humphrey Bogart and Lauren Bacall sent audiences into a swoon, The Good German is an involving and serpentine
SIX people have been charged following a series of raids on commercial and domestic properties in Oxford on Wednesday as part of a police operation codenamed Bridgetown. The following people were due in Oxford Magistrates' Court today. Oghenetega
Network Rail was fined £4m today after admitting health and safety breaches in relation to the 1999 Paddington rail disaster. Thirty one people were killed in the crash on October 5, including civil servant Anthony Beeton, 47, from Wheatfields, Didcot
AEA Technology 106.5 BMW 2996 Electrocomponents 287.5 Isoft Group 35.5 Oxford Biomedica 47.75 Oxford Instruments 245.75 Reed Elsevier 602.75 RM 189.75 RPS Group 325.5 Oxonica 115 Courtesy of Redmayne Bentley, Abingdon
OXFORDSHIRE tycoon Sir Richard Branson is considering a £50m bid for the Borders books chain in the UK, according to the trade magazine Retail Week. It says the billionaire entrepreneur, who has a house in Kidlington, has asked Merrill Lynch, the investment
An appeal has gone out for a lollipop patrol warden to help schoolchildren cross a busy Wantage road. Nobody has put themselves forward after Terry Rimmer, Charlton Primary School's caretaker, stepped down from the post. He gave up the duty, because
Travelling 1,000km through desert terrain has earned an Oxford woman first place in the gruelling Tuareg Rally Women's Championship. Motorcyclist Tamsin Jones, 34, travelled from Almeira in Spain to Erg Chebbi at the top of the Sahara Desert - and did
Sam Isaacs, from Great Milton, and Lauren Cooper, from Thame, are Oxfordshire Under 17 champions after triumphing at the Vale of White Horse Leisure Centre. The duo won their finals 21-16 and 15-7 respectively, while Isaacs was also runner-up in the
After a difficult season with just one win from eight matches, Oxfordshire's first and second teams left Radley College with a spring in their steps, after both avoided relegation. The first team needed to win six rubbers to save themselves in Division
SATURDAY FOOTBALL NATIONWIDE CONFERENCE Oxford Utd v Burton Albion. BRITISH GAS BUSINESS SOUTHERN LEAGUE Premier Div: Rugby Tn v Banbury Utd. Div 1 South & West: Abingdon Utd v Beaconsfield SYCOB, Brook House v Didcot Tn, Windsor & Eton v Oxford
A MUSICAL night will be held at Oxford Town Hall tonight to celebrate the end of a special exhibition about peace. The concert will feature professional and amateur musicians from Oxford and London and will include songs by jazz pianist Billy Taylor
Firewalkers will 'hotfoot it' across a square tomorrow to raise money for charity. Plucky fundraisers are preparing to walk across burning coals in Gloucester Green, Oxford, for the Fox FM Firewalk. The first person to risk singeing his toes will
A schoolboy shocked by the poverty he saw in India is determined to raise money for the orphanage he visited. Oliver Bishop, 14, visited The Care and Compassion Children's Home in Goa, which is supported by Bicester-based charity The Kalji Trust.
Two Bicester teenagers are hoping to motivate potential sports stars after being picked as youth ambassadors for London's Olympic Games. Bicester Community College pupils Alice McGill and Matthew Gardner will represent north Oxfordshire in the run-up
Antisocial behaviour, vandalism and thefts are decreasing in south Abingdon - but there's still a long way to go. Police and the Vale of White Horse District Council are now considering renewing the Dispersal Order which has been credited with reducing
Bridget the Midget, a much-admired child from the glory years of the Abingdon Works, required a new MOT certificate. Where else should she go to endure the indignity of having to prove her roadworthiness than to a garage where the owner treats old MGs
What a sickening sight - New Labour MPs all bleating and greeting the Chancellor's Budget for the rich, the cut in income tax to 20 per cent in 2008. Did they not catch the 10p band being cut a year later, which will undoubtedly pay for it, and the
Vim Rodrigo describes the Water Eaton park-and-ride near Kidlington as a white elephant in his letter outlining Oxfordshire County Council's mistakes (Oxford Mail, March 12). While I have to agree that some of the projects he mentioned are certainly
Oxford Cheetahs skipper Jesper B Jensen is out of tonight's Elite League match at home to Belle Vue Aces (7.30pm). The Danish ace (pictured) has gone down with flu. Jensen's fellow countryman - and former Oxford rider - Niels Kristian Iversen steps
A public inquiry protesters hope will thwart plans to use Radley Lakes as a power station fuel ash dump starts on Monday. Campaigners are hoping to get the lakes registered as a village green to prevent Didcot Power Station owner RWE nPower's proposals
Villagers who have been without a post box for the past two years have said they are delighted it has finally been replaced. Residents of Old Marston saw their old post box removed two years ago after it was damaged during building work to convert the
Improved recycling rates will not save Oxfordshire from Government fines running into millions of pounds. With no decision taken on whether waste should be burned in an incinerator, Oxfordshire County Council is bracing itself for two years of penalties
Parents are organising a fundraising coffee morning after arsonists damaged equipment at a Bicester playgroup. A wooden castle-shaped climbing frame at Rainbow Playgroup, in Hendon Place, was damaged by vandals over the weekend. Playgroup manager
Skaters have warned an army of children and graffiti artists will soon be roaming Oxford's streets unless a site for a purpose-built park is found in the city. A row has blown up over how noise is hampering city skaters, who are represented by the Oxford
In a letter to Oxford City Council, the Government makes it very clear why the recent bid for three unitary authorities in Oxfordshire has failed. There were two key reasons and neither of them are surprising. The first was cost. It was not clear
For the first time since the Reformation, a Roman Catholic mass will be celebrated in the Protestant church of St Helen's in Abingdon on Sunday evening. St Edmund's Catholic Church in Radley Road has been closed for 10 weeks while the building undergoes
Books and toys which reflect different cultures will be on offer at the launch of a special multicultural children's library in Oxford. The multicultural book and toy library in Blackbird Leys - which will meet fortnightly, starting on Sunday - has
Schools and parish councils have signed up to take part in Cherwell's 2007 spring clean campaign. The month-long project encourages communities to be clean and green, and save taxpayers money by reducing the amount of litter dropped in towns, villages
A debt-ridden social club has closed down, casting doubts over the future of a community centre. Doors to Cowley Community Social Club and bar were locked this week, due to debts owed to Customs and Excise, and loans from breweries. Cowley Community
The Government threw out Oxford City Council's bid for unitary status because they thought it was too costly and would not deliver services. The Oxford Mail has obtained a copy of the official letter council chief executive Brian Dinsdale was sent in
Young artists gave the thumbs-up to a new supermarket and community sculpture which has opened in Oxford after a 13-year wait. Cut-price chain Lidl opened its doors to customers in Watlington Road, Cowley, yesterday after unveiling a new sculpture designed
Traders fear Bicester could become a ghost town after learning its three main car parks will be closed for up to two years. Local businesses are bracing themselves for chaos after learning 388 spaces - about half the town's pay-and-display capacity
NHS managers are being warned not to exploit the dedication of nurses after it was revealed that three quarters of staff at Oxfordshire's largest hospitals worked extra hours. In a Healthcare Commission survey carried out last year, 75 per cent of workers
ONE of the four people accused of murdering a man with severe learning disabilities has told Oxford Crown Court he was fond of the victim. Edward Doyle, 34, went into the witness box yesterday. He is standing trial accused of the murder of Sean Miles
A former parish council chairman and two other men have been sentenced to community service for their part in a Christmas party brawl. Christopher Kimber, of East Street, Fritwell, was found guilty of affray following a brawl at the Oxfordshire Inn
One of the four people accused of murdering a man with severe learning disabilities has told Oxford Crown Court he was fond of the victim. Edward Doyle, 34, went into the witness box yesterday. He is standing trial accused of the murder of Sean Miles
A FORMER parish council chairman and two other men have been sentenced to community service for their part in a Christmas party brawl. Christopher Kimber, of East Street, Fritwell, was found guilty of affray following a brawl at the Oxfordshire Inn
Only 10 dental practices in Oxfordshire are accepting new NHS patients. The news comes after the British Dental Association claimed the Government's reforms of NHS dentistry had failed to achieve their stated aims. At present in Oxfordshire there are
Heartfelt tributes from around the globe have been paid to the north Oxford teenager killed in a bus crash in Peru. Georgia French, 19, of Davenant Road, died in the incident high in the Andes mountains on Saturday - just two weeks into her gap year
Police have admitted they will not enforce a 20mph speed limit set to be imposed in Oxford's Banbury Road. The new limit will be introduced as part of a £1.1m project to improve road safety in Summertown. The scheme was endorsed yesterday by Oxfordshire
OXFORD City Council's bid for unitary status was rejected because of Government concerns about cost and service delivery, it has emerged. The Oxford Times has obtained a copy of the letter Town Hall chief executive Brian Dinsdale was sent in the wake
Chinnor coach Jason Bowers says the preparations for next season start now following their relegation from National 3 South. And tomorrow's trip to leaders Southend gives him the chance to assess whether some squad players could make the grade. Bowers
DEFENDER Mickey Corcoran is back in contention to play for Oxford United against fellow play-off hopefuls Burton Albion tomorrow - after Northern Ireland slapped a ban on him playing for the U's against Dagenham & Redbridge. Corcoran, who is on loan
The family of Oxford cleaner Enayit Khalili made an emotional appeal yesterday for people to come forward with information which could identify his killer. Mr Khalili, 26, originally from Afghanistan, was found with a single stab wound to the stomach
Oxfordshire bid for a semi-final spot in the National Under 20 Championship when they host Kent at Stratfield Brake on Sunday (2.30). Confidence will be high after comprehensive victories over Buckinghamshire (75-5) and Berkshire (73-3). But Kent
Martin Lyall will make his final appearance for Witney when they host Amersham & Chiltern in Southern Counties North tomorrow. The back row forward is moving to Essex after 11 seasons, almost 300 matches and 75 tries for Witney. Lyall is on the bench
Witney United have snapped up Oxford City's pacy winger Harry Burnley to boost their push for a top-three finish in the Sport Italia Hellenic League. However, Burnley, who had a spell with Witney Town before they folded, was not signed in time for
Banbury United's reserve team keeper Joe Morrell is set to make his Premier Division debut when they travel to Rugby Town tomorrow due to an injury crisis at Spencer Stadium. Oxford United legend Alan Judge is unavailable for the next three games as
BROADCASTER and raconteur Ned Sherrin will be staging a one-man show at the Players' Theatre, in Nelson Street, on Sunday, April 1, at 7.45pm. His appearance is the latest in a series of similar shows which have featured Clement Freud, Edward Fox, Anton
Sir - Following a meeting of the Board of Directors of the Guild of St George, I am writing to correct some misapprehensions in Reg Little's article on the Jericho development (Report, March 16). When the Master of the Guild of St George and I met Peter
RENAULT is launching a new version of the Scénic this summer called the Conquest. Combining the space and practicality of a compact multi-purpose vehicle, with much of the look and driving benefits of a sports utility vehicle, the new model will be
A COUNCIL is to exempt owners of "green" cars from residents' parking charges. The move by Westminster City Council in central London will save those with eco-friendly vehicles almost £80 a year. The exemption covers hybrid cars such as the Toyota
Makers of the JML Grab Mat say their new sticky dashboard mat will hold everything from sunglasses and keys to tissue boxes and satellite navigation systems in place. The sticky plastic mat is available from Woolworths and www.jmldirect.com at £3.99
GUESSING where it is built is an interesting game to play when looking at any modern car. In a complex commercial world, where your power company is German-owned and your water is supplied by a firm in Australian hands, the days when a German badge
MINISTRY of Defence staff across Oxfordshire were due to take part in a one-day strike today. The Public and Commercial Services Union said it expected walkouts at MoD sites in Arncott, Caversfield, Brize Norton, Croughton and Benson. Union officials
CHARGES in Cherwell District Council's car parks are being held for the third year running, the council announced today. Councillor Andrew Fulljames, the Cherwell portfolio holder responsible for the council's vehicle parks, said: "The council is very
It was a sight that I for one never expected to see at Blenheim Palace, a house hardly unaccustomed to scandal down the years. Being led upstairs had itself been something of a novel experience. After many trips to the iconic house to cover visits by
A COMPETITION described as science's equivalent of Pop Idol will take place tomorrow. Nesta FameLab is holding its regional finals at Science Oxford in St Clement's. Entrants will get three minutes to convince judges they have the clarity and charisma
Sir - Dear diary: Wednesday; dreadful - teeth on fire - abcess erupts again - want to unscrew my head - diet of painkillers - banished to the spare bed - what next? Thursday; 8am drive into Witney and park myself in dentist's waiting room - prepare
Sir - I do not object to the possibility of private hire cars being allowed to use bus lanes in Oxford, as taxis do currently. However, the major drawback is that unless both taxis and private hire cars have some distinctive identification - at rooftop
Sir - The implementation of plans for a "credible, deliverable and affordable scheme" to restore the rail link between Oxford and Milton Keynes is long overdue. Yet another study has proved the obvious: passenger and freight trains should run over the
Sir - It seems dubious for Nuala Young (Letters, March 9) to link the Third Reich with the bridleway through the BMW car factory. Let's balance the pros and cons of keeping the path open. I use this route regularly, and have never seen a horse on the
Sir - From all accounts, those who attended Luminox enjoyed a rare moment of public bonding and shared ritual. The way people behaved to one another and the palpable atmosphere of trust was, for me, the most profound element of the installation, and
Sir - Your correspondent (Letters, March 23) is confused about why 'food and drinks' cartons cannot be recycled with cardboard. The reason is because 'Tetrapaks' are plastic impregnated cardboard (some also have metallic liners). It is possible to recycle
Sir - Whatever the merits or de-merits of the new waste collection arrangements, the way in which the fortnightly household waste is collected leaves much to be desired. In my road in North Oxford the wheelie bins, carefully left at the entrances to
AN INQUIRY has been launched into why some stone paving slabs laid a month ago outside Abingdon Town Council's offices have cracked. The new stone slabs in Abbey Close marked the final part of the £1.2m scheme to revamp the Abbey Grounds, which included
MYSTERY surrounds why two roe deer were killed, gutted and left by a bridleway. The meat was not taken, only the pelts. People were alerted by a gathering of red kites around the bridleway leading through woods between Halfpenny Lane and Westfield
IMPROVED recycling rates will not save Oxfordshire from Government fines running into millions of pounds. With no decision taken on what to do with waste left over after recycling, Oxfordshire County Council is bracing itself for two years of heavy
ONE of Didcot's oldest family-run firms has been sold - bringing a century-long era to a close. Tappin's coaches has been a favourite with holidaymakers, daytrippers and schoolchildren since the early 20th century. For three generations the Tappin
FORMER Grand Prix driver John Watson, who lives in Oxford, will join the all-star line-up for the GPlive celebration of Grand Prix racing at Donington Park on May 18-20. The Ulsterman and former Brabham, Lotus, McLaren and Penske driver, who competed
JEEP unveiled its new entry-level sports utility vehicle to a European audience at the Geneva Motor Show. The Jeep Patriot will be available in two UK versions. Patriot Sport and Patriot Limited will feature the choice of a VW-sourced, 138 horsepower
The 2008 model year S-Type has just gone on sale at Guy Salmon Jaguar in Oxford. The saloon receives the same imposing front bumper usually reserved for the high performance S-Type R across the range, as well as a mesh grille intended to give the vehicle
Skoda's new Fabia hatchback goes on sale in Britain this May, and the pocket rocket version, the vRS, is expected in 2008. Before those dates, though, there is a just-released, limited run of 1,000 Special Edition vRS models now being offered to UK
DOWNSIZING is very much the order of the day for car makers, as concern for the climate, coupled with projected punishing tax penalties for gas-guzzlers, will see a surge in small-car output for years to come. We are still a long way from the stage
Sir - I was disappointed to see Tony Augarde write in his column on March 9, 'Thank heaven for programmes like The Great Global Warming Swindle, which questioned the prevailing orthodoxy about global warming. It pointed out that our climate has always
Sir - Your story about Oxford City Council's plan to build houses on Southfield Golf course (March 23) is alarming but, I hope, unbelievable. The Oxford Local Plan 2001-1016 specifically states (see paragraph 11, 1&2) that the council will resist any
Sir - Your article Headteacher criticises admissions procedure (March 16) reports the concerns of the headteacher of a Catholic school, St Gregory the Great, over the allocation of places to pupils of other faiths, when six Catholic children had not been
Sir - County councillor Don Seale may try to pretend (Letters, March 9) that he has got a good deal for a new library from the Westgate developers, but even he can't deny that we will be getting a smaller building, just when the city needs a bigger and
Sir - This morning (March 21), for the second time in a few weeks, roads in Dean Court Estate are covered by sheets of ice arising from a leaking water system under the estate's roads and footpaths. These leaks have been going on since last summer and
Sir - In your edition (March 9), you report that councillor Jean Fooks is already threatening fines and court appearances for those who do not observe the new regulations about rubbish. If this is true, councillor Fooks has only herself to blame for
Sir - The proposal to relocate the fire and police services to Pear Tree is a disturbing proposal which ought to be resisted, as it further erodes the role of Oxford as a city in which a civilised, balanced and sustainable life can be lead. It also raises
Sir - I write as the producer of last week's Luminox installation in Broad Street. I would like to reassure readers that what they experienced, despite its aura of magic and danger, was in fact a safe and methodically planned event. For six months
THE son of JRR Tolkien has finished a book abandoned by his father in 1918. Christopher Tolkien has taken almost 30 years to complete The Children of Hurin. In a move, eagerly anticipated by millions of fans across the world, The Children of Hurin
A SCHEME to ensure everyone can have a safe and enjoyable night out in Henley is being launched today. Nightsafe, which already operates in other Oxfordshire towns, is a local partnership involving police, South Oxfordshire District Council, South
A 20mph speed limit is being introduced on a section of the Banbury Road as part of a £1.1m scheme to improve road safety in Summertown. Measures to cut accidents in the busy shopping area were proposed in a transport package which won county council
