Archive

A violent burglar has been tracked down by police after a four-day manhunt. Lee Pullen, originally from Blackbird Leys, Oxford, disappeared from an open prison on Sunday. The 24-year-old was in the middle of a three-year sentence for burglary, theft

The owner of Oxford bar Freud is objecting to a £500m scheme to transform the Radcliffe Infirmary into a university campus. David Freud is concerned about the impact the massive development will have on the impressive church building, which he has converted

Rosencrantz and Guildenstern as a pair of mincing, shrieking skeletons in Doc Martens? I didn't see that coming. They are normally courtiers in the tale of a Danish prince who seeks to revenge his father's death, slipping into madness as he does so.

Rosencrantz and Guildenstern as a pair of mincing, shrieking skeletons in Doc Martens? I didn't see that coming. They are normally courtiers in the tale of a Danish prince who seeks to revenge his father's death, slipping into madness as he does so.

Schools in Oxfordshire have shelled out nearly £25m on supply teachers in just four years. During the 2005/6 academic year - the latest period for which information is available - the county spent £6.6m on temporary staff, up from £5.2m in 2002/3. The

British Waterways has taken steps to evict a long-standing member of Oxford's boating community for unpaid mooring fee debts. Pierre Davis, 37, was targeted on Thursday as part of a crackdown on canal licence evaders, but he was given a stay of execution

The new Bishop of Oxford, the Rt Rev John Pritchard, will take part on Friday in an ancient ceremony to introduce himself to his new congregation. The former Bishop of Jarrow will be inaugurated as the 42nd Bishop of Oxford at Christ Church Cathedral

Two teenagers burgled an elderly woman's home while she was still inside and stole jewellery, including a diamond engagement ring. The youths broke into a house in School Lane, Middleton Stoney, on Wednesday at about 7pm. They were disturbed by the

Thousands of Oxford householders look like escaping having to pay to park in their own street for a year. Oxfordshire County Council's decision to charge residents £40-a-year for parking permits sparked angry protests. And it threatened a costly legal

The Nuffield Orthopaedic Centre, in Headington, Oxford, has been named the worst for waiting times in the country. Government figures published on Thursday revealed that the hospital treated just five per cent of its patients within 18 weeks of GP referral

In the day MP Boris Johnson confessed to Oxford Mail readers that he had once taken cocaine, I had a three-scoop ice cream cone - rhubarb crumble, raspberry cream, and rum and raisin. It was a lapse soon to be regretted. But the temptation had been overwhelming

I tremble to think Oxford City Council has another big project going, Operation Horse Chestnuts (Oxford Mail, May 31), felling trees that are diseased and unsafe. I think of other projects, Cornmarket, tipping over of gravestones. The horse chestnuts

I welcome the two recent defections to the Conservative Party from the Lib Dems in Oxford and do not for one minute think that they should seek re-election as a result because they will be judged when the time is right, as will the Lib Dems as a whole

In reply to Patrick Kershaw's letter (Oxford Mail, May 30), how can he call it a one-sided police operation to fine cyclists who disregard red traffic lights? There have been thousands of complaints about cyclists doing just that and putting their lives

We applaud the decision of District Judge Brian Loosley to allow us to name the youth found guilty of arson at Longfields Primary School, Bicester. The public has a right to know who perpetrates such horrendous crimes. Ian Leach may be only 17, but

The sheer bigotry and intolerance Alan Bourne reveals in his letter (Oxford Mail, May 23), deriding the meeting between Muslims and Unitarians, is rooted in the Dark Ages. It is estimated by historians that then, when the Church had immense power, no

I can assure your readers that I take the safety and security of our staff and the public at park-and-ride sites in Oxford very seriously. There has been much misinformation about the proposed changes to the staffing and assertions made that the council

The United States has more academies than anywhere in the world. People must ignore the Anti-Academy Alliance protesters and give the academy plans at Peers School at Littlemore, Oxford, their best wishes. An academy is the answer to get better exam

First, the facts - no decision has been made to close any play areas in Oxford. And I, for one, will be working to make sure all well-used play areas survive and thrive. There is no doubt there has been chronic underfunding of play areas in the city

Two burglars took £2,500 worth of goods from a house in Headington, Oxford. Kieron Durrant, 19, of Mather Road, Barton, and Liam Bayat, 20, of Leiden Road, Headington, had initially denied burgling the Barton Road house in September, but later admitted

FIREFIGHTERS rescued a man from a three-metre deep shaft inside an Oxford college today. The specialist rescue team from Kidlington was called to Brasenose College, at 3.30pm today to get the man out of the shaft, which was an access to a basement

Travellers on Oxfordshire's Cotswold Line have joined in the damning criticism of train operators First Great Western. One man said he could not trust the reliability of the service because of the number of cancellations. For the 12 months up to February

Plans to demolish part of the former Wharf House pub, near Oxford's Westgate car park, should be thrown out, say city planning officers. The pub, dating from the 1830s, was one of only a few buildings to survive the controversial redevelopment of St

Firefighters had to rescue a man from a three-metre deep shaft inside an Oxford University college. The specialist rescue team from Kidlington was called to Brasenose College, High Street, at 3.30pm today to get the man out of the shaft, which was an

Police are appealing for witnesses after a man was attacked with a piece of wood and mugged in Sandy Lane West, Oxford. The man, who has not been named, suffered two black eyes and a swollen nose after the attack at 2am on Saturday. His wallet and

Plans for a centre for military studies in Oxfordshire have moved closer, thanks to an agreement between county regiments and council leaders. A meeting between the county council and the Soldiers of Oxfordshire Trust approved a 'memorandum of understanding

A CHARITY has received a Queen's Award for Voluntary Service after 25 years of hard work in Oxford.o The Archway Foundation, which helps people overcome loneliness, has been recognised with an award that was set up in the Queen's Jubilee year for rewarding

An 87-year-old Oxford man was robbed as he made his way home in what police have described as a 'cowardly attack'. The robbery happened just after midnight this morning as the elderly victim got off a 2A Oxford City bus near Uplands Road, on Banbury

Still aching slightly from my first triathlon at Blenheim at the weekend. The pain was not helped by a game of cricket on Tuesday night but that was slightly reduced when I took four wickets for 13 runs! But I am still buzzing from my first attempt -

OXFORD University's plans to store millions of valuable books in a depository at Osney Mead look to be entering a troubled new chapter. Oxford Preservation Trust has confirmed that it will oppose the university's revised plans to create a £29m depository

THOUSANDS of residents across Oxford look like escaping having to pay to park in their own street for a year. Oxfordshire County Council's decision to start charging residents £40 a year for parking permits sparked protests. And it threatened a costly

THE OWNER of Freud, the popular Oxford bar, is objecting to the £500m scheme to transform the Radcliffe Infirmary into a university campus. David Freud is concerned about the impact the massive development will have on his church building, which has

Rabbits are welcome at the Botanic Garden as students from the Oxford School of Drama stage a production of Watership Down. Students are putting on an open air performance of the Richard Adams novel at the Botanic Garden, off Rose Lane, Oxford - the

The name of car manufacturer William Morris is set to be immortalised in Cowley after councillors decided to name a road after him. Names for two new roads being built in a new development off Barracks Lane and Crescent Road were chosen by Oxford City

PLANS to demolish part of the former Wharf House pub, near the Westgate car park, Oxford, should be rejected, say city planning officers. The pub, dating from the 1830s, is one of only a few buildings to survive the controversial redevelopment of

A prisoner who absconded from Springhill prison near Bicester has been captured. Lee Pullen, 24, originally from Blackbird Leys in Oxford, has been missing since Sunday. Pullen was serving a three year jail sentence for assault causing actual bodily

TONY Humphries, the former leader of Cherwell District Council, died in hospital on Wednesday. Mr Humphries was a Cherwell district councillor between 1979 and 1982, and then 1983 and 2001. He was leader of the council between 1995 and 2000. Fellow

AEA Technology 133.5 BMW 3211 Electrocomponents 288.75 Isoft Group 46 Nationwide Accident Repair 155 Oxford Biomedica 38.5 Oxford Instruments 292.5 Reed Elsevier 650.75 RM 206 RPS Group 354 Courtesy of Redmayne Bentley, Abingdon

A PRISONER who absconded from Springhill Open Prison on Sunday, has been found in Oxford. Lee Pullen, 24, is in police custody and police said he would be handed over to the prison service later. Pullen, originally from Blackbird Leys in Oxford, had

Lumiere is a gorgeous five-year-old male Burmese cross. He can be a bit of a lad, and has been known to get into spats with other cats in the area. He also can be a hunter, so would be ideally suited to a rural home away from heavily cat populated areas

Up to 5,000 people are expected to congregate on Cowley Marsh for an event aimed at getting communities to work together. It will be the second annual Oxford Mela, a multi-ethnic, multi-cultural festival, and the first to take place in Cowley Marsh.

A woman who studied for her O- and A-Level exams at Burford School is coming back to be its new headteacher. Kathryn Haig, currently first deputy head at Ellesmere Port Catholic High School in Cheshire, takes over the 1,200 pupil west Oxfordshire secondary

An Oxford man is on a mission to make music with his mouth in a bid to wow 800 people in London tomrrow. Simon Olivier, of Abingdon Road, who goes by the name Pieman, is bidding to become UK beatboxing champion. He made his way through to the finals

Traffic congestion along one of Oxford's major routes is to be tackled with a £3m package of road improvements. Planners have released details of a 50-week scheme to improve traffic flow in and out of the city via Headington's clogged-up London Road

Wallingford and its surrounding villages are sitting on 70 million tonnes of sand and gravel - and any one of a dozen sites could be earmarked to provide aggregate for Britain's roads and building industry. Wallingford town councillor Pat Granados said

Maths Class refer to themselves as a post-ironic-self- destructive- passport- office-disco-indie -pop-eagle-art- apple- core". Which is perhaps less than helpful. So who exactly are these young upstarts from Brighton, and why are they causing so much

The sheer bigotry and intolerance Alan Bourne reveals in his letter (Oxford Mail, May 23), deriding the meeting between Muslims and Unitarians, is rooted in the Dark Ages. It is estimated by historians that then, when the Church had immense power, no

The proposal from Midcounties Co-operative to erect a wind turbine at Botley, Oxford, has attracted much attention and is likely to clutter the famous Oxford skyline of dreaming spires (Oxford Mail, May 17). But before this application is considered

The United States has more academies than anywhere in the world. People must ignore the Anti-Academy Alliance protesters and give the academy plans at Peers School at Littlemore, Oxford, their best wishes. An academy is the answer to get better exam

A barrier has been put in place in Wood Farm, Oxford, to prevent joyriders threatening the safety of youngsters using a new play area. City council workers installed 134 wooden bollards around the perimeter of The Green in Wood Farm on Monday. The

Watching television chefs sparked off Thomas Kemp's interest in cooking - and made him feel he could cook up a storm himself. The 20-year-old decided to start life at the stove after becoming glued to TV cook shows - and is now in the UK finals of a

Oxford shoppers will be able to chat to their beat bobbies while picking up a pint of milk when a police base opens in Sainsbury's. The supermarket has agreed to house Thames Valley Police's Rose Hill, Littlemore and Iffley beat team at its Heyford

Of all the categories in the film festival, comedy could prove the most problematic. After all, what is more subjective and personal than what we find funny? And yet, more than any other genre, it's comedy that helped make cinema what it is today.

The gang is back (minus Julia Roberts and Catherine Zeta-Jones) in the second sequel to Steven Soderbergh's frothy 2001 heist caper. Like its predecessors, Ocean's Thirteen is smart and sexy, trading as much on the likeability of the impeccably tailored

I can assure your readers that I take the safety and security of our staff and the public at park-and-ride sites in Oxford very seriously. There has been much misinformation about the proposed changes to the staffing and assertions made that the council

First, the facts - no decision has been made to close any play areas in Oxford. And I, for one, will be working to make sure all well-used play areas survive and thrive. There is no doubt there has been chronic underfunding of play areas in the city

You're more likely to find Michael Morpurgo down on the farm than on the red carpet. But then the award-winning author isn't interested in bright lights or a celebrity lifestyle, even though his last two books were made into a film with Helen Mirren

Katie is an 11 year old domestic shorthair who is a very affectionate and friendly cat who loves to be around humans having a fuss. She needs a quiet, relaxed home environment with no young children as she has never met any before. Katie could live

A WOMAN accused of stalking 7/7 bomb victim Rachel North on the Internet has been arrested. Police said Felicity Jane Lowde was arrested after they kept her talking online in an Internet café in Brick Lane, East London. Last month, Lowde, 41, of

A teenager filmed a blaze at a Bicester primary school on his mobile phone after a pal allegedly started the fire. Ian Leach, 17, yesterday escaped jail after admitting his role in the blaze which caused £190,000 damage to Longfields Primary School

A TEENAGER stood filming a blaze at a Bicester primary school on his mobile phone after keeping watch while his friend allegedly started the fire. Ian Leach, 17, escaped being put behind bars after admitted his role in the blaze, which caused £190,000

Geoffrey Hedge suggests that moving up may be a more cost-effective alternative to moving home Research by building societies has revealed that a loft conversion can add value to a home if it incorporates an extra bedroom and a bathroom. According

Geoffrey Hedge looks at some of the latest options for your walls and floors Choosing the perfect tiles can turn an ordinary kitchen or bathroom into a stunning showpiece, which also combines both practicality and good looks. And with so many designs

Geoffrey Hedge explores the latest fashion trends in colour for the home Fashion textiles, design and architecture all influence the colour palettes offered by the leading paint manufacturers. If you are a dedicated follower of fashion and want

Lawns often have to perform a huge range of tasks in our gardens - from being used to set off ornamental planting to being used as a pathway or a playground - yet it's also the area most people overlook. Many of us will give it a weekly mow, then wonder

Take an Antiques Break and Find Out If It's Priceless Have your ever wondered whether that heirloom gathering dust on your sideboard is actually worth a fortune? Ideal for avid viewers of the BBC's Antiques Roadshow, Warner Breaks new Antiques weekends

Your bathroom should be a haven of relaxation where you can chill out after the daily 'nine-to-five' grind, writes Geoff Hedge it comes to creating a designer bathroom for your home you need to choose items that can cope with the morning rush hour' as

Cyberstalker Felicity Jane Lowde has been caught by police as she sat in an Internet cafe typing away. Lowde, 41, has been on the run since April after she was convicted of harassing July 7 bombing survivor Rachel North with dozens of abusive messages

When designing your bathroom why not make the washbasin an eye-catching feature in its own right? Basins come in pedestal, wall-hung, recessed or corner designs. Mounting a large basin on a period-style washstand or using ornate brackets can also be

So, what more needs to be said? You don't really need to read about it, just log on and find all the tools you need to navigate through the locality and beyond. And now you can receive Oxford Mail stories you want, when you want them, delivered direct

Laid out in an ultra-accessible format, the new and easy-to-access websites look great too, and couldn't be simpler to use - click on and see for yourself. According to Trudy Wilkes, digital media manager at Newsquest, early statistics show that the

The services offered under these headings are exclusive to the Oxford Mail websites. Homes: essentially the websites act as a local dealer. Here, at the touch of a button you can instantly see every house on the market in Oxford, all placed neatly

If you are interested in national as well as local news then these websites are a must. The news service offered is second-to-none and allows you to find the best in local news and events, while covering breaking and national news as it happens.

Laid out in an ultra-accessible format, the new and easy-to-access websites look great too, and couldn't be simpler to use - click on and see for yourself. According to Trudy Wilkes, digital media manager at Newsquest, early statistics show that the

THE arrival of the Internet, some said, would signal the beginning of the end for local press. Why would you buy the local paper to tell you something you could potentially find at the flick of a button? But this argument is flawed. The reality is

POLICE today appealed for witnesses after silverware was stolen in a burglary at a house in Bicester Road, Newton Purcell, near Bicester yesterday. The owner of the property was on holiday and it was being looked after by a friend. When she went to

Two teenagers burgled an elderly woman's home while she was still inside and stole jewellery including a diamond engagement ring. The youths broke into a house in School Lane, Middleton Stoney yesterday at about 7pm. They were disturbed by the elderly

Punters are notoriously difficult to please. Some won't eat foreign food, have banned salt from their diets, won't eat carbs or proteins, or will only eat carbs and proteins. Some want seasonal while others want lemongrass all year round. Some want

LORRIES from a Bicester haulage firm will display giant posters of Madeleine McCann as they cross Europe. Expat Express's first truck with the poster, which cost the firm £500, which appeals for information in two languages, was due to leave for Spain

Trucks from a Bicester haulage firm will display giant posters of Madeleine McCann as they cross Europe. Expat Express's first truck with the poster, which cost the firm £500, which appeals for information in two languages, is due to leave for Spain

Postal workers have voted in favour of a national strike. Sources close to the Oxford Mail report a ballot of the 130,000 workers has led to 77.5 per cent of workers giving the green light for action. The move would see the first national strike in

POSTAL workers have voted in favour of a national strike. Sources report a ballot of the 130,000 workers has led to 77.5 per cent of workers giving the green light for action. The move would see the first national strike in more than ten years, with

POLICE today appealed for information after two youths stole jewellery from an elderly woman's home in School Lane, Middleton Stoney, yesterday. Between 6.40pm and 7pm two youths entered the house through the front door. The householder disturbed one

A manhunt is under way to find a violent burglar who has been on the loose from jail for the past four days. Lee Pullen, 24, originally from Blackbird Leys in Oxford, has been missing from Spring Hill open prison, Bucks, since Sunday. Pullen was serving

High-tech company Oxonica says it would probably need to raise more funds, following the re-listing of its shares on the London Stock Exchange. The shares had been suspended since April 27, after it lost a key contract with Turkish state oil company

One way to cut back on food miles would be to grow pineapples on Ben Nevis. Technically, it would be possible to do so, if you produced enough heat and covered the growing area with enough glass or plastic. Customers in the local supermarket, were you

The first volume of Ingrid Jacoby's diary followed her escape as a Jewish refugee to Cornwall. The second, My Darling Diary: Oxford 1944-50 (United Writers, £18.95) tells how she found lodgings in North Oxford, a job in the Central Library and then at

Anyone who grew up in the 1970s will remember Mike Oldfield's Tubular Bells, the iconic conceptual album featuring weird and wonderful instrumentals. The album, released in 1973, spent 250 weeks in the UK album charts once it had reached No 1, and was

Drive and Stroll in Oxfordshire Roger Noyce (Countryside, £7.99) This is squarely aimed at motorists - no suggestions for local public transport, a travel experience far richer and more mind-broadening than an EasyJet weekend break. The walks are

WHEN WE WERE ROMANS Matthew Kneale (Picador, £16.99)Kneale's most successful novel, English Passengers, was written in the Bodleian Library while he lived in Oxford - a tour de force following dozens of different characters from England to Tasmania

MORE THAN A GAME John Major (Harper Press, £25)With Tony Blair departing as Prime Minister in a whirlwind of final tours and publicity, comparisons are inevitable with the previous occupant of 10 Downing Street, who left office in very different circumstances

The disc jockey Johnnie Walker is well-known - not to say notorious - as another former user of coke, as a consequence of his exposure by The News of the World and its investigative reporter, the 'Fake Sheikh' Mazher Mahmood. Now he has owned up in his

So Boris Johnson has come clean about his youthful experiments with drugs. "I took cocaine and smoked a few joints," he told GQ magazine's interviewer Piers Morgan. Goodness me! And is 'Lord' Archer pleased with himself and Russell Brand really not a

have often commented in this column on the way that TV producers steal or copy one another's ideas. Another common occurrence is the recycling of an original idea to provide a potentially limitless series of programmes. One such idea was to send David

A book has just been published which guides the reader through the art of entertaining outdoors. Outdoor Entertaining, with recipes by Chuck Williams (Bonnier Books, £16.99), covers all picnic occasions from the informal impromptu barbecue in the garden

Children need a space to play but in recent years their freedom to play has been severely restricted because of the dangers from traffic on the roads and concerns for their personal safety. The Let's Play Project began as a small voluntary organisation

Visitors to the Oxford Botanic Garden are often surprised to discover that staff in attendance welcome them bringing their picnics into the garden. They believe a picnic in the garden helps people to draw connections between the food they eat, the plants

Radcot Bridge played a part in the course of 14th-century English history, writes CHRIS KOENIG Canoeing about upstream from Radcot, near Witney, way back in the 1960s, I remember meeting a stonemason working on the bridge over the River Thames.

he gang is back (minus Julia Roberts and Catherine Zeta-Jones) in the second sequel to Steven Soderbergh's frothy 2001 heist caper. Like its predecessors, Ocean's Thirteen is smart and sexy, trading as much on the likeability of the impeccably tailored

VAL BOURNE suggests suitable plants for hedges to cut the workload A neighbour of mine wrestles with his evergreen hedge three times a year - this month and again in April and October. Out comes the electric hedge-trimmer, the ladders and planks

Raul Ruiz dispenses with fact and seeks to recreate the world that shaped a mind in Klimt, his revisionist assault on the artist biopic. Taking his cue from the works of Arthur Schnitzler, Ruiz presents the later life of Gustav Klimt as a dream world

Tomorrow's concert by Commotio at Merton College Chapel will feature two world premieres, writes NICOLA LISLE A penchant for plunging boldly into unknown choral territory is the hallmark of local choir Commotio, and their latest concert, to be given

The City of Oxford Choir has established a reputation locally for its thoughtful, themed programming and its commitment to blowing the dust off little-known choral gems by a wide range of composers, from the familiar to the not-so-familiar. So it was

Oxfordshire Goes Wild is the annual fun way to stir your children's curiosity about nature on their doorstep, writes PETER CANN Next week is the fourth annual Oxfordshire Goes Wild event that aims to encourage families to enjoy the wildlife and landscape

Big Brother contestant Emily Parr - who was due to face the public vote tomorrow - has been taken out of the show after using the word "nigger". The 19-year-old student, who is a Tory voter and considers herself right wing, was taken out of the Big

Tonight's recital in Oxford by the legendary mezzo-soprano Dame Ann Murray is sure to be a highlight of this year's Oxford Song Evenings, writes NICOLA LISLE When Ann Murray appears at the University Church in Oxford tonight she is hoping to arouse

Creation Theatre begins its new season with Hamlet in the grand setting of Oxford Castle, writes NICOLA LISLE Three wooden blocks, two actors, one director. If you think that sounds like the ingredients for a 20th-century drama such as Waiting for

Coinciding helpfully with the paperback release of John Bridcut's excellent Britten's Children (Faber, £9.99), ENO's new Death in Venice is a headlong plunge into the sexual and emotional turmoil of Benjamin Britten and his part-romantic, part-nostalgic

A double first: down the centuries, Oxford students have dreamt of gaining that distinction as their finals approach. But meanwhile Oxford Brookes Students' Union Fortune Players have scored their own double first: it's the first time that Oxford Brookes

DAVID BELLAN talks to Julian Erskine, producer of Riverdance, which returns to the New Theatre Riverdance burst upon the world's consciousness when it was chosen as the interval entertainment for the Eurovision Song Contest. The full-length show

Two exceptional chamber groups, the Lendvai String Trio and the Rhodes Piano Trio, will be collaborating with six other outstanding artists at the Chacombe Music Festival this year. This annual festival, now in its seventh year, is in aid of Sophie's

Despite its association with aspects of modernity, much jazz is surprisingly regressive, lodged in a time when Miles Davis was cool' and Coltrane was out there'. Although imaginative and technically brilliant, many of today's players lean well into this

When I twigged - shortly after taking my seat - that Philistines was a pre-Revolution Russian drama, my heart sank faster than the mercury in a Moscow thermometer. In un-eager anticipation I braced myself for three hours of cabbage soup, greatcoats and

June 2, as the world should know by now, was Elgar's birthday. The widespread celebrations of his 150th anniversary included Saturday's concert at St. Peter's, Wallingford, devoted entirely to his music. I wasn't going to miss this and neither, it turned

Study says US-style aptitude tests could help top universities select candidates, writes TIM ROSS A new US-style reasoning test for sixth-formers could help more men get into top universities, according to a Government report. The SAT, widely used

Art and science come together in Christopher Parkin's splendid exhibition now on show at the Said Business School gallery. Influenced by Christopher's parallel interest in both the history and philosophy of science, stimulated by a year's post-graduate

Drivers who are ignoring the one-way system in Stile Road in Headington, Oxford, need bringing to book. The signs and road markings are prominent enough for even the dimmest motorist to see. Those who are driving the wrong way down the street are

The 15 young dancers of NDT2, all aged between 19 and 23, come from a total of ten different countries. As soon as they step on to the stage you can see that this is a class act, but the programme forces one to ask two fundamental questions. In one case

We're all for putting the frighteners on burglars. They are the lowest of the low, breaking and creeping into homes when the occupants are away, out or asleep. Anyone who has suffered a burglary will know how traumatic the experience is. Burglars

How many ways are there to do The Magic Flute? Well, perhaps it would be exaggerating to say that there are an infinite number, but there are certainly many ways of staging Mozart's last major opera. Tom Boyd, of Bel Canto Opera, for instance, described

Kindertransport . . . strange title - why German? These were very special children, and this was very special transport - transportation, almost. Diane Samuels, whose play runs at the Playhouse all week, deals with one of the last - and one of the most

It was the affectation of calling the jazz event in Cokethorpe School last Saturday a 'festival' that lays it open to mild ridicule. The jazz festivals at Bath and Cheltenham take over a plethora of venues, last for several days and headline a whole sackful

The saga of RSC's King Lear - Trevor Nunn directing, Ian McKellan starring - is well-known. Briefly, its press view, scheduled for April 3, was postponed because of injury to Frances Barber (playing Goneril), and ended up nearly eight weeks late, on

The two main events in the forthcoming week are from Concert Jazz in Thame on Wednesday and the Spin on Thursday. At the Snooker Club in Thame, Concert Jazz this month features the Paul Booth quintet. Booth is an up-and-coming sax player who hit the

CLAIMS that Eastern European poachers are devastating wildlife around Banbury have been made by two countryside experts. Wildlife consultant Graham Soden and John Bonney, the bailiff at Clattercote and Boddington reservoirs, say the poachers fish

JUST days after revealing his youthful drug use, Henley MP Boris Johnson has told how he used to ignore parking tickets when at Oxford University. In Life in the Fast Lane: The Johnson Guide to Cars, published this week, Mr Johnson wrote that he just

BUSINESS people can have their say on the future of education in Bicester at a meeting on Tuesday. Cynthia Bartlett and Ben Baxter, the headteachers of Bicester's two secondary schools, will present the options to members of the chamber of commerce

Former Oxford United boss Brian Talbot is in the big time after leading Maltese side Marsaxlokk into the UEFA Champions League. The little club from a fishing port in the south of the Mediterranean island have qualified for the chance of a crack at

I missed the odd sniff of the methanol on Friday night - but what encouraging news to emerge this week. If all goes to plan with the interest shown by 26-year-old Jonathan Chapman, speedway should be up and running soon. If he gets the licence, Chapman

The quarter-final arrangements for the Golden Belt Championships - originally scheduled for last Saturday - resembled a Marx Brothers comedy. With less than 72 hours to go, the venue in the north east had not been confirmed. Then the event, which

Oxford Boxing Academy's Nicky Miles missed out on the Class A National Novice featherweight title after a tense and close encounter at Portsmouth. But despite the points defeat to Matthew Chandra from the London-based Crown and Manor gym, the 24-year-old

SHAW GIBBS OXFORDSHIRE FOURSOMES LEAGUE Knockout Trophy Burford 3, Hadden Hill 0 (Burford first): T Potter & A Purdy bt K Walker & B Tailford 3 & 2, D Summers & S Hopkins bt G Walker & O Walker 2 & 1, J Wilks & A Salter bt P Chana & R Perry 5 & 4.

WALLINGFORD town councillor Lynda Atkins is asking Oxfordshire Primary Care Trust to reopen Wallingford Hospital's closed minor injury unit as a first aid unit. She said: "Other options would mean a lengthy consultation process, which would not start

THE owners of a stolen motocross bike are pleading for its safe return. The red and white Honda CR 450 worth £5,000 was stolen from a shed in High Street, Cuddesdon, after burglars cut through seven locks. The burglars tried to steal a second bike

A FORMER bomb shelter warden, who was born in Oxford before the first aeroplane took to the sky, celebrated her 105th birthday yesterday. Tess Gerrett received a congratulatory message from the Queen when she celebrated with her daughter Barbara Turner

POLICE have found a novel way to stop burglars breaking into your home - writing them a letter. In a case of the pen proving mighter than the judicial sword, Oxford police are sending the letters to the city's most prolific burglars telling them they

Tilly Holder was crowned Oxfordshire's top champion after defeating title holders from 14 other county clubs. The two-handicapper shot a three-over par round of 75 at The Oxfordshire to lift the Champion of Champions trophy. Holder, who won the Oxford

NATIONAL OVER 55 SINGLES 1st round: K Haynes (Morland) 13, A Mead (Wantage) 21. NATIONAL OVER 55 PAIRS 1st round: M Willis & W Cumming (Wantage) 20, C Fairbrother & M Smith (Royal Household) 13. BERKSHIRE MIXED DOUBLE FOURS 2nd round Morland 47

Oxfordshire bowed out of the EBA National County Top Two Fours with a 32-30 defeat by Hampshire in the first round at Atherley. Calvin Carpenter's four of Nick Welsh, Colin Whitehead and Mark Sykes came from behind to beat skip Adam Tidby 15-14. But

Oxfordshire got their EBA Middleton Cup campaign off to a flying start with a handsome 128-105 victory over arch rivals Berkshire at Banbury Central. A three-shot defeat by Berkshire cost Oxon dear last year as they failed to qualify from Group 3A.

Kidlington collected a maximum six points against Woodstock to lead Division 3 of the Oxford & District League, sponsored by Yarnton Nurseries Garden Centre. After relegation last season, Kidlington are now back to having one side in the league and

Oxfordshire trio Greg Moon, Gary Lucas and Nick Welsh have been selected for England's squad for 2007. Banbury Borough pair Moon and Lucas together with Headington star Welsh will take part in squad training at New Lount, Leicestershire on Sunday.

"AM I bovvered?" - the catchphrase made famous by the rebellious, tracksuit-wearing Lauren Cooper on television's The Catherine Tate Show - is one of the most popular sayings among young fans of the comedian. But a county vicar has spoken out against

A FATHER has refused permission for his daughter's Oxford school to take her fingerprints - fearing it is step towards a 'Big Brother' state. Ben Emlyn-Jones's daughter Louisa, 12, attends St Gregory the Great School in Cowley - which is planning

MORE than 40,000 households could be eligible to claim a one-off £50 council tax rebate under a new Oxford City Council initiative. To fit the bill homeowners must be willing to insulate their roofs and wall cavities through the Oxford City Council

A STAFF member at Oxford Brookes University needed hospital treatment after being attacked near a campus toilet block. The woman, who is understood to be a teacher, was assaulted on the university's Harcourt Hill campus in North Hinksey, on Tuesday

ALOYSIUS, the teddy bear made famous by his appearance in the 1981 series Brideshead Revisited, is now living in a Witney museum. The 25in bear, who will be 100 this year, is one of the star exhibits at the Teddy Bears of Witney shop and museum. He

MOBILE phone company T-Mobile has refused to give up on plans to build a new mast on an industrial estate in Abingdon - and objectors are also determined to fight on. Two years ago, O2(UK) wanted to put up a 15-metre transmitter at Allens Carparts

A DISCOUNT card for visitors to Oxford has being relaunched in a bid to boost tourism. The Oxford visitor discount card, originally launched in 2005 by Visit Oxford and World City Solutions in association with VisitBritain, has been given a new look

FAMILIES can try wrestling and rodeo rides at a fun day hosted by Didcot Casuals Football Club on Saturday. The event will be held at Loyd Recreation Ground in Brasenose Road, Didcot from 11am to 4.30pm. For more details, visit www.didcotcasuals.co.uk

A NEW club teaching public speaking and leadership skills has been launched. The Isis Speakers Club aims to teach members the arts of speaking, listening and thinking on your feet. The next meeting will be at 7.15pm today, at Oxford Town Hall and

FORMER Downing Street spin doctor Alastair Campbell is to visit Oxford today to give a lecture on mental health issues. Mr Campbell, who suffered a mental breakdown in 1986 while working as a journalist, is hosting an evening at the Taylor Institution

WALLINGFORD'S Blues and Beer Festival is being held on Friday and Saturday, at the Regal Centre in St Martin's Street. The line-up includes the Kyla Brox Band and The Michael Roach Band. All money raised goes towards promoting live music and youth

THAME and Chinnor Friends of the Earth are serious about people getting on their cycles. The main feature of its annual Green Fair is a bike exchange when people take unwanted or outgrown cycles to the fair and leave with another model. The Friends

MORE than 100 people packed the tiny village church in Hethe, near Bicester, to celebrate the 175th anniversary of its first Mass. The anniversary Mass at Holy Trinity Church was offered by Bishop William Kenney. Parishioners also enjoyed a reception

FEARS over the future of small traders are being voiced as the county marks National Independents Week - a celebration of local independent shops. To start the campaign, Alan Toft, the chairman of the My Shop is Your Shop Campaign - which campaigns

WITNEY-BASED singing group Voice Box are teaming up with Anything Goes duo Lesley Morris and Keith Harris for a Summer Pudding' concert to raise money for Witney ABC (Against Breast Cancer). They will sing a range of songs from spirituals to musicals

TWO operations to "mend Didcot" will target drunken yobs and vandals as part of a drive to reduce antisocial behaviour in the town. Police launched a three-month programme called Operation Mend Didcot - or Mendidcot - on Tuesday to tackle vandals who

POLICE were called to a primary school after a young girl went missing yesterday. Three police cars were sent to West Oxford Community Primary School, Ferry Hinksey Road, at about 9.30am. Headteacher Julie St Claire-Hoare said a young girl had gone