Oxford United midfielder Stefan Bailey will be hoping he doesn't suffer the same fate he endured when he made his FA Cup debut. The 19-year-old, who is on loan from Championship side Queen's Park Rangers, is hoping to help the U's to victory at Merthyr
MERTHYR Tydfil admit they're not expecting to get anything from tomorrow's tie with Oxford United so anything they do get will be a bonus. Club secretary Anthony Hughes says the Martyrs, who are having a difficult season, have a very young side, but
OXFORD United and Wycombe Wanderers are fighting for the signature of Didcot Town goalkeeper Michael Watkins. United boss Jim Smith watched the highly-rated 24-year-old on Tuesday and wants to bring him to the club as cover for Billy Turley. However
North Leigh chairman Pete King has expressed his sadness after young striker Liam Hope decided to leave Eynsham Park. Hope has played for North Leigh throughout his career, starting in their junior teams. But the combative front man he is now set
Didcot Town boss Stuart Peace wants his players to break their derby hoodoo when they entertain Oxford City on Saturday. Since they won promotion to British Gas Business Southern League Southern League Division 1 South & West in 2005-6, Didcot have
Been a bit of a rough week. Started Tuesday night when baby went to bed as normal but then started crying and then continued throughout the evening. When it came to bedtime I ended up going with her into another room, but she didn't settle and basically
Police are becoming increasingly worried for the welfare of a missing man who may be running out of drugs he takes for a heart condition. Officers yesterday released a new picture of Steven Bowden. They said the disappearance of the 45-year-old was
Oxford has been warned it "will get wet" again by the man charged with protecting the city from further flooding. Nigel Bray, the Environment Agency's Oxford flood defence manager, told of the battle the agency was having in getting Government funds
Chelsea goalkeeper Petr Cech has pledged a large donation to the John Radcliffe Hospital in Oxford. Mr Cech promised a large part of the proceeds of a libel case victory against The Sun newspaper to the hospital during a hearing at London's High Court
A FRENCH lorry driver hanged himself in his cab at Cherwell Valley Services in Ardley, an inquest heard today. Father-of-three Hughes Duval, from Marquise, near Calais, was found on January 19 by car park manager Phillip Biggs, who was considering
POLICE officers raided a flat in Abingdon Road, Oxford, today to look for class-A drugs. Seven officers carried out the raid at 4pm after receiving intelligence that drugs were at the property. Police spokesman Claire Gourlay said the officers used
A DISABLED woman has vowed to defy bus gate restrictions in order to get to disabled parking spaces in Oxford. Chronic osteporosis sufferer Louise Frances, 40, has brittle bones and relies on her car to get around. She received a penalty notice
A STUDENT killed himself at his family's west Oxfordshire home after getting caught up in a university exam cheating row, an inquest heard. Matthew Curtis shot himself in the head while alone at Downs Farm, in Westwell, near Burford. The death was
A disabled woman has vowed to defy bus gate restrictions in order to get to disabled parking spaces in Oxford. Chronic osteporosis sufferer Louise Frances, 40, has brittle bones and relies on her car to get around. She received a penalty notice from
Police were called to remove two people who refused to leave a parish council meeting which the chairman had said was to be held in private. Recently resigned Weston-on-the-Green parish councillor Kevan Barnhill and John Mair were asked to leave, but
A couple were sentenced at Didcot Magistrates' Court after pleading guilty to failing to declare a change in circumstance and making a false statement when applying for benefits. David Cross, 45, of Pound Croft, Grove, was sentenced to a 24-month conditional
Grove will host Chipping Norton in round 3 south west of the EDF Energy Senior Vase after being awarded their second round tie. The RFU have ruled Grove had won their clash at Widden Old Boys 23-21 rather than drawing 21-21 as the result had originally
City of Oxford captain Chris Thomson can look back on a highly successul season for the club, writes Mike Rosewell. There was a great run for their Wyfold Four at Henley, gold, silver and bronze medals for crews at the National Championships and a '
Brackley's decision to ban two of their players at an internal disciplinary hearing following an incident in a game against Didcot has been backed by the Oxford Times Cherwell League. Brackley found Henry Newby guilty of using foul and abusive language
Derek Primett is set to become The Oxford Times Cherwell League's first president. Primett, 72, has been league chairman since 1996, having previously been chairman of the Trinity League. However, the popular Primett has suffered from ill health in
TEACHER training students at Oxford Brookes University are to benefit from a £400,000 Government boost after the university was named a Centre of Excellence in Teacher Training (CETT). The centre at Oxford Brookes' Harcourt Hill Campus, which will
Police officers raided a flat in Abingdon Road, Oxford, to look for class A drugs today. Seven officers carried out the raid at 4pm after receiving intelligence drugs were at the property. Police spokesman Claire Gourlay said the officers used a search
Security cameras have been trained on an Oxford tower block to deter persistent troublemakers. Foresters Tower, in Wood Farm, has been plagued by youngsters urinating in stairwells and intimidating residents. Residents hope the £46,000 CCTV system
SATURDAY. FOOTBALL. FA CUP. 4th qual round: Merthyr Tydfil v Oxford Utd. BRITISH GAS BUSINESS SOUTHERN LEAGUE. Premier Div: Gloucester v Banbury Utd. Div 1 South & West: Didcot Tn v Oxford C, Taunton Tn v Abingdon Utd. FOOTBALL LEAGUE YOUTH
A French lorry driver hanged himself in his cab at Cherwell Valley Services in Ardley, an inquest heard today. Father-of-three Hughes Duval, from Marquise, near Calais, was found on January 19 by car park manager Phillip Biggs, who was considering clamping
David Cherry, from Cropredy Cricket Club, is celebrating after beating off stiff competition from across the UK to scoop one of sport's most prestigious accolades - a NatWest Outstanding Service to Cricket Award (OSCA) The annual awards are presented
A student killed himself at his family's west Oxfordshire home after getting caught up in a university exam cheating row, an inquest heard. Matthew Curtis shot himself in the head while alone at Downs Farm, in Westwell, near Burford. The tragedy was
Bradley Smith has been rewarded for a brilliant season in the 125cc world championship by joining a top team in 2008. The 16-year-old from Oxfordshire signed a contract to compete in next year's 17-round the championship with the Polaris World team
The general rule of thumb is the better the band name, the worse the music. But by that token the delightfully moniker-ed Mr Hudson and the Library should be nowhere near as sparklingly brilliant as they were at the Zodiac at the Oxford Academy. It
Saw IV, which is released today, was not shown to critics prior to release - allegedly "to ensure that the 92-minute film's twists are not revealed before opening weekend". Therefore, we will be unable to include a full review in this week's Movie
Director David Cronenberg reunites with charismatic leading man Viggo Mortensen to explore the dark secrets of a Russian crime family in his intense and bloodthirsty new thriller, Eastern Promises.o Opening with a gory sequence in a barbershop that
Young artists from an Oxford estate have seen their work presented to their community. The Blackbird Leys Tribal Tent was put up outside the estate's community centre to help celebrate the area's 50th anniversary. A bike workshop ran alongside the
Director: Michael Moore. Released: October 26 (UK & Ireland) Since his award-winning 1989 debut feature Roger & Me, about the closure of the General Motors plant in his hometown of Flint, Michigan, documentary filmmaker Michael Moore has been gleefully
Oxford University's Ryan Manvel from Australia won the men's singles title with a 21-10, 21-8 victory over fellow student Richard Beal from New Zealand. The women's crown at Radley College went to Oxford Brookes's Chiaki Murayama, from Japan over defending
Pete Browning and Hannah Hindmarsh were in top form as Oxford took a 6-3 result from Leys A in Mixed Division 2 of the Oxford & District League. Back in the league after several years' absence, Bicester secured their first win by a huge 8-1 margin over
Strada, 1 Little Clarendon Street, Oxford 01865 514468 According to psychologists at the University of Liverpool, people fail to grasp how mirrors work. In 2005, Dr Marco Bertamini, from the University's School of Psychology, found people who
Henley Hawks will target their first ever victory at Otley when they visit the Yorkshire club in National 2. Flanker Matt Payne is recovering well after his ankle injury and will have a fitness test before the team head north. Wing Jamie Black has
Over the past five years, Youthmovies have become one of the city's favourite bandso. And this year things have gone from strength to strength. They have teamed up with Drowned in Sound, spent a month in the studio on their new album, and tomorrow
Comedian Richard Herring - best known for his collaboration with Stewart Lee, but a force to be reckoned with on his own - will be unleashing his trademark wisecracks at The Cellar, off Cornmarket Street, Oxford, on Monday night as part of The Free Beer
Next Friday and Saturday at the Pegasus Theatre, in Magdalen Road, Oxford, there's a lively production of Eggbird and Other String Puppet Stories, performed by Stephen Mottram and his company of marionettes. A Pandora's box of beautiful string puppets
Chatroom by Enda Walsh and Citizenship by Mark Ravenhill come to the Oxford Playhouse from Tuesday, following a run at the National Theatre. Directed by Anna Mackmin, the cast is made up of young actors fresh from drama school. Both productions are
Oxford Harlequins' director of rugby Matt Maudsley wants his side to push for a top four spot in South West 1 by Christmas. And that challenge starts with tomorrow's visit of basement boys Bournemouth. Quins have yet to win at home this season, while
A new production based on Hans Christian Andersen's magical fairy tale, The Snow Queen, opens at the New Theatre in Oxford on Tuesday. Telling the story of two friends, Gerda and Kay, as they battle against the evil Snow Queen and her magic mirror,
Users of the Oxford Mail's and this website's events listing system are reaping the benefits of new technology as they seek to publicise events and groups. Earlier this year we introduced an online system at oxfordmail.net which allows users to enter
A MOTORIST whose car was written off in an accident today appealed for the other driver involved to come forward. Lee Black, 19, was driving along the B4011, near Ambrosden, when a car unexpectedly pulled out of a side road leading to the village.
Crackling bonfires and dazzling firework displays will help Guy Fawkes Night go with a bang in Oxfordshire. In Oxford, South Park hosts the annual Round Table charity fireworks display on Saturday, November 3. Gates open at 5pm, with the fireworks display
A motorist whose car was written off in an accident has appealed for the other driver involved to come forward. Lee Black, 19, was driving along the B4011, near Ambrosden, when a car unexpectedly pulled out of a side road leading to the village. This
Oxford film fanatics are getting stuck into some of China's best independent films as a new festival enters its final day tomorrow. The six-day Filming East festival has been organised by Anglo-Chinese International Ltd, a London-based organisation
POLICE said this afternoon they were becoming increasingly concerned for the welfare of a missing Abingdon man. Steven Bowden, 45, went missing from his home in Curtis Avenue, on Monday and is believed to be driving a silver Ford Ka, registration PY51
A unique behind-the-scenes glimpse of an East Oxford theatre is being offered at a photography exhibition this week. David Fisher spent a year backstage at the Pegasus Theatre, in Magdalen Road - and the pictures from that time are on show in an exhibition
A small Oxfordshire village is officially the best in the country for community spirit. Men, women and children have been celebrating the accolade given to Filkins and Broughton Poggs in the national finals of the Village of the Year competition, sponsored
Oxford University's new Middle East Centre has found itself at the centre of an architectural storm. Baghdad-born architect Zaha Hadid, whose designs have made waves around the world, has been chosen to create the centre in Woodstock Road. It will
As I write, I'm only too aware that by the time this article goes to print England will either have achieved the incredible and won their second rugby World Cup Final in succession or South Africa will have been crowned champions. Either which way,
Scouts and Guides across Oxfordshire are being called on to pick up their dancing shoes, get out the grease paint, and audition for the 2008 Oxford Gang Show. The 'senior gang', for those aged 12 and over, has already been selected, but Scouts and Guides
CRUCIAL flood defence schemes to protect Oxford are now "unlikely to proceed" because of lack of money, the Government has been told. The warning comes in a joint plea to ministers from six Oxfordshire councils, who say protection measures being proposed
I am sorry to have to inform everyone that the great British pub is in even more serious decline than is apparently evident, due to interfering law makers. Nipping round the corner to the Wheatsheaf the other night, I assumed that the fire alarm had
I refer to the letter from Bob Price, leader of the Labour group on Oxford City Council, Crisis down to Lib Dems (Oxford Mail, October 13). Mr Price should make sure he is present at council audit meetings to hear what is going on with his council's
As a resident of Oxford who walks, cycles and rides horses, I was thoroughly dismayed at the decision by Judge Brian Loosley to close the bridleway on the edge of BMW's factory, and then to order the British Horse Society and the Ramblers' Association
It is extremely likely that a person's sexual orientation is decided before they are born, and that no-one would choose to be a paedophile, considering the vicious persecution they suffer. The fact that I would not touch a child with a barge pole does
If you want to save your post office from closure, start using it now. Don't wait until the bosses put it on their doomed list in February (Oxford Mail, October 23). It will be too late then. SIMON STONE, Warwick Road, Banbury
Would you take our picture, please?" The small, yet sprightly white-haired woman pushed a digital camera in my direction. How could I refuse? It was not the usual request one gets while walking near the Thames through Grandpont Country Park, but neither
A slimmer who shed almost nine stones was in a twirl when she met Strictly Come Dancing bad boy Brendan Cole. Sarah Feeley, who weighed 18st 13lb a matter of months ago, lost half her body weight after joining her local branch of slimming group, Slimming
Keith Watson is a member of The Blue Palms Writers, a group of ten who met seven years ago after an Oxford University creative writing course. His first book, Rough Justice, based on his experiences as a National Serviceman 50 years ago of a fatal barn
Youth workers in Oxford want more young people to visit a pub designed for under-18s. The Mish is a youth facility designed to recreate the atmosphere of a bar or nightclub - without the alcohol. The club opened beneath St Andrew's Bookshop in St
After 30 years as an anthropologist, 62-year-old Joy Hendry has achieved status and respect for her work. As Professor of Anthropology at Oxford Brookes University, she is best known for her expertise on Japan, where she has lived several times. She learnt
Endgame, 1945 David Stafford (Little Brown, £20) Peace often comes at a huge price, and the devastated landscape of the end of the Second World War saw a thousand tales of retribution and survival. As a microcosm of the war's terrible human suffering
LOOKING FOR ENID Duncan McLaren (Portobello Books, £15.99)This is the inventive tale of how fine art critic Duncan McLaren set off an a mysterious adventure to find out who children's writer Enid Blyton really was. Although the author of the Famous
With Hallowe'en and All Souls Day next week, CHRIS KOENIG tells of strange tales in the village of Souldern Doubtless the Fellows of All Souls College will be up to their tricks again next week, singing their dread song while the port circulates
People living on an Oxford estate have said they feel much safer after a dramatic rise in the number of police patrolling their streets. Bobbies on the beat in Barton have more than doubled since the start of the year, and the finishing touches are
TEN BAD DATES WITH DE NIRO: A BOOK OF ALTERNATIVE MOVIE LISTS Ed Richard Kelly (Faber, £12.99)Let's face it, we love lists. They're the fodder of pub conversations and arguments. We love nothing better to categorise our favourite music, books and various
VAL BOURNE revives the traditional art of dividing perennial clump-formers I have been busy moving plants from a holding bed in order to make way for new paths in one of the vegetable patches. They had made large clumps, particularly the summer-flowering
HELEN PEACOCKE previews a gala night to mark the 75th anniversary of Sylvia Plath Had the American poet Sylvia Plath been alive today she would be 75 years old. To celebrate her birth and her life, actresses Diana Quick, Eve Best, Susannah Harker
A.S.H. SMYTH delves into the language of adolescents as expressed in powerful terms in the dark duo of plays Chatroom/Citizenship at the Oxford Playhouse Enda Walsh's Chatroom is a play about 15-year-olds and what malevolent little ******** they can
GENE therapy company Oxford BioMedica has moved to clear up "misconceptions" which have led to a 30 per cent fall in its share price. The company, based at Oxford Science Park, is carrying out a third and final study of its main potential drug, Trovax
DOM McDONALD, of Science Oxford, marks the success of the first two years of the centre and its continuous growth Science Oxford, the cultural centre for science on St Clements, has been open two years and is going from strength to strength.
Most of us have had a much needed cup of coffee or a cheese roll in a League of Friends' cafe in an Oxford hospital. The cafes are a familiar sight in a hospital where fresh, wholesome food is on offer to visitors, patients and staff alike at very reasonable
Oxfam began life back in 1942 in a bid to relieve the plight of wartime civilians. Now, 65 years on, Oxford's most famous charity has discovered that conflict in Africa is costing that continent a sum equal to all the money it receives in international
A series of roadshows starring the authors selected for Richard & Judy's Children's Book Club will visit Oxford on Wednesday. A group of 60 children from schools in Oxfordshire have been invited to enjoy some time with well-loved authors and illustrators
While Government figures reveal a gloomy picture of a decline in the populations of farmland birds, one Oxfordshire farming couple are going against the trend by attracting more than 70 species to its land, writes ANDREW FFRENCH A bold move by an
Next week English National Ballet bring their new work The Snow Queen to the New Theatre. Our dance critic f=Swis721 Blk BT DAVID BELLAN talked to its choreographer Michael Corder Michael Corder says the starting point for his ballet The Snow Queen
A CAR was destroyed by a fire in a car park in Bretch Hill, Banbury, at 11.45pm last night.
FIREFIGHTERS freed a man from his vehicle after a road accident near Moulsford. The man's van had collided with a heavy goods vehicle on the A417 at about 8pm last night.
Firefighters had to free a man from his vehicle after a road accident near Moulsford. The man's van had been in collision with a heavy goods vehicle on the A417 at about 8pm yesterday.
A car was destroyed by a fire in a car park in Bretch Hill, Banbury, at 11.45pm yesterday.
CYCLISTS riding around Oxford's streets without lights will be the focus of a month-long road safety campaign. The crackdown will be launched on Monday evening with a two-hour check in High Street, Oxford. During the city centre check, police officers
POLICE have charged a motorist for driving at twice the speed limit on the Eastern Bypass and providing false details to officers. Thomas Moser, 48, of Poets Place, Banbury Road, Oxford, was charged yesterday with exceeding the speed limit and perjury
A BODY has been found in a copse near a housing estate. The body, which has not yet been identified, was found by a passer-by next to a tree in woodland near Gavray Drive, Langford Village, in Bicester, at about 11.30am on Tuesday. A police search
STREAMLINED emergency procedures need to be put in place following the July floods in the Abingdon area, according to a flooding emergency review carried out by the Vale of White Horse District Council in consultation with the public. Its main findings
FEARS for a missing 45-year-old man remained last night. Steven Bowden, of Curtis Avenue, was last seen on Monday after leaving for a routine doctors' appointment. Mr Bowden, described as white, 5ft 10in tall, of medium build, with a chubby face
ENVIRONMENT Agency officials were today still investigating what caused the deaths of thousands of fish in the county. More than 5,000 perch were discovered in a ditch in Yarnton, 250 stickleback and trout in Ginge Brook, in Drayton, on Sunday, and
A 27-year-old man killed as he walked along an unlit road near Oxford has been named. Gary Pitt, from Thame, died on Saturday after he was hit by a car on the A418, near M40 motorway junction eight, near Wheatley. The driver was not arrested and police
FORMULA One will stage its first night race next year after plans for a floodlit event in Singapore were confirmed. Singapore's new circuit has been included on the calendar for 2008 with a night-time start. The new race, which will take place in
POLICE sent out five patrol cars, a helicopter and a dog to chase a yob who smashed a police car window. Officers in Didcot saw a vandal smashing the rear window - estimated to be worth up to £100 - of a marked Vauxhall Corsa parked outside Didcot
THE great rat hunt in Oxford is on, with experts ready to use CCTV to discover whether an explosion of vermin in the city is myth or reality. Anecdotal evidence suggests rat sightings in the city are on the rise. Now, after a high-profile case in
THE Oxford Oxfam Group Book Fair will be held on Saturday, October 27, at the Wesley Memorial Hall, New Inn Hall Street, Oxford. The event is held twice a year and over the last 13 years has raised more than £50,000 for development projects in more
TWINS born at the John Radcliffe Hospital, Oxford, are the first babies conceived using a revolutionary fertility treatment. The boy, weighing 6lb 11oz, and girl, 5lb 14oz, were born by Caesarean section, nine months after their mother underwent In
A MOTHER and father from Abingdon have been fined for not sending their son to school. They were fined £250 each and ordered to pay £1,089 costs by Didcot magistrates after Oxfordshire County Council took them to court for failing to ensure that their
A CRACKDOWN on Hallowe'en yobbery - but with a 'softly, softly' approach involving sweets and fun-size chocolate bars - is being planned by Wallingford Town Council and local police. And shopkeepers are being urged not to sell eggs, flour, and tomatoes
THE BEAUTY of an Oxford "stunner" will be celebrated for all time - following the unveiling of a plaque in her honour. The blue plaque marks the site of the former slum where Jane Burden was born in 1839. Jane, wife of the artist, poet and designer
ENGINEERS are facing a race against time to get Banbury's Christmas lights wired up for next month's switch-on festival. New health and safety regulations issued by the County Surveyors Society and the Institution of Lighting Engineers, mean extra work
CAMPAIGNERS are stepping up their fight to save the music and drama blocks at the former St Mary's school site from the bulldozers with a public meeting in Wantage tomorrow night. And among the speakers will be the town's MP Ed Vaizey. Berkeley Homes
BANBURY Museum will host a Big Draw event between 10am and 2pm tomorrow. Visitors to the museum in Spiceball Park Road will be asked to draw the unfinished half of a famous portrait.
ABIGAIL Trivett, eight, and brother Callum, four, got a close-up view of ghostly goings-on at the Museum of Oxford when they took a look around the Spooky Stories Gallery Trail, organised for the run-up to Halloween. The museum, at the Town Hall in
PATRICK Middlehurst, a groundsman with Oxford City Council, has been named Horticulturist Apprentice of the Year. The 17-year-old joined the parks department after completing an apprentice scheme at Abingdon and Witney College. He was honoured by
PLANS to convert the old British Gas depot, in Abingdon, into four one-bedroom flats are being opposed by the town council. Its says it would be an over-development of a small site on a busy road junction. The council says entry and exit to the site
THE Oxford Castle development has won an award from the Royal Institute of Chartered Surveyors. At the RICS awards, the £40m development off New Road, which features the Malmaison Hotel, restaurants and heritage centre, won the Project of the Year Award
PHOTOGRAPHS of graffiti, vandalism and abandoned vehicles in the city can be sent to the city council via mobile phones. People can email their pictures to the council at photoreporting@oxford.gov.uk, which will then appear on the city council's website
WITH the smell of freshly-brewed coffee circulating, comfy armchairs, shelves filled with new and old books and a computer in the corner, you could be forgiven for thinking you were in a boutique bookshop. However, the new bookshop and Internet cafe
The great rat hunt in Oxford is on, with experts ready to use CCTV to discover whether an explosion of vermin in the city is myth or reality. Anecdotal evidence suggests rat sightings in the city are on the rise. Now, after a high-profile case in which
PLANS for a multi-million-pound revamp of facilities at Didcot's rail station signal the beginning of transport improvements to meet the demands of the town's growing population. Transport planners from Oxfordshire County Council are working with
Police sent out five patrol cars, a helicopter and a dog to chase a yob who smashed one squad car window. Officers in Didcot saw a vandal smashing the rear window - estimated to be worth up to £100 - of a marked Vauxhall Corsa parked outside Didcot
RESIDENTS of an Oxford City Council-run sheltered housing block in Jericho, Oxford, are planning to fight to stop their homes being demolished. On Monday, the Oxford Mail revealed that three sheltered housing complexes in the city face demolition - Alice
