Archive

  • Police cast doubt on 20mph limit plan

    Transport planners at Oxfordshire County Council are tomorrow set to approve measures to change the face of Oxford's London Road in Headington. County Hall wants to create a bus lane and cycle tracks - and introduce a 20mph limit as part of a £2.8m

  • Stores cut shoppers borrowing

    High street shops in Oxford appear to be cracking down on lending, with strict checks on customers applying for store cards. Four years ago, in an Oxford Mail investigation, our reporter managed to rack up more than £4,500 of debt during just a couple

  • Cook back in old routine

    Jamie Cook admitted his joy at scoring twice and firing his side to victory was tainted by the fact it came against Oxford United. The Crawley striker, who came through the ranks at Oxford in the mid-90s before leaving for Boston in 2001, was the difference

  • Bonn Square revamp to start

    WORK to give Oxford's 'shabby and rundown' Bonn Square a £1.5m facelift is due to start on Friday. Specialists from construction firm English Landscapes are set to rip up the 34-year-old square and transform it into a 'welcoming public amenity'.

  • Death leads to loss of home

    An Oxford family granted a last-minute reprieve from eviction at Christmas have been told they may yet be forced out. Elaine Parrott and her two daughters have been warned they face court action to remove them from Dairy Lodge, in Headington Hill Park

  • Disabled entrepreneurs get lifeline

    Disabled people in north Oxfordshire who want to run their own businesses have been thrown a lifeline by the Leonard Cheshire organisation. A support and advice scheme, Ready To Start, has been launched in Banbury with Barclays Bank. It is intended

  • Gritters out on county's roads

    GRITTERS were due to be out in force on roads across the county tonight in anticipation of a big freeze - and possibly snow. Oxfordshire County Council said it would dispatch its entire fleet of 29 gritters on a salting sortie this evening and again

  • Bonn Square's revamp begins

    Work to give Oxford's 'shabby and run-down' Bonn Square a £1.5m facelift is due to start on Friday. Specialists from construction firm English Landscapes are set to rip up the 34-year-old square and transform it into a 'welcoming public amenity'.

  • Snow 'likely to miss Oxfordshire'

    Gritters were due to be out in force on roads across the county tonight in anticipation of a big freeze - and possibly snow. Oxfordshire County Council said it would dispatch its entire fleet of 29 gritters on a salting sortie this evening and again

  • Youth club's future in doubt

    Marcham youth club has been forced to close its doors because it is not attracting enough youngsters. The club meets at the Sports, Scouts and Social Club, in Morland Road, but dwindling numbers have forced the club to disband. In recent weeks, only

  • Lourdes Almighty

    The giant candles kept on arriving. Wheelchairs stacked up along the banks of the Gave river. Nuns and nurses kissed the ground. The queues for the baths lengthened. A hunched-up old lady in a black shawl whispered to the wall, petitioning the rockface

  • Wife asks: Who hit my spouse?

    The wife of a Good Samaritan left deaf in one ear after he was hit over the head with a bottle has pleaded for the public to finally name his attacker. More than six weeks after the assault in Didcot, police have run up against a wall of silence.

  • Long links with city life

    Maud Rosenthal, who died on December 18, was the mother of television presenter Jim Rosenthal and had long connections with Oxford. Widow of Albi Rosenthal, she passed away peacefully at her home in Boars Hill, four months short of her 99th birthday.

  • Countryman and community figure

    A true countryman, Ken Woodford, who was born, lived and died in the Witney area, has died at the age of 85. Tributes were paid at a service of thanksgiving in the town's High Street Methodist Church. More than 200 people attended. He was one of west

  • Driving force in village life

    Former local government officer Ken Hadland has died at the age of 79. Born in Witney, Mr Hadland joined the town's Boys Brigade and the Methodist Church, where his funeral service was held on December 12. He entered local government service with the

  • Teacher passed on cooking expertise

    Heather Roper, a former teacher at Witney's Henry Box School, has died suddenly in her early 70s. She was at the school for 18 years, from 1977 to 1995, as head of the home economics department, before taking early retirement. Her funeral took place

  • Trusted few keep VIPs safe

    While most of us were enjoying the festivities this Christmas, Pc Chris Jones was risking life and limb to protect the county's VIPs. The 40-year-old father of three is one of 12 officers based at Thames Valley Police's close protection unit in Bicester

  • Divers keep up New Year tradition

    Divers got the New Year off to a chilly start when they took the plunge in an Oxford lake. Members of Oxford Sub Aqua Club donned wetsuits and dived into Hinksey Lake for the annual event. The divers spent about half an hour exploring the lake on Tuesday

  • Man charged with three burglaries

    A 26-year-old man from Bicester has been charged with three burglaries. David Hatton, of Shackleton Drive, is accused of stealing cash and jewellery from Hancocks Funeral Directors in Sheep Street in August. He is also charged with breaking into a

  • ATHLETICS: Penfold heads Harriers 1-2-3

    White Horse Harriers dominated the third round of the Oxford Mail Cross Country League as their big guns returned from university to sweep the board at Banbury. Harriers, whose men's and women's teams are in Division 2, were strengthened by the return

  • ATHLETICS: Warland in gold rush

    Oxford City's Kirsty Warland struck gold in the under 17 women's 60m hurdles at the Data Connection indoor open meeting at Lee Valley. She won both her races in 8.98secs, and now stands second in the UK rankings.

  • BAR BILLIARDS: Champ Sheard left shell-shocked by Stratford

    Holder Keith Sheard suffered a shock defeat against Section 3 player Sean Stratford in the Johnsons Buildbase Oxford League's off-the-spot singles competition first round at the Democrats Club. Ian Moss defeated Mick Murphy, while Alan Oliver knocked

  • My alternative New Year honours

    Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to The Insider's third annual alternative New Year Honours List, giving awards to those overlooked by The Queen. The Laughing in the Face of Adversity Award - Richard Thurston With his back yard on the brink of flooding

  • Fire-hit church fears insurance hike

    Officials at an Oxford church damaged in an arson attack on Christmas Day are continuing to count the cost of the blaze. Temple Cowley United Reformed Church, in Oxford Road, was damaged when arsonists broke into the building at 10.40am on Christmas

  • GREYHOUNDS: Thursday's Oxford runners

    7.35: POND SARELLE, Big Foot Four, Loose Connection 3, Ballysally Magic, Rambling Girl 2, Bookie Queen. 7.50: Tootsie 2, Killeheen Zorro, Gay Trick 3, Deanfield Bobby, Squashed Tomatoes, STORMY SINATRA. 8.05: Winnies Flash, Northeven Blue 3, Solid Funky

  • AUNT SALLY: Adams hits double six

    Phil Adams clanged off a brace of sixes in a 16-doll haul to help Cricketers to a 4-2 win over Gladiators in the Gladiators Friday Beer Seller League. Results: Gladiators 2, Cricketers 4; Cowley Workers 3, Jolly Postboys 3; Garsington 0, Ox 6; Clare

  • GOLF: Harwood's joy

    Paul Harwood won the Six Bells Kidlington Golf Society's Kaysmet Trophy (December Stableford) at Bicester. Results: 1 P Harwood 34pts. Nearest the pin: G Parker. Longest drive: M Cooper.

  • Recycle your Christmas tree

    The county's residents are being urged to stop their old Christmas trees going to landfill and send them for recycling. In Oxford, the trees will be turned into wood chips and used in the city's parks and open spaces. Jean Fooks, Oxford City Council

  • Baby's first Christmas a joy

    A woman who suffered eight miscarriages has spoken of the joy of celebrating the first Christmas with her baby. Sarah Whitman, 37, and her husband Martin, 38, never gave up hope of having a child despite 15 years of heartbreak. The couple, of Morris

  • Opera seeks young stars

    Young singers will have the chance to exercise their vocal cords when a new opera club opens its doors. Wheatley Park School is launching the club, for 14 to 16-year-olds, in the hope of training a future Pavarotti. The aim is to overhaul the image

  • Snow 'likely to miss county'

    Gritters will be out in force on roads across the county tonight in anticipation of a big freeze - and possibly snow. Oxfordshire County Council said it would dispatch its entire fleet of 29 gritters on a salting sortie later tonight and again in the

  • Police continue hunt after knifing

    POLICE are hunting for two more suspects after a man was found in a street suffering from knife wounds. Mark Smith suffered 12 stab wounds to his head, face, abdomen and limbs, and a collapsed lung, following an assault in Oxford Road, Cowley, at about

  • Man, 26, faces burglary charges

    A 26-year-old man has been charged with three burglaries in Bicester. David Hatton, of Shackleton Drive, Bicester, was charged on Monday and has been bailed to appear at Banbury Magistrates' Court on Thursday, January 10. The charges are in connection

  • Battle to the death

    NEMESIS: THE BATTLE FOR JAPAN 1944 - 1945 MAX HASTINGS (Harper Press, £25)The controversy will ever remain over the devastating loss of life and sheer horror of the atomic bombs dropped on Hiroshima and Nagasaki. But there was a backdrop to it: the

  • More suspects sought after stabbing

    Police are hunting for two more suspects after a man was found in a street suffering from stab wounds. Mark Smith suffered 12 stab wounds to his head, face, abdomen and limbs, as well as a collapsed lung, following an assault in Oxford Road, Cowley,

  • The green plants of home

    Watching the roots of hyacinths grow in water has been a source of fascination for more than 100 years, as this painting by Victorian artist Edward Prentis shows. It is one of the delightful illustrations in Potted History: The Story of Plants in the

  • Anguish in New Orleans

    THE TIN ROOF BLOWDOWN James Lee Burke (Orion £12.99)Once you get the hang of the argot and the complicated, violent plot of James Lee Burke's 16th novel featuring Dave Robicheaux, you will agree that it is his most gripping and most moving tribute to

  • Woman threated with crowbar by robbers

    A woman was threatened with a crowbar by robbers posing as would-be buyers of a motorcycle. Three men knocked on the door of a home in Bourton, near Shrivenham, at around 1pm on Saturday asking about a bike for sale. The woman tried to get rid of

  • Woman threatened with crowbar

    POLICE are hunting three men who broke into a house and threatened a woman with a crowbar. One of the men went upstairs to search the house at Bourton, near Shrivenham, while two men stayed downstairs. The men left about ten minutes later with £58

  • Escaped mental patient still free

    An escaped mental health patient who police warn should not be approached remains missing today. Leigh Cooper, 26 - described by police as unpredictable and volatile - disappeared from the Warneford Hospital, in Oxford, where he was a patient, on Christmas

  • Pair charged with drug smuggling

    A father and son have been charged with attempting to smuggle cocaine into Britain. Paul Clynes, 45, and Michael Clynes, 22, both from Woodfield, Ruscote, in Banbury, were charged with attempts to breach Customs and Excise laws, in relation to an attempt

  • Pair face drug smuggling charge

    A FATHER and son from Banbury have been charged with attempting to import Class-A drugs into the UK. Paul Clynes, 45, and Michael Clynes, 22, both of Woodfield, Ruscote, were jointly charged on Deember 29 with attempting to import Class-A drugs into

  • Pegasus Theatre, one of Oxford's little known treasures

    A visit to East Oxford is a must for anyone in search of an alternative cultural experience. Cowley Road has become a hub of diverse entertainment from café's to boutiques but, if you confine yourself to this street alone, you could miss some of Oxford's

  • Update: Police issue alert on patient

    A MAN with mental health problems who disappeared from an Oxford hospital on Christmas Eve is still missing. Police said Leigh Cooper, 26, could be unpredictable and volatile and should not be approached. He was a patient at the Warneford Hospital,

  • Two face murder bid charge

    TWO people have been remanded in custody over the attempted murder of a man in Cowley. Alan Wood, 45, and Tracy Hickman, 42, both of Oxford Road, Cowley, appeared at Oxford Magistrates' Court today. They are charged with the attempted murder of Mark

  • Two charged with attempted murder

    Two people have been remanded in custody charged with the attempted murder of a man in Cowley, Oxford. Alan Wood, 45, and Tracy Hickman, 42, both of Oxford Road, Cowley, appeared at Oxford Magistrates' Court this morning. They are charged with the

  • Roxy

    Roxy is a very friendly and affectionate German shepherd cross. She came into The Blue Cross Centre as she was found as a stray. She is looking for a home with experienced people who have knowledge of the breed. Roxy is currently receiving training

  • Today's local share prices (AM)

    AEA Technology 85.75 BMW 3205 Electrocomponents 206.75 Nationwide Accident Repair 112.5 Oxford Biomedica 25.5 Oxford Catalyst 147.5 Oxford Instruments 195.5 Reed Elsevier 677.25 RM 218 RPS Group 314.25 Courtesy of Redmayne Bentley, Abingdon

  • Crash victim named

    A man who died when his car crashed in Hennef Way, Banbury, early hours of New Year's Day has been named as James Alexander Dixon. Mr Dixon, 29, of Woburn Close, Banbury, was driving his black Renault Clio along Hennef Way from the M40 when he failed

  • Death-crash driver named

    A MAN who died when his car crashed in Hennef Way, Banbury, in the early hours of New Year's Day was named today. James Alexander Dixon, 29, of Woburn Close, Banbury, was driving his black Renault Clio along Hennef Way from the M40 when he failed to

  • Cabbages and Kings

    The first blow was midships, followed a second later by another, left of centre of the ribcage. I hadn’t been so convincingly winded since foolishly believing I could stop and relieve the now legendary Willie John McBride of a rugby ball as he

  • Vandals chop statue's arm off

    Vandals have chopped the right arm off Wantage's iconic King Alfred statue. The statue, which has stood in the town's Market Square for 130 years, had its right arm bearing the battleaxe cut off during the night of Sunday, December 29. This morning

  • Soldiers show off bike skills on camera

    An Army motorcyling endurance team based in Oxfordshire is using dramatic footage from cameras mounted on its riders’ helmets to attract new recruits. The Royal Logistic Corps Enduro Team, based at Dalton Barracks, in Abingdon, has competed

  • Police review Bhutto security

    POLICE have met security experts at MI5 over plans for the son of assassinated Pakistani politician Benazir Bhutto to return to Oxford. Bilawal Bhutto Zardari, 19, took over as the leader of the opposition Pakistan People's Party after his mother was

  • Road death toll halved

    DEATHS on Oxfordshire's roads fell by half last year, from 2006's horrific total of 68. But while road safety campaigners were happy to see the fall, they still believed most of the crashes which claimed 34 lives in 2007 could have been prevented.

  • Trains author returns home

    A former steam train worker returned to his home town to sign copies of his book about life on the railways. Grandfather-of-two Patrick Kelly shared his memories with fellow train enthusiasts during a book signing at WHSmith in Didcot. The 63-year-old

  • Trains author returns home

    A former steam train worker returned to his home town to sign copies of his book about life on the railways. Grandfather-of-two Patrick Kelly shared his memories with fellow train enthusiasts during a book signing at WHSmith in Didcot last Saturday.

  • 'Be on your guard against bogus callers'

    HOUSEHOLDERS are being urged to protect themselves from bogus callers - by remaining extra vigilant. Although the number of distraction burglaries in the Bicester police sector, is down, compared to the same period last year, police in the town are

  • Audience jams in for dancers

    A STREET dancing group is hoping to kick-start interest in contemporary performing arts after staging a successful Christmas show. Hundreds of people crammed into Cheney School hall in Oxford to watch cutting-edge dance performances by members of

  • Play plan for garden centre

    THE Hilltop Garden and Leisure Centre, at Witney Road, Ramsden, is applying for planning permission to use some of its site to provide an animal and farm attraction area and a children's play space.

  • Mum tells of little miracle

    The mother of a “miracle boy” born four months premature who was not predicted to live into 2009 is looking forward to bringing him home for the first time. Eighteen-week-old Jardell weighed just 2lb when he was born at Oxford’s John Radcliffe Hospital

  • Auctioneers plan new office

    MALLAMS, one of the oldest fine art auctioneers in the country, plans to extend its network of offices in Oxford and the Cotswolds with new premises in Abingdon. A new auction saleroom and adjoining estate agency offices will open early in January

  • Road death toll is halved

    Deaths on Oxfordshire's roads fell by half last year, from 2006's horrific total of 68. But while road safety campaigners were happy to see the fall, they still believed most of the crashes which claimed 34 lives in 2007 could have been prevented. Those

  • 'Think green in 2009'

    People in Oxford are being urged to consider the environment when clearing up after the Christmas and New Year revelry. Oxford City Council will be providing 17 recycling points across the city where old Christmas trees can be taken and turned into wood