Archive

  • FOOTBALL: Abingdon lose at home

    Abingdon Utd 0, Paulton Rovers 2 A below par second-half showing consigned Abingdon United to a home defeat in BGB Southern League Division 1 South & West last night. Defences dominated the first half, but Abingdon had the better chances On 15

  • York City 0, Oxford Utd 1 (15/04)

    Eddie Anaclet grabbed only his second goal of the season to help Oxford United to a fourth win in five away games. The right-sided midfielder capitalised on not the best piece of goalkeeping from 18-year-old Josh Mimms to volley in from nine yards in

  • Driver 'sure' he saw carjacker

    A passer-by who witnessed a carjacking told a jury at Oxford Crown Court he was 100 per cent sure the man who carried out the attack was Anthony Joyce. Joyce, 20, of Old Abingdon Road, in Oxford, denies robbing Stuart Johnson at knifepoint in January

  • Ferry faces hunt charge

    Countryside campaigner Otis Ferry, 25, has been charged with attacking and robbing two hunt saboteurs. The son of rock star Bryan Ferry is alleged to have pulled a video camera from the hands of two women during the hunt. The women were monitoring

  • Yobs defecate in church

    Church leaders have expressed their disgust at vandals who defecated in a pulpit and spread the mess on to stained glass windows. The doors at St Edburg's Church, in Church Street, Bicester, now have to be bolted following the attack. Yobs went inside

  • 'Fire was accident'

    The defence barrister of a man accused of murdering two people by burning down the derelict house where they were sleeping suggested at Oxford Crown Court the blaze may have been started accidentally. James Cox, 63, of no fixed abode, denies killing

  • Bikers launch Boorman's new trip

    THE M40 in Oxfordshire was busier than usual this morning when hundreds of bikers assembled to ride with two-wheeled adventurer Charley Boorman. Enthusiasts gathered at the Cherwell Valley Services, off Junction 10, near Ardley, to wish Mr Boorman

  • Appeal leads to new boatyard fight

    PEOPLE in Oxford said they would continue their fight to block a new block of flats after developers announced they were to appeal against planning refusal. In December, Oxford City Council rejected plans by Spring Residential to build 54 flats on

  • FOOTBALL: Wootton stay up in style

    Wotton & Dry Sandford confirmed their North Berks League Division 1 status for next season with an emphatic 5-0 win at Saxton Rovers, despite missing two penalties. Tommy Cooke's cross gave Tom Srawley the chance to head home the first goal, then Cooke

  • FOOTBALL: Sutton's late goal seal place in the final

    A dramatic goal in the dying minutes of extra time took holders Ardington & Lockinge into the North Berks Cup final following a 2-1 semi-final victory over Kingsclere In the final, they will take on Faringdon, who battled past Division 1 rivals Harwell

  • Bikers launch epic trip

    The M40 in Oxfordshire was busier than usual this morning when hundreds of bikers assembled to ride with two-wheeled adventurer Charley Boorman. Enthusiasts gathered at Cherwell Valley Services in Ardley, near Bicester, to wish Mr Boorman luck on his

  • Struggling museum ‘needs a vision’

    Loss-making Cogges Museum in Witney cannot live on the past and needs a new vision for the future. That is the message from a leading museum expert, Roy Brigden, keeper of the Museum of English Rural Life. As the owners, Oxfordshire County Council

  • FOOTBALL: Danny is supersub

    Supersub Danny Williams stunned Stonesfield with the last kick of the game as Rover Cowley stretched their lead at the top of the Oxfordshire Senior League Premier Division to seven points with a 1-0 victory. In a mediocre game, there were few clear-cut

  • FOOTBALL: Duo make the difference

    Substitutes Danny Evans and Danny Burrows inspired Kidlington Old Boys to a 5-1 victory at Long Crendon in Division 1 of the Oxfordshire Senior League. Gareth Davies opened the scoring from the penalty spot midway through the first half after Crendon

  • Snowboarding amputee wins medals

    Amputee Carl Murphy has saluted his prosthetic leg after it helped him win two medals at an international snowboarding competition. The 28-year-old has just returned from Colorado, where he bagged silver bronze medals in the disabled section of the

  • SCHOOLS' FOOTBALL: Vale are record-breakers

    Vale of White Horse returned from the ESFA Under 14 Isle of Wight Festival with a 100 per cent record - for the fourth consecutive year. No other association in the country has achieved that long unbeaten run. The achievement was even more remarkable

  • SCHOOLS' FOOTBALL: Bogey strikes again

    Vale of White Horse Under 11 were heading for a 100 per cent record in the ESFA Festival at North Tyneside until they facey bogey team South Northumberland in their final match. A strong second-half strike past Vale keeper Eddie Cavanagh sealed a 1-

  • YOUTH FOOTBALL: Hooky on cloud nine

    Giles Sports Witney Youth League Hook Norton wrapped up the Under 12 B League title in style as they eased to a 9-0 victory over Bardwell. Vikram Khela led the way with a hat-trick, while there were also braces for Alex Plant, Jon Hunt and Alex Gilkes

  • Appeal sparks new boatyard fight

    Residents in Oxford said they would continue their fight to block a new block of flats after developers announced they are to appeal against planning refusal. In December, Oxford City Council rejected plans by Spring Residential to build 54 flats on

  • Today's local share prices (PM)

    AEA Technology 66.75 BMW 2749 Electrocomponents 184.25 Nationwide Accident Repair 127 Oxford Biomedica 21.75 Oxford Catalyst 166 Oxford Instruments 209 Reed Elsevier 647.75 RM 200 RPS Group 308.25 Courtesy of Redmayne Bentley, Abingdon

  • Efit released of alley attacker

    This is the face of a man wanted in connection with an assault on a teenage girl. A 15-year-old was walking down an alleyway, just off the Challow Road, Wantage, when a man followed her. He held her arm and attempted to kiss her, but she managed to

  • Who owns this 'no-man's land'?

    A well-used gateway into Oxford is littered with rubbish, broken glass and surrounded by a dilapidated fence - but no-one seems sure who is responsible for the eyesore. The stretch of land runs along Botley Road towards the city centre from the junction

  • In good humour

    OXFORDSHIRE author Christina Jones has been shortlisted for Best Comedy Romance for her book Heaven Sent. Born in Oxford, Ms Jones grew up near Didcot, where she still lives. She started her career as an author by writing a humorous column for The

  • In good humour!

    Oxfordshire author Christina Jones has been shortlisted for Best Comedy Romance for her book Heaven Sent. Born in Oxford, Ms Jones grew up near Didcot, where she still lives. She started her career as an author by writing a humorous column for The

  • Tucking in

    Haute cuisine is not the first thing that springs to mind when you talk about Army rations. But one Kidlington Territorial Army chef - and Sainsbury's butcher - has been doing his best to prove otherwise. Lance Corporal Frankie Fathers, 52, joined

  • Trust led to diamond marriage

    Diamond wedding couple Don and Win Royce put their successful marriage down to trusting one another. The couple, from Margaret Close, Bicester, celebrated their anniversary on Thursday with a family meal at The Littlebury Hotel in King's End. The

  • St George's Day events planned

    Hundreds of people of all ages are expected to turn out this weekend for St George's Day events across Oxfordshire. On Sunday in Oxford, more than 200 members of the Oxford Spires Scout District will hold their annual parade through the streets. Starting

  • FOOTBALL: Thomas steers Robin Hood to cup glory

    Autotype UTV League Chris Thomas was the hero as Robin Hood beat Didcot Casuals 1-0 to retain the Ridgeway Cup in a cracking final at Wantage Town, writes TIM SIRET. Thomas scored the only goal in an edgy first half. Darren Tasker's right wing cross

  • No question of stopping for Stoppard

    Tom Stoppard is another fine playwright with a love of nicotine. Simon Gray provides an amusing account in The Last Cigarette of a mismanaged meeting between the two of them in a New York restaurant which Stoppard had found possessed a 'little room' where

  • FOOTBALL: Hat-trick hero Gareth wins it for Northway

    Marston's Oxford Sunday League Gareth Williams scored four minutes into injury time as Northway beat Cold Arbour Res 4-3 to win the Jack Sadler Cup. Williams outpaced the Arbour defence to lob home and complete his hat-trick in a pulsating final.

  • Simon shows that he's not a quitter

    As one who managed to end a three-packets-a-day addiction to cigarettes on reaching the age of 40, I am naturally sympathetic to anyone engaging in a fight with nicotine. That said, playwright Simon Gray rather tries one's patience in a new book chronicling

  • Tanya focuses on addiction

    Am I Normal? (BBC2) was a question posed by clinical psychologist Dr Tanya Byron. Of course, Tanya isn't 'normal' because she's a TV celebrity. She made her name as an expert on child behaviour in Little Angels and The House of Tiny Tearaways, and also

  • Hollybush, Corn Street, Witney

    As I have mentioned here before, Stagecoach's admirable 100 bus service has had the effect of transforming Witney into a suburb of Oxford. Whereas one once needed to set aside the best part of a day to visit the town (I know from 35 years of going to

  • Prawn Jalfrezi recipe — serves two

    This is one of the excellent recipes that Pat Chapman demonstrated at Aziz Pandesia during the Oxford Literary Festival. It took him just seven minutes to cook, and we all agreed it was absolutely delicious. YOU WILL NEED: 9oz (250g) cooked small

  • Expert Pat shows us how to curry flavour

    A glorious aroma of exotic spices filled the air as we walked into the Aziz Pandesia Restaurant, beside Oxford's Folly Bridge and conveniently close to Christ Church, where the Oxford Literary Festival was taking place. I was there to meet Pat Chapman

  • Man assaulted schoolgirl

    POLICE today appealed for help in tracing a man after a schoolgirl was assaulted in Wantage. A 15-year-old girl was walking home from school on March 17 when she was assaulted by a man. As she walked down the alleyway just off the Challow Road at around

  • Street Kings and In Bruges

    Writer-director David Ayer has certainly found his groove - gritty crime thrillers about morally tainted cops who bend the law to compensate for an imperfect legal system - but he's in danger of getting stuck in it. Having previously penned screenplays

  • Rescue team prepare for mission

    An Oxfordshire emergency rescue team which has saved lives in disaster zones across the world hopes to continue its life-saving work in Pakistan this summer. In 2005, when an Earthquake devastated parts of south-east Asia, Oxford Mail readers helped

  • Blood Brothers, OFS Studio, Oxford

    Let me tell you a story. I have been to see a production of Blood Brothers before. It was not the musical adaptation of it in London, but a student version of it in Exeter. It was, quite simply, the worst thing I have ever seen on stage. It was hammy,

  • Happy Now? Cottesloe Theatre, London

    Lucinda Coxon's Happy Now? has been attracting rave reviews in the national press and it is easy to see why. It is both immensely funny and painfully truthful, with scenes that make you wince with recognition. The action and the dialogue have a spontaneity

  • Afropean Choir and Blackbird Leys Choir, Ashmolean Museum

    As part of the new Oxfringe Festival, two Oxford choirs came together at the Ashmolean Museum to take us on an exciting and diverse musical journey. First up was the Afropean Choir, a dynamic group of around two dozen singers, who performed a selection

  • London Assurance, Watermill Theatre, Bagnor, near Newbury

    We are glutted with farces," complained Charles Mathew of Covent Garden. "What we want nowadays is a good five-act comedy of modern life." Playwright Dion Boucicault duly obliged, and produced the first of his many hits, London Assurance. The play is

  • Thomas Gould and John Reid, Holywell Music Room

    he F-A-E Sonata is quite a Liquorice Allsorts work. Three composers, Dietrich, Schumann, and Brahms got together to compose it as a birthday present for famed violinist Joseph Joachim. Joachim had to play the sonata at sight, and he also had to guess

  • Dad's Army, New Theatre, Oxford

    Conceived for the small screen, that hilarious comedy series Dad's Army is this week being seen on the wide stage at Oxford's New Theatre. Here, one suspects, is a stage rather wider than those being encountered by the company elsewhere on its tour. How

  • FOOTBALL: Brilliant Brize hammer Hailey

    Witney & District FA Leaders Brize Norton took another huge stride towards the Premier Division title as they beat Hailey 6-2,. John Smales led the way, scoring a hat-trick, with Jez Morgan adding a brace. Chris Marshall added No 6, with brothers

  • FOOTBALL: On-song Hethe given a lifeline

    Banbury District & Lord Jersey FA Another gritty effort from Hethe brought them a 4-1 triumph at Arncott to give themselves a chance of beating the drop from the Premier Dvision. When Arncott took a first-half lead, there looked to be only one winner

  • FOOTBALL: Jennings treble sees Hinksey to cup triumph

    RT Harris Oxford City FA AFC Hinksey lifted the Premier Cup in emphatic style with a 9-0 thumping of Fairview in the final in front of a crowd of more than 100 at Rover Cowley. Fairview were missing key players, but still held their own in the first

  • Bricks thrown at cars on A40

    CHILDREN armed with bricks and logs could be seconds away from causing a fatal crash on a busy dual carriageway near Oxford. In just three days, a car and a lorry passing underneath a flyover on the A40 at Wheatley were targeted by youths above.

  • Bricks and logs thrown at moving cars

    Children armed with bricks and logs could be seconds away from causing a fatal crash on a busy dual carriageway near Oxford. In just three days, a car and a lorry passing underneath a flyover on the A40 at Wheatley were targeted by youths above. Police

  • Courteous drivers

    We wish to thank all the courteous drivers who acknowledged and made way for our friend, and riding buddy, Mathew Melly, on his last journey from Witney to Oxford Crematorium on Thursday afternoon. It was good to see so many people pay their respects

  • Let them whinge

    SIMON Stone suggests that pensioners should stop whingeing about problems with their bus passes (Oxford Mail, April 10). Let them whinge if they want to - they have been around longer than I have, and have seen more cockups by the council than I have

  • Join in the fun

    Further to your article on this year's new-style Lord Mayor's Parade and Picnic in Oxford, I would like to extend a warm invitation to all your readers to come along on Monday, May 26 and join in the parade through the city and/or the picnic in Hinksey

  • Poor darlings

    I read that Labour deputy leader Harriet Harman is going to sneak in a new law, at the EU's polite request, that if you call somebody 'darling' or 'my duck' etc, you will find yourself in court, even if the person you were talking to is not offended.

  • Dug up again

    It could only happen on our roads. Hollow Way, Cowley, Oxford, was widened late last year and now some bright spark has ordered the same bit of road to be dug up. There seems to be no apparent reason as the hole that is now in the road has not been

  • A positive view of our budget

    I am sorry that, in a desperate attempt to prop up the chances of Labour candidates in May's local elections, county councillor Barbara Gatehouse misrepresents the intentions of the Conservative group's budget (Oxford Mail, April 5). Unfortunately,

  • Girl arrested over abduction claim

    A teenage girl has been arrested by police investigating a reported abduction by a gang of men. Police were alerted to reports a girl was dragged into a red sports car in Dunnock Way, Blackbird Leys, Oxford, on Sunday, April 6. It was then claimed

  • Girl held on kidnap claim

    A TEENAGE girl has been arrested by police investigating a reported abduction by a gang of men. Police were alerted to reports a girl was dragged into a red sports car in Dunnock Way, Blackbird Leys in Oxford, on Sunday, April 6. It was then alleged

  • Hunt campaigner charged

    Countryside campaigner Otis Ferry has been charged with attacking and robbing two hunt saboteurs who were trying to film him. The 25-year-old son of rock star Bryan Ferry is alleged to have pulled a video camera from the hands of two women during the

  • Ferry faces hunt charge

    COUNTRYSIDE campaigner Otis Ferry has been charged with attacking and robbing two hunt saboteurs who were trying to film him at his sport. The 25-year-old son of rock star Bryan Ferry is alleged to have pulled a video camera from the hands of two women

  • Biomedica board in major shake-up

    The board of a pioneering biotech firm is undergoing a major shake-up with its co-founder retiring from her senior role. Professor Susan Kingsman will step down from her position as chief scientific officer and executive director of Oxford Biomedica

  • Boy charged over van theft

    A 17-year-old boy has been charged in connection with the theft of van which crashed into a wall in Botley, Oxford. The teenager, who is from Oxford, has been charged with burglary, aggravated vehicle taking, and driving without a licence. He has

  • Teenager charged after van crash

    A TEENAGER has been charged in connection with the theft of van which crashed into a wall in Botley. The 17-year-old, who is from Oxford, has been charged with burglary, aggravated vehicle taking, and driving without a licence. He has been released

  • Lemondheads confirmed for Truck

    ORGANISERS of Oxfordshire music festival Truck have confirmed indie rockers The Lemonheads will be headlining this year's festival. The American band, fronted by Evan Dando, will headline the Saturday night of the two-day festival at Hill Farm in Steventon

  • Today's local share prices (AM)

    AEA Technology 68.5 BMW 2711 Electrocomponents 182.5 Nationwide Accident Repair 127 Oxford Biomedica 21.75 Oxford Catalyst 166 Oxford Instruments 209 Reed Elsevier 648.25 RM 200 RPS Group 306.75 Courtesy of Redmayne Bentley, Abingdon

  • He's a gonner

    The Chelsea scenario is an interesting one. Replacing Jose Mourinho was an impossible job for anyone - and I mean absolutely anyone. Whoever was appointed the next Chelsea manager was also going to be living in his shadow, and the fans would never accept

  • Acne drug under the spotlight

    Scientists at an Oxfordshire biotech firm have made a breakthrough in the treatment of acne. Experts at Summit, based at Milton Park, near Didcot, have developed a new drug which has been found to cut the production of sebum, a fatty substance produced

  • Hospital waits 'among shortest'

    PATIENTS in Oxfordshire have among the shortest waiting times in the country after hospitals reached a Government target ahead of schedule. The reduction in waiting times means that the trust has achieved the national 18-week referral-to-treatment target

  • Lemonheads set for Truck

    Organisers of Oxfordshire music festival Truck have confirmed indie rockers The Lemonheads will be headlining this year's festival. The American band, fronted by Evan Dando, will headline the Saturday night of the two-day festival at Hill Farm in Steventon

  • Increase in number of prisoners who self-harm

    The number of inmates who harm themselves in Oxfordshire prisons has climbed by 60 per cent in four years, it was claimed. Research published by prison charity the Howard League for Penal Reform showed there were 167 recorded incidents of self-harm

  • Hospital waiting times reduced

    Patients in Oxfordshire now have among the shortest waiting times in the country after hospitals reached a Government target ahead of schedule. The reduction in waiting times means that the trust has achieved the national 18-week referral-to-treatment

  • Friends pay tribute to racing star

    THE motor racing world paid tribute at a memorial yesterday for former racing driver David Leslie, who was killed in a plane crash. About 500 friends and relatives attended the service in Dumfries for British Touring Car Championship star Leslie,

  • No escort for troops' bodies

    THE police have apologised for not providing escorts for dead servicemen's hearses travelling through Oxfordshire. And a former city policeman said the failing made him "ashamed" to have represented the force. Thames Valley Police Chief Constable

  • Cyclist hurt

    A CYCLIST broke her ankle yesterday after she was involved in a collision with a car in the grounds of Templeton College, Kennington. The 54-year-old, from the Radley area, was taken to Oxford's John Radcliffe Hospital by ambulance after she became

  • Indira's final words

    THE boyfriend of Ecuador coach crash victim Indira Swann was last night heading home to Didcot. Harry Felton, 19, was flying back from the Far East to be consoled by his family, who have been left shell-shocked by the news. Four teenagers and a

  • Flood defences 'waste of money'

    FLOOD victims have reacted angrily after being told that protecting their homes from rising water is "ultimately" down to them. Insurance firm Norwich Union claims 95 per cent of people hit by floods last summer have not taken measures since then

  • Shock as pub set to close

    REGULARS have been angered by plans to close an Oxford city centre pub which has been serving drinkers for almost 200 years. The Gloucester Arms, in Friars Entry, near Gloucester Green, is a popular haunt with bikers and heavy metal fans and is renowned

  • Shock as the Rock is set to close

    Regulars have been angered by plans to close an Oxford city centre pub which has been serving drinkers for almost 200 years. The Gloucester Arms, in Friars Entry, near Gloucester Green, is a popular haunt with bikers and heavy metal fans and is renowned

  • Flood defences 'waste of money'

    Flood victims have reacted angrily after being told that protecting their homes from rising water is "ultimately" down to them. Insurance firm Norwich Union claims 95 per cent of people hit by floods last summer have not taken measures since then to

  • Bus shelter plan splits town

    WOODSTOCK'S historic town centre is not the right place for an unsightly bus shelter, according to town councillors. But more than 100 passengers have signed a petition urging them to think again on behalf of people who have to wait in the wind and

  • Names sought for new city roads

    SUGGESTIONS are being taken for the names of three new roads on an Oxford estate. More than 250 new houses in Rose Hill will be built over the next four years, meaning new access routes will be needed - and residents will help name them. A well-attended

  • Theatre cash

    THE Theatre at Chipping Norton is to be given £30,000 by West Oxfordshire District Council's cabinet. The money comes on top of a grant of £40,000 from Arts Council England, for a fundraising strategy and "audience development initiatives" rather

  • All-action break for estate children

    ACTIVE young people on an Oxford estate held a football tournament and barbecue to toast a grant from the city council. Wood Farm Youth Club was given a grant of almost £1,000 to put on a daily programme of sports and events for 11 to 18-year-olds

  • Busy at school despite holiday

    OXFORD Community School has its fingers crossed for this summer's GCSE results after an Easter holiday of swotting. Pupils from the school in East Oxford volunteered a week of their holiday to attend daily revision sessions in a run up to this year's

  • Indie's final words of love

    The devastated boyfriend of Ecuador coach crash victim Indira Swann was last night heading home to Didcot. Harry Felton, 19, was flying back from the Far East to be consoled by his family, who have been left shell-shocked by the news. Four teenagers

  • Show respect

    It is scandalous that we have failed to show respect to our dead servicemen and women by giving them a police escort through Oxfordshire. This is the least they deserve after sacrificing their lives in the war zones of Iraq and Afghanistan. We welcome

  • You sort out the problem

    It is a classic case of passing the buck. The Environment Agency and councils tell people in flood-ravaged areas of Oxfordshire that there is not much they can, or are willing to do, to help them. It is up to them to provide their own flood protection

  • Late debut

    AN OPERA written 300 years ago is to get its first performance in Britain at Garsington Opera in June. Vivaldi's L'incoronazione di Dario has been prepared by the Vivaldi Institute in Italy specially for the Garsington production. The opera tells

  • Underground map to Oxford's pubs

    ONE of the world's most iconic and recognisable maps has been reproduced with an Oxford angle. The world-famous London Underground schematic has been transformed to a handy guide to finding all of the city's drinking establishments. It is the 11th