Sex and the City actress Kim Cattrall, who plays man-eater Samantha Jones in the hit US television series, is speaking at the Oxford Union tomorrow. She will address members of the debating club at its Frewin Court home at 8.30pm. The event is for Union
A 23-year-old man who attacked a kebab shop worker and left him needing six stitches was today jailed for two years. Oxford Crown Court heard that Craig McKiernan, of Park Road, Didcot, provoked the man by stealing his keys after a confrontation in the
With its three championship courses, Frilford Heath, near Abingdon, is arguably Oxfordshire's best-known club. o And just two years after being founded, celebrated golf writer Bernard Darwin described Frilford as "A wonderful oasis in a desert of mud
FREE Internet access has been introduced to parts of Abingdon in a bid to attract more visitors to its town centre. Abingdon Town Council is eager to stop people in their tracks as they pass through the area, and is today launching the online scheme
DRIVERS using ten of Oxford's off-street car parks will soon be able to call a new phone system so they don't have to carry change to pay-and-display. From Monday, the RingGo system is being installed at the city council-run car parks, including Gloucester
TWO of Oxford's swimming pools will be closed for most of the weekend so staff can be sent to work at Hinksey Pool. Peers Sports Centre and Blackbird Leys Swimming Pool have cancelled all public swimming sessions this weekend, although pre-booked lessons
Free internet access has been introduced to parts of Abingdon in a bid to attract more visitors to its flagging town centre. Abingdon Town Council is eager to stop people in their tracks as they pass through the area, and is today launching the on-line
The director of a west Oxfordshire company has been ordered to pay £6,000 costs and banned from being a company director for five years after a prosecution by the Environment Agency. Thomas Smyth, of Solihull, Birmingham, sole director of Selectface
Feeding more than 1,600 Bangladeshis left homeless by a devastating cyclone was not enough for Oxford chef Muhammad Ali. Mr Ali, a chef at Karma Restaurant in Oxford Road, spent most of April in the impoverished country cooking meals for those worst-hit
Oxford United's planned pre-season game against the national team of Guinea has been put on hold. The U's were due to fly out to the west African nation for a game in the capital city, Conakry, on July 13 but the game has been postponed due to international
Victims of last summer's floods in Oxfordshire are reeling after learning they are to get much less compensation from the European Union than originally thought. Councils across the UK had expected to receive £110m from the EU's solidarity fund - a
A TROUPE of belly dancers are set to perform in the annual Lord Mayor's parade in Oxford. Up to 30 belly dancers from across Oxfordshire - aged between 16 and 80 - will join the parade, stopping along the route to show off stheir steps during the event
Drivers using 10 of Oxford's off-street car parks will soon be able to call a new phone system so they don't have to carry change to pay-and-display. From Monday, the RingGo system is being installed at the city council-run car parks, including Gloucester
Two of Oxford's swimming pools will be closed for most of the weekend so staff can be sent to work at Hinksey Pool. Peers Sports Centre and Blackbird Leys Swimming Pool have cancelled all public swimming sessions for today and Sunday, although pre-booked
MOTORISTS heading for London this evening were warned to beware of long delays after a crash on the M40. The four-vehicle collision happened on the southbound carriageway between junctions 2 and 1A. It happened shortly after 2pm and police said
Teenager Staci Beevor is the envy of youngsters at Witney's Base 33 youth centre with her third trip to Africa. Staci, 18, is one of just 12 people from across the country chosen for a free 10-week stay in Ghana. She has already spent a short time
A VILLAGE with just 800 residents is to stage its first arts festival. Organisers at Leafield have booked Inspector Morse author Colin Dexter and former Goodies star and comedian Graeme Garden to make appearances, and are also laying on a heavy metal
People across Oxford are taking the plunge and splashing out at the city's only open air swimming pool. Hinksey Pool, in Hinksey Park, off Abingdon Road, has opened for the summer - and swimmers are jumping at the chance to cool off. Leisure facility
A LANDLORD has been fined £500 for failing to supply correct information. Banbury magistrates heard that Sikander Hayat, 35, of East Street, Banbury, did not comply with a notice served under section 235 of the Housing Act 2004 which required him to
A group of Tesco trainee managers from across the country put the superstore's slogan Every Little Helps into action by spending a day helping to clear the churchyard at SS Mary and John Church, in Cowley Road, East Oxford, as part of the annual Tesco
A village with just 800 residents is to stage its first arts festival. Organisers at Leafield have booked Inspector Morse author Colin Dexter and former Goodies star and comedian Graeme Garden to make appearances, and are also laying on a heavy metal
Oxfordshire girls struggled in wet conditions as they were beaten by five wickets against Hampshire at Kingston Bagpuize in the ECB Under 13 County League. The visitors won the toss and unsurprisingly put Oxfordshire in to bat. And they capitalised
A fundraiser for Pegasus Theatre's major redevelopment programme Building The Future, held last month, brought in £2960 through ticket sales. Something Old Something New featured artists well known to regular Pegasus audiences. Twenty or so acts performed
PEOPLE across Oxford are taking the plunge and splashing out at the city's only open air swimming pool. Hinksey Pool, in Hinksey Park, off Abingdon Road, has opened for the summer - and swimmers are jumping at the chance to cool off. Leisure
John Mason (Abingdon) are celebrating after netting a brace of national basketball titles. oThe schools teams - known as The Ggiants - triumphed at under 16 and under 19 in the English Schools' Competition at Nottingham. The under 16s set the ball
Gosford Hill (Kidlington) boasted an undefeated record to be crowned Oxfordshire Under 14 girls champions. They overcame Bartholomew (Eynsham), Cherwell (Oxford), St Gregory the Great (Oxford), Wheatley Park and Wood Green (Witney) to take the title
A TEAM of street cleaners who keep Oxford's pathways clean of syringes, vomit and excrement have been nominated for a top award. Oxford City Council's Area A town centre cleansing unit have been nominated for Team of the Year at the National Council
Magdalen College School (Oxford) captured a staggering seven individual boys' titles at the MegaFinals of the UK Chess Challenge tournament at Oxford Community School. Daniel Rey (under 17), Jeffrey Levicki (under 16), Matthew Daggitt (under 15), Nathan
It's good to have Labour back in power in Oxford. Congratulations to Labour councillors who won. People in Oxford will see a difference with Labour in charge. There will be people who disagree, but in future, they will see the good Labour are doing
Henry Box (Witney) found Warwick too powerful in cricket's David English Under 13 Cup first round, going down by 101 runs. The unbeaten hosts rattled up 179-6 off their 30 overs, with Liam Hare leading the Henry Box attack with two wickets. He also
Through your paper, I would like to thank the lady who stopped and helped me on Monday, April 28, when my car broke down on the Newbury Road, near the Wyevale Garden Centre. ERNEST LEE Garth Road Didcot
I write in connection with your report about the proposal to reduce the number of London coaches travelling along High Street, Oxford (Oxford Mail, May 3). Colleges claim that students have to "endure 24-hour noise and pollution". Have they forgotten
People across Oxford are taking the plunge and splashing out at the city's only open air swimming pool. Hinksey Pool, in Hinksey Park, off Abingdon Road, has opened for the summer - and swimmers are jumping at the chance to cool off. Leisure facility
St Edward's enjoyed an impressive five-wicket win over MCC at their Oxford ground. Batting first, MCC made 217-7 dec off 51 overs, despite the efforts of Paddy Bates, who took 3-69. Teddies reply owed much to an emphatic innings of 81 by Jay Webster
A crack team of street cleaners who keep Oxford's pathways clean of syringes, vomit and excrement have been nominated for a top award. Oxford City Council's Area A town centre cleansing unit have been nominated for Team of the Year at the National Council
People across Oxfordshire are being asked to get out their tea cups and start baking cakes and biscuits for a massive fundraising tea party. East Oxford hospice charity Helen and Douglas House, in Magdalen Road, is relaunching its Tea at 3 campaign
A sailor will embark on the challenge of a lifetime when she takes part in a race to sail across the Atlantic. On Saturday, May 24, Stephanie Hills, of Freeman Road, Didcot, will take part in the final leg of the Clipper 07-08 Round the World Race from
New father Jason Plato was the big winner at the British Touring Car Championship rounds at Donington Park. Plato, Darren Turner and Fabrizio Giovanardi shared the three victories, with the first two making history by winning races with a car powered
Drayton Leisure was the venue for the latest in Predator's Spring Carp League which was fished by 15 matchmen. Drayton is a couple of miles from Banbury and besides the fishing, also has a golf course. The lake fished quite well, with the top weight
Local specimen angler Alan Storey, from Witney, caught some huge perch from a southern pit and then broke the silver bream record on another water. Alan, who has appeared many times in these columns, fished lobworm and landed some superb perch weighing
A landlord has been fined £500 for failing to supply correct information. Banbury magistrates heard that Sikander Hayat, aged 35, of East Street, Banbury, did not comply with a notice served under section 235 of the Housing Act 2004 which required him
A 59-year-old man today admitted exposing himself on buses in Oxford. Joseph Thorne, of Bayswater Road, Barton, appeared at Oxford Crown Court to plead guilty to two counts of exposure. Thorne was given conditional bail and ordered to return
A 59-year-old man today admitted exposing himself on buses in Oxford. Joseph Thorne, of Bayswater Road, in Barton, appeared at Oxford Crown Court to plead guilty to two counts of exposure. Thorne was given conditional bail and ordered to return to
Worldwide sales of the Oxford-built Mini have taken another leap forward. Latest figures for April show 21,463 cars were delivered to customers - 17.5 per cent more than in the same month last year. For the year to the end of April, 79,680 Minis were
Wantage's Matthew Lindsay won gold at the British Judo Council English National Championships. Lindsay was one of six Oxfordshire competitors to bring back silverware, with Michael Mills from Eynsham, winning silver, and bronze medals going to Trisha
Mick Bennett gained quick revenge on Karl Walker when he won the Walt Bradbury Cup final in the Gentworks-sponsored Oxford & District Snooker League at Thame. In the previous week's Arthur Goodwin Handicap final between the pair, Walker had triumphed
Host fighters ruled the roost when Berinsfield staged their final 19-bout tournament of the campaign at the Abbey Sports Centre. o There were no fewer than nine wins for the Oxfordshire club. Ian Jenkins, of Berinsfield, and Sean Richardson served
A TEENAGER has admitted wounding with intent following a stabbing in Bicester. Simon Goodman, of Middleton Road, Bucknell, pleaded guilty to the charge at Oxford Crown Court. The 19-year-old was remanded in custody and ordered to return to the
Trainer Gloria Stringer brought the curtain down on a memorable training career by entertaining her owners and friends at a party in the Stadium's executive suites on Tuesday. It was a career that spanned 30-odd years and only ill-health has forced
POLICE are linking a series of burglaries in Faringdon. A house in Elm Road was broken into between 6.30pm on Wednesday, April 30, and 7.30am the following day. The burglar forced open a window and stole some jewellery before leaving through the back
CRAIG Simmons has been re-elected as leader of Oxford Green group. Sushila Dhall, who is also a Green county councillor, has been voted in as his deputy after Matt Sellwood stood down at last week's elections. Green newcomer Matt Morton - who lost
HUNDREDS of rail maintenance workers and cleaners are to stage a one-day strike in a row over hours and overtime. The Rail Maritime and Transport Union said 400 of its members at First Great Western would walk out on Sunday, May 18. The workers
Police are linking a spate of burglaries in Faringdon. A house in Elm Road was broken into between 6.30pm on Wednesday, April 30, and 7.30am the following morning. The burglar forced open a window and stole some jewellery before leaving through the
Two youths accused of grievous bodily harm after an alleged attack on a bus in February had their case adjourned at Oxford Youth Court. The two teenagers, aged 17 and 16, were charged in connection with an alleged attack on RAF serviceman Peter Forrest
A teenager has admitted wounding with intent following a stabbing in the town. Simon Goodman, of Middleton Road, Bucknell, pleaded guilty to the charge at Oxford Crown Court on Tuesday. The 19-year-old was remanded in custody and ordered to return
Craig Simmons has been re-elected as leader of Oxford Green group. Sushila Dhall, who is also a Green county councillor, has been voted in as his deputy after Matt Sellwood stood down at last week's elections. Green newcomer Matt Morton - who lost
AEA Technology 68.5 BMW 2886 Electrocomponents 181.5 Nationwide Accident Repair 137 Oxford Biomedica 25.25 Oxford Catalyst 169.5 Oxford Instruments 210.75 Reed Elsevier 659.5 RM 207.75 RPS Group 327 Courtesy of Redmayne Bentley, Abingdon
Owners of Saab 9-3 Convertibles may be interested to know that there is a special offer on wind deflectors at participating Saab dealers. Wind tunnel tests show that at 60mph with the top down, Saab's wind deflector reduces forward wind speed between
Whether it's families on a budget or simply those looking for a bargain, Nissan has pulled together some deals including zero per cent finance that run until the end of June across many of its car and LCV ranges. First, there's a £500 saving to be
I CONFESS my heart sank when I realised a 500-mile round trip would coincide with my time with Skoda's Roomster Scout. The quirky, compact Czech car is superb for scooting around for commuting, but would not have been my number one choice for a weekend
Every now and then I get a little bit obsessed by a particular book and all the other stories I've got on the go get put to one side. This time my obsessive behaviour started in a rather unlikely location _ WH Smith at Oxford railway station, where the
Captain Mark Phillips' eventing company will not have to fight an appeal after a council accepted the firm played no part in the death of a quadbiker at the Princess Royal's estate. Equiland Limited and its directors Timothy Clayton, of Wallingford,
Hundreds of rail maintenance workers and cleaners are to stage a one-day strike in a row over hours and overtime. The Rail Maritime and Transport Union last night said 400 of its members at First Great Western will walk out on Sunday, May 18. The
DRIVERS and passengers were treated for minor injuries today when a coach and a car collided at a busy Oxford roundabout. The accident happened shortly after 7am at the Green Road roundabout in Headington - known as the Hamburger because the London
Drivers and passengers were treated for minor injuries this morning when a coach and a car collided at Oxford's busiest roundabout. The accident happened shortly after 7am at the Green Road roundabout in Headington - known as the Hamburger because the
CAMPAIGNERS fighting for a minimum Oxford wage were celebrating after the city council decided to put its lowest-paid employees on £7 an hour. Those fighting for a rise in public sector pay want a living wage to compensate for the high cost
A NEW relief road at Pear Tree could be included in an £88m transport package to ease congestion on roads around Oxford. The link road would connect the A40 and A44 to take traffic away from the Wolvercote roundabout and roads north of the city.
VAUXHALL has released the first pictures of the new Insignia that will make its world premiere at the British International Motor Show in July. The all-wheel-drive car, which will have a choice of five engines, is a five-seater, that will initially
BURMESE people living in Oxford have spoken of their fears for loved ones and their country after a devastating cyclone struck at the weekend. Cyclone Nagris struck the heart of Burma, including its largest city, Rangoon, early on Saturday and state-run
BRITISH Transport Police have appealed for witnesses after vandals hurled a brick at a train near Wolvercote, smashing its windscreen. Police are appealing for witnesses after the 5.31pm First Great Western train from Oxford to Worcester was attacked
AN OXFORD charity is set to benefit from one of two fundraising runs taking place this weekend. Pathway Workshop, in Blackbird Leys - which offers employment and training for adults with physical and learning disabilities - will enter five teams in
METAL thieves are targeting car owners and stealing catalytic converters for the platinum inside. There have already been at least six thefts in Oxfordshire in the past three months, but others may have gone unreported. A catalytic converter can
WE can guess that a recent piece of research coming out of Oxford University will have caused a touch of domestic discomfort in thousands of homes up and down the country. For it revealed that up to a quarter of all married couples admit to snooping
A SPRINKLER system is being installed in a new £3m science block at an Oxfordshire secondary school after a policy shake-up in the light of several high-profile blazes. It is the first time such a system has been approved by County Hall leaders after
Sir - Bernard Greenberg (Letters, April 25) rightly drew attention to the landscape damage from pylons and power-lines. Hugh Jaeger's wind turbines would be far worse. Not only would be three times taller, but their (occasionally) whirling arms would
Sir - Much as I respect Peter Sloman, our new chief executive, for already improving the city council efficiency, I cannot agree with his verdict on the Westgate. In last week's issue he is quoted as saying that it will turn Oxford from a regional
Sir - I learnt some new facts this week. For instance, Oxford has had a market at the heart of the city for over a thousand years. Two hundred and twenty five years ago, John Gwynn, architect of Magdalen Bridge, designed a covered building, originally
TO celebrate Compost Awareness Week, Cherwell District Council is giving away free bags of compost. About 600 bags are up for grabs at Bodicote House, in Banbury, tomorrow from 9am to 3pm, and Exeter Hall, in Kidlington, on Sunday, May 11, 9am to 3pm
Sir - You kindly published my earlier letter for a purpose-built concert hall and arts centre to replace the most uncomfortable Sheldonian. Now we have the Jericho boatyard site, close to St Barnabas Church, which hosts smaller recitals. What an
Sir - I endorse your reader's comment (May 2) that Oxford Bus Company needs competition on its Airline route as it is sinking into complacency. The new timetable, which I suspect is mainly for the convenience of Oxford Bus Company, increases journey
Sir - I think it appalling that students diving into the River Cherwell on May Morning are still treated with such leniency (Report, May 2). As well as wasting thousands of pounds of precious NHS money, such behaviour must disrupt and traumatise the
Sir - Walking down the High at ten to six was great. A cheery crowd was converging, all a little surprised at being out at such an unusual hour. But when we got to Westgate Hotel, we could go no further. Barriers had been put up, not to stop us jumping
Congratulations to Boris Johnson on his victory in the election for London Mayor. London's gain is our loss as we shall be saying goodbye to a popular, high-profile MP. Mr Johnson has provided some entertaining news for this newspaper from time to time
Sir - Your paper wants to see all park-and-rides run on the same system. So do we. We also want to make sure that we get the best deal for Oxford in the process. And we want the influence of the city to be extended not just to park-and-ride but
Sir - So now we know. Thanks to your report of May 2, Schools under pressure to improve results, three city secondary schools are in serious difficulties. The purpose of the city re-organisation of schools was, 'to raise academic achievement' and
Citroën exhibited its new Berlingo range at the 2008 Commercial Vehicle Show before it goes on sale on June 5. The new Berlingo takes over from its predecessor, which was one of Europe's most successful light commercial vehicles, with more than 800,000
SUBARU'S new Forester has won a top safety award in the United States, scoring the highest marks for side, rear and offset frontal impact-protection. The US-market Forester has earned the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety's 2008 Top Safety Pick
A BICESTER woman has celebrated her 100th birthday. Helen Waller, known to friends as Nellie, was visited by family, received a birthday card from the Queen and enjoyed a slice of birthday cake at her home in Hertford Close. Mrs Waller, the oldest
PART of the charm and thrill of buying a new car is the smell that comes with it. Now this smell need not only be enjoyed by those lucky enough to own a new car. Motorworld's valet team has perfected the treatment they use in the valet process so
Mother-of-three Suzi Macfarlane awoke today looking forward to a bright future after her husband gave her the ultimate gift of life. Yesterday, Mrs Macfarlane, 43, underwent a seven-hour operation at the Churchill Hospital, in Oxford, to receive one
Today's remarkable story about Suzi Macfarlane and her husband John serves as a timely reminder how precious life is - and how important organ donors are. In what amounts to a husband giving his wife the invaluable gift of life, John donated one of
SEVEN-year-old Ryan Holmes was among more than 300 people who joined West Oxfordshire Sailing Club's open day to have a go at sailing, rowing, diving, pond-dipping and canoeing. The sunshine brought families out in droves and organisers say more than
THE last time I filled up, a litre of unleaded was a wallet-shredding £1.09.9. By the time you read this it will almost certainly be more. This time last year, it was 85p. Oil is now running at well over $100 a barrel, pushing up the cost of fuel.
The Jaguar X-Type has been voted as a smart choice for family car buyers looking to get the most for their money, by car price guide producer, Parkers. With used examples of the model costing less than £5,000, the highly specified and luxurious X-Type
A DEAL has been reached between Oxford City Council and bus companies over the costs of the free bus fare scheme for pensioners. The long-running dispute had cast a shadow over the city council's finances. At the heart of the disagreement was the
LABOUR is kicking off its return to power in Oxford Town Hall by targeting youth football as a key priority. Soon after celebrating victory in the local elections, the Labour group signalled that it wants to see more young people playing the beautiful
CANNABIS smokers in Oxfordshire are being warned they face a tougher crackdown from police. Home Secretary Jacqui Smith announced that cannabis would be reclassified from a class-C drug to class-B, subject to Parliamentary approval. County police
Sir - After eight years, I have decided, with great reluctance, to stand down as a councillor. It has been an enormous honour to represent the residents of Headington on Oxford City Council. I am enormously grateful that, on three occasions, the voters
Sir - How can the NOC not be given extra funding for the very specialised work they do? I have been a patient for more than 30 years. They have supported me throughout a lifetime of the ups and downs of chronic rheumatoid arthritis. They treat patients
Sir - I note in The Oxford Times that there is a serious threat to the future of the Nuffield Orthopedic Centre in Oxford. This is a wonderful hospital that is staffed by some of the finest specialists in the world. How on earth could consideration
Sir - I read with great interest the brilliant article on Dr Ann McPherson by Reg Little (Feature, May 2). Although not a patient of hers, I used to see Dr McPherson cycling to the surgery, usually in a rush, she was always cheerful. A few years ago
Sir - Keith Mitchell again dodges the issue (Letters, April 25) - where are the extra 50,000 houses to go - needed in Oxfordshire by 2025? To a new town eco or not and if so where? By extending existing towns and villages yet again? That solution
Sir - Having lived in Oxford for ten years, I was shocked to see one outside my door for the first time. They've never been seen round here before, at least not for a very long time. It would be too easy to blame one councillor, as some people have
Campaigners fighting for a minimum Oxford wage were celebrating last night after the city council decided to put its lowest paid employees on £7 an hour. Those fighting for a rise in public sector pay want a living wage to compensate for the high cost
Australia has come a long way since the first fruit-driven wines arrived here in bulk in 1985, and now a new breed of winemaker has begun to produce toned-down and subtle styles of wine that are more complex in style, while still retaining that trademark
A new relief road at Pear Tree looks set to be included in an £88m package of transport improvements to ease congestion on Oxford's clogged roads. The link road would connect the A40 and A44 to take traffic away from the Wolvercote roundabout and roads
