JIM Smith will be instrumental in the appointment of Oxford United's new manager. The Bald Eagle, the two-times former U's boss who has been appointed caretaker-manager while the search goes on for Darren Patterson's replacement, has admitted he will
THERE is an outside chance that Oxford United’s match at Mansfield on Thursday night could be hit by the weather. Field Mill groundstaff have been working hard in an attempt to ensure the game goes ahead, despite the elements. With temperatures
JAMES Clarke is ruled out of Oxford United's televised Blue Square Premier match at Mansfield tonight – Jim Smith's first as caretaker manager. But the U's have Phil Trainer and Jamie Guy available for selection again. Both players have recovered from
The parents and fiancée of a man killed in a car crash have told of their “utter shock and disbelief”at his death. Christopher Larkcom, 30, died after his car collided with a van on the B4027, between Islip and Wheatley, on Friday morning.
A 23-year-old man will appear before magistrates in Banbury tomorrow in connection with a fatal collision near Woodstock on Saturday. John Biddle, of Lockerley Way, Havant, Hampshire, has been charged with death by careless driving and causing death
Two Oxford Brookes University students have avoided expulsion after they apologised for intimidating a woman during an afternoon drinking session. Teammates at the Oxford Brookes Rugby Club have also been ordered to carry out “community service” after
Police officers have ditched lengthy stop and account forms in a bid to cut back on the amount of time they are tied up with red tape. In the past year police in Oxfordshire have filled out 10,299 of the foot-long forms – the equivalent of spending 72,000
A taxi driver sexually assaulted two women passengers in his cab, a jury heard yesterday. Oxford Crown Court heard Royal Cars driver Baber Khan made sexual comments to the women before trying to force one to perform a sex act on him and grabbing the
A gang which caused thousands of pounds’ worth of damage in drive-by shootings with a ball bearing gun has been brought to book. Six people, aged between 16 and 19, have been dealt with by magistrates for a series of offences in May this year which left
A man has been charged in connection with a fatal collision near Woodstock on Saturday. John Biddle, 23, of Lockerley Way, Havant, Hampshire, has been charged with causing death by careless driving and causing death whilst driving disqualified
The skull of an Oxford pianist will no longer be used for performances of Hamlet in London after the Royal Shakespeare Company feared it could distract audiences. The human remains of Cumnor concert pianist Andre Tchaikowsky had been used during
Former Conservative Foreign Secretary and Witney MP Douglas Hurd has paid tribute to his wife Judy, who has died at the age of 58. Lord Hurd described her as a woman who cared passionately for her friends and family, and worked hard for the community
Sherwani Wolf, trained by Mark Rimell at Leafield, near Witney, sprang a 25-1 shock on his debut at Plumpton on Wednesday.
Francis Shergold, one of the leading figures in morris dancing, has died at the age of 89. Throughout his 60 years as a dancer, he helped put his home village of Bampton in west Oxfordshire at the forefront of traditional English dancing. But he was
A “brilliant teacher” with an incredible empathy for his pupils has died aged 97. Sydney Brookfield taught maths at Southfield School, now Oxford School, from its opening in 1934 for more than 30 years. He carried on teaching privately into the 1990s
Phit Adams reeled off 16 dolls – including a six – to help Cricketers to a 4-2 win over Garsington Sports in the Gladiators Beer Seller Friday League. Dennis Richens (4, 4, 5) top-scored in the Kidlington Indoor League with 13 dolls in Kidlington Social
Paul Simpson helped England finish third in the PGAs of Europe International Team Championship at Roda in Murcia, Spain. Simpson, who lives in Witney and is the pro at West Berks, shot rounds of 70, 79, 67 and 69 as part of a 569 shot total alongside
Mellissa Standbridge and Adam Thorn starred in Dolphin B's 4-1 home win against Section 2 rivals Headington Conservative Club in the Johnson Buldbase Oxford League. Graham Mildenhall put Headington in front, but it was then one-way traffic with Thorn
OXFORD & DISTRICT SHORT MAT ASSOCIATION Blackbird Leys A 6, West Oxford 0; Harlequins 4, Hanborough B 2; Hanborough A 6, Morris Motors 0.
Restaurateur Clinton Pugh revealed how he has spent “a fortune” trying to build new homes on the site of one of Oxford’s best known restaurants. The Lemon Tree in Woodstock Road closed after five years of business in August, but for the past two years
The body of a missing man from Oxfordshire has been found in a river. Andrew Wallis, 51, was reported missing from his home in Lower End, in Ramsden, near Witney, on November 12. A body found washed up on the banks of the River Severn at Beachley
A small rural business has invested £1m in expansion and taken on more staff despite the looming recession. But Stephen and Jane Baughan, the owners of Aston Pottery in the west Oxfordshire village near Bampton, are “fulfilling a dream” they have had
Plans to sell off and relocate a controversial kickabout area in Oxford have been shelved. Over a year ago, members of Oxford City Council’s Cowley area committee agreed to close the site in Crescent Road, sell the land and relocate the facility to another
Villagers enjoyed an evening of winter festivities in Kidlington. Four children representing each of the village’s primary schools flicked the switch on the Christmas lights in High Street last night. Families turned out in force to pick
Failed asylum seekers at Campsfield House Immigration Removal Centre used the Internet to access “inappropriate content” on the web, it has emerged. A report by Her Majesty’s Inspectorate of Prisons (HMIP) revealed the centre’s 200 plus detainees
The body of a man found in the River Severn is believed to be missing man Andrew Wallis. Mr Wallis, 51, of Lower End, Ramsden, was last seen at his home address on November 12. A man’s body was recovered by Gloucestershire police at Beachley on
The most memorable book I’ve read all year was Engleby, by Sebastian Faulks (Vintage, £7.99). I’ve been a fan since his heart-stopping First World War love story Birdsong, but all his subsequent books seemed to fall short. This one continues his preoccupation
Though I have read little new fiction in 2008, I greatly enjoyed the debut novel by public relations guru (and old friend) Simon Astaire, Private Privilege (Quartet Books, £15), which supplies a thinly disguised picture of his unhappy schooldays at Harrow
Former Harwell scientist John Sandalls has written a history of National Service, drawing on his own experience in Northern Ireland. National Service Revisited, £9.99, can be ordered from bookshops or from the author at Tamara, Locks Lane, Wantage, OX12
Two great events in medieval history – the siege of Malta and the battle of Lepanto – are classically depicted by Roger Crowley in Empires of the Sea (Faber, £20), a panorama of the conflicting interests between Christendom and Islam. This is a crusading
Unquestionably, my best book of the year was Fieldwork by Mischa Berlinski (Atlantic Books, £11.99). The story concerns an American anthropologist serving a life sentence for murder in a Thai prison, and a young reporter who is obsessed with getting to
OXFORD Genome Sciences, of Milton Park, near Abingdon, has changed its name to Oxford BioTherapeutics (OBT). Chief executive Dr Christian Rohlff said: “The new name truly embodies the core strategic focus of the company on the development of successful
SCHOOLS computer company RM has won a £12m contract to provide ICT services to the London Borough of Hackney’s BSF (Building Schools for the Future) programme. The deal covers six secondary schools and four special educational needs schools, and will
Italian history features on my list this year. Italy’s Sorrow: A Year of War 1944-45 (Harper Press, £25) was a fascinating, if depressing accompaniment to a trip round Italy in April. My immigrant Italian grandfather chose to fight for the British when
Oxford University captain Peter Clarke today named eight Blues in his squad for next Thursday’s Varsity Match at Twickenham. Clarke’s line-up also includes plenty of youth with four teenagers making the grade to face Cambridge. Such is Oxford’s strength
Wallingford forwards coach Simon Henderson could not stop smiling this week after their superb victory over Reading. The 18-15 win was arguably Wallingford’s best, coming against a side who were four divisions above them in 2006. But
The decision to allow Oxford Brookes University to build a new 361-room student hall has been criticised by residents. Brookes has been granted planning permission to build the new halls, which could be four storeys high in places, on land at the junction
AEA Technology 19 BMW 1618 Electrocomponents 136.5 Nationwide Accident Repair 99.5 Oxford Biomedica 6.1 Oxford Catalyst 118.5 Oxford Instruments 128.5 Reed Elsevier 533.5 RM 155.5 RPS Group 114.25 Courtesy of Redmayne Bentley, Abingdon
Ethical entrepreneur Claire Watt-Smith has been named as one of the top young business people in the country. Ms Watt-Smith, 25, who runs fashion and giftware company BoBelle from her home in Yarnton, has been voted one of the Future 100 Young
A boxing club has received help with its £200,000 bid to build a gym. Abingdon Town Amateur Boxing Club, which currently trains at Dalton Barracks, was last month given a cheque for £1,700 towards its fundraising attempt. The money was raised during
An organisation championing the rights of pedestrians has called on residents to say no to pavement parking in East Oxford. Consultation is currently under way on plans to introduce permit parking in the Divinity Road and Magdalen Road areas of the
Cambridge captain Jon Dawson has named six Blues in his starting XV, along with former Australian international lock Dan Vickerman. Their build up has not been as smooth as Oxford’s, with the Light Blues suffering heavy defeats to the Ospreys, Saracens
Banbury Under 11s ran out comfortable 26-0 winners over Buckingham in freezing conditions at Bodicote Park. Prop Toby Chapman, lock George Ding, wing Oliver Roberts and scrum half Jack Taylor scored the tries with Taylor adding three conversions. OTHER
Hundreds of trees are being planted across Oxford to mark National Tree Week. A total of 268 trees are being planted across the city, including 38 which were planted in South Park on Tuesday with the help of schoolchildren from East Oxford
Picture this. You are the sixth generation member of a family that has run a firm for 176 years. You take over as chief executive and nurse the business through good times and bad. Then you sell it — only to see the administrators called into the premises
Firstof all, let’s get this straight. Early next year we’ll be taking a look at how to enjoy a weekend away in London on a shoestring (if you still have a shoestring left, that is). Because, let’s face it, who wants to live it up during February
A generous grandmother has boosted a cash appeal for a community minibus with a £400 donation. The Wheatley grandmother, who does not wish to be named, donated the money after reading about the fundraising efforts of a group of retired people in the
Oxford-born marathon runner Mara Yamauchi received the coveted Achilles Club medal from athletics legend Sir Roger Bannister yesterday, and then highlighted next year’s London Marathon as her next big target. The award, which is only presented
Steve Kimber ended the 2008 Grand Prix road race season with a magnificent victory at the Maylarch Eynsham 10K on Sunday. Kimber, running for his first-claim club, Windsor, Slough, Eton & Hounslow, clocked 32mins 23secs in bitterly cold
Oxford City’s Hannah England has been called up for the Norwich Union Great Britain & Northern Ireland under 23 team that will compete at the SPAR European Cross Country Championships in Brussels, Belgium, on December 14. England earned the call up
A sign promoting Mr Clutch jumped out at me, so to speak, as I was cycling down the Cowley Road a few days ago. The name of the business reminded me of a story a pal told me some time ago, concerning a friend of his. This chap, who is a
The blackboard message outside the Cavalier, in Copse Lane, Marston, sums up the position admirably. “Pubs are closin’,” it says. “Don’t let this pub be one of them. Pop in for a drink.” In essence, people are being told to use it or lose it. It
Bob Dylan said: “People today are still living off the table scraps of the sixties.” This is certainly true of Sex, Drugs and Rock 'n' Roll: The Sixties Revealed (Five), which looked back nostalgically at the 1960s, using scraps of films that the late
There are so many superb books for cooks this year, that you will be spoilt for choice when making your gift selection. With the credit crunch dominating our lives now, several cookery books address the problem of making ends meet. Fiona Beckett’s
Animal magic is in short supply in Madagascar: Escape 2 Africa, a colourful computer-animated sequel for the entire family which cheekily recycles the plot of The Lion King. Eric Darnell and Tom McGrath's film strands its menagerie of misfits in the wild
Before last week, my one experience of Nando’s had been a rather nasty meal at its Cowley Road operation shortly after it opened six or seven years ago in what had previously been the Prince of Wales pub. The sweet taste of the glutinous coleslaw remains
The older he gets, the more Michael Caine seems to be happier with nostalgia than novelty. He featured in Sylvester Stallone’s dismal remake of Get Carter, assumed the Laurence Olivier role in Kenneth Branagh's wholly unnecessary reworking of Sleuth and
Guitarist Pete Oxley is not a man to let the grass creep up around him. He is not only a jazz musician but also a bow maker with a considerable reputation among classical string players. Despite this challenging position, he has found time and energy
The Jam Factory, opposite the Said Business School, is an excellent place to show art. The walls are spacious and the coffee served second to none. So visitors can relax with a drink while taking in the exhibits. Actress Isobel Pravda is displaying work
The work of Eric Gill is proving rather the flavour of the month in our local galleries. At the Creative Art Gallery, in Oxford Street, Woodstock, until Sunday, you can see a range of his woodblock engravings as well as new works by artists and sculptors
Of the many musicians who have marked the 50th anniversary of Ralph Vaughan Williams’s death this year, none has worked more vigorously than conductor Richard Hickox – the perennial champion of English music. It is an oddly apt twist of fate therefore
You know that dream where you promise yourself you’ll play at next year’s British Horn Society festival, only to realise you actually have to go through with it and next thing you know your name’s on the bill between the society’s President and the horn
This is a great show for children of all ages, even those drawing their pension! In the Village Hall at Wytham The Story Machine had the audience in stitches. Professor Ivor Bumm and his assistant Dr Willy Whee were there to present their new invention
This was a wonderful performance by four outstanding Norwegian musicians playing acoustically with no PA or electronica. Led by pianist, harmonium player and composer Christian Wallumrød, they created soundscapes that defied easy categorisation. The
Choosing a title for Miranda Creswell’s exhibition at St Anne’s Mary Ogilvie Gallery was easy. Miranda uses her brushes as other artists would use pencils – the lines on her canvases really do look like marks left by a pencil, but they are not – hence
That simple theatrical device, the split stage, is used to great dramatic and comic effect in Touch and Go, the latest offering from the Mill at Sonning. Two flats, home to two married couples, occupy opposite halves of the stage. Brian borrows George
This exhibition comprises an interesting and complementary mix of work and media by nine local artists. The gallery window is dominated by a larger- than-life female figure by Rachel Ducker, made from coiled wire: hair akimbo, she is clearly more concerned
‘Once upon a time . . .” Stories have begun this way since time immemorial, and there are no prizes for guessing that this is the opening line of this year’s Creation Theatre Christmas show. Appropriately, the opening comes from a narrator, who
That simple theatrical device, the split stage, is used to great dramatic and comic effect in Touch and Go, the latest offering from the Mill at Sonning. Two flats, home to two married couples, occupy opposite halves of the stage. Brian borrows George
We are a spoilt and jaded audience indeed in Oxford. Newly resurrected or never-before performed works of theatre and music are standard fare, hardly meriting a raised eyebrow, let alone a raised glass. This phenomenon is particularly true of early choral
Set above and below the boards of a Restoration-era theatre, in a non-specified location in London, Playhouse Creatures is part paean to the art of being a thesp, but mostly an empathetic tribute to women past and present who have trod the boards
Not for the first time during this WNO autumn tour, the star tenor Dennis O’Neill was ‘indisposed’ on Tuesday, leaving the task of presenting one of opera’s most notoriously difficult roles to his substitute. Terence Robertson had already given a series
Teenager have targeted vulnerable pensioners in two distraction burglaries. A youngster called at the home of a woman in her 70s in Stanway Road, Risinghurst, Oxford, at about 7pm yesterday, claiming he lost his football in her back garden. They went
Teenagers have targeted vulnerable pensioners in two distraction burglaries. A youngster called at the home of a woman in her 70s in Stanway Road, Risinghurst, at about 7pm yesterday claiming he lost his football in the back garden.
A crash involving a lorry closed the A338 this afternoon. The road is closed both ways, with queueing traffic due to recovery work. The road was closed between Main Street, East Hanney, and the A415 Frilford Road. The emergency services are attending
Prison inspectors have published a new report on conditions at the Campsfield House immigration removal centre. Inspectors and researchers from Her Majesty’s Inspectorate of Prisons spent four days at the centre, near Kidlington, in May. A report
THE motoring press is full of people telling us that this is now the best time to buy a used car . . . but is it? And what type of car should a buyer be looking for as winter closes in? Then again, while there’s never a shortage of people
The skull of an Oxford pianist has been dropped for performances of Hamlet in London after the Royal Shakespeare Company feared it could distract audiences. The human remains of Cumnor concert pianist Andre Tchaikowsky had been used during
Nicola McLean branded David Van Day "vile" as she left 'I'm A Celebrity... Get Me Out Of Here!'. The glamour model was the latest evictee from the reality contest yesterday (02.12.08) and immediately launched into an attack on the former Dollar singer
George Takei has vowed to send Joe Swash's pictures to a magazine for gay men. The 'Star Trek' actor - who has shared a kiss on the mouth with the former 'EastEnders' star while on 'I'm A Celebrity. Get Me Out Of Here!' - was impressed with Joe's efforts
First Great Western trains from Oxford to London Paddington were taking extra passengers this morning following a death at High Wycombe. Chiltern Railways passengers are experiencing delays of about 40 minutes between Princes Risborough and London Marylebone
A 21-year-old man killed in a car crash on the A44 has been named. Leonard Parker, of Cornish Road, in Chipping Norton, was a passenger in a white Peugeot 306 which crashed on the A44 north of Woodstock at the junction with the B4027 to Glympton at
Sacked Oxford United boss Darren Patterson feels he was “so close” to bringing the club success. And he admitted being angry and frustrated that he wasn’t given just a bit more time to prove it. Patterson feels chairman Kelvin Thomas’s decision to axe
A new murder mystery set on the streets of Oxford shows the “real city” rarely explored by Morse and Lewis, according to its author. Blood on the Cowley Road is Peter Tickler’s debut novel and its first edition has already sold out after it was officially
Plans for a second bridge across the River Thames and a bypass have been hailed as the answers to Abingdon’s traffic problems. The Vale of White Horse District Council has drawn up a scheme which would see a southern bypass sweep around the
A human skull will no longer be used in the Royal Shakespeare Company's (RSC's) Hamlet in case it distracts the audience, the theatre company said. The skull of Polish pianist Andre Tchaikowsky, who lived in Cumnor, was used throughout the play's recent
