THE proposed Weston Otmoor eco-town would have a damaging impact in Kidlington and Bicester if it was built, says an independent assessment published today. Major development schemes and even spending on schools could all be threatened if faced with
People could be forgiven for taking a second glance today when former England rugby international Austin Healey turned up in Witney for a manicure. Mr Healey, who used to play for Premiership side Leicester Tigers, also made his mark on the BBC show
A man and a woman have appeared in court accused of carrying out an armed robbery on a post office. Lee Rudman, 29, of Blenheim Drive, and Victoria Brookes, 32, of Westfield Road, both in Witney, were charged with robbery and possession of a firearm
Miracle baby Jardell Townsend is now nestling under a cosy knitted hat thanks to help from Oxford Mail readers. Jardell’s mum Hailey Townsend, 24, appealed for help in finding hats which would fit her son. The tot suffers from a condition
The Government’s advisory body, the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence met in Manchester to discuss whether to order the NHS to freely prescribe the life-prolonging cancer drug Sunitinib. Campaigners in Oxfordshire who have been battling
TRIBUTES have been paid to a mother-of-one who was found dead on her doorstep after an evening out with friends. Monique Williams was discovered by a passer-by collapsed in Cowley Road, Oxford, early on Sunday. The well-known 45-year-old was pronounced
7.35: Sutton Gem, Get It 2, BOYNE LEGEND, Lanody Cooldeed, Uptown Darkie, Trapper Trail 3. 7.50: Zabo Prince 3, Royalty, SPRINGVILLE FAST, Sunrise Buck 2, Geneva Spin, Rooster Feathers. 8.05: Tourna Hill, Aintsheapeach 2, Drumcrow Minnie, Freeze Delight
Kidlington CC’s future is on the line again on Thursday night. The trouble-torn club face a proposal to expel them from The Oxford Times Cherwell League at an extraordinary general meeting at Bicester & North Oxford CC (7.30pm).
Kevin Baker hit a double sixer in his 14-doll haul, but it couldn’t save Cricketers from a 4-2 defeat by Cowley Workers in the Gladiators Beer Seller Friday Night League. Adrian Shepherd also racked up 14 dolls, including a six, to help New Club A demolish
Viking Sports Club recorded their best win of the season in the Premier Section of the Johnsons Buildbase Oxford League with a 5-0 victory against Nelson B, writes PETE EWINS. Alan Lacey opened up with a 5,370-1,860 victory against Tony Harvey before
Oxfordshire secured top spot in Group 4 of the English Short Mat Association Inter County Competition with a 30-10 victory over Worcestershire at Wallingford. Their resounding 218-101 triumph on shots gives them a tricky first game in the knock-out
My experiences of rural and diverse Somerset hark back to my childhood, with many a wet week fighting the gales sweeping the barren landscape of Brean Sands or waiting for the seemingly non-existent tide to creep up the expansive beach at Weston-Super-Mare
Sixteen-year-old Harry Abel likes basketball, BMXing and funk music – but on Wednesday nights he can usually be found practising morris dancing. “People my age are a bit surprised when I tell them I morris dance, but they usually end up pretty intrigued
A council tax increase of 3.87 per cent is being lined up by Oxfordshire County Council. Despite the recession and earlier warnings of a £3m shortfall, the ruling Conservative administration is set to agree on a rise exactly the same as last
Lynn Evans may no longer be involved in day-to-day club rugby, but he is not putting his feet up just yet. The former Oxford University and Chinnor coach has been an influential figure on the county scene since 1962. And aged 70, he is now a part-time
Veteran coach Lynn Evans has no doubt who was best player he has worked with. “I think that has got to be Rob Egerton,” he said. “That guy is a genius. “He stayed with us over last year’s Varsity Match and played against London Japanese
The only way Oxfordshire will see top-flight rugby is by a club ground-sharing with Oxford United. That is the view of Lynn Evans, who believes such a move could work. “There is always a chance when you have a football club like Oxford United,” said
Although a proud Welshman whose first club was Risca in Newport, Lynn Evans believes there is hope for English rugby. The former Oxford University coach said: “I think consistency of selection has been a big problem. “At last they seem to have a system
Police this evening appealed for witnesses to a serious crash that closed the A40 between Eynsham and Witney. A SEAT Ibiza which was travelling towards Oxford from Witney was in collision with a Renault Scenic and a Nissan pick-up truck which were travelling
William Moore was hooked on flying from the moment he took off from RAF Fairford in a Second World War fighter plane. A photograph of this defining moment, with Mr Moore a fresh-faced young graduate, sits on his office desk at his start-up firm, Airbox
A serious crash closed the A40 between Eynsham and Witney this afternoon. The crash, near Barnard Gate, is believed to involve two vehicles. Police closed the road in both directions.
Four Oxford University Blues and one Oxford Brookes player have been named in the England Students squad for their four-match campaign. Lock Ian Kench, prop Ricky Lutton, half back Toby Henry, wing Sean Morris and Brookes centre/wing Andrew Henderson
Matt Todd and Kev Dawson fulfilled an 11-year-old ambition during an Oxford Harlequins intra-club match. Todd and Dawson, who coach Quins’ under 17 team, played alongside their respective sons Joey and Jake. All four featured for Quins’ white team,
IT TOOK a House of Lords ruling and a four-year legal battle to establish North Oxford’s Trap Grounds as a town green. But almost three years on, the Friends of the Trap Grounds have come under fire for focusing on wildlife instead of people
Oxfordshire 2nd gave unbeaten Berkshire 2nd a fright before falling to a 9-6 defeat in Division 3B of the Inter-County Champion-ship at Woodley. Oxon shared the singles 2-2 thanks to wins from Kathryn Schutterlin and Natalie Ng and also halved the eight
Rowing used to regarded as mainly a summer sport, but not any more. Events are on offer throughout the year. January provides a slight lull before the storm. Next month, clubs, colleges and schools will be found at the Henley Fours Head (February 7
Carruthers, Letcombe Bassett trainer Mark Bradstock’s young star, staked his claim for a trip to the Cheltenham Festival with a facile victory at Fakenham, writes Russell Smith. Sent off the 2-11 favourite for a beginners’ chase over an extended three
The catering entrepreneur Clinton Pugh has offered great visual appeal to his customers in all of his bars, cafés and restaurants in Oxford. This goes back as far as his first operation, Baedekers, in Cornmarket, 21 years ago, where Uruguayan meatballs
It was almost two degrees below freezing, which was why most of the stallholders were doing a little dance to keep their blood circulating. One said she was so cold that even this technique wasn’t working, but everyone was cheerful. Steaming cups of hot
Every dog has its day and for the perky comedy Beverly Hills Chihuahua, every day is filled with Italian leather booties and the finest distilled drinking water. But what happens when a ridiculously pampered canine, who won’t leave the house without
If I hadn’t been told that many of the works on show at the North Wall Gallery, at St Edward’s School, were influenced by the poetry of T. S. Eliot – The Waste Land in particular – I might have guessed anyway. There is something quite poetical about
Shepherd’s pie is made from minced lamb, and cottage pie is created from beef. But what do you call a pie made from minced pork? As the pork I used was minced Gloucester Old Spot, from Iron Down Farm, Deddington, I have decided to call this dish Gloucestershire
Sholto Kynoch is best known in Oxford for the Lieder Festival that he founded in the city seven years ago. But now he is switching his attention to his other great love – chamber music. Stand by for a major Beethoven fest, in which all ten of the composer
Walking into the Inspires Art Gallery, in Oxford, is always an exciting experience, as the collection of paintings, sculptures and prints displayed here is constantly changing. Vibrant new works make this venue difficult to pass without paying a visit
A haw frost had transformed the trees; the landscape was white as droplets of snow fluttered to the ground and people shuffled along the streets swathed in scarves. How good to arrive at the Sewell Centre Gallery, at Radley College, and discover the
Anti-psychotic drugs given to Alzheimer’s patients could almost double the risk of death over three years, according to a study partly conducted in Oxfordshire care homes. The study, funded by the Alzheimer’s Research Trust, was led by Prof Clive Ballard
Sylvia Plath’s Three Women, playing at the Jermyn Street Theatre in London, is something of an oddity. Broadcast originally as a radio play in 1962, the work is arguably more of a poem than a drama. The decision to stage it is curious, especially as
A portrait in the National Gallery, London, shows a solemn young man in a cap gazing out over a stone parapet. The sitter in this small oil on oak panel by Flemish artist Jan van Eyck is unknown. At least he is to us today. But back in 1432 the
La Bayadère is one of those long, sumptuous, romantic entertainments that were so loved by up-market Russians in the late 19th century. With choreography by the great Marius Petipa, and music by the ever-tuneful Ludwig Minkus, it has never been out of
First World War veteran William Stone has died. The 108-year-old has been described as a “tremendous character” by daughter Anne Davidson. Mr Stone, who lived in Watlington for more than 20 years, suffered a heavy chest cold and died at his care home
Former Oxford University Press printer Vivian Ridler, CBE, who rose to become the president of the British Federation of Master Printers, has died aged 95. Mr Ridler, who worked at OUP for 30 years, held the 500-year-old post of printer to the university
I write in response to Stephen Ward’s claims (Oxford Mail, December 13) undermining trade unions. It is a fact that workers, whether they are members of a trade union or not, are suppressed by oppressive undemocratic laws in communist, fascist and other
The Test Your Memory quiz (Oxford Mail, December 27) stated that The Bear Inn claimed to be the oldest in Oxford. This is not actually true – at least not on its present site. The original Bear Inn was on the corner with High Street and Alfred Street
A second Oxfordshire prisoner has been found dead in jail. Zabi Tahery, 45, of Didcot, was discovered hanging in his cell at Winchester Prison where he was serving an indeterminate sentence for stabbing his partner seven times with a 10-inch
We share the concerns of your reader, Susan Thomas (Oxford Mail, December 25) over the burning of wood. We have also been campaigning for ‘green’ politicians to impose a ban on the burning of bonfires and the sale of fireworks, on public health and
On behalf of the Royal British Legion, I would like to thank all those ex-service organisations who have given their time to show their respect and grateful thanks to those 28 servicemen and women who gave their lives, and whose bodies have been returned
A youth club which closed two years ago because of money problems has reopened. Didcot’s Under 13 Youth Club, formerly known as the Buddy Club, ran for 20 years and has reformed thanks to the promise of new funding. Children aged between 10 and 12 are
Activists who campaigned to save a green space in North Oxford from development have been accused of turning it into an exclusive wildlife haven to the exclusion of residents. After a four-year legal battle, the House of Lords agreed to give
Many of us forget our mobile phone number all too often. But if you are going to chose a time to forget then it’s best not to do so in Domino’s, the pizza emporium, with a couple of kids in tow. This fate befell Tia MacGregor, the one-time
Workers at a Wantage engineering firm hit by 40 redundancies have been assured there are no more job losses in the pipeline. MacDermid Autotype, which specialises in a pioneering coating technology for items like mobile telephones, blamed the cuts on
A long-awaited £5.4m revamp of Didcot’s railway station forecourt looks set to be given the thumbs-up. Transport officers have recommended that the project to transform the forecourt of the station is given the support of Oxfordshire county councillors
Fathers in Oxford have welcomed news that a service aimed at improving father and child relationships is to be relaunched. Roundabout Dads ran for two-and-a-half years until last October, when the group ceased meeting, due to dwindling numbers. However
A woman in her 70s was taken to hospital with minor chest injuries today after her car crashed into a house in Hook Norton. Firefighters and an ambulance attended the accident in The Bourne shortly before 10.30am. The vehicle was a Mitsubishi Colt.
A charity which provides facilities for homeless people in Oxford is taking a charity auction into the digital age for a new fundraising initiative. The Porch Steppin’ Stone, in Magdalen Road, has set up an account with Internet auction website eBay
Woodstock Harrier Steven Frear was crowned senior men’s champion at the 2009 Oxfordshire Cross Country Championships at Horspath. Frear produced a powerful display over the 9.4-kilometre course. With course conditions heavy under-foot after a thaw from
Oxfordshire Cross Country Championships Frances Briscoe posted a commanding victory in the senior women’s category at Horspath. With Hannah England and Hatti Dean not competing this year, it paved the way for Briscoe, running for first-claim
Oxfordshire Cross Country Championships Senior men (top 20): 1 S Frear (Woodstock H) 29.27, 2 O Bristow (Edinburgh) 30.06, 3 S Kimber (WSEH) 30.48, 4 P Fernandez (Abingdon) 30.51, 5 A Chetwynd (Abingdon) 30.51, 6 D Bellinger (Oxford C) 31.17, 7 P Jegou
Oxfordshire's under 11 boys finished a creditable third at the Sportshall Fun in Athletics competition at Burgess Hill. Competing against teams from across the south of England, the boys produced fine performances in a range of events to take the bronze
Police in Oxfordshire today appealed for help in tracing a missing teenager. Jodie Lea Arnold, 15, who is described as extremely vulnerable, went missing from her home in Barnsley and police say she could be anywhere in the UK. Jodie was last
A five-car crash caused delays on Oxford's Eastern Bypass today. The collision happened on the southbound carriageway between the Headington roundabout and the Cowley junction. First reports said all traffic had been stopped, but more recent reports
Police have charged a man and a woman in connection with the armed robbery at Stanton Harcourt village post office and stores on Friday. Lee Rudman, 29, of Blenheim Drive, Witney, was charged with robbery and possession of a firearm with intent
A man and a woman are due in court today charged with an armed robbery on a post office. Lee Rudman, 29, of Blenheim Drive, and Victoria Brookes, 32, of Westfield Road, both in Witney, were charged with robbery and possession of a firearm with
Drivers faced delays on the M40 in Oxfordshire today after a two-vehicle crash. The crash happened on the northbound carriageway between junction 8A at Wheatley and junction 9 at Wendlebury at about 8am. Two lanes of the motorway were
Patients have a positive view of accident and emergency care at Oxford Radcliffe Hospitals (ORH), according to a survey by a national health watchdog. Nine out of 10 patients rated care at the emergency departments at the John Radcliffe Hospital
Oxford United boss Chris Wilder said he was devastated by the apparent lack of character in his team as they bowed out of the FA Trophy last night – not with a bang, but a whimper. A 2-1 defeat at home by York City in the second round capped
A crack team is embarking on a daring mission to save ex-battery hens and give them a home. Commercial hens are slaughtered after about a year of laying, when their production drops below the six eggs a week required to make them profitable. Hen Rehomers
A WIDOWER last night led calls for the NHS’s treatment advisers “to do the right thing” and overturn a ban on prescribing a life-extending kidney cancer drug. Today the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence’s (Nice) technology appraisal
Oxford City moved two places up the BGB Southern League Premier Division table after a 1-0 victory at Evesham on Tuesday night. A goal from James Faulkner was enough to secure victory for City, who moved up to 15th. The winner came after five minutes
