Oxford United will have alternating sponsors on their home and away shirts this season. Builders merchant Buildbase will continue with its sponsorship of the home strip – and will be joined by sister organisation, Plumbase, who will sponsor the away
Oxford University face an uphill battle in the Varsity Match after Cambridge batsman Anand Ashok piled up the runs on the second day at Fenner’s. Resuming at 42-4, the Dark Blues were bowled out for 152 and then Ashok hit an unbeaten 93 to
The eight members of the Formula 1 Teams Association (Fota) walked out of a meeting with the sport's governing body, the FIA, on Wednesday night. The meeting, at Germany's Nurburgring, was held to discuss next year's rules and Fota's proposed
The future of Formula One is again "in jeopardy" after the eight members of FOTA walked out of a meeting with the FIA. Just two weeks after peace appeared to have broken out in the wake of FOTA's threat to form a breakaway series, the battle lines
Police have launched a crackdown on burglary, auto-crime and robbery across South Oxfordshire. Operation Magma is targeting prolific criminals and will have a dedicated team of police officers patrolling towns and villages, using stop check powers
BABIES and vulnerable mothers could be put at risk if “efficiency” plans at Oxford’s John Radcliffe Hospital go ahead, it was claimed last night. Fears have been raised about the future of the JR’s Silver Star Unit, which provides specialist
LIEUTENANT Colonel Rupert Thorneloe, who was killed in an explosion in Afghanistan, was commanding officer of 1st Battalion Welsh Guards. The 39-year-old, who died last week, was the most senior officer to be killed in action since the Falklands conflict
VIOLET McGovern, the niece of Lark Rise to Candleford author Flora Thompson, has died aged 85. Mrs McGovern died peacefully in Banbury’s Horton Hospital on June 9. Violet, or Vi as she was known to friends, was born in the tiny village of Hethe, in
THE fate of a controversial proposal for a £100m giant incinerator in Ardley, near Bicester, could be decided by a Government minister, it emerged last night. A joint letter from 20 parish councils in north Oxfordshire, raising concerns about the project
OXFORD folk musician Kate Garrett has died of cancer aged 37. The Dorset-born musician spent much of her musical career in Oxford, first as a member of The Mystics in the 1990s, then as a solo singer and musician, and fronting The Kate Garrett Band.
COUNTY council leader Keith Mitchell was embroiled in a political row last night amid claims that he kept voters in the dark over impending job cuts at County Hall. Opposition leaders have rounded on him after he announced County Hall was planning to
A CANADIAN tourist was hit on the head with a hammer in a unprovoked attack in Oxford. The 25-year-old accountant was in Little Clarendon Street, in the city centre, on Tuesday night enjoying an evening out friends when he was attacked.
A TEN-YEAR-OLD is jumping for joy after discovering a natural talent for dancing. Enya Christiansen of the Flair Dance Studio in Cowley, Oxford, dazzled the judges and came first in the southern area Freestyle Dance Championships. Despite having only
THERE’S still time — if you hurry — to enter this year’s Oxford in Bloom competition. That’s the message to all residents and businesses within the city boundary, with the official closing date for entries tomorrow. So far, there have
THREE Oxford teenagers are on a trip of a lifetime, as the first UK schoolchildren to set up a school exchange with their opposite numbers in South Africa. Two pupils from St Gregory the Great School in Cricket Road, and one from Magdalen College School
An Oxford lawyer who remortgaged her flat to set up a children’s home in Pakistan has started to see the benefits of her gamble. Nina Ali, below, had hoped to sell her London flat, which she commutes to during the week from her family home in Summertown
Traders in Wantage said they would be willing to open on Sundays following Wantage Rejuvenated’s launch event which attracted hundreds of people. The campaign group, formed to boost the town’s vibrancy, said Sunday’s Market Place craft fair, opened by
A modern sheltered housing block for over-55s on an Oxford estate has been welcomed by its new occupants – 40 years after its predecessor was unveiled. The new £1.5m Alice and Margaret House, in Rose Hill, has officially welcomed its first
THOUSANDS of Oxford United fans of all ages are set to descend on the Kassam Stadium for the club’s biggest-ever open day on Saturday. Up to 5,000 supporters are expected to flock to the ground for a chance to meet the team’s new signings and take part
BUSES serving the centre of Oxford will use new stops from Sunday, July 19, as part of the scheme to make Queen Street more pedestrian-friendly. Oxfordshire County Council has now released details of where Queen Street bus stops will move to, and the
WOULD-BE artists painstakingly numbered the volumes of a sculpture in Oxford’s Bonn Square — but ran out of energy when they reached the number 20, using a mixture of Arabic and Roman numerals. The sculpture was unveiled in May during celebrations to
Forty years ago, in 1969, the world was looking up to the heavens when Neil Armstrong made his ‘giant leap for mankind’. At the dawn of this new space age, something extraordinary was being launched much closer to home — the Sutton Courtenay Environmental
A former BBC Oxford volunteer-turned-stockbroker has been found dead at the bottom of an eight-storey restaurant in London. Anjool Malde, who worked for the radio station between 2005 and 2006 during his time as a student at Oxford University
RADLEY’S veterans came home as track and field masters from the British Championships at Birmingham’s Alexander Stadium. The star of the show was Alistair Duncan, who won gold in the over 50 400m in a time of 54.56secs, which not only smashed his own
STEVE Kimber returned for his first race of the 2009 Mota-vation Series at Combe, and cruised to an emphatic victory over championship leader Steve Male. Kimber, who was running for Windsor, Slough, Eton and Hounslow, but who also competes for Headington
Democrats got off to a winning start in Group A after a 4-2 home success at Bletchingdon Club, writes PETE EWINS. John Patey put the hosts into an early lead, but they soon found themselves behind after wins by Pete Soanes (7,110) and Colin Winstone
I have found that gardeners are wary about using orange. Many think it a bad-taste colour. But it can work on a number of levels at different times of the year. This spring, I grew a lily-flowered, fragrant tulip called ‘Ballerina’. It is described in
OXFORD City won their latest Wessex League match, seeing off Marlborough by 87 points at Horspath. Pride of place went to Beth Hawtin, who posted a fine victory in the under 13 girls’ 800m, clocking a national grade 1 standard time of 2mins 31.8secs.
AEA Technology 26.75 BMW 2174 Electrocomponents 138.5 Nationwide Accident Repair 79.5 Oxford Biomedica 11.4 Oxford Catalyst 60 Oxford Instruments 141.5 REED 458.5 RM 160.75 RPS Group 199.75
AS A local shopkeeper I am extremely concerned at the proposed legislation to ban the display of tobacco in shops like mine. Politicians at Westminster are currently debating the issue and will soon come to a decision. The Government thinks the ban
IN REFERENCE to your story on 24-year-old Clare Cousins who has been refused IVF on the NHS (OxfordMail, July 2), I felt I must write to say how disgusted I was at ‘Lady Penelope’s’ comments about “nature I’m afraid”. I was denied treatment on the NHS
I would like to remind everyone that before the current crisis with St Christopher’s school it has been through an awful lot of change already. I worked as an learning support assistant there for eight years – my last few years supporting Chris Hills
I REFER to the appalling bad manners of the 50 Members of the Scottish Parliament (MSP) who failed to attend the Queen’s attendance at the 10th anniversary of the Scottish Parliament. Whether they were ardent republicans, or just couldn’t be bothered
Imran Faruq shot a superb one-under-par 71 to win the Waterstock Men’s Open on his home course. Faruq finished two strokes clear of Jake Canning (Stoke Park) in an event which attracted players from all over the Berks, Bucks & Oxon region
IN RESPONSE to Ed Vaizey MP on his assumption of how the public would agree that a man in his particular job would need a second home to help him complete his tasks, I’d like to tell him he’s wrong. We don’t agree you should have this luxury, especially
I HAVE been following the articles in the Oxford Mail regarding the reopening of the White House public house in Botley Road. Would the new proprietor consider reverting the pub’s name to its original – ‘The Old Gate’. To my knowledge, the pub had that
Vices are hard to give up — God knows The Insider has been trying to kick his catalogue of dirty habits into touch, without success, for many years. But as a General Election looms large and the pressure piled upon Dave Cameron, right, continues
There was plenty of home success at the North Oxford Pro-Am, with Matthew Kimber leading his team to victory. North Oxford’s Kimber, who also finished second in the professional’s competition, teamed up with fellow members Steve Millar, John Nicholson
Last year’s runners-up Frilford Heath reached round two of the Shaw Gibbs Oxfordshire Foursomes League Knockout Trophy after easing past Hazlemere. Frilford, of Section 1, had few problems in securing a 2½-½ victory over their Section 4 opponents. Ashley
North Oxford pro Lee Jackson was Oxfordshire’s best finisher in local final qualifying for the Open at Turnberry. But none of the county’s trio came close to progressing through the traditionally tough competition. Only the top four finishers at the
FRILFORD HEATH Ladies’ Jubilee Cup: 1 K Evans 71-6=65, 2 B Hamilton 89-22=67 (cb), 3 N Barclay-Watt 86-19=67 (cb). Ladies’ Saturday July Medal: 1 J Kilpatrick 94-27=67, 2 C Pearce 79-11=68, 3 M Wilson 89-20=69. OXFORD CITY
BETTER school dinners are on the menu after Oxfordshire cooks completed a nationally recognised qualification. A total of 28 cooks have now completed an entry-level NVQ Level 2 in food processing and cooking at Oxford & Cherwell Valley
THREE ideas from Oxford University have been chosen as potential breakthroughs for the 21st century. Proposals to improve the energy efficiency of communities and reduce carbon emissions were among the 19 ideas chosen by the Sustainable Development
THE Mayor of Bicester, James Porter, is to open the first new business park to be built in Bicester in over a decade. The launch on Tuesday marks a major investment in Bicester by Fraser Hamilton and his company Working Assets. Mr Porter said: “During
GENE therapy company Oxford Biomedica was boosted by a ruling by US drug regulators that it can continue to develop its cancer vaccine TroVax. The company's shares rose following an announcement that the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) had completed
PEOPLE will be able to delve into Bicester’s history at the touch of a button later this month. Bicester Local History Society is launching a new website thanks to a town council grant of £750. The site will enable residents to explore
PENSIONERS mistakenly given wheelie bins were told it would take up to three months for workers from a depot a mile away to pick them up. Beryl James, who lives in Fairacres Road, Didcot, was supposed to have sacks delivered ahead of South Oxfordshire
Readers of this column will be familiar with my Beaujolais love affair. This humble, hard-working and welcoming region deserves our attention. The vineyards that sit to the west and south of Villefranche-sur-Saône in Bas-Beaujolais knit together some
AEA Technology 27.5 BMW 2186 Electrocomponents 138.25 Nationwide Accident Repair 79.5 Oxford Biomedica 11.4 Oxford Catalyst 60 Oxford Instruments 140 REED 466.5 RM 161 RPS Group 196.75
"You don’t want to get an ugly one,” as the old joke has it about a group of sex-starved desert visitors sprinting in the direction of relief when a camel train appears over the horizon. And I suppose, as dromedaries go, mine was as handsome as
The stocks which for centuries had stood in the shadow of Carfax tower, at the very heart of Oxford, were destroyed by fire during the strange riots of 1856. The riots were strange because, for a change, they had nothing to do with Town and Gown. Instead
Visiting The Stone Gallery, Burford, is akin to walking into an Aladdin’s Cave full of beautiful hand-crafted jewellery. At the moment, a splendid collection of 60 brightly coloured paintings adorns the walls too. They are the work of African-born Allie
Twelve artists have been selected for a residency at the Harcourt Arboretum at Nuneham Courtenay, which takes place over the coming fortnight. Six are from Oxford and two each are from France, Germany and Romania. They will be working collaboratively
Richard Studer’s new production of Benjamin Britten’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream for Longborough Festival Opera was a pleasingly enchanting spectacle; the fairies’ silver costumes sparkled magically in a modernistic but nonetheless dream-like setting,
Lightning doesn’t strike twice for Sacha Baron Cohen with Bruno, his eagerly-awaited follow-up to the smash hit Borat – Cultural Learnings of America For Make Benefit Glorious Nation of Kazakhstan. Casting off the ill-fitting suit and moustache of his
sage which is now at its aromatic best. Rub a leaf between your fingers to test this theory, you won’t be disappointed. There are more than 750 different types of sage, each having a slightly different colour, leaf shape and aroma. There’s a pineapple
What fun it was. Everyone had a great time – particularly the children, who chopped, stirred, smelt and tasted their way around their very own food festival. This year the Children’s Food Festival was held on the Northmoor Trust’s farm, ten miles south
Oxford Castle’s leafy garden makes an ideal setting for a bit of light summer music, and the 11-piece Camerata Collegium, directed by violinist Sue Lynn, complemented the surroundings perfectly last week with some exquisite music-making that captured
OXFORDSHIRE crashed out of this year’s Middleton Cup after losing 124-99 in their final Group 3B game against Berkshire at Suttons BC. Victories in their first two matches seemingly put Oxon on the brink of qualification. But defeat against Middlesex
Banbury Central A completed the double over their nearest rivals at the top of the Oxford & District Bowls League sponsored by Yarnton Nurseries. Led by captain Mark Sykes, the reigning champions beat Headington A by nine shots to take a three-point
Oxfordshire’s women made it through to the John's Trophy national finals for the first time after beating Middlesex 121-107 in their final group match. Carol Penson, Caroline Campion, Sue Lacey, Katherine Hawes, Barbara Pearce and Anne Norton were the
That this should be the National Theatre’s first production of All’s Well That Ends Well is at once surprising and entirely understandable. A problem play in the truest sense, on the page this late ‘comedy’ combines a weighty and implausible scenario
Oxfordshire Under 25s suffered an agonising defeat in their Home Counties League game against Middlesex. Oxon went down 78-73 to lose 10 points to four – but with two ends remaining were well in control. Despite trailing 39-27 after ten ends, and 56
The crowd at the North Wall were clearly looking forward to escaping the sweltering heat with two upcoming, cool-as-ice, comedians acts last Thursday. Unfortunately they failed; not because of the acts, but because there was no air-conditioning. First
‘Delighted with it . . . Whole thing beautifully played and directed – and, let’s face it, most beautifully written.” Noël Coward’s comments on Brief Encounter, which he confided to his diary on June 2, 1945, after seeing a rough cut of the film
BANBURY Borough’s Keith Holloway and Richard Redford remain on course for a hat-trick of Oxfordshire pairs titles. They are through to semi-finals day at Charlbury on Sunday (10.30am) when they will meet Carterton’s Andy Wise and Stuart Richens. QUARTER-FINAL
The art of mid-16th century Italy was condemned by the 19th-century art critic John Ruskin who associated it with artistic decline and decadence. But by the 1960s it had been elevated by art historian John Shearman to a “silver-tongued language of articulate
Gentlemen in smart blazers and ladies in exotic hats promenaded outside Henley’s Kenton Theatre – the Royal Regatta was in full swing just down the road. There’s a smartly blazered gentleman on stage too: he’s the distinctly dodgy Winslow (Richard Ashley
Last year the Oxford Shakespeare Company thoroughly impressed audiences in Wadham College gardens with their seaside version of Twelfth Night. This year they’re back in the same space with Romeo and Juliet, which is set somewhere closer to home; in Oxford
The late and much missed Oxford broadcaster Humphrey Carpenter once read out a complaint from an irritated listener: “Why do you keep referring to ‘Snivel’?” The snivel in question turned out to be Sir Neville Marriner, founder and director of the Academy
Pianist Andrea Vicari is involved in a remarkable number of musical groups and projects. She has also just brought out her fourth album, Mango Tango, with saxophonist Pete Wareham and the fine Steve Waterman on trumpet. So it was a special treat to hear
The works of two quite different artists are now on show at Modern Art Oxford. Polaroids: Mapplethorpe gives us a chance to view the early instant photography of the late Robert Mapplethorpe, which offers a compelling insight into the celebrated
As a consequence of efforts to achieve a realistic look to match the verismo of the opera’s content, the traditional fat lady has had – if you’ll forgive the oxymoron – a pretty thin time of it lately where productions of La bohème are concerned. Now
Oxford Harmonic’s summer concert was truly a case of climbing to a mighty pinnacle. The sound levels reached must have shaken the Town Hall’s plaster cherubs to the core too, for the home team was augmented by a large contingent from the Gwent Bach Society
If you were to spend an evening gorging yourself on blancmange and buttermilk while staring at the persistently sinuous weavings of a Windows screensaver the experience would not be unlike that of watching ENO’s new production of Kaija Saariaho’s L’Amour
Police are appealing for witnesses after a teenager was attacked and robbed by a gang of five. The 18 year old man was punched while he walked along Hitchcock Way at 3.50am on Saturday. As he lay on the ground, the gang stole his mobile phone. Police
Police are appealing for witnesses after a teenager was attacked and robbed by a gang of five yobs. The 18-year-old was punched while he walked along Hitchcock Way at 3.50am on Saturday morning. As he lay on the ground, the gang stole his mobile phone
A foreign student was robbed as he made his way through an Oxford estate. The 17-year-old Spanish student was walking along Dunnock Way, in Blackbird Leys, at 11pm last night. Two men, who police described as black and in their 20s,
Police community support officers in Oxford can now hand out fines to anyone caught dropping litter. Extra powers were handed to the city’s 57 Pcsos following a vote at Oxford City Council’s decision-making executive board. From today, anyone spotted
Police community support officers in Oxford can now hand out fines to anyone caught dropping litter. Extra powers were handed to the city’s 57 Pcsos following a vote at Oxford City Council’s decision-making executive board. From today, anyone spotted
THE Queen is to see the ancient ritual of her swans being counted on the River Thames for the first time. The monarch has never before watched the royal custom of Swan Upping in person. But this year, the Seigneur Of The Swans, as she
The Queen is to see the ancient ritual of her swans being counted on the River Thames for the first time. The monarch has never before watched the royal custom of Swan Upping in person. But this year, the Seigneur Of The Swans, as she
A male driver needed hospital treatment after his car overturned north of Oxford this morning. The accident happened shortly after 7.15am on the B4027 Wheatley Road in Woodeaton. A spokesman for South Central Ambulance said the driver’s injuries were
Residents can tell police was needs to be done to tackle crime in East Oxford at a drop-in surgery today. Neighbourhood police will be outside on the street at Manzil Way, in East Oxford, between 2pm and 4pm.
Milder weather conditions were forecast today after torrential rain lashed large areas of the country - with west Oxfordshire among the wettest places in the UK. Forecasters said the UK would enjoy sunshine and scattered showers following the intense
A two-car crash caused delays on the A40 near Witney today. The collision happened on the single carriageway section near the B4022. It happened at about 6.30am and the road was cleared about an hour later. Meanwhile the B4027
Firefighters last night put out a kitchen blaze and dragged an unconscious man from a fire that threatened to engulf a sheltered housing block - Russell House - in Tern walk, Blackbird Leys, Oxford. Shortly after 9pm, firefighters from Slade
THE music of classical composers Beethoven and Bach is being used by an Oxford professor in a bid to control blood pressure. Peter Sleight, a professor of cardiovascular medicine at the John Radcliffe Hospital, in Headington, has been playing classic
A MOTHER has told how proud she is of her eco-protester son after he was found guilty of hijacking a power station-bound coal train. Former Witney pupil Sam Martingell is waiting to be sentenced for his part in stopping the engine. The
FAMILIES are fuming after a postbox was suddenly sealed up for ‘health and safety’ reasons after more than 30 years in their street. Royal Mail closed the postbox in Station Road, Wallingford, last month because it feared its drivers could cause an obstruction
THERE are many so-called cures for high blood pressure — exercise, a glass of red wine or a relaxing bath — but now the answer might be listening to some classical music. Scientific research conducted by Prof Peter Sleight, a renowned cardiologist who
