MUMS of a paedophile’s victims want children to be given sex education from a younger age to give them better protection from abuse. The call follows the jailing of Raymond Norris, 44, who was sentenced to 11 years after he was found guilty of 10 sexual
Oxfordshire Under 17s' ECB Championship campaign came to a disappointing end as they were well-beaten by Gloucestershire in their regional third-place play-off match at Great & Little Tew. Yet again, rain had a big impact, with more than 30 overs lost
OXFORDSHIRE Development XI ended their season on a high note with a six-wicket thrashing of a weak Northants Academy side in a one-day clash at Bicester & North Oxord CC. Oxford seamer Zia Hamid (4-25) ripped out the Northants top order, before
OXFORDSHIRE Under 15 girls ended the season with a 158-run victory over Isle of Wight to secure second place in the South Section of the ECB Under 15 County Championship. Oxon batted first, and they produced a fine scoring rate as they posted an impressive
A SUPER half-century from William Bull was not enough as Oxfordshire Under 12s completed their season with an exciting, but ultimately disappointing one-wicket defeat against Northamptonshire at Stonesfield. Oxon won the toss and decided
Oxfordshire Under 13s produced a heroic performance on the final day of the Taunton Festival to round off a memorable season as ESCA festival champions for the first time in many years. Lying third in the table at the start of the final day, a win against
TOM Buckner’s amazing all-round display saw Dorchester to a 54-run win over Cumnor in Section D of the Oxfordshire Under 17 Club Championship. Buckner scored 110 not out in Dorchester’s 142-6, before claiming 4-13 as Cumnor were shot out for 88. In
OXFORD’S biggest shopping centre is “thriving” in the recession — despite the closure of some of its biggest names, managers claimed. Templars Square Centre in Cowley has 14 empty shops, including three of its largest premises and the former
Oxford Stadium has scrapped greyhound racing admission charges for pensioners. The venue, in Sandy Lane, is letting senior citizens in for free if they can provide proof of age, such as with a bus pass.
A CITY centre bar and restaurant is to close as the company’s owner attempt to reduce its debt. Old Orleans, on the corner of George Street and Gloucester Street, will shut its doors at the beginning of next month after a decision by the Regent Inns
CLASSIC jazz rang out at Oxford Castle today to greet shoppers to its market. Musicians perform alongside stalls selling hand-made crafts and antiques, three days a week. Castle spokesman Sara Le-Poore said: “We have held the markets every Tuesday,
BRUCE Jolliffe smiles gently as he pulls his kayak around, thrusting his paddle into the crystal clear water of Lamlash Bay. “This is a great place for spotting wildlife,” he says, wide eyes scanning the shoreline, like a sniper searching for
A COMMITTEE providing financial backing to Oxford’s Cowley Road Carnival has warned it could cut funding to the event next year unless it returns to the street. Nuala Young, chairman of Oxford City Council’s East Area Parliament, has said the committee
A DISABLED man from Oxford is threatening to take legal action against National Express after what he called a “diabolical” series of blunders. Robert Light, who uses an electric wheelchair, has accused the coach company of letting down disabled people
A TRUCK driver who ploughed into traffic after falling asleep at the wheel had been working seven days on the trot to pay off debts, Oxford Crown Court heard. John Pearce, 54, crashed his recovery truck into three vehicles on the southbound stretch of
A VINTAGE railway poster advertising Oxford as a tourist destination is expected to fetch up to £900 at an auction next month. The 40in by 50in poster, emblazoned with the words, ‘Oxford, See Britain By Train’, was produced in 1958 for British Railways
A BURGLAR stole thousands of pounds of antiques and crockery from homes in west Oxfordshire because he wanted to go back to prison, a court heard. Dino Lawrence, 49, was jailed for three years yesterday at Oxford Crown Court after admitting two burglaries
EMERGENCY services have warned about the dangers of swimming in the county’s waterways after staging a mock rescue operation at a flooded quarry. Police, fire and ambulance crews worked together at the disused Chinnor Cement Works, near Thame
A WOMAN has been warned she faces a £50 fine if she parks on a grass verge outside her house – despite leaving her car there for the past 10 years. Mary Wright, 52, has parked in front of her home, in Launton Road, Bicester, for the past decade. But
A PUB in south Oxford seriously damaged in an arson attack reopened today. The interior of the Berkshire House, in Abingdon Road, was almost gutted by the blaze in March, just days before it was due to be re-opened after a short closure. But yesterday
DEVOTEES of Kenneth Grahame are coming to Oxford for a weekend of events celebrating the author of the children’s classic, The Wind in the Willows. The Kenneth Grahame Society, which had its inaugural meeting a year ago, will gather to celebrate his
TRAIN passengers travelling on long-distance services from Oxford could be charged up to 20 per cent more when First Great Western changes its ticket range next month. Off-peak return tickets to the West of England will be affected when the new prices
Eddie Pepperell plays in the final of the Boys Amateur Championship at Royal St George’s on Saturday. The 18-year-old Drayton Park member (right) faces Tom Lewis for the trophy after defeating James Burnett (3&2) and Italy’s Andrea Bolognesi (2&1) in
Police are appealling for information following an assault at Elms Park in Thame. Two girls were in the play area of the park at about 3pm on Tuesday when a group of about six teenagers, all boys, came up to one of the girls, aged 14, and assaulted
A 30-year-old man has been arrested in connection with the armed robbery in Witney in the early hours of Monday. The man was arrested on in Bournemouth on suspicion of robbery and assisting an offender on an indictable offence following the incident
AEA Technology 30 BMW 2803 Electrocomponents 162.1 Nationwide Accident Repair 102.5 Oxford Biomedica 11.75 Oxford Catalysts 51 Oxford Instruments 170.5 Reed Elsevier 425.8 RM 164.25 RPS Group 195.5 Courtesy of Redmayne Bentley,
Stadiums around the country, including Oxford, are turning to new technology to give greater protection to greyhounds. The Greyhound Board of Great Britain have secured funding enabling them to fit every hound with a chip, which will have details
Rissington did not live up to its usual high standard last Sunday for the tenth match in the Carp League 2009 series fished by 15, writes Andy Webber. Even so, the top three all hit the ton, Mick Lane emerging the winner with a bag of carp on paste for
Long Crendon angler Harry Turner caught this personal best 46.7.0 common carp on a week’s fishing with a friend at Dreamlakes in France. He ended up with 16 carp, including another of 39.11.0
Johnny Hohlweg set a new venue record on Panshill’s Pans Lake on Saturday. He recorded a massive 192.4.0. Gemma Matthews, of Fritwell AC, had to settle for second place with 150.0.0.
Business coach, author and motivational speaker Sue Stockdale has sold her company. Mission Possible based in Faringdon has been bought for an undisclosed sum by business development firm YTKO which runs the Enterprising Women network. Ms Stockdale
The relatively new Angling Trust, which was set up to represent anglers throughout the country, is cutting back its central operation in Nottingham and Leominster, writes Andy Webber. The Trust is struggling to recruit new members and rising costs are
A PERFECT GETAWAY (15). Thriller/Action/Romance. Steve Zahn, Milla Jovovich, Timothy Olyphant, Kiele Sanchez, Chris Hemsworth, Marley Shelton. Director: David Twohy. TWO newlyweds realise that a vow to love one another “till
BANDSLAM (PG) Family/Musical/Romance. Gaelan Connell, Vanessa Hudgens, Aly Michalka, Lisa Kudrow, Scott Porter. Director: Todd Graff. EVERY year, thousands of hopefuls risk public ridicule to chase fame and fortune by singing their (tuneless
ALIENS IN THE ATTIC (PG). Family/Sci-Fi/Action/Comedy. Carter Jenkins, Ashley Boettcher, Ashley Tisdale, Austin Butler, Henry Young, Regan Young, Kevin Nealon, Gillian Vigman, Andy Richter, Doris Roberts and the voices of Thomas Haden Church
Paul Stammers enjoys a city pub that has plenty of character. DID you hear about the bloke who went into a pub and asked if Chuck Norris was in the toilets? Well, that was me. At the Royal Blenheim. There wasn’t any risque business going
ANDREW FFRENCH looks forward to the upcoming highlights of Woodstock’s own literary festival. FOR years, book lovers in Oxford only had one major literary festival to look forward to. But over the past five years, another books celebration
The arrival of GCSE and A-Level results brings both an end and a beginning. As results close one phase, they open the next, A-Level results confirming university places, GCSE results confirming sixth form choices. Individual A-Level and GCSE successes
Enterprise, application and initiative, with excellent academic qualifications to prove it — these are the attributes that characterise the young people who are about to receive their A-Level results. The young women leaving Oxford High School after
You don’t need bags of money to enjoy the stylish attractions of Milan, according to JEREMY SMITH. Milan? Ever been there? Well do – as a weekend getaway, trust me, it can’t be bettered. The flight from Heathrow is just a little under two
After the announcement of A-Level results, UCAS runs a process called ‘Clearing’ to match applicants without places at their chosen institutions with courses elsewhere that still have places available. This year, there are likely to be fewer places
Despite what you have read in the national press not everyone got the A-level grades they needed, and you may now be finding that your favoured university has just closed the door on your dream — at least for the moment. Life can feel very gloomy
Headington School’s state-of-the-art new Music School opened its doors for the first time this month, and we were delighted when parent and music legend Brian Eno joined us on Foundation Day to declare the building officially open. The Music
Police are appealing for witnesses after a property was burgled in Radley. At some time yesterday, thieves gained access to a bedroom in The Vicarage and stole some jewellery. Det Con Chris Leech said: “I am appealing to anyone who saw any suspicious
SARAH MAYHEW explores an Oxford exhibition that puts the person squarely in the frame. Exploring the person and process behind the picture plane, Uncanny Likeness is a group exhibition of portraiture at OVADA by five artists at various stages
Next week, A-Level results are published. For many young people — and their families — the pressure mounts. At a greater personal distance, the waiting world and press stand by to comment. How should one prepare to navigate the impending sound
It is at this time of year when parents tend to look through educational supplements and league tables to try and decide which might be the best school for their child. Choosing a school for your child is one of the most important decisions you
Tim Hughes talks exclusively to one of the world’s most enigmatic artists, Yusuf Islam, about life, faith, and his return to the musical fold. A CLASSIC 60s rock star, Cat Stevens was responsible for some of our best-loved tunes. A prolific songwriter
Richard Bell finds an apple a day is the road to ruin after an evening at Phish at the Bullingdon. Saturday was something of a blur for me. It was mostly spent pottering about the shops in search of something to buy for myself. I eventually
Tim Hughes talks to rising (but slightly nervous) star La Roux as she prepares for Reading Festival. WHEN the androgenous-looking La Roux brought her synth-fuelled robot rhythms to Oxford earlier this year, she was, it’s fair to say, a complete
Twelve jobs have been lost with the closure of the two Oxfordshire branches of Allied Carpets after the company went into administration. The stores at Seacourt Tower, Botley and the Banbury Cross Retail Park, Banbury, have shut after administrators
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A converted 1950s property in a village near Banbury is an ideal family home for lovers of contemporary décor. Owners Simon and Julie Lewis have transformed Parnassus In Great Bourton to create perfect spaces for entertaining in the house and garden.
A decision on plans for a new probation centre in West Oxford has been postponed until the end of August, it emerged this morning. Campaigners in Mill Street, off Botley Road, are opposed to plans for the probation centre serving about 350
Garden designer Ivan Hicks knows a bit about wild flowers. In fact, he has planted the largest international wildflower meadow in the UK at Butterfly World, just off the M25 near St Albans in Hertfordshire. It is an ongoing project due for completion
The Met Office has finally admitted what we have all known for some time — the predicted heatwave was a washout in July. And August isn’t looking that much better. So it is time to make sure your wooden garden furniture is up to being out in the
Late summer-flowering bulbs such as dahlias, crocosmias and lilies bring a burst of colour in the borders when a lot of other plants are past their best. However, their maintenance can become a chore in the autumn, when many will need to be dug
The recent weird weather — with intense heat followed by torrential downpours — has brought slugs and snails out in their droves. The pests have been attacking annuals, lettuces and other crops before we have had time to enjoy them. Of course, the
The new Dulux Weathershield BackPack Roller System is designed to make painting the outside of your home quick and easy. The system is simple to set up: you screw the power unit onto the paint pack, place it in the rucksack and insert the dip tube
Most DIYers should not attempt plastering but they can patch plaster, even over large areas. Plaster repair comes ready-mixed in a tub and is easier to apply and smooth out than normal plaster. If the job is too big for filler, plaster repair
More than 850 jobs have been axed at failed retail chain Allied Carpets after administrators were forced to close 142 stores. BDO Stoy Hayward said it had been unable to sell on the bulk of the flooring firm's branches amid fears over tough
POLLUTION figures showing that St Aldate’s is the ninth-most polluted place in England are worrying and so is the admission that, because of bus stop moves as part of the county council’s Transform Oxford scheme, the situation will get worse before it
IT may seem like a gimmick but the proof of the police plan to hand over birthday cakes to persistent criminals is, if you can stomach the pun, in the eating. The sight of Chief Inspector Andy Boyd, an old school copper of imposing character, knocking
STRIKER Jack Midson is aiming to turn the tables on his former teammates when Oxford United visit Histon in tomorrow's Blue Square Premier clash. Last season, Midson scored for Histon in their 5-2 thrashing of United and was also on target in the return
FAT deposits blocking Witney’s drains have been blamed after floods hit the town centre. Thames Water sent a camera down to search 2,400ft of drains in the area and found 80 per cent of the sewer was blocked. It was the third year in a row the town
ST ALDATE’S in Oxford is the ninth most polluted street in England and the problem will get worse before it gets better. The Government has revealed the Oxford city centre street has been included in its list of the 15 worst danger zones, with
A DIABETIC adventurer has spoken of his record-breaking flight from Land’s End to John O’Groats — on a bike. John Carver, a teacher at Cothill School, near Abingdon, said his challenge to travel 800 miles from one end of Britain to the other
