Archive

A LITTLE girl needs thousands of pounds of corrective surgery to mend a spinal condition that could prove fatal if left untreated. Gulshat Kadyrova was born without hip sockets and came with her mother from poverty-striken Turkmenistan in January

A SOCIAL club that has been part of a Bicester community for more than 40 years could be forced to close its doors for good. A bank has threatened to pull the plug over a £130,000 loan owed by the Kea Club, off Leach Road, Highfield, unless it can generate

A CHILDREN’S hospice in the city is able to keep hold of a vital care nurse for another year following an overwhelming public response to its first ever grand raffle. Managers at Helen & Douglas House, in Magdalen Road, East Oxford, said they were particularly

A ROGUE trader described as the “lowest of the low” has been jailed for conning a 91-year-old woman. Tom Mobey, 57, was found guilty of three counts of fraud during a trial at Oxford Crown Court earlier this year. The court heard Mobey targeted Inez

DRIVERS are still ignoring the new 20mph speed limit a month after it came into force, an Oxford Mail speed check has discovered. The Oxford Mail revisited Morrell Avenue, East Oxford, a month after a first speed check and found 119 out of 163 vehicles

IT’S enough to make Rosie and Jim quake in their barges. Boat users travelling too fast along the River Thames may end up in court. The Environment Agency is launching a crackdown on speeding after a growing number of incidents involving

Witney United boss Andy Lyne has strengthened his squad considerably ahead of Saturday's tricky trip to high-flying Binfield in the FTL Futbol Hellenic League Premier Division. New loan signings Chris Harper and Jordan Tabor, both from Didcot Town, are

Brad Chalmers remains sidelined with a foot injury as Kidlington host Western League outfit Bradford Town in the first round of the FA Carlsberg Vase. Ross Gray is unavailable, but Jack Johnson and Richard Norris both return after missing the midweek

Andy Caton is set to make his return debut for North Leigh after signing on loan from Conference South side Weymouth. Caton, 21, started his career at the west Oxfordshire club before later signing as a professional with Swindon Town. He goes straight

Didcot Town boss Stuart Peace will be without the services of key midfielder James Mortimer-Jones for several weeks with a knee problem. The former North Leigh and Carterton player suffered ligament damage in last weekend’s shock FA Cup defeat

DOZENS of dads will head to a fun day tomorrow in celebration of the role men play in bringing up children. There will be live music, football and activities on offer at Dads Go Wild, a free event taking place at Oxford’s Hinksey Park, organised by the

LABOUR MP Andrew Smith tonight insisted there was “all to play for” in the run-up to next year’s General Election. Speaking after The Sun publicly backed David Cameron’s Tory Party for the first time since 1997, Mr Smith said there was a touch

AEA Technology 28 BMW 3004 Electrocomponents 149 Gladstone 27.5 Nationwide Accident Repair 80.5 Oxford Biomedica 10.6 Oxford Catalysts 61 Oxford Instruments 195 Reed Elsevier 471.4 RM 157 RPS Group 221 Courtesy of Redmayne Bentley, Abingdon

Oxford United's fine form in September has been recognised in two national awards. Manager Chris Wilder is the winner of the Blue Square Manager of the Month award. It is the second month in a row that Chris has won the award and comes after six wins

Kelvin Thomas believes that he is on the way to changing the mentality of many Oxford United supporters. While the U’s chairman admits that the revival is down to a number of factors, the way fans are now thinking has been one big factor. “I am a very

The long-awaited opening of the Islamic centre on the banks of the River Cherwell in Oxford is years away. More than £50m has been spent on the building so far, with contributions coming from a wide range of countries including Kuwait, Turkey

Another long away trip – another top club at which to train. After their training sessions at Manchester United and Sheffield Wednesday, en route to Wrexham and Gateshead, the U’s will be training at Oldham today ahead of their overnight stop before

Chris Wilder faces some tricky selection problems – nice ones, of course – for tomorrow’s game at Barrow. Does he stick with Adam Chapman and Jack Midson, who both scored against Crawley on Tuesday, or revert to the 4-3-3 system with Damian

Aaron Woodley has been told to savour the moment after his brief taste of the limelight this week. The 16-year-old from Abingdon, who came off the bench for the last couple of minutes against Crawley, returns to playing for the youth team against Cheltenham

Oxford's Blue Square Premier rivals Luton Town yesterday parted company with manager Mick Harford. And the guessing game begins as to who the Hatters will appoint. The team’s 1-0 defeat at home to Stevenage appears to have been the final straw for the

Chinnor are considering fresh signings as they bid to deal with their early-season injury crisis. The Thame-based club visit Coney Hill in National 3 South West on Saturday, with a long absentee list including regular starters Ian Stock, Tom Whelan,

Police today appealed for witnesses after two distraction burglaries in Steventon and Grove. Between 12.45pm and 1pm yesterday, a man went to a property in Hanney Road, Steventon, claiming to be from the electricity board. He told the occupant, a

Wallingford have again had to reshuffle their back line ahead of their trip to South West 1 East leaders Cheltenham on Saturday. With Pete Strang having moved to Bristol, Eliott Simons becomes their third fly half of the season – Henry Venners having

Police are appealing for information after two houses were burgled in Faringdon. Between 2am and 2.30am on Monday, a house in Century Close was burgled and an iPod was stolen. During the same period, another house was burgled in Berner’s Way and

THESE are the first glimpses inside the new Islamic centre being built on the banks of the River Cherwell in Oxford. More than £50m has been spent on the building so far, with contributions coming from a wide range of countries including Kuwait

Police today appealed for witnesses after a house was burgled in Park Road in Abingdon. Thieves broke into the house and stole items including, laptops, a printer, two external hard drives and a computer bag, sometime between 11am and 9pm on Saturday

A NURSERY built on the site of a run-down skate park opened yesterday – with help from a children’s TV star. BBC and CBBC presenter Barney Harwood was drafted in to help celebrate the opening of the £1m facility in Blackbird Leys, Oxford, built by Imagine

AN all-girls Oxford school is throwing open the doors of its new multi-million-pound music block to the public for a week of musical events. Roxy Music star and producer Brian Eno officially opened the £4.5m building at Headington School, Headington

THESE are the latest people to sign up to save lives by giving blood. For the past four weeks, the Oxford Mail has been working with the National Blood Service to get 1,000 new donors signed up to donate a pint of the red stuff. We have enlisted the

THE voices of Oxford’s refugees and asylum seekers are to be heard in a new poetry anthology. Some of the UK’s top poets teamed up with refugees to produce an anthology of poetry in a project organised by Oxford Brookes University. The

WASTE bosses in Oxford are set to begin further trials of eco-friendly rubbish trucks following the success of a pilot scheme which saw bins collected by an electric lorry in the city for the first time. Last month the council’s City Works took delivery

CONFUSION surrounds the future of Oxford’s Green Belt after the Government accepted its planning blueprint setting out where homes should be built was legally flawed. The South East Plan proposes an extension of Oxford on land south of Grenoble

A DYSLEXIC dog trainer who talks to animals through massage and adapting their posture has spoken of his empathy with unwanted pets. Ryan Neile, from Carterton, near Witney, struggled in the classroom as a child and was later diagnosed with dyslexia,

PROTESTERS are planning a wave of action in a bid to stop an eco-town being built. Fifty people attended a public meeting to discuss the campaign against a 5,000-home eco-settlement on farmland northwest of Bicester. Ideas for action

Departing Ferrari driver Kimi Raikkonen revealed he may walk away from Formula One if he cannot land a competitive drive for next season. The Finn, who pipped Lewis Hamilton to the world championship in 2007, will be replaced at the Italian team by

Sir – Helena Whall writes (Letters, September 17) that the CPRE does not object to wind turbines on aesthetic grounds — she too regards them as beautiful — but feels that Horspath is not the right place for one because “it would seriously damage the

Sir – Councillor Tanner’s reply (Letters, September 24) to my letter only told me what I mostly know, and did not answer my question. I’d like to make it clear to Mr Tanner that I am a strong supporter of recycling, doing my best to adhere

Sir – Paul Cullen (Report, September 24) says ‘North Oxford has no bus connection with the station’. At present, getting to the station from North Oxford is comparatively easy — a walk from the Martyrs’ Memorial to the relevant bus in George Street

Sir – I see that, amongst other unsightly signs, Oxford now boasts placards with the words ‘It’s for a reason’ or somesuch. This is, I imagine, the best ill-defined justification of the new 20mph that could be managed. Driving along Five Mile Drive

Sir – Despite severe financial cutbacks, the Museum of Oxford has remained open this year with a skeleton staff assisted by a team of volunteer helpers. It has an exciting programme of events leading up to Christmas. Nevertheless, the museum’s long-term

Sir – Mark McArthur-Christie (Letters, September 17) is, of course, entirely correct when he asserts “ALL road users are equally responsible for their actions”. However, turn the coin over and consider this; are we all equally vulnerable to the consequences

Sir – Forget about cuckoos in spring. Today I saw the first incident of road rage in the Divinity Road area, following the migration from the leafy Home Counties of the cars owned by the Oxford Brookes University students. George Wormald, Oxford

Sir – It seems incredible that an important meeting to make a key decision on the Oxford Brookes University proposal was missed by ten out of 16 Liberal Democrats, and three other councillors — many of whom represent constituents in Oxford affected

Sir – Oxfordshire County Council is refurbishing Wallingford Library, which is a good thing, but I was amazed to find all the existing furniture and fittings of the library in a well packed skip. Besides lunch wrappers and concrete, the skip contained

Sir – I’m grateful to your two correspondents, Lee Graham and Maurice Smithson, for pointing out all the flaws, problems, faults and inadequacies in my forthcoming book The Good Man Jesus and the Scoundrel Christ. What amazes me is that neither of

Sir – What a remarkable and welcome climbdown it is by the Tory county council over residents’ parking in Iffley Fields (Report, September 24). Of course Iffley Fields should be excluded from the proposed Controlled Parking Zone in East Oxford. All

Sir – How magnanimous for Andrew Matheson (Letters, September 17) to use the Latimer Road/London Road junction as a rat-run rather than clog up the Windmill Road/London Road junction. I’m sure this is uppermost in his mind as he makes his way from

Sir – Three highly professional, safety-conscious drivers have condemned Oxford’s new 20mph limits: IAM observer Mark McArthur-Christie, and driving instructors Richard Clapham and Colin Prickett. Like Mr McArthur-Christie, I enjoy cycling in Oxford

Sir –The article by Reg Little on the Oxford Brookes University planning application (September 24) is misleading. The council did not “throw out” the redevelopment plans. The planning application was refused because of concerns about the impact of

Sir – Oxford is unquestionably a city of arts and culture, with respected universities ancient and modern, beautiful buildings, fascinating history and vibrant communities, world class choirs and niche festivals of literature, visual arts, documentary

Sir – There has been a lot of speculation about the Cowley Road Carnival which is a great fun event for residents and tourists. We want to see more of it but the management needs to take on board what has been said. Should it revert

A 37-year-old woman has been found dead at Oxford Nighshelter Police were called to the homeless shelter, O’Hanlon House in Luther Court, off Speedwell Street, at 2am today. She was pronounced dead at the scene. Forensic officers are currently at the

SATURDAY. FOOTBALL. BLUE SQUARE PREMIER. Barrow v Oxford Utd. PUMA YOUTH ALLIANCE. Under 18 South West Conference Cup: Cheltenham Tn v Oxford Utd. ZAMARETTO SOUTHERN LEAGUE. Premier Div: Banbury Utd v Halesowen Tn, Bashley Tn v Didcot Tn, Oxford

An era of British motorsport which dates back over 20 years will be brought to an end this weekend when Vauxhall bids farewell to the British Touring Car Championship. After two decades of competition in this premier British racing series the

Up to 200 jobs could be created at an office development on a site proposed for a probation centre in Oxford. Last month the WE Black/Ardent Partnership pulled out of the controversial scheme to develop the site in Mill Street, Oxford at a building

Opening the lid on Box Cottage in Harwell reveals a property which clearly shows appearances can be deceptive. Once a traditional, two-up and two-down cottage, the property is now a spacious family home. It was the potential in the property which attracted

Loss-making green energy group Oxford Catalysts says it is withstanding the downturn, thanks to its £56m takeover of US rival Velocys. The company, set up to commercialise research by Prof Malcolm Green at Oxford University's chemistry department, aims

AEA Technology 28.25 BMW 3005 Electrocomponents 152 Gladstone 27.25 Nationwide Accident Repair 80.5 Oxford Biomedica 11 Oxford Catalyst 61 Oxford Instruments 198.75 Reed Elsevier 476.25 RM 157.5 RPS Group 224.6 Courtesy of Redmayne Bentley,

STAFF at Wantage’s secondary school claim slashed numbers of support staff have left it at “crisis point”. Support workers at King Alfred’s Community and Sports College, say redundancies made in the summer to fill a budget black hole had left members

WHEN parachute instructor Sgt Richard Cross plummeted to the ground in an horrific accident it took a team of doctors, nurses and surgeons to save his life. But alongside the efforts of those highly-skilled professionals was the contribution of 22 anonymous

It was during a recent weekend, when the wind changed direction to the north-east, and within a short time sycamore leaves — showing their orange tinge — were descending rapidly, that I felt that the autumn season was well and truly underway. Many of

F UNELECTED Gordon Brown wants my vote, he should cut Trident and bring the troops back from the Afghan adventure – form them into a guard to protect the borders of this country. Leaving Afghanistan now will not have the Taliban cruising down the Cowley

In response to Bandwagon John Tanner's letter (Mail, September 29), he fails to provide any solutions to the issue of parking and traffic in a medieval city that was never designed to take the amount of traffic that it currently has to do. His final

Once again Oxfordshire County Council has shown its intransigence towards its citizens – and I felt it incumbent upon me as a registered Blue Badge disabled driver, citizen, pensioner and rate-payer to register a profound and heartfelt protest at having

ALTHOUGH only a humble, ill-educted pensioner – disgruntled with re-distributive left-wing government, soft-option totalitarianism and pampered drones – I seem to sense a lack of content in recent political letters. David Tinson’s letter (Mail, September

tour operator Channel Islands Travel Group will run charter flights to Jersey from Oxford airport again next year after the success of flights this year. They were the city’s first charter flights to the island in two decades. Passenger numbers for

POLICE have called at 1,700 homes in Barton, Oxford, in a bid to increase the amount of information they are receiving about crime from residents. They believe people are scared to come forward for fear of reprisals. Yesterday, officers delivered letters

It was during a recent weekend, when the wind changed direction to the north-east, and within a short time sycamore leaves — showing their orange tinge — were descending rapidly, that I felt that the autumn season was well and truly underway. Many of

Tragic teenager Natalie Morton died from a malignant tumour in her chest in a complication unconnected with a cervical cancer jab, an inquest has been told today. The news comes after the Oxford Mail revealed that some schools in Oxford had postponed

MAKing Oxford city centre a Low Emission Zone (LEZ) in a bid to cut pollution levels has not worked, according to campaigners. In April, the city council declared one of the country’s first LEZs to tackle air quality which had fallen below EU standards

I'm interested to see that your 250-word limit has not been applied to Derek Honey’s latest outpouring of ignorant drivel. So he doesn't know anything about Christian belief and his concept of God (or ‘gods’???)is nonsense: I still think he should only

I am a former resident of Oxford, currently living in California, USA. I am wondering if readers can assist me in a search. I am seeking Joe Mitchell, who would now be, approximately, 73 years old. He came from Plymouth and was last known in the Oxford

A SCIENTIST last night said industrial smoke from Didcot Power Station causes bizarre snowfalls in the area. University of Reading meteorologist Dr Curtis Wood, 27, believes particles contained in gases from the power station cause freezing

Among the proliferation of choirs in Oxfordshire, the Kennington and District United Church Choirs stands apart. While some choirs might take part in the occasional charity bash, this exceptional group of singers only ever performs for worthy causes

IF you asked what band would be most likely to see a fight breaking out at the Oxford Academy, Zero 7 would probably be my last guess. But that's exactly what two people decided to start doing right in the middle of one of the act's tenderest

There’s a South American flavour to Music Theatre Wales’s newest opera, which can be seen at the Oxford Playhouse on Sunday following its world premiere at the Royal Opera House’s Linbury Studio earlier this month. Letters of a Love Betrayed is based

ONLY one puppy was found alive after a litter of six was dumped in a brook at a nature reserve. The brindle-and-white Staff-ordshire bull terrier pup was found abandoned in Bicester in a bag left in ankle deep water. Five other puppies, aged between

A WEST Oxfordshire pub has beaten thousands across the country to be crowned England’s best. The Trout at Tadpole Bridge, near Bampton, scooped the AA Hospitality Awards Pub of the Year title in front of 700 people at a ceremony in London. Gareth and

Building is all the rage at the southern end of Magdalen Road, Oxford. A house is being restored on one corner, and the Magdalen Arms pub is being revamped on the other. But it’s the building behind the Magdalen Arms that’s being transformed: £6.4m is

A SECOND Didcot pub can now serve alcohol until 3am, despite fears about noise and public nuisance. Members of South Oxfordshire District Council’s licensing committee have allowed the Wallingford Arms in Broadway to stay open until 3am on Fridays and

Police said today that Chris Harper, a 60-year-old woman, who was reported missing from her home in Stonesfield yesterday, has been found safe and well.

I had read about the Radley Lakes issue and the successful campaign to stop RWE npower using them for further ash disposal. But, in all the years I have lived in the Abingdon area, I hadn’t actually been there. I went there recently to have

A ban on heavily-polluting vehicles driving through the city streets sounded like a great idea when it was first mooted. So when Oxford City Council declared the city centre a Low Emission Zone, people were rightly impressed something was being done

Ever wondered what that white stuff falling from the sky close to Didcot Power Station is? It’s snow. No, seriously. Weather boffin Dr Curtis Wood claimed particles contained in gases from the power station cause freezing fog to solidify into snow,

THE stars of tomorrow will be showcased at a new festival in Oxford aimed at celebrating local music. OX4, on Saturday, October 10, is the latest addition to the city’s music scene from the team behind Steventon’s popular rock festival Truck. Dozens

IT IS one of Oxford’s most bizarre and controversial works of art — and it’s hitting the headlines once again. The Headington Shark has been nominated as an Icon of England on the website icons.org.uk The 25ft shark, lowered on to the roof of radio

FEARS over the safety of a cervical cancer jab have forced some Oxfordshire schools to cancel immunisation programmes, it emerged last night. The all-girl Oxford High School scrapped yesterday’s session for 400 pupils in years eight and 10-13 after talks

THE long-awaited opening of Oxford’s Islamic centre is still years away – with £25m needed to complete the scheme, it emerged last night. The Oxford Centre for Islamic Studies was originally scheduled to open in 2004 on a 325-acre site off Marston Road

Formula One supremo Bernie Ecclestone believes Fernando Alonso's Ferrari switch has set the stage for a vintage year for the sport next season. The double world champion's move from the Enstone-based Renault F1 team to the Italian team on a three-year

Oxford United's Blue Square Premier rivals Luton Town have parted company with manager Mick Harford by mutual consent. The former Hatters striker, 50, took over in January 2008 and oversaw two successive relegations after the club were hit by points

One of the silliest ‘wine’ purchases I ever made was a bottle of rhubarb wine that I brought back from New England. It sat in the wine rack for some time before finally getting a reluctant opening a few months later. I recall taking less than a couple

The vineyards of Alsace are concentrated in a narrow strip on the lower eastern slopes of the Vosges mountains at altitudes of 175-420 metres. These altitudes provide a good balance between temperature, drainage and sun exposure. The region is rather

WEST Ilsley trainer Mick Channon is under no illusions about the size of the task facing Youmzain as his stable star bids to make it third time lucky in the Qatar Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe at Longchamp on Sunday. The six-year-old has finished a gallant

There was something of a ‘love thy neighbour’ air about the record entry in the Isis Sculls last Saturday. The entry was predominantly local, the organising club City of Oxford heading the list of big entries with 31 start places. The

GOVERNMENT acceptance of legal challenges has raised a huge question mark about green belt policy in Oxford. The Government has effectively admitted that its long-awaited planning blueprint setting out where homes should be built in the South of England

ONLY one puppy was found alive after a litter of six was dumped in a brook at a nature reserve. The brindle-and-white Staff-ordshire bull terrier pup was found abandoned in Bicester in a bag left in ankle deep water. Five other puppies, aged between

Making Oxford city centre a Low Emission Zone (LEZ) in a bid to cut pollution levels has not worked, according to campaigners. In April, the city council declared one of the country’s first LEZs to tackle air quality which had fallen below

COMMUNITY leaders last night said they were determined to find ways of making an Oxford estate safer after a spate of robberies on foreign students. Last month, the Oxford Language Centre, in Gloucester Green, confirmed young female students

Tour operator Channel Islands Travel Group will run charter flights to Jersey from Oxford airport again next year after the success of flights this year. They were the city’s first charter flights to the island in two decades. Passenger numbers for

IT IS a bizarre and controversial work of art — and it is hitting the headlines once again. The ‘Headington Shark’ has been nominated as an ‘Icon of England’. The 25-foot shark, lowered into BBC Oxford presenter Bill Heine’s roof in

EMISSIONS from Didcot Power Station cause snowfalls in the local area, according to an article in a scientific journal. University of Reading meteorologist Dr Curtis Wood, 27, said this week that he believed particles contained in emissions

FEARS over the safety of a cervical cancer jab have forced some Oxfordshire schools to cancel immunisation programmes, it emerged last night. Oxford High School for Girls scrapped yesterday’s session for 400 pupils, after the death on Monday of Coventry

Oxford United hero Steven Kinniburgh admits he gets more pleasure out of making goals than scoring them. But Tuesday night’s exquisite 25-yard inch-perfect chip over the keeper was an exception! The young Scottish left back, who has performed so consistently

Oxford residents Gwynneth Pedler and Nora Mackenzie are two ladies with a lot of courage, determination and enthusiasm for life. They do not let anything stand in their way when they want to achieve something. This summer, both of them have done things

THE funeral takes place today of long-serving popular pub landlord Bernard Herbert, who has died aged 85. Mr Herbert, who ran the Seacourt Bridge Inn in West Way, Botley, for 41 years, died last month following a long illness. A former chairman of the

POPE Benedict XVI is set to come to Oxford next year, with the historic visit timed to mark the beatification of the great Oxford churchman Cardinal John Henry Newman. Pope Benedict would become the first Pontiff in history to visit Oxford, with the

THE absence of Lib Dem councillors from the meeting that threw out Oxford Brookes University’s £150m redevelopment plan has been defended by the group’s leader, David Rundle. Only six out of the 16 Lib Dem councillors on Oxford City Council

Like a monarch evaluating his successive Prime Ministers, Lord Jenkins would often in private assess the merits and faults of the various Oxford University vice-chancellors who had served under him. It remains to be seen whether Lord Jenkins

CYCLOX, Oxford’s cycling pressure group, wants riders to be given priority at traffic lights across the city. At the Bike to the Future event at Oxford Town Hall, the group’s chairman James Styring called for a radical shake-up of facilities