Oxford Harlequins have pulled off a significant coup by signing Oxford University captain Nick Haydon. The Australian scrum half is due to complete the paperwork on Tuesday, and should make his debut at home to Weston-super-Mare in National
Abingdon United assistant manager Darren Edwards says his side are anxious to get back to playing again after yet another postponement. A frozen pitch put paid to Saturday’s Zamaretto Southern League Division 1 South & West home game against AFC Totton
Catholics tonight expressed renewed hope that Pope Benedict XVI would visit Oxford, after he confirmed he would come to Britain later this year. The Pontiff told the Catholic bishops of England and Wales that he would be making his first apostolic
Calgary Bay looks set to be given the go-ahead by trainer Henrietta Knight to take on Kauto Star and Denman in next month’s totesport Cheltenham Gold Cup. The seven-year-old, from Knight’s West Lockinge stables, near Wantage, was due to carry top weight
Disabled jockey Philip Prince, who is based with West Ilsley trainer Mick Channon, added another chapter to his fairy-tale story by winning on only his second ride at Wolverhampton on Monday. The 17-year-old, who was born without a left ear, was made
CATHOLICS tonight expressed renewed hope that Pope Benedict XVI would visit Oxford, after he confirmed he would come to Britain later this year. The Pontiff told the Catholic bishops of England and Wales that he would be making his first apostolic
THE family of a 26-year-old woman killed in a car crash have described her as a “wonderful person”. Jane Sandalls, of Woodstock, died after a collision on the B4437 Woodstock Road, Charlbury, at about 8.20am on Thursday, January 21. A statement released
A FORMER senior Army officer says he warned then Prime Minister Tony Blair there would be an insurgency shortly after Britain and the US invaded Iraq in 2003. Lieutenant Colonel Chris Parker MBE, who lives near Shrivenham, was Chief of Staff of the 8,000
TWO Volkswagen dealerships in Oxford have been sold – after just weeks in the hands of a new owner. The Motorworld VW sites in Iffley Road, Oxford, and Kidlington were bought by Johnson Cars in December from the Midcounties Co-op, along with six other
COMMUNITY leaders have attacked a report that claims the gap between rich and poor in Oxford is small. Oxford is the “most equal” place to live in the UK, according to a new survey. But the claim has taken Oxford City Council by surprise
A GROUP of climate protesters have admitted staging a three-day protest at Didcot Power Station. A total of 19 men and women pleaded guilty at Oxford Magistrates’ Court today to obstructing a person engaged in a lawful activity. Brian Payne, prosecuting
UNIQUE pieces of rock and roll memorabilia are being auctioned off for Oxford charity Oxfam’s Haiti earthquake appeal. There are 63 items up for grabs on Internet auction site eBay from some of the biggest names in the music industry.
Chinnor 43, Maidenhead 14 Chinnor ran in seven tries to record a comprehensive victory over National 3 South West basement boys Maidenhead. A dominant first half, which ended with them 29-0 ahead, meant Chinnor could even afford a comparatively flat
National 3 South West Oxford Harlequins hung on for a battling 15-7 victory at Cleve, their first at the Bristol outfit, despite being reduced to 14 men. No 8 Jason Welburn was sent off after receiving a second yellow card in the 69th
Chinnor head coach Jason Bowers was pleased with his side’s efforts against Maidenhead despite a mixed second half. He said: “I would have accepted that performance and scoring seven tries beforehand. “In the first half, we looked very well organised
South West 1 East Wallingford ground out a 13-7 victory over Walcot at a muddy Hithercroft. The opening 15 minutes saw Wallingford in the ascendancy, culminating in a try for captain Ian Jeffreys, who crashed over from close range after good link-up
Midlands 2 East South Banbury Bulls made hard work of defeating Lutterworth 22-14 – having beaten the same opponents 81-0 in October. Lutterworth were a different side on their own patch, but Bulls were able to take the lead after ten minutes when
Southern Counties North Three late tries gave Witney a flattering 32-0 victory over Bicester, who played with real character. It was only 13-0 on the hour mark, but an injury to lock Matt Dye, who pulled a calf muscle while attempting a chip and chase
BB&O leagues Oxford were edged out 15-10 in their top-of-the-table Premier Division clash at home to Broadmoor Staff. Despite the overnight frost, the pitch soon became very muddy as both sides went at it from the off. Broadmoor’s larger pack gave
ICE and snow caused a spate of accidents on Oxfordshire’s roads during today’s morning rush-hour. There were crashes across the county, although drivers escaped serious injury. James Keating-Wilkes, a spokesman for South Central Ambulance, said: “There
Oxford Hawks are on one hell of a run! For the second week in a row, lowly Hawks beat the top-of-the-table team on their travels. This time it was Gore Court, and Steve Collier bagged a brace in the 4-3 Premier Division 2 win. They fell behind to a
Oxford Hawks Ladies came from behind to win 2-1 at Harrow in Division 1 of the South Clubs' League, in their first league game of the year. Hawks didn’t look their usual selves as they conceded a breakaway, but struck back with a good finish
SIGN up for the OX5 Run on Facebook and you can raise money for the Oxford Children’s Hospital – and make lots of friends. That’s the message from fundraisers at the hospital, who have created a page on the social networking website. They are using
GOLF is at the forefront of a drive to raise cash for the stroke unit at Oxford’s John Radcliffe Hospital. After the sport helped Christine Gibbons’ husband John recover from a stroke, she wanted to show her gratitude for the care he received. Now the
Police this afternoon appealed for help in trying to trace a 74-year-old man who has been reported missing in Charlbury. David Sturdy, of Woodfield Drive was last seen by his wife at about 11pm last night. It is believed he left the house through the
Police today appealed for information after a house was burgled in Blewbury. The property in Westbrook Street was burgled between 7.30am and 10.30pm on Saturday. The thieves used a small axe that they stole from the garden shed and forced
WRITING about a law protecting agency workers that won’t be introduced until 2011 (Oxford Mail, January 22) isn’t news – unless you’re talking about BMW. This company makes a fortune exploiting agency workers through lower wages, no pension rights and
I WAS rather intrigued by the recent Oxford Mail Issue debate about whether muslim women should be allowed to wear total body covering. One tends to forget that homo sapiens are tropical animals that would not, in the beginning, have worn any form of
I WAS interested to read your report of the Iraq inquiry (Oxford Mail, January 30) and that you also reported on Joe Glenton, a soldier, based at Dalton Barracks, who faces up to two years in prison for refusing to fight in Afghanistan. With the emphasis
SUSAN Thomas is right in one thing (Oxford Mail, January 28). The pirates who kidnapped Paul and Rachel Chandler are only interested in money. To succumb to those demands would be akin to pouring petrol onto a roaring fire – and put many more innocents
Q Our 12-year-old collie cross was castrated at eight months and six months ago started dripping blood. His prostate was found to be enlarged. He was given five Tardak jabs, but this never completely stopped it. The last few days he has started bleeding
ACCORDING to Tony Blair’s final statement at the Chilcot Inquiry, Saddam Hussein was free to buy all the food and medical supplies his people needed, but chose not to do so. The facts are these: Following Saddam’s invasion of Kuwait, the US government
BREAD produced in a north Oxford patisserie beat a rival recipe by French chef Raymond Blanc to the title of Oxfordshire’s best baguette. French speakers in the city organised the competition to sort the wheat from the chaff, scrutinising seven baguettes
Earlier this week saw a sequence of events which meant I lay looking upwards in a dentist’s chair, thinking each breath I took would be my last. It started with my discovery of one of those nails that holds the telephone cable in place. But, in my case
COULD I apologise to Oxford’s hard-pressed car drivers, of which I am one, for my comment at the Green Travel Awards (Oxford Mail, January 29). What I meant to say was that we discourage cars from coming into the city wherever possible. Yes, we want
AEA Technology 23.75 BMW 2715 Electrocomponents 175.7 Gladstone 27.25 Nationwide Accident Repair 90.5 Oxford Biomedica 11.3 Oxford Catalysts 45 Oxford Instruments 248 Reed Elsevier 501.25 RM 172.5 RPS Group 202 Courtesy
An ELDERLY woman was rescued from her flat at a sheltered housing complex in Harwell after a fire broke out last night. Firefighters were called to the first-floor flat in Cherry Tree Court at 11.40pm. The woman was brought out of the flat and taken
POLICE helicopters have joined the search for a pensioner who went missing from Charlbury last night. Dementia sufferer David Sturdy, 74, of Woodfield Drive, was last seen by his wife at about 11pm. Police believe he left the house through
BORN-again bikers are to get safety advice at a series of events to try to cut the high death toll among motor-cyclists. Over the past decade, 95 motorcyclists have been killed in Oxfordshire, including eight last year. National figures
HANDBAGS have been stolen from two homes in Thame. Police are looking for a man who was spotted in the area offering to clean windows at the time of the burglaries. A house in Nelson Street was struck between 12.30am on Thursday and 4.30pm on Friday
MORE than 100 teenagers gathered in Cowley to give shoppers a glimpse of the entrepreneurs of the future. The youngsters, representing schools from across Oxfordshire, set up their stalls at the Templars Square Shopping Centre as they competed
Police are appealing for information after two houses were burgled in Thame. Between 12.30am on Thursday and 4.30pm on Friday, thieves gained access to a property in Nelson Street and stole a handbag. A handbag was also stolen from a property in
Make no mistake, the Audi Q5 is a high-tech big beast. But it doesn’t feel like that to drive. The smaller, luxuriously equipped sibling of the Q7 jungle-crusher looks every bit the meaty Sports Utility Vehicle that it is, but it drives more
Police are appealing for information after a recent spate of burglaries in the south Oxfordshire area. On January 25 between 7am and 10pm, thieves broke into a property in Chiltern Road, Sonning Common, by forcing open the front door. Between 3pm
THE family of a 26-year-old woman killed in a car crash have today described her as a "wonderful person". Jane Sandalls, of Woodstock, died after a collision on the B4437 Woodstock Road, Charlbury, at about 8.20am on Thursday, January 21. A statement
A 30-YEAR-OLD man has been charged with carrying a knife following a stop and search operation in East Street, Banbury, last Thursday. Marcin Fron, of Grimsbury Square, was charged with possession of a bladed article. He has been released on bail to
Oxford United will host Worcester City or Kidderminster Harriers in the quarter-finals of the FA Trophy. United, who beat Chelmsford City 3-1 on Saturday in the third round, will host the quarter-final on Saturday, February 20 at the Kassam
Police today issued a warning to motorists after snow and ice again hit the region. Sub-zero temperatures and snow falling on top of icy roads has caused treacherous driving conditions. A number of collisions have been reported this morning
The family of Jane Sandalls, who died after a car crash near Charlbury, today paid tribute to her. Miss Sandalls, 26, from Woodstock, died at the John Radcliffe Hospital, Oxford, after a collision on the B4437 Woodstock Road, Charlbury, on
AEA Technology 23.75 BMW 2718 Electrocomponents 176.7 Gladstone 27.25 Nationwide Accident Repair 92.5 Oxford Biomedica 11.6 Oxford Catalyst 45 Oxford Instruments 245 Reed Elsevier 500.25 RM 174 RPS Group 202.3 Courtesy of Redmayne
Police are appealing for witnesses following a burglary in Bridge Street, Witney. Just before 1am on Friday, the Co-op News Express store was broken into. The offenders forced entry and stole a small amount of cash and cheques. An empty
Households across Oxfordshire will pay an extra £2.59 a month in council tax from April, early figures show. Oxfordshire County Council — which is responsible for the lion’s share of council tax bills — has said 2010/11 bills will increase by 2.75 per
A 30-year-old man has been charged with possession of a 'bladed article', after he was stopped and searched by officers in Banbury. Marcin Fron, of Grimsbury Square, was stopped in East Street at about 8.40pm last Thursday as part of the on-going Operation
ONE of the features of Shotover Country Park at Headington, Oxford, is Mary Sadler Field. But who was Mary Sadler? Wendy Buckingham, of Cowley, Oxford, set us on her trail when she sent in this picture of a stone with the inscription, Mary
Simon Hole has rejoined Shipton-under-Wychwood as captain to spearhead their push for the Home Counties Premier League. The 26-year-old top-order batsman left the club in 2006 to play for Oxford and then moved to Banbury, where he was also
IT WASN‘T surprising that these schoolboys from Oxford were smiling. They were preparing to leave for the trip of a lifetime to Kenya. The 14 boys, all aged 13 and under, from the Dragon School in Oxford were setting off for an eight-match
ROSIE the elephant was arguably the most famous animal at Oxford Zoo. But there were other favourites, among them Hanno the lion. The picture comes from Vince Floyd, of Astley Avenue, Kidlington, who lives just yards from where the zoo
THREE men received gold watches in 1968 to mark their long service with the Chipping Norton and District Co-operative Society. Roland Hobbs (30 years), Alfred Grantham (21) and Reginald Cox (50) are seen with their new timepieces in the picture
THESE images of Oxford-shire’s past are part of a collection which are on public display until the end of the month. The 120 pictures were taken over a period of 40 years by Malcolm Graham, former head of Oxfordshire Studies, the county council’s local
THIS is the third and final section of the panoramic picture of pupils and staff at Blackbird Leys Primary School in Oxford. The picture was taken in the school grounds in 1965, just six years after the school had opened with just 94 pupils
The Enstone-based Renault team unveiled Russian Vitaly Petrov as their second driver for 2010 at yesterday’s car launch in Valencia. The 25-year-old will become Russia’s first F1 driver when he makes his debut in Bahrain on March 14 alongside former
Expectant parents will soon face a charge if they want a printed scan of their baby. The John Radcliffe Hospital in Oxford will start charging £5 for two pictures of a routine scan this month. Last night, Oxford Radcliffe Hospitals NHS Trust, which
A 74-year-old man who went missing in Bicester has been found safe and well. Chester John Parker, known locally as John, who was reported missing to police on Saturday, was found safe and well in Banbury yesterday.
DRIVERS are reporting delays and poor driving conditions on roads across Oxfordshire this morning. Westbound traffic on the A41 to Bicester is travelling slowly from Ambrosden. The M40 southbound between Junction 11 Banbury and Junction
Oxford United boss Chris Wilder delivered a message after Saturday’s FA Carlsberg Trophy win at Chelmsford that promotion rivals Stevenage and York really didn’t want to hear. “We’re getting better by the game,” he said, following the 3-1 victory which
