Archive

  • Chester poser

    Oxford United still have no idea whether their next scheduled away game, at crisis club Chester this Saturday, will go ahead. They have altered their Friday travel plans, but hope to hear for definite before then. The U’s were originally due to travel

  • RUGBY UNION: Danielli gets Scottish call

    Former Oxford University winger Simon Danielli has been called up by Scotland to replace the injured Thom Evans in Saturday's RBS 6 Nations rugby union clash against Italy in Rome. The 30-year-old, who will earn his 23rd cap, had mixed feelings about

  • RUGBY UNION: Dark Blues gunning for a military treble

    Oxford University will be looking for a military hat-trick when they host the Army at Iffley Road on Tuesday night (7.15). The Dark Blues have already beaten the RAF and Navy this term, but can expect their toughest test of the three this time. Oxford

  • RACING: Spencer's retainer with Cole owner

    Former champion jockey Jamie Spencer is set to ride on a more regular basis for Paul Cole’s Whatcombe stables, near Wantage, this Flat season. The 29-year-old Irishman, who shared the title with Seb Sanders three years ago, has been signed up by one

  • Council tax rise set

    OXFORD City Council has agreed to raise council tax by two per cent following a drawn out budget meeting. A range of community schemes also received cash boosts after the Labour and Liberal Democrat groups thrashed out a deal at the Town Hall tonight

  • Teens warned over Charlbury vandalism

    THREE teenagers have admitted hurling large plant pots on to railway lines and daubing buildings in Charlbury with graffiti. The boys, two aged 15 and one aged 14, were arrested on suspicion of criminal damage following the vandalism at Charlbury

  • Driver charged over teenager's death

    POLICE have charged a driver over the death of an Oxfordshire teenager. Greg Stiles, 18, from Thame, died when the Ford Fiesta he was driving was involved in a four-car crash on the A4129 in Buckinghamshire on May 17. His girlfriend Abigail Dowdy was

  • Star-struck pest at it again

    A FORMER postman who sent a string of sexually explicit messages to celebrities appeared in court today. Mark Taylor, 47, of Arlington Drive, Marston, Oxford, was due to be sentenced for five breaches of a restraining order at Oxford Crown Court. But

  • Christ Church denies 'drugs culture' among students

    THE Dean of an Oxford University college has denied allegations of a drug culture amongst his students. Christopher Lewis, the Dean of Christ Church, spoke out after college administrators received an anonymous letter claiming class A drugs were being

  • Birds won't go hungry after family day

    CHILDREN helped our feathered friends by building bird feeders from old plant pots and string. Members of Barracks Lane Community Garden organised the Family Gardening Day for about 65 mums, dads and children on Saturday to look at ways they could attract

  • New mental health unit 'vital' for teenagers

    FEARS have been raised that refusing permission for a new teenage mental health unit on a century-old cricket ground could force vulnerable young people out of the county for psychiatric care. Last week, Oxfordshire & Buckinghamshire Mental Health Trust

  • Police criticised over plans to close Witney cells

    POLICE are being criticised over plans to close custody cells in West Oxfordshire. All six cells at the Witney police station are to be shut – reducing the number of police cells in the county from 49 to 43. An expansion scheme at Abingdon will eventually

  • Volunteers breathe new life in Botley Park wildlife area

    VOLUNTEERS with wellies and spades dug deep to breathe new life into an area for wildlife. Members of the Low Carbon West Oxford group teamed up with supporters of the Forest of Oxford organisation to plant 50 cherry, alder and rowan trees, and wetland

  • County Tories threaten rights of way

    NO RIGHT of way in Oxfordshire is safe if the county Conservatives get their way. The county planning committee last week agreed to divert a much-loved public footpath for the benefit of two people who live at Bodicote Mill. Local councillor and Tory

  • Alarming remarks by council leader

    I am writing with some concern over the remarks made publicly by the Leader of Oxfordshire County Council, Keith Mitchell, in your paper (February 18). The remarks showed a level of misunderstanding at the highest level of our local government that saddens

  • We thought it our duty to produce council budget

    UNLIKE Labour, the Liberal Democrat Opposition at County Hall thought it our duty to produce an alternative to the Conservative Cabinet budget. We therefore came up with a solid and worked-through plan, which I can assure Cllr Brighouse cost nothing

  • Wasting money on a boring swimming pool

    I CAN'T believe the council is considering spending stacks of cash on another boring run-of-the mill swimming pool. I drive 30 miles to Swindon so that my son and his friend can enjoy a day out at a swimming complex he actually enjoys. It’s called The

  • Strange comments on fire service dispute

    REFERRING to Keith Mitchell’s letter (Oxford Mail, February 18), it was strange that he should suggest that full-time firefighters were only against the shift changes because of the impact on their second jobs. He made it seem as if their opposition

  • Dying for a breath of fresh air

    When I was a six-year-old school pupil, I used to sit besides a little boy. One day he didn’t come into school, and a week later our class wrote a card to him in hospital. Then our teacher announced that he had died after an asthma attack. Having had

  • A fantastic night of rap

    CONGRATULATIONS to everyone at the O2 Academy for putting on an amazing show when rappers Chipmunk and Tinie Tempah played as part of the Brrrap Pack tour on Saturday. Having such a large, boisterous and young crowd must have presented all sorts of problems

  • Budget talks ongoing

    COUNCILLORS are currently locked in discussions in a bid to reach an agreement on Oxford City Council’s next budget. Talks began minutes after the ruling Labour Party’s budget proposal was rejected by 24 votes to 23 in the Town Hall’s council chamber

  • Family trapped in holiday island flood chaos

    A BICESTER man has described how he was trapped in an apartment block in Madeira as flood water and debris battered the building. At least 42 people, including one British woman, have died in the floods and mudslides that followed a torrential downpour

  • Power station protest: man faces trial

    A MAN charged with aggravated trespass after an eco-protest at Didcot Power Station will stand trial in May. Carl Van Tonder, 20, of Wellington Street, Oxford, is accused of being part of a protest group that occupied the power station in October last

  • HOCKEY: Hawks make it five on the spin

    Oxford Hawks’ sensational run continued with a fifth straight victory in Premier Division 2 as they beat West Hampstead 3-1. This time it was Jono Holt, with two goals, who was their man of the match. Hawks started slowly and were indebted to in-form

  • Snow delays TV antenna work

    WORK to the Oxford TV antenna, which covers more than 410,000 homes, suffered a minor setback yesterday due to snow showers. Workmen had planned to change the digital antenna on top of the Oxfordshire mast at Beckley, pictured, using a helicopter

  • Leader's comments fan flames in fire cover row

    FIREFIGHTERS are outraged at Keith Mitchell’s claim they oppose changes to Oxfordshire’s fire cover because it will disrupt their second jobs. More than 30 members of the Fire Brigades Union from Abingdon and Didcot marched on County Hall on Tuesday

  • Barmaid's stalker will be deported

    A BUSINESSMAN jailed for harassing a barmaid continued to pester the woman from behind bars, a court has been told. Jaewan Lee was visiting the UK on a six-month visa and met the woman who was working in Eurobar, George Street, Oxford, in January. The

  • Long-term ill 'should look after themselves'

    OXFORDSHIRE health bosses are encouraging patients with long term conditions such as diabetes to ‘look after themselves’ in a bid to cut costs. According to a new report, the county could save up to £1,800 per patient over their lifetime with

  • University scientists find sweet way to store vaccines

    A SIMPLE and cheap way of making vaccines stable – even at tropical temperatures – has been demonstrated by scientists at Oxford University. The British technology has the potential to revolutionise vaccination efforts by removing the need for fridges

  • HOCKEY: Rover fail to build on welcome first win

    Rover Oxford couldn’t follow up last week’s first Division 1 win of the season, against Harrow, as they lost 1-0 to a physical Woking side. One quick move from Woking penetrated their defence. This led to a short corner which was converted. Rover

  • OX5 Run: Mum plans to use Gayle Force to raise money

    MUM-OF-FOUR Gayle Moss knows her son Sean may one day need dialysis treatment after being diagnosed with chronic kidney disease. But she is determined to help the seven-year-old lead as normal a life as possible. Miss Moss, 26, of Hamble Road, on the

  • Rotary clubs aim to make polio history

    ROTARY clubs are hosting a series of fundraising events to help eradicate polio worldwide. Clubs in Abingdon, Oxford and Woodstock are urging residents, shoppers and music lovers to help children threatened by the disease. The fundraising is part of

  • Dancin' Oxford cuts a dash

    DANCING groups entertained shoppers across Oxford city centre as part of a major annual festival. Dancin’ Oxford, now in its fourth year, runs until April 12. On Saturday, five dance groups entertained passers-by with their performances in Bonn Square

  • RUGBY UNION: Quins rally stuns Chinnor

    Chinnor 27, Oxford Harlequins 31 There will be few more dramatic finishes this season than that witnessed in an enthralling National 3 South West derby at Kingsey Road. Chinnor were leading 27-17 going into stoppage time, but still managed to lose

  • RUGBY UNION: Brodley praises mental strength

    Oxford Harlequins director of rugby John Brodley said he was not surprised by their dramatic win over Chinnor. He said: “It shows a lot about their character, but we would prefer it wasn’t so tight. “It also shows a lot about their ambition and skill

  • RUGBY UNION: Hawks let it slip

    National 2 South Henley Hawks let an 18-7 lead slip as they lost 31-24 at home to Canterbury, but did record their maiden league point of 2010. Fly half James Comben put Henley ahead with two penalties, but a try from hooker Tom Rogers, converted

  • RUGBY UNION: Bulls held to draw

    Midlands 2 East South Banbury Bulls were held to a 10-10 draw at Northampton BBOB in the only league fixture to survive the bad weather. Captain Sean Bannister scored Banbury’s opening try after latching on to Scrum half Eddie Phillips’ kick. But

  • Local share prices (AM)

    AEA Technology 193.5 BMW 2671 Electrocomponents 194.5 Gladstone 29 Nationwide Accident Repair 87.5 Oxford Biomedica 11.25 Oxford Catalysts 53.5 Oxford Instruments 233.5 Reed Elsevier 482.3 RM 168.5 RPS Group 192.4

  • RUGBY UNION: Woodward brace in vain

    South West 1 East Two tries from outstanding flanker Will Woodward could not save Wallingford from a 23-19 home defeat to Marlow. Wallingford took the lead when fly half Angus Brettell set up Woodward to race in and wing Ralph Smith

  • RUGBY UNION: Mitchem gives Swindon the boot

    Southern Counties North Nineteen points from the boot of full back Ed Mitchem helped leaders Witney to a 29-12 victory at Swindon. Mitchem slotted the first of five penalties to open the scoring before wing James Monks went close. A break from skipper

  • RUGBY UNION: Oxford dominate Alchester

    BB&O leagues Oxford maintained their promotion push with a 22-5 home victory over Alchester in the Premier Division. Jake Dawson bagged Oxford’s opening try on 11 minutes after beating two defenders, Dom Coe converting. Jon Derrick scored Oxford’

  • DARTS: Hall's maximums in vain for Marston

    Title challengers Bicester FC ended Marston British Legion C’s unbeaten record in the Winter League Premier Section despite a superb display from Pete Hall. The county player rattled off three maximums for Marston, but Bicester’s Joe Palmer, Neil Russell

  • Traders call for return of bays

    Traders in High Street, Oxford, are demanding the return of four loading bays scrapped by the county council during a resurfacing programme. The traders claim suppliers find it harder to reach their businesses and drivers are parking their

  • Skier quickly gets into winning groove

    ARMY Officer Cadet Lena Beardsell won a gold medal – just five days after trying cross-country skiing for the first time. The 21-year-old won the medal at the Army’s UK divisional Nordic ski championships, held in France. AOC Beardsell

  • Man charged with causing teenager's death

    Police have charged a man with causing death by dangerous driving near Thame. Sammy Edwards, 26, of Marsh, Aylesbury, has been charged in connection with a collision on Sunday, May 17, on the A4129, Risborough Road, Kingsey, causing the death

  • High Street work has brought a load of trouble, say traders

    TRADERS in Oxford’s High Street are demanding the return of four loading bays scrapped by the county council during a resurfacing programme. The traders claim suppliers find it harder to reach their businesses and drivers are parking their

  • Folk underground visit Wytham

    With the Oxford Folk festival looming on the horizon it was fascinating to witness performances by some talented young musicians at the forefront of what, I suppose, could be described as an underground resurgence of 'new' folk music, in the cosy

  • Man held after attempted burglary in Oxford

    Police arrested a man after what is believed to be an attempted burglary in Oxford. Police were called to the house in Sandy Lane at about 7.50pm on Friday by a neighbour who was concerned because he could hear voices from the property, which he believed

  • Snow turns county into a winter wonderland

    Oxfordshire turned into a winter wonderland again today as snow fell across the county. But drivers were forced to go slow on the roads as the snow began during the rush-hour. But the tricky driving conditions did not cause many accidents

  • Local share prices

    AEA Technology 22 BMW 2661 Electrocomponents 194.5 Gladstone 29 Nationwide Accident Repair 87.5 Oxford Biomedica 11.25 Oxford Catalysts 54 Oxford Instruments 237.25 Reed Elsevier 481.5 RM 169 RPS Group 195.9 Courtesy of Redmayne Bentley, Abingdon

  • Three held in hare coursing crackdown

    Police made three more arrests as part of Operation Migrate, a joint operation running in Wantage, Faringdon and Hungerford to tackle hare coursing. On Saturday three men, two aged 23 and one aged 20, were arrested in Childrey on suspicion of hare

  • Snow causes road delays

    Snow brought delays for drivers on roads in Oxfordshire today. Some lorries were unable to get up the hill on the A44 between Enstone and Chipping Norton, causing all lorries behind the stuck ones to also stop, adding to delays. A three-vehicle

  • Wintry weather for rest of week

    Snow and heavy rain has made it a miserable Monday morning for millions, with forecasters predicting further wintry weather for the rest of the week. While motorists suffered a series of accidents on major routes, train passengers had to cope

  • Oxford school kept pupils busy

    CHILDREN at St Thomas the Martyr School in Oxford enjoyed a varied curriculum. Recalling her time as a pupil at the Osney Lane school from 1938 to 1947, Aileen Mason writes: “In the infants’ class (Class 4), we each had our own metal mug, toothbrush

  • Another glimpse of Headington's sporting past

    HERE are two more pictures from the archives of Stewart Jacobs, one of Oxfordshire’s leading football administrators. The picture above shows one of the early Headington United teams. The only player we can identify is Bill Jones, second from

  • Oxford Ixion riders enjoyed big night out

    MEMBERS of the Oxford Ixion Motorcycle Club spent much of their lives caked in mud. But there were times when racing was forgotten and they went out in their best clothes to enjoy themselves. One such occasion was the annual dinner and

  • Millers maintain family tradition

    WORKERS at Osney Mill in Oxford made sure that families had bread on their tables. The flour they produced was supplied to small bakeries within a 30-mile radius of the city. Four generations of the Munsey family have worked as millers

  • Sad day for Iffley schoolchildren

    THIS was a sad day for these pupils – their school was closing. The picture was taken at the entrance to Iffley School, in Oxford, in 1961, when the village school closed down. As we recalled (Memory Lane, January 18), the school had

  • The changing face of Yarnton

    REGULARS at the Red Lion pub and the crew of HMS Yarnton enjoyed a long-term friendship. So when the minesweeper was withdrawn from service in 1985, it was natural that the pub should want a memento. The ship’s bell was presented to the pub, to tell customers

  • Ox and Bucks troops in frame

    THIS is the second part of the panoramic picture of the 2nd Battalion of the Oxfordshire and Buckinghamshire Light Infantry. Men from the unit, also known as the 52nd Regiment Light Infantry, posed for the cameraman at Bulford Camp, in Wiltshire, in

  • Latest weather outlook

    The snow hitting Oxfordshire will continue until about midday before turning to sleet and rain, Met Office forecasters said today. Two to six centimetres of snow hit the region overnight and more sleet and snow could be on its way tomorrow. But John

  • Oxford United's league focus

    CHRIS Wilder admits Oxford United’s FA Trophy exit may be a blessing in disguise so they can concentrate fully on their main goal. The fixture nightmare that would have accompanied their progress into the semi-finals is over, and the U’s boss says they

  • Power to the people

    WHEN chief probation officer Gerry Marshall revealed Macmillan House had been chosen for a new Oxford headquarters, perhaps he should have been waving a white flag. The unveiling of the St Aldate’s office earlier this month signalled the end of controversial

  • Views on extra earning split our MPs

    TONY Baldry is charging up to £1,100 a hour for private work outside of Parliament, an Oxford Mail investigation has found. The Mail has seen a current list of Oxfordshire MPs’ outside interests and it shows some are being paid for consultancy