Archive

  • Button still learning to love his car

    Jenson Button may have a first win under his belt but he admits his love affair with his McLaren is yet to fully blossom. Upon arriving at the team, Button was always aware it would take a certain amount of time to become accustomed to a new order

  • Ashmolean in line for award

    Britain's oldest public museum has been shortlisted to win a top architectural award following its £61m redevelopment. Oxford’s Ashmolean Museum, which reopened in November with double the exhibition space it previously had, is one of three

  • Door shortage closes Mini plant

    BMW’S Mini car plant in Cowley has been forced to shut down for two days from tomorrow due to a fault at the firm’s body pressings plant in Swindon. As a result, the Cowley plant is short of doors for Minis, so production will be suspended

  • Egg racing event called off

    A popular event that sees hundreds of people gathering at Shotover Park in Oxford to race decorated eggs down the hill has been cancelled. The event in Headington usually takes place over the Easter weekend. A spokesman for Oxford City

  • Firm proposes Oxford-Swindon rail link

    Commuters could catch direct trains from Oxford to Swindon for the first time in eight years if the country’s first co-operative rail firm secures official approval. The Go! Co-operative wants to start a service which would see Oxford and

  • Blackbird Leys pupils put in heroic effort

    ARTISTIC youngsters have created their own superheroes – and come up with some rather unusual super-powers. Children at Windale Primary School in Blackbird Leys have been working with artist Miranda Creswell since January as part of a partnership between

  • Man in court over 1982 sex offences

    A 45-year-old man charged with sex offences, alleged to have occurred in 1982, was remanded in custody today. Adrian De Havilland, formerly Adrian Goodenough, from Wigan, appeared at Didcot Magistrates’ Court charged with one count of indecent assault

  • Shotover egg-racing event called off

    A popular event that sees hundreds of people gathering at Shotover Park in Oxford to race decorated eggs down the hill has been cancelled. The event in Headington usually takes place over the Easter weekend. A spokesman for Oxford City Council said:

  • Man injured in M40 crash

    A man was taken to hospital after his silver Ford Ka hit the central reservation southbound on the M40. The crash at 4pm today caused delays between junctions 9 and 10 near Bicester. Police were unable to say how badly the man was injured.

  • High Sheriff steps out for charity

    The county’s High Sheriff, Richard Dick, will set off on a five-day fundraising walk tomorrow in aid of the Warborough charity Footsteps Foundation. Mr Dick will walk 80 miles along the River Thames Path through Oxfordshire over Easter, starting in Lechlade

  • Direct Oxford-Swindon rail link planned

    COMMUTERS could catch direct trains from Oxford to Swindon for the first time in eight years if the country’s first co-operative Rail firm secures official approval. The Go! Co-operative wants to start a service which would see Oxford and

  • New law to prevent 'student ghettos'

    Landlords who want to convert family homes into student accommodation will need to apply for planning permission under new laws coming into effect next week. From Tuesday, landlords will have to pay £355 to apply for permission to change the use of a

  • Police investigate rape at Coven nightclub

    AN INVESTIGATION is under way after a woman claimed she was raped in the toilet of an Oxford nightclub. Police said the incident happened at about 2.30am on Saturday, February 27, in the Coven club, in Oxpens Road. The attacker is described as about

  • Door shortage halts Mini car plant

    OXFORD: BMW’S Mini car plant in Cowley has been forced to shut down for two days from tomorrow due to a fault at the firm’s body pressings plant in Swindon. As a result, the Cowley plant is short of doors for Minis, so production will be suspended tomorrow

  • Homes campaign shows strength

    DEFIANT residents have united to fight plans to build thousands of homes in south Oxfordshire. The Government has ordered the district council to build 3,300 new homes across the area between 2011 and 2026 to meet projected housing needs.

  • Giant hospital artwork inspires height of creativity

    SICK children created their own artwork inspired by a project to transform a dull 70ft-high wall into a colourful masterpiece at an Oxford hospital. World renowned artist Michael Craig-Martin, whose work features in the collections of the Tate Gallery

  • Crashes cause M40 chaos

    A series of crashes brought chaos to the M40 in north Oxfordshire this afternoon. One lane was closed, with queueing traffic for six miles reported after two accidents and a car fire on the M40 northbound at junction ten at the Cherwell Valley Services

  • The Insider

    SIX months ago the Insider reported the emergence of a new spoof website celebrating sour-faced councillors posing miserably alongside potholes and building closures. It now features an old snap of two of Oxford’s most media savvy elected members

  • ROWING: Dark Blues tipped for Boat Race glory

    Although his crew are favourites, Oxford University coach, Sean Bowden, is taking nothing for granted when they take on Cambridge in the 156th Varisty Boat Race on Saturday (4.30pm), writes Mike Rosewell. Bowden, who has won seven of the last ten races

  • RACING: Buick enjoys biggest success in Dubai

    Wiliam Buick was in dreamland after Dar Re Mi gave him the biggest success of his career with victory in the Dubai Sheema Classic at Meydan on Saturday. The 21-year-old, from Letcombe Regis, near Wantage, cemented his new partnership as stable jockey

  • RUGBY UNION: Henley not good enough - Forster

    Henley Hawks head coach Jason Forster delivered an honest assesment of his team, admitting they have underperformed in National 2 South this season. Hawks lie 11th in the table and are not yet mathematically guaranteed to avoid the bottom two relegation

  • RUGBY UNION: Coach's confidence

    Witney head coach Phil Harper is confident they will land the Southern Counties North title. Leading by two points and with a points difference advantage of 121 over second-placed Amersham & Chiltern, Witney are in pole position. Harper said: “We are

  • RUGBY UNION: Holmes hails Bannister

    Banbury Bulls player-coach Grant Holmes has hailed his captain Sean Bannister, whose tries have propelled them to the brink of the Midlands 2 East South title. Flanker Bannister has scored 14 tries in 2010, bringing his season’s tally to 17 – a total

  • Osborne backs Westgate developer

    Oxford Castle developer Trevor Osborne has given the seal of approval to the announcement that the Crown Estate is to develop the city’s Westgate Shopping Centre. Mr Osborne, who transformed the Castle site into a restaurant and hotel complex four years

  • RUGBY UNION: Chinnor clinch county crown

    Chinnor secured the Oxfordshire Under 15 League title on points difference after defeating Oxford 38-0. Needing to win by 34 points to pip Wallingford, who had led the table all season, Chinnor did just enough. Henry Gayler (2), George English (2),

  • TOUCH RUGBY: Seven called up

    Seven players from the Oxford Touch Rugby League have received international call-ups for the European Championships and World Cup. Tash Verniquet (women’s open), Joelene Hughes (mixed 30s), Paul Farrington (men’s 30s), Lance Rossiter and Andrew Robson

  • RUGBY UNION: Rickner leads Dark Blues

    Oxford University will join their Cambridge counterparts as invitees in the Casablanca Sevens over the Easter weekend. The 12-man squad will be captained by Mike Rickner and managed by double Blue Peter Wright, who is now the Dark Blues’ commercial

  • Man remanded over 1982 Didcot sex assault

    A man charged with five offences by officers from Thames Valley Police's Major Crime Review Team was remanded in custody at Didcot Magistrates’ Court today. Adrian De Havilland, formally known as Adrian Goodenough, 45, from Wigan, has been charged

  • Energy savers hit jackpot

    Villagers have hit a £20,000 jackpot after driving down their carbon footprint by ten per cent. Families and businesses in North Leigh took up the challenge more than two years ago, using a raft of innovative measures to slash their electricity usage

  • Women fight to keep Legion alive

    A women's branch of the Royal British Legion which has raised more than £20,000 to help injured servicemen and their families could be forced to close unless more members join. The women’s section of the Wolvercote & Wytham RBL branch will gather

  • Taxing the city

    We have now entered the pre- election phase, and the battle lines will soon be drawn over the most important issues on which the General Election will be fought. No doubt the recession, and how to lead the nation out of it, will be one of the main issues

  • Is this a joke?

    I HAVE just heard that today, Oxford City Council planners will approve plans put in by Oxford Brookes University, for a new teaching block – smack in the middle of Frideswide Square. This new state-of-the-art building will offer its visitors courses

  • Get home in order

    SO David Cameron’s wife indicated the Tory leader has a tendency to be “messy around the house”. It is nice to see the same standards apply to his constituency of Witney, with rubbish strewn everywhere. The local Sainsbury’s store has plastic bags floating

  • Lack of planning

    I AM glad there is now to be a crossing put in place outside the Marriotts Walk shopping centre in Witney. However, I cannot understand how it could have been just an oversight. Surely people must have had a clue when the crossing had to be removed for

  • Prefabs may solve homes shortages

    HISTORY may hold the ideal solution to a very up-to-date problem. Growing up in the 1950s I visited a couple of relatives who lived in prefabricated homes, or prefabs as they were known. One aunt lived on The Slade and an uncle lived in Barton. My

  • Energy-saving village hits £20,000 jackpot

    VILLAGERS have hit a £20,000 jackpot after driving down their carbon footprint by 10 per cent. Families and businesses in North Leigh, near Witney, took up the challenge more than two years ago, using a raft of innovative measures to slash their electricity

  • BAR BILLIARDS: Mighty Masons chisel out vital victory

    Masons A raced to a 4-1 home victory over nearest rivals Democrats Club to open up a six-point lead at the top of Section 1 with just two games left. Dave Rose set Masons on the way by rattling up 11,290 for his ninth win of the season, before Martyn

  • Ron Sudworth: Musician and bandleader

    MUSICIAN and former Cowley car plant worker Ron Sudworth, has died aged 77 from prostate cancer. Born in Yorkshire in 1933, Mr Sudworth came to Oxford in 1953, at the end of his National Service. He moved to the city at the invitation of renowned bandsman

  • Mum runs to show her appreciation of hospital

    WHEN Nicola Hilton takes her eight-year-old son Erik to Oxford Children’s Hospital, she is glad there is so much to occupy youngsters while they wait to be seen. Donations to the hospital mean Erik and his sister Scarlett, 10, can play games

  • Couple campaign for dialysis unit in north Oxfordshire

    THE wife of a kidney dialysis patient is urging the Oxford Radcliffe Hospitals NHS Trust to rethink its strategy over providing the life- saving treatment in the north of the county. Miranda Berry, 50, fears that if the trust sticks to its guns over

  • Lady Park: Spy, peer and Somerville principal

    BARONESS Daphne Park, a former principal of the University of Oxford’s Somerville College, enjoy-ed a 30-year career with British intelligence. A Conservative peer and former MI6 officer, Baroness Park of Monmouth died last Wednesday, aged 88. During

  • POINT-TO-POINT: Cup glory goes to Lord Attica

    Lord Attica went one better than last year to capture the men’s open for the Lord Ashton of Hyde’s Cup at the rearr-anged Heythrop Hunt meeting at Dunthrop, near Chipping Norton. The 11-year-old, a distant second to Bowdens Lane 12 months ago

  • Ashmolean among three schemes in line for architecture award

    BRITAIN’S oldest public museum has been shortlisted to win a top architectural award following its £61m redevelopment. Oxford’s Ashmolean Museum, which reopened in November with double the exhibition space it previously had, is one of three

  • Youth tried to snatch woman's bag

    Police are appealing for witnesses after a youth attempted to snatch a woman’s handbag from her in Banbury. The incident happened at about 3.35pm on Friday, as the 48-year-old woman was walking along the footpath that leads from Hillview County Primary

  • ATHLETICS: Natasha gives a mighty performance

    Natasha Mighty, of Radley, starred with two gold medals in the British Masters Indoor Championships at Lee Valley. Competing in the women’s 35 age group, Mighty won the 60m in 8.89secs and the 60m hurdles in 10.71. Mighty looked to have won a third

  • ICE HOCKEY: Star face uphill task to make final

    Oxford City Stars have it all to do if they are to make the Division 1 South play-off final after a disappointing outcome from their two matches against Bracknell Hornets. Stars beat Bracknell 5-4 on their home rink on Saturday, but, icing

  • ICE HOCKEY: Juniors romp to easy victory

    OXFORD City Stars Under 14s beat Milton Keynes 8-2 in a challenge match at Oxpens Road. Michael Raff and Hamish Martin both scored hat-tricks for Oxford, with additional goals from John Jentsch and Jess Lawrence. OXFORD Juniors are seeking players

  • CRICKET: Charlesworth in Abingdon switch

    Abingdon Vale say they have pulled off a major coup by signing Oxford all-rounder Graham Charlesworth. The 45-year-old has joined the MP Sports Cherwell League Division 2 side as a player, but will also be involved in coaching, especially with the juniors

  • GOLF: Weir drives into office

    FOUNDER member Jim Weir has driven in as Drayton Park’s new captain and will raise funds for Helen and Douglas House. Weir’s third drive was accompanied by a torrential downpour, but he managed to get all his shots on the fairway and raise

  • AUNT SALLY: Super Hazell is indoor king

    PUNCHBOWL’S Lee Hazell was crowned Kidlington Indoor League’s singles champion with a 2-0 win over North Oxford Conservative Club’s Ray Townsend on finals night. North Oxford, added the Len Hill Competition to their Division 1 title with a 16-6 win over

  • Gift saves life in Deddington after 20 minutes

    A PIECE of life-saving equipment, designed to save heart attack victims, proved its worth after being pressed into service just minutes after being handed over. The defibrillator was handed over by Deddington Farmers’ Market’s committee to volunteer

  • GOLF: Special day for Alan

    CHELSEA fan Alan Butler (pictured above) was labelled ‘The Special One’ when he drove in as Oxford City’s new captain. The 56-year-old did the honours in front of a collection of former captains displaying the nickname of ex-Chelsea manager Jose Mourinho

  • Wallingfod to get super-fast Internet connection

    WALLINGFORD could get a pioneering wireless Internet system, providing super-fast connections for homes and businesses across a seven-mile radius. The idea is being considered by the Wallingford Partnership Ltd, which is planning to start by providing

  • Boat Race pair to marry

    A couple who help prepare Oxford’s crew for the annual University Boat Race are to tie the knot. Denise Thomas, a university sports therapist who works with the boat race crew, thought her boyfriend – an osteopath for the rowing squad – was trying

  • Local bands get a jukebox slot

    A BAR is doing its bit to promote local bands — by adding their tunes to the jukebox. Lan Xi, landlady of the Wheatsheaf, in George Street, Banbury, has taken delivery of tracks from bands My Shikome, Leatherat and Last Chance. Now she is urging more

  • Boat Race pair to marry

    A COUPLE who help prepare Oxford’s crew for the annual University Boat Race are to tie the knot. Denise Thomas, a university sports therapist who works with the boat race crew, thought her boyfriend – an osteopath for the rowing squad – was trying to

  • Legion ladies fight to keep branch alive

    A WOMEN’S branch of the Royal British Legion which has raised more than £20,000 to help injured servicemen and their families could be forced to close unless more members join. The women’s section of the Wolvercote & Wytham RBL branch will gather to

  • Local share prices (AM)

    AEA Technology 20.8 BMW 3038 Electrocomponents 221.4 Gladstone 31.75 Nationwide Accident Repair 83 Oxford Biomedica 9.6 Oxford Catalysts 57.5 Oxford Instruments 267.5 Reed Elsevier 525.25

  • Tool problem closes Mini plant

    The Cowley Mini plant has been forced to shut down for two days from tomorrow to repair a machine used to help press the doors. The tool, which is now being repaired, is based at the Swindon factory where the body panels are made before being transported

  • Faringdon 2 - 4 Summertown Stars

    Playing away from home with ten boys, Summertown Dragons had to work hard to keep the score down to 1-0 at half-time against a Faringdon team that attacked in wave after wave of forceful and inventive football. In a seesaw second half the

  • Man charged over 1982 sex assault

    A man was due in court today charged over a knifepoint sex attack on an 11-year-old girl 28 years ago. Detectives from Thames Valley Police’s major crime review team arrested 45-year-old Adrian De Havilland – formerly known as Adrian Goodenough

  • Oxford United's dream dies

    Oxford United's automatic promotion dream died last night – and now they need to regroup and re-energise to make sure they get into the play-offs. Their 1-0 defeat at leaders Stevenage leaves the U’s eight points behind Graham Westley’s

  • Mephedrone incidents are unsurprising

    IT IS depressingly unsurprising that two Oxfordshire teenagers have required medical treatment after taking the legal drug mephedrone since the deaths of two lads in Scunthorpe. The deaths and subsequent pronouncements from the Government about banning

  • Sporting chance

    THE clearance for Heythrop Park to stage a large professional golf tournament can only be good news for west Oxfordshire. An economic benefit of £5m is good money for any community and will hopefully help soothe any objections from the community who

  • Heythrop bids to host top golf tournaments

    International golf tournaments featuring some of the world’s top players could be held at a west Oxfordshire course. The likes of Colin Montgomerie and Darren Clarke could soon be teeing off at Heythrop Park, after plans to stage major competitions

  • Heythrop Park bids to host top golf tournaments

    INTERNATIONAL golf tournaments featuring some of the world’s top players are set to be held at a west Oxfordshire course. The likes of Colin Montgomerie and Darren Clarke could soon be teeing off at Heythrop Park, near Chipping Norton, after plans to

  • Man charged over 1982 sex attack on young girl

    A MAN was last night charged by police over a knifepoint sex attack on an 11-year-old girl 28 years ago. Detectives from Thames Valley Police’s major crime review team arrested 45-year-old Adrian De Havilland – formerly known as Adrian Goodenough –

  • Council fined for illegally crushing car

    OXford City Council has been given a criminal record and condemned by a judge for illegally crushing a man’s car. The authority admitted criminal damage after its contractors seized Martin Young’s Ford Escort from near his home despite it being