Archive
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Man charged after Horspath death crash
Police charged a man this afternoon in connection with a fatal crash in Horspath in October 2010. Philip Sherriff, 20, of Marylands Green, Chiselhampton, has been charged with one count of causing death by careless driving. He has been bailed to appear
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Jeep crash leads to copter hunt
Police arrested two young people after launching a hunt using a helicopter and tracker dogs following the crash of a stolen Jeep in West Oxfordshire. A member of the public called Thames Valley Police at 9.15pm yesterday to report a crashed
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COWLEY ROAD: More student digs 'not right for area'
A RESIDENTS’ leader says Oxford’s Cowley Road is being “turned into a students’ union” after plans were put forward to convert a former gym into more university accommodation. Oxford City Council is to decide on a plan to turn closed fitness centre The
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Oxford United sign left winger
Oxford United have signed 22-year-old left-footed winger Jennison Myrie-Williams. The former Bristol City, Tranmere and Carlisle player was released by St Johnstone at the start of January. Full story in Friday's Oxford Mail.
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Chilean miner tells 'unique story of faith'
MORE than 300 people gave a rapturous welcome to Chilean miner José Henriquez when he visited Oxfordshire. He gave the first of three talks in the county at Grove Parish Church and will appear at Oxford Town Hall tonight. He was among 33 miners trapped
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In The Big League
ANDREW FFRENCH talks to Oxford author Andrew Rosenheim, whose latest novel, a dark 1930s thriller featuring young FBI agent Jimmy Nessheim, looks set to put him on the fiction map. WHEN fledgling American football star Jimmy Nessheim gets a
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Wild At Heart
Bence Máté spent hours watching and following leaf-cutter ants in the Costa Rican rainforest just to get the one shot that might win Wildlife Photographer Of The Year. But lying on the ground also infested him with skin-digesting mite larvae, which
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Chilling Out
Whether it’s a 4,000 round trip across the Antarctic or a camel ride through the Australian desert, Geoff Somers is a modern day explorer to the core, but getting him to brag about his exploits is a much harder challenge. Katherine MacAlister cajoles
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Ugly Truth
RICHARD BELL learns just how hard life can be when the economic climate puts the dampers on a night rubbing shoulders with Oxford Fashion Week beauties at the Living Room in Oxford Castle. With Government cuts being what they are, we’re all
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Oxford gets set for a £1 million Olympic party
OXFORD is to be part of a £1m spectacular to celebrate the Olympic Games. The city will host a party ahead of the 2012 games, sparking hopes that the Olympic torch will come to the city. The “large-scale outdoor celebration” is one of
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They Need You!
KATHERINE MACALISTER savours a bargain three-course lunch made by catering students at their college restaurant where the only things lacking are the customers... ‘Good morning madam, can I help you?” the young man in the blue waistcoat asked
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Suspend Belief
KATHERINE MACALISTER samples some of Bristol’s newest attractions while revisiting old haunts. Revisiting old haunts can be a dangerous business, especially on romantic weekends away. And Bristol holds so many rose-tinted memories for
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Let Your Hair Down
TANGLED (PG. Family. Featuring the voices of Mandy Moore, Zachary Levi, Donna Murphy, Ron Perlman, MC Gainey, Jeffrey Tambor, Brad Garrett. Directors: Nathan Greno, Byron Howard. Blondes certainly have more fun in Disney’s glorious
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See The Light
HEREAFTER (12A). Drama. Cecile De France, Matt Damon, George McLaren, Frankie McLaren, Bryce Dallas Howard, Jay Mohr, Thierry Neuvic, Lyndsey Marshal. Director: Clint Eastwood. Clint Eastwood may be approaching his 80th birthday
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Cajun Spice
Tim Hughes meets a band keeping alive the culture of the Louisiana swamps, and finds they are not everything they seem. NO one plays Cajun music like Mama Rosin. Their punchy gumbo of guitars, banjo and melodeon is a reeling, rabble-rousing
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Man charged over fatal Horspath crash
A 20-YEAR-OLD man has been charged with causing death by careless driving after a 19-year-old died in a crash in Horspath. Sidney Spiers, 19, of Kennington, died in October when a red Fiat Punto hit a brick footbridge in Cuddesdon Road, Horspath in
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Witney agents merge
Two Witney letting agents, Springfield Property Rentals and Gatekeeper Property, have merged to form a new larger business. The eight Springfield staff will be joined by another four, who are likely to be appointed soon. Patrick Brady
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Burglars steal £750 mountain bike
A £750 mountain bike was stolen in one of two burglaries in Oxford. The first occurred in Vernon Avenue, North Hinksey, between 3pm and 6pm on Saturday. Thieves entered the garage of the house via an insecure door and stole a 29-year-old woman
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Leadbitter in 'buy-back' deal
Construction firm Leadbitter has teamed up with a French building company to buy out its owner. The Abingdon-based firm and Bouygues Bâtiment International have combined to acquire Leadbitter from its Dutch owners Heijmans for an undisclosed sum. The
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Local shares (PM)
AEA Technology 5.2 BMW 4928 Electrocomponents 264.2 Nationwide Accident Repair 104.5 Oxford Biomedica 5.67 Oxford Catalysts 83.5 Oxford Instruments 651 Reed Elsevier 557 RM 169 RPS Group 217.2 Courtesy of Redmayne Bentley, Abingdon
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MIKE STORM: RNLI stalwart lived for the sea
MIKE Storm, the face of Bicester’s Royal National Lifeboat Institution branch for more than three decades, has died aged 77. Mr Storm has been chairman of the Bicester and District Branch of the RNLI since 1985 and during that time helped raise £60,000
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JONATHAN MARKSON: Coach gave Uni success
JONATHAN Markson, the man who created one of Europe’s biggest and best known tennis camps in Oxford, has died aged 55. The Jonathan Markson Oxford Tennis camp attracted thousands of players from its inception in 1981. Mr Markson, himself a Scottish
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ARNOLD HADWIN: Former editor covered major world events
ARNOLD Hadwin OBE, a former assistant editor at the Oxford Mail, has died aged 82. Mr Hadwin joined the Oxford Mail as a reporter in 1951, covering major world events including the Hungarian Uprising and the erection of the Berlin Wall. He rose to assistant
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The power of speech
Forget reading the prospectus, dismiss the website. The savvy prospective parent now heads straight for the speech day, reports Hilary Moriarty of the Boarding Schools’ Association. If you want to get a glimpse of a senior school you may be considering
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Laying the foundations
Nicola Lisle reports on the work of the Peers Early Education Partnership (PEEP), which works with parents and carers to give their children the best academic start in life. Prevention is better than a cure, the saying goes — and in the case of education
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In Business now in e-edition
READERS and advertisers of The Oxford Times are being provided with a new digital platform. In Business has been launched as an e-edition via the newspaper’s website with subscribers able to use cutting-edge page-turning software to virtually
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Flood defence worries
Some of us remember wading to work through the floods of 2007 and the snow last month which remains fresh in all our minds. But spare a thought for the people of Botley, Osney and St Ebbes in March 1947. That year, there was first heavy snow and then,
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Calls for two cycle lanes under Botley Road rail bridge
CAR lanes under an accident blackspot railway bridge should be narrowed to make way for two cycle lanes, according to a Green councillor. Dick Wolff said the car lanes can be legally narrowed under the Botley Road bridge in Oxford because it
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Extended Projects stretch young minds
Julie Webb reveals how St Edward’s School pupils studying for A-Levels have embraced the Extended Project scheme. There is a great deal of comment these days on the difficulty university staff have in selecting potentially successful students
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In praise of homework
Julie Robinson, education and training director of the Independent Association of Prep Schools explores the value of homework. Eleanor Updale’s attack on homework published in the TES provoked a surge of interest as she claimed that homework is often
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Didcot becoming popular place to rent a home
With its proximity to the major employment hub of Milton Park and the development of the town centre, Didcot is becoming a popular choice for house hunters. According to agents, demand for one, two and three-bedroom homes in the town is strengthening
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Oxfordshire’s cultural asset
Musician Jali Fily maintains a family tradition by helping spread the word to schools about life in West Africa. Oxfordshire-based African musician Jali Fily’s Griot tradition has been recognised as an important asset in a new exciting language teaching
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Old meets new in converted flour mill
Old meets new in a contemporary family home that has a converted 18th-century flour mill in its grounds. The Old Mill House in Sutton Courtenay, which was built three years ago, is set back from the brook that powers the mill. On the ground floor is
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Magicians aim to leave audiences spellbound
MAGICIANS are gearing up to baffle audiences with tricks including walking through an industrial fan with its blades spinning at 90 miles per hour. Sam Strange and Richard Young will take to the stage with friend James Bryan at the Thame Players Theatre
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Modern life driving families closer
Divorce and high property prices are just two reasons why more people are choosing to cohabit with other generations of their families. Agents report that there is growing demand for houses that are big enough to house elderly parents or adult children
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Are school fees really worth the sacrifice?
In the current bleak economic climate, many parents are questioning the cost of school fees and whether they are worthwhile. Helen Torlesse, mother of four, draws on her personal experience. Education, as we all know, is about so much more than Common
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Getting the bigger picture
Julie Webb discovers how the Nuffield Foundation’s schools and colleges science bursary scheme is helping create the scientitists of the future The Nuffield Foundation’s Schools and Colleges science bursary scheme is a national programme enabling
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Local share prices (AM)
AEA Technology 5.35 BMW 4972 Electrocomponents 263.6 Nationwide Accident Repair 105.5 Oxford Biomedica 5.53 Oxford Catalysts 82.75 Oxford Instruments 661 Reed Elsevier 566.25 RM 170 RPS Group 218.75 Courtesy of Redmayne Bentley
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Crash victim to sue schoolgirl
A SCHOOLGIRL responsible for her best friend’s death when she crashed her car is being sued by one of her passengers. Grace Hadman, 17, a pupil at St Edward’s School, in Woodstock Road, Oxford, died from her injuries after Gabriella Edmondson
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Old cottage wtih permission
A thatched 17th-century single-level cottage has planning permission for a major two-storey extension. Converted into a house in the 1960s, the Grade-II listed Studio Cottage in Duns Tew was once used to stable livestock. Built of local
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Two years can really make a difference
John Baugh, headmaster of Oxford’s Dragon School explains why he believes Years 7 and 8 are vital for prep school pupils The final prep school years offer real value because they are the culmination of earlier learning and a time to further hone
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GOLF: Southwell drives in
Ann Southwell, a 20-handicapper, who has been a member for ten years, drives in as the ladies’ captain of Frilford Heath
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'Thug deserves longer in prison'
KAY GOODENOUGH believes her son Paul Bishop would not have died just weeks after being badly beaten if he had never met Adelle McColl. The 73-year-old careworker from Didcot travelled to Birmingham to see McColl finally jailed for two-and-a-half
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ATHLETICS: Hat-trick delight for Jégou
Paul Jégou, of White Horse Harriers, has won the Wessex Cross Country League senior men’s title for a third time in a row. He clinched the crown when winning the latest round on a testing course at Yeovil in Somerset – his second successive
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RUGBY UNION: Caviezel Cox on song
Banbury Under 15s stayed top of the Oxfordshire Division 1 table after a hard-fought 34-15 victory at Wallingford. Tom Letch, Ollie Robinson, Finn Webb and Alex Caviezel Cox scored Banbury’s tries. Caviezel Cox kicked two conversions and two penalties
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RUGBY UNION: England chance
Seven Oxfordshire players will have an eye on England call-ups when they represent the South West in the RFU Divisional Under 18 Festival. The festival, featuring teams from the four RFU regions, takes place at Broadstreet RFC from February 18-20, and
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BAR BILLIARDS: Rampant Vikings keep up pressure
Vikings A put more pressure on Johnsons Buildbase Oxford League Premier Section leaders Kennington Club with a brilliant 5-0 victory at Section 1 leaders Masons B, writes PETE EWINS. Mike Jones inflicted Dave Butt’s first defeat of the season
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AUNT SALLY: General Foods in cup triumph
General Foods lifted the Banbury Indoor League’s Neil West Memorial Cup with a 2-1 win over Bicester in the final. Mick Berry capped his 15 dolls with a six to help Punchbowl to a 6-0 win over Kings Arms (Tackley) in the Kidlington Indoor League. RESULTS
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Blessing for new addition
Archbishop Bernard Longley of Birmingham visited Banbury on Sunday to bless a new fixture added to a local church. A Lampadarium — a beam of wood from which lamps are suspended — was donated to St John’s Church, South Bar Street, Banbury, by St. Mary’
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Prize for the lollipop joker
WHAT coat burns? A blazer of course! That’s just one of the jokes that won a school lollipop lady votes in a national competition. Sue Brown has just been named favourite lollipop person in the region after she was nominated by children at Middleton
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Sapa site investors offer new jobs hope
AN INVESTMENT firm wants to turn a former Banbury factory site – where Second World War Spitfires used to be built – into a new business park. Standard Life Investments has submitted a planning application to redevelop the former Sapa site, off Southam
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Dominic pens his first novel
PREVIOUSLY Dominic James has been a Jack of many trades, but never a master in one – until now. The former barman, bookmaker, draughtsman and musician will launch his first novel on Saturday, at Waterstones, Castle Quay, Banbury, from 10am. Called The
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Love of Flamenco leads to launch of second book
FIREfighter Chris Wilson has published his second book about Flamenco, the traditional Spanish dance. He will launch Collecting Stamps, Flamenco in Madrid on Sunday at Cafe Nero, in the High Street, Banbury. The book is based on his experiences learning
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COMMENT: True character
LIFE is increasingly empty of real characters and so we sadly say farewell to Dyk Brooker. Wearing his straw hat covered in flowers and carrying his melodeon, he was a well-known presence busking in the city centre. His friend Gilly Robinson says
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RUGBY UNION: Blues back Comic Relief
Oxford University are teaming up with Sainsbury’s to raise funds for Comic Relief at next Wednesday’s home game against the Royal Navy. The match at Iffley Road will feature bucket collections, sampling sessions and promotional t-shirts. Sainsbury’s
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Teen cleared of bottle attack
A TEENAGER accused of striking two students with a bottle in a bar brawl in Oxford has been cleared. Kreshnik Pali, 19, denied two counts of unlawful wounding and was cleared by jurors at Oxford Crown Court yesterday. Students Charles
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MP criticised over tax breaks for castles
OWNERS of historic homes open to the public should get better tax breaks, according to North Oxfordshire MP Tony Baldry. In a debate in the House of Commons, Mr Baldry highlighted the struggle families who owned properties such as Broughton Castle, near
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Friends of busker mourn a true ‘free spirit’
A STRAW-HATTED busker who entertained thousands of shoppers in Oxford city centre has died. Dyk Brooker was last night described as an Oxford icon, best-known for his trademark melod-eon and flower-covered hat. The 64-year-old, who busked
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Rape accused 'scared of police'
A MAN accused of raping a woman with learning difficulties in Witney told jurors he initially lied to police because officers had murdered his brother in Africa. Musa Camara, 22, denies rape, a serious sexual assault and sexual assault in relation to
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Witney blow double chance
Following their convincing 4-2 victory over Cowley 1 on January 10, Witney first team remains top of the first division of the Oxfordshire Leagues. Until January 13, when Witney 1 and City 1 played their Frank Wood Shield quarter-final match at Cumnor
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A foul problem
WE were appalled to hear that dog fouling is causing such a problem for young footballers at Boxhill Recreation Ground in Abingdon (Oxford Mail, January 20) so we will send one of our environment wardens to investigate. If there is a problem we will
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POINT-TO-POINT: Twiston-Davies at the double
Willie Twiston-Davies made a dream start to his career between the flags with a double on his first two rides at the Heythrop Hunt meeting at Dunthrop, near Chipping Norton. The 16-year-old son of dual Grand National and Gold Cup-winning trainer
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Carers need help
HAVE written several letters to the Oxford Mail over the years, but never one quite like this. I am a one-legged war pensioner, aged 86. I lost my wife to a stroke in September last year. To all other husbands I would say: “You don’t appreciate a good
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Save our forests
I read with interest the letter by Lib Dem MEP Catherine Bearder (Oxford Mail, January 24) on the European Parliament’s work to safeguard tropical rainforests and sustainable timber. I wonder whether Mrs Bearder could use her influence with her colleagues
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Support your club
e present decline in the licensing trade. Hardly a day goes by without another public house closing, falling victim to the downward spiral in the wet trade that will never return. True, the typical English pub is a dinosaur within an industry which,
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New music shop will aid the vinyl revival
IT’S fantastic to hear Oxford is getting its very own independent record store again (Oxford Mail, January 6), especially since the current vinyl explosion. A branch of Witney’s Rapture music store will move into a former video store in Cowley Road,
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Public can help to catch rogues
FOUR distraction burglars are being hunted by Oxfordshire police and officers are asking the public for help to identify them. The electronic mugshots have been posted on the Crimestoppers charity’s Most Wanted website after incidents in Oxford, Abingdon
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RUGBY UNION: Hancock's rallying call
Oxford head coach Alan Hancock is looking to raise support for Saturday’s must-win Southern Counties North clash with Broadmoor Staff. Hancock’s men host second-from-bottom Broadmoor, who are just three points behind them, in a match he feels will shape
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So much for so little
OXFORDSHIRE County Council Leader Keith Mitchell says we depend on clever and entrepreneurial men and women to drive our economy (Oxford Mail, January 18). Does this include the clever and entrepreneurial bankers who very nearly drove our economy to
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CRICKET: Brooks works with ace Lillee
Jack Brooks will work with legendary Aussie paceman Dennis Lillee as he looks to boost his own fast bowling career. The Northants seamer flies out to India today for two weeks at the MRF Pace Foundation in Chennai where he and four other English bowlers
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TROTMAN TRIAL: Top cop denies framing rival
THE former commander of Oxford police yesterday told a court he had not tried to frame his lover’s husband for an arson attack on his car. Chief Superintendent Jim Trotman’s car was destroyed by fire while it was parked a short walk away from the home
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CRICKET: Cherwell date set
The MP Sports Cherwell League’s extraordinary general meeting has been confirmed for Monday, February 7 at Rover Cowley Sports & Social Club (7.30pm). Clubs will vote on a proposal that either a management group headed by chairman Clive Ricks or a rebel
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Currant affairs
Growing soft fruit makes a lot of sense. You get to eat it super fresh when the Vitamin C content is at its highest. Blackcurrants have the highest Vitamin C content of all. Most of the blackcurrants produced in this country are grown in Herefordshire
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An Evening of English Song: Holywell Music Room
A few years ago, you might have seen Donald Lane striding along the corridors of the Oxford hospitals, where he spent much of his working life as a consultant physician. But since hanging up his stethoscope he has turned to composing — and now some of
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Master Class: Oxford Playhouse
“COMPLETE passion, utter dedication, inspiration, hard work — she said the rest was kakapeepeedoodoo.” With such delight did actress Stephanie Beacham give that last word construction to me talking about her role as opera diva Maria Callas.
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Rev is Face in Crowd Winner
A HEAVENLY helping hand may have led to this week’s winner of our Face in the Crowd competition win the big £75 prize. Rev Tony Rogerson, 73, is a semi-retired clergyman from St James the Great church in Radley. He was at Oxford United’s 3-1 win over
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University to fund £11m GP surgery
AN £11.5m scheme to create a purpose-built super surgery on the site of the former Radcliffe Infirmary Hospital has been unveiled. Oxford University is to fund the new health care facility in the city centre, which will allow three cramped Oxford GP
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ICE HOCKEY: Stars hit back to sink Pitbulls
OXFORD City Stars showed their character as they bou-nced back from defeat 24 hours earlier to cruise to a 3-0 victory over Bristol Pitbulls in South Division 1. The win was just the tonic Stars needed after a disappointing 3-2 defeat against Bracknell
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GOLF: Faringdon course in top three
FARINGDON has been voted the UK’s third best par-three course by Today’s Golfer magazine. The course, which is situated just off the A420, was only beaten by Nailcote (Warwickshire) and Broughton Heath (Derbyshire) in the survey, which appears
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RUGBY UNION: Banbury still battling
Banbury Bulls have three weeks to save their season, says head coach Grant Holmes. Bulls are 18 points adrift of safety in Midlands 1 West after Saturday’s 55-14 defeat to Dudley Kingswinford, but face the sides around them in the coming weeks. Banbury
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Students make a noise about cutbacks
A TUSSLE over a supermarket trolley led to a teenager’s arrest during a student protest against education cuts yesterday. About 30 students and sixth-formers met at Oxford’s Carfax Tower at 2pm to stage the demonstration against the slashing of the Educational
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Do you think free schools could be a way of dealing with pressure on places at Oxfordshire’s exisiting schools?
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Oxford's footballers face pitch battle over no extension to season
FOOTBALLERS across Oxford face having the final whistle blown on their season before all their matches are played. Oxford City Council says it will not extend the deadline for the completion of fixtures, despite the record-breaking freeze in
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Broken-down vehicles cause A34 jams
Broken-down vehicles caused long delays on the A34 in Oxfordshire today. A lorry had a blow-out on the A34 Abingdon southbound between the Abingdon North junction and the A4130 Milton Interchange, causing jams back to the Botley interchange
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COMMENT: Flexibility is vital
OXFORD City Council will be scoring a huge own goal unless it can find a solution to allow hundreds of football matches to be played to complete the 2010-11 season. We sympathise with the council, which has set a deadline for football matches on its
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RUGBY UNION: Dark Blues in the pink
Oxford University kicked off their new term with a 32-3 victory over the RAF at Iffley Road. Playing in pink in aid of the charity Against Breast Cancer, who sponsored the match, the Dark Blues took time to gel in a scrappy encounter, but always
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Paperback round-up
Death And The Virgin Chris Skidmore (Phoenix, £8.99) Did she fall or was she pushed? Cumnor Place, near Oxford, was the remote country hideaway chosen by Elizabeth I’s supposed lover Robert Dudley, to keep his wife, Amy Robsart, away from his courtly
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Interview with Frank Egerton
The village of Bampton, used for the filming of TV series Downton Abbey, now features in a rather different fictional story. A fight for democracy involving mutiny, courage and betrayal that took place almost four centuries ago is one of the main
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Cold wind and snow set for return
Britain's break from the chilly conditions appears to be over amid forecasts of cold temperatures and snow flurries. The return of cold wind and snow is expected to be concentrated in the South East on Thursday, forecasters said. But there will
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Oxford to host big Olympic celebration
OXFORD is to be at the centre of a £1m spectacular to celebrate the Olympic Games. The city has emerged as an early Olympic winner after being chosen to host a pre-Olympic party, sparking hopes that the Olympic torch will come to the city as
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Mr Arnold Hadwin: Journalist
ARNOLD Hadwin OBE, a former assistant editor at the Oxford Mail, has died aged 82. Mr Hadwin joined the Oxford Mail as a reporter in 1951. He rose to assistant editor before leaving to become editor of the Darlington Evening Despatch in 1964. Peter
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Mr Jonathan Markson: Major figure in local tennis
JONATHAN Markson, the man who created one of Europe’s biggest and best known tennis camps in Oxford, has died aged 55. The Jonathan Markson Oxford Tennis Camp, has attracted thousands of players to Oxford, since being founded in 1981. Mr Markson, right
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Anger over plans for St Giles phone mast
A BID to erect a mobile phone mast near the Oxford War Memorial in St Giles has come under fire. Vodafone has submitted a planning application to erect the 12-metre mast at the north end of one of the country’s most historic and beautiful streets
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Olympic ideal
It is great news that Oxford is to host one of four key cultural celebrations to mark the 2012 Olympics in London. The city and its county do not have the facilities to host Olympic sporting events, but the one thing we do particularly well is culture
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Inner Bookshop for sale
THE owners of a bookshop at the centre of East Oxford's alternative culture are planning to sell up after 28 years. Ruth Ashcroft, 60, and Anthony Cheke, 65, are hoping to find a buyer for the Inner Bookshop in Magdalen Road, which specialises in books
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Free schools
We are uncertain what to make of proposals for free schools in Oxfordshire. The provision of greater opportunity and choice for parents looking for schools for their children must be a good thing, but it should not be at the expense of other schools that
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Local author Martin Pevsner
English language teacher Martin Pevsner has set his first novel in east Oxford, but also in South Africa, an unnamed African country and Ethiopia, where a mixed marriage forces Aman and Samira to split up. Becoming refugees, their lives collide with the
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Free schools 'could ease burden'
Free schools set up by parents, teachers or religious groups are being viewed by County Hall as a possible solution to overcrowded schools in Oxfordshire. With a growth in pupil numbers putting pressure on classroom space, Oxfordshire County
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City's £11.5m health centre
An £11.5m scheme to create a purpose-built Jericho health centre on the site of the former Radcliffe Infirmary hospital has been unveiled. Oxford University is to fund the major new healthcare facility, which will allow three cramped Oxford GP practices
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Oxford United coach salutes in-form striking trio
Andy Melville believes the form of Oxford United’s three forwards will cause problems for any defence in the league. And the U’s coach, a former centre back, is well qualified to comment. Melville played against some of the world’s best
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Ending of his days
Sir – I was very interested to read A long time in the making in Weekend (January 20) — it looks a fascinating project. However, (you knew that was coming didn’t you) William Buckland did not ‘end his days at Stonesfield’ — although he did
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Suited to a city
Sir – Notwithstanding the high prices of beer in some of Witney’s pubs, we do not need Wetherspoon. We do not need a pub which opens at 7am and sells alcohol from 9am — and who to, other than alcoholics? We do not need another pub in the historic centre
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Trapped in car park
Sir – As one of the many who were trapped in the John Radcliffe Hospital car parks — it took me 2hrs 12mins from starting my engine in the Trauma Unit car park to getting on to Headley Way and another 55 minutes to reach home in Witney — I believe that
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Apologies to staff
Sir – While I stand by the main thrust of my letter (January 20) I feel that it was unfair to question the motives of those concerned with introducing the forthcoming changes to Abingdon School. I wish therefore to apologise without reservation, particularly
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Misleading tables
Sir – It was good to see the recent GCSE league tables given such prominent exposure (County schools now in top third, January 13) but they highlighted at least one anomaly of which readers should be aware. Both St Edward’s School and Radley College,
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Vital community hubs
Sir – CPRE Oxfordshire would like to express its concern about the effect of proposed county council cuts in services on rural areas of the county. We are particularly worried by the proposed closure of 20 smaller libraries, 15 of which are situated in
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Challenging questions
Sir – I make four short responses to your library letters (January 20). To Mrs Elizabeth Davey: The 23 libraries we are able to continue to fund account for 82 per cent of all library visits in Oxfordshire. I think that represents a comprehensive and
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Commendable actions
Sir – As a resident of Summertown, I should like to endorse Alison Scarlett’s favourable comments (Letters, January 13) about the local refuse collection, at least in this part of Oxford. I am well aware that in some districts the collection service has
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Snail mail
Sir – On January 19, we received in the post, in the Oxford area, a letter posted first class on January 13. We also received two letters posted second class — one posted on January 8 and the other, from London, on December 13. What is happening
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Outrageous statement
Sir – The main headline (January 13) reported on the county council’s abysmal record on hospital bed-blocking, showing that the facility for post-operative social care, a county council responsibility, to be among the worst in the country; I am sure that
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Brutally insensitive
Sir – I write to draw the attention of your readership to a current planning application. An 11-metre-high mobile phone mast is planned on the traffic island at the north end of St Giles, immediately in front of the war memorial. This streetscape is
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Warm thanks
Sir – I am delighted to read Nicola Blackwood MP’s letter (January 6) commending the Surviving Winter Appeal. She mentions its website but many pensioners do not have computers. An easier way to contribute is to call at the Town Hall with your cheque
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Wide-ranging role
Sir – Professor Andrew Wiles will become Royal Society Research Professor at Oxford this year. When he was ten years old he read about Fermat’s last theorem in the public library at Cambridge. As we all know he produced the proof which had
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Patching up roads
Sir – Oh joy. Another epoch-long reconstruction of a major Oxford artery. It’s Iffley Road, again, barely a gasp for breath after the achingly slow redevelopment of the Donnington Bridge Road junction. I wonder, are these road surfaces biological organisms
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£2.5m cuts solution
Sir – In these pages Keith Mitchell asked readers to suggest council expenditure that he should cut in order to save the libraries and youth services from closure. Last week, The Oxford Times provided the answer: £2.5m to be spent remodelling the pavements
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Degree in rubbish
Sir – Why do our local elected representatives insist on flying in the face of public opinion? Most people think places you can drive into to dump your rubbish are eminently sensible. Oxfordshire Country Council is think of closing some to save money
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Closure is plain daft
Sir – Chris Buratta’s story (January 20) is spot on. To close half the waste centres in Oxfordshire and then insist that mixed waste can only be taken to Kidlington is plain daft. There will always be some limited unrecyclable waste. I fully support
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Parky at the Pictures (In Cinemas 27/1/2011)
A year on from Kathryn Bigelow winning the Academy Award for Best Director, the status quo has been restored and women film-makers are again consigned to the margins of world cinema. A century ago, a handful of women like Alice Guy-Blaché and Elvira
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Parky at the Pictures (DVD 27/1/2011)
In an unfortunate scheduling coincidence, two films that recently featured in the Parky at the Pictures survey of 2010 have their DVD release this week. However, when the titles in question are as distinguished as Abbas Kiarostami's Certified Copy and
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Oasis of aid for families affected by autism
People with autism often describe the world, to them, as a mass of people, places and events which they struggle to make sense of. In particular they struggle to understand and relate to other people and take part in everyday family and social life.
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Ten groups interested in setting up 'free' schools
EDUCATION bosses have had 10 “serious” expressions of interest from parents over setting up free schools in Oxfordshire. Now bosses at Oxfordshire County Council are asking parents interested in setting up the schools to attend a meeting at
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Rail firm apologises over 'dude' insult
CAMPAIGNER Sean Feeney was shocked to see himself referred to as “some dude” in evidence he gave to a major railway inquiry. Chiltern Railways gave him the moniker when listing online who had submitted evidence to the inquiry into the planned Oxford
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Dangerous cyclists
Sir – Serious injuries to cyclists in Oxford have risen 40 per cent since 2003. Changes in traffic numbers seem unlikely to have caused the increase in cycle injuries. Most cycling is in inner Oxford, but there cycle traffic increased only slightly and
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Save on patter and stick to good advice
I hate clothes shopping — with a passion. Especially when faced with one of those sales assistants that tell you how great you look in everything, even when you know it is two sizes too big or small and makes you look like you got dressed in the dark.
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Watch for irruption of waxwings
The Starling-sized Waxwing is a bird with a spectacularly colourful plumage topped off with a large crest and, although the general appearance is initially of rose pink to beige, the eye is soon drawn towards the jet-black eye stripe and bib. There
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Oxfordshire's fens
Dexters arrive Oxfordshire’s spring-fed fens are a very important habitat for species such as the strikingly beautiful southern damselfly, delicate marsh orchids and the graceful Grass-of-Parnassus. Keeping the fenlands in the right condition for these