Archive

  • Firms line up for apprentices

    EMPLOYERS, training providers and industry experts are lining up to promote a campaign to find the next generation of apprentices. More than 40 firms have already signed up to attend the launch of the Oxfordshire 100 in 100 Challenge. The campaign,

  • 'Thief cleaned out my bank account after stealing wallet'

    A GRANDFATHER warned people to safeguard their wallets after having £2,100 cleaned out of his account within two hours. Bryan Price, 65, left his coat on the back of his chair with his wallet in the pocket while he ate lunch with his wife Susan at the

  • Man kicked in head in Abingdon

    Police are appealing for witnesses following an assault in Abingdon town centre today. At about 2.30pm, a man attacked the victim, who is in his teens, outside the library in The Charter. The victim fell to the floor where he was repeatedly kicked

  • Local share prices (PM)

    AEA Technology 5.2 BMW 5264 Electrocomponents 270.1 Nationwide Accident Repair 100 Oxford Biomedica 5.6 Oxford Catalysts 85.5 Oxford Instruments 617.5 Reed Elsevier 584.75 RM 169 RPS Group 213.4 Courtesy of Redmayne Bentley, Abingdon

  • Pioneering flu vaccine calls for volunteers

    HEALTHY Oxford people are being asked to step forward in the fight against flu. Experts in the city have developed a vaccine that could protect against all known strains of the illness. It is hoped that if the vaccine was used widely it could prevent

  • Girl band paints the town Scarletz

    POP fans descended on a fashion store in Oxford to meet up-and-coming girl group The Scarletz. The group – from left, Claire Martyne, Tahnee Lee, Katiya Borlant and Bryony Jobes – modelled clothing and sang songs from their new album at the St Aldate

  • How do we beat them? Let me count the ways

    The title of the book above is an insult in itself, of course, since we in Oxford are sufficiently confident in our supremacy to admit to the existence of no rival. The Great Rivals? There are many here who would decline to say that Cambridge is even

  • Rival universities are united over fees

    Whatever their various rivalries, real or perceived, there is one area in which Oxford and Cambridge universities seem to be in accord. This is over the matter of tuition fees: both are, predictably, reported to be going for the maximum £9,000. To do

  • Praying for silence in the stalls

    The programme for this week’s production of Alan Ayckbourn’s Life of Riley at the Oxford Playhouse features a panel opposite the cast list advising members of the audience on matters of theatre etiquette. I quote: “Please be aware that the rustling of

  • Estate gained in hunting accident

    Ownership of forests has been a bone of contention since time out of mind, particularly near Oxford. Take Shotover, for instance, that lovely house and park that you glimpse briefly as you whizz by on the A40. It was built from the proceeds of

  • Recipe for vodka and tonic sorbet (makes about one litre)

    Caroline and Robin Weir published their first book on ice cream 12 years ago and it was regarded by home cooks and professional chefs as a bible. They have now brought out their second major publication Ice creams, Sorbets & Gelati — The Definitive Guide

  • The Carpenter's Arms, Fulbrook

    Landlord and chef Paul Griffith has good reason to feel proud following the recent award of coveted Bib Gourmand status in the 2011 Michelin Guide for The Carpenter’s Arms, in Fulbrook, near Burford. The accolade is the culmination of five years

  • How vodka can add Valentine romance

    When friends discovered I was adding a measure of vodka and tonic to a batter mixture for the fish I was frying, they were surprised. I was following a recipe created by celebrity chef James Martin from BBC1’s Saturday Kitchen. They were equally surprised

  • Preview of A Dream Play: Oxford Playhouse

    Student company BlindSpot Productions presents a new adaptation of August Strindberg’s A Dream Play from Wednesday at the Oxford Playhouse. Agnes, daughter of a god, has a crush on mankind. To her, human life is a wonderland of dancing girls, misfits

  • Tribes: The Cellar

    This is one of Camden’s four-piece Tribes’ first gigs outside London and will be the first of many more. Though the band are not being talked about as the next big things in the same way as Jessie J or the Vaccines, they are on a lot of muso

  • Snake Davis: The Spin, Oxford

    Snake Davis has been a highly respected session musician for many years, working and recording with some of the big names in rock, blues and Tamla. A glance at his website shows he’s also a busy gigging musician in his own right. Nevertheless,

  • Works on Paper: The Creative Art Gallery, Woodstock

    The Creative Art Gallery, in Woodstock, lives up to its name with innovative exhibitions. Side by side with some original lithographs, etchings and engravings by Matisse and Miro are works by contemporary artists inspired by these two great artists

  • The Years Between: Royal&Derngate, Northampton

    Apart from an adaptation of her hugely popular novel Rebecca, the best-selling writer Daphne du Maurier penned only two plays, of which the better known is September Tide. The Years Between, dating from 1943 and later revised to take account of events

  • Footloose: Milton Keynes Theatre

    From the big city to the backwoods: that’s where teenager Ren McCormack goes when he moves from Chicago to the small town of Bomont. Ruling from his pulpit is the Rev Moore, who preaches that dancing is the work of the devil, and pornographic to boot.

  • Lenny Henry: New Theatre, Oxford, and touring

    Lenny Henry as rock star? The idea is not so preposterous considering the obvious versatility of the Dudley-born entertainer who two years ago wowed the critics (me included) with his performance as Othello. Early in his one-man show, Cradle to

  • We the Kings/Versa Emerge: O2 Academy 2

    Although it’s barely February, the upstairs venue of the O2 Academy has the room temperature of a Bikram yoga studio — practically exploding at the sides with punters, who’ve all piled in to catch two of pop punk’s fastest rising bands. First up, Florida

  • True Grit and Gnomeo&Juliet

    John Wayne won the Oscar as hard-drinking gunslinger Rooster Cogburn in Henry Hathaway’s 1969 version of True Grit, from the novel by Charles Portis. It became a signature role for The Duke, sharing the screen with a young Robert Duvall and Dennis

  • Thursday, February 10: My Big Fat Trashy Wedding

    WE are giving away two pairs of tickets to the 'My Big Fat Trashy Wedding' party at the O2 Academy on Saturday night. It's a perfect way to gear up for Valentine's Day, complete with bouquet tossing, a little white chapel, wedding music and a buffet.

  • Traders’ fears over hoarding

    TRADERS fear an 8ft hoarding around Abingdon’s County Hall Museum while it is refurbished will hit custom, even though contractors Leadbitter have offered advertising space on the boards. Throwing Buns cafe co-owner Phil May said: “Whatever advertising

  • Pair of family-run shops set to close

    THE shutters are set to come down on two family-run businesses after a total of 61 years’ trading. Hardware store Stroll In, in Market Place, Abingdon, closes this week with the loss of four jobs, after 25 years in the town. And Astley’s electrical

  • There is a real buzz at Bayards Hill Primary School

    BAYARDS Hill is a school in transition. Results have improved dramatically since the Barton primary school was given a ‘notice to improve’ by standards watchdog Ofsted in January 2008. And when inspectors visited last month they said there were good

  • FOOTBALL: Derby rivals share spoils

    Southern League Division 1 South & West rivals North Leigh and Abingdon United shared the spoils in a 1-1 draw at Eynsham Park, a result which most onlookers felt was about right. Visitors Abingdon went ahead on 31 minutes with a free-kick from Shaun

  • FOOTBALL: Turley injured against Banbury

    Banbury United and Brackley Town had to be content with a point each from a goalless draw in the Zamaretto Southern League Premier Division at Spencer Stadium last night. Brackley’s Chris Willmott headed over the best first-half chance, while Declan

  • FOOTBALL: Lawrence lifts Didcot off bottom with derby double

    A double from Dave Lawrence helped Didcot Town climb off the bottom of the Zamaretto Southern League Premier Division with a deserved 3-0 victory over Oxford City in last night’s derby at Court Place Farm. Didcot, with new boss Ady Williams

  • FOOTBALL: Lee lifts Cross Keys

    James Lee’s double helped Cross Keys Wallingford to a 5-3 win at UTV League Division 1 leaders Kennington United. Phil Hedges also found the net, while new signings Mickey and Liam Woods – from defunct Wallingford Keys – produced debut goals

  • NHS campaigners rally against shake-up

    AN ACTION meeting to discuss how to take action against Government plans to reform the NHS will be held tonight. Oxfordshire Keep Our NHS Public is holding the meeting at the Friends’ Meeting House, in St Giles, at 7.30pm. John Lister, of campaign group

  • University tuition fees debate hears warning over finances

    A SENIOR Oxford University official yesterday warned it would have to charge students fees of £8,000-a-year just to break even. Pro-Vice-Chancellor Professor Tony Monaco painted a stark picture of the financial situation at a meeting of the university

  • SCHOOLS FOOTBALL: Robbins seals comeback

    MID Oxon roared back from two goals down for a thrilling 3-2 win at Brierley Hill & Dudley in the ESFA Under 15 Trophy sixth round. It looked as if Mid Oxon were down and out at half-time in the last-16 tie at Long Lane Park, Essington after Damien Burton

  • FOOTBALL: Crucial win for Hinksey

    SEAN Flaherty bagged a brace as Hinksey took a giant stride towards landing the Oxfordshire Senior League Premier Division crown with a 3-0 victory over title rivals Garsington. Although Hinksey went into the game nine points clear of Garsington at the

  • Snow laughing matter

    I WRITE with reference to the letter submitted to the Oxford Mail by David Manners (January 20), regarding the clearing of snow from outside individual properties, and the fact this is no longer done, as it was years ago. I don’t believe this was covered

  • Local share prices (AM)

    AEA Technology 5.25 BMW 5249 Electrocomponents 267.75 Nationwide Accident Repair 100 Oxford Biomedica 5.55 Oxford Catalysts 85.5 Oxford Instruments 618 Reed Elsevier 582.75 RM 168.5 RPS Group 214.3 Courtesy of Rdmayne Bentley, Abingdon

  • Ex-motocross rider tells of rare eating disorder

    IT HAS been five years since Lee Conway was last able to eat a meal. The 29-year-old would love to tuck in to his favourite dishes of spaghetti bolognese, pizza or chips. Or even drink a beer. But physically it is impossible. Lee has the rare stomach

  • Think about the rink

    FOLLOWING the piece in last Thursday’s Oxford Mail, I would like to comment on what should have been included in the facelift of the ice rink . My wife took our grandaughters for their lessons on a Saturday last month, and noticed that the ladies toilets

  • Teenager, 18, hanged herself

    A TEENAGER hanged herself in her back garden after battling depression and Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD), an inquest heard. Rebecca Bridges, 18, was pronounced dead in the garden after a neighbour in Ashby Road, Bicester, raised the alarm

  • Police appeal over arson attack

    BURGLARS who started three fires in a Banbury house may have been looking for jewellery, police said last night. Shortly after a family left their home at Byeway, Grimsbury, on Saturday afternoon, the house was broken into and set on fire. Police said

  • FOOTBALL: Yarnton cruise to title

    GILES SPORTS WITNEY YOUTH LEAGUE YARNTON Blues wrapped up the Under 12 C League title as they defeated Tower Hill Stars 4-1. Lloyd Belcher led the way with a brace, while Alastair Grime and Cameron Stuart were also on target.

  • FOOTBALL: Flaherty fires terrific treble

    Sean Flaherty fired a hat-trick as Oxfordshire FA Sam Waters Sunday Cup holders Oxford Yellows blew away Dorchester United 6-0 in the quarter-finals, writes TIM SIRET. Mark Scanes, Piers McGlynn and Sylvester Doran also found the net for Yellows, who

  • What a cheek

    I WOULD like to reply to Matthew Sinclair, Director of the Tax Payers Alliance, who argued against free bus passes for pensioners (Oxford Mail, January 24). Now listen, sonny boy, most pensioners have paid a hell of a lot of tax into this once-great

  • Veg service brings taste of country to Oxford Castle

    AN organic grocery collection service has launched in Oxford to help people with busy lives get hold of quality produce. Oxford Organic Grocery Collection lets people order fruit, vegetables and bread on the phone, and then pick them up in their lunch

  • FOOTBALL: Joy for captain Collins

    OXFORD MAIL GIRLS LEAGUE BOTH sides had something to cheer as Kennington reached the Under 14 League Cup semi-finals with a 6-1 victory over Chalgrove Cavaliers. Zellie Hudson led the way with a brace for Kennington, while Chalgrove scored their first

  • Not worth the fee

    I WRITE regarding P Howard’s letter (Oxford Mail, January 25) about television programmes. I agree with everything he says. The BBC says it has to cut back, so we are going to have even more repeats. They keep advertising the iPlayer but who needs

  • Man charged over Kidlington cyclist's death

    Police have charged a man with a number of offences in connection with a fatal crash near Thrupp, north of Kidlington, last summer. Jonathon William Ashworth, 54, ofShipton-on-Cherwell, has been charged with causing death by careless driving

  • Oxford spy camera not used for a year

    A SPY camera to catch flytippers in Oxford has just been used, despite being bought more than a year ago. The news comes after it emerged the cost of clearing up illegally-dumped waste in the county topped £280,000 last year. Oxford

  • COMMENT: A lot of hot air

    SPEAKING of making pronouncements for some good PR, Oxford City Council will be red-faced after we discovered it hadn’t used a CCTV camera for a year, despite making a big fuss at its launch. “Technical issues” were blamed, but these seemingly didn’

  • COMMENT: Nothing miraculous about this

    AND so, after painting a thoroughly black picture, someone has rummaged down the back of the sofa and rustled up some cash to save a few threatened services. You’d almost think it was miraculous, had we not been here so often before. The Conservatives

  • SASSY & SINGLE: Don't drink and dial

    Want to hear the best ‘most embarrassing moment’ story ever? We all have them. That one horrifying story that at the time made you wish the ground would open up at your feet and carry you to a place far, far away. Well, I’ve got several, not the least

  • Slippery slope

    WANT some ideas on how to turn Oxford into a sleazy, drug-ridden ‘red-light’ kind of city, where women are debased? Easy! Just get a bar to apply for a licence for lap-dancing with extended opening hours, and get the application dealt with by a licensing

  • We are not all in this together

    IN A recent edition of The Issue, on The Big Society, you had yet another undoubtedly affluent Tory, Matthew Barber, talk of “difficult times ahead for all of us”. This is, of course, another play on the ‘we’re all in this together,’ fallacy. I don't

  • Delight as £500,000 hospital extension opens

    A £500,000 cancer centre extension opened yesterday thanks to a massive fundraising effort by the community in Banbury. Residents, groups and businesses raised £501,409.47 to double the size of the Brodey Centre at The Horton Hospital. The extra 60sq

  • Dramatic times at Blackwell's bookshop

    BLACKWELL’S bookshop in Oxford is hosting a play for the first time since it opened in 1879. The Creation Theatre Company production of Christopher Marlowe’s Doctor Faustus is taking place in the Norrington Room at the Broad Street shop.

  • Hospice fundraising show still a laughing matter

    FUNDRAISING gigs can be disjointed affairs. Many have the best of intentions, but fall down on inconsistent line-ups and the odd turkey. Helen & Douglas House's annual spectacular Childish Things – now in its seventh year – doesn’t suffer from that

  • Libraries offered hope of lifeline

    COUNTY Hall is offering an olive branch to thousands of residents fighting to save their libraries. A one-off pot of £450,000 has been created to fund services that residents want to escape the axe, based on consultations to be held in the

  • Oxford United winger goes on loan to Barnet

    Sam Deering has joined League Two side Barnet on loan for the rest of the season. The winger has not started a game for Oxford United this season, but has made nine substitute appearances. Deering, who had a loan spell at Newport earlier this term,

  • Oxford United shocked by Cole's early retirement

    Oxford United are still in shock that Mitchell Cole has been forced to retire from football at the age of 25. News broke earlier this week that the winger’s heart condition was deteriorating. And doctors broke the news to the former West Ham man that

  • Something for everyone at Islip's Big Bike Day

    A VILLAGE is urging people to get on their bikes to raise £10,000. Islip residents have organised three community cycle rides, for different levels, and wants 100 people to take part on Sunday, March 27. The toughest ride will be 65

  • Knifeman jailed for shop robbery

    A PROMISING would-be Army recruit has been jailed for robbing his former workplace at knifepoint and fleeing frompolice at hospital in handcuffs. Matthew McKechnie had a good upbringing and three A-Levels but spiralled into a life of drink

  • Red Nose cash served up coffee breaks

    COMIC Relief cash has dished up opportunities for people with learning difficulties in Oxford to sample working life. The Oxford Mail announced this week that grants of up to £1,000 are available for small charities and organisations in Oxfordshire