Archive

  • Didcot industrial plant expands to create 30 new jobs

    THIRTY jobs have been created with the expansion of a major industrial plant. LTi Metaltech has taken on extra premises to boost the size of its headquarters at Milton Park, near Didcot, to cope with increased demand for its precision engineering technology

  • City to get four new children's play areas

    FOUR new city play areas have been announced. Meanwhile, the consultion for a new play park on Oxford’s Barton estate is about to begin. Council chiefs will distribute £800,000 between the Play Barton scheme and Littlemore Recreation Ground, Pegasus

  • Station expansion work reveals railway history

    EXCAVATIONS to create foundations for a new platform at Charlbury railway station have uncovered the remains of its predecessor. A wall built when the Great Western Railway extended the old platform in 1928 is still in sound condition, workers

  • MOTOR MOUTH: Pass a law

    When the Government has a rest from making up lies to conceal the fact that they are making a swift u-turn on just about everything they promised in their manifesto, then I may have a useful suggestion that could keep a few of them in gainful and worthwhile

  • Raymond Blanc to start OX5 run

    CELEBRITY chef Raymond Blanc will be putting some fire in the OX5 runners’ bellies this year – by acting as their official ‘starter’. The famous chef has agreed to lend his services to the fundraiser by starting the five-mile run around the

  • Local share prices (PM)

    AEA Technology 4.35 BMW 4844 Electrocomponents 2.694 Nationwide Accident Repair 99 Oxford Biomedica 6 Oxford Catalysts 92 Oxford Instruments 633.5 Reed Elsevier 529.75 RM 151.25 RPS Group 198.4 Courtesy of Redmayne Bentley

  • RACING: Somersby to tackle Champion Chase

    Somersby will run in the sportingbet.com Queen Mother Champion Chase at the Cheltenham Festival next Wednesday – rather than the Ryanair Chase a day later. Henrietta Knight, who trains the seven-year-old at West Lockinge, near Wantage, announced her

  • Arsenal striker inspires action on Oxford estate

    WOMEN on an Oxford estate will be enjoying a kick around with England’s hottest hope for the next Women’s World Cup tomorrow. Arsenal and England striker Ellen White, 22, will visit Barton to celebrate Oxford’s International Women’s Festival. She is

  • Scales of Justice

    People convicted of offences at Oxford Magistrates' Court recently: Jelroy Constant, 23, of Nuthatch Close, Oxford, admitted harassment without violence in Aylesbury between January 13 and 17. Given a restraining order and told to pay £100

  • Village school celebrates good Ofsted report

    CHILDREN and staff at a village primary school are celebrating after education inspectors upgraded it from “satisfactory” to “good”. Standards watchdog Ofsted said the 73-pupil Marsh Baldon School had “improved markedly in many areas of its work” since

  • Why developing study skills is crucial

    For many students, even the most able, one of the hardest elements of exam preparation can be acquiring the skill of studying, writes Colin Murphy, head of study skills at Oxford Tutorial College. Learning how to learn requires a degree of guidance

  • Work hard, play hard

    The Manor Preparatory School, Abingdon, believes in offering primary, first-hand experiences to all its pupils. So, apart from the 80 or so weekly clubs and extra-curricular activities on offer, there is a host of trips. For the very

  • BADMINTON: Oxon hammer Middlesex

    Oxfordshire Under 15s hammered Middlesex 17-3 in the Shires League at Bartholemew School, Eynsham. The team of Jordan Beardmore, Ben Egginton, Harry Brewis, Joe Roberts, Ben Isaac, Hannah Broadhurst, Emma White, Sanjana Kini, Becky Blair and Imogen Langford

  • ‘Be the best that you can be’

    At Our Lady’s Abingdon we believe our motto extends to the whole school community — pupils, parents, staff, governors and former pupils. With the successful move to co-education our pupils have the opportunity to work in, and be part of, a

  • Chandlings offers activities for active children

    All good schools aim to find and nurture the talents in every child, and at Chandlings we feel that the best way to do this is to cast our net wide and provide the most diverse and rich curriculum possible. We work hard to deliver breadth

  • Breadth and balance at Headington School

    With more than 50 extra-curricular activities taking place each week, there is something for every student at Headington School. Activities span every imaginable school subject — from art, acting and astronomy to the Duke of Edinburgh Award,

  • Man arrested following bomb hoax

    A man has been arrested in connection with yesterday’s bomb hoax at Oxford Railway Station. Shortly after 11am a 999 caller claimed that a man carrying an explosive device was heading towards the station, sparking a large-scale police operation involving

  • Maternity bump painting fund raising for Red Nose Day

    I am a face and body painting artist, live in Wheatley, Oxford. This year I've joined a team of face and body painters across the country to paint yummy mummy baby bumps to raise essential funds for Comic Relief. All the painters are being sponsored

  • Time-travelling at Blenheim

    Lucy Jackson previews an evening of home theatricals at Blenheim Palace On March 29 and 30, Blenheim Palace will slip back in time to 1779 and an evening of home theatricals from the time of the 4th Duke of Marlborough. Merchants, lecturers

  • U's still waiting for first 1-0 win

    Noticed anything strange about Oxford United’s wins this season? Although we are now approaching the middle of March, with just seven weeks of the campaign left, the U’s have still not registered a 1-0 victory. And that despite chalking up 13 wins so

  • Abingdon’s Pre-prep have fun learning

    You are never too young to get involved at Abingdon Prep. Our extra-curricular, or Other Half activities, are available to all age groups although they are obviously tailored to suit abilities and ages. Our younger pupils enjoy art, ceramics

  • FOOTBALL: Witney take a rest from battle

    Witney United will take a break from their Premier Division relegation battle when they travel to Division 1 West basement boys Launton Sports in the second round of the Supplementary Cup on Saturday. They will have to make do without Carl

  • Local share prices (AM)

    AEA Technology 4.25 BMW 4896 Electrocomponents 268.8 Nationwide Accident Repair 99 Oxford Biomedica 6.1 Oxford Catalysts 92 Oxford Instruments 631.25 Reed Elsevier 533 RM 152 RPS Group 198.7 Courtesy of Redmayne Bentley

  • BADMINTON: Silver joy for pupils

    Henry Box School (Witney) took the silver medal in the Southern Regional finals of the Centre Parcs Schools National Championships in Guildford. Representing Oxfordshire as county champions, Henry Box beat winners from Hampshire and Surrey in the group

  • Tributes to talented photographer Rishi

    TO Oxford’s gig-goers and art lovers he was a vibrant go-getter, full of life, talent and ambition. To his family, he was ‘just Rishi’ – their beautiful, caring, and occasionally annoying, brother and son. Twenty-year-old Rishi Mullett-Sadones, of Florence

  • No player guaranteed a place, stresses Wilder

    United boss Chris Wilder has issued a reminder that none of his team have a cast-iron right to stay in the team. Even goalkeeper Ryan Clarke, who has been an ever present this season. Wilder said: “Nobody is ever set in stone here. No-body’s guaranteed

  • FIXTURES: March 11

    SATURDAY. FOOTBALL. NPOWER LEAGUE TWO. Port Vale v Oxford Utd. ZAMARETTO SOUTHERN LEAGUE. Premier Div: Didcot Tn v Chesham Utd, Oxford City v Cirencester Tn, Salisbury City v Banbury Utd. Div 1 South & West: Abingdon Utd v Bishops Cleeve, North

  • COMMENT: A healthy decision

    YOU can’t fault health officials’ attempts to educate people on estates to live more healthy lives. The hypothesis that prevention is better than cure was sound. But similarly you have to praise NHS Oxfordshire for recognising ultimately it didn’t work

  • TRAMPOLINING: Club are flying high

    Flying Solo Trampoline Club, from Wantage, collected six medals, including two golds, from the Southern Region graded competition at Farnborough. Pride of place went to Ben Goodall, 12, who continued his rapid improvement to win the under 15 boys grade

  • Man racially abuses BBC cameraman

    THE brother of a man convicted of serious sexual assault has been found guilty of racially abusing a BBC cameraman outside court. Father-one-one Mohammed Ali called the black cameraman a “slave” and told him to “get back to his plantation” as he tried

  • Oxford estates health squad deemed 'not value for money'

    A TEAM of community health workers tasked with helping people on housing estates to live longer have been told they do not offer value for money. Health Trainers were introduced by NHS Oxfordshire five years ago to prevent premature deaths in adults

  • FOOTBALL: Huxley ends injury nightmare

    North Leigh centre back Stuart Huxley is set to end a six-month injury nightmare when they host strugglers Wimborne Town in Division 1 South & West on Saturday. Huxley hasn’t played since September 25 when he suffered a cruciate knee ligament

  • FOOTBALL: Keeper Joe is set for City debut

    Oxford City are set to give Joe White his debut in goal when they host Cirencester Town – and it’s all down to new Swindon boss Paul Hart. With on-loan Swindon goalkeeper Jakub Jesionkowski likely to be recalled to help them in their League 1 relegation

  • RUGBY UNION: Dark Blues to face Georgia

    OXFORD University are to host England’s World Cup opponents Georgia. Ranked 15th in the world, Georgia will face the Dark Blues at Iffley Road on Monday, March 28. Many of Georgia’s top players such as David Khinchagishvili, Goderdzi Shvelidze, Akvsenti

  • A euro insult

    Following news of the increase in monthly allowances for MEPs, it is interesting how at a time we are being told ‘we are all in this together’, that these obscene increases are allowed. The rise was agreed at a time wages for many UK workers was being

  • Dump the plan

    I THINK it is a rubbish idea to close down Redbridge refuse and waste centre in South Oxford. I like cycling and walking in the Oxfordshire countryside, and it annoys me that so much rubbish is dumped at the sides of roads. I am sure our country must

  • Blanket coverage

    After deciding to avoid Heathrow, we decided to spend Christmas in a three-star Bournemouth Hotel. Apart from the initial feeling that I’d walked into God’s waiting room, I was surprised to see that blankets had made a comeback. Surely

  • 'Know' problem

    I WAS thinking about some of our local authority councillors, especially the leader of Oxfordshire County Council, Keith Mitchell. A doctor, Diana Sanders, who dedicates her all to the sick made a statement in the Oxford Mail about libraries. The

  • What regeneration?

    You report that the city council’s director of regeneration is leaving this month after three years in the job (Oxford Mail, March 7). I have nothing personal against this gentleman, but he has been paid £109,000 per year (after a pay rise of more than

  • Vale's Haldane has pace to burn

    Port Vale’s former Oxford United winger Lewis Haldane will be a big danger to the U’s if he starts tomorrow. Haldane, who was with Oxford in 2008-9 on a season-long loan from Bristol Rovers, picked up a knock on his ankle in Vale’s win at Aldershot

  • Trip to the shops was opportunity for a special treat

    THEY were sitting behind me on the 9.30am bus from Pear Tree Park & Ride – Joan and Clifford, a Woodstock couple, enjoying the early months of his retirement from a lifetime in the car building industry. Tuesday is their regular day in the city. However

  • A clean-up thank you

    I would like to say a big thank you to the 26 people who helped clean up the Rose Hill estate as part of last Saturday’s OxClean. Of those, 20 were friends and neighbours from our Nepalese community who are wonderful supporters of local events and set

  • Treat us equally

    The intransigent attitudes of both the city and county councils towards the disabled does not end with blocked access to local businesses (No access, Oxford Mail, March 9). It appears that disabled drivers are also not catered for, as required by the

  • Area committees are valuable local forums

    OXFORD city councillor Mary Clarkson has defended the decision by the Labour administration to abolish Oxford’s area committees. In the Oxford Mail’s Issue (February 17) she said that often only two people attend. I’m sorry to hear that; in our February

  • POINT-TO-POINT: Hill holds pair of aces at Kingston Blount

    A classy men’s open is in prospect as the newly-formed Kingston Blount Racing Club stage their first meeting at the popular Kingston Blount course, near Chinnor, tomorrow (1pm), The club has been set up to keep alive the fixture formerly staged by the

  • Let's try and win the lot - Clarke

    Oxford United probably need the mindset that they have to win every remaining game to keep their season alive. It’s not as dramatic as that, but after three successive defeats, it’s vital that they bounce back with a draw at the very least at sixth-placed

  • Kevin's got grand designs on Oxford

    TV PROPERTY and design guru Kevin McCloud is to use his flair for design to build affordable housing in Oxford. The Channel Four presenter will spearhead a new £18m eco-development of more than 100 homes at three city council-owned sites in

  • FOOTBALL: Young star Rose can blossom for Banbury

    Banbury United boss Billy Jeffrey says there is more to come from Henry Rose after the young striker scored his first Premier Division goal in last weekend’s win against Weymouth. Two hat-tricks for the reserves prompted Jeffrey to give him another

  • RUGBY UNION: Tuatara suffers unlucky break

    Oxford Harlequins centre Chris Tuatara has been ruled out for the season with a broken foot. The former professional rugby league player was injured during last week’s 34-17 defeat at Weston-super-Mare in National 3 South West. Director or rugby John

  • Keep your nerve on high speed rail link, minister urged

    TRANSPORT Secretary Philip Hammond was urged yesterday to “keep his nerve” as he faced calls for the proposed multi-billion-pound High Speed 2 railway line to be scrapped. Senior Labour MP Barry Sheerman, who represents Huddersfield in Yorkshire, called

  • Superleague moves to become more global

    The 2011 Superleague Formula season will include races in Russia, Brazil, China, New Zealand and the Middle East. The schedule comprises six European events as well as six ‘flyaway’ races across four continents. It includes a visit to

  • Bomb hoaxer causes rail station drama

    POLICE were last night hunting for a hoaxer who caused a bomb scare at Oxford’s railway station. An anonymous 999 caller claimed that a man carrying an explosive device was heading towards the station shortly after 11am yesterday. People heading to

  • Wheeling in: Mitsubishi Lancer 2.0 DI-D Juro

    Say ‘Mitsubishi Lancer’ to most British petrolheads and the instant reaction will be one little word – Evo. The rally-inspired, firebreathing, four-door Evolution X with its 300+ horsepower powerplant is understandably the eye-catcher of the

  • Oxford United boss hints at changes

    OXFORD United boss Chris Wilder has lost patience with players who have not produced over the last fortnight. Changes seem certain for tomorrow’s npower League Two game at sixth-placed Port Vale, as the U’s attempt to get their play-off push up and running

  • COMMENT: A good comic read

    ONE of Billy Connolly’s oldest jokes is: “How does a man who drives a snow plough get to his work?” It’s a fair point and, reading a report into the problems during the December snow in the north of the county, you have to wonder when Cherwell District

  • Council caught short by heavy snow

    EXTRA money is to be ploughed into dealing with Snow in north Oxfordshire after a “perfect storm” caused havoc before Christmas. A council report into the impact of the snow concluded there was just too much snow and it came at the wrong time