Archive

  • Pub is reopening for business

    FIVE pubs may be closing in the UK every day, but two pubs in Jericho are hoping to buck the trend this year. The Old Bookbinders Arms in Victor Street, judged Oxford’s best pub by the Campaign for Real Ale (CAMRA) three years ago, closed its doors in

  • MG enthusiast takes delivery of first Chinese-built model

    AN ABINGDON MG fan has become the first person in the country to own the first Chinese-built, British designed model of the marque. The white MG6 GT is Gill Martin’s tenth MG. Mrs Martin, who owns three other MGs with her husband Richard

  • Farmers feel the benefit of a scorching April

    A Scorching April brought the county’s asparagus and strawberry crops in early this year. At Peach Croft Farm in Abingdon, Bill Homewood has harvested eight acres of asparagus two weeks ahead of time and has watched it “bursting” out of the fields.

  • Volunteers become Wallingford street pastors

    CHURCH volunteers are preparing to go out on the streets at night to help revellers in Wallingford. Churches Together Wallingford decided to start a Street Pastors team after volunteers in Wantage celebrated their first anniversary. Now they have gathered

  • Grill Seeker

    Self-confessed barbecue novice NICK IVE gets some expert tuition at a course laid on by The Grill Academy. THERE’s no getting away from it, when it comes to most household jobs, men are pretty rubbish, and I am certainly no exception. I

  • Full Circle

    It all started in Oxford for Mike Bartlett. Now an Olivier award-winning playwright, he says he’s coming home when he opens at the Oxford Playhouse with his new offering Love, Love, Love. Katherine MacAlister catches up with this leading light to find

  • Talent Show

    RACHAEL O’CONNOR tunes into a brand new night for local bands that’s packing ‘em in at Oxford’s O2 Academy 2. If you’re a fan of local new music, then there’s a brand new night that you really must check out. Upstairs Oxford at O2 Academy

  • Big Break

    TIM HUGHES talks to Jon Allen about how he is coping with becoming the next big thing. IT’S a horrible thing to say, but sadness suits some people. I mean, we all like peace and love, and all that, but does it make great art? Not necessarily

  • Brimming Over

    Cornershop’s Tjinder Singh tells Tim Hughes why his band are about more than just THAT song. NAMED as a knowing, tongue-in-cheek reference to a popular Indian stereotype, Cornershop have always made a habit of kicking at boundaries and breaking

  • Good Question

    ANDREW FFRENCH delves into our latest Book of the Month – The Finkler Question by Howard Jacobson. THE BOOK. WHENEVER I see the words Man Booker Prize, I have to confess that I find the accolade a little off-putting. A quick

  • Prom Bombs

    PROM (U). Drama/Romance/Comedy. Aimee Teegarden, Thomas McDonell, DeVaughn Nixon, Kylie Bunbury, Danielle Campbell, Nolan Sotillo, Cameron Monaghan, Yin Chang, Jared Kusnitz, Nicholas Braun, Dean Norris, Faith Ford. Director: Joe Nussbaum

  • Class Act

    X-MEN: FIRST CLASS (12A). Sci-Fi/Action/Romance. James McAvoy, Michael Fassbender, Kevin Bacon, Jennifer Lawrence, January Jones, Rose Byrne, Jason Flemyng, Nicholas Hoult, Zoe Kravitz, Lucas Till, Caleb Landry Jones, Edi Gathegi, Alex Gonzalez

  • Famous resident and a history stretching back millennia

    THE village is perhaps most famous as the former home and final resting place of author Agatha Christie. The ‘Queen of Crime’ lived in Winterbrook House from 1934 until her death in 1976, and is buried alongside her archaeologist husband Max

  • Taking a peek into the past

    CHOLSEY Festival this year offered a fascinating look back through history thanks to the rich memories of some of its oldest residents. The Festival, which began on May 21 and finishes on Sunday, featured Cholsey – The Way it Was, a collection of photographs

  • Missing woman found dead

    A woman has been found dead in a field. Police found the body in Great Tew, near Banbury, yesterday afternoon. It is believed to be 51-year-old Ingrid Frithz, who had been missing from her home in Over Norton since Wednesday lunchtime.

  • Woman's body found in field

    Police have discovered the body of a woman in a field in Great Tew. The death is being treated as unexplained at this time, however is not believed to be suspicious. The body is believed to be that of missing woman Ingrid Frithz, of Chipping Norton

  • How it started and birthday drinks with the gang

    After ‘what’s your favourite wine?’ the question I’m most frequently asked is ‘so, how did you get into the wine business in the first place?’. As I’ve said many times in this column, my passion for wine came first and foremost from French friends who

  • Ignorance and mistakes have enriched my life

    I enjoyed following the Obama visit to the UK. A particular highlight was the sight of Ken Clarke dozing contentedly through Mr Obama’s address at Westminster Hall. Priceless stuff. More relevant to this column was the news that the Obamas

  • Mark really should spell it out for me

    I think it was garden expert Mark Diacono who recently wrote a piece in the Daily Telegraph about an American Indian inter-planting idea called the Three Sisters, combining borlotti beans with sweetcorn and courgettes, enthusing that “In perhaps

  • Get out and go wild

    Wildlife highways I look forward to my commute. It’s not the traffic that holds me up but a chance encounter with wildlife. As I bump along the road towards Chimney Meadows nature reserve, just 30 minutes from Oxford, I follow several miles of wildlife-rich

  • East West Rail campaign launches promotional video

    THE consortium behind the campaign to reopen the East-West rail link between Oxford, Bicester, Milton Keynes and Bedford has released a new promotional video. The five-minute video outlines the benefits the consortium says the project would bring to

  • Building up to singing on stage with The Drifters . . .

    A SCHOOL choir is buzzing with excitement after a visit from a member of legendary soul group The Drifters. Twenty pupils from Appleton Primary School will perform alongside the American vocal group at the New Theatre in Oxford. And

  • Fees hike must stay: Council chief spells out finances

    THERE will be no immediate back-track over controversial changes to parking fees in North Oxfordshire, the new district council chief executive has said. Cherwell District Council’s Sue Smith said the increase of 10p on hourly rates, evening

  • Woman robbed in Botley Road

    A 27-year-old woman was robbed of her handbag as she walked along Botley Road in Oxford. The woman was close to the junction with Lamarsh Road between 10.10pm and 10.30pm on Monday when she was approached from behind by a man. The man threatened the

  • Models vie to be face of fashion boutique

    ASPIRING models are through to the next stage of a competition to become the face of an Oxford fashion boutique. Booty clothing, in St Aldate’s, is on the hunt for a new representative, who will appear in catwalk shows and in its advertisements

  • Rider, 17, dies in crash near Bicester

    Police are appealing for witnesses after a fatal crashon the A41 last night. At about 10.05pm, a black Honda Jazz and a black Sky Jet motorcycle collided on the A41 from Bicester to Aylesbury, near to the Piddington turning. The motorcyclist, a

  • Festival returns thanks to community effort

    HEADINGTON Festival returns on Sunday and this year has been entirely funded by the community – with a helping hand from the Oxford Mail and Comic Relief. The annual event usually gets £1,000 from Oxford City Council, but this year organisers worked

  • Oxford City Council defends £350k credit card bill

    OXFORD City Council has defended putting £350,000 on plastic over the past three years, saying it sped up payments to its contractors. The council has revealed all its payments over £500 made using credit and purchase cards since 2009, totalling £351,249

  • Bridal shop is a wedding winner

    FOR most new shops, the first year is all about learning to stand out and make a profit. But one Oxford businesswoman was named Bridal Retailer of the Year at a awards ceremony – just one year after opening in the city. Ellie Sanderson, from Benson,

  • Teenager killed in A41 smash

    A teenager has died after his motorbike collided with a car on the A41 Bicester to Aylesbury road. The motorcyclist, a 17-year-old boy from Buckingham, was pronounced dead at the scene. The driver of the car was not injured. The incident happened

  • Police launch search for missing woman

    Police today appealed for help in tracing a 51-year-old woman missing from Chipping Norton. Ingrid Sasha Frithz, who is known as Micki, was last seen leaving her home at 1.30pm yesterday, and reported missing to police at 7.20pm. Ingrid is white

  • Local share prices (AM)

    AEA Technology 4.15 BMW 5286 Electrocomponents 290.3 Nationwide Accident Repair 95.5 Oxford Biomedica 5.65 Oxford Catalysts 82.5 Oxford Instruments 747.5 Reed Elsevier 547.25 RM 148 RPS Group 247.5 Courtesy of Redmayne Bentley, Abingdon

  • Concern for missing woman

    A 51-year-old woman is missing from her home in Over Norton. Ingrid Sasha Frithz, known as Micki, was last seen leaving her house in The Green at 1.30pm yesterday afternoon, and was reported missing at 7.20pm. Thames Valley Police today

  • Gearing up for international drama festival

    HUNDREDS of youngsters from Europe and beyond will visit Oxford next month to take part in a new arts festival. Mesh – Oxford International Youth Arts Festival will feature street theatre, a costume parade and a finale at Oxford’s Town Hall

  • ATHLETICS: Sprinter Hussey stars

    REBECCA Hussey bagged a sprint double as Team Oxfordshire finished fourth in the National Junior League Thames Division second round meeting at Watford. The 18-year-old Oxford City athlete clocked 12.5secs to win the 100m and 25.4 to take the

  • ATHLETICS: Naylor's delight at capital effort

    WOODSTOCK Harrier Steve Naylor finished a creditable 22nd in the BUPA London 10,000. Naylor clocked 30mins 44secs for the 10K race run over a twisting course in hot and windy conditions. The race was won by defending champion Mo Farah in 29.15 – 90

  • Robbed pensioner 'more terrified than ever'

    A PENSIONER robbed in her own home said her own life sentence will continue long after her attacker is released from jail. Anne Appleton, who suffered a stroke 12 years ago, was left “more terrified than ever” after drug addict Heather Morris

  • Peace is new No 2 at Oxford City

    Oxford City boss Mike Ford has appointed former Didcot Town manager Stuart Peace as his assistant at Court Place Farm. Peace, who resigned from the Railwaymen in January after seven years in charge, takes over from Dougie Graham, who has left the club

  • ATHLETICS: Fernandez thumbs-up for Olympic marathon

    ABINGDON Ambler Paul Fernandez expects the London 2012 Olympic marathon to be a tactical race after experiencing the course. Fernandez was one of 45 top athletes invited to run a test event on the route, which will take in sights including Buckingham

  • Prices going up

    OXON: House prices in the county have risen for the third month in a row. Latest figures for April from the Government’s Land Registry show the average price of an Oxfordshire property now stands at £238,740, a 0.9 per cent increase on the previous month

  • Crews tackle arson attacks

    OXON: Firefighters were called out to four suspected arson attacks on Tuesday night. Oxfordshire Fire and Rescue sent two fire engines to a bin store blaze in Dirac Place, Didcot, at about 8.25pm. Half an hour later crews were called to a small straw

  • GOLF: Chippy's mixed fortunes

    Defending Section 1 champions Chipping Norton experienced a topsy-turvy weekend in the Shaw Gibbs Oxfordshire Foursomes League. Chippy finally opened their league account for 2011 with a 2½-½ victory at Tadmarton Heath. But they saw that result reversed

  • POINT-TO-POINT: Title triumph for Hill and Harbour

    ASTON Rowant handler Alan Hill and jockey Emily Harbour teamed up to score with Balladeer at Kingston Blount, near Chinnor – and seal the South Midland trainers’ and lady riders’ championships. Harbour gave the 13-year-old gelding a perfect ride, producing

  • A gem of a property

    A Grade-II listed 18th-century house that belonged to the Early family who owned one of Witney’s famous blanket factories, is on the market. Jewellery designer Sushilla Done and husband, artist and interior designer Mark, bought Lynton House four years

  • The 'incredibly coloured skies' are a delight

    Panoramic views over open farmland await the buyer of Hamfield Barn, near Frilford. Owner Andrew Needham, who has lived there with wife Lindsay and their three children since 2007, said: “One of the surprises has been the spectacular sunrises and sunsets

  • Pick up the keys to The Keys

    Cromwell House is a four-storey Victorian house in the conservation area of Wallingford. The brick-built property has many original features including a cellar, working fireplace and sash windows. Julian Walley, of agents Lesters, said

  • Walnut House - natural products, locally sourced

    A six-bedroom detached home offering modern facilities in beautiful rural surroundings has come on to the market. Walnut House in Standlake was designed and built by JEL Developments, a local company which specialises in individual new builds using natural

  • ATHLETICS: Diamond bid for Hannah

    OXFORD City star Hannah England will use the Samsung Diamond League meeting in Birmingham as a springboard for her season. The 24-year-old British international (pictured) will compete in the 1500m in the Aviva Birmingham Grand Prix at Alexander

  • Economic argument

    SO county council leader Mitchell is at it again (Library plan ‘not a U-turn’, Saturday’s Oxford Mail), in this case by discrediting the library closure protesters with smearing generalisation: “The sheer volume of people’s reaction, many of them who

  • Harsh truths

    KEITH Mitchell’s comments in Saturday’s Oxford Mail on the decision not to cut Oxfordshire’s library budget seem to be one way to justify the county council’s decision to impose damaging cuts in adult social care, youth and vulnerable children’s services

  • IAN HAYDEN: Gold medal-winning Paralympian

    FORMER Paralympic champion Ian Hayden has died aged 64. The shot, javelin and discus thrower won gold and silver medals when he represented Great Britain at the 1988 Paralympics in Seoul and the 1992 Games in Barcelona. He was also awarded an MBE for

  • Shared values

    COUNCILLOR Keith Mitchell thinks that library supporters “value (libraries) above youth services, social care and vulnerable children” (Saturday’s Oxford Mail). This either/or attitude is misguided. My reason for supporting our library is not selfish

  • Council not listening to us on St Clement’s

    I FEAR that Oxford City Council know they have made a mistake over the St Clement’s car park but they cannot admit to it. They have accepted a non-returnable deposit from Watkins Jones of £350,000 to develop our car park into student accommodation –

  • THE INSIDER: A weekly update from the corridors of power

    Oxford West and Abingdon MP Nicola Blackwood is doing rather well in the polls, albeit on her looks alone. The 31-year-old is fourth in an online league table of attractiveness compiled by website sexymp.co.uk Miss Blackwood is one of a number of

  • Stop knives ruining lives

    LITTLE Reko’s daddy will never play football with him, be there for his first day at school, or see him grow up and go to college. The lifetime of plans Blayne Ridgway had made for his young son vanished when he was stabbed by 16-year-old Eze Eke outside

  • 'Don't let his death be in vain'

    FRANKIE Adams and Karis Daniels have one message for young people in the city: stop carrying knives before another young person is killed. Blayne Ridgway’s father and sister have backed Operation Blade, which is being launched today, because they want

  • No need for embarrassing conversations

    Private landlords face the dilemma of whether or not to use an agency when renting out property. Some opt for a DIY approach to avoid paying finding fees and service charges, but others prefer the security of having an agency to vet tenants, collect

  • Fraudster fights to keep his home

    A JAILED fraudster has been given a stay of execution in his bid to stop his home. being repossessed. Kevin Willington, from Buckland, near Faringdon, was jailed for five years at Oxford Crown Court last month after being convicted on 25 fraud charges

  • Top comedian to meet his fans

    Little Britain star David Walliams will be signing copies of his new book at Waterstone’s in Broad Street today. Big queues are expected when the actor, comedian and author arrives to sign copies of Billionaire Boy. Mr Walliams is expected to be at

  • Patient care is praised at NOC

    OXFORD’S Nuffield Orthopaedic Centre (NOC) treats older patients with “dignity and respect”, according to a health watchdog. The Care Quality Commission is carrying out a review of dignity and nutrition for older patients at all hospitals in the UK.

  • Bid to save green spaces has begun

    A CAMPAIGN to save Oxford’s green spaces was launched this week as a list of playing fields and other open land earmarked for development was revealed. Sports pitches and allotments are among sites that have been identified for development

  • Birthday meal proves a trip down memory lane

    A GREAT-GRANDMOTHER was given a unique 80th birthday treat with a meal in the house where she grew up. Rosemary Tulloch’s father Frank Morris ran a greengrocer’s store in North Parade, Oxford, during the Second World War, with the family living in the

  • RACING: Morrison sweet on Sour

    Hughie Morrison has already attended one momentous royal occasion this year, having been among the guests at Prince William and Kate Middleton’s wedding. And now the East Ilsley trainer is set to be in the midst of another as he runs outsider

  • The Kissing Game by Aidan Chambers

    The Kissing Game by Aidan ChambersThis collection is a timely addition to today’s teenage fiction. The 16 stories vary from 50 pages to less than 1,000 words — the latter Chambers designates flash fiction: “a flash of light, a spark, which allows one

  • The Palladian Way

    The Palladian Way seems a good idea. It’s a long-distance (123 miles) footpath from Stowe in Buckinghamshire to Bath, devised by Guy Vowles, a Stowe’old boy’ and prodigious walker. The landscape gardens and buildings at Stowe are one of the glories of

  • Interview with Clare Morgan

    A novel featuring adultery between two Oxford dons inevitably invites comparisons, but there is one which horrifies its author, Clare Morgan. “It’s certainly not a sex-on-the-campus novel,” she says, when I mention David Lodge, who made his reputation

  • Solar farm blazes a trail

    Steaming towers at Didcot A Power Station will soon be things of the past, no longer visible from the nation’s oldest road, but modern windmills and solar panels are about to feature in the view instead. Prospective Green candidate for Wantage in the

  • Parky at the Pictures (In Cinemas 2/6/2011)

    Gérard Depardieu dominates French cinema as no actor since Jean Gabin. His achievement is all the more remarkable for the obstacles he has had to overcome in his often traumatic 63 years and one is tempted to speculate how much of himself informs the

  • Parky at the Pictures (DVD 2/6/2011)

    There's a pleasing mix of the real and the surreal in this week's DVD releases. Ranging from one of the most famous avant-garde works in screen history to little-seen actualities, they make for an eclectic selection. But they prove there is more to cinema

  • Reading test

    Prime Minister David Cameron’s ‘Big Society’ initiative (what we all used to know as ‘volunteering’) is set to be put to the test in Oxfordshire — and, to be more precise, in its libraries. While many have welcomed Oxfordshire County Council’s rethink

  • Bright future ahead

    Sir – Councillor Ian Hudspeth is a talented and energetic member of the county group. I have no doubt he has a bright future ahead of him and I do hope councillor John Tanner’s support for him (Letters, May 26) will not damage Ian’s political career.

  • Lifting lid on binge culture

    Research by Oxford University’s Health Experiences Research Group published on the DIPEx website — youthhealthtalk — reveals that today’s teenage binge-drinkers and substance abusers may engage in risky behaviour. But, surprisingly, it also

  • COMMENT: Returning home

    The older we get, the more poignant and meaningful it becomes to return to the bricks and mortar of our youth. So what a wonderful and emotional experience it must have been for great-grandmother Rosemary Tulloch to return to her childhood

  • Jericho pubs re-open for business

    FIVE pubs may be closing in the UK every day, but two pubs in Jericho are hoping to buck the trend this year. The Old Bookbinders Arms in Victor Street, judged Oxford’s best pub by the Campaign for Real Ale (CAMRA) three years ago, closed its

  • On the run

    Oxford has its half marathon back after a break of almost 20 years. However, this is a far bigger event than for the 3,000 people who will run in September. The plan is to make the half marathon an annual event, with the aim to get 10,000 running next

  • More in store

    The news that supermarket giant Morrisons has earmarked a site in Carterton is a positive step in the regeneration of the town. The UK’s fourth largest retailer has bought the Old Market site in Black Bourton Road for a “decent sized” supermarket. It

  • COMMENT: Time to put an end to knife crime

    PERHAPS the most disturbing trend to have emerged from among teenagers in recent years has been the rise in the use of knives. Indeed, terrifyingly, it has become ALMOST a ‘fashion’ among young people to carry knives with the same ease and

  • Helping others

    Sir – In contrast to the invective that all-too-frequently graces your letters pages, one of Ian Hudspeth’s achievements was to adopt a more dispassionate approach to the role the various transport modes can play in our transport system. In towns,

  • Long may he continue

    Sir – Last week I looked forward to the issue of The Oxford Times in order to see what developments had occurred in the revelation that Christopher Gray is a work of fiction. Sadly, the column did not appear. But to this sharp-eyed reader it is clear

  • Ageing is not a crime

    Sir – When will the Government and NHS managers realise that their policy of closing geriatric hospitals, thus forcing patients to be nursed at home or placed in expensive private nursing homes, is proving to be a disastrous policy that is speeding the

  • ‘Selective’ cycle stats

    Sir – Oh dear, I had hoped that my letter of May 19 would help to shift the debate away from the unhelpful pedestrian versus cyclist confrontation and on to the really important question of saving lives on our roads, but Hugh Jaeger (Letters, May 26)

  • Lack of transparency

    Sir – I am concerned about the lack of transparency in decision making at Oxford City Council. We have a list of council meetings on the city council website, but if you click on the PDF link you can see we have a large number of single member decision

  • Preserve character

    Sir – Ruskin’s proposal to build on its fields within the Old Headington Conservation Area has generated passionate debate. This is understandable given the resulting destruction of ancient meadowlands and the rural nature of Stoke Place. Old Headington

  • Bring back Christopher

    Sir – I very much fear that Mr van Dam (Letters, May 26) is wrong. Mr Gray is a fictional character. Witness the fact that there is not a single reference to Mr Gray in the same edition. It is a sad passing. I much enjoyed the character’s satirical praise

  • Make way, Mr Gray

    Sir – Gerard Van Dam informs us that Rosemarie, Olive and Hermione-Elizabeth are all former beauty queens (Letters, May 26). Can we please see pictures of these three beauties? I’m sure Christopher Gray will not mind relinquishing the space

  • Build more city masts

    Sir – On a recent trip to Ghana I was pleasantly surprised to find that, wherever I went in the country, I always had full mobile signal and a strong EDGE (the level below 3G) data signal. Compare this to Oxford where in large parts of the city, including

  • Intriguing Michelle

    Sir – It was very intriguing to see and hear Michelle Obama’s Christ Church exhortation to the 30 or so girls from North London to aspire to the dreaming spires. She said to them: “You belong here.” Well, it will be very interesting to discover how many

  • Need for new school?

    Sir – A new school could emerge under the Haberdasher’s Aske’s ‘brand’ in South Oxfordshire and the Vale of White Horse. Across Abingdon, Didcot and Wantage, examining the county council’s figures for the number of places available in the six secondaries

  • Labour should refrain

    Sir – Oxford Labour councillor John Tanner rails against the “authoritarian leadership” of Keith Mitchell at Oxfordshire County Council (Letters, May 26). Maybe this is true, but a senior Labour councillor really should refrain from talking about authoritarianism

  • Carving up a gem

    Sir – If Ruskin College have long held a desire to develop their meadows in Old Headington, they have certainly not made this plain. On the contrary, in their planning application for their new accommodation block in March 2009, they said: ‘the site

  • Ruskin’s motivation

    Sir – It would be heartwarming indeed to think that Ruskin College’s motives for hoping to build 200 houses by the northern bypass is motivated by a concern for the homeless, although living by a noisy, dangerous and unhealthy road with no facilities

  • Loss to wildlife

    Sir – The Principal of Ruskin College should re-read the works of her college’s founding father, John Ruskin (Letters, May 26). He forcefully opposed the destruction of the countryside. ‘Suppose you had . . . a garden large enough for your children to

  • More parking spaces needed

    Sir – I fear that the council know they’ve made a mistake over the St Clements car park but they cannot admit to it. They have accepted a non-returnable deposit from Watkins Jones of £350,000 to develop our car park into student accommodation — the only