Archive
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Concern as homes plan grows
RESIDENTS opposed to plans for a housing development on their doorstep in Wallingford have been told they face a 40 per cent increase in the number of homes being built. The Slade End Farm area was originally earmarked for 400 homes under South
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Family pleads for return of stolen puppy
A COUPLE have pleaded with three thieves to return their stolen puppy. The four-month-old Siberian Husky was taken from Aisha and Noy Arzakantsyan’s garden in London Road, Headington. Police are now searching for the thieves after Ms Arzakantsyan discovered
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Botley pub sold to hi-fi retailer
ONE of the last remaining pubs in Botley has been sold off to an electronics retailer for a new showroom after being branded “unviable” by its former owner. TV and hi-fi retailer Richer Sounds has snapped up the former George Inn in Botley
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ATHLETICS: Barnshaw stars for Amblers
PETER Barnshaw scored two wins and a third as Abingdon Amblers maintained their promotion challenge in Division 6 of the Up & Running Midland League. After finishing second in their previous two fixtures, Abingdon were third in the penultimate match
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Local share prices (PM)
AEA Technology 3.5 BMW 6103 Electrocomponents 274.9 Nationwide Accident Repair 96 Oxford Biomedica 6.45 Oxford Catalysts 81.5 Oxford Instruments 984 Reed Elsevier 571.5 RM 147.5 RPS Group 247.8 Courtesy of Redmayne Bentley, Abingdon
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Oxford comma is alive, well, and silly
The death of the Oxford comma has not been so much exaggerated as utterly misreported. A story in the book publishing website Galleycat led some to conclude that the Oxford University Press was no longer insisting on a peculiarity of punctuation that
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Hollinghurst tells it like it is again
Alan Hollinghurst impressed me with his candour at the 2005 Oxford Literary Festival. First, there was his confession that he was a lazy writer who managed only 200 words a day. Second, he admitted that a full year after finishing the book he was there
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Lord Rees-Mogg's clear assessment of his many merits
William Rees-Mogg thinks The Oxford Times is “a very distinguished regional paper” and said so when, in November 1979, we published a special supplement marking The Times’s return to the newsstands, under his editorship, after nearly a year away
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Jill Cattle's beetroot and apple chutney (makes ten jars)
Look at all that lush greenery — it’s an added extra that makes a bunch of freshly dug beetroot a real bargain, as along with the heads of beetroot, it gives you as many greens to cook up as an extra vegetable with the Sunday roast as you would have if
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Enjoy your beetroot fresh from the soil
Isn’t it fascinating — the leaves of the humble beetroot, which is a cool-weather biennial that evolved from wild sea beet, was eaten in early times for medicinal reasons. From the Middle Ages, beetroot was used as a treatment for a variety of
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Two odd customs in local villages
Fifty years have passed since the villagers of Grove stopped their centuries-old habit habit of floundering around in a stream while attempting to catch ducks with their bare hands. The duck hunt, known as ‘pinning-up’, was held for the last time at Grove
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The Tree of Life and Holy Rollers
If a film-maker ever warranted the term auteur, meaning an artist of rare imagination who exercises complete control over their creative visions, it’s the mercurial Terrence Malick. Over almost four decades, the Illinois-born film-maker has directed just
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Preview of Music at Adderbury's 25th anniversary concert
The Music in Adderbury series is in the middle of its 25th anniversary season, with concerts in the beautiful setting of St Mary’s Church in Adderbury. The series was started by local professional violinist Christopher Windass, who teaches the violin
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Lullaby: The Pit, Barbican Centre
There are few absolutes left in contemporary theatre. Fourth walls have long since crumbled underfoot; site-specific and immersive theatre experiences have further done away with divides between theatre and world, performer and audience. The one principle
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Summertown Choral Society: Sheldonian Theatre
To celebrate their half century, Summertown Choral Society took their audience on a journey through England’s choral tradition on Saturday night — a journey that also reflected the incredibly varied repertoire they have tackled over the years. Handel’
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The Oxford Philomusica: Sheldonian Theatre, Oxford
Baroque music has long been a feature of the Oxford summer scene, and this year the Oxford Philomusica is contributing four concerts to the mix. For its opening outing, the orchestra was joined by New College Choir for an all-Vivaldi programme, topped
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Preview of Mikron Theatre's visit to Oxfordshire waterways
For many summers the Mikron Theatre Company has been touring the Thames and the Oxford Canal on the narrowboat Tyseley, performing its shows mainly in pub gardens — or indoors if wet. This year is special: Mikron celebrates its 40th year. “As a young
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Preview of Macbeth: Trinity College Gardens
Oxford Theatre Guild are going ‘into the woods’ to stage their production of Macbeth at Trinity College from next Tuesday Tuesday until July 22. Although no strangers to Trinity, the Guild break new ground by performing on a multi-level stage in
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The Upstairs Room: Burton Taylor Studio, Oxford
‘Hell is other people” — possibly Jean-Paul Sartre’s most quoted line — is from Huis Clos. A man and two women find themselves confined together in a drawing room for eternity. David K. O’Hara’s The Upstairs Room is a modern take on Sartre’s play. The
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Lee Evans: New Theatre, Oxford
You might think Lee Evans has a cheek being in Oxford over three nights. For there is no attempt to disguise the purpose of his stint: it says on your £31 ticket: “Work in Progress.” This was a warm-up for his arena tour, which includes four nights at
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Joan Kent exhibition: The Oxford Playhouse
Joan Kent was born in 1918, and was on stage from the age of 12, first with other children from the Cone school of dance. At 13, she won a prize in The Sunshine Babies Competition at The Scala Theatre, greatly impressing Ninette de Valois, founder of
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The Cult of Beauty: V&A
Hurry along to the V&A before July 17 and luxuriate in the art and design of this aptly titled show, The Cult of Beauty, which is the life’s work of a true aesthete, co-curator Stephen Calloway, who absolutely looks the part. You will discover some familiar
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The Faces and Ray Davies: Cornbury Festival
After Cornbury Festival suffered “financial meltdown”, many feared that it was gone for good. But that was to underestimate Hugh Phillimore’s fanatical commitment to “his baby,” which in its eighth year was transplanted down the road to Great Tew
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Oxfork at The Rotunda, Iffley
Oxfork is a ‘pop-up’ restaurant that has been in action earning growing support and acclaim since last year. As its styling suggests, the enterprise puts in an appearance at various venues. Last week, it was in The Rotunda attached to Grove House
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UPDATE: Four arrests after barn blaze
Four teenage boys have been arrested in connection with an arson which destroyed a barn at Warriner School on Tuesday morning. The boys, two aged 15 and two aged 16, are currently in police custody.
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Stowaways found in Bicester-bound lorry
Four stowaways were caught at the Channel Tunnel after they snuck inside a lorry bound for Bicester. The group, three Vietnamese and one Iraqi, were discovered by Border Agency officers working at the Coquelles Channel Tunnel terminal in France
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Cuts threaten County Museum hours and exhibitions
MUSEUM opening hours could be cut and exhibitions scaled back under a 40 per cent budget cut plan. Oxfordshire County Council is consulting on plans to reduce its full-time staffing roles from 30 to 15 for the Oxfordshire Museum in Woodstock and the
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Mini sales buck the trend
UK sales of the Cowley-built Mini have once again bucked the national trend with a rise of more than 20 per cent in June. Latest figures from the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT) show 5,917 cars were sold during the month, compared to
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British GP race day tickets sell out
Silverstone announced today that race day tickets for this weekend’s Formula 1 Santander British Grand Prix have sold out. Individual and family tickets are still available for Friday and Saturday Silverstone managing director Richard Phillips, said
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Top award for Earth Sciences building
THE new Department of Earth Sciences building developed by Oxford University has won a top civil engineering award. The building was joint winner of the Sustainability and Community Benefit Award at the ICE Thames Valley Engineering Excellence
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Local share prices (AM)
AEA Technology 3.45 BMW 6138 Electrocomponents 274 Nationwide Accident Repair 96 Oxford Biomedica 6.45 Oxford Catalysts 82.5 Oxford Instruments 979.5 Reed Elsevier 569.5 RM 147.75 RPS Group 248 Courtesy of Redmayne Bentley, Abingdon
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City transport links to benefit from Government cash
A £4M bid to add 500 spaces to 850-space Thornhill Park & Ride was given a major funding boost yesterday. Oxfordshire County Council will be handed £5m by the Government for transport projects. A new cycle lane on London Road, Headington towards the
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Benson-based RAF helicopter crew crash-land in field
An RAF Benson-based helicopter pilot and two crew members have escaped without serious injury after crash-landing in a field. Police said the crewmen were able to walk away unharmed after the Puma helicopter, pictured, came down close to the
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City council workers are county's sickest
COUNCIL workers in Oxford remain the county’s “sick men” despite improvements in attendance, it emerged last night. On average, Oxford City Council staff had 9.15 days off ill last year, which is almost two weeks each. It is down from 10.71 days the
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ROWING: Abingdon School coach salutes his Henley heroes
Abingdon School coach Athol Hundermark has praised the dedication of his crew after they won the Princess Elizabeth Cup for school eights at Henley Royal Regatta. Abingdon beat St Andrew’s School from Connecticutt, USA, to record their first
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High court bid to beat Ardley incinerator plan
AN ATTEMPT to overturn a plan to build a giant incinerator at Ardley is set to go before the High Court tomorrow. Campaigners Ardley Against the Incinerator are challenging to reverse a decision by Eric Pickles, Secretary of State for Local Government
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CRICKET: Sharma gives Dark Blues early edge
Oxford University had the better of day one of the Varsity Match at Fenner’s, despite a Cambridge fightback. The Dark Blues were well on top at tea in the four-day clash, having restricted Cambridge to 188-7. But an undefeated half-century from Matt
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Textile recycling to fund air ambulance
THE 100th fundraising textile recycling bank set up to support the Thames Valley and Chiltern Air Ambulance has opened in Oxford. The banks have raised more than £100,000 for the helicopter service since the first opened in 2009.
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AUNT SALLY: High fives for on-song Holt
Paul Holt was in devastating form as Squire Bassett beat the Punch Bowl 3-0 in Section 2. Although missing out on a six, Holt bagged 15 dolls (5-5-5) in an impressive individual performance. His efforts ensure Bassett won the match with leg scores of
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Cyclist hurt in Ambrosden crash
MERTON Road in Ambrosden was closed by police early yesterday after a cyclist was involved in a collision with a car. Police said a gold Volvo estate car collided with the bicycle at about 6am. The cyclist was taken to hospital after suffering cuts and
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Burglars steal jewellery from Enstone house
BURGLARS stole jewellery from a house in Enstone, near Chipping Norton. Some time between 9am and 11am last Wednesday, intruders forced their way into the home in Cleveley Road and stole earrings, cufflinks, rings, a bracelet and two men’s watches.
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Couple 'shocked' after city centre attack
A COUPLE were hit and spat on during an attack in Oxford city centre. Elizabeth Waterhouse, from Otley, in West Yorkshire, was on holiday with husband Tim on Wednesday, June 22, when she was attacked in Cornmarket Street. Mrs Waterhouse said they saw
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Call to 'learn lessons' from soldier's blast death
THE widow of a Bicester soldier who was killed in Afghanistan said she hoped lessons would be learned from her husband’s death. Warrant Officer Class 2 Charlie Wood, who was based at St David’s Barracks, was killed while trying to clear a safe
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CRICKET: Arscott makes his mark
ADAM Arscott scored his first century in real style, smashing 17 fours and ten sixes in a mammoth 175. Arscott achieved the feat as Ewelme defeated Sydenham by 114 runs in a 35-over-a-side clash on Sunday. The opening batsman dominated Ewelme’s 284-
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CRICKET: Taylor's delight at debut
JACK Taylor said he enjoyed every minute of his outstanding Twenty20 debut for Gloucestershire. The 19-year-old all-rounder, from Great Tew, was named man-of-the-match as Gloucestershire Gladiators beat rivals Somerset by two wickets at the County Ground
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More commonsense needed in policing
I HAVE tried to resist the temptation to comment on the behaviour of Thames Valley Police regarding the actions of Rob and Tracy Hearne, who witnessed the theft of a £10,000 trailer and followed the thieves (Oxford Mail, July 2). Well, I empathise with
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Make Who frontman the Prime Minister
ROGER Daltrey for Prime Minister. The Who frontman tells it like it is on immigration and the NHS, all with a simple honesty so lacking among today’s politicians. Labour’s 13-year tenure resulted in an immigration influx of mega proportions
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An enjoyable skirmish
I HAVE followed with interest in your columns the skirmishes between Mr Mitchell and Mr Augarde. The former concise and with some humour, the latter with some good points but inclined to the personal. On balance, I tend to award the palm of victory
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Sushila's an extraordinary lady
I VOTED for Sushila Dhall in the General Election and would broadly agree with the comments in her letter (Oxford Mail, June 28. Nonetheless, I was somewhat amused and bemused by her employing the expression “we ordinary people”. Even allowing for
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Health and safety madness will stop the clock
I WAS looking at the notices in a local shop window recently, and was amused at the following notice relating to the church clock in this particular village: “We are grateful to Steve Lovejoy who winds our clock up by hand every week, but new health
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Council vetoes anti-abortion rally
PRO-LIFE campaigners have been blocked from holding a rally in Witney. The anti-abortion group Life wanted to use the event to put pressure of Prime Minister and Witney MP David Cameron to make changes to abortion law. But Witney Town Council called
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Arsonists wreck school farm barn
ARSONISTS are thought to be behind a fire at an Oxfordshire school farm, which caused tens of thousands of pounds damage. Eight fire crews from across the county were called to the Warriner School in Bloxham, near Banbury, in the early hours
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Sassy & Single: A Lottery win really would change me
Did I ever tell you about the time I won just over £150m pounds on the Lottery? I don’t like to shout about it too much because, despite winning enough money to clear a small European country’s debt, I decided I woudn’t let it change me. In fact the
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End this obsession with building high speed rail line
I WRITE with reference to the Government’s obsession with the HS2 high speed rail link. Public sector workers have been told that there isn’t the money available to pay for their pensions, and that changes have to be made to them. Councils across the
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Wright appointed new Oxford United skipper
Jake Wright is Oxford United’s new club captain. Manager Chris Wilder has revealed that the former Brighton centre back will get the armband from striker James Constable for the 2011-12 campaign. Constable, known as Beano, took over
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Evarose: O2 Academy 2, Oxford
For a band that has only been in existence for around 18 months, Evarose can feel pretty proud of themselves for the crowd they draw to the upper room of the O2 Academy tonight. Far bigger names, with national profiles and marketing budgets that number
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Handbag snatch in nightclub
Police are hunting two women after a handbag was stolen from the Wahoo bar in Hythe Bridge Street in Oxford. Thames Valley Police has released CCTV images of the two women they want to speak to after the theft on Thursday, March 17, at about
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Restaurant crook caught on CCTV
Police have released CCTV pictures of a man they want to speak to after a theft from the Yo Sushi restaurant in George Street, Oxford. A man was seen entering the staff area between 6.45pm and 6.50pm on Tuesday, March 22, and a 23-year-old employee’
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COMMENT: A worthy wishlist
THE Priest family has certainly had a rough time healthwise. Now mum Janet has been given three months to live and has a list of things she wants to achieve. We hope she does — not only for Janet but so her family are left with happy memories.
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Family rallies to fulfil dying mum's wishlist
SHE is the “glue that holds a family together” and now her last wishes are being ticked off one by one. Great-grandmother Janet Priest, from Greater Leys, Oxford, was told by doctors last week she has just three months left to live.
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Damning verdict on weak teachers
HEADTEACHERS lacking vision and underperforming governors were yesterday blamed as two of the main reasons for low results in Oxfordshire’s weakest schools. A County Hall select committee yesterday investigated why Oxford’s seven-year-olds
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Burglar admits spree in city
A SERIAL burglar confessed to almost a dozen offences around Oxford in a month-long spree. David Durrant admitted three burglaries at Oxford Crown Court on Friday and asked for a further eight to be formally taken into consideration. Durrant, 43, of
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COMMENT: Let’s all hope strong words mean action
MELINDA Tilley, the new councillor in charge of our county schools, was making strong statements yesterday as she condemned a ‘culture of complacency’ in the Oxfordshire education system. Headteachers and governors have found themselves in the crosshairs
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Wooed by a poem... and still married 65 years on
AN OXFORD man who wooed his sweetheart with a love poem has celebrated 65 years of marriage with her. Stan and Gwen Garrod, both 86, from Iffley, were married in 1946, aged 21, in Leceister. The pair met at a dance at Leicester Technical
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Event organisers support threatened Oxford stadium
ORGANISERS of the British Dirt Track Championship have added their support towards saving the threatened Oxford Stadium. About 700 Dirt Track fans are expected to descend on the Sandy Lane stadium for Round three of the British Dirt Track Championships
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SCHOOL BUILD: Pupils' growing ambitions
THE head of Our Lady’s Junior School in Abingdon, Brendan O’Neill, said parents and supporters were pulling out all the stops to help collect tokens for its project. Pupils want to transform an overgrown patch of land into a new eco-garden,
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SCHOOL BUILD: Help us to stop stink
PUPILS desperate to pee in more pleasant surroundings at a village school have started designing new toilet seats for their dream block. St Swithun’s CofE School in Kennington wants to win the School Build SOS competition to fund the creation
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Council to ignore financial warning
COUNCILLORS will push ahead with plans to introduce free parking in Abingdon and Wantage despite warnings it is unaffordable and unnecessary. The Conservatives promised free short-stay parking in Vale of White Horse District Council car parks
