Archive

  • Brewery thwarted in house sale bid

    VILLAGE residents have raised a glass to news that their award-winning pub will not be turned into a house. The General Elliot in South Hinksey, which closed in 2009, has been at the centre of a protracted battle over its future use.

  • Blistered but happy after big row

    THREE men in a boat have completed an epic journey up the River Thames in aid of research into motor neurone disease. Cumnor man Stuart Bates, 41, was joined by friends Julian Tolputt, 32, and Lawrie Hall, 22, on a challenge to row a 26ft Victorian skiff

  • Sally outsider has shock win

    AN unexpected and controversial result has rocked the first World Aunt Sally Singles Championship. The traditional pub game is played almost exclusively in Oxfordshire. But the new world champion comes from Gloucestershire, a result which has dented

  • Free parking in Abingdon and Wantage approved

    COUNCILLORS have given the go-ahead to a controversial scheme which will see car parks in the district become free for up to two hours. The new Conservative administration on Vale of White Horse District Council approved the plans at a cabinet

  • Local share prices

    12/07/2011 pm AEA Technology 3.4 BMW 5909 Electrocomponents 246.8 Nationwide Accident Repair 96 Oxford Biomedica 7.06 Oxford Catalysts 72 Oxford Instruments 967 Reed Elsevier 557.25 RM 149 RPS Group 243.25 Courtesy Redmayne

  • Bean bath for hospital sensory room

    IT may not be the most comfortable way to spend an afternoon, but Julian Laverty’s bath of beans got plenty of attention. Mr Laverty, a care assistant at the Highfield Unit at the Warneford Hospital, Morrell Avenue, Oxford was helping raise

  • Finding traces of WW2 guerilla force

    TRACES of Churchill’s secret Second World War guerrilla army have been uncovered in an archaeological dig at Coleshill, on the Oxfordshire border. They include what may be the remains of a bunker used to train ordinary British people selected

  • OAP, 96, raided in her sleep

    A MAN broke into a 96-year-old woman’s bedroom and stole a medal belonging to her late husband while she slept. Thomas Somarakis helped himself to cash, jewellery and an ornament in the burglary and even poured himself a drink in one of the elderly victim

  • CRICKET: Westbury slam sorry Marcham

    OCA League Divisions 1-4 WESTBURY crushed Division 1 whipping boys Marcham by 264 runs on Saturday, dec-laring their innings after 35 overs. Batting first, Marcham raced to 291-4 with Tom Wilson hitting 102 and Harry Smith 78. Showing some mercy to

  • CRICKET: Cassington off the bottom after victory

    OCA League Divisions 5-11 CASSINGTON picked up only their second win of the season to move off the foot of Division 5. Danny Roberts (47) and Jason Fuller (41) helped Cassington post 175 all out against Great Horwood 2nd, before Neil Morton claimed

  • CRICKET: Shrivenham into last four

    SHRIVENHAM reached the semi-finals of the OCA League's Airey Cup with a 23-run win at Minster Lovell on Sunday. Mark Whale hit 95 in Shrivenham’s 259-5, before Matt Harris claimed 4-64 as Minster were dismissed for 236, Eddie Dunn hitting 82. Garsington

  • Local share prices

    12/07/2011 am AEA Technology 3.4 BMW 5695 Electrocomponents 244.45 Nationwide Accident Repair 96 Oxford Biomedica 6.92 Oxford Catalysts 74 Oxford Instruments 964 Reed Elsevier 552.75 RM 149 RPS Group 244.75 Courtesy Redmayne

  • Man on community service insulted supervisor

    A MAN given community service for drug dealing committed another offence while doing his unpaid work. Haydon Griffiths was ordered to do 250 hours of community work after being found with about £900 of cocaine and cannabis at his mum’s house in March

  • Well planned caravan theft devastates family

    A FAMILY has been left devastated after their brand new caravan was stolen. Paula and Geoffrey Day, 42 and 56, had spent £12,995 – almost all of their savings – on the vehicle. They were hoping to use it to take their grandchildren, Nicole, four, and

  • CRICKET: Woolley's 6-16 is decisive

    Paul Woolley produced a devastasting spell of bowling to set up a seven-wicket victory for leaders Great & Little Tew 3rd against Dinton 3rd in Cherwell League Division 8. Woolley’s figures of 6-16 meant Dinton limped to 99-9 and Tew then cruised

  • Four county schools set to become academies

    FOUR Oxfordshire schools with more than 4,500 pupils between them have been given the go-ahead to convert to academies as early as September. If all agree funding arrangements with the Department for Education (DfE), it would more than double the number

  • CRICKET: Downs' deadly duo sink Dinton

    Oxford Downs 2nd dismissed Dinton 2nd for only 59 on their way to an easy win that saw them return to the top of the Cherwell League Division 3 table. Steve Roberts (5-34) and Matt Holyland (4-16) shared the wickets, then Ian Caunce crashed

  • CRICKET: Leaders Horspath denied by last pair

    Stuart Berry captured 5-26, but Cherwell League Division 5 leaders Horspath 2nd were denied victory at Brackley by the home side’s final pair. Horspath made heavy weather of their 139-8, as Keith Cartwright claimed 5-30. Joe Todd made 34 and Stephen

  • CRICKET: Wallingford blown away to 73

    Wallingford stay deep in trouble in Cherwell League Division 4 after they were blown away for 73 at Chearsley. Neil Davies took 4-19 for the hosts, who had dismissed Wallingford for 79 when they first met in May. Trevor Spindler’s 3-12 was in vain as

  • GOLF: Wootton partners ex-champ Lehman

    Oxford professional Adam Wootton has been drawn alongside former champion and Ryder Cup captain Tom Lehman when he makes his Open Championship debut at Royal St George’s, Sandwich, on Thursday. The 23rd-year-old, who works at Oxford Golf Centre and is

  • CRICKET: Great Scott sends Cumnor packing

    Cumnor had no answer to left-arm quickie Dan Scott as they succumbed for only 83 at home to Leighton Buzzard Town in Cherwell League Division 1. Scott plundered 8-28 in helpful conditions, with only Jamie Douglas showing the application required before

  • Pubgoers pay tribute to 'amazing friend'

    A “WONDERFULLY gifted” publican was one of two motorists killed on the county’s roads at the weekend. Tributes have been paid to Robert Huntington, 32, who ran the Duke of Cumberland’s Head, in Clifton, near Banbury. Mr Huntington died when the green

  • RACING: Eve's stars set for Curragh raid

    Eve Johnson Houghton could launch a double raid from her Blewbury stables, near Didcot, on the Curragh this weekend with stars The Cheka and Fontley. The Cheka won the John Of Gaunt Stakes at Haydock on his penultimate start, and could tackle

  • Cornbury Festival: A newcomers' view

    Cornbury Festival 2011 proved to be one of the most exciting and successful events in Oxfordshire this summer. The line–up consisted of a wide array of spectacular acts ranging from classic rock superstars, The Faces and Status Quo to singing

  • Man denies hitting rival on head

    A POOL player suffered head injuries after rival pub teams clashed in a city snooker club. The incident took place at Riley’s, in Between Towns Road, Cowley, jurors at Oxford Crown Court heard yesterday. Edmund Aldworth, who plays for the Blackbird

  • COMMENT: Give two cheers

    LET’S not get too excited about the Big Society cash being splashed about today. While it’s great news that £250,000 will go to benefit youth centres across Oxfordshire, we must not lose sight of why this is necessary. Oxfordshire County Council is

  • Babies and toddlers take part in sponsored swim

    SPONSORED swims are being held in pools across Oxfordshire. But those taking part are different from the usual fundraisers – the swimmers are all babies and toddlers. Tots who take part in Water Babies swimming classes are joining in a mass splashathon

  • On wrong track over rail demand

    VALE of White Horse district councillor Bob Johnston invites critics to say how the extra demand for rail services can be accommodated and refers to overcrowded London terminals (Oxford Mail letters, July 1) . It’s true that we need to increase rail

  • Our deficit is one of lowest of G7 nations

    Oh DEAR, it seems B Gibbs has been duped by the spin coming from Tory Central Office (Oxford Mail, July 7). Contrary to what the coalition Government would have us believe, our deficit is among the lowest in the G7. France, Germany, Canada and the US

  • Courtege route change is "an insult to heroes"

    I FIND it incredible that with all the financial problems we are facing, and all the council, government and military cuts taking place, someone has come up with the idea of wasting thousands of pounds renaming and tidying up the back gate at RAF Brize

  • Big Society cash boost for youth centres

    THE first round of Big Society cash looks set to help youth centres across Oxfordshire go it alone. Yesterday the list of groups which have bid for a slice of the £600,000 pot was revealed for the first time. Eight community groups are

  • Can't beat a bobby

    IT IS many years since I last saw a police constable on patrol in my area. How nice it would be to go back to the days of Dixon of Dock Green when there was always a friendly bobby round the corner. KEN HILL, Trinity Road, Headington, Oxford

  • Driven to distraction by trucker accusations

    PLEASE, please, please, Mr Roper, from Kidlington, spare me more misery, and grant me two wishes before I do something drastic to myself: Firstly, get your car speedometer checked for accuracy; and secondly, write the next letter about something you

  • CRICKET: Toiling Oxon on back foot again

    Oxfordshire are facing another rearguard action today as they attempt to avoid defeat against Shropshire in their Western Division clash at Whitchurch. A below-par batting display on day two saw Oxon bowled out for 183 to leave them trailing

  • Leven fits bill for Oxford United

    Manager Chris Wilder is delighted by the capture of Peter Leven after the midfielder agreed to sign from MK Dons. Leven, 27, turned down a new deal at the League One club and a number of other offers to sign a two-year contract with Oxford

  • 'Don't panic over Southern Cross'

    THE councillor responsible for social care in Oxfordshire has called for calm after the collapse of care home provider Southern Cross, which ceased trading yesterday. Plans are in place to move pensioners to other homes if the firm’s six Oxfordshire

  • Mini milestone as Cowley marks 10th birthday

    A VERY British icon yesterday celebrated its 10th anniversary, after being reborn in Cowley a decade ago. The first new Mini rolled off the plant in July 2001 after German car firm BMW invested £230m in UK car manufacturing. The plant was officially

  • Delight as stolen puppy is returned

    It was sloppy kisses all round when a stolen puppy was reunited with his owners. It was taken from Aisha and Noy Arzakantsyan’s garden in London Road, Headington, but was found by a dog warden wandering the streets nearby five days later. Ms Arzakantsyan

  • COMMENT: New powers raise doubts

    POLICING has grown increasingly complex over the past few years. The straightforward bobby on the beat has been replaced with a plethora of policing cousins – community wardens, special constables and police community support officers. In many cases

  • Police power will 'create conflicts'

    Community warden bosses have come under fire for seeking “police powers” to tackle antisocial behaviour. Under the plans, people deemed to be behaving antisocially will be breaking the law if they refuse to give the council wardens their name

  • Funds Chox-full thanks to Amber

    A FESTIVAL dedicated to a toddler who died this year looks to have raised more than £10,000 for charity. The Yeah Baby! festival, which took place in Abingdon on Friday and Saturday, was set up by James Phillpott in 2009 to raise money for the Oxford