OLD-FASHIONED cans of 35mm film and a flickering projector could make way for the digital age at Chipping Norton Theatre if a £20,000 fundraising appeal succeeds. Film fans living in and around the town – including Oscar-winning actor Sir Ben
A RADICAL overhaul of rail services on the Great Western Main Line between Oxfordshire and London is needed to cope with rising passenger demand, says Network Rail. The number of commuters heading into London Paddington at the height of the morning rush-hour
A LIBRARIES campaigner has warned County Hall’s new plans will see too much money wasted on back-room staff, at the expense of service at the counter. Trevor Craig, of the Friends of Wychwood Library, used the Freedom of Information Act to uncover data
Organisers of this year’s 10th anniversary BunkFest in Wallingford are appealing for more volunteers to help run the music, dance, steam and beer festival. The festival takes place from Friday, September 2, to Sunday, September 4, at venues across the
An exhibition featuring automata designs, or wind up displays, has opened at The Oxfordshire Museum in Woodstock. The Mechnicals features designs from the Mechanical Cabaret Theatre and includes descriptions of how automata works. The free exhibition
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Finstock's annual village festival is this weekend and organisers are appealing for volunteers to help make sure it runs smoothly. The event at the playing field, off School Road, raises money for community causes, including the primary school, parish
Scientists at Oxford University are aiming to produce a global map of the land owned by the world’s religions. The Oxford researchers estimate religious groups own about eight per cent of land across round the globe, much of it covered in forest. A
Villagers in Horspath have called for guarantees about the future of their post office. The future of the Church Road Post Office has been a source of concern following the conviction of sub-postmaster Vipin Patel, pictured right, for fraud. Horspath
The story of a Jericho poet who died more than 30 years ago has been unearthed as part of a student art project. Arts student Clare Cochrane started researching Mary Hampden-Jackson after finding a bench dedicated to her at the now boarded up sheltered
AN INTERNATIONAL get-together proved that silence is golden. Religious people from across the world, including the Archbishop of Cape Town, came to Oxford last week to explore the importance of inner silence. Coming from 18 different countries, the
THE villagers of South Leigh near Witney came together on Sunday for a traditional summer fayre. Organisers estimated that about 2,000 people attended the event, which included Aunt Sally, archery and dog shows. As well as the traditional events, there
ROBBERIES, burglaries and vehicle crimes in West Oxfordshire have dropped more than 30 per cent. The crimes, known collectively as serious acquisitive crime, fell by 31.4 per cent between April 1 and July 24 compared to the same period last year. It
‘Go sockless,” instructed The Times recently l — only to criticise our Prime Minister David Cameron when he followed this advice during his holiday in the Tuscan sunshine. Such mixed messages are not uncommon from newspapers. They are offered particularly
In or out? The question traditionally posed by bar staff in relation to the Angostura bitters that make a pink gin pink could as easily be asked, at this time of year, about the location for its consumption. Not that I personally consume pink gins
Readers of the Sunday Times may have been surprised by an oddly parochial story that appeared on Page 8 of its main news section this week. Headlined “Tax revolt hits Chelsea-on-Sea weekenders”, it concerned attempts to make part-time residents of the
Where baking is concerned, it’s fair to say I’m no Nigella. My home economic classes were spent hiding at the back clutching my deflated sponge cake, desperately wafting away the black smoke. So in terms of domestic goddesses, my halo fell off
We came across the Farmcote Herbs and Chilli Pepper Farm quite unexpectedly, walking an uphill bridlepath from the ruins of Hailes Abbey, to the little hamlet of Farmcote, which is set in one of the most beautiful parts of the Cotswolds.
The fun of laughing at some mythical and impossibly thick American sightseer in Oxford seems to have gone out of fashion. But I well remember the tale of how he once asked the way to the University and was told it was “everywhere”. Then there was
In the summer of 1982, an earthbound alien phoned home and audiences wept with joy, cementing Steven Spielberg’s reputation as the greatest film-maker of his generation. E.T: The Extra-Terrestrial was a cultural phenomenon that spoke to our inner
If your chilli plants are yielding more chillies than you can use in one go, you can always air-dry some and use them later in the year, or use them to flavour oil, which in turn can be used to flavour various dishes. You can also freeze them,
Opera della Luna has gone back to its country house roots this summer with a new production of Don Giovanni, which opened at the Iford Festival, near Bath, before moving to the picturesque Courteenhall Estate, near Northampton. The intimacy
Christ Church Cathedral is very lucky. Not only does it have an internationally renowned professional choir, it also has the Cathedral Singers. The Singers are a thriving local group who, since 1978, have sung the cathedral services when the main choir
The friendship between BBC Oxford presenter Bill Heine and artist John Buckley was cemented when a shark crashed through a roof 25 years ago. Bill came up with the idea and John created the shark, which has now become an iconic Oxford landmark.
Absolutely sensational. Legendary German-born pianist Menahem Pressler prompted such an enthusiastic ovation on Tuesday night that it seemed to shake the very foundations of the Sheldonian Theatre, and he was obliged to give an encore before the audience
Art shows can be very large. Tate Britain’s Watercolour show is no exception — almost 280 works – but the story they tell, of the history of watercolour painting in Britain — from medieval illustration beginnings, through miniatures, maps, topography,
Mesh, Oxford’s first International Youth Festival, organised by the Pegasus Theatre, ended last weekend. It has been such a success that it will take place again next year. Young performers came to Oxford from France, Croatia, Russia,The Netherlands,
Two years ago, when I first reviewed Idle Motion, they were a band of Oxford hopefuls who wanted to go to the Edinburgh Fringe with a complex piece of physical theatre called Borges and I. Last year they performed The Vanishing Horizon, again went north
That hoary old chestnut Come Into the Garden, Maud introduces the Oxford Shakespeare Company’s revival of The Importance of Being Earnest. And an extremely well watered garden it was too, following a torrential downpour beforehand, and further
MANY couples will say they bumped into one another when they met, but for the McCarthys that could not be any more true. Seventeen-year-old Mary Lines met John McCarthy in 1947, when he had come over from County Cork, Ireland, to visit his brother.
The organisers of last year’s Banbury Women in Business Conference have announced the date for an even bigger event this year on November 9. The sponsors — Spratt Endicott, NatWest Bank, The Banbury and District Chamber of Commerce and Think Big Training
THE Blagrove clan took over a whole pub this weekend to celebrate a 100th birthday. Sylvia Blagrove, pictured centre with her family, was born on July 26, 1911, and more than 60 people turned up to toast her life at the Crown Inn in Church
A BERINSFIELD couple who say they have found their very own ‘one in a million’ have celebrated their diamond wedding. Pamela and Donald Cherry met while they were still teenagers, but have spent 60 years sharing a love of cycling, supporting
THOSE who live, work and shop in Abingdon are being asked how they want to see the town centre revitalised. A £53m revamp of the Abbey Shopping Centre and Charter area is set to begin next year and Vale of White Horse District Council has produced a
Oxfordshire seamer Chad Keegan bagged all ten wickets for his club side Worksop in the Bassetlaw & District League. Four days after taking 13-155 against Dorset, Keegan claimed 10-36 from 9.5 overs as Worksop beat Blidworth Colliery Welfare by seven
Two headed goals at the end of each half from Wayne Blossom and Josh Green gave Oxford City victory at local rivals Abingdon United in a friendly. Banbury United and Abingdon Town drew 2-2, with Justin Dowling and Danny Edmonds on the mark for Banbury
THE £67m project to reinstate double track on the Cotswold Line between Oxford and Worcester enters its final phase on Saturday. The line will close between Charlbury and Worcester as Network Rail and its Oxford-based principal contractor Amey
THE partner of a Chipping Norton community campaigner, who died suddenly yesterday, has spoken of his “indescribable” loss. Gerry Alcock, who was 73, died at 3.30am on Sunday following a stroke. His friends and family last night paid
Abingdon Vale CC will mark their 150th anniversary with a match against the MCC at Hales Meadow on August 4. It was on May 17, 1861 at a meeting held on board ‘The Neptune’ that a proposal was put forward to establish a cricket club in Abingdon. Subscriptions
A Century from Aston Rowant’s Chris Watling was the highlight of the second day as the Oxfordshire Development XI drew with Northants Academy at Desborough Town CC. Resuming on 73-4 in reply to Oxon’s first-innings 209, Northants took their total to
Oxford can go all the way in the ECB National Club Twenty20 competition after claiming the Home Counties Premier League crown. That’s the view of Ian Crosby, who skippered Oxford to success on home turf with victories over Henley and Harpenden
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OXFORD City Council is putting more residential homes up for sale, despite its growing housing waiting list. Two houses near Horspath sportsground have gone on the market for sealed bids of more than £375,000. They are the latest property
Banbury Central’s Carole Galletly is through to the last eight of the Bowls England National Championship two-wood singles at Royal Leamington Spa. She saw off Jill Welch (Daventry) 17-8 in the first round, followed by 19-6 and 15-10 wins over Lillian
MANY readers will remember the devastating floods that hit Pakistan last year. This is the first anniversary of the floods that killed 1,700 people, destroyed nearly two million homes and affected 20 million people – roughly 85 per cent of
Councillor Tanner (Oxford Mail, July 28) seems not to know what his own department is doing. He claims that “people on benefits pay no charge regardless of whether they have a brown bin or a set of paper sacks”. But the city council website says the
I FEEL it is disrespectful to label elderly, frail people as “bedblockers”. They are trapped in hospital by illness and disabilities as there is no available care for them elsewhere. The NHS needs more funding (perhaps less money could be spent on
WHEN is David Cameron going to start honouring some of the promises he made, such as curbing immigration? Many jobs are being taken by immigrants, and many British-born men and women have no hope of finding employment now or in the foreseeable future
BICESTER Town FC was forced to leave its Oxford Road ground at 4pm on July 22. And with their departure, another integral part of the town disappeared. The thin fabric which makes up the community and identity is being torn apart. A number of small
Have you ever had that thing happen, where you’re at a function and someone who quite clearly knows exactly who you are, engages you in conversation while you spend the entire time thinking, ‘Do I know you?’ and ‘What the heck was your name again?’
Ten-time winner Phil Adams suffered a shock first-round defeat in the Oxford Singles competition. The defending champion was beaten by Steve Bayliss following a dramatic three-stick final-leg shoot-out. Bayliss claimed the first leg 4-2, but Adams
Oxford United striker Tom Craddock says he relishing the competition as the battle hots up for a starting place in Saturday’s npower League Two opener away to Rotherham. Last season, Craddock scored 15 goals, plus two for Luton before he
A teenager was preyed upon under a railway bridge by a pair of would-be-robbers as she walked to work in Oxford. The two men came up behind the 18-year-old, grabbed her arm and demanded her phone, but fled empty-handed when they were disturbed by a
TODDLER Poppy Connolly was all smiles and giggles as she waved to her dad as he drove off for work. But just eight hours later she was battling for her life in hospital. And two hours after that, her parents held her tightly as doctors
Firefighters are currently tackling a blaze at Cafe Bakehouse in High Street, Witney. Three fire engines and Thames Valley Police officers are at the scene. An eyewitness said police had cordoned off about five shops, including the 99p Store. She
THE march of Tesco is continuing across the county. Several years ago Bicester hit the national headlines after it was labelled a ‘Tesco town’. Now the supermarket chain is popping up on seemingly never ending sites of former pubs, old
SUPERMARKET giant Tesco has surprised shopkeepers and residents after announcing it will open a third store in Abingdon. Former pub The Ox, in Oxford Road, closed in March and work is under way to open it as a Tesco Express store. But
ALMOST a third of bikers stopped by police near a motorcycle hangout in Berinsfield were found to be breaking the law. Some 90 motorcyclists were stopped by officers on Monday after noise complaints from residents living near the H-Cafe.
TODAY we lift the lid on the property the city council is attempting to flog to boost the coffers. In total, the Town Hall has £10m worth of buildings to sell, which would provide vital funds for services. Mind you, in Oxford, that would
WE should be doing better. That was the message last night from Oxfordshire’s schools chief as new figures showed boys were still lagging behind girls when they left primary school. The Government’s Key Stage Two SATs results for 2011
KING ALFRED’S School has become the first in the county to convert to an academy under the new coalition Government’s reforms. The move away from Oxfordshire County Council control means the specialist sports school in Portway, Wantage, will
TEN-YEAR-OLD Sam Marriage has proved his skills at camping, climbing and archery – and now he wants to be the next Bear Grylls. The youngster, from Monument Road, Chalgrove, is the pick of the pack after achieving the highest award a Cub Scout
