Archive

  • Where drivers get snapped speeding

    THE county’s most prolific speed camera has been revealed four months after the devices were switched back on. Cameras were turned off last August after Oxfordshire County Council said it would not stump up £600,000 a year to help keep them on. But

  • Warning on jobs at power station

    THE boss of RWE npower has said it is unrealistic to expect 400 workers will have a job when part of Didcot Power Station closes in 2015. It came after Kevin McCullough, chief operating officer at the utility company, went under-cover for Channel

  • Site was a pig farm

    THE proof that a pig farm did exist on the site upon which the Islamic Centre is built still seems to confuse Mr Makepeace regarding his comments in the Oxford Mail, July 11. He says: “We have no comment to make on these stories, true or false.” How

  • Council is to blame

    IT SHOULD come as no surprise that the county council is responsible for the delay in putting together care packages for the elderly infirm, resulting in too much bed-blocking. It is also responsible for educating Oxfordshire’s children, to a standard

  • Goodwill in Barton is really being tested

    Further to the article (Oxford Mail, July 25, Estate Fights to Save Nature Site), although Barton West is ‘being touted as the key to solving the city’s housing shortages’, with only 40 per cent of the proposed homes reserved for social housing, the rest

  • Children celebrate their right to play

    CHILDREN have been out in force across Oxfordshire celebrating their right to play. Wednesday marked Playday, a national day which highlights the importance of play in children’s lives. Events have been planned around the county all week, including

  • Scary machines are the cat's whiskers

    INTRICATE contraptions from the art of automata have been wowing visitors to The Oxfordshire Museum. Handle and button operated designs from London’s Mechanical Cabaret Theatre include a cat which laps up milk and a man in a bath of spaghetti. The devices

  • Crafts are relaxing - who would have thought knit!

    NO one can pull the wool over these children’s eyes because there is definitely fun to be had at Modern Art Oxford this week. Around 20 children brought their adults to the Family Activity Week on Tuesday to take a slightly different look at the gallery

  • Cabbages & Kings: Ignorant cyclist really had my blood boiling

    ANNO domini has dampened down my once fiery temper. However, two things are guaranteed to rekindle the flame – unkindness and rudeness. Examples of each were displayed on Monday, both by the same person. To describe him as a scruffy yob would be unfair

  • Mind boggled over horses and carriages

    WITH reference to horses and carriages coming to Oxford: will the horses be fitted with bum bags or will it be a bucket and shovel job? The mind boggles. BOB WAKELIN The Old Green Horton-cum-Studley

  • A taxing subject

    I DON’T know if Sushila Dhall (Letters, Oxford Mail, July 28) is aware of this, but the police could thin out a million drivers overnight if they imposed a ban on all vehicles which have no current road tax (and therefore no insurance). Such vehicles

  • Police duty

    With reference to the Loose Ends column (Oxford Mail, July 30) headlined ‘Police cannot act as public news censors’, as the Head of the Force CID I would like to respond to the way in which you have articulated the argument. I agree wholeheartedly that

  • Right to reply on Alzheimer's issue

    If one of your reporters sends me an e-mail at 5:15 pm asking about one of the many thousands of clients for whom we provide care and wants an answer for the following morning’s paper, he should not be surprised if I am unable to reply while I am on a

  • Why change perfectly good recycling scheme?

    I APOLOGISE to Mrs Jean Fooks for assuming she was still in charge of the waste recycling in Oxford city. She is certainly right in believing those citizens who are not well off (on benefit for example) should not be taxed further for removal of their

  • Poor attendance at playground AGM

    A MEETING to discuss an Oxford playground this week dashed dreams it could open again soon. Supporters of the Blackbird Leys Adventure Playground (BLAP) held an AGM on Monday to elect new committee members and plan the future. The 36-year-old playground

  • Local shares (PM)

    AEA Technology 2.45 BMW 5290 Electrocomponents 210.25 Nationwide Accident Repair 90.5v Oxford Biomedica 7 Oxford Catalysts 64 Oxford Instruments 883.5 Reed Elsevier 496.25 RM 97.5 RPS Group 226.8 Courtesy of Redmayne Bentley, Abingdon

  • Novel way of selling a few rolls

    ANIMAL rights protests coupled with Oxford’s community spirit have helped one author get her first book published. Sarah Loving was overjoyed when her book Fifty Fifty was accepted for publication. And she says Oxford has played a big part in her success

  • Help sought over infected wild birds

    HELP is being sought from members of the public after diseased birds were spotted near Oxford. Great tits have been monitored by Oxford University scientists at Wytham Woods since 1947, but signs of avian pox were recorded among its inhabitants

  • Drug-taking hotspot may be fenced off

    AN OXFORD bridge notorious for attracting drug addicts is a step further to being fenced off after years of protests from worried neighbours. Residents have complained about drug users leaving dirty needles in the area under the Blackbird Leys Road bridge

  • Marvel at comics' little guy heroes

    A QUIRKY festival celebrating independent comics is to be held in East Oxford this weekend for the 19th time. Established in 1992, the Caption Festival, which takes place at East Oxford Community Centre, Princes Street, is the longest running

  • Waste liners

    Compostable liners for food waste caddies will now be available from vending machines at Cherwell District Council offices. Each roll costs £2.50 and has 30 liners. The vending machines have been specially adapted by a company which makes umbrella dispensers

  • Oh yes you can

    Carterton's amateur dramatic society Thingumybogs will hold an enrolment evening for the annual pantomime on Thursday, August 25. People interested in taking part on or off stage can come along to Carterton Community College between 6pm and 8pm. For

  • Counselling help needed

    The Oxfordshire Befriending Network, which provides counselling for people with life-threatening illnesses, is seeking volunteers. The next training courses are being run at East Oxford Community Centre in Princes Street on Wednesday, September 21, and

  • Panto performers needed

    The Stagelights theatre group in Wantage is looking for cast members to perform in a pantomine production of Aladdin in January. For details call Gill Morgan on 01235 770641.

  • Full programme at annual show

    The 52nd annual Bicester and Finmere Show takes place this weekend. There will be a large art and craft tent, food hall and bar, vintage tractors, a dog show, ferret racing, funfair, alpacas and trade stands at the show ground off the A4421 Buckingham

  • Oxford Muslims invite everyone to join in

    People of all faiths have been invited to break bread with the Muslim community to mark Ramadan. The festival, which is traditionally a time for remembering the poor and spending time with family and friends, sees Muslims abstain from all food and water

  • £18k appeal for memorial bell for fallen soldiers

    COMMUNITY leaders are hoping to raise £18,000 to buy a bell for repatriation ceremonies. The memorial bell would ring as fallen soldiers pass by the memorial garden in Norton Way, Brize Norton. It aims to replicate the bell that rings

  • Charity shops are bucking the trend

    Charity shops in Oxford are booming despite the economic downturn. An annual report showed Cowley-based charity Oxfam achieved a 5.9 per cent increase in its total revenue for the year ending March 31, with the total increasing to £367.5m. And takings

  • £70k skatepark revamp delights board fans

    YOUNG skateboarders scooted along to the launch of a £70,000 extension at a skate park in Didcot. The 10-year-old facility in Ladygrove Park, next to Didcot Town FC’s stadium, was revamped five years ago. But now, following consultation

  • Wheeling in: Renault Trafic SL27 dCi 115 Sport

    If you want to get ahead, get a hat. If you want to make some friends, get a van. It’s amazing how quickly that news gets around that you have a seriously useful vehicle on the driveway. So within a day or so, the phone is ringing and tables, book cases

  • Wheeling in: Volkswagen Sharan SE 2.0 TDI

    There are plenty of people carriers offering seven-seat capability, but inevitably most demand some compromise. Those extra two seats in the rear often bear the tag ‘occasional’. In reality that means small seats that you would not want to sit in too

  • Silence is golden

    Electric cars can be potential killing machines. Don't take my word for it, talk to the wood pigeon which was pecking away in the middle of my quiet close as I pulled into my driveway. With its back to me, it did not have a clue that £25,000 worth of

  • Court opts to raid protester's pension

    A CHRISTIAN anti-war campaigner has claimed she could be left on the breadline by a court decision to claw back an unpaid fine from her pension. Susan Clarkson, of Bath Street, St Clement’s, was summoned to Oxford Magistrates’ Court yesterday

  • Truck Festival in fight for survival

    THE team behind Oxfordshire’s biggest rock music festival have appealed for help in saving the event after news emerged of a “major hole” in its finances. Truck Festival, which has taken place for 14 years at Hill Farm, Steventon, near Abingdon, has

  • Constable confident

    JAMES Constable says that with every Oxford United striker finding the net in pre-season, the club’s forwards are buzzing, writes MARK EDWARDS. Constable and Tom Craddock scored a goal apiece in the final two matches, and last season’s leading goalscorer

  • End of an era as Jon Murray calls it a day

    A YEAR after Oxford United lifted the Milk Cup, Jon Murray took over as the Oxford Mail’s football writer. Twenty-four seasons on, Jon is hanging up his notebook and pen after deciding to call it a day. Following a football team up

  • Rotherham wait on Le Fondre

    IT’S a bit of a reunion as Oxford travel north to try and get the better of two former players – Andy Scott and Darren Patterson. Scott was appointed manager in April, with Patterson named his assistant over the summer. But while both

  • PROSTATE CANCER: Providing valuable support

    OXFORDSHIRE prostate cancer patients and their families now have a place to speak openly and frankly about their experiences of the illness. The Oxfordshire Prostate Cancer Support Group has been established by patients and staff at the Churchill

  • PROSTATE CANCER: Get yourself tested

    WHEN Dave Beesley discovered he had prostate cancer, his first concern was not for himself, but for his wife and family. The grandfather of four, who is chairman of furniture and stationery supplier B-Line Business Supplies, was diagnosed with the disease

  • Pupils giving free rein in book shop

    CHARLTON Primary School pupils were given free rein of the town WHSmith’s book section. The nine children spent an hour choosing £150 worth of books after the school was selected for the WHSmith Trust’s School Giveway. Headteacher Jenny de la Coze said

  • CRICKET: Hole eyes new ball game

    Serious Cricket Home Counties Premier League OXFORD will be without paceman Stuart Hole for the rest of the season as he transfers his allegiances to football. Hole misses tomorrow’s Division 1 trip to Harpenden to have a break ahead of the new Southern

  • PROSTATE CANCER: 'I was scared'

    THERE was none of that stiff upper lip nonsense when they broke the news. On the contrary, it was as if someone had punched me in the solar plexus and followed up with a kick to the sensitive regions that were now causing problems. It all

  • Summer fun for children

    THE Maple Tree Children’s Centre will be staging some fun sessions for youngsters in Great Milton throughout August, to help keep little children busy. Suitable for children under five, the free sessions include tips for starting school, and a stay and

  • Staff ‘devastated’ over RSPCA closure move

    STAFF working at an RSPCA animal fostering centre near Didcot say they are devastated by a decision to close it before a replacement building has been found. Willow Farm Rescue Centre at Chilton looks after animals that have been rescued or collected

  • Local share prices (AM)

    AEA Technology 2.25 BMW 5317 Electrocomponents 204.4 Nationwide Accident Repair 90.5 Oxford Biomedica 6.85 Oxford Catalysts 61 Oxford Instruments 852.75 Reed Elsevier 490.5 RM 96.5 RPS Group 219.7 Courtesy of Redmayne Bentley,

  • FIXTURES August 5

    SATURDAY. FOOTBALL. NPOWER LEAGUE TWO. Rotherham v Oxford Utd. FRIENDLIES. Oxford City v Farnborough, Abingdon Utd v Cirencester Tn, Eynsham v Witney Tn. JIM NEWMAN MEMORIAL CUP. Final: Clanfield v Abingdon Utd (6pm). CRICKET. SERIOUS CRICKET

  • CYCLING: Gardias races to big win

    Dexter Gardias romped clear to win Oxonian CC’s Charlbury Hilly time trial in the Cotswolds on Wednesday. The 19-mile course had to be shortened to 16 because of road works. Gardias completed the race in 37mins 7secs, more than four minutes ahead of

  • CRICKET: Hawtin bags a century

    Minor Counties Championship IAN Hawtin will clock up a century of Championship appearances for Oxfordshire when he leads them against Berkshire on Sunday. The 44-year-old skipper achieves the milestone in the Western Division match at

  • ROWING: McKenzie's in the medals

    Abingdon School cox Neil McKenzie and City of Oxford’s Cloudy Carnegie won medals with Britain’s second string team in the European Junior Championships. McKenzie, coxing both the eight and the four, ended up with four medals – three gold and one silver

  • HOCKEY: 'Biggest' club raring to go

    City of Oxford and Rover Oxford have merged to form Oxfordshire's biggest hockey club – Oxford HC. The new club, based at Oxford Brookes Centre for Sport, will run 18 adult teams every weekend. Training will be on four evenings per week. The club

  • It's down to business for Oxford United

    NINE games unbeaten is a terrific run – but what really matters is the result at Rotherham tomorrow. Going through pre-season undefeated is great for confidence and self-belief, but in truth, counts for nothing when it comes to Oxford United

  • 'Board the train for the football special'

    Oxford United fans will get a flashback to the 1970s when they take on arch-rivals Swindon Town later this month. Train operator First Great Western (FGW) is running a football special service direct to the Wiltshire town on Sunday, August

  • Fake police kidnap and rob woman

    A woman was bundled into a car by three fake police officers, driven to her home, beaten and robbed of thousands of pounds. The gang struck in Ambrosden, near Bicester, yesterday morning as the 30-year-old woman was leaving a village shop.

  • Kinniburgh set for Cambridge

    STEVE Kinniburgh, who has been told he has no future at Oxford, is set to join Blue Square Bet Premier side Cambridge on loan. The left back joined the U’s on a permanent deal last summer, but is behind Anthony Tonkin and Tony Capaldi in the

  • Wright: Oxford United are ready

    JAKE Wright says that will to win in the Oxford United camp is stronger than ever. The U’s travel north today to prepare for their npower League Two opener against Rotherham tomorrow. And the centre back, named as the club’s new captain in the summer

  • Get out and go wild

    I have wonderful memories of the coast as a child, of rock pooling where I found hermit crabs and bashful goby amongst the many and varied types of seaweed, from sea lettuce to bladderwrack. Nowadays, I dive the beautiful waters around the British

  • We have an immigration problem here

    Some really good things have come out of New Zealand. Quite apart from my great uncle George, founder member of the NZ Compost Society, there are Lord Rutherford, Kiri te Kanawa and Jonathan Lemalu, votes for women, penny postage, the eight-hour

  • "Sleeping" man rescued from roof

    A MAN who had been drinking heavily was rescued from a third storey roof in Oxford this morning. Firefighters were called at 4.37am to help police deal with the man, who appeared to be asleep on the roof in the Cowley Road area. They said the

  • Eco-town plans set to be debated again

    PLANS for the first phase of Bicester’s 5,000-home eco-town will be debated by councillors again next week. Last month, members of Cherwell District Council’s planning committee deferred a decision on whether to give planning permission, despite officers

  • Bishop takes to the road for diocesan tour

    THE Bishop of Oxford is set to take to the road for a pilgrimage with a distinctly local flavour. The Rt Rev John Pritchard has led eight pilgrimages over the last 20 years, including taking a group of 116 people to Jerusalem and the Holy Land last October

  • Two city pubs set to become homes

    PUBGOERS in Oxford have been dealt a blow after plans were approved to convert one watering hole into a house and approve more student flats for another. Councillors have approved a plan to convert the Bricklayers Arms in Church Lane, Old Marston, into

  • Comedian Rowan Atkinson hurt in McLaren F1 car crash

    Actor Rowan Atkinson was taken to hospital after his car crashed, it has been reported today. The Blackadder and Mr Bean star is believed to have suffered a shoulder injury in the incident on the A605 in Haddon, Cambridgeshire, on Thursday