FLYTIPPING in Oxfordshire cost £193,950 last year, but only about £5,235 was claimed back in fines. The Countryside Alliance has released figures showing there were 2,371 instances of flytipping in the county between April 2010 and March this year.
A VOLUNTARY ‘resignation’ scheme launched by managers of Oxford’s hospitals has attracted 200 applications. The Mutually Agreed Resignation Scheme (Mars) is an NHS scheme which offers employees a severance payment to leave their job voluntarily. It
MOVES are being made to find a new home for the Rover Sports and Social Club, based at BMW Oxford, so that the car plant could expand in future. Oxford City Council could sell or lease unused allotments and agricultural land next to the existing Roman
JANIE Hextall and Barbara McNaught love washing. Sheets and shirts, trousers and towels – they don’t mind what it is, as long as it is fluttering and dancing in the breeze. Their other mutual love is poetry, having met six years ago at a poetry reading
HEADINGTON came alive to the sound of clarinets. All Saints’ Church in Lime Walk was the venue for a free music recital given by the Goldfield Ensemble, a group of professional musicians who gave up their time for free. The recital last month featured
Crewe 3 (Miller 30, 37, Leitch-Smith 65), Oxford Utd 1 (Davis 77) Oxford United suffered a nightmare defeat at Crewe today. Chris Wilder's side conceded twice in seven first-half minutes, and then against the run of play, a killer third goal
The alarm goes off at 5am and before I know it I’ m on a plane from Heathrow, bound for Gstaad, Switzerland. Yet despite the early night before, I still feel unbelievably tired for the journey. Lucky for me then that Gstaad aims to enliven even the weariest
Meet post office saviour Sue Hare. The 51-year-old took over the Walton Street Post Office in Jericho, Oxford, as temporary subpostmaster last December. The branch had been struggling to appoint a subpostmaster for some time. Ms Hare is also temporary
Blood donation sessions will be held in Thame on Tuesday. The sessions will be held between 1.30pm and 3.30pm and then again between 4.15pm and 7.30pm at the Spread Eagle Hotel, in Cornmarket. For details or to book an appointment call 0300 123 23
Charity fundraisers are lining up a vintage extravaganza at a beautiful venue just outside Witney on September 11. The award-winning converted barns of Caswell House, on the road between Curbridge and Brize Norton, are the venue for the quintessentially
A blood donation session will be taking place at Exeter Hall in Kidlington on Sunday, September 11. The event at the Oxford Road venue runs from 10am until 3pm. To book an appointment visit blood.co.uk or call 0300 1232323.
Oxford city councillors from Wolvercote, Summertown, St Margaret’s and North wards will be holding a forum to discuss plans for a post office in Summertown and the provision of youth work in North Oxford. The quarterly meeting, open to all, will take
Young cancer patients at an Oxford hospital will be scooting their way back to better health thanks to a generous donation. Micro Scooters will be a familiar sight to many. The brightly coloured scooters have become popular with children
The Oxford Radcliffe Hospitals Trust will hold its AGM later this month. The meeting will be held at 6pm on Friday, September 23, in lecture theatre 1 at the John Radcliffe Hospital.
A ladies a cappella harmony club is on the search for new voices. New recruits to Harmony InSpires will get the chance to take an eight-week free singing course at Appleton Village Hall where the group rehearses on Wednesdays. The course starts on Wednesday
New Strategic Health Authority (SHA) clusters have been announced. SHAs oversee health care spending across regions in England and there were previously 10 authorities. These have now been arranged into four ahead of the proposed healthcare reforms
Abingdon Town Council is again holding its annual family fun day in the Abbey Grounds on Sunday, September 11, from 2pm-5pm. Fun in the Park will include stalls, fairground rides, a climbing wall, inflatable slide, arena events, and musical entertainment
A baby and children’s market and fun day at The Old Mill Hall, Grove, on Saturday, August 27, raised £50 for Wantage Midwives.
A village has been over-run by straw characters as residents compete to be crowned king of the scarecrows. This weekend’s East Hendred Scarecrow Competition has a ‘Royal Characters’ theme and has been imaginatively interpreted with a royal Shrek, King
Banbury Museum and the Mill Arts Centre are offering artists throughout North Oxfordshire the chance to compete for an exhibition. The winner of Art2: The North Oxfordshire Open will win £250 and the opportunity to exhibit their work at the Creative
EVERY night for the past 60 years Harry and June Lightfoot have ended each day saying: “Night night, sleep tight, God bless, keep you always, love you”. The Grove couple are celebrating their diamond wedding and will have the same rationed
POLICE football “spotters” are hoping for a trouble free season after the long-awaited Oxford against Swindon derby passed smoothly. But they are not letting their guard down. The Oxford Mail joined the police as they worked the game
Children’s singer Nick Cope will be performing at Mortimer Hall in support of the Save Old Marston Library campaign. He sings on Tuesday, September 20, at 3.20pm. There will be refreshments and a chance to fill out consultation forms for the library
A star-studded panel show will be held next month in aid of Helen and Douglas House. Full Circle will be held on Sunday, October 2, at the Oxford Playhouse. Peep Show’s David Mitchell, John Lloyd, inventor of quiz show QI and star of Spitting Image
People in Carterton wishing to give blood will be able to do so on Wednesday, September 14. The donation session will be held at The Community Centre, Marigold Square, from 1.30pm to 3.30pm and 4.15pm to 7.30pm.
A hospital radio station has much to celebrate after attracting thousands of new listeners. Last November Radio Horton started broadcasting 24-hours a day over the internet waves giving more than just hospital patients a chance to tune in. And the move
Comedian Ricky Gervais has indirectly helped an Oxfordshire town build for the future. The star of award-winning TV series The Office directed the film Cemetery Junction, which was filmed in Woodstock in 2009. Part of the town was closed for the production
PASSENGERS arriving at Oxford station on some trains from London are getting extra exercise under a plan to improve punctuality. Under a trial due to run until November, all First Great Western trains ending their journeys at Oxford are stopping at the
WANTAGE rider John Paul completed a clean sweep of junior sprint titles when he won the British version at Manchester. The 18-year-old pupil at King Alfred’s Sport & Community College cruised to victory in the national final to add to his successes in
MORE than a storm in a tea-cup is brewing for an Oxfordshire firm after it was threatened with legal action by another firm for using the word ‘Yorkshire’. Jeeves & Jericho of Oxford launched Yorkshire Brew in June. The company, based in Stanton Harcourt
A BIG budget film that suggests the 17th Earl of Oxford wrote Shakespeare’s plays is about to be released. But scholars have dismissed the latest conspiracy theory picked up by Hollywood as “total rubbish”. One Oxford University professor said she feared
Up and coming Scottish sportscar driver Fergus Walkinshaw, from Chipping Norton, is set to make his homeland race return at Knockhill, near Dunfermline, Fife, this weekend. The 20-year-old Oxford Brookes University student tackles only his second outing
SIMON Price was the leading Oxford junior at the Cippenham 5x2 Tournament in Slough. Price, 14, reached the main draw of 12 players after winning four of his five group matches. Neil Harris and Ethan Ball, both 13, also impressed in their group matches
Hannah England celebrated her World Championship silver medal in Daegu, South Korea, by going for a run with room-mate Barbara Parker, writes Stuart Weir. “I wasn’t supposed to be training, but I didn’t want to make Barbara go on her own, so I went out
ENGLAND’S former number-one tennis star Tim Henman has won planning permission to demolish a cottage to build an annexe to his home with guest accommodation and a gym. Mr Henman, who lives in Aston Tirrold near Didcot, attended the South Oxfordshire
CITY grime fighters have stepped up their battle against the free leaflets which carpet some city streets. Oxford City Council’s new leafleting zone came into force on Thursday night, with businesses now required to pay for a licence to hand out flyers
HOLYCROSS Ace can make his good finishing speed count in the second top-grade event of the evening and land the nap at Oxford Stadium tonight. Badly crowded at the second bend last time out, the Richard Baker-trained dog can catch possible
A THREE-DAY charity carp event at Linear Fisheries’ Brasenose Lakes at Stanton Harcourt has raised a stagging £13,627.90 for the Motor Neurone Disease Association Charity, with up to £3,000 more to come. Thirty-four celebrity carp anglers gave up their
Horspath Hammers Livvi Horsley won the British Women’s Riders Championships in Hethersett, Norfolk. Horsley, who also clinched the British under 16 title, did not produce her best starts, but frequently powered to the front. Heat one
Eve Johnson Houghton, who trains at Blewbury, near Didcot, reeled off an across-the-card treble at Brighton and Chepstow yesterday. Wins by Golden Waters (11-4) and Yurituni (7-2) at the south coast track were sandwiched around Mrs Greeley’s 3-1 success
Nominations are now being sought for the sixth annual Oxfordshire Sports Awards at Oxford United’s Kassam Stadium on Friday, December 9. To put forward an individual, club or team who you believe have achieved something outstanding this year,
EITHER exams are getting easier, our youngsters are getting cleverer or our teachers are becoming cannier. They are the only three possible explanations for why GCSE results are on an ever increasing rise. The most likely is that teachers
VICTORIA Falls, a dog formerly owned by Paul Clay and trained by both Nick Colton and Richard Baker at various times, pulled off the shock of the year when the 25-1 shot landed the Primus Saver Grand National at Wimbledon on Tuesday night. There was
Match fishing BODDINGTON Reservoir, near Banbury, was in sensational form last Monday for the 16 anglers in the Carp League 2011 match, with no fewer than 13 weights over the ton, writes ANDY WEBBER. Gary Knight triumphed with an amazing 269.8.0 of
OXFORD City Stars kick off their English National League South Division 1 season with an away double-header at Slough and Chelmsford. Stars visit Slough Jets today (7) and then take on Chelmsford Chieftans tomorrow (6.30), with Andy Cox set to fill in
THE modern GCSE system is a test of students' “character, determination and stamina”, according to Dr Tim Hands, master of Oxford’s Magdalen College School. His comments came as the Cowley Place school today topped a table of UK fee-paying
YOUNGSTERS have spent the week learning some top dance techniques. And yesterday, at Oxford Town Hall in St Aldate’s, the seven- to 14-year-olds performed the moves for their parents. Seven-year-old Joe Kirkham said: “I enjoyed it but it was a little
BROOKFIELD Care Home has been in the headlines for all the wrong reasons recently, so it’s great to be able to show just how much the home has turned itself around since inspectors last visited. The criticisms of the Care Quality Commission are not always
The Oxford Welsh Male Voice Choir will appear at St Mary’s Church in Church Green, Witney, today. The concert will take place from 7.30pm and is being held in aid of the church, which is raising cash for a large revamp. Tickets cost £12, which includes
A MAN has been given a jail sentence for a series of frauds, despite not turning up to court. Paul Lawrence was handed the 19-month prison term at Oxford Crown Court yesterday, but a warrant for his arrest has been issued after he failed to show. The
A TEENAGER stole thousands of pounds’ worth of jewellery from his mother to fund an alcohol addiction. Joshua Dodd stole a £2,000 bracelet from his mum Theresa’s home in Abingdon before pawning it for just £600. He also took other jewellery belonging
RESIDENTS, staff and the new manager of a Greater Leys care home that was criticised over standards have said it has been turned around. Earlier this year, the Care Quality Commission (CQC) found the Southern Cross-run Brookfield Care Home had left some
CAMPAIGNERS fear Oxfordshire could become a dumping ground for other people’s waste as a £20m plant likely to process London rubbish looks set to be built. Oxfordshire County Council officers have recommended plans for the facility between Sutton Courtenay
Boss Chris Wilder will make a late decision on striker James Constable before naming his side to take on Crewe in npower League Two today. The Oxford United striker, knowns as Beano, who this week turned down a move to League One side Bournemouth, has
THE great and the good of the food world will be descending on Oxford later this month to share the limelight with local producers. Oxford Castle’s Food and Wine Festival will give the city a chance to flex its taste buds in the company of chef Raymond
ABOUT one in seven of the most serious 999 police calls are not responded to within 15 minutes, figures obtained by the Oxford Mail show. Of the 2,962 emergency calls received from January to June for Oxford, some 452 resulted in a response
