Archive

  • Machete man tackled at supermarket

    A MAN wielding a machete was tackled by staff and customers at an Oxford supermarket this evening. The man entered the Co-op in Rose Hill at about 8.30pm. Police were called to the scene by members of the public. They later arrested

  • Family's story helps TV star with adoption

    AN Oxford family have featured in a programme which follows Apprentice star Saira Khan on her journey to adopt an abandoned child. Sobia and Amjad Afridi adopted seven-year-old Sabrena and three-year-old Shariq from the Edhi Orphanage in Karachi, Pakistan

  • Youth workers set to strike

    OXFORDSHIRE’S remaining youth workers are to go on strike again on Friday. The county’s new early intervention hubs opened last week, and the Unite union said the title of “youth worker” is no longer recognised under the new system. Branch chairman

  • ‘We don’t need another supermarket’

    TRADERS in Abingdon have questioned the need for a new supermarket in the town centre, a Chamber of Commerce survey has revealed. Vale of White Horse District Council leaders has been asking shoppers to choose between two major supermarket schemes.

  • Fun of fair brings city streets to life

    PEOPLE from all across the county descending on Oxford to enjoy all the fun of the fair. The annual St Giles’ Fair was staged on Monday and Tuesday and thrill seekers young and old turned out in force. This year’s event mixed the more traditional fun-fair

  • Local share prices (PM)

    AEA Technology 2.6 BMW 4707 Electrocomponents 206.8 Nationwide Accident Repair 89.5 Oxford Biomedica 5.6 Oxford Catalysts 59 Oxford Instruments 809.75 Reed Elsevier 493.6 RM 92.4 RPS Group 195.2 Courtesy of Redmayne Bentley, Abingdon

  • Thames swim: David Walliams battles on despite illness

    Comedian David Walliams, who is swimming the River Thames to raise money for Sport Relief, has been suffering from severe vomiting and diarrhoea. But despite feeling unwell, he has rallied and set off on the third day of his 140-mile swim from

  • Summer Garden Party @ The Crazy Bear, Stadhampton

    AFTER a seemingly never-ending 'age of austerity', The Crazy Bear Summer Garden Party provided the perfect antidote – serving decadence aplenty. This was a night of no-holds barred indulgence - with A list performers, endless supplies of premium

  • Working men's clubs fight for their survival

    ONCE, the welcoming signs of the Club and Institute Union (CIU) shone like beacons on our streets – and people literally queued around the block to attend their dance nights and enjoy a cheap beer with their fellow workers. But these days, “working men

  • Channel challenge to help boy walk

    A WANTAGE dad will attempt to swim the English Channel tomorrow, to help his two-year-old disabled son learn to walk. Keen triathlete James Howard, 37, plans to battle the choppy waters and his fear of jellyfish to raise at least £5,000 for the Footsteps

  • Beating the ban on 60w bulbs

    SOME shoppers in Oxfordshire have been bulk buying “old-style” 60-watt bulbs following an EU- imposed manufacturing ban to make us go green. A similar European Union ban on the 100-watt incandescent bulb in 2009 has prompted its gradual disappearance

  • FOOTBALL: Ramsey hits a hat-trick

    John Ramsey was the star as Hagbourne United caused an upset in the first round of the North Berks Cup. Ramsey scored a hat-trick as the Division 3 side recorded a 3-0 win away to Division 2 opponents Benson Lions. Also defeating higher league opposition

  • Pharmacy moves premises

    NORTHWAY Pharmacy will be moving to its new home on Cherwell Drive next month. The relocation means the pharmacy at 53 Westland Drive will be just metres away from Marston Medical Centre. Owner and pharmacist Stuart Gale said: “The pharmacy will also

  • FOOTBALL: Deadly Curtin nets six of the best

    Ryan Curtin smashed six of Kidlington Royals goals in the 11-1 demolition of Sutton Revolution in Division 1 of the UTV League. Jack Quainton and Richard Wells netted doubles, with Dale Gradwell grabbing the other. Neil Morris replied. Phil Hedges bagged

  • FOOTBALL: Procter's the hero

    Bertie Procter hit a late winner as new boys Chalgrove edged to a 3-2 victory at Radley in RT Harris Oxford City FA. Strikes from Simon Godfrey and Ollie Halliday brought Chalgrove level after Radley took a 2-0 lead, before Procter struck to grab the

  • FOOTBALL: New boys Stanton thrashed

    Division 1 new boys Stanton Harcourt suffered a 10-1 mauling in their opener against Chipping Norton Town in Witney & District FA. James Harri led the way with a four-timer, while Warwick Tompkins grabbed a hat-trick. Arrun Witham, Reece Bayliss and

  • CRICKET: Marriott Lord's it

    Radley College student, Wilf Marriott, took 2-44 and hit 31 not out as MCC Schools beat the English Schools Cricket Association by seven wickets at Lord’s. Marriott helped restrict ESCA to 199 all out in their 50 overs, then made a run-a-ball 31 to

  • Mother 'totally lost' without her Jamie

    DESPITE his debilitating illness, Jamie Browning tried to live life as an ordinary teenager. He had lots of friends, had just finished a college course and was known for making people laugh with his quick wit. But the 18-year-old had

  • FOOTBALL: Hobbs hammers brace for Sports

    Mark Hobbs hit a double as Launton Sports Res won 2-0 at Adderbury in Oxfordshire Senior League Division 2. Thomas Malloy netted a second-half penalty equaliser as Yarnton Res drew 2-2 against Marston Saints Res. John James headed Marston in front,

  • Squatters' support for London judge

    SQUATTERS in Oxford last night agreed with a judge that their actions could help bring empty properties back into use as they prepared to be evicted. London judge Fiona Henderson reportedly said squatting was not a crime and could be a good way of reviving

  • FOOTBALL: Abba's hitman romp to victory

    Abba Athletic got their Banbury District Lord Jersey FA Division 1 campaign off to the perfect start with a convincing 5-1 win against Bishops Itchingdon. Trailing to a first-half strike, Abba levelled when Barry McConnel tapped in after the keeper

  • Local share prices (AM)

    AEA Technology 2.6 BMW 4694 Electrocomponents 205.9 Nationwide Accident Repair 89.5 Oxford Biomedica 5.5 Oxford Catalysts 59 Oxford Instruments 812.5 Reed Elsevier 492.1 RM 92.75 RPS Group 196.7 Courtesy of Redmayne

  • CRICKET: Woods remains upbeat

    OXFORD Downs captain Darryl Woods says his side’s season was still a success, despite being pipped for the Cherwell League title. Downs went into the final game of the season knowing that victory over Oxford 2nd would give them the Division 1 crown.

  • Minister hears job service's success story

    FURNITURE maker Shane Clarke got a new job four hours after visiting a “giant employment dating service” in Oxford. And yesterday he met the Government’s Employment Minister Chris Grayling to explain how pleased he was. Mr Grayling visited A4e, the

  • First Brize Norton repatriation tomorrow

    THE first repatriation ceremony from RAF Brize Norton will take place at about 5pm tomorrow. The West Oxfordshire airbase has taken on the role from RAF Lyneham in Wiltshire, which formally handed over the duty last week. Sgt Barry John

  • CRICKET: Shipton future bright - Hole

    SIMON Hole looked to the bigger picture after a heady weekend saw Shipton-under-Wychwood claim three trophies in 24 hours. Shipton’s captain admitted there were a few sore heads on Sunday morning after the players had celebrated winning the

  • Help out there for children

    AS THE holidays draw to a close, children everywhere are thinking about the return to school with a mixture of excitement and apprehension. While there will be eager anticipation for many, there will also be fear and misery for others. School doesn’t

  • Distorted picture of dairy cow's life

    NFU representative, Kate Bretherton, in her letter (September 5, There is no sound reason to boycott dairy products), conveys a grossly distorted picture of the life of the dairy cow. The natural life expectancy of a cow is about 21 years, but most are

  • School story brought back memories

    YOUR article on East Oxford School brought back mixed memories. I was there 1951 to 1953. Mr Martin was a very good headmaster. Mr Jenkins threw a blackboard rubber at me. At 13 I was as tall as him, so threw it back and scored a hit. He never threw

  • Sassy & Single: Life begins at 40

    It’s official. My life is over. Completely over. Well, at least according to half the people I’ve talked to this year. Yep, I Sue Carter, aged 39 and three quarters might as well hang up my boots, crawl into bed, pull the duvet up and never bother to

  • FOOTBALL: Gaul & Payne slam doubles

    Mark Gaul and Tom Payne helped themselves to doubles as Marston Saints crushed Horspath 6-2 in the Oxfordshire Senior League Premier Division. Payne fired Marston ahead with a close-range strike, with Gaul making it 2-0 from Paddy Cope’s pass. Gaul

  • CRICKET: Hawtin bemoans Banbury batting

    BANBURY captain Ian Hawtin pulled few punches when assessing his side’s Bernard Tollett Oxfordshire Cup final defeat to Shipton-under-Wychwood. Although Banbury went close to defending their paltry total of 100-8, Hawtin found few positives. “We batted

  • Murder suspect smiles as family speaks of love for victims

    A MAN accused of murdering his wife and her mother and trying to kill their friend smiled and pulled faces as he was taken into court yesterday. Ensar Gol’s appearance at Oxford Magistrates’ Court came as relatives paid tribute to 28-year-old Michala

  • County council deserves praise for opposing high speed rail link

    OXFORDSHIRE County Council should be commended for its recent decision to join the “51m” group of councils which oppose the High Speed 2 rail link (HS2). It is called this because the cost of the overall scheme equates to £51m for every single parliamentary

  • Coalition catastrophe

    SO NOW we hear that there’s another 2,000 of our armed forces going to lose their jobs and all the time we hear PM David Cameron talking about getting people back to work. We have more than two million unemployed and this Coalition keeps adding more

  • Healthy dairy farming

    I WOULD like to comment on the letter from Kate Fowler (Time to boycott milk, August 31).I am not a dairy farmer but know people who are and I have never seen cows confined in filth and squalor as K Fowler states. Indeed in this part of the country the

  • Fuss about footpath cyclists

    DON’T know why there is all this fuss about cycle lanes along the Iffley Road in Oxford. Isn’t it perfectly safe and legal for cyclists to use the footpaths? The police and councillors always turn a blind eye to such an activity, and as for the pedestrians

  • Care home concerns

    I read with great concern about the care home in Greater Leys. Since being sectioned 10 years ago, care homes and elderly people’s homes have concerned me greatly as I was not allowed out of the Warneford Hospital where I was detained and forced to take

  • We really do have the hump

    l I READ the letter by Van Coulter, councillor for Barton and Sandhills (August 20), when he says officers would be pleased to meet with those involved in the petition concerning speed humps. Well, I feel that we have already explained how we feel about

  • Lorryloads of bins in road after crash

    BINS spilled across an Oxford road yesterday after two lorries crashed. A white Vauxhall Movano carrying bins collided with an Iveco insulated lorry in Hollybush Row at about noon. Police and firefighters were called but no one was injured

  • Hi Lo owner ‘rained blows’ on customer

    A HACKSAW-WIELDING bar owner meted out a “continual rain of blows” on a customer, jurors heard yesterday. Hugh Anderson, who runs the Hi Lo Jamaican Eating House in Cowley Road, East Oxford, denies wounding Sean Tizard with intent and an alternative

  • GP heads drive for bed-blocking solution

    A FAMILY doctor leading a new GPs body has stepped up to tackle Oxfordshire’s bed-blocking crisis head-on. Dr Stephen Richards said the number of patients left stuck in their hospital beds had been a “stain on the county for many years” and

  • Mini sales go up 85 per cent

    SALES of the Cowley-built Mini in the UK took a massive leap over the last year. Latest figures from the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT) show 1,397 cars were sold last month compared to 753 in August 2010, a rise of more than 85 per

  • FOOTBALL: John seals it for Didcot

    Phillip John’s extra-time strike earned Didcot Town a 3-2 victory over Abingdon Town in their FA Cup preliminary round reply. Abingdon looked in control after a first-half brace from Anaclet Odhiambo. But John reduced the arrears in the second half

  • No loan for Constable - Oxford United chief

    CHAIRMAN Kelvin Thomas says that rumours of James Constable going out on loan are wide of the mark. And the Oxford United chief confirmed that the club do not want, or need to sell their star striker. However, Thomas went on to say

  • Cheering fans lift Walliams’ spirits for Thames swim

    CROWDS lined the banks of the River Thames in Oxford to cheer on Little Britain star David Walliams during the second day of his epic 140-mile swim. After a difficult first day, when Walliams was forced to abandon the swim two miles short of

  • AUNT SALLY: Five-way battle in title thriller

    Greene King Oxford & District League FIVE of the six Section 1 teams are still in with a chance of capturing the title going into the last round of games tonight, writes ANDY BEAL. New Club A lead the way despite losing 2-1 at home to Garsington Sports

  • AUNT SALLY: Squire Bassett slay Gladiators

    Squire Bassett ran out 3-0 winners at Gladiators A to leapfrog their rivals at the top of Section 2 – and move into pole position in the title race. Despite anchor man Chris Jenkins (5-4-6) clanging off 15 dolls, Gladiators lost all three legs 25-20

  • COMMENT: Dr Richards deserves so much credit

    FINALLY someone is seizing the nettle of the bed-blocking scandal in this county but we ask why it is that effectively an ‘outsider’ in Dr Stephen Richards is taking the initiative? Dr Richards, a GP who has worked for 22 years in the south

  • COMMENT: Dr deserves so much credit

    FINALLY someone is seizing the nettle of the bed-blocking scandal in this county but we ask why it is that effectively an ‘outsider’ in Dr Stephen Richards is taking the initiative? Dr Richards, a GP who has worked for 22 years in the south of Oxfordshire

  • Barton learning day should be just the job

    ORGANISERS of a learning day in Barton hope the event will help residents learn new skills and get people back to work. The Barton Learning Fayre will be held at the Neighbourhood Centre, on Saturday September 17. Taster sessions for

  • Bid to fund flood prevention plans

    RESIDENTS could be further protected from flooding if a new £330,000 bid is accepted. West Oxfordshire District Council is seeking cash from the Department for Environmental and Rural Affairs (Defra) to fund a further seven flood alleviation projects

  • Lucky escape for driver as high winds fell tree

    A WOMAN driver had a lucky escape after her car hit a tree which collapsed across a busy road near Thame during yesterday morning’s high winds. Drivers were forced to take diversions after 9am yesterday morning after the large tree collapsed