Archive

  • CRICKET: Didcot delight with new sponsor

    Didcot CC chairman Paul Costello (left) and Steve Murray, manager of the Orchard Centre in the town, show off the club’s new a shirt design after agreeing a sponsorship deal. The club have also teamed up with local web design company Twenty3Design to

  • Youth club hopes to fill the gap

    A NEW youth club is set to open in Oxford’s Cowley Road in an attempt to reach out to young people in the area. The new club, which will start on Friday, March 9, at the Cowley Road Methodist Church, is being run by new church children youth and development

  • Islamic centre set to open next year

    OXFORD’S multi-million-pound Islamic Centre will finally open in 2013 after a nine-year wait. Work began on The Oxford Centre for Islamic Studies (OCIS) in Marston Road in 2002 and it was hoped to open in 2004. But delays in finding funding and problems

  • Council tax levy frozen again

    VALE of White Horse District Council will set out plans on how it will spend its £10.7m cash pot next year. The budget for the next financial year will be proposed at a cabinet meeting today by Matthew Barber, Tory council leader and cabinet member for

  • Mystery visitor gives town top marks

    WANTAGE has been rated among Britain’s top market towns after a mystery visit from tourism experts. An expert from Hidden Britain, disguised as a tourist, toured the town last month and judged it on facilities, shopping, parking and visitor information

  • Hostels throw open doors to all the homeless

    Homeless shelters in Oxford have been throwing open their doors to everyone on the streets to prevent anyone dying in the cold snap. Oxford Homeless Pathways chief executive Lesley Dewhurst said: “The trigger for us is when the forecast says

  • City sets its sights on Britain in Bloom contest

    OXFORD is to re-enter Britain in Bloom this summer in an effort to revive its flagging domestic competition. It last entered the national showpiece in 2007, and last won the small city category in 2002. Now the hunt is on for a passionate

  • VC 10s fly off into the sunset

    Three VC10 aircraft are set to make their final flight, from RAF Brize Norton to Leicestershire and into retirement. The three planes have spent a total of almost 125,000 hours in flight since they started operational life over 45 years ago. They have

  • Children 'not fed enough'

    A Banbury pre-school has been criticised for failing to provide enough food for the children in its care. Hill View Pre-School, in Hill View Crescent, has been issued with a notice to improve following a highly critical report by Ofsted inspectors.

  • Vaccine appeal

    OXFORD: Volunteers are needed to help test the effectiveness of new malaria vaccines. Oxford University researchers are seeking people aged 18 to 50, in good health, to take part in a study. Call 01865 857406 or email susanne.sheehy@ ndm.ox.ac.uk

  • Olympic boost for town firm

    WITNEY: Company STL Communications, which is based in the town, has opened a London office because of boosted trade from this year’s Olympic Games. Sales manager Peter Allen said: “We have recently installed a number of telephone systems at the Olympic

  • School team third in national contest

    THESE four teenagers are some of the UK’s brightest mathematicians. Headington School pupils Rachel Wu, 17, and Michelle Kwok, Stephanie Hua and Nancy Zou, all 18, came third in a national contest aimed at giving bright young mathematicians a chance

  • SNOW: Travel update

    STAGECOACH buses in West Oxfordshire are now operating to normal timetables after earlier problems caused by the wintry weather. S3 services are able to serve Cornish Avenue in Chipping Norton and are running on their normal route through Combe. The

  • Solar farm scheme shot down

    A SOLAR farm scheme which could have forced a planned Spitfire squadron out of Oxfordshire has been rejected. Enstone Flying Club and the Spitfire Club plan to build 12 replica Spitfires at Enstone Airfield. But a scheme to build a 2.9-hectare solar

  • Ice-laden Cherwell baffles ducks

    EVEN the ducks haven’t been able to escape this week’s freezing weather, as these puzzled mallards pottering about on the ice-covered River Cherwell in Oxford proved. The pair wandered around on the frozen river looking for somewhere to swim, but finally

  • Lights out on tennis courts scheme

    PLANS to build floodlit tennis courts near a village which boasts one of the darkest skies in theCotswolds have been thrown out. The Wychwood Tennis Club applied to build four tennis courts, a small pavilion and 24 floodlights at Wychwood Golf Club,

  • £1m bid for estate drive to go green

    A million pounds could soon be winging its way to Blackbird Leys in Oxford to help make the estate greener. The community hopes to become one of 10 areas to land money from the National Lottery to help cut its carbon footprint. A bid has been lodged

  • Jubilee celebrations need memorabilia

    Organisers of the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee celebrations in June are calling for Wantage residents to send in their memories of how previous jubilees have been celebrated. The committee is looking for photographs and articles from the Queen’s Silver Jubilee

  • Plans ‘an eyesore’

    PLANS for six major industrial units by the M40 have been criticised by Banbury Civic Society. Chairman Rob Kinchin-Smith said the six units for Overthorpe Road, near junction nine, would be “huge warehouses of an unprecedented scale”. He added: “We

  • School water bug rap

    AN OXFORDSHIRE independent school has been told it is not adequately controlling the risk of bacteria that causes a potentially fatal form of pneumonia. Chandlings School in Bagley Wood, Kennington, has been issued an improvement notice from

  • Uni row brews on cheap homes levy

    UNIVERSITIES and developers face paying hefty contributions to help tackle Oxford’s housing shortage, as the price of getting approval for new student accommodation. They will be forced to pay towards affordable housing in the city, with a new levy adding

  • ‘Close shopping village on Boxing Day’

    A COUNCILLOR has made a controversial suggestion to help cut future Boxing Day traffic jams around Bicester – close Bicester Village for the day. Les Sibley reckons the designer outlet should remain closed on the bank holiday and reopen when public transport

  • Signing their way to beat world record

    MORE than a thousand children across Oxfordshire are hoping to have played their part in breaking a world record. Children and staff from eight county schools took part in the Sign2Sing event on Wednesday, signing and singing a specially composed song

  • Representing OUFC, in the toughest ride of our lives

    My name is Liam Powell and I am 16 years old. In June of this year, I will be participating in the Football League Arch to Ark Challenge along with my brother, Gareth Powell, who turned 20 at the start of February. The Arch to Ark Challenge is a 3-day

  • Witney town council to scrap secrecy on reports

    DOCUMENTS produced for Witney Town Council will no longer be made confidential as a matter of course. The decision follows criticism that a report which highlighted the failings of the now closed Corn Exchange in Market Square remains secret. That report

  • Steaming away to keep the county warm

    WITH the temperature dropping, steam billows from Didcot Power Station as it provides power for homes across Oxfordshire. NPower spokesman Kelly Brown said all four turbines had been operating from before Christmas at the coal-fired power station, providing

  • Oxford United game is off

    Oxford United's game at Accrington tomorrow is off. The Crown Ground pitch is still frozen and will not thaw in time. However, Oxford are optimistic that Tuesday's home match with Dagenham will take place.

  • No shed rent

    OXFORD: An investigation launched after a Florence Park resident advertised a room in a garden shed to rent for £450 a month has been dropped. Oxford City Council spokesman Louisa Dean said: “We have been able to confirm that there is no shed or plans

  • Man faces jail for vicious attack

    ABINGDON: A 22-year-old man has been told he will be jailed after a vicious assault outside a nightclub. Ryan Roberts was yesterday convicted by jurors at Oxford Crown Court of causing grievous bodily harm to Richard Wilkes outside Stratton

  • BADMINTON: Langford twins in gold strike

    HARWELL twins Edith and Imogen Langford won gold in the girls’ doubles at the Badminton England Silver Grade Devon Under 17 tournament in Exeter. They came from behind to beat Middlesex’s Nicole Jacobs and Berkshire’s Frances Penney 5-15, 21-19, 15-13

  • Trial postponed

    BANBURY: The trial of a man accused of stealing charity cash boxes has been put back to February 23. Richard O’Rourke, 39, was due to stand trial at Banbury Magistrates’ Court on Wednesday. O’Rourke, of Station Caravan Park, Station Approach

  • Tenant in house row charged rent

    A TENANT trying to claim ownership of a £1m North Oxford house has been charging housemates rent while not paying any himself, a judge heard yesterday. Philip Brown is one of two residents of the property in Warnborough Road facing eviction proceedings

  • School choir hits the right note again

    YOUNG choristers at an Oxford junior school have hit all the right notes to win an award for the fourth year in a row. The 35-strong choir from Oxford High Junior School picked up honours in the under-11 category at the Oxford Music Festival with the

  • SNOW: Travel update

    STAGECOACH buses on route S4 between Oxford and Banbury are now able to run via Duns Tew and on the normal route through Middle Barton. However, route 242 is still not able to serve New Yatt, with passengers advised to walk to stops in North Leigh.

  • Oxford United boss rues growing injury list

    CHRIS Wilder says Oxford United’s run of injuries is simply bad luck. The U’s have seen three key players ruled out for at least a month in the space of seven days. And United’s boss has been desperately searching for a reason for it – but can’t find

  • CRICKET: Taylor to the fore

    Oxfordshire's Matt Taylor starred as Great & Little Tew opened their Banbury Indoor League Division 1 campaign with a 20-run win over Cropredy. Taylor hit an unbeaten 30, which allied to Harry Smith’s 33 not out, took Tew to 122-5. He then took 3-40

  • Complacency that is truly breathtaking

    The stories on page two and page five today about the respective failings of the police and mental health services once again raise questions about complacency within our public services. Thames Valley Police spectacularly failed to discover a man with

  • U's striker Pittman eyes happy reunion with Rendell

    Oxford United striker Jon-Paul Pittman says he is hoping that he and new signing Scott Rendell can recreate the same magic they had at Wycombe when he has recovered from his hamstring injury. Rendell, who has signed on loan until the end

  • Congratulations fundraisers

    CONGRATULATIONS to the residents of Hailey in their fundraising to buy the Lamb & Flag pub in their village (Oxford Mail, February 6). As a home-owner in the Cotswolds and a member of the co-operative which owns the shop in the Gloucestershire village

  • Snow won't stop MP

    WITH the heavy snow that we had in the Oxford area during Saturday afternoon and throughout the evening and early hours of Sunday and the disruption caused to travel by road and rail, it did not deter our Oxford East MP, Andrew Smith, from visiting his

  • Wilder: It must be Redknapp

    CHRIS Wilder believes that Harry Redknapp must be the new England manager. The Oxford United boss is urging the Football Association to give the job to an Englishman, and says that Redknapp fits the criteria. And, tongue-in-cheek, Wilder

  • Kerrouche can be big hit - Wilder

    CHRIS Wilder says that he had to put the Oxford-Swindon rivalry aside when bringing Mehdi Kerrouche to the Kassam Stadium. The Swindon striker has joined the U’s on a month’s loan, but will not be able to play when the sides meet in their derby clash

  • FOOTBALL: Inspection rules ‘ridiculous’

    Oxford City secretary John Shepperd says it is ridiculous that they cannot call off a match until the day it is due to be played. City will carry out a 10am pitch inspection at Court Place Farm before tomorrow’s Evo-Stik Southern League Premier

  • RUGBY UNION: Worthing hopeful for Henley clash

    HENLEY Hawks’ crunch National 2 South promotion clash at Worthing tomorrow could beat the big freeze. Officials at the Sussex club are optimistic the match will go-ahead with the pitch reported to be playable yesterday. Flanker Ryan Newman and wing

  • BADMINTON: Oxon's drop fears grow

    Oxfordshire are fighting to stay in Division 1B of the Inter-County Championships following a 9-6 defeat away to Hertfordshire. Despite the loss, Oxon did at least pick up a much-needed point, which has left them two points off the bottom. James Buffham

  • Amusing about-turn

    Am I the only one who finds new leadership of Abingdon Town Council highly amusing? For months the Liberal Democrats on the council have been lobbying for funding for community projects and a lasting memorial, such as a bandstand, to commemorate the

  • Bullfighting is barbaric

    R LEWIS rightly denounces Alexander Fiske-Harrison for portraying bullfighting as “an ego-based exercise” (Oxford Mail ViewPoints, January 31). Fiske-Harrison glamourises and calls “a noble death” what is, in fact, a throw-back to the Roman games. I

  • Diverse development

    CONTRARY to what your article in Wednesday’s Oxford Mail reports, the Greens are not looking to replace the whole of the current Westgate Shopping Centre with housing. We are talking about the land behind the current shops, which is currently a no-go

  • There's nothing funny about cavalier cyclists

    IN view of the tolerance shown by pedestrians to cyclists on pavements, towpaths and in parks, they do not deserve to be mocked, especially if infirm, by your cycling correspondent, James Styring. In his On Yer Bike column (Tuesday’s Oxford Mail), he

  • Accrington to inspect pitch today

    OXFORD United’s game at Accrington Stanley tomorrow is looking more and more likely to be called off. As reported in yesterday’s Oxford Mail, the match faces a pitch inspection this morning. That will take place at 11.30am, before the U’s are due to

  • Kerrouche - I am here to get Oxford United some goals

    MEHDI Kerrouche is confident of making a big impact at Oxford United. The Swindon Town striker joined the U’s on a month’s loan yesterday, with the move funded by the club’s 12th Man scheme. And while he is aware of the rivalry between the two clubs

  • Driver named

    ABINGDON: A pensioner who died after his car collided with a bus has been named. Gordon Cordell, 80, of Otwell Close, was in his Ford Fusion when it and an Oxford Bus Company X3 service collided in Oxford Road at 11.55am on Monday. He was taken to the

  • Deadline looms on house repair

    OXFORD: Headington resident Martin Young has until Monday, March 12, to carry out improvements to 29 Old High Street. Last year Oxford City Council issued him with a notice telling him to improve the appearance of the 19th century house. Mr Young was

  • Westgate Centre deal edges closer

    WORK on a £330m expansion of Oxford’s Westgate Shopping Centre could start within two years. On Wednesday, Oxford City Council’s executive approved the terms of an agreement with the Crown Estate, which owns the centre, and developer Land Securities.

  • Special edition for MG

    A NEW MG celebrating the 50th birthday of one of Britain’s most iconic sports cars is being built by a small Oxfordshire firm, rather than the brand’s Chinese owners. Staff at Frontline Developments in Steventon are building the MG LE50 – price tag

  • COMMENT: Plenty of drive

    More cheerfully, a new version of a 50-year-old British classic is not being made abroad, but by a small firm in Steventon. The team of 12 at Frontline Developments is to produce 50 limited edition MGs to mark the MGB’s 50th birthday in May this year

  • Royal red is good crowd pleaser

    When you buy wine for an event, your main consideration is cost. Generally this means the wine is cheap. But what do you do if you are the Queen? On February 2, I was invited to a preview reception of the Queen’s 60 photos for 60 years exhibition

  • Parents debate academy plan

    GOVERNORS at St Birinus School in Didcot will discuss next month the results of consultation with parents and staff regarding plans to convert to an academy. The 1,240-pupil school is consulting on the proposal announced last month.

  • Rail franchise bids on track

    FIRMS interested in bidding to run the Great Western rail franchise from next year had until yesterday to lodge responses to a questionnaire from the Department for Transport. The DfT will announce which firms have been shortlisted in April

  • SNOW: Minor crashes on snowy roads

    THE overnight snow has added to the usual morning travel woes for drivers. On the M40 drivers were delayed between junctions 8a for Oxford and 11 for Banbury, after snowfall blocked the fast lane on both carriageways. Recovery work is

  • Man arrested after drugs seized

    POLICE seized more than 25 cannabis plants and a quantity of Class A drugs after raiding a cannabis factory off Oxford Road, Bodicote, on Tuesday, after officers spotted a man behaving suspiciously outside. A 28-year-old man from Banbury was arrested

  • LETTINGS SCAM: 'There's little to stop them'

    LETTING agents, student representatives and council officers last night warned they fear there is little to stop more rogue agents preying on tenants just like Zulfiqar Hussain. Oxford Brookes Student Union advice services manager Wendy Dant said: “It

  • LETTINGS SCAM: Rogue agent told to pay back £310k

    ROGUE letting agent Zulfiqar Hussain walked free from court yesterday but faces a £310,000 bill after swindling thousands out of tenants and landlords. The 44-year-old, who operated the company Charles Lawson Lettings, swindled clients between

  • Mum calls for tougher dog laws

    A MUM whose five-year-old daughter was scarred for life by a relative’s dog has welcomed Government microchipping plans – but wants the law to go further. Belinda Wyeth’s daughter Millie-Jo Baker, now six, was attacked by her great aunt and

  • COMMENT: Case undoes a lot of hard work

    When it comes to rogues, you can almost always be sure that landlords and letting agents will feature prominently in any top 10 list. It’s a shame, since much has been done in recent years to clean up the working practices of many a dodgy landlord and

  • SNOW: Minor crashes on snowy roads

    THE overnight snow has added to the usual morning travel woes for drivers. On the M40 drivers were delayed between junctions 8a for Oxford and 11 for Banbury, after snowfall blocked the fast lane on both carriageways. Recovery work is under way to remove

  • Cash for county's troubled families

    OXFORDSHIRE County Council will announce an extra £1.6m to support troubled families in its budget today, the Oxford Mail has learnt. It is understood the cash, to be announced at a budget meeting, has been found from savings. It will be used to try

  • SNOW: Schools reported closures

    The following schools are reported closed today. Cropredy Primary Great Tew Primary School Hornton Primary School Northern House, Summertown Wheatley Park School Wroxton Church of England Primary School

  • SNOW: Travel round-up

    OXFORDSHIRE bus operators are running near-normal services this morning following the overnight snow but say journeys may take a little longer than usual. Oxford Bus Company, Stagecoach, Thames Travel and RH Buses say drivers will be taking

  • Value of town promoter called into question

    TOWN councillors have raised concerns that an organisation set up to promote Bicester is duplicating work done by local government. Bicester Vision was launched in 2008, to be a link between businesses and councils. All three tiers of local Government

  • ‘Class hero’ councillor to quit

    SELF-styled working class hero and Oxford’s last remaining Independent Working Class Association city councillor Stuart Craft will stand down at the May election. The Northfield Brook councillor has represented residents in Blackbird Leys for the past