Archive

  • Charity golfers to the fore

    SCORES of golfers helped raise thousands of pounds for a cancer charity. For the past 11 years, Danny and Theresa Dyer have hosted a charity golf day to raise cash for causes that have supported their daughter Victoria who has cerebral palsy. So far

  • Cyclists and pedestrians to work in tandem

    ALONG with students and townsfolk, the simmering tensions between pedestrians and cyclists is one of Oxford’s temper flashpoints. Now cyclists and pedestrians in Headington have pledged to work together to improve harmony between those on two feet and

  • Mixed views over new plans for East Oxford residents' parking

    AFTER costing taxpayers more than £300,000 through six consultations, transport bosses are again sitting down to consider a parking permit plan for East Oxford. A consultation on the £50-a-year schemes for the Magdalen Road and Divinity Road areas closed

  • Ashmolean bids to save Manet painting for nation

    OXFORD’S Ashmolean Museum is mounting a campaign to save an Impressionist masterpiece. An export ban on the painting has been extended until August by Culture Minister and Wantage MP Ed Vaizey to give the Ashmolean time to raise money to buy Edouard

  • No holds barred in women's jail drama

    WOMEN struggling with prison life is the subject of a new musical from Witney amateur theatre company Abdabs. Bad Girls the Musical, a West End production based on the ITV drama, will be performed at Henry Box School in Church Green this week. For Abdabs

  • Coroner calls time on a daily date with death

    DURING his three decades as Oxfordshire’s coroner, Nicholas Gardiner has seen one sad statistic loom over his work. The 69-year-old, set to retire in April, said: “I have seen drug cases soar. Whereas 30 years ago my first drugs case practically

  • Local share prices

    AEA Technology 0.3 BMW 5863 Electrocomponents 243.5 Nationwide Accident Repair 63 Oxford Biomedica 3.15 Oxford Catalysts 54.75 Oxford Instruments 1150.5 Reed Elsevier 552.5 RM 82.75 RPS Group 230 Courtesy of Redmayne Bentley, Abingdon

  • HOCKEY: Oxford women through to Trophy semi-finals

    Oxford are through to the semi-finals of the women's EHL Trophy after winning 3-1 at Broxbourne. After a goalless first half, Oxford went ahead through Jill Gordon, before Rachael Lammey made it 2-0. Keeper Phil Swindell denied the home side with some

  • HOCKEY: Banbury survival hopes take big knock

    Banbury’s hopes of avoiding the drop from South League Premier 1 look grim after losing 2-1 at home to bottom club Eastbourne. It was a must-win game for both strugglers and it means the losers now occupy last place in the table. The same old story

  • Dance taster day has a Japanese flavour

    PEOPLE got to grips with new and unfamiliar forms of dance with a special ‘dance-a-thon’ as part of the Dancin’ Oxford festival. Three different taster sessions were held at Pegasus Theatre, Magdalen Road, on Sunday in the Japanese experimental

  • RUGBY UNION: Errors are costly

    Southern Counties North WALLINGFORD cursed missed opportunities in a 15-12 defeat at Slough. The visitors, who squandered at least ten try-scoring opportunities, trailed 10-0 thanks to two tries from Slough’s pack. Wallingford hooker Ryan Hodnett

  • Double yellow lines leave residents baffled

    MOTORISTS have called them “baffling” and they have left the experts stumped. Not even the Highway Code seems to cast light on what these double yellow lines might mean. The road markings have sprung up across some of the junctions in Headington. Oxfordshire

  • COMMENT: Where's the logic?

    THERE’S just no way of trying to understand the logic of Oxfordshire County Council painting weird double yellow lines across the junction of Latimer Road and All Saints Road. Traffic calming is a proper issue for the county to be involved in, but it

  • RUGBY UNION: Bicester's lucky win

    League round-up BICESTER were lucky to scrape a 14-9 win at Gosford All Blacks in the BB&O Premier Division. Steve Risbridger’s penalty put Bicester ahead, but two Tim Ellis penalties, either side of Chris Bennett’s drop goal, gave Gosford a 9-3 lead

  • CRICKET: Wallingford on move to Blewbury

    Wallingford CC are moving seven miles down the road to set their headquarters in Blewbury. The club’s move away from the Hithercroft means that for the first time in 140 years there will be no organised cricket played in the town. And

  • Prolific burglar gets 21 months

    A SERIAL burglar with a ‘large offending history’ has been jailed for 21 months. Tobias Bruce, of Hazeldene Close, Eynsham, and formerly of Windmill Road, Oxford, admitted two burglaries at Oxford Crown Court on Friday. The first burglary was in Cranham

  • RUGBY UNION: Harwell eye Twickenham

    Cup round-up HARWELL are just two wins from Twickenham after a 69-5 victory at Berkshire Shire Hall in the Southern Counties Junior Vase final. The 11-try demolition earned Harwell a home tie with Gloucestershire’s Brockworth in the national competition

  • Developer planning 2,500 homes

    RESIDENTS can now have their say on plans to build 2,500 homes at Grove which would double the size of the village. Developer Persimmon Homes had its outline planning application for the Grove Airfield scheme registered by the Vale of White Horse District

  • Rising fuel prices ‘hit county worse’

    SPIRALLING fuel prices across Oxfordshire will damage the county’s economy, it was warned said last night. Professional drivers say they have been left trying to absorb the record high costs in an effort to prevent passing the rise on the customers.

  • RUGBY UNION: Blow for Henley

    National 2 South HENLEY Hawks saw their promotion hopes all but end with a 35-21 defeat at Worthing. Hawks are now 11 points off a play-off place, with Old Albanians and Worthing seemingly fighting it out for second spot. Worthing led 10-0 thanks

  • RUGBY UNION: Witney escape with away draw

    South West 1 East WITNEY survived a late scare to hold on to a 16-16 draw at Gloucester’s Coney Hill. Coney Hill’s kicker had already landed a long-range penalty to level the scores, but squandered an easier attempt after Witney gifted him another

  • Stores lining up for new Botley Road site

    WORK has started on a major expansion of an Oxford retail park which will bring dozens of new jobs to the city. But the development in West Oxford has fuelled speculation over the future of another site in Botley Road. Dunelm Mill, Hobbycraft and Halfords

  • Farmers fear deadly animal virus on way

    FARMERS in Oxfordshire have spoken of their worries as a deadly disease affecting sheep, cattle and goats is closing in on the county. As reported in yesterday’s Oxford Mail, Schmallenberg virus, which results in animals being born dead or with serious

  • WCRF charity run

    WORLD Cancer Research Fund (WCRF) is delighted to offer runners free entry to a race that traces the Olympic Marathon route – and raise money for cancer prevention at the same time. The Bupa London 10,000 follows the planned route of the Olympic event

  • I remain an atheist

    IN REPLY to your invitation to comment on the recent talk between Richard Dawkins and the Archbishop: it is not possible to prove that something does not exist. Therefore it is unreasonable to ask an atheist to prove that God does not exist. It is,

  • Heart lifted my spirits

    Just before the recent cold snap, I was trudging with my shopping trolley to Tesco and the grit lorries were out. I was worrying about my two sons driving and having a road accident, about my two granddaughters in these economic times and whether they

  • Certain to save a penny

    As Councillor John Tanner is so keen to help Greece in their present troubles, may I suggest that he pays them a visit and upgrades their toilets to attract people from all over the world to spend a penny (or 40 or 50 cents) in Greek superloos. Perhaps

  • Toilet heaven?

    WAS it accidental or was it a well-planned piece of journalism that the Oxford Mail printed John Tanner’s promise of some new “toilets worth coming to the city for” on the same day as the Man About Town columnist Jeremy Smith gave us his version of toilet

  • Just the basics are needed

    So Councillor Tanner wants to spend £420,000 on revamping Oxford toilets. This is the same council which some years ago closed toilets to save money, but then spent even more money to open others. So long as they are tidy, have wash basins, and loo

  • Charging 50p to use toilet's just a rip-off

    I appreciate councillor John Tanner wants to improve toilet facilities in Oxford, but, as my friend in Glasgow would say, he really has sailed down the Clyde on a biscuit if he thinks people will pay 50p to go to the loo. I see where he is coming from

  • So many phone calls

    I AM amazed at how many telephone calls have to be made to get something done. I have made five calls and a near-neighbour four, to the Oxfordshire County Council street lighting department to inform them that one of our street lights is not working.

  • ON YER BIKE: Life's so sweet on a bicycle made for two

    Relationships come and go. The ones that stay often test us, and I suppose life would be terribly boring if we all got along 100 per cent of the time. But we do strive to get along most of the time and consciously avoid situations that we know may rock

  • RACING: Martin's Festival aim for Sunny Ledgend

    Hook Norton permit trainer Andy Martin is eyeing a trip to the Cheltenham Festival with Towcester winner Sunny Ledgend. The seven-year-old duelled for the lead with Dj Milan in the second division of Sunday’s two-mile novices’ hurdle, before being

  • RACING: Cox and Walsh in awards joy

    Two employees from Oxfordshire yards were winners at the Godolphin Stud and Stable Staff Awards 2012 at the Jumeirah Carlton Tower Hotel in London. Charlotte Cox, 32, who works for Wantage trainer Henry Candy, was yesterday named as the rider

  • DARTS: County lying in wait for Wolfie

    Triple BDO world champion Martin ‘Wolfie’ Adams stands in Oxfordshire’s way as they take on Cambridgeshire in the Premier Division this weekend. The 55-year-old, who won the Lakeside title in 2007, 2010 and 2011, is the latest big name to face the county

  • Chapman back at Oxford United

    Adam Chapman made a surprise return to Oxford United after his loan spell at Newport County was cut short yesterday. Both clubs had agreed to extend the 22-year-old’s stay for a second month on Saturday, but an injury to U’s skipper Jake Wright, who

  • FOOTBALL: Didcot duo are shown the door

    Didcot Town manager Dave Mudge has released their former Premiership striker Paul Robinson and coach Michael Butcher. The ex-Newcastle striker, 33, joined the Railwaymen in November, but left the club following last week’s 2-0 midweek defeat by Halesowen

  • Unfair reporting

    IN REPLY to Keith Mitchell’s opposition in the Oxford Mail to TV coverage of Iranian and Al Jazeera output. British TV often paints an inaccurate view as to what has, or is, taking place in Iraq. Afghanistan, Libya and Iran. In spite of millions being

  • Sympathy for Cameron

    I FEEL sorry for David Cameron in his efforts to cut housing benefits. West Oxfordshire District Council has doubled its yearly charge for litter-picking on the estate where I live and refuses to justify the reason for the increase. Many of those on

  • RUGBY UNION: Chase leads derby cruise

    Oxford Harlequins 15, Chinnor 46 AN early try blitz meant this National 3 South West derby was always plain sailing for Chinnor. The visitors never hit top gear, but punished Quins severely with their pace out wide as Mark Chase grabbed an excellent

  • RUGBY UNION: There's more to come from Chinnor

    CHINNOR head coach Jason Bowers admitted his players were disappointed with their display against Oxford Harlequins, despite winning by 31 points. Bowers said: “I think effective, but not spectacular would be my headline. “We showed some real glimpses

  • QUIZ LEAGUE: The King's Arms buries Hatchet

    IT MAY not have made me popular among the quizfolk of Childrey, but my prediction in last week’s column that the village’s league team, the Hatchet, faced a potential banana skin in their away tie at the King’s Arms (Wheatley), came true, as the home

  • Burglary charge

    A 30-year-old man has been charged in connection with a burglary at a house in Littlemore, Oxford. Nathan Bourton, of Iffley Road, was charged with one count of burglary. He appeared at Oxford Magistrates’ Court on Friday. The case was adjourned until

  • Oli's up for the big one

    Oxford United striker Oli Johnson can’t wait for this Satur-day’s showdown with Swindon Town, but he wants the U’s to stop conceding early goals. United have gone a goal down inside the opening 20 minutes in three of their last six games. Although

  • Officers seize alcohol and cigarettes in customs raid

    CUSTOMS officers raided 15 shops and homes across Oxfordshire in a swoop on illicit alcohol and cigarettes. Officers seized 7,200 smuggled cigarettes, a small quantity of hand-rolling tobacco, 22 litres of wine and 373 litres of spirits during the raids

  • United stars meet their predecessor

    EX-FOOTBALLER Bill Dempsey got to relive his glory days when he met today’s Oxford United stars at his retirement home. The 85-year-old was an outside right for Headington United in the 1950s, before the club was re-named Oxford United in 1960. Yesterday

  • Bank note man accused of Asbo breach

    A man with an Antisocial Behaviour Order (Asbo) banning him from displaying bank notes to another person will appear at Oxford Crown Court on March 13. Stuart McGhie, 42, of Church Cowley Road, Oxford, appeared at Oxford Magistrates’ Court

  • COMMENT: System in desperate need of a fix

    THE Department for Work and Pensions speaks with an honesty unusual in Government departments when it frankly admits the benefit system is broken. This country should be rightly proud of its welfare state and its compassion towards helping those who,

  • Business award finalists named

    FINALISTS have been announced for the West Oxfordshire Business Awards. Winners will be announced at a celebration dinner on Friday, March 16, at Heythrop Park, near Chipping Norton. Kate Jarratt, of the awards committee, said: “Entries were up this

  • Soap and glory as successful market traders open first shop

    THE owners of a new business are looking to clean up after opening their first shop. Ervin Hoti and partner Laura Hughes started the Oxford Soap Company last year and after successful trading in local markets, the business which specialises in hand-made

  • Town green bid ‘to be rejected’

    A BID to register land in Blackbird Leys as a town green to thwart controversial Oxford swimming pool plans must be refused, a council report says. The Oxfordshire County Council report says residents have no legal right to register part of