A campaign group opposed to the 5,000 home eco-town at Bicester is planning to field candidates at May’s local election. BaECON (Bicester Eco Con), has labelled the 5,000 eco settlement, at North West Bicester, a “white elephant” and wants it stopped
11.03: Robeen Bound 2, ARDMAYLE FIZZ, Knockanae Slippy, Broadacres Kev, Enzo 3, Boozed Scrappy. 11.19: ROMILY FLASH, Higher Land 3, Memphis Grizzly 2, Miami Twice, Ms Calypso, Glynnscross Enda. 11.34: Pennys Castro, Hondo County 3, A LITTLE LIGHT, Pengams
A little boy from Abingdon is the envy of all his friends after winning the chance to become a toy tester. Noah Warrilow, three, will now be getting boxes of toys sent to him through the post on a regular basis after winning a national contest
Roy Chubby Brown’s soft rasping voice derailed me straight away. Expecting a loud brash Northerner, the 67-year-old’s gentle tones and considered answers throw me completely. Sounding more like a nice old man than one of the most offensive
What is it about Magdalen Road at the moment? Has it been touched with culinary fairy dust or is there something in the water? While we know about the hares in this gastro race, The Magdalen Arms and the equally cheering Oxfork, The Rusty Bicycle
NOEL the bowman, right, fixes you with his eye and transfixes you with his booming (if somewhat thespian) voice as he veers off into another historic fact at Warwick Castle. “I’ll stop trying to be so BBC4 and be a bit more ITV3+1,” he says, somewhat
What was I expecting from Matt Cardle? The sound of screaming women, the X Factor announcer’s voice saying ‘here’s M-A-T-T C-A-R-D-L-E’, those piercing blue eyes and lonely voice singing me a few bars from his new album as he strums along on his
The man credited with making folk cool has reached new depths. Literally. For his sixth album, West Country singer-songwriter Seth Lakeman swapped the recording studio for the dank surroundings of a disused copper mine, 500 metres underground
It’s a busy old week in Oxfordshire, so busy in fact, that it’s hard to fit everything in. And there’s some great new acts coming your way. Take Sam Wills and his new show The Boy with Tape on His Face which is taking the UK by storm. Think mime with
OXON: Canon Glyn Evans, the Diocese of Oxford’s rural officer, has been appointed as a deputy lieutenant to Tim Stevenson. He has been ordained as a priest for 30 years, working in Coventry and Warwickshire before moving to Oxfordshire in 1989. As well
MORE than 2,000 people are expected to take to the streets of Oxford tomorrow and Saturday for the annual spring clean of the city. Some 122 community groups and schools have responded to the OxClean appeal for volunteers, who will take part in two-hour
Of course Dara O’Briain is excited to be back on stage doing what he does best, live stand-up. But being such a multi-talented bloke, he can’t help but admit it’s not just delivering the gags that excites him, it’s his rapport with the audience
Their name comes from the cheery call of Cockney market traders, but their sound is pure Australian sunshine. In a world that seems all too gloomy, there is something disarmingly lovely about Allo Darlin’. Formed by Queenslander Elizabeth Morris,
MORE than 5,000 people will descend on Bonn Square this weekend to have a scientifically engineered blast. The two-week Oxfordshire Science Festival kicks off on Saturday providing hands-on fun for the county’s youngsters. Organiser Renee Watson said
The sounds of Brazil come to The Cellar, Oxford, on Saturday, with a night of tropical rhythms courtesy of the sublime Mariana Magnavita. A former hit at Truck and Cornbury, Mariana, pictured, blends the bossa nova melodies of her native land
Well-known builder, rugby enthusiast and magistrate Henry John has died aged 69. Mr John, who liked to be called by his middle name Aubrey, died on January 23 following a heart bypass. He was born in Lisburn, Northern Ireland, on March 12 1942. After
Former Oxford police chief inspector Eric Tucker, who has died aged 96, was once given up for dead. After he stopped a stolen car in Oxford, the driver sped off with Pc Tucker clinging to the vehicle. The car careered through Littlemore, Sandford-on-Thames
Ann Dummett, a prominent campaigner against racism and a leading expert on British nationality law has died, aged 81. Mrs Dummett, of Park Town, Oxford, died on February 7. She was born in London to character actor Arthur Chesney and his wife Kitty,
FORMER chairman of Cherwell District Council and long-standing parish councillor Tony Tallents has died aged 83. Mr Tallents, of Lower End, Piddington, near Bicester, was also a long-standing adjutant general of the Sealed Knot, the Civil War reenactment
We believe that reconnecting more people, particularly children, with the wild world through exploring and enjoying is the only way to increase their understanding of nature. Steve Backshall, President of the Berks, Bucks & Oxon Wildlife Trust
The owner of a business set up to boost the health of company workforces has been given the chance of mentoring from business guru Deborah Meaden. Wayne Campbell, managing director of Banbury-based Health Performance, has been chosen as the entrepreneur
Video games enthusiasts are being offered the chance to meet and compete at a new, purpose-built centre. Lazy Gamer will open to the public tomorrow and provide a selection of top of the range game stations and up to the minute versions of top-selling
HOSPITAL bosses have disputed claims that three ‘serious’ cases were misdiagnosed by gynaecological departments in Oxford. The claim was made by an anonymous GP in a survey by a doctors’ magazine. He told GP journal Pulse he knew of three ‘serious’
A street party to celebrate the Queen’s jubilee will not take place in Bicester town centre after a sponsor failed to come forward. And the new out-of-town venue has sparked bank holiday traffic fears. Bicester Jubilee Steering Group (BJSG) said it
Three nights of comedy and music came to a close last night as stars including Michael McIntyre took to the stage in aid of an Oxford hospice charity. Childish Things, a fundraiser for Helen and Douglas House in Magdalen Road, is now in its eighth year
A Youthful Oxford United reserves fought back from two goals down to draw 3-3 with a strong Luton reserves in the Football Combination at Didcot Town on Wednesday night. Matt Fletcher opened the scoring in the 18th minute, expertly controlling Tyrone
PAUL Fernandez stormed to victory in The Terminator race at Pewsey Vale, Wiltshire. The Abingdon Ambler completed the approximately 11 miles multi-terrain event in 1hr 17mins 19secs. Fernandez finished more than three minutes ahead of the second-placed
Eddie Pepperell will be competing on his home course when the Jamega Pro Golf Tour comes to Frilford Heath today. Pepperell, who failed in his attempt to make the European PGA tour this year, will tee off over 18 holes along with Frilford assistant professional
BONKERS road markings are always a good bet to get a reaction. The barmy (and non-legal) yellow lines Oxfordshire County Council painted across 19 junctions has been the local talking point of the past couple of days. Fair play to
HANNAH England will make a guest appearance at Oxford’s most famous athletics venue to start the Teddy Hall Relays on Wednesday. The world 1,500m silver medallist and Oxford City athlete is the official starter for the event at Iffley Road. England,
GOSFORD All Blacks coach Matt Watts has a question for Oxford Mail readers after teaming up with his son, Will, in last Saturday’s 14-9 defeat to Bicester. Matt started at fly half and Will at scrum half in the BB&O Premier Division clash. Watts senior
Barry Williams and Dave Williams (Kidlington Sports & Social Club) will face Roger Goodall and Adrian Lewis (Gin’ll Fix It) in the Kidlington Indoor League’s pairs final. Dave Williams and Tim Anderson (Unknowns) starred in the qualifying games with
Elmegardens Marquis steps out of the cold and driving rain into the impressive indoor school at Emile Faurie’s Milton-under-Wychwood farm. A magnificent-looking dressage horse, he is soon moving around with the upmost grace and elegance. Quickly his
Oxford C pulled off a remarkable 5-0 win at holders Wallingford C in the Inter Area C Team Shield, writes PETE EWINS. Adam Thorn won the opening leg 2,680-2520, Keith Hollis beat Terry Alder 8,080-1,710, and Bob Pincombe overcame Paul Caister 4,830-2,940
N OXON: Cherwell District Council’s part of the new council tax bill will not go up, it has been agreed. The Conservative-run council will freeze its portion of the annual bill – £123.50 on a band D property – for a further 12 months from April. Oxfordshire
The Penguins were the first winners of the inaugural Alan Wright Trophy after a 36-22 victory over Oxford University at Iffley Road on Wednesday night. Penguins were coached by former Dark Blues director of rugby Steve Hill and included Chinnor’s Alex
WATLINGTON: Fire crews were called to rescue a woman who lost control of her car that ended up in a field in Howe Road. The service was called to the incident at 7.20pm on Tuesday. The woman, who was about 30 years old, was treated for minor injuries
Oxfordshire marched on in the English Short Mat Bowling Association’s Inter-County Championship Premier Knockout with a 21-19 win over Somerset in the quarter-final at Caroline Chisholm School, Northampton. Oxon triumphed 179-170 on shots and now face
An Oxford & District trio’s bid for glory at the English Indoor Bowling Association National Championship ladies triples ended in the quarter-finals at Melton IBC. Skip Donna Knight, Carole Galletly and Katherine Hawes went out 18-6 to Swale’s Paige
HATTI Dean and Frances Briscoe led the way for Oxfordshire runners in the Saucony English National Cross Country Championships at Parliament Hill, London. Former Radley athlete Dean was fifth in the ladies’ race, while White Horse Harrier Frances Briscoe
PASSENGERS travelling to London will get a more comfortable ride after Oxford Bus Company’s X90 coaches were given a new look. The coaches, which start running on Monday, have four fewer places than before with 44 seats providing more legroom. They
THE bizarre double yellow lines that sprung up at junctions across the city have been blacked out. Oxfordshire County Council’s transport boss Rodney Rose insisted the council had not got it wrong, despite the Department for Transport confirming
Housebuilding firm Taylor Wimpey, which has been developing sites across the county, has revealed its finances are back in the black. The company, which employs 107 staff at Abingdon Business Park, made a pre-tax profit of £65.7m for the year ending
One of Oxford’s most wanted criminals is set to be sentenced at Oxford Crown Court today. Ashley Appleby, 21, of no fixed address, was arrested shortly after appearing in the Oxford Mail’s Badvent Calendar of wanted offenders. He was convicted by jurors
THE number of county residents aged over 90 will treble in the next two decades, care bosses have said. The figure will rise from about 4,600 in 2008 to 16,900 in 2033, Oxfordshire County Council said. Over the same period, the number of over-65s will
A road rage attack is being investigated by police. A 27-year-old man was pulled out of his Honda Civic at a set of traffic lights and punched several times. The attacker, driving a blue Subaru, was sitting behind him at the lights in Warwick Road,
THERE was every reason to savour the birth of baby Jasper yesterday – not least because his next official birthday won’t be until 2016. Arriving at the John Radcliffe Hospital at 1.12am, the little one had the pleasure of being among the first
FOUR Oxfordshire players have been selected for England Under 16 squads to play in the Wellington International Festival. Jake O’Leary (Wellington College and Henley) and Keiran Routledge (Abingdon School and Witney) have been named in the England North
Jerry Walsh, travelling head lad at Paul Webber’s Mollington stables, near Banbury, was thrilled to receive the National Association of Stable Staff’s special merit award. Walsh, 59, was handed the prize and a cheque for £5,000 by Flat champion jockey
OXFORD: Council bosses will send out second-class letters and emails to parents today concerning secondary school place allocations for the September term. Primary school application letters will be sent on Friday, April 20.
It’s probably the greatest legacy that the Victorians ever gave us. The railways. A vast network of possibilities stretching to every corner of this Great Britain. Its longevity is a testament to the Victorian work ethic and attention to detail
WHEN I worked on a farm in the 1960s, when we finished a field, or at the end of the day, we stopped on the headland and cleaned the dirt off the wheels. Now just about every inch of road from Northbrook Turn to Tackley and to Upper Heyford is covered
WHAT reasonably right-minded person would not feel sympathy – and, in my case, to some extent, empathy – for the plight of Eileen Clark (Oxford Mail, February 25) who faces extradition to the US on charges of international parental kidnapping? There
LEGENDARY rock band Led Zeppelin have helped secure one of the biggest gifts to Oxford University in its 900-year history. Money from the band’s comeback concert at London’s O2 Arena is to help fund a major scholarship programme and new humanities centre
THE Insider tips his hat to BBC Radio Oxford for discovering BT had bungled its listings of MPs in the brand new Oxford phonebook. In case you didn’t see the story, Boris Johnson was still listed as MP for Henley, despite decamping to London
THREE people have been fined for dropping litter in Oxford. The trio were prosecuted by Oxford City Council as part of its Cleaner, Greener campaign. The initiative was launched in October 2009 and has so far resulted in the handing out of more than
Oxford University student Jake Shelley took advantage of an Olympic marathon hopeful’s wrong turn to win the Bourton-on-the-Water 10K. The 20-year-old, from Som-erville College, crossed the line first in 31mins 47secs on Sunday to record a
IT was no surprise that when reading The Issue (Oxford Mail, February 20) which asked should we be excited about the Duchess of Cambridge’s trip to Oxford, that the negative view should be that of none other than John Tanner himself. He refers to Kate
FOR some considerable time I have been fascinated by atheist attacks on religious groups, as there appears to be no logic behind it. If atheists could prove to us once and for all that religion was a total waste of time, and that God did not exist, it
TODAY we talk to Jim Hewitt, who has been awarded an MBE for his work in Blackbird Leys and with the estate’s credit union. WHAT I'M CALLED: Jim. James when people are annoyed with me. James Joseph Hewitt on official documents. MY AGE IN YEARS
CHINNOR will play two matches at the same time after reaching the Oxfordshire Cup final. The cup holders, who beat Oxford Brookes University 39-6 on Monday night, will play either Henley Hawks or Oxford Harlequins in the final on Saturday, April 7.
NORTH MORETON: Police and ambulance crews were called yesterday morning after a car crashed in a field. Police said they were called at around 7.20am to Watlington Road. A Thames Valley Police spokesman said the woman driver, whose age is unknown, suffered
E OXFORD: Three men have been charged over a £500,000 drugs haul. Police raided a home in July 2010 and have now charged 35-year-old Michael Krah, of Stowford Road, Barton, and 34-year-old Mark Johnson, of Weyman Terrace, East Oxford, with supplying
CHILTON: Primary school pupils heard a loud bang when experts detonated an unexploded bomb on a building site nearby. The explosion happened at lunchtime at the Chestnut Fields site on Tuesday, which is being developed by David Wilson Homes. In a letter
OXON: House prices in the county have shown their first annual increase in eight months, latest figures have revealed. Statistics produced by the Government’s Land Registry show the average price of an Oxfordshire home now stands at £236,842, one per
ACTORS and puppets on an Oxford stage are telling the story of The Crowstarver. The Oxford Playhouse production, based on an award-winning book by Dick King-Smith, is about a man who has a special gift with animals. It is set in a rural community during
Oxford United have been dealt a massive blow ahead of their derby clash with Swindon after influential midfielder Peter Leven was ruled out of the crunch League Two match. The Scottish midfielder has a shoulder injury which may require surgery. And
Can it really be 10 years since Smilex first burst forth on to an unsuspecting Oxford music scene? Like Marmite, Lee Christian’s intelligent art-punk rockers are loved and misunderstood in equal measures, but – to our minds – remain one of
WE grumble and moan about our lot. There’s an ache when you get out of bed, troubles at work or just minor irritants and wrinkles in your day that become overblown dramas. Alex Stringer should put all of that into perspective for us.
HE lost three limbs in an explosion which engulfed him in a fireball and left him fighting for his life. But yesterday smiling soldier Private Alex Stringer said he was still living his life as normal. Last night the 21-year-old, from
Sir – Daniel Scharf’s letter on the proposed Harwell Enterprise Academy (February 23) raises some important points but is, alas, misguided in others. He is right that the transport infrastructure to support the Harwell Oxford campus needs to
Sir – Councillor Tanner is up to his usual mischief (Letters, February 16). He and his Labour colleagues on Oxfordshire County Council are as aware as I am that the ‘cat’ has never been in the bag! He knows that Oxfordshire schools are directly funded
A CRASH between a car and a taxi is causing rush hour problems for drivers into Oxford. Police said they were called shortly before 8am to the junction between Banbury Road, Five Mile Drive and Harbord Road to reports of a two car collision.
Sir – I couldn’t believe what I was seeing in The Oxford Times when a photograph showed Rye St Antony School raising money for charity in such an irresponsible way by letting off 200 balloons. Do they give a thought to where these balloons may end up
Sir – I have recently experienced a significant visit to the John Radcliffe Hospital. My friends would be interested but in the wider context of proposed change, others may be interested by my impressions. I’d been delivered by ambulance following an
Sir – Significant differences exist between the proposal to build a community path between Eynsham and Dean Court along the B4044 and the proposed cycleway between Wootton and Abingdon. So there is no element of queue-jumping for council funds by the
Sir – Sometimes I think that given the choice between saving a hectare of low-grade agricultural land and solving the national housing crisis, the Council to Protect Rural England would choose the former. I suppose that, in the countryside, it would
Sir – For the second week running The Oxford Times has reported on major housing developments in West Oxford. Under the heading Student flats plan for West Oxford given the go-ahead (February 23) you report on the approval of 312 housing units.
Sir – Anthony Cheke’s steadfast defence of the county’s consultations on the East Oxford controlled parking zones (CPZ) (Letters, February 16) manages somehow to overlook the key point I was making — the fact that after 61 per cent of respondents requested
Sir – I write in connection with Peter Rawcliffe’s letter (Letters, February 23). The Environment Agency has put in a planning application for similar work to be carried out at Rushey Weir, also on supposed health and safety grounds. But
Sir – One of the most important sites to be redeveloped in Oxford in the near future will be the old education offices site in New Road, now owned by Science Oxford. However mystery surrounds the actual building being planned to go on the site
Sir – Currently our only Kidlington petrol station at Sainsbury’s is selling petrol per litre at 135.9p. At Sainsbury’s Heyford Hill, the price is 132.9p per litre. Why exactly Sainsbury’s has chosen to penalise Kidlingtonians I have no idea. Last
Sir – I sympathise with the problems experienced by your reader last week trying to use the park-and-ride after 9am. It has become impossible to take the risk of parking at Thornhill if one has a flight to catch, or an appointment in London or Oxford.
Sir – Five years ago, in response to persistent vandalism of the Barton Fields allotments, Oxford City Council installed a security fence around the entire perimeter of the site. The fence, made of extremely robust galvanised metal, is 2.5 metres high
Sir – With reference to David Calder’s letter (Problem Pedestrians, February 23), I feel the reason why pedestrians are dangerously dashing into the roads and not keeping to the pavements is because so many other selfish pedestrians are blocking our very
Motorists were understandably baffled by the appearance of double yellow lines painted across some road junctions in Headington. That was hardly surprising as the lines had no legal basis and were simply confusing. That said, the lines, which were
It has always been viewed as one of Oxford’s most heartwarming wartime adventures. The story of how a party of 125 Oxford children and 25 of their mothers braved the Atlantic in the summer of 1940 to live in foster homes in America left a lasting
The owner of a business set up to boost the health of company workforces has been given the chance of mentoring from top business guru Deborah Meaden. Wayne Campbell, managing director of Banbury-based Healthy Performance, has been chosen as the entrepreneur
German cinema has been dominated since the fall of the Berlin Wall by three topics: the Third Reich, the Democratic Republic and the Red Army Faction. The results have been varied, but the magnitude of each subject has ensured that the films have been
The time frame between a film being launched in cinemas and released on DVD is getting smaller all the time. In many ways, this is a good thing, especially for those who don't always have access to the latest titles (particularly the more obscure arthouse
‘Anti-social and disorderly behaviour in Madley Park and Cogges estate with underage drinkers in car parks’… this is the number one concern for the people of east Witney, according to Thames Valley Police. At this very time, the council-provided youth
A planned language school in Headington has organised a series of public meetings with its new neighbours. More than 100 foreign students will be housed in a renovated manor house which was previously used as a hall of residence for Oxford
A young student at Mabel Pritchard School has been congratulated for his artistic flair. Mizan Rahman, nine, from the special needs school, won a competition to design the logo for new south east Oxford education charity, The Hawkwell Trust. Mizan was
EAGER readers are set to celebrate World Book Day with a range of literary events in Oxford today. A series of fancy-dress parades, one-off exhibitions and storytelling sessions will mark the day which aims to inspire readers old and young.
