HEADINGTON residents have given their backing to the area’s latest shark. Posh Fish in London Road is seeking to renew its planning permission allowing it to have a shark on the roof of the shop. Now members of the public have been writing to Oxford
BLACKBIRD Leys may not be the first place that springs to mind when thinking about archaeology. But a project around eastern Oxford is about to uncover the mysteries that lie under ground the city’s biggest estate. On the weekend of
IT PROVED to be trouble in paradise, but these actors will be hoping life won’t imitate art. A production of Lord of the Flies is being staged around Oxford Castle from Thursday. Director Charlie Parker said: “The performance moves around the castle
COUNCIL wardens in Oxford could be armed with police powers from June to start handing out more on-the-spot fines. Under the move it will also be an offence to refuse to give one of Oxford City Council’s 10 community wardens a name and address
A MOVE to amend plans to build 32 homes and a new village hall has split a community in west Oxfordshire. A number of residents living close to the site on the edge of Enstone have spoken of being resigned to the “juggernaut” of development. But Enstone
A MUSEUM exhibition is telling visitors the story of Uffington’s links to the Olympic Games. The Sporting Connections display at the Tom Brown’s School Museum runs until October and explains how an author born in the village helped inspire
A HEROIN addict who burgled a string of addresses in his home town, including a pub, has been jailed. Jamie Woodley broke into nine buildings on a crime spree in and around Abingdon. The 24-year-old was jailed for 30 months at Oxford
Cristian Montano will remain on loan with Oxford United until the end of the season after an extension was agreed with parent club West Ham. The 20-year-old joined last month and has two goals in seven appearances for the U's. The extension will include
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FANCY yourself as a bit of a brain-box, a pub pundit or perhaps an armchair Magnus Magnusson? If so, the Oxford Mail has got just the thing for you. The Oxfordshire Quiz Winter League is about to draw to a close. But after a short break the popular
AN Oxford academic has today been told by police he will not face charges over the death of his best friend. Dr Devinder Sivia, 49, was arrested on suspicion of murder following the death of Professor Steven Rawlings in Southmoor in January
AN education campaigner is standing in next month’s city council elections hoping he can help to improve pupils’ performance in Oxford’s primary schools. Professor John Howson has been studying the performance of city schools in his work as a visiting
Cyril Claridge has a lifetime of memories as an accountant, war veteran, sportsman, horticultural judge and much more. Now aged 87, his mind is as alert as ever as he reminisces on the busy life he has led. Born in Salegate Lane, Cowley, he went to
THERE was no shortage of customers at this stall at Wolvercote Show in 1968. The white elephant stall was one of the most crowded as women and children battled to pick up a bargain. The teapots, glasses, cutlery and other items were soon snapped up,
COUNCILLOR Margaret Ferriman opened a new library at the village school in 1994 and Aimee Rudd and Tom Levy, both seven, were keen to show her some of the books that pupils could read, above. The pistol range at the village fete in 1986 caught the eye
These are the men who delivered milk in the Bicester area for many years. They would set off in the early morning to make sure their customers got their daily pinta. Peter Robbins, on the extreme right in the picture above, set up Robbins
The row over a tiny patch of land continues with Marston residents lodging an official complaint against Oxfordshire County Council. The land, which is outside the old Friar pub, is the property of the county council but residents claim it is not being
Conor McDonagh scored a double as Oxford City Nomads closed in on the Uhlsport Hellenic League Premier Division title with a 3-0 win over Abingdon Town. Louis Joyce was their other scorer. They now need to beat Wokingham & Emmbrook in
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Murray Nicholls bagged a brace as Old Woodstock Town sealed a second-placed finish in Uhlsport Hellenic League Division 1 West with a 3-1 victory at Headington Amateurs on Saturday. However, like champions Tytherington, Woodstock cannot go up to the
IT’S probably too late to be accepted as an Olympic sport but Abingdon’s inaugral World Bun Throwing Championships kicked off in style. The contest at Abingdon Vale Cricket Club aimed to find two people to take part in the tradition of hurling buns from
JCB boss Sir Anthony Bamford made the fourth largest personal donation to a political party last year, according to The Sunday Times. Sir Anthony and his family, who live in Daylesford near Chipping Norton, gave £401,000 to the Conservatives
FORMER jockey Richard Pitman was thrilled to be back in the saddle at Aintree just 10 weeks after having an operation to donate a kidney to a stranger. The BBC racing presenter, 69, who lives at Letcombe Regis, near Wantage, finished 10th of the 12 runners
A distraction burglar who claimed he was searching for his lost dog preyed on an elderly woman in New Road, Sutton. A man arrived at her home at about 12.30pm last Tuesday, claiming to be looking for his lost dog and convinced the victim to help him
North Leigh’s Evo-Stik Southern League Division 1 South & West play-off bid hangs by a thread after a 2-1 defeat at Bishops Cleeve. They must now win their last two games and hope that Hungerford lose their remaining fixtures to make the top-five. Missing
Didcot Town returned from Somerset empty-handed after a disappointing 1-0 loss at Taunton Town in Evo-Stik Southern League Division 1 South & West. Simon Ingram’s goal proved the difference. Early on, Didcot keeper Jon Beames tipped Jon Vance’s 25-yard
Abingdon United recorded their first home win of 2012 with a shock 2-1 victory against the Evo-Stik Southern League Division 1 South & West play-off chasers Sholing. The home side, whose last home win was against Didcot Town on Boxing Day, had Sholing
Bus operators in the county were paid more than £5.6m by the Government in fuel duty rebates in the past year, according to new figures. Fifteen organisations received a total of £5,630,637.52 from the Bus Operators’ Support Grant scheme, ranging from
A convoy of Cowley classics made their way from Oxford to Longbridge in Birmingham on Saturday. About 45 vehicles set off from the Mini plant to the Pride of Longbridge event to celebrate cars connected to the Midlands and Oxford factories. John Bellinger
FOOTBALL NPOWER LEAGUE TWO Oxford Utd 0, Gillingham 0. EVO-STIK SOUTHERN LEAGUE Premier Div: Hitchin 1, Banbury Utd 2; Redditch 1, Oxford C 1. Div 1 South & West: Abingdon Utd 2, Sholing 1; Bishops Cleeve 2, North Leigh 1; Taunton
ANY Oxford United fans concerned about Wayne Brown deputising in goal for Ryan Clarke need not have worried – the keeper was the calmest man inside the Kassam Stadium on Saturday. Clarke has played every single minute of league football
A plan to reopen the Lord Nuffield social club in Oxford as a conference centre have fallen through. The Oxford Mail understands Oxford Brookes University was in the final stage of talks to buy the club in Barracks Lane, Cowley, which closed in 2009.
Ambulance workers formed a guard of honour at Oxford Town Hall on Saturday at the funeral of a loved and dedicated colleague. Ambulance technician Jason Garford, 31, inset, of Headington, died on Thursday, April 5, after losing a battle with throat cancer
It has earned the wrath of former Star Trek captain Patrick Stewart, but villagers are hoping to call a truce over a war with a local airfield. West Oxfordshire residents will today meet bosses of a shooting school over complaints about continual
IT WOULD seem that the policy of tyre companies in the event of a puncture in the tyre of your car, then the tyre has to be replaced instead of a repair regardless. I am not sure whether to blame the tyre companies, or the Government, for bringing forward
CRAIG Haupt scored an unbeaten century as Oxfordshire beat Buckinghamshire by six wickets in a one-day friendly at a bitterly cold Aston Rowant yesterday. The big Banbury left-hander made 100 before retiring hurt with an elbow injury as Oxon successfully
Banbury United climbed out of the Evo-Stik Southern League Premier Division relegation zone with a 2-1 victory at nine-man Hitchin on Saturday. The result saw the Puritans climb four places, but just two points from the drop-zone. The
Oxford City saw their slim hopes of winning the Evo-Stik Southern League Premier Division title virtually disappear as they were held to a 1-1 draw by strugglers Redditch on Saturday. Mike Ford’s side now need to win two of their remaining
COUNCILLOR Rodney Rose’s confirmation that the 20mph speed limit on many of Oxford roads has been an expensive waste of money (Oxford Mail, April 4), will surprise no-one with any common sense. Attempts to blame Thames Valley Police for not actively
ALTHOUGH I have never voted Labour in a General Election, I have every respect for Oxford East MP Andrew Smith, who, for the past 24 years, has served his constituents extremely well. I think it’s disgusting that the Tories want to change the constituency
AS AN atheist and a pacifist, I wonder at the current hypocrisy. We see regularly soldiers returning from tours of duty, after fighting in Afghanistan. The soldiers are trained to kill people, mainly other soldiers, sometimes civilians get in the way
NO NEED to go over the obvious ins and outs of why we end up without a water storage system, as yet more concrete is laid to hurry rainwater even faster to the rivers, then out to the sea. No, we want a sensible cure to the drought, which is rain –
IN THIS nation of supposed animal lovers it is too often erroneously assumed that wildlife in general exists in a state of sublime tranquillity. However, following the Government’s decision that a mass cull of badgers is necessary to overcome the incidence
THANK you to all those Oxford Mail readers who have sent me used postage stamps in the past to help the blind. Can I please appeal again for any used postage stamps? We collect these for the Oxfordshire Association for the Blind, and would be grateful
NOT wishing to steal any thunder from my esteemed colleague and fellow columnist Peter Unsworth, I too overheard a revealing conversation last Thursday. Two young boys, aged between eight and 10, were walking their bikes along Botley Road, doing what
A Kosovan kicked out of Britain after an attempted murder came back to Oxford to commit another offence. Refik Dedja was jailed for eight years in 2004 after he was involved in a workplace stabbing in Standlake. But despite being deported
It has battled snow and ice in Oxford for more than 15 years, but is now set for a new lease of life in the Southern hemisphere. The 1996 gritting lorry, which will be shipped to South Africa by its new owner, was among a collection of machines
THERE is enough wrong with this country’s border security without the problem of ‘boomerang’ illegal immigrants waltzing back in. Twice last week judges at Oxford Crown Court sentenced men who had been deported once, only to come back and commit fresh
HENRIETTA Knight has called for a reduction in the John Smith’s Grand National field in the wake of Saturday’s dramatic race. Knight sent out Calgary Bay from her West Lockinge stables, near Wantage, to finish 14th of the 15 finishers in the Aintree
A WOMAN rescued by firefighters from her home in Cowley Road remained heavily sedated in hospital yesterday. Firefighters tackled the blaze near the Cape of Good Hope pub at about 6pm on Friday. The woman was trapped on the first floor after a sofa
CHRIS Wilder thought tension had a detrimental impact on Oxford United in Saturday’s goalless draw with Gillingham – but felt hard done by with a late penalty decision which went against his side. The U’s had the clearer chances to take all three points
BLACKBIRD Leys Adventure Playground reopens today after being closed for more than two years. The Oxford Mail was delighted to help this happen with our Gannett Foundation grant recently. But the real heroes are Kieran Watson and his band of volunteers
THREE men have appeared in court charged with attempted murder. Abdul Adan, 20, Michael Edwards, 25, and Kevin Mwaura, 23, are accused of attacking Kirk Smith in Balfour Road, Blackbird Leys, on January 14. None of the men had to enter a plea at Oxford
SEVEN months ago, volunteers at an Oxford playground were just seconds away from announcing it had closed for good. But thanks to the tireless efforts of residents – and a helping hand from the Oxford Mail – the Blackbird Leys Adventure Playground
BUSINESSES are delighted at news that major roadworks on one of Oxford’s main arterial routes are running ahead of schedule. Oxfordshire County Council is resurfacing Iffley Road between The Plain roundabout and Donnington Bridge, at a cost of £2.5m.
IT’S hundreds of years old, yet Oxford Castle is embracing a new technology fad in its latest promotional stunt. Oxford Castle Unlocked is planting 12 vintage keys in ‘geocaches’ across the county – an activity where people try to hunt hidden containers
