It's a warm welcome from the press box at Portsmouth High School, where we're just under 45 minutes away from kick-off. Good evening all. Now the Olympic opening ceremony is out of the way it's nearly time for the main event. Seacoast
Olympian and Australian record holder Craig Mottram heads a strong field for tonight’s Iffley Road Festival of Miles. The former world 5,000m bronze medallist has a best time of 3mins 48.98secs for the mile, so could break his own track record
People convicted of offences at Magistrates' Courts around the county recently BANBURY David Turnock , 44, of Fane Drive, Berinsfield, admitted causing £264.40 of criminal damage to a taxi window. Also convicted of using threatening, abusive
A couple are having to move out of their North Oxford home because of new council rules about rented houses. Young professional Holly Edmundson, who works for Oxford University Press, lives with her partner Edward Gillespie and a third housemate
TO be or not to be? That is the question for these actors trying to put together a production of Hamlet in a week. Eight students from Oxford are working against the clock to produce a show to perform in front of friends and family. Albert
THE former owner of an Oxford shop hanged himself after battling mental illness, an inquest has heard. Stephen Cooper, who ran Honest Stationery, in Cowley Road, was found dead in the garden of his home in Crescent Road, Cowley. The 53-year-old
The Manor House Gallery in Churchill Road, Chipping Norton is on fire. The fire service currently has four pumps in attendance after being called at 5.07pm. More to follow.
A MAJORITY of oxfordmail.co.uk readers have today backed Sir Roger Bannister, famous for breaking the four-minute mark for the mile, to light the Olympic cauldron tonight. The identity of the sportsperson who will light the cauldron during tonight's
AN innovative project is giving Banbury school leavers confidence as well as helping the environment. Since February, about 80 bikes have been collected from Alkerton Household Waste Recycling Centre near Banbury to be worked on by young people
BICESTER’S Crown Walk shopping centre has been added to the town’s growing list of refurbishment projects. The work was announced as the £70m town centre’s redevelopment reached a major milestone. The shopping area will get new paving, landscaping
A SEAT dedicated to the memory of Wallingford couple Katherine and Jim Ely is back after a seven-year absence. The couple lived in the town all their lives and the seat was put in St John’s Green as a tribute. But it had to be removed seven
Sophie Treadwell’s influential 1928 play Machinal begins amid the clattering of typewriters and incessant ringing of telephones — a racket that supplied the background to daily labour for all of us who knew office life before computers and email.
IF you can assess the comfort of a vehicle by the speed that passengers drift off into the land of nod then Vauxhall is on to a winner with the Zafira Tourer. Twice in a week my three travelling ‘companions’ were asleep, and in one case snoring
Seat has released pictures of the all-new Leon, which the company hopes will take the fight to its fast-advancing rivals. At 5cm shorter than the outgoing model but with a wheelbase almost 6cm longer, the wheels are noticeably closer to the corners
BUTCHER Vince Montgomery has launched the Wantage Sausage – and watched the sizzling success go into orbit. The breakfast sausage, named after the town where it was devised, is a mouthwatering mix of black pudding, bacon and gammon. Its creator
A VISIONARY invention by an Oxford professor to help people in the developing world to see has returned to its Oxford roots. Adlens http://adlens.com/ , leading producer of adaptable spectacles, has opened its world headquarters at King Charles
A PUBLIC consultation meeting on the plan for Oxfordshire’s major hospitals to become an NHS Foundation Trust will be held on Tuesday in Chipping Norton. Foundation trusts are part of the NHS but independent bodies, run by a board of governors
A CHILD care centre based at Oxford Airport made homeless in June has been saved. Little Gems Child Care was forced to shut after the gym it was renting space from at the Kidlington airport closed. But now a new company, Vida Value Gyms Ltd, has
AUTO enthusiasts are gearing up for the highlight of the classic car calendar. Oxfordshire’s finest Morris Minors, Minis and MGs will take over Court Place Farm in Marston for the fifth Cowley Classic Car Show on Sunday, August 12, from noon.
A VIVID verbal picture of Britain created by an Oxford schoolboy has won a national poetry competition. Pedr Davies beat competition from more than 400 other writers to win the youth section of the Buxton Poetry Competition with his poem “Welcome
HOPES have been raised of a ‘happy ending’ for a Woodstock play park under threat of development. Woodstock Town Council received a letter from landowner Caledonia Land and Properties Ltd on July 16 giving notice to quit the Rosamund Drive playground
MAGGIE Whalley, a warden at the Oxfordshire Animal Sanctuary in Stadhampton, has died. Ms Whalley, 57, died on Monday at Sobell House Hospice in Headington, after losing her fight with cancer. Her funeral will take place on Thursday at Oxford
A SECOND World War veteran who was evacuated from Dunkirk, fought at Arnhem and twice escaped from a German prisoner of war camp has died. The family of Bill Gibbard, 93, of Woodstock, have given the Oxford Mail exclusive access to his account
TOO few of the brave heroes who stood up against the Nazi jackboot spoke about their wartime experiences in any depth. Many of our Second World War veterans have now passed away, taking the stories of their heroism and sacrifices to the grave.
Minor Counties Championship VICTORY over Herefordshire saw Oxfordshire move up to fourth place in the Western Division. Oxon are 12 points behind leaders Cornwall, who they play at Great & Little Tew from August 5-7. Should they win
ECB 50+ County Championship OXFORDSHIRE failed to reach the knockout stages for the first time in eight years after a nine-wicket defeat to Shropshire at Shrewbury. The heavy reverse prevented Oxon progressing from Group 4, but even then they
FOR more than a quarter of a century Paula White has been the reassuring smile and warm welcome that greets some of Oxfordshire’s sickest children. She has watched from the front desk at the Oxford Children’s Hospital (Chox) as they flourish under
While Bradley Wiggins was winning the Tour de France, two Oxfordshire cyclists also enjoyed notable victories at the weekend. Emily Wadsworth, from Drayton, near Abingdon and Lewis King, from Appleton won titles in the National Cross Country Mountain
Sean Rigg is looking to build on the confidence gained from opening his Oxford United goalscoring account when their US tour continues tonight. The summer signing notched his first goal in a U’s shirt in Tuesday’s 2-1 win against Seacoast United
Serious Cricket Home Counties Premier League Division 2 West SIMON Hole says Shipton-under-Wychwood’s batsmen must raise their game if they are to pull clear of the relegation zone. Shipton, who are ninth, host Harefield, with Steve Bates
ROGER Tucker (Oxford Mail, July 24) is sadly misinformed if he believes that Gordon Brown took us into the EU. In fact it was Edward Heath who took us in about 40 years ago. The main contribution Gordon Brown made to the debate on Europe was
WHEN the Co-op nursery was built on the skateboard park, in Blackbird Leys Park, Cuddesdon Way/Pegasus Road, £60,000 was set aside to create a new one. Since then a site has been earmarked in Frys Hill for the new one. Consultations have taken
COUNCIL education cabinet member Melinda Tilley stated: “we don’t start taking away school halls and turn them into classrooms” (Oxford Mail, July 23). This is not a truthful or accurate statement because this is happening now at New Marston Primary
THANK you to all those who have sent me used postage stamps in the past. Can I please appeal again for any used postage stamps? We collect these for the Oxfordshire Association for the Blind and would be grateful for any used stamps. No matter
IT was the hottest day of the year. Yet Miss W*** – I don’t know her first name and wouldn’t dare to use it if I did – wore her usual calf-length tweed skirt while her matching jacket had given way to a light cardigan. Her appearance still befitted
What I’m called: Sandy Briscoe My age in years: 57 What I do: I am the fundraising manager MinstF(Cert) for an Oxfordshire Charity called Daybreak – Oxford. It is a specialist charity that offers respite for carers and stimulation and support
Hannah England says she is fully focused on athletics, despite the increased media and commercial interest in her. The 25-year-old Oxford City athlete will be a marked woman when she begins her 1,500m Olym-pics campaign with the first round on
Serious Cricket Home Counties Premier League Division 1 IAN Hawtin is set to return as Banbury captain for tomorrow’s home clash with leaders High Wycombe. Hawtin had feared the fractured elbow he sustained in a fall at home might rule
ROGER Tucker again states that Gordon Brown took us in to Europe. Mr Brown did not take us into Europe. The referendum took place in 1975, and Gordon Brown was not even in Parliament until he became Member of Parliament for Dunfermline east
Bill Gates has given $10m dollars to develop GM crops at John Innes Centre, which, it is claimed, if successful will end starvation in Africa. I am afraid this will not help. Those in Africa will increase their population to compensate for extra
To talk of a lack of Israeli atrocities (Oxford Mail, July 19), is to air brush the recent war in Gaza, the Mavi Mamara murders, and ongoing atrocities that happen practically everyday of the week. The Palestinians being offered 95 per cent would
I AM grateful to Steve Jack for sharing my concern over double-standards applied to the Israel/Palestine tragedy (Oxford Mail, July 19). I have no information on the rights Palestinians have in other Arab countries, but I do remember the rights
SATURDAY CRICKET SERIOUS CRICKET HOME COUNTIES PREMIER LEAGUE Div 1: Banbury v High Wycombe, Henley v Welwyn Garden City, Oxford v Potters Bar. Div 2 West: Cove v Aston Rowant, Farnham Royal v Thame Tn, Shipton-under-Wychwood v Harefield
Oxford City ace Hannah England says she can’t wait to sample the atmosphere in the London 2012 Olympic Stadium. The 25-year-old begins her 1,500m campaign on August 6 in front of 80,000 people, which will be a rather different experience to her
Alfie Potter is expected to start as Oxford United continue their US tour against Seacoast United Phantoms tonight. A sore hamstring kept the winger out of Tuesday’s 2-1 win against Seacoast United Mariners and the 1-1 draw at Didcot Town last
A REVOLUTIONARY pill for Multiple Sclerosis sufferers that was trialled at Oxford’s John Radcliffe Hospital will be routinely prescribed on the NHS next week. The National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (Nice) has published final
Oxford City Stars have re-signed long-serving player Nick Oliver and promoted promising junior Michael Raff to the senior ranks. Oliver made his first appearance for the Stars in the 2003 season and was soon a mainstay of their team.
A SECOND case of the Schmallenberg virus, which can cause illness and birth defects in sheep, goats and cattle has been confirmed in Oxfordshire. The first case of the virus was discovered in cattle in the county in June. The Animal Health
A SUSPECT in an alleged child prostitution ring investigation has again been bailed by police. The man answered bail yesterday and will have to again on August 24. He was arrested as part of Operation Bullfinch – an investigation into abuse
A WOMAN was in hospital last night with serious injuries after a crash on Oxford’s Northern Bypass. Emergency crews were called to the westbound carriageway of Elsfield Way at 7.50am. A witness told the Oxford Mail that a car had left the road
THE Lord Mayor of Oxford has hit back at what he called “outrageous” allegations that he made an inappropriate comment to a schoolgirl. Alan Armitage said the claim was “made up” and branded investigations by council chiefs a “witch hunt”.
A ROAD surface in Rose Hill will have a longer life after work by council staff. Workmen moved into Ashhurst Way on Wednesday and spent the past two days carrying out “surface dressing” to the road. The process involves tarring, spraying and chipping
A CONSULTATION into changes to Oxford City Council ’s Barton West scheme will begin today. Residents will have until September 7 to put their views forward on the alterations to the plan which came out of the hearing last week. This includes
HUNDREDS of families in Blackbird Leys yesterday enjoyed a day out in the sunshine as an old tradition returned to the estate. The first Leys Play Day for over a decade was held on the Blackbird Leys Park. It saw more than 1,500 people enjoy
Oxford City rider Tom Yeatman took the honours in their ten-mile time trial on the fast A40 course at Witney in the Beeline Bicycles sponsored summer series. Yeatman finished nearly a minute ahead of clubmate Rich Harrison with a time of 20mins 16secs
A CONTROVERSIAL barcode scanning system which identifies patients at Oxfordshire’s hospitals has won a national safety award. It is hoped the system, which can request tests from a patient’s bedside electronically, could almost completely rid the
A BURST water main is causing problems in Kidlington this morning . Engineers are currently on site near the shops in Oxford Road to try and establish what has happened. Thames Water spokesman Craig Rance said 43 properties were currently experiencing
A development in Park End Street was thrown out by councillors after it was claimed too many developers were dodging social housing rules. Cantay Investments Ltd had applied to build nine two-bedroom flats behind Cantay House in Park End Street
BABY crocodiles from an at-risk sub-species have been born at a conservation centre in Oxfordshire. Eleven West African dwarf crocodiles, from a clutch of 18, have been born at Crocodiles of the World in Crawley, near Witney, since Monday.
