FIFTY people have signed up to volunteer for the Oxfordshire Reading Campaign in its first week. And 12 schools of the 81 who have been invited to get involved have so far committed to taking part. The National Literacy Trust, which is running
THE Oxfordshire Reading Campaign is a great idea to improve literacy levels in primary schools. I have just finished visiting all of the schools in my constituency. They are a diverse collection. But, all of them take the need to improve literacy
THE head of creative learning at Oxford’s Pegasus Theatre is the latest to lend her support for the Oxfordshire Reading Campaign. Yasmin Sidhwa, a mum of three who lives in Cowley, has been involved in putting on a host of productions at the theatre
Oxford United have signed Rotherham United defender Johnny Mullins on loan until January. The signing, which was confirmed by the U's on Saturday morning, will help to cover for the 26-year-old's former Rotherham teammate Michael Raynes, who suffered
Wantage NCT says if it does not find three new committee members by the end of October it will have to close down. The parent support charity requires each of its groups to have a governing committee of four in order to run, and the Wantage group
AEA Technology 0.055 BMW 4930 Electrocomponents 207.8 Nationwide Accident Repair 60.75 Oxford Biomedica 2.75 Oxford Catalysts 94.5 Oxford Instruments 1361 Reed Elsevier 610.25 RM 83.25 RPS Group 252.3 Courtesy of Redmayne Bentley
Oxfordshire County Council has found new operators for all the bus routes previously served by RH Transport, which went out of business yesterday. School services will run to their previous timetables and passengers using the commercial routes
A PIONEERING way to manage diabetes has changed the life of the first county youngster to get it on the NHS, his mother has said. Type 1 diabetes sufferer Charlie Evans has worn a device that monitors his blood sugar level taped to his back for
THE mother of tragic musician Aaron Buron today said she was leaving God to deal with her son's teenage killer. Cheers erupted from a packed public gallery as the jury delivered their unanimous verdict after just two hours at Oxford Crown Court
OXFORD United have found a new operator at short notice to run their special buses to the Kassam Stadium for tomorrow's game against Gillingham. But the club urgently needs fans to come forward to volunteer as fare collectors on the services, which
AS gym administrator at RAF Benson, near Wallingford, part of Jane Goodfellow’s job is overseeing the health and well-being of staff on the helicopter base. Now service personnel and their famliies are rallying round Mrs Goodfellow after she was
HAYDAN O’Callaghan has been convicted of the murder of musician Aaron Buron in Rose Hill. A jury at Oxford Crown Court this afternoon unanimously found the 18-year-old guilty of the 29-year-old’s murder in March. There were cheers from
TWO pieces of UK railway history have come to Oxfordshire after spending more than four decades Down Under. Former Oxford resident David Green, 68, has returned two plates he took to New Zealand when he emigrated in 1966. He acquired the numberplate
RESERVIST pilots who helped train RAF Brize Norton personnel to fly Voyager aircraft have received military wings. Flight Lieutenants Iain Cullen, James Davis and Kieran Roebuck received the honour at a ceremony at the Carterton airbase at the
Thomas Bowden (North Oxford) won the men’s singles championships at the Senior County Closed tournament. The unseeded Bowden defeated eighth seed Paul Butcher (Virgin Active) 6-3, 6-2. Bowden had already beaten the first, fourth and seventh
A HUGE plaster centaur, a bronze and rock crystal chandelier and a rocketship are all set to go under the hammer in a £1m sale. The items are part of a 450 piece collection of curiosities belonging to Aynhoe Park owner James Perkins. From today
TRAIN operator First Great Western has stepped in to keep the Charlbury railbus routes C1 and T1 running today after operator RH Transport went into administration. FGW has contracted City Taxis of Oxford and Masons Coaches to provide vehicles
AN Oxford care home now has a trio of centenarians after a retired electrical shop owner celebrated his birthday yesterday. Charles Lambert is the latest to join Lady Nuffield Care Home’s 100 club. Other residents at the Banbury Road home to have
WHEN 20-year-old Katharine Ross went to a meeting in her local church 70 years ago, little could she have known what it would start. The meeting, at the University Church of St Mary the Virgin in High Street, saw the birth of the Oxford Committee
All Together Different is a great title for a collaborative exhibition, in a unique location, making a contribution to a rather special charity, Calibre (Talking books for the blind). The artist, Caroline Meynell, came up with the concept of inviting
THIS WEEK'S FIXTURES SATURDAY FOOTBALL NPOWER LEAGUE TWO Oxford Utd v Gillingham. FA CUP 3rd qual round: Didcot Tn v Maidenhead Utd, Yate Tn v North Leigh. UHLSPORT HELLENIC LEAGUE Bluefin Spts Cup 1st round: Henley Tn v Lydney
PLANS for an £8.2m business centre scheme at Oxford Spires Academy have been recommended for approval by city planners. Councillors have been asked by officers to approve the proposals, which mark a new era for the school. The Reuben Business
ATHLETICS legend Sir Roger Bannister will send 4,000 runners ‘off their marks’ at this weekend’s British Heart Foundation Blenheim Half Marathon. Former Oxford University student Sir Roger, the first man to run a mile in less than four minutes,
BICESTER’S £70m town centre redevelopment is on target as its owners work to attract “high quality” stores to the town. The skeleton of a new Sainsbury’s supermarket, a seven-screen cinema, shops and car park is now in place. Work is continuing
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THE jury has gone out in the murder trial of Haydan O'Callaghan. O'Callaghan, of Saunders Road, East Oxford, denies murdering musician Aaron Buron. The 18-year-old admits manslaughter but denies murdering the 29-year-old in St Martin’s Road
A WOMAN was treated for smoke inhalation after an ‘explosion’ at a house in East Oxford yesterday. Fire crews were called to Morrell Avenue at about 10.15am and firefighters blocked off the road until midday while they carried out checks to make
TRADERS and residents said last night they were bracing themselves for the impact of controversial new parking restrictions to be put in place in a matter of days. The controversial controlled parking zones (CPZs) for East Oxford were approved
British junior rower Leanne Reeves was the star of the Wallingford Sculls. Returning to her home club, Reeves, who was competing for the first time in St Edward’s School, Oxford colours, turned in two impressive performances. She won the J17
CHINNOR head coach Jason Bowers hopes his players can rise to the occasion when they host promotion-chasing Worthing Raiders in National 2 South tomorrow (2.30). Bowers admits Chinnor have blown a little hot and cold so far this campaign, winning
Didcot Town boss Gary Elkins is confident his players can write a new chapter in the club’s history by beating Blue Square Bet South side Maidenhead United at Loop Meadow Stadium in tomorrow's FA Cup third-qualifying round tie. Although their opponents
VISITORS to Oxford this weekend are invited to get creative with chalk and leave their mark on Oxford Castle. The Big Draw, a national event, encourages people to explore their creativity through drawing. The event at Oxford Castle – Unlocked
If you find theatre too contained and restricted and fancy trying something a bit different then The Quiet Volume could be for you, writes Katherine MacAlister THE Quiet Volume is about reading, encapsulating the world of books through words, talking
KATHERINE MacALISTER and her teenage sons enjoy a curry night with a bit of a difference Shhhhhhh! Don’t tell the Curry Brothers, but there are some new contenders in town, ready for a grand showdown, pistols at dawn. They are a bit young actually
Tim Hughes comes face to face with the eloquent, and now single, king of electronica – Dan le Sac MORECAMBE & Wise, Lennon and McCartney, Sonny & Cher... err, Ian and ‘Wee’ Jimmy Krankie. Great things often come in pairs...and in the
TIM HUGHES talks to Richard Walters about his new tour, and about returning home to Oxford WHEN Richard Walters returned to Oxford, he feared he may have made a mistake. The singer-songwriter had, after all, carved out a very impressive career
YOUR editorial asks (Oxford Mail, October 3) what has changed in the year since the Oxpens lapdancing club was first awarded a licence? Surely there is a straightforward answer: Government rules have changed. If the present rules had been in
TRAVELLING behind an Oxford Bus Company vehicle, I was impressed that it stated zero particulate emissions. The air smelt clean and fresh, which makes a nice change from most other buses. This is surely the way forward for other bus companies
I NOTICE that “(lap-dancing) club owner Al Thompson said that... 50 girls worked for him” and that this “perfectly viable business” ought to be enabled by our city council to keep employing female staff to work naked in the evenings. Are those
MY wife was taken ill this week and I wish to say a huge thank you to: the doctors and staff at Morland House Surgery, Wheatley; the ambulance crew; A&E department; the assessment unit, all staff on Ward 7F, the porters and indeed all staff at
The proposed development of Crab Hill north-east of Wantage has surfaced once more. Why is good quality, grade-II agricultural land being designated for development when poorer grade land is available in the area? Should the development ever get
THANK you for reporting the “inflation-busting” pay increases awarded to Oxford’s top health bosses (Oxford Mail, October 4). In its call for greater transparency, the High Pay Commission states that high executive pay is “corrosive” to the UK
A CORONER has said a man, who died after his mobility scooter plunged into the Thames, took his own life. Pensioner William Monk died in May when he drove his scooter from the towpath into the river by Abingdon Bridge. Oxfordshire Coroner Darren
Jake Forster-Caskey says he is happy to play anywhere for Oxford United after taking on a new role in midweek. The teenager has been a big hit since joining on loan from Brighton & Hove Albion in the summer. He has mainly been used as an
Former Oxford United defender Dave Langan will be at tomorrow’s home game against Gillingham to promote his autobiography. The Republic of Ireland international was part of United’s Milk Cup-winning side of 1986. He will be at The Priory from
Few people in football can call on the depth of experience Andy Melville has at his disposal. But even the Oxford United first-team coach admitted he moved into uncharted territory by the side’s recent losing slump. A desperate September saw
Jenny Eclair is a legend, not only in her fans’ eyes, but also in those of her fellow comics. Katherine MacAlister tracks her down before her gig in Chipping Norton JENNY Eclair is reminiscing about her early years as a comedian. “It was like doing
TAKEN 2 (12A) Action/Thriller/Romance. Liam Neeson, Maggie Grace, Famke Janssen, Luke Grimes, Rade Serbedzija, Leland Orser, Jon Gries. Director: Olivier Megaton You’re never too old in Hollywood for a big screen renaissance. John Travolta’
THE PERKS OF BEING A WALLFLOWER (12A) Drama/Romance/Comedy. Logan Lerman, Emma Watson, Ezra Miller, Paul Rudd, Dylan McDermott, Kate Walsh, Nina Dobrev, Melanie Lynskey, Joan Cusack. Director: Stephen Chbosky The agonies and ecstasies of youth
THE teenager accused of murdering musician Aaron Buron yesterday told a jury he could not remember what happened because he was “extremely drunk.” Haydan O’Callaghan, of Saunders Road, East Oxford, was giving evidence at Oxford Crown Court when
PLANS to replace a garage block in Headington with three homes have been tipped for approval. Council officers have urged members of the East Area planning committee to approve the city council bid to develop land it owns, which currently includes
IT was three young children, their faces pressed against the offside windows of the blue Renault 308, who drew my attention to the problem. The car had a front-wheel puncture and a young woman was in the act of jacking up the vehicle. They were in
IAN HUDSPETH’S call on the best and brightest to lend some of their time to help as school governors is a sound one. Schools are increasingly becoming more like businesses and — while it would be folly to adopt an all-out corporate mentality —
OKAY children, please settle down! My name is Mr Boswell and I am your stand-in teacher for today. Those very important people at Oxfordshire County Council want you to improve your reading and writing. I have written something on the blackboard
I AM not a member of the Labour party, but I thought Ed Miliband’s speech at the conference was magnificent and inspirational. He connected splendidly with people as a whole and his vision of one nation was utterly sincere and relevant to us all
I WAS very pleased to read the news about the indefinite delay to plans for the Northern Gateway business park around Wolvercote: (‘Gateway traffic fears need to be looked at, Oxford Mail, September 28). I lead the group Engage Oxford, which opposed
North Leigh boss Mark Gee has urged his side to ignore the league table when they travel to Yate Town tomorrow – or face a quick exit from the competition. Although Yate are bottom of Evo-Stik Southern League Division 1 South & West and without
TRUE bravery in the face of danger is a trait most of us are confident we have. Yet until it is truly tested, you never can be fully confident — especially if that act of bravery is needed to save another instead of yourself. Our emergency
WHEN PAT McDonald was overpowered by smoke in a factory fire he “took his last breath and went to sleep”. The fact he is alive to tell the story is down to the exceptional bravery of two colleagues. With no regard for their own safety, Bartosz
Oxford United may have ended their slump in form with a win on Tuesday night, but there is a lot of work to do before the damage is undone, according to skipper Jake Wright. The U’s players had an extra spring in their step in training after beating
BUS passengers across Oxfordshire were today facing disruption after operator RH Transport went out of business. School pupils on routes across West Oxfordshire have been forced to find alternative transport while services to Oxford’s hospitals
Two men who were arrested on suspicion of arson following a blaze at Foresters Tower, Wood Farm, have been released on bail. Police arrested the two men after fire broke out at a flat in the 14-storey tower block, above, in the early hours on Tuesday
Former Oxford United loan midfielder Mark Wilson is among a group charged by the British Horseracing Authority (BHA) over an investigation into “suspicious betting activity”. The ex-Manchester United player made three starts and three substitute
A NURSE told Oxford hospital bosses he had malaria to cover up a problem with his work visa, a hearing was told yesterday. Anthony Aschkar had been on holiday in his home country of Ghana when customs officials stopped him from heading into the
A microbrewery has been fined £6,000 for health and safety failings. Oxfordshire Ales Limited, based in Marsh Gibbon, near Bicester, was warned in May 2010 that it needed to take action after the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) served an improvement
TRAGEDY strikes in the latest production at the Oxford Playhouse with the audience left to find out whodunnit. English Touring Theatre actors have returned to the theatre with the Somerset Maugham thriller The Sacred Flame, which opened at the
WERE you talking about ‘blue-arsed flies’ before 1970? If so, the creators of one of the world's most respected dictionaries would like to hear from you. The Oxford English Dictionary, published by Oxford University Press, has launched an online
