OXFORD could get its own currency by next year if an idea from local traders comes to fruition. Adam O’Boyle and other campaigners hope they can introduce Oxford’s answer to the successful Bristol Pound scheme by next year. The 27-year-old,
AN OXFORD man drowned after having too much to drink and falling into a city centre stream. Geoffrey Mahoney, who lived in Nursery Close, Headington, died on Saturday, January 5, in the Castle Mill Stream near Canal Street, Jericho, an inquest
THE jail sentence of a “thoroughly dishonest” serial burglar has been branded “a joke” by one of his victims. Prolific criminal Martin McDonagh, of Priory Road, Littlemore, Oxford, was jailed for three years and eight months for one burglary and
FIVE HUNDRED cyclists braved 70-mile or 102-mile rides through the Cotswolds on Sunday to raise money for Oxford hospice Helen & Douglas House, which helps seriously-ill children and young adults. The Circuit of the Cotswolds challenged riders
THIS is the four-year-old boy who died after being struck by a falling mirror at the Bicester Village shopping centre. Austen Harrison, four, of Crawley, West Sussex, was killed on June 8, after a fitting fell on him inside the Hugo Boss fashion
A COMPANY that was refused permission to build a private care home next to a health centre has appealed against the decision. Ashley House wants to build a 60-bed care home specialising in dementia behind the Mably Way health centre in Grove.
A heritage fair, boules tournaments and ghost trails were just a handful of the events at this year’s Burford Festival. The 10-day arts festival, which raises money for local causes, culminated this weekend with open gardens, right, and a family
MUM-OF-SIX Helen Boore has welcomed a fine for the former head of the firm behind Farepak, the savings business which collapsed leaving thousands out of pocket. Farepak ran a Christmas savings scheme which helped people to spread the cost of festive
THOUSANDS of motoring enthusiasts headed to Cornbury Park near Charlbury to celebrate 100 years of Morris cars. About 2,000 vintage cars travelled from as far afield as the USA to celebrate at the weekend the first car built by William Morris in
WORK has started to transform a run-down old theatre into a new free-running centre and community venue. Residents have been fundraising for three years in a bid to take over a former Faringdon theatre, behind the town’s Pump Room in Market Place
MORE than 130 young footballers put their best foot forward to help raise £3,700 for the Oxford Children’s Hospital. The 13 under-eight and under nine football teams took part in the Play2Give fundraising tournament at Court Place Farm on Sunday
PUPILS at Church Cowley St James Primary School became artists for a week for The National Gallery’s ‘Take One Picture’ scheme. More than 400 pieces of art – from paper plate top hats to playground street art – were on display in the school hall
THERE was a thrilling climax in Division 8 where Wallingford 2nd’s clash with hosts Shipton-under-Wychwood 3rd finished in a draw with scores level. Stuart Edwards (54), Mark Cox (36) and James Hopkins (30) shone in Wallingford’s 178-5, while Robert
Fewer children from state schools or poorer backgrounds are going to top universities, a report claimed. The Social Mobility and Child Poverty Commission said there were 126 fewer students from the most disadvantaged backgrounds at Russell Group
YOUNG Rowan Harink wore his special running shoes to meet Olympic rowing champion Zak Purchase at St John’s Primary School’s sports day. The four-year-old who won his race was one of a number of pupils handed trophies and medals on the school field
THE son of a woman who runs an animal sanctuary raided by the RSPCA said yesterday he never undertook paid work there. Bicester Magistrates’ Court heard Robert Russell, 25, referred to working at Crunchy’s on social networking sites. But he claimed
ABINGDON Vale 2nd closed the gap on the leaders by thrashing Kimble. Jason Cardy (3-12) and Luke Mitchell (3-29) put the visitors in early trouble, and they were soon all out for 69. Vale made it three wins on the bounce by cruising to 70-2
GRAHAM Judd starred with bat and ball as Westbury took over at the top of Division 1 after an 88-run victory at East & West Hendred on Saturday. He led the way with an unbeaten 53 in Westbury’s 218-7, while Hendred’s Jack Mulford took 6-72.
POLICE have defended themselves after failing to find a tape recorder vital in convicting wife-killer Andrew Parsons. Parsons was last month convicted of stabbing wife Janee to death in front of their young son in their Bicester home. The killing
IT simply is not good enough for detectives to have missed the voice recorder which taped the murder of Janee Parsons. This was a horrific killing and the house Mrs Parsons shared with her husband Andrew should have been searched with a fine tooth
SAM Hollingshead took 5-30 for Tiddington as Challow & Childrey collapsed to 72 all out on their way to a nine-wicket defeat. Challow’s decision to bat first looked sound when they reached 30 without loss from six overs. But a rain delay
TIM Hook hit his first ball into the sightscreen for six to clinch victory for Oxford Downs 2nd at Sandford St Martin. The hosts almost defended their modest 109, as all bar Jim Howe (31) struggled against Nick Rivett (5-15) and Steve Roberts (
PUPILS turned the clock back 100 years as they celebrated the centenary of their school. Youngsters from West Oxford Community Primary School in Ferry Hinksey Road dressed in Edwardian-style clothes and took part in lessons from the era yesterday.
MORNING leaders Great & Little Tew 2nd won praise from their opponents but nothing else after their brave run chase came up short. Buckingham 2nd posted 140-6 from 40 overs thanks to Andrew Thatcher (63no). Tew’s reply was reduced to 29
THE health boss who vowed to tackle bed-blocking “head-on” almost two years ago has admitted the number of delayed transfers of care is still unacceptable. In September 2011, Dr Stephen Richards, chief executive officer of the GP-led Oxfordshire
Ian Lenagan is hoping to help make the Football League stronger after being elected to the board. The Oxford United chairman was the overwhelming choice of League Two clubs to become their representative, receiving 18 out of a possible 23 votes
A man accused of raping a 14-year-old girl appeared at Oxford Crown Court yesterday. Owen Froude, 22, of Gainsborough Green, is charged with rape and causing or inciting a child aged between 13 and 17 to be involved in pornography. He was bailed
I’M SURE I am one of many people who have admired the knitted bands on the cycle rack at the South Avenue bus stop. What a nice idea, whoever thought of it – they are all different bright colours. Not only do they brighten up the cycle rack
It would have been polite for locals, including schoolchildren, to have been given the opportunity to attend the Oliver Cromwell blue plaque commemoration which took place on Sunday afternoon. It was a chance to expand public knowledge of local
THE coalition Government is keen to cut the costs of the disability living allowance bill, bringing in non-medically qualified flunkeys to do the politicians’ dirty work for them. DLA costs the nation £12bn per year. Foreign aid costs the UK £12bn
UNLIKE P Howard (ViewPoints, June 14), I am proud of our country’s overseas aid budget. Finances are tighter, but we are still one of the richest countries in the world and I believe that comes with a responsibility to help others who were born into
WHETHER or not the Government ought to scrap plans to legalise gay marriage (Oxford Mail, June 11), the reality is that it is now extremely unlikely to happen. David Cameron has invested too much personal prestige in the issue to do a U-turn. I
THE proposal for an estate extension to Barton, plans for which you published, has attracted a lot of criticism, especially the new bus and cycle flyover into Marston. While being nowhere as clever as the planners and experts, it would seem to my simple
The official teamsheet from Sir Alex Ferguson’s first game in charge of Manchester United when they played Oxford United at the Manor Ground is to be sold at auction on Saturday. Hand-written ahead of what is now a famous 2-0 Oxford win on November
CHILDREN will be able to enjoy a new play space at the Ark T Centre in Cowley from Friday. The centre in Crowell Road, which provides a creative space for young people, has received a £47,000 grant from BBC Children in Need and Oxfordshire County
OXFORD Downs’ troubled start to the Division 1 season continued on Saturday when they suffered a heavy defeat at the hands of Thame Town. The club expect to be challenging towards the top of the table, but are yet to win with a third of the season
LEADERS Horspath had a rare off day as they were hit all round the park by winless Buckingham Town – once the game got going. Not only did a shower delay the start, rain interrupted the action on three separate occasions before the first seven
I WAS appalled to find out this week that, despite the Government’s protestations that child detention for immigration purposes had been stopped, not only is this not true but the worst case of it was right under our noses in Kidlington! A juvenile
I AM sure the powers that be who are responsible for the maintenance of London Road, Headington, from the Green Road Roundabout never travel by bus to work in Oxford. If you don’t feel ill when you board the bus before Green Road, you certainly do
Oxford is to benefit from a pilot cycle hire scheme called Oxonbike after a successful bid by Oxfordshire County Council to the Government’s Local Sustainable Transport Fund. Yeah, I know what you’re thinking, we have heard this all before – but
For 48-year-old Brendon Cross, being named the 2012 Shaw Gibbs Oxfordshire Business Person of the Year was "probably the proudest moment of my life". His reign will come to an end tomorrow night, when the 2013 winners are announced, but he has
The Oxfordshire County Council Energy & Environment Award: Polythene UK, Witney: Nicholsons Nurseries, North Aston; Mapledurham Estates, Mapledurham The Oxford Brookes University Innovation Award: Oxford Gene Technology, Begbroke; Earth Save
A PUG puppy was illegally brought into the UK and sold to a Witney family. Zoldan Senkar, 43, from Tennyson Road, Aylesbury, tricked the family into buying the puppy for £500 online, trading standards officials said. It was brought into the
JURORS will continue deliberations at Oxford Crown Court today in the trial of two men accused of a fraud conspiracy. Mark Woodbridge, 42, and Nigel Horn, 58, deny planning to defraud shareholders of Torex Retail, which had offices in Witney and
A POWER cut at Oxford County Hall in New Road left a person stuck in a lift for 20 minutes this morning. Oxfordshire Fire and Rescue responded to the incident at 8.50am and rescued the trapped person by 9.10am. Southern Electric sent an engineer
Chris Wilder believes Oxford United’s players should relish the chance to knock out Championship opposition after being paired with Charlton Athletic in the Capital One Cup. The U’s will be attempting to repeat one of the finest cup nights in the
CHRISTINE and Mike Belcher have impressed the rich and famous with their wacky balloon sculptures at film premieres and on television. But the Abingdon entertainers, who have just appeared on national television again, are still committed to entertaining
POLICE have released CCTV images of a man and woman they want to question about a theft from an 83-year-old woman in Witney. The victim’s wallet was stolen near Waitrose in the Woolgate Centre in Market Square on May 30 at 1pm. The offenders
A PRISONER who sent Bullingdon Prison into a “deep freeze” with a bomb threat was jailed for six years yesterday. Mark Walker also sent threats to Home Secretary Theresa May after becoming frustrated with the probation service, Oxford Crown Court
A total of 41 motorists have been arrested on suspicion of drink-driving in the county since the launch of a summer campaign. Thames Valley Police launched the ‘Is it worth the risk?’ campaign on Saturday, June 1. Of those arrested up to June
A DRIVER was assaulted with a bike lock after a near-miss with a cyclist. Police are searching for the cyclist involved in the incident, which happened at about 5pm on Saturday in Parks Road, Oxford. Officers said a 32-year-old man was assaulted
INDEPENDENT traders have hit out after learning three more supermarket giants plan to open up in Headington. Retailers in London Road have spoken of “major concerns” about the impact the stores would have on the area and said the chains would “
SUPERMARKET war is on the brink of breaking out in Headington. Soon those living near London Road really will have more reasons to try something new after the triple news of Sainsbury, Tesco and Morrisons setting up shop. Unsurprisingly, independent
JOHN Connaughton and Johnny Morris scored hat-tricks as Oxford Cavaliers put Somerset Vikings to the sword at the Southern Bypass Ground. The home side excelled in attack, running in 15 tries, but also produced an impressive defensive display to
STEVE Blake hit two maximums as Marlborough Club came from behind in style to thrash hosts Democrats Club in Section 2. Mark Bayliss won the opening game, but that was as good as it got for the home side. Marlborough went on to win all the
RECYCLING is being celebrated across the county this week with news that 60 per cent of the county’s waste is being recycled. The figure is the same as in June last year, but higher than the previous year, when 55.12 per cent of waste was recycled
Ferraris old and new filled the grounds of Blenheim Palace on Sunday for the Ferrari Owners’ Club Rally. Despite the overcast weather, owners and crowds of Ferrari admirers attended the event. For Richard Edwards, 28, a Ferrari enthusiast,
ROSE Hill resident Richard Kiriisa was among the men on the estate who took advantage of a free health check-up. The health bus was in The Oval on Thursday as part of an event to encourage men on the estate to take care of their health. Oxford
A NEW senior policeman has asked people to work with his officers to help beat crime in Oxfordshire. New Assistant Chief Constable Chris Shead said residents needed to trust and talk to officers to help Thames Valley Police learn more about what
THE kindness of a stranger brought a smile back to Nial Mackenzie’s face. The disabled 23-year-old was robbed of his PlayStation 3 when hooded thugs burst into his home and assaulted his dad. But after his story appeared in the Oxford Mail
