Archive

  • Make reading a lot of laughs

    TOP author Alan Gibbons will give the keynote speech at an Oxford conference tomorrow aimed at putting the fun back into reading for children. Local representatives from the National Union of Teachers, NUT, have organised the event in support of

  • Sexual assault in Stanford in the Vale

    A woman was sexually assaulted in Stanford in the Vale. The assault is believed to have taken place around three weeks ago on a grassy area behind Hunter’s Field. The allegation was made to police this week. An appeal for witnesses who

  • ANGLING: Herbert tops in league opener

    Matt Herbert took the honours in the first round of the Oxford Summer League was fished by seven teams of six on the Kennet & Avon Canal around the Great Bedwyn area. As in the previous week’s practice match, bream dominated from the features

  • Extra care housing nears completion

    WORK is nearing completion on 50 supported living flats in Yarnton. The final roof tile was laid at Erdington House in Cresswell Close on Sunday. It will open in late November with one and two-bedroom apartments for rent and shared ownership

  • CRICKET: Eales is on song for Banbury

    Tyrone Eales’s all-round display helped Banbury beat Bicester & North Oxford by 40 runs in their Oxfordshire quarter-final of the ECB Under 15 Club Championship. Eales hit 36 and Thomas Bunting 35 in Banbury’s 130-6, then the former took 3-

  • CRICKET: Norgrove top spell can't save Shipton

    Leg-spinner Ben Norgrove’s excellent figures of 4-6 were not enough to earn Shipton-under-Wychwwod B a home victory over Charlbury in Group D of the Oxfordshire Under 13 League. Norgrove’s super spell helped restrict Charlbury to 92-8, Ross Jus-zack

  • Dogs to have their day at carnival

    A DOG SHOW will be part of the carnival at Pingle Field, Bicester, for the first time this year. The canine contest will join pony rides, a Home Guard re-enactment and an inflatable army assault course at the event on Saturday, June 29. The

  • Council U-turn over arts cash so police can get money

    THAMES Valley Police has forced a council U-turn after it was refused cash for policing so hundreds of thousands of pounds could be spent on public art. In April the Defence Infrastructure Organisation was given planning permission to build 1,900

  • Ride will honour sister’s memory

    A WOMAN who lost her sister to bowel cancer at the age of 36 is to cycle through Europe from her loved one’s graveside. Daniella Gatt will set off on July 10 from the Kidlington cemetery where her sister Chantelle is buried. She and boyfriend

  • Jake is PM’s hero for saving Leafield village fete

    A TEENAGER has won praise from David Cameron after getting his community together to restart a village fete. Jake Acock, 15, felt he had nothing to look forward to after Christmas and fondly remembered attending Leafield fete as a child. He

  • Fresh moves to revive pub

    PLANS to bring an East Oxford pub back into use have been unveiled, after a bid to convert it into housing was blocked. Woodchester Estates Limited has applied for planning permission to build two homes next to the Chester Arms in Chester Street

  • On track for some serious fun

    PEOPLE with disabilities were shown sport is for everyone at a special activities day. The Have A Go Sports Day event was held at Horspath Sports Ground on Tuesday. The day also featured a “Wheels for All” event as part of Bike Week where those

  • Woman in Banbury dies after falling from a window

    A 20-year-old woman in Banbury has died after reportedly falling from a third-storey window. Emergency services were called to West Street in Grimsbury, in the early hours of yesterday morning. Police said the woman suffered “extensive injuries

  • Thieves target cars at sports venues

    Cars parked near Oxford sports venues were targeted by thieves who stole items including cash, clothes and massage oils. Nine vehicles were broken into between 7.30pm and 10pm on Monday at locations including Oxford City Football Club, North Oxford

  • Residents back drive to tackle noise nuisance

    NEIGHBOURS have welcomed the seizure of stereo and TV equipment from a house in Barton after a raft of noise complaints. Sherwood Place residents said they had lost sleep over the racket coming from a terraced house that played booming dance music

  • Football fans dismayed at closure of Priory pub

    OXFORD United fans say they are dismayed at losing their match-day pub, which closed suddenly. Landlord Tim Rackley, who was living at The Priory, next to the Kassam Stadium in Grenoble Road, said he was ordered to leave by owner Firoz Kassam and

  • Grandmother backs call to stop hospital restraint

    A GRANDMOTHER who attempted suicide after her “humiliating” treatment at an Oxford mental health hospital has backed calls to ban the “life-threatening” restraint of patients. Rosemary Wilson was subjected to a face-down restraint by three nurses

  • Man collapses in city centre

    Paramedics took a man to hospital after he collapsed in Oxford's High Street. An ambulance arrived at around noon yesterday after the incident. South Central Ambulance Service spokesman James Keating-Wilkes said the man suffered complications

  • Teens robbed in raid on home

    Armed robbers threatened teenagers with knives and a hammer in a “frightening” house raid in Cholsey. Six victims, aged between 14 and 17, were robbed of mobile phones and cash on Tuesday evening. Three men forced their way into the house,

  • Rugby team London Welsh stay at the Kassam

    LONDON Welsh will stay at Oxford’s Kassam Stadium next season, the club announced tonight. The Exiles considered a number of options after being relegated from the Aviva Premieship, including playing at Iffley Road or returning to Richmond.

  • Street to shut

    REGENT Street in East Oxford will be closed to traffic from Monday while it is resurfaced. Oxfordshire County Council will be carrying out the work in phases over 20 working days.

  • MRC focuses on century of medical marvels

    SCIENTISTS marked 100 years of life-saving research with a celebration at their laboratories in Harwell yesterday. The Medical Research Council was founded in London on June 20, 1913. It has since made countless scientific breakthroughs and

  • FIXTURES: June 22-28

    SATURDAY CRICKET SERIOUS CRICKET HOME COUNTIES PREMIER LEAGUE Div 1: Harpenden v Banbury. Div 2 West: Dinton v Aston Rowant, Harefield v Oxford, Reading v Great & Little Tew. CHERWELL LEAGUE Div 1: Banbury 2nd v Leighton

  • Council mourns former member

    A FORMER West Oxfordshire District Council member has died at the age of 81. John Faulkner, from Stanton Harcourt, served on the district council between 1992 and 2002. He died on June 9. A memorial service will take place at St Michael’s Church

  • Housing association residents satisfied with service

    HOUSING association Cottsway has seen resident satisfaction with overall service increase to 92 per cent. The figure, from an independent survey of residents carried out in February and March, is a one per cent rise on last year. Cottsway had

  • College students have weather eye on space

    AN AMBITIOUS project to reach the outer edges of space will take flight at an Oxford school today. Pupils at d’Overbroeck’s College in Banbury Road are set to launch a weather balloon to record data about the earth’s atmosphere, which will then

  • COMMENT: Making our mark

    ALL hail Lucius Valerius Geminus. It is staggering the way that archaeologists and historians have managed to piece together the story of a Roman soldier now confirmed as the first identifiable resident of the county. Maybe old Lucius wasn’

  • Firm dismisses ex-CQC deputy

    THE former deputy chief executive of the Care Quality Commission Jill Finney, named as one of those implicated in the cover-up of the health regulator’s failure to investigate a spate of baby deaths, has been dismissed by the Oxfordshire firm she joined

  • CRICKET: Phillips tips Banbury replacements to shine

    Serious Cricket Home Counties Premier League BANBURY captain Jimmy Phillips in unfazed about missing Oxfordshire pair Jonny Cater and Ashley Blanchard for tomorrow’s Division 1 trip to Harpenden. Cater, a wicket-keeper/batsman, will be be absent

  • CRICKET: Brooks set for Yorkshire return

    JACK Brooks could not have picked a higher profile match to return from injury for Yorkshire today. The former Oxfordshire paceman faces a Surrey side in which England star Kevin Pietersen makes his first appearance of the summer. Brooks, who

  • ‘Impressive’ Westgate plans please shoppers

    SHOPPERS yesterday welcomed plans for Oxford’s new Westgate Centre and said the overhaul was long overdue. Dozens of people had their first glimpse of the £400m scheme at the launch of a series of public consultation events. The project, which

  • CRICKET: Cunningham's class tells

    ECB 50+ County Championship ALEC Cunningham’s unbeaten century fired Oxfordshire to a nine-wicket victory over Worcestershire at Bicester & North Oxford in Group 4. Cunningham hit 18 fours and a six in his knock of 106 as Oxon cruised to

  • FOOTBALL: Oxford City boss Ford snaps-up seven new faces

    FORMER Oxford United winger Tom Winters heads a string of seven new signings announced by Oxford City manager Mike Ford. Winters, 27, who joins from Brackley Town, has been a long-time target of Ford, whose side enjoyed a very promising debut campaign

  • Not a good impression

    MAY I assume that the artists who do the “artists impressions” for various developments have vivid imagination, but are not very good at drawing vehicles? Invariably, the scene depicts happy pedestrians strolling about in spacious, tree-lined,

  • Murderer not a martyr

    IN one of the recent outbursts from Mr Siret, he bangs the drum again against Israel. In a letter you published (ViewPoints, May 20), he tried to make a martyr out of the child murderer Mick Philpott. Your readers may judge what his opinions

  • Compassion no gesture

    THERE is something deeply unpleasant about Chris Robins’ reference to David Cameron’s support for gay marriage as a superficial gesture to help detoxify the Conservative Party. I have some reservations about this issue myself, but I have no doubts

  • Licence to pay more

    I received a letter recently regarding my TV licence renewal. I was surprised to be told that, at the age of 74, you can apply for a “short-term TV licence”, which is cheaper, and then a “free” licence on your 75th birthday. It said: “Could

  • CYCLING: Jones is on song

    Mark Jones, a second claim Oxford City rider, stormed to victory in the club’s ten-mile time trial on the Witney bypass. He crossed the line in 20mins 42secs, with Oxonian’s Malcolm Rose runner-up in 21.00. Mid Oxon’s Eamonn Deeley took third

  • You’re all Lionhearted

    Abingdon Lions Club were proud to present a heart defibrillator kit to the Volunteer First Responders. The First Responders are the first port of call for people calling 999 for chest pains in circumstances when the Ambulance Service is busy.

  • TENNIS: Bamber called up by Britain

    Liz Bamber, from Bampton, has been named as a reserve for Great Britain’s over 60s team for the Super Seniors World Championships in Austria and the Czech Republic in September. Before that, Bamber will share her experience by captaining Oxfordshire

  • Superb NHS care

    DURING early April I underwent a bowel cancer operation (hemicolectomy) at the Churchill and spent several days on the colorectal ward recovering. The experience and immediate after-effects of a major operation, though hardly pleasurable, were

  • Get your radio head on

    MELINDA Tilley on BBC Oxford (June 19) while talking about Oxfordshire County Council’s controversial idea to remove free bus transport to schools other than the nearest, remarked to presenter Phil Gale: “Why should you care, you haven’t got any children

  • On the spot: 'Not the rest of us'

    In reply to Melinda Tilley (ViewPoints, June 17) saying I can be relied upon to put the rest of us right, not “the rest of us”, Mrs Tilley. BRUCE ROSS-SMITH, Bowness Avenue, Headington

  • Strikes by unions have brought many benefits

    MAY I suggest that B Gibbs (ViewPoints, June 14) should make himself aware of all the circumstances of the cases of two postal workers who have been sacked before making comments about it being gross misconduct and/or theft. I agree that if the

  • RACING: Gannon's double joy

    Wantage-based jockey Cathy Gannon landed a double at Warwick yesterday with Lady Chantilly (20-1) and Wild Desert (6-1).

  • RACING: Elidor on mark for Channon

    West Ilsley trainer Mick Channon hit the target at Royal Ascot yesterday with 20-1 shot Elidor in the King George V Stakes. The three-year-old colt, a maiden after six starts, gave jockey Martin Harley a first winner at the metting. Channon

  • Protesters win right for Town Green bid

    A TOWN Green bid that could block a key access route to the new Oxford suburb at Barton West has cleared a major hurdle. Northway residents want a 4.5 acre green site on Foxwell Drive to become a Town Green, to protect the site from proposals for

  • RUGBY LEAGUE: Robinson back as Oxford eye revenge

    Brett Robinson is back from a one-match ban as Oxford RL seek revenge against South Wales Scorpions at The Gnoll, Neath, on Sunday. Robinson’s return gives Oxford a lift following their 42-28 defeat by Rochdale Hornets at Iffley Road. Oxford

  • PIGEON RACING: Results

    Shotover & District FC (Exeter, 13 sent 131): 1, 3, 8 K Shipperley 2283, 2272, 2248; 2, 9,10 Sherman & Wells 2274, 2236, 2235; 4, 11 P Wells 2268, 2235; 5, 6, 14 R B Clarke 2264, 2263, 2216; 7, 17, M/M P Perks 2256, 2202; 12 R Wiggins &

  • Political split on bypass

    I was surprised that the split on the North Hinksey Bypass is still wide open and the road is still closed (June 13) as, after a year, the county council still has no clue how to solve this. The county council should approach the Japanese.

  • CRICKET: Ryan is keeping positive

    Minor Counties Championship LUKE Ryan is backing his Oxfordshire side to come good in their Western Division clash with Cornwall at Truro, starting on Sunday. Ryan had a disappointing start to his three-day career as captain when Oxon collapsed

  • ROWING: Oxfordshire stars chasing glory

    Oxfordshire's Olympic rowers return to the scene of their London 2012 success today for the World Cup meeting at Eton Dorney. The main racing gets under way with heats from 10.24am, with semi-finals and repe-chages tomorrow and finals on Sunday

  • Harry Worley signs for Newport

    OXFORD United will face a third former player when they take on Newport County this season, after Harry Worley yesterday signed for the newly-promoted League Two club. The defender, who was released by United at the end of last season after three

  • Lorry backs out of a tight spot

    DRIVERS in Oxford faced delays yesterday morning as a lorry narrowly avoided getting stuck underneath the Botley Road railway bridge. Police were called at 10.15am after the lorry approached the bridge from Frideswide Square. Police spokesman

  • Rent a room in the Town Hall with a unique city view

    FOR more than a century it has housed Oxford’s political schemers, but soon the city’s Town Hall could actually be someone’s home. The flat in the 19th century building has been put up for rent as Oxford City Council attempts to make more efficient

  • RUGBY: Chalmers expecting Lions whitewash

    CRAIG Chalmers is tipping the British & Irish Lions to achieve a series whitewash in Australia. Former Scotland fly half Chalmers, who is Chinnor RFC’s new head coach, was part of the Lions’ squad who won Down Under in 1989. On that occasion

  • Hot air heating?

    THERE will be a rush to rent the newly available flat at Oxford Town Hall for what will be one of the most exclusive and desirable addresses in the city. There is only one downside in that you won’t be hard to find should you miss the odd instalment

  • A quiet cheer for action to tackle noise nuisance

    RESIDENTS in Sherwood Place will certainly be sleeping more soundly this week. Oxford City Council should be congratulated for seizing sound equipment after a raft of complaints. Late night noise may sound like a first world problem to some

  • Star opens cafe where milk tops the menu

    GAVIN and Stacey star Joanna Page brought her baby girl along to Wallingford Baby Café’s opening ceremony. Ms Page recently moved near Wallingford with husband James Thornton and their four-month-old daughter Eva. The actress, who played Stacey

  • Driver spared jail over fatal accident

    A DRIVER who killed a father of eight when he failed to stop at traffic lights has avoided jail. Christopher Dalton was handed a suspended prison sentence after he admitted causing death by dangerous driving following an accident on March 26 last year

  • ‘Helping is secret to wedded bliss,' say couple

    A HEADINGTON couple who met at a local dance 60 years ago have celebrated their diamond wedding. Stanley King, 83, and his wife Doreen, 82, married at St Mary the Virgin church, Iffley, on June 20, 1953, a few months after the young Miss Rose,

  • How Russians stormed barn to end POW’s two-year ordeal

    PRIVATE George Pollard threw his arms in the air and shouted “British! British!” as Russian troops stormed the barn he was locked inside. His two-year misery as a German prisoner of war was over. Mr Pollard, along with tens of thousands of

  • Sixty years of dancing together

    A COUPLE who celebrated 60 years of marriage met in an Oxford dancehall and have been dancing ever since. Ron and Betty Eadle, 83 and 80, marked their anniversary by watching the musical Mamma Mia in London last night. The couple were brought