A COMMUNITY café is now dishing out food bank supplies and recipe ideas to estate residents in need. The Eatwells café at Barton Neighbourhood Centre started handing out the Oxford Food Bank donations last month. It comes as the restaurant
AIDAN Hawtin scored both goals as Oxford United won 2-0 at Thame United in the Oxfordshire Senior Cup. The winger opened the scoring in the 20th minute, burying a low finish after an excellent run from Josh Shama. Thame's hopes of a quarter-final
LOTS of men love sport – but there are concerns that women do not get as involved as much as they should. Now young women are being offered the chance to take part in girls-only sport sessions at Cutteslowe Community Centre. The weekly Girls
A NEW project aims to celebrate an estate’s wildlife. Wild Oxford is a two-year project run by The Berks, Bucks & Oxon Wildlife Trust (BBOWT), that will take place on three sites in the city including Rose Hill’s Rivermead Nature Park.
COMMUNITY groups have expressed concern over the amount of construction traffic set to enter Bury Knowle Park this month. Two separate building projects at the park in Headington are due to start, with a third due to start later in the spring.
courtesy of the Oxford Union
A MAJOR development in Summertown might not happen for up to five years. Oxford University has said it will not be selling off its facilities at Ewert House – identified for a “retail-led development by Oxford City Council – in Summertown for at
12:54pm FLOOD warnings have been lifted this morning on the River Thame from Chiselhampton to Drayton St Leonard and at Dorchester and Overy but flood alerts remain in force in these areas. And flood alerts have been lifted
7:31pm AN UPDATE from Chiltern Railways about the closure of the line north of Banbury due to a landslip. The line will remain closed to passenger trains again tomorrow while Network Rail engineers continue work to stabilise
1:17am TOPPLED trees are now starting to take their toll on the roads and railways. The northbound M40 is currently closed between junction 6 at Lewknor and junction 8 at Wheatley. The London Paddington-Reading rail
12:44am THE advice to passengers aiming to use all Oxfordshire rail routes this morning is to check before setting out to stations. While flooding of the tracks at Redbridge in Oxford has eased and more trains are able
ORGANISERS of Oxfordshire’s longest-running festival of new music have announced the line-up for this year’s event, declaring it as the best yet. Indie-rock bands The Cribs and White Lies will headline this summer’s Truck festival, which takes
THE former house of John Henry Brookes, after whom Oxford Brookes was named, has been put on the market for £1million. The five-bedroom house at 195 The Slade, Headington, which has an Oxfordshire blue plaque, has been listed on the website of
DISTRICT councillor Steve Hayward has explained why he decided not to resign. Mr Hayward now lives in Thailand and had said he would resign after being criticised for claiming he could still represent Ducklington on West Oxfordshire District Council
THE Oxford and District Sports and Recreation Association for the Disabled (Oxsrad) Centre was opened by Princess Diana in 1989 to give people with disabilities a place they could enjoy sport. But it was seven years earlier that the group was founded
WITH unrest in Syria and Ukraine continuing to dominate the news agenda, there has never been a more appropriate time for the 12th annual Oxford Human Rights Arts Festival (February 24-28). Open to all, the Oxford Brookes University festival is
You pick up a Tim Pears novel confident you are in the hands of a consummate storyteller, not someone who wants to play literary tricks. His writing is controlled but passionate, and he takes you to the heart of whatever issue is at the forefront of
Writers often rhapsodise about the English countryside, and later this year we will be remembering the First World War poets: “Oh, to be in England, now that April’s there”. But the survivors of the Second World War also found their thoughts returning
Tonight's Oxfordshire Senior Cup quarter-final tie between Oxford City and Banbury United has been postponed due to a waterlogged pitch at Marsh Lane. No new date has yet been arranged. It is hoped that Oxford City Nomads' last-eight clash at home
POLICE fired a Taser on a man in Bicester last night before he was arrested on suspicion of making threats to kill. The 51-year-old – who is currently in custody - was hit with the 50,000 volt electric shock gun when officers were called to a property
Jonathan Henly is set to make his Oxford United debut tonight after the goalkeeper's loan from Reading was extended. The 19-year-old's initial one-month deal expired after Saturday's 1-1 draw at Bristol Rovers, but with Max Crocombe still not fully
Judges have backed a decision by Oxford City Council refusing to renew a licence for The Lodge lap-dancing club. It follows a fight by Alistair Lockwood Thompson, who runs the club in Oxpens Road, to overturn the authority’s decision in September
Plans for a 48-hour strike by London Underground workers in a row over ticket office closures has been called off after a last-minute deal was agreed. Members of the RMT and TSSA unions were due to walk out at 9pm tonight following a two-day stoppage
POLICE have released a CCTV image of a man connected to an assault in Park End Street. Shortly before 2.40am on February 2, a 31-year-old man was waiting in the queue at Dominos Pizza and was involved in an altercation with two men. One of
2:18pm Good news for commuters - the tube strike due to start tonight has been called off 1:10pm Judges have this morning backed a decision by Oxford
MORE than 150 people gathered yesterday for the funeral of former Lord Mayor of Oxford Bill Baker. The long-serving city councillor, right, died aged 78 on January 20, following a long illness, and his funeral was held at St Mary’s Church, Iffley
CHARITIES are running out of time to win a place at a ‘Dragons’ Den-inspired’ event, which could net them £5,000. Oxford Gives, organised by The Funding Network Oxford, is now in its sixth year, and sees four charities chosen to ‘pitch’ to an audience
IT was the so-called ‘war to end all wars’ that proved to be anything but and claimed millions of lives wordlwide. As we prepare to mark the 100th aniversary of the outbreak of World War I this year, it is worth pointing out that the majority of
AN organisation which employs autistic people to help public sector workers understand the condition could win a top award. Autism Oxford has been nominated in the outstanding adult services category of the Autism Professionals Awards. It was
A CAR crash caused delays for half an hour on the A34 at Pear Tree interchange this morning. Two cars collided at about 9.10am on the southbound carriageway of the A34 near the Pear Tree services, north of Oxford. Thames Valley Police said
MORE than 500 radio fans better used to speaking to each other over the airwaves met face-to-face in Didcot. The radio enthusiasts from all over the UK gathered at Didcot Leisure Centre in Mereland Road for an amateur radio and electronics rally
PHARMACISTS Cathy March and Sue Brignall helped to sort through more than 200kg of drugs which were handed in as part of a campaign for people to clear out their medicine cabinets in October 1974. The haul that month included three bottles of cyanide
Tony Richardson from Stone Close, Oxford, sent us this photograph of a great spotted woodpecker snapped on a feeder in his garden
SO Nick Clegg says that Oxfordshire must take its chance with other affected counties to get money to assist with flood protection etc. Perhaps if he and the Prime Minister were to divert money from their bloated foreign aid budget from countries
SO the Government has got its way and, in the House of Lords on the evening of January 28, freedom of speech was taken away by the Conservative Government and the Gagging Law (The Lobbying Bill – Editor) was approved and is going to become law.
ROSE Hill could benefit from a parish council, according to the chairman of the estate’s tenants’ and residents’ association. Ray James, who lives in Mortimer Road, believes that it would give Rose Hill a bigger voice in Oxford. Part of the
At the weekend I saw the strangest sight. It was after dark on a badly lit road, luckily in a quiet part of Oxford, Old Marston. What I saw took my breath away, I saw two young children, on their own, cycling, yes cycling and on the road. They
I READ (February 5) the story of the senior citizen from Wootton who, after 12 days without heating, has had a new boiler fitted by the housing association, following the intervention of your paper. I have been trying for the past five months,
I AM a nine-year-old girl, and I have lived in Botley my whole life. I think it’s a really bad idea to build the giant supermarket, the six-screen cinema, and the 600 student flats at the West Way centre, above. We already have enough cinemas
I am writing to bring readers awareness of a ongoing competition scam that is extortionately expensive to partake in, the puzzles sent by post. While the puzzles (a varied word search) are fairly easy, unless one reads the small print, the costs
THE anniversary of the sailing from Liverpool docks of HMT Empire Clyde on February 17, 1954, bound for the West Indies, taking the 1st Battalion The Duke of Cornwall Light Infantry to Bermuda, Belize and Jamaica, dropping off first A Coy at Bermuda
I am writing concerning the January 30 roadshow meeting at Town Hall. Across the road from where the 18th century Dr Johnson first thought of regulating our English language, another Dr Johnson held forth on the loose language which blinds us to
IN possibly the most exciting match of this campaign, Premiership title contenders, the Plough (Wolvercote) and Far From The Madding Crowd ‘A’ (Oxford City) ended a topsy-turvy contest on 78 points apiece. The former had led by eleven after round
A primary school is using portable toilets as the floods hit. St Ebbe’s Primary School in Whitehouse Road, Oxford, brought the temporary toilets in to avoid having to close. The school has had to shut during previous floods after sewers backed
Firefighters used pumps to help stop a narrow boat from sinking in the floods on Sunday night. Crews were called to the boat on the River Thames off Wilsham Road in Abingdon at about 7pm and pumped water out. Oxfordshire Fire and Rescue Service
Heavy rain will hit Oxfordshire tomorrow with the wet weather remaining for the rest of the week. Met Office spokeswoman Nicola Maxey said: “It won’t dry up in Oxfordshire for the rest of the week.” She added that the county would also be hit
AUTHORITIES were last night locked in talks about how to keep Botley Road open as the county faced the prospect of more flooding. Oxfordshire County Council deputy leader Rodney Rose said the flood relief efforts so far had been ‘fantastic’.
SOUTH WEST 1 EAST WITNEY soared to fourth in the table after a 17-0 victory over Grove at Hailey Road. A howling wind made conditions difficult, but Witney used it better to control the first half. With fly half Ted Landray kicking well
James Constable is “desperate” to stay at Oxford United, but says talks over a new contract have yet to begin. The striker is the highest profile member of the group whose existing deals expire at the end of the season. He is also the longest-serving
RIVER levels in some parts of Oxfordshire were edging towards record high levels yesterday. In Abingdon, the River Thames was 2cm away from its highest recorded level, although in Oxford river levels started to drop. The Thames reached 52cm
PEOPLE in the west of the city were last night bracing themselves to find out if attempts to keep the waters at bay had been successful. Some 40 firefighters were in Botley Road until the early hours of yesterday morning setting up barriers to
A MAN has been bailed in connection with an armed robbery at a newsagent’s. The 31-year-old man was arrested on suspicion of robbery after the incident at McColls in Burford Road, Carterton, on Saturday at 10pm. A shop worker was threatened
The woman killed in a two-vehicle collision last week has been named. Ruth Marie Doyle, 68, of Wallingford, died at the scene of the crash, on the A4130 at Hadden Hill between Wallingford and Didcot on Thursday. An inquest into her death is
A man told a 13-year-old girl to “wear something sexy” before they met, Oxford Crown Court heard yesterday. Luke Southam, 21, of Cornish Road in Chipping Norton, denies meeting a child following sexual grooming on March 11 last year. The jury
A TEENAGER arrested following the death of 15-year-old Martha Fernback has admitted selling drugs to schoolchildren. Oxford Crown Court heard yesterday that Alex Williams, 17, made a £20 profit with the £40 MDMA deal in July last year. Cherwell
BRADLEY Smith was happy to get plenty of laps under his belt as the build-up to the new MotoGP season began in earnest. The 23-year-old completed 186 laps in humid conditions during the three-day test at Malyasia’s Sepang circuit. Smith finished
Oxford City striker Steve Basham could return from three months on the sidelines in the quarter-final against Banbury United at Marsh Lane tonight. The 36-year-old hasn’t played since November 2 when City lost 3-2 at Harrogate Town in Skrill North
Jack Taylor said it was a “massive relief” to have his suspension from bowling lifted after passing an England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) assessment. The Gloucestershire spinner, from Chipping Norton, was banned last May after being reported
Harbour Court, Aston Rowant trainer Alan Hill’s big hope for the CGA Foxhunter Chase at the Cheltenham Festival, is unlikely to make the long haul to Kelso on Thursday. Hill gave the eight-year-old an entry in a hunters’ chase at the Scottish venue
Former Hearts manager Csaba Laszlo is believed to have applied for the vacant job at Oxford United. The 49-year-old has an impressive CV, with stints across Europe, most recently in charge of the Lithuania national team. He stepped down in
Long Run is to travel north of the border for the Ivan Straker Memorial Chase on Thursday as connections head to Kelso in search of better ground. The Kempton Park Chase, formerly known as the Racing Plus Chase, on February 22 had been earmarked
Lecturers and university workers went on a two-hour strike for the third time yesterday. Members of the University and College Union (UCU) at both Oxford Brookes and Oxford University took part in the action between 9am and 11am. It is the
A STUDENT who overcame 20 brain operations is facing a further setback after she said she was knocked down by a cyclist jumping a red light. Oxford University student Ashleigh Parry missed five months of her course last year due to problems from
OXFORD Rugby League have unveiled new signings Mike Benson and Rhydian Slade-Jones. Back-row forward Benson , who is no relation to head coach Tony Benson, and full back Slade Jones join in the same week that prop Dave Ellison re-signed for Kingstone
NATIONAL 1 HENLEY Hawks were undone by leaders Doncaster Knights’ late surge, which consigned them to a 36-10 defeat at Castle Park. Hawks trailed just 17-10 after 64 minutes, but slipped to a heavy loss that leaves them just two points and
NATIONAL 2 SOUTH CHINNOR slipped one place nearer the relegation zone without playing on Saturday. Their match at Bishops’ Stortford was postponed due to waterlogging – the second successive week Chinnor have been hit by the wet weather.
DEMONISING all cyclists because of the careless and blatantly criminal actions of a few is just plain unfair. But it has to be said that there is a problem in this city with a hard core of idiots on two wheels who give the majority a bad name.
Traffic restrictions stayed in place in the High Street yesterday despite the closure of the flooded Abingdon Road in Oxford. Last month, the restriction was lifted when Abingdon Road and Botley Road were both closed at the same time because of
Oxfordshire County Council sent its gritters out last night to stop the roads from freezing over because of flood water. The council routinely covers more than 1,200 miles of road with its gritters and it is responsible for 43 per cent of the roads
Drivers are being warned not to drive through water after firefighters attended incidents involving motorists yesterday. Peter Cleary, Oxfordshire County Council’s Fire and Rescue Service’s area manager for safety, said: “Many cars will start to
A GROUP of horses have become stranded on Port Meadow, Oxford, after flood waters crept up around them. Some members of the public say they are worried for the 29 horses’ welfare. The area is managed by the Oxford Freemen, which previously
AN INDEPENDENT music shop celebrated its third birthday at the weekend. Truck Store in Cowley Road marked the anniversary that fell on Monday, and to celebrate, held an afternoon of music there on Sunday. Artists Jordan O’Shea, After the Thought
MANY people will mark this year’s centenary of the start of the First World War by standing in silence at a war memorial. But for RAF Brize Norton’s Senior Aircraftman Technician Oliver Flower the solemn anniversary will be marked by pedalling
SEAN Walkinshaw’s preparations for the new European Formula 3 Open season will go up a notch this weekend. The Chipping Norton driver is heading to Jerez, Spain, for a two-day test beginning on Friday. It will be the first opportunity for Walkinshaw
ROSE Hill Community Centre stretched their lead in Section 1 after coming from behind to win 5-4 at home to Cowley Workers. Geordie Grant, Simon Tricker (180), Terry Wood (180), Ray Pape and Tony Allday did the damage after Simon Powell had put
SOUTHERN COUNTIES NORTH WALLINGFORD edged towards mid-table after a last-gasp 12-10 victory at Stow-on-the-Wold. Scrum half Phil Dawes converted fly half Tom Swainston’s try a minute from time to seal a narrow in. The strong wind made kicking
Oxfordshire teenager Miles Hammond picked up 2-28 as England Under 19s thrashed Scotland by 153 runs in their opening ICC World Cup warm-up game at the ICC Academy, Dubai. The 18-year-old Gloucestershire off-spinner’s figures yesterday came off
RUSH hour cars were replaced by rowing boats in Oxford’s flooded Abingdon Road yesterday, as people staged a flotilla to demand a discussion about climate change. The flash flooding mob that congregated outside the Duke of Monmouth pub had been
MIDLANDS 2 WEST SOUTH BANBURY Bulls are firmly established in the promotion race after a 37-27 win at second-placed Kidderminster Carolians. Bulls stay fourth in the table, but just three points now separate the top five teams. Banbury
AUTHOR Philip Pullman has given his backing to the latest attempt to redevelop the boatyard in Jericho, Oxford. Mr Pullman, who lives in Cumnor and has backed the community campaign to see the site redeveloped, said he was “pretty well in favour
COMMUTERS in Oxfordshire on trains and buses faced major disruption yesterday as flooding interrupted their journeys to work. With Abingdon Road and Lower Kennington closed for the morning and evening rush hours, several Oxford Bus Company and
VILLAGERS living in rural parts of the county say their communities have been cut off as a number of main roads remain closed. People in Dorchester, Culham and Northmoor have all seen several roads closed due to flooding, with cars struggling to
RESIDENTS saw red at the Wantage Residential and Nursing Home to support the British Heart Foundation on Friday. To celebrate Ramp Up the Red – BHF’s national annual fundraising drive – residents and staff dressed in red, ate red foods and decorated
MORE residents were rescued from Thameside Court Caravan Park in Bablockhythe, near Northmoor, yesterday as flood waters rose. The fire service has helped more than 20 people get out of the site since the water started rising at the weekend.
BB&O ROUND-UP MATT Duncalf scored four tries as Bicester hammered Slough 79-6 at Oxford Road in the BB&O Premier Division. Bicester took advantage of playing in the division’s only match to survive the wet weather to strengthen their
Oxford University took the local bragging rights with a 4-2 victory away to rivals Oxford Hawks in Saturday’s South League Premier 1 local derby. In a game featuring some excellent attacking hockey, the teams were level 1-1 at the interval, but
FRILFORD HEATH Ladies February Stableford (Green Course): 1 H Neilson 42pts, 2 J McCairns 35, 3 H De’Ath 34. NORTH OXFORD Winter Challenge round 9: 1 P Barrow & W Dymond 42pts, 2 M Wathes & L Horne 41 (cb), 3 M Bodle & S Thompson
CLUBS throughout the county observed a minute’s silence on Saturday in memory of former Rover Oxford goalkeeper Gareth Evans, who died last week. Mr Evans took up umpiring after he stopped playing and also served on the Oxfordshire Hockey Association
Takara Haines scored twice as Oxford Hawks resumed their Conference West programme with a 3-1 win over bottom-of-the-table Exe at Banbury Road North. The home side got off to a flier, almost opening the scoring in the first minute as a goalmouth
THE price of a wedding at the historic Town Hall could be set to soar as Oxford City Council attempts to make more money out of the venue. Officials at the city council are putting together a new strategy for running the Town Hall, in St Aldate
VILLAGERS say the new landlords of a pub have wiped out a piece of literary history dating back hundreds of years. The former Ben Jonson pub in Weston-on-the-Green, near Bicester, is said to have taken the name after the famous poet and playwright
TEN-YEAR-OLD Max Blansjaar is having a chance to reflect on his success after premiering his first composition in London. Max, from Drayton St Leonard, south-east of Oxford, performed his work at the Yamaha European Junior Original Concert in Euston
