LESLIE VALENTINE, thought to be the last surviving D-Day light bomber pilot, passed away today. His son Dudley, 71, has tonight paid tribute to his 95-year-old father's immense bravery during his war service, that included flying 60 operations
Oxford City have avoided relegation from Skrill North despite losing 2-1 at Brackley Town this afternoon. Histon's 3-1 defeat at Gainsborough condemned the Cambridgeshire side to the drop.
There was plenty on offer at a bring-and-buy sale at Tower Hill School. Awaiting their first customers are, left to right, Matthew Currie, nine, Ben Hill, nine, George Cashell, 10, and Jason Poole, nine. Pupils from schools in the town
Hot dogs sold like hot cakes on a stall run by Penny and Sarah Gordon at the church fete in 1971. The event, held at Parsonage Farm, and a disco evening at the village hall raised £220 towards church repairs. Schoolchildren sent a parcel with
ALL OUR OWN WORK EASTER bonnets at Fyfield Parochial School, near Abingdon, in 1975 ranged from flower-decked creations to birds’ nests. Pictured left to right are pupils Mark Hemmings, Matthew Hawkins, Linda Hodgkinson and Julie Stratford.
Recycling officers from Cherwell District Council have urged residents to recycle packaging from their Easter eggs. Oxfam reported that on average a 200g Easter egg will come with 54 grams of cardboard and two grams of tin foil. Recycling officer
BISHOP Kirk School’s greatest sporting achievement was an appearance by its football team at Wembley. It was one of four schools to qualify for the finals of a national six-a-side cup competition sponsored by Smith’s Crisps in 1986. Reaching
A 90-year-old amateur radio enthusiast in Witney is looking for a loving home for his collection of 200 radio verification cards. Amateur radio operators exchange the QSL cards to confirm two-way radio contact between stations. Each card contains
THESE three students took over the role of Worzel Gummidge to scare the birds away. John Quarry, Sara Bennet and Adam Cole trudged around James Best’s cherry orchards at Grove Farm, Harwell, in 1984 shouting, shooting guns, waving football rattles
IT’S enough to send any child into a chocolate frenzy, even if you are in hospital. These were the delicious Easter treats awaiting children in the Robert Jones ward at the Nuffield Orthopaedic Centre at Headington, Oxford, in 1966. They were
THE Forum in High Street, Oxford, was a popular venue for ballroom dancing in postwar years. Couples who learned to dance at such places at Brett’s in Broad Street perfected their steps at the Forum as well as at Carfax Assembly Rooms, the Town
A HAPPY Easter to you all – that was the message from these folk, who joined in an Easter Gala. The picture was taken at Rose Hill community centre in Oxford in 1965 – and there was no doubt what festival they were celebrating. The Oxford Mail
A PIECE of exercise equipment in a city park is being moved over concerns it would see people jump into flowers. One of the four pieces of equipment will be moved 20 metres in Headington Hill Park, Oxford City Council confirmed. It followed
IN the 21st century, broadband is a utility in households as vital as gas, electricity and water. For those in cities and towns, receiving fast internet speeds is often taken for granted but in rural outposts, the “buffering” symbol is a common sight
A second defeat over the Easter weekend left Oxford United's play-off ambitions hanging by a thread. Matt Sparrow's 15th-minute strike turned out to be the difference at Glanford Park, as Scunthorpe got the win they needed to move to the brink
4:54pm FT: #scunthorpe 1 #oufc 0 All over. With York and Southend winning, Utd’s hopes are all but over. — @OxfordMailOUFC 21 April 2014 4:51pm
A cyclist has been taken to hospital after a collision with a car in the city centre. The incident happened on the High Street between The Plain and Longwall Street at about 12.45pm and the road was shut for about an hour afterwards. The cyclist
I SOMETIMES wonder if those in charge of government departments were either born stupid or whether they obtained a degree. Do those decision-makers in charge of the Highways Agency fully understand the implications and possible dangers when deciding
THERE is a new social group in Witney for vegans, vegetarians and those thinking about it. We meet on the first Monday evening of the month at Newland Chapel and on the third Saturday at The Eden Café in Witney Market. The Vegan Society celebrates
LAST week, the UN’s high-level panel on climate change published a report which shows that we’re not doing anywhere near enough to cut our addiction to fossil fuels. The bad news from the UN is that we’re already seeing our climate change and we
I COMMEND the Tory-run Oxfordshire County Council's great efforts to pre-warn everybody about the chaos likely to be faced by one and all following the discovery of a large, unwelcome fat ball which was said to be responsible for “causing major disruption
BANBURY MAGISTRATES Peter Clogger, 68, of High Street, Finstock, admitted drink-driving in High Street, Finstock on March 23. Had 102 micrograms of alcohol in 100ml of breath, above the legal limit of 35 micrograms. Fined £2,000, a £120 victims
A PROLIFIC beggar has been jailed for 28 weeks after breaching his anti-social behaviour order (Asbo) three times. Frank Brown was barred from begging in Oxford at a court hearing in January. But he breached the two-year order the day after it
I AM grateful to Helen Marshall (April 16) of CPRE Oxfordshire for clarification on her and her CPRE colleagues’ sympathy and compassion for residents of Oxfordshire whose lives are being severely blighted by the corrosion of restrictive and overpriced
WITH regard to your report item about the Abingdon Health Centre car park in Marcham Road (April 17), I am a registered patient at the health centre and, until the barrier was put up, there were many times when I had an appointment, but there were
IT’S 25 years since the Hillsborough stadium tragedy. Civil cases brought by the victims’ relatives who suffered psychiatric damage after the deaths of their loved one enshrined the law on psychiatric harm which is still applied today. Sometimes
WHAT kind of people does Oxford City Council employ when a licensing officer doesn’t know that Christ’s Passion is the focus of Easter? Worse: does such a person work in the public sector without supervision? Even if that officer lives his
THERE was a blast from the past at Oxford’s Town Hall when youngsters enjoyed a Victorian fun day. Historical interpreter Paul Harding, from Discover History, dressed up as a 19th century railway worker to talk about Victorian transport. He
ANDY Whing thinks Scunthorpe United’s mammoth unbeaten run deserves respect, but will not intimidate Oxford United this afternoon. The U’s are attempting to become the first team since Grimsby Town in November to beat the Iron. Since manager
AN ENVIRONMENTAL activist has taken legal action after finding his name is on a secret blacklist used by companies to vet new workers. Former civil engineer Mike Hamblett discovered 18 months ago he was among 3,213 people on the list, used by 44
IN the middle of the open space of Parker’s Piece in Cambridge is a solitary lamp post known as ‘Reality Checkpoint’. The origins of its name are obscure. Does it mark the boundary between Town and Gown: between the Ivory Tower and the real world
UNLEAVENED bread called matzo, specially prepared foodstuffs, and a particular way of cooking feature in the celebration of Passover, an eight-day festival which is just coming to its end. And as for the days of preparation beforehand cleaning
THE great American horror novelist Peter Straub once wrote: “It is always true in personal, if not historical, terms that a golden age’s defining characteristic is its dailiness, its offered succession of the small satisfactions of daily living.”
GARY Waddock says Oxford United will be fired up to spoil Scunthorpe United’s promotion party this afternoon. An expectant Glanford Park crowd will be looking to see the Sky Bet League Two leaders clinch promotion back to League One at the first
7:44pm Leslie Valentine, thought to be the last surviving light bomber pilot from D-Day, died today aged 95 2:53pm A cyclist has been injured in a collision
THESE cheeky chicks perched on bumpers and tweeted from bus windows in Long Hanborough yesterday. But seven-year-old Rosa Cavana and her 10-year-old sister Carmen were not fazed by their mischievous antics. The youngsters from Middle Barton
OXFORD could become an entirely self-governing city and the county council abolished if Labour wins the next General Election, the city council’s leader has said. Labour city councillor Bob Price expects Oxford to be included in a review of local
REPLACING the ‘old’ two-tier system of county and district councils is certainly a debate worth having in the medium term. It can be reasonably argued that unitary authorities delivering all the council services rather than the current set-up might
POLICE were searching this morning for a person injured after a crash in Witney. The police helicopter was called in just after 2am today after reports that a person had been injured and fled the scene of a crash. Police have released no further
NORTH Leigh’s play-off hopes are over after a disappointing home defeat against lowly Clevedon on Saturday. A late penalty miss from Stuart Hole capped a miserable afternoon for the Millers, who now know that they must spend another season in Division
A YEAR ago a wedding for up to 120 guests seemed like a distant dream for teenage sweethearts Matthew and Laura Hemming. But, after winning the Oxford Mail’s Win Your Wedding competition, they said their vows on Saturday at a packed ceremony in
OXFORD City boss Mike Ford is looking to end all their worries with a victory away to his former club Brackley Town today, writes MATTHEW BRUCE. Histon’s 3-0 defeat to Solihull Moors, means that a win in Northants would keep City up. “Histon
A bank clerk is due to stand trial at the Old Bailey in London tomorrow accused of playing a part in a £2m fraud. Tai Hulbert-Thomas, of Carlton Road in Cutteslowe, is charged with two counts of fraud by abuse of position while working at the Lloyds
SCHOOLS alone cannot solve the problems of “poverty, poor housing, neglect and abuse”, Banbury Academy’s head of special needs said as he became president of the NASUWT teaching union. Geoff Branner, right, who is taking a sabbatical for the year
Police set up a number plate recognition camera at a service station and scanned more than 1,000 vehicles in two hours. Operation Motor was held at the Welcome Break services off the M40 on Thursday between 10.30am and 12.30pm in a bid to tackle
A burglar broke into a shed overnight and stole tools in Shillingford. Thames Valley Police said the break-in happened in Henley Road between last Monday and Tuesday.
A quad bike has been stolen by a burglar who got inside an unlocked barn in Crowmarsh Gifford. The Kubota RTV 900 bike went missing overnight between last Monday and Tuesday.
Plans to build 10 flats in the town have been approved by West Oxfordshire District Council. Witney Building will demolish a house and erect a two-storey L-shaped building with the one-bedroom flats in Black Bourton Road, Carteron. It will
SSE ENGLISH CLUBS CHAMPIONSHIP National League 2 South: Bishop’s Stortford 43, Chinnor 12. South West 1 East: Swindon 14, Witney 34; Windsor 33, Oxford Harlequins 21. Southern Counties North: Wallingford 32, High Wycombe 29. Berks Bucks
UHLSPORT HELLENIC LEAGUE Bluefin Spts Cup semi-final: Ascot Utd 3, Wantage Tn 2. Premier Div: Abingdon Tn 1, Ardley Utd 5. Div 1 West: Easington Spts 2, Fairford Tn 3; Letcombe 1, Carterton 2. Div 1 East: Burnham 2, Didcot Tn Res 0;
Banbury conceded a goal in the first minute as they lost 5-1 at home to play-off chasing St Albans in the Calor League Premier Division on Saturday. Home keeper Scott Dutton saved John Frendo’s effort, but the ball rebounded to Steve Wales who
OXFORD MAIL GIRLS LEAGUE Under 15 Blue League: Stonesfield Strikers 4, Kingham All Blacks 1. OXON/BUCKS GIRLS LEAGUE Under 13 La Liga: Stonesfield Strikers 0, Croughton Diamonds 12.
OXFORD MAIL YOUTH LEAGUE Under 10 Spring League: Grove Challengers 2, Littlemore 2. Under 13 A League: Grove Challengers 0, Radley 5.
YOUNG people are sharpening up their football skills as well as keeping out of trouble in a new project in Blackbird Leys. Oxford United has started the scheme with support from Thames Valley Police to offer free coaching sessions to youngsters
THE National Trust has asked for volunteers to help re-chalk the Uffington White Horse over the May bank holiday weekend. To keep the world-famous landmark white the 3,000 year-old horse is re-chalked once a year. On Sunday, May 4, and Monday
Inquest hearings tomorrow will determine whether or not six objects unearthed in Oxfordshire can be classed as treasure. The items to be discussed at Oxfordshire Coroner’s Court include a medieval brooch found in Wantage, a late medieval ring found
HENLEY’S Leander Club members won six of the 12 finals in the Great Britain Senior Team Trials at Caversham on Saturday. The men’s pairs A final was the highlight of the event with two members of the Team GB Olympic-winning men’s four boat going
A solitary strike by ex-Oxford United winger Lewis Haldane just after half-time ended Didcot’s six-match unbeaten run in Calor League Division 1 South & West on Saturday. The visitors will be kicking themselves not to have emerged with a share
CHANGES will be made to the starting line-up as Oxford United play their second game in four days his afternoon. The 18-man squad for today’s trip to Scunthorpe United will be the same as in the Good Friday clash with York City. Head coach
DONNACHA Tuohy fulfilled a boyhood dream when riding his first winner on Viel Gluck for Aston Rowant trainer Alan Hill at Kimble’s Kimblewick Hunt meeting on Saturday. The 19-year-old, from Cork, joined Hill and his wife, Lawney, last October through
OXFORD City missed the chance to secure safety in Skrill North when they lost 2-1 to ten-man Hednesford at Marsh Lane on Saturday, writes MATTHEW BRUCE. However, their hopes of avoiding the drop were enhanced when fellow strugglers Histon lost
OXFORD East MP Andrew Smith has backed a call for the NHS to support a planned £4m specialist cancer centre. The Labour MP said a private health firm’s plan for a centre for gamma knife radiation would bring a much-needed service to Oxfordshire
An elderly man was taken to hospital when a car crash closed the A4130 in both directions for two hours on Saturday. The collision, involving a Fiat, a Volkswagen, and a Renault, happened at about 11.10am near the B4017 turn to Steventon. Insp
A man charged in connection with the death of teenager Connor Tremble is to bid for bail tomorrow. Grant Clemens, 23, is accused of assisting an offender and has been in custody since appearing at Oxford Magistrates’ Court in February. Connor
A £30,000 ‘spy car’ is being used by Oxford City Council to catch motorists who fail to pay their parking fees. The council bought a Citroen Berlingo last March and has kitted it out with cameras that scan motorists’ number plates in its car parks
THOUSANDS of people descended on Thame for the town’s annual country fair. It is the 16th year Thame Country Show has taken place at the showground off Kingsey Road. Marge Needham, the company secretary at organisers Living Heritage, yesterday
A police helicopter was used in the search for a missing vulnerable man on Good Friday. Thames Valley Police spokesman James Williams said the man was found safe and well within three hours of going missing.
TICKETS for Oxford United’s final game of the season at Northampton Town have sold out. The last of the 1,367 allocation at Sixfields went to season ticket holders on Good Friday. It means the U’s will have a vocal backing for what could be
A NEW Fairtrade market at East Oxford Community Centre will aim to give ethnic minorities a chance to develop business ideas. The market will open on Wednesday, May 7, and every Wednesday after at the centre on Cowley Road, from 10am to 4pm.
ARDLEY United regained top spot in a thrilling two-horse race for the Uhlsport Hellenic League Premier Division title with a 5-1 victory away to bottom club Abingdon Town on Saturday. With title rivals Wantage Town involved in cup action, Ardley
BURFORD’S Visitor Information Centre has won a top environmental tourism award. The centre has received a green tourism gold award for being eco-friendly in its operations and for encouraging visitors to be green during their stay in the Oxfordshire
THE great niece of the writer of famed First World War play Journey’s End helped plant trees to mark the outbreak of the conflict. Katharine Harborne arranged for the three trees to be planted in Bury Knowle Park, Headington, on Wednesday.
IN SATURDAY’S Oxford Mail, we reported that councillors at Cherwell District Council had rejected plans to spend £14,000 opposing part of the HS2 rail link scheme. That was incorrect. The council, on the back of votes from the Conservatives, Liberal
FORMER Chipping Norton mayor Jan Meek has texted her husband to reassure him she was not caught up in the avalanche on Mount Everest that killed 13 guides. Mrs Meek, 69, had just completed an 18-day trip to Mount Everest base camp when the disaster
THE legend of St George was celebrated in style on Saturday as Wallingford town centre was closed off to traffic to host a day of activities. More than 1,000 people were expected to have attended the Market Square festival of live music, stalls
MORE than 500 police cautions were handed out last year to criminals who had already been given formal warnings. Thames Valley Police cautioned 2,162 Oxfordshire people in 2013 – 515 of whom had already been cautioned before including two criminals
COUNCIL bosses have been urged not to “kick into the long grass” the future of Temple Cowley Pools after campaigners won an application giving them first chance to buy it. Residents fighting to keep open the pool – which Oxford City Council wants
The following areas have ongoing roadworks: OXFORD, Marston Road: footway maintenance, ongoing Apr 14-Dec 14. OXFORD, Headley Way: water main work and temporary traffic lights, on B4495 at Eden Drive. Apr 16-22. OXFORD,
OXFORD United slipped to their second successive Women’s Super League defeat in cruel fashion as a deadly second-half display from title favourites Doncaster Rovers Belles saw the U’s go down to a 4-1 defeat on Saturday. United were impressive
MORE than 10,000 youngsters have been visited by Oxford University staff and students to encourage applicants from across all backrounds. The Oxford and Cambridge Student Conferences were held in seven UK cities to give an insight into student
DINERS at one Oxford restaurant were served up an extra tasty treat on Wednesday when male strippers The Dreamboys stopped by for lunch. Four of the cast, who are bringing their Fit and Famous tour to Oxford’s New Theatre on Thursday, visited The
THERE is only one way for ramblers to celebrate a birthday – go on a walk. So members of the Cherwell group of the Ramblers Association celebrated the 60th birthday of the Oxford Fieldpaths Society in 1986 with a Diamond Jubilee hike. Derek
PHYSIOTHERAPIST Jane Freebody knows only too well the importance of Oxford’s Town and Gown 10k for a muscular dystrophy charity. She is part of a team at the Oxford Muscle and Nerve Centre at the city’s John Radcliffe Hospital, which works with
