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A mother-of-one who lost her first daughter at birth knows the difference a shoulder to cry on can make. Lydia Berry, 29, from Chipping Norton, wants to make sure others get the help they need with the launch of a playgroup, which is the first

ANTIQUE collectors made their way to Hook Norton for a charity valuation from a company based in Banbury. JS Fine Art held the event at the Hook Norton Sports and Social Club on Wednesday. In exchange for telling people the value of their art

It was lovely to read the letters from former pupils of Donnington School in Oxford (Memory Lane, March 9, 16 and 30). I lived in Cornwallis Road and attended the school in 1942 or 1943 (I don’t know the exact date). I was two-and-a-half.

My attention has been drawn to Hackettes kept village informed, your article about budding journalists who produced Wittenham Ways, a quarterly journal for villagers in Long and Little Wittenham (Memory Lane, February 16). I was Mary (not May)

I started work in the trim shop at Morris Motors, Cowley, in about 1958 and made a lot of friends – I am still in touch with a few. I was a machinist and enjoyed my job very much. I did a collection for Harry (or was it Charlie?) when he retired

A MOTHER who has lived in a council flat for nine years has backed a councillor’s proposal to demolish existing homes and rebuild them. Anne Browne, who lives in a flat in Fettiplace Road, Barton, said something needed to be done about the condition

2005 * Dilapidated school and council buildings in Oxfordshire will be patched up from a £25m fund allocated by the county council. * The 6,000 people who were looking forward to seeing Andrea Bocelli in concert at Oxford’s Kassam Stadium have

The haircut gives the impression of someone from the Teddy Boy age. Certainly 17-year-old Ray Cox looks well dressed, in suit, tie and winkle-picker shoes, for a spot of bowling. Ray, of Craufurd Road, Cowley, and his friends were among the

The little green tickets issued to revellers guaranteed a night of unbounded merriment. The idea was to eat and drink as much as they could. No-one would care if they threw a meat bone over their shoulder, if they pinched a serving wench’s bottom

AS INVESTIGATORS return to the Randolph Hotel today the full extent of the damage to the iconic building will become clear. But what is certain is the effect Friday’s fire has had not only on the immediate area but the whole community. Guests

THE General Election on May 7 is shaping up to be the most unpredictable in a generation, with no party in the House of Commons expected to win an overall majority. Voters across the country have a more important choice to make than ever as a range

A soldier serving with the Royal Field Artillery in France during the First World War described the daily hardships he and his comrades faced. In a letter published in The Oxford Times or Oxford Chronicle, Gunner J Bowerman, of Woodeaton near Oxford

These workers at Pressed Steel were celebrating a quarter of a century with the company. They had started work at Cowley in 1937 and had become members of the 25 Year Club in 1962. The picture was taken at a dinner to welcome them to the club

These young ladies were taking part in a ‘Hostess of the Year’ competition. It was promoted by Wavy Line, a consortium of small shopkeepers, who banded together to fight the threat of the supermarkets. The winner could expect to be crowned

The Chamber of Commerce held its first trade fair in 1981, with 40 stalls to stimulate interest in Didcot shops. Mayor Len Longshaw is seen cutting the tape to open the fair at the new Civic Centre. Andrew Gunning and Nicholas Tovey, dressed

When Radley Women’s Institute was formed in 1925, some villagers were wary of joining. One woman declined an invitation to become a member, saying: “I’m not taking my children to no institution!” Once the president had explained the aims of

Stuart Macbeth is entranced by a stunning exhibition of statues celebrating the human form Defining Beauty: The Body In Ancient Greek Art The British Museum, London Until 5th July The Greek writer Lucian tells the

A CASH machine was damaged in an attempted theft in Marcham. But police said that because of the damage they did not know if any money was stolen. The thieves used a crowbar to try and get into the cash machine, in Frilford Service Station,

THE jury has retired to consider its verdict in the trial of a woman who denies fatally stabbing her boyfriend in a drunken rage. Natasha Elderfield is accused of murdering 33-year-old Robert Dobinson on the boat where she lived off Bridge Street

OXFORD MAGISTRATES Michael Blossom, 78, of Heath Close, Oxford, admitted drink-driving in Osler Road, Headington, on December 23. Had 102 micrograms of alcohol in 100ml of breath, above the legal limit of 35mcg. Fined £700 and ordered to pay a

BEAUMONT Street has been reopened to westbound traffic after being closed since Friday evening. The road was shut from about 4.45pm when a fire started at the Randolph Hotel and emergency services rushed to the area to tackle the blaze. A cordon

CASH was stolen from a house in Abingdon, police said. Officers said a house in Campion Road was burgled between 7pm on Saturday and 12.50am yesterday. Burglars got in through a patio door at the back of the house and stole money. Thames

Want to give your opinion? Email letters@oxfordmail.co.uk

A 25-year-old man with a mental age of 12 has been told he could be spared jail for downloading indecent images of children. Jamie Morrison of Simon House, Paradise Street, Oxford admitting making 54 of the images that were found on a USB stick

Sick of the General Election already?” I asked my dear old mum. “Too right I am,” she snapped. That was a month ago. Since then, the election coverage has been relentless. The Tories for instance, currently spend over £100,000 per month on Facebook

AN emotional Aidan Hawtin was overjoyed to make his professional debut for Oxford United, coming off the bench late on against Tranmere Rovers. The 19-year-old, from Bicester, has fought his way back from two career-threatening knee injuries while

People are right to emphasise the potential for the improvement of Broad Street now the magnificent Weston Library has been so successfully completed, and to point out the omission of trees in the scheme presented by Wilkinson Eyre. The Forest

Rough sleeping in Oxford is a fact. Much has been made of Oxford City Council spending on supporting the homeless, but the need for ‘local connections’ bars anyone from outside the area, so they have no choice but to sleep rough. Many are vulnerable

At long last after far too many excuses, Horspath Parish Council has now sent out a questionnaire asking, among other things, does the village support the proposal to erect a stone war memorial on the village green? I and others have been campaigning

1:01pm Here's hoping we can talk this time next week about #oufc signing off at home with a win. Time's up for now, many thanks for your input. — @OxfordMailOUFC 20 April 2015

I don't know Liberty Baker or Robert Blackwell, but I do know that the implications of their tragic loss will reverberate across many lives for a very long time. I feel very sorry for the Bakers, who seem to be a very close, loving family. And

I just had to say how disgusted I am, as well as hundreds of other people I expect, on the short and unjust sentence of four years for Robert Blackwell after admitting causing Liberty Baker’s death by dangerous driving (April 17). He has taken

Why does the BBC lag so far behind what is actually happening? There are no longer just two main parties with another trailing along and I am glad that other parties (with no chance in a first-past-the-post electoral system) can be heard at hustings

Councillors Elizabeth Wade and John Howson are right to express concern about delays in Network Rail’s planning application for their new bridge and ramps from Aristotle Lane to Port Meadow. But they are sniping at the wrong target. Network

AS the dust settled on the Women’s Institute whirlwind baton tour of Oxfordshire, its members looked back on a week to remember. Since Tuesday, the baton has crossed the county by boat, horse and cart, vintage MG and fire engine, and been passed

AN ECO furniture store that set up shop in a disused carpet warehouse is celebrating its second anniversary. Oxford Eco Furnishings in Gloucester Green, sells second-hand and upcycled furniture, exhibits artists’ prints and gives away second-hand

A LANDFILL site where hundreds of thousands of tonnes of Oxfordshire’s waste has been dumped for decades could be turned into a haven for wildlife. The former gravel quarry at Dix Pit near Stanton Harcourt has been receiving landfill waste for

Alison Webster – Social responsibility adviser at the Diocese of Oxford Human beings are designed to connect, but it seems we are not doing enough of it. The result? Loneliness. As distinct from being alone, loneliness can be defined as

Rev Martin Gorick Archdeacon of Oxford and Residentiary Canon of Christ Church Whatever is true, whatever is honourable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is pleasing, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence and if there

HUNDREDS of people queued outside Oxford's last independent record shop from the early hours of the morning in a bid to get their hands on special vinyl releases. The eighth celebration of Record Store Day on Saturday[apr18] saw a long queue form

DUE to signalling problems there are cancellations and delays on First Great Western services between Oxford and Charlbury. All lines are blocked and the disruption is expected to continue until midnight tonight. News Local buses are

Kemar Roofe insists he does not know where his future lies after netting his second double in a fortnight to help Oxford United to a 3-0 win at Tranmere Rovers on Saturday. The forward, on loan from West Brom, took his tally to four goals in five

THE family of a motorcyclist who died after a crash near Frilford, Abingdon, have paid tribute to the 19-year-old. Kieran Hughes, from Didcot, died after a collision with a grey Mini Countryman travelling and an oncoming silver Ford Transit van

A LEVEL crossing in Yarnton with a history of problems has stopped working after a dead bird got stuck on the track. The barriers of the Sandy Lane level crossing are stuck down, stopping traffic from crossing the railway line. This has led

THE quality of Oxford United’s first two goals had head coach Michael Appleton purring as his side thrashed Tranmere Rovers 3-0 at Prenton Park, writes DAVID PRITCHARD. The visitors had to weather early pressure from the very anxious home side,

THE number of rapes recorded across Thames Valley rose by 52.6 per cent in the last year. And new crime figures released today by police show the number of sexual offences has also increased, going up 34.5 per cent between April 2014 and the end

THE manager of Oxford’s Randolph Hotel has said the fire caused millions of pounds of damage. The Gothic building has stood in the city centre for 150 years, but on Friday evening a blaze spread from the ground-floor kitchen, up the back of the

FIRE crews were expected to return the flame-stricken Randolph Hotel to management today after spending the weekend making the building safe. Friday’s fire is thought to have been caused when flames from flambé cooking were sucked up by an extractor

THE blaze has been described as a “damaging blow” to the city ahead of tourist season. City council leader Bob Price said he wasn’t sure how long the Randolph Hotel would be closed but said other hotels would be willing to help. He said: “No

A CITY kebab van is to find out its fate today after being awarded a zero food hygiene rating. Harry’s Grill – which traded outside the Oxford Castle Quarter in New Road – was given the rating after an inspection in March found there was no hot

Banbury United’s spirited battle against the drop from the Evo-Stik Southern League Premier Division continued with a brilliant 4-0 victory against Histon at the Spencer Stadium on Saturday. The Puritans, who were boosted by a brace from Leam Howards

A WOMAN was sexually assaulted in Oxford in the early hours of Sunday morning, police have said.  Officers said the woman was walking through a passageway off Hollybush Row at 3.15am when she was approached by a man who sexually assaulted her.

IT WAS a moment in the making for months, almost ruined by a single night. But thanks to the efforts of Oxfordshire’s firefighters even the huge blaze at the Randolph Hotel could not stop guests Steven Smith and Lauren Halliday from finally tying

THE first floor of a building collapsed after it caught fire last night. The Old Country Club in Woodhill Lane, East Challow, near Wantage, was badly damaged in the blaze which started shortly before 6pm. News Four fire engines from

5:53pm UPDATE: Randolph Hotel: Beaumont Street reopens westbound 3:25pm Jury retires to consider its verdict in Robert Dobinson murder trial

A SMALL section of Beaumont Street remains closed this morning following Friday’s fire at the Randolph Hotel. The road is closed outside the Randolph for safety reasons but the rest of the street is open. News An Oxfordshire Fire and

A CONVOY of more than 100 classic cars paraded through Oxford to show off the county’s manufacturing heritage. The Pride of Longbridge Rally takes place each year in remembrance of the 6,000 workers who lost their jobs when MG Rover collapsed in

Oxford City’s bid for a play-off place is over despite a dramatic 2-1 victory at Gainsborough Trinity on Saturday, writes MATTHEW BRUCE. A 4-1 success for Boston United at Solihull Moors and a 2-1 win for Guiseley over Chorley means City will not

Eddie Pepperell finished 19 shots off the pace in China’s Shenzhen International after a two ragged weekend rounds. The Frilford Heath player had a nine at the final hole of his third-round 74 and then shot a four-over-par 76 on the final day for

Oxfordshire's Bradley Smith finished sixth in yesterday’s Argentina Grand Prix. It saw the Monster Yamaha Tech 3 rider take his season’s points tally to 28 points from the opening three races. The race was won by Valentino Rossi, who caught

Wantage Town’s brave resistance was finally broken in injury time as Wimborne Town stole a 1-0 win in Saturday’s Division 1 South & West game at Alfredian Park. Some fine saves from keeper Gareth Tucker and dogged defending looked like earning

Carterton will have to do it all over again after their Division 1 West clash at Tuffley Rovers was abandoned due to injuries. Forced to start with only nine, three Carterton players were injured, so the match was called off after 65 minutes with

Abingdon United have completed a Houdini-like escape from relegation from Uhlsport Hellenic League Premier Division. Saturday’s 1-1 draw at Brimscombe & Thrupp means they can now not be caught by fifth-bottom Holyport, who like Abingdon have

General manager Justin Merritt said he was proud of Oxford City’s efforts this season, even though they ultimately missed out on a play-off place, writes MATTHEW BRUCE. City fought back for a 2-1 victory at Gainsborough Trinity on Saturday to stretch

CHILDREN at Cutteslowe Primary School built a willow dome as part of their new “forest school”. The new section of the school – designed to encourage children to learn outdoors – was introduced late last year after it underwent £2.5m of improvements

A CELEBRATION of bright colours, energetic music and impressive dancing took hold of the city centre at this weekend’s Oxford Folk Festival. Groups of dancers and Morris men wowed crowds as they entertained hundreds of shoppers. One of the

SKY BET LEAGUE TWO Tranmere Rovers 0, Oxford Utd 3. VANARAMA CONFERENCE NORTH Gainsborough Trinity 1, Oxford City 2. EVO-STIK SOUTHERN LEAGUE Premier Div: Banbury Utd 4, Histon 0. Div 1 South & West: North Leigh 1,

A superb free-kick by Michael Hopkins gave North Leigh a 1-0 victory in their tight Evo-Stik Southern League Division 1 South & West match at home to last season’s FA Vase winners Sholing on Saturday. A scrappy game was decided by one moment

An early defensive blunder led to Didcot Town suffering a narrow 1-0 defeat away to Swindon Supermarine in Division 1 South & West of the Evo-Stik Southern League on Saturday. The only goal came in the 11th minute when Supermarine’s Josh Morse