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Oxford Mail Review of the Year Jan - Mar
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JULY

IT’S COMING HOME?

ENGLAND defied the odds and expectations this year with one our most successful World Cups in decades.

Under the leadership of Gareth Southgate a new England side showed the world its capabilities, reaching the semi-final of the global contest.

England bucked the curse of penalty shootouts along the way but eventually bowed out after losing 2-1 to Croatia but returned home heroes.

Needless to say, Oxford fans backed the boys the whole way to Russia and back.

HAPPY 70TH

JULY was also a celebration for the NHS as it marked its 70th birthday, and one Oxfordshire family were particularly keen to join the celebrations.

Alfie Hemsley, from Hailey near Witney, was diagnosed with a new form of blood cancer and over the summer underwent his third round of chemotherapy with the NHS.

His mother, Emily, said that they 'could not be more thankful' for the staff of the NHS and the care and support the organisation had given them.

DONALD TRUMP'S EGO TRIP

DONALD Trump received a not-so-warm welcome at Blenheim Palace, Woodstock, when he came to meet Theresa May on July 12.

Campaigners protested against the president's ‘politics of hate’ and how he ‘incites racism and division’.

Some 3,000 protestors reportedly turned out to demonstrate against the visit, including Oxford West and Abingdon Lib Dem MP Layla Moran.

Meanwhile Witney's Tory MP Robert Courts and Oxford County Council's Conservative Leader Ian Hudspeth reportedly joined the President and and the PM at the dinner inside.

AUGUST

FEELING THE HEAT

THE hottest summer on record continued in August with temperatures regularly rising above 30 degrees.

While many enjoyed the sunshine across Oxfordshire at events like Countryfile Live at Blenheim Palace, the heat was also blamed for a string of wildfires on farmland across the county.

Firefighters worked day and night to halt the spread of the fires which the prolonged dry spell caused.

In October Oxfordshire Fire and Rescue Service revealed it dealt with more wildfires this summer than in any of the past five years.

TRAGEDY ON HOLIDAY

ON August 8, nine-year-old Oxford schoolgirl Harriet Forster was killed on a beach in North Yorkshire after being struck by a rock from a crumbling cliff.

The Dragon School pupil, described as ‘the light of our lives’ by her family, was on holiday with her mum when the tragedy happened.

Her big sister Sophie told the Oxford Mai: "She was just the coolest girl I knew, she always had time for everyone, keen to learn and so clever."

HOUSE PRICES UP 150 PER CENT

ON August 15, we revealed that house prices in some parts of Oxfordshire had increased by an eyewatering 150 per cent in just five years.

Even in the cheapest part of the county prices had risen 45 per cent, latest figures revealed.

While homeowners who bought before or during 2012 are like to rake in healthy profits by selling, many trying to get onto the housing ladder are going to find it increasingly difficult.

SEPTEMBER

FISH POISONED IN REVENGE

ON September 5 we reported the case of a 'vengeful' mum who poisoned her ex-boyfriend's tropical fish with bleach in an act of revenge.

Serena Reynoldson was given an 18-week suspended sentence and banned from keeping fish for life when she appeared at magistrates’ court.

The 35-year-old of Sealham Road, Ducklington, near Witney, was furious John Fitzpatrick left her to deal with their children and family pets after an alleged affair.

She filmed herself pouring the poisonous substance into the tank and repeating 'die, die, die'.

A MINI BREXIT

OXFORD'S Mini plant revealed this month it would be shutting down for four weeks in April 2019 instead of August because of Brexit, as a buffer against any unexpected results of the process.

It was just one response in a wider pattern of confusion in the ongoing debates of Brexit as the Government negotiated to get the deal which many MPs would later say was unacceptable.

Oxford MPs were accused of using the Mini news as a ‘political pawn’ to scaremonger over Brexit.

Brexit was also blamed for staff shortages within the NHS as Oxfordshire’s acute hospitals reportedly running 450 nurses short.

LOWS AND HIGHS FOR U’S

OXFORD United were once more at loggerheads with their landlord in September over their rental agreement.

U’s owner Sumrith ‘Tiger’ Thanakarnjanasuth and managing director Nial McWilliams admitted they were looking for alternative venues for home games as Kassam Stadium owner Firoz Kassam admitted their relationship had hit an ‘all time low’.

In better news on September 26, the U’s valiantly took on Premier League champions Man City and pushed them hard before succumbing to a 3-0 defeat.

The game was marred slightly by an ‘avoidable’ crowd crush.