Sunday was my first visit back to the city of Oxford since I left in May. I wasn’t going to watch my old team Oxford United, but instead was attending the Oxford City Stars ice hockey team for their season-opener against Basingstoke Buffalo.
Two people have been injured in a crash tonight. The collision near Banbury occured on the A361 between Chacombe and Wardington, and saw one car overturn into a field. One of the vehicles involved is thought to have been a taxi. The man
DARREN Enticott and his children threw themselves into the fun at the Refresh Festival in Oxford The free event was held for people recovering from addictions and for the public, to raise awareness of its work. It took place in South Park, Headington
FEARS have been raised over the safety of a road after a 10-year-old boy was seriously injured. The boy, named locally as Freddie Perry, suffered a serious head injury in an accident involving a black Nissan Micra on Tuesday night in Oxford Crescent
ROCK band Foals have been shortlisted for one of the most prestigious prizes in music. The Jericho-based five-piece have had their latest album Holy Fire nominated for a Mercury Music prize. The album, the band’s third was recorded in London and
ONLY LAST week another supermarket chain opened a store in Oxford. The new Co-operative shop on the corner of Walton Street and Little Clarendon Street began trading on August 29 and is the 12th Co-op to open in the city. This is part of a
THE heavy music scene in Bicester is becoming prolific, with gigs at The Courtyard attracting some very promising acts. Tomorrow evening is no exception, as local bands come together to support a promising new name in hard rock music, Hacktivist. Second
Andy Titterell has fond memories of the Kassam Stadium as he looks ahead to playing there with his new club London Welsh. Former England and Lions man Titterell was in the Sale Sharks side who won European Challenge Cup finals at the Oxford venue
ABOUT 50 dog owners and their pets went walkies to raise more than £1,000 for an Oxford-based hospice. Sobell House Hospice, at the Churchill Hospital in Headington, staged the first Rover Ramble fundraiser on Sunday. Owners walked their dogs
FIFTY years ago village shows were an important part of the annual calendar and eagerly awaited by gardening rivals. These days, entrants in the Weston-on-the-Green autumn show near Bicester may not be as competitive as their predecessors, but
A UNIQUE portrait exhibition was opened by one of its stars, a stray dog from Afghanistan. Peg, a mongrel, was adopted by Private Conrad Lewis while he served with the Parachute Regiment. But when the 22-year-old soldier was killed by a sniper
A road near Abingdon is blocked after a vehicle overturned. The A338 is closed both ways between its junction with the A415 at Frilford and Main Street in East Hanney. It is not yet known if anyone was injured in the incident, or how serious
Sir – Regarding a recent decision by the special transport service of Oxfordshire County Council to charge an extra £5 to travel each day to attend a day centre at the begining of October. I would like to point out that it is very unfair and also
Sir – Emissions from diesel engines are implicated in the development of lung cancer, heart disease and asthma. A recent trip to Stockholm showed how other cities approach this health threat. Buses were run on bio-fuels, taxis and local delivery
Sir – The recent planning consultation by the Westgate Alliance left me bewildered — the issue of car parking being one of the main concerns. The multi-storey car park in Oxford has room for 1,200 cars. The temporary solution during construction
Sir – I got to know Alex Gatherer in the 1980s when I was health correspondent for the Oxford Mail and The Oxford Times and in the 1990s as adviser to the Oxfordshire Department of Public Health when he was director. Your obituary underplays his
Sir – Now that the season of village fetes is over, it’s time to take stock. Many people have enjoyed a fete and, in our affluent county, a lot of money has been raised for predominantly local causes — schools, churches, uniformed organisations and
Sir – One of the extraordinary things about Oxford is that you can walk from Abingdon Road in the south all the way to the ring road in the north, and enjoy almost uninterrupted views of paddock, parkland, commons and farmland on one side or the other
Sir – I am sad to read about potential plans to develop Hill View Farm, in Old Marston, into a conference centre and party venue (Report, August 29), and echo Charlie Haynes’s concerns this could set a dangerous precedent for other parts of the village
Sir – I am writing to express my disgust at the completely unnecessary and jobsworth attitude of SODC towards Rectory Farm at Stanton St John and I hope you will hear my voice and agree and take action, putting pressure on Nick Boles to do something
Sir – Speaking as a Headington Prep’ parent, I am appalled by Miss Bartlett’s exit (Report, August 29) following what the school governors described enigmatically as a ‘strategic review’ in their press release to parents and local media received this
Sir – Last week’s article by Damian Fantato says that Oxford University has already paid for trees to be planted in an attempt to limit the damage to views from Port Meadow that the Castle Mill development of student rooms causes. However, I am
Sir – Irene Gill declares that the “Young need reminding of nucear weapons presence” (Letters, August 29). She seems to think that the Oxford “Peace” group should be considered heroic for their protests at Aldermaston and Burghfield. What
Sir – Many people will doubtless have read your recent long obituary detailing the life of veteran local journalist Colin Fenton (August 22), and while your report faithfully outlined the facts of his life, I and others who knew him well feel it would
Sir – Now that Terry Eagleton, as Christopher Gray has reminded us (Gray Matter, (August 22), has so cleverly described Richard Dawkins and Christopher Hitchens as ‘Ditchkins’ (thus refuting everything they’ve ever said or written), none of us ever
ONE person has died following a serious crash. The A4074 near Woodcote was shut at around 12.40pm today following a three-vehicle collision close to The Oratory School in Woodcote. The collision involved a refuse truck and two cars. A passenger
A ROAD has been closed following a serious crash. The A4074 near Woodcote was shut at around 2pm today, police say. Officers have not revealed any details about the number of vehicles involved and the extent of possible injuries suffered is
MEMBERS of Bicester’s Air Training Corps (ATC) proudly marched through the streets to celebrate receiving the town’s highest honour. The 100-strong 2507 (Bicester) ATC Squadron received the liberty of Bicester, given to military organisations with
WALLINGFORD celebrated the importance of the Thames in the town on Saturday during the first Source to Sea River Relay. A bottle of water drawn from the source of the Thames passed through Wallingford as it was carried 125 miles from the start
A NEW Hercule Poirot novel will help to attract more visitors to Wallingford, where author Agatha Christie lived for more than 40 years, say civic leaders. The popular author, who wrote the Poirot and Miss Marple detective series, lived at Winterbrook
A GROUP which supports homeless people in Oxford is hosting its biggest fundraising event to date. The Porch, a charity in East Oxford which runs the Steppin’ Stone Centre, is cooking a three-course dinner for up to 150 guests and hopes to raise
YOUNG scuba diver Miguel Carvalho seized the opportunity to refresh his skills at the sport at the weekend. The activity was part of Cherwell District Council’s free Connecting Communities event for visitors to Banbury’s Spiceball Leisure Centre
David Quinn reports on Oxfordshire Quiz League GIVEN a brief respite from regular league action, a number of sides gathered last Thursday evening at the North Oxford Conservative Club (Summertown) for the football themed Tabletop. A few familiar
A PRIMARY school put into special measures has been told it is making “reasonable” progress towards removal of the restrictions. St John the Evangelist Primary School in Bluebell Way, Carterton, was revisited by Ofsted in July to monitor the school
A DISUSED piece of land on a Witney estate that has stood empty for more than 40 years has been transformed. Work to overhaul the strip of land at the end of a cul-de-sac on Burwell Drive started on Saturday after one resident got sick of looking
ANIMALS, face painting and crafty activities were on offer at a special event at Hilltop Garden Centre. The centre in Ramsden, near Chipping Norton, held a free family fun day on Sunday to raise money for the Greenfingers Charity, which creates
YOUNGSTERS who may have fallen through cracks in the education system are to be given a helping hand towards getting a job. Charity motor project Trax was formed more than 20 years ago to combat rising car crime and has since helped 5,000 young
FOUR STARS Two great ladies of the British stage, Jenny Seagrove and Sara Crowe, transform before our eyes into a pair of staggering soaks as Noël Coward’s Fallen Angels continues on its merry way. Written exactly 90 years ago, and one of the
TARGETS to improve satisfaction among tenants are being missed by Oxford City Council staff. A performance report to be submitted to the council’s housing scrutiny panel meeting next week has revealed the council is not living up to its own expectations
WHEN fish in the Thames are looking to breed they sometimes get frustrated when their path to the mating pool is blocked by barriers. Now a new bypass channel has been created to help them get round Hinksey Weir in Oxford. The weir has now
There was a dramatic end to the Section 4 title which went right to the wire, with joy for Crown. Original Swan A, who had led the section most of the season, needed only two points to secure the top spot, but crashed 3-0 at Masons Arms A. Swan
DIVISIONS 6-10 NIGEL Bint returned to competitive cricket after 15 years to take eight wickets and score an unbeaten 30 in Didcot 4th’s Division 10 win over Challow & Childrey 3rd by 106 runs. Ross Coles hit his debut half-century with
OXFORD MAIL YOUTH LEAGUE THE Oxford Mail Youth League is at the forefront of the overhaul sweeping across English football, writes MATTHEW BRUCE. Based on two years of research from around the world, the FA has issued a series of new regulations
OXFORD MAIL YOUTH LEAGUE OXFORD Blackbirds Under 9s manager Stuart Parsons believes the introduction of futsal is a step in the right direction for the league, writes MATTHEW BRUCE. Indoor futsal tournaments will take place this winter as one
The kitchen manager of a pub has been jailed for eight months at Oxford Crown Court after he admitted possessing cannabis with intent to supply. Duncan Payne, of Abingdon Road, Oxford, who worked at the White House pub in the same road, was arrested
Buildings at Didcot A Power Station are to be torn down this year, before its cooling towers, right, are blown up in 2014. The demolition of Didcot A Power Station is expected to start within the next few months and bring around 200 jobs to the
THRILL-seekers got themselves into a spin at the second night of St Giles’ Fair in Oxford yesterday. There were clearer skies on the final day of the annual event but organisers said the weather had affected the number of people at the fair.
MORE doctors, more nurses and more beds are on the way to Oxford. Oxfordshire has been handed £10.2m funding – the second highest amount in the country – to tackle winter pressures this year, including bed blocking and A&E waiting times.
DIVISION 5 THE league are to hold an inquiry into the circumstances that led to Abingdon Vale 2nd conceding their home Division 5 match to Leighton Buzzard 2nd. The destination of the title depends on the outcome as Leighton will pip Great
Controversial charging for home-to-school buses has been singled out as a potential money-saving scheme as the county council works to save £60m. Yesterday a motion calling on the council to review a plan to save £340,000 a year by charging some
Three Oxford women allegedly superglued themselves to the doors of a London PR company in an anti-fracking protest. Eleanor Smith, 27, of Campbell Road, Tara Clarke, 25, of Howard Street, and Louise Dear, 30, of Weirs Lane, face aggravated trespassing
A CCTV image of two men has been released by police after a 24-year-old man was punched in the face in Witney. Police want to speak to the men, pictured, after the assault in Highworth Place at about 2.40am on Wednesday, September 4. The victim
DIVISION 4 DIDCOT walloped Witney Mills by seven wickets to clinch the title by two points. Matt Jones (3-28) and Dan Alderson (3-32) did much of the damage as Mills fell to 111 all out. Micheal Dove top scored with 33. Ian Demain then
A decision to redevelop a historic building in Jericho has been deferred. Plans to put 90 student rooms, teaching and lecture space, and a café on the site of the former Ruskin College building in Walton Street went before Oxford City Council’s
MANUEL Afonso was busy preparing a romantic dinner for his fiancée when it all went up in smoke. The 29-year-old was in the kitchen putting the finishing touches to the special meal for Angela Gouveia, 26, when when the smoke alarm in his bedroom
OXFORD MAIL YOUTH LEAGUE A RECORD number of teams have entered the league this season after organisers revamped the format, writes MATTHEW BRUCE. But concerns have been raised that with more teams competing every weekend than ever before pitch
GREAT photo and sentiment from Oxford City Council and Old Marston Parish Council (August 24) regarding their claim that graffiti problems within Oxford are diminishing. However the worst eyesore in Old Marston wasn't mentioned in the feature.
DoES the left and right hand at the John Radcliffe hospital know what the other is doing? To park at the west wing outside, there area few parking spaces for disabled drivers. These are free. If you have to use the underground parking area
REGARDING bus lane potholes, on a couple of recent visits to Oxford from Kidlington via the bus, I have to express how uncomfortable and body-shaking it was. Nearly the entire journey was horrendous. How the elderly and people with physical
WHY on earth did the Ashmolean need to close just because a member of staff sustained “...relatively minor injuries”? Is this yet another example of our society’s completely unnecessary (and neurotic) health and safety obsession? I strongly suspect
IF like me your readers are disgusted by the killing of badgers and other wildlife by shooting or any other means, then it is recommended that we boycott all animal produce including milk, cream, eggs and cheese. This will convey a clear message
WE recently visited your city on holiday, and, as residents of York, we have been very familiar with the park and ride scheme for many years so we decided to do the sensible thing, and found Seacourt. As the bus was waiting when we parked the car
I’m excited for Friday as I’m off to see my family; brothers, sisters in law, nieces and nephews and my extended family. I don’t see my cousins or my auntie and uncle much so it should be fun. When I was in rehab I was desperate to leave. It
Carterton captured the Oxford & District League Cup for the first time with an emphatic 103-47 win over West Witney in the final under the Kidlington floodlights. After a shock victory over holders Headington in the semi-finals, West Witney
Malcolm Bracewell was crowned men’s singles champion at Oxford BC’s finals weekend. FINAL RESULTS Men’s singles: M Bracewell 21, R Edney 15. Ladies’ singles: J Lynch 21, R Burden 12. Never-won singles: C Bennett 21, T Lee 11. Handicap
More legal arguments were heard in the trial of five men arrested when police raided an Oxfordshire scrap metal yard yesterday. The defendants deny charges of attempting to acquire and conceal criminal property at TR Rogers Metal Recycling, in Nuneham
OXFORD: Oxford University has been ranked sixth in a worldwide ranking of top universities. University spokesman Clemency Pleming said: “We are delighted to be mentioned alongside other excellent universities in the UK and across the world.” The
Giles Sports Witney Youth League Ashley Johnson’s five-timer saw Chasewell Park win 6-3 at home to Hook Norton in the Under 13 B League. Josh Johnson also netted for Chasewell, while Hector Stapleton scored all three of Hook Norton’s goals.
IF ONLY this had been a month ago. As the city said goodbye to summer, cool water was gushing out over Beaumont Street yesterday morning. Oxford Mail reader Nigel Wilkins was on his way to work at Summer Fields School in Mayfield Road at about
Reigning champions West Witney were held to a 1-1 draw at home by Carterton in the Witney & District FA Premier Division on the opening day of the season, writes ANTHONY BARLOW. Carterton took the lead through Mike Bolt, with Ian Sparkes scoring
TWO shops in London Road have been served with eviction notices just months after a string of supermarket chains revealed interest in the area. Independently-run Oxford Furniture Warehouse said it was worried about its future after being given just
Alan Jarvis, who is based at Twyford, near Bicester, faces a battle to continue his training career after being declared bankrupt over a debt owed to Doncaster Bloodstock Sales Limited. The British Horseracing Authority are awaiting details of
DIVISION 2 WILL Goodman creamed an unbeaten 126 for promoted Tiddington, and so became the fifth different batsman to take a ton off Bledlow Village this year. He was well supported by Will Cooper (62) as the visitors amassed 257-5, their highest
OXFORD MAIL YOUTH LEAGUE IT’S all change this season with a new format and a new name for Oxfordshire’s leading youth league, writes MATTHEW BRUCE. Now known as The Oxford Mail Youth League, it is having a major overhaul in line with recent
DAMIAN Fantato’s article about Masons (August 28) was most welcome but in places he has gone too far. The Masons certainly took part in many of the 18th and 19th century revolutions, not because of “conspiracy” but because their ideals and those
REFERENCE What Is It? (September 2, page 19). It is the caterpillar of “Orgyia antiqua (L.) – a vapourer moth. Unlike mother-in-laws, these moths are quite harmless: they don’t have any venom! JOHN WILSON (mothologist) York Road Headington
Oxfordshire's men gained the bragging rights over Oxfordshire Ladies with a 141-114 victory in their annual friendly at Oxford City & County. They triumphed on four of the six rinks with wins for skips Michael Andrew, Chris Weller, Paul Comley
Headington B finished with a flourish to triumph on Summertown Trophy finals day at Banbury Chestnuts. The side of Ian Snowden, Shaun Claridge, Paul Mabbutt, Dean May and John Philpott emerged winners with a record of +39 shots after playing each
BANBURY: A 25-year-old man was punched in the face and robbed of his bag in Banbury. The incident took place in the underpass between Grimsbury Green and Waterworks Lane at about 6.15am last Thursday. The victim did not require hospital treatment.
Yobs damaged an Oxford restaurant after throwing a bottle at the window. Police are seeking witnesses to the incident, which happened at Mission Burrito in St Michael’s Street between 11pm and 6am on Monday night. The restaurant was closed
Banbury MP Sir Tony Baldry has questioned Prime Minister David Cameron in the Commons over the continuing civil war in Syria. Conservative Sir Tony asked the Prime Minister when he expected the United Nations to agree to a resolution to gain “unfettered
Ricky Anderson struck a hat-trick as The George kicked off the season with a resounding 4-0 win at Fairview in the Oxford City FA Premier Division. David Preece’s header completed victory. Masons Arms came out on top 2-1 at Barton in the battle
Oxfordshire Senior League A 40-YARD lob from Kieron Schmidt was the highlight as Premier Division leaders Oakley United stretched their winning streak to five games with a 5-1 victory at home to Garsington. Nick Gurney’s strike separated the
DIVISION 1 HORSPATH and Oxford Downs played out a rain-affected draw that left both sides with plenty to celebrate as the 2013 Cherwell League season concluded. The result extended champions Horspath’s unbeaten run in the Cherwell to a remarkable
OXFORD Spires Academy has been rated good in its first Ofsted inspection. The East Oxford school, which has nearly 800 pupils, was judged good in every area following an inspection in July, the results of which have just been made public. Everything
LONDON Welsh chairman Bleddyn Phillips has urged fans to turn out in force and help the club progress in Oxford. Phillips hopes to see crowds of between 3-4,000 for big games at the Kassam Stadium as the Exiles bid for success in this year’s Greene
ANTONIO German scored twice as Oxford United’s development squad lost 2-0 at Gillingham yesterday. Josh Shama came closest to scoring for the visitors at Priestfield, twice firing chances wide in the first half. The deadlock in a tight game
STUDENTS could be delayed from moving into flats at Castle Mill after a further wrangle in the controversial development. Oxford City Council was last night due to sign off a series of conditions allowing the student flats to be completed.
HE SPENT years studying science and the physics of the universe. And Gordon Cutting says his grasp of the subjects have helped him to become the best bus driver in the country. The 42-year-old from Charlbury competed against 104 other drivers
THE body of a woman in her 80s has this morning been found in a canal in Kidlington. Officers discovered the woman's body shortly before 8am this morning in Oxford Canal off Yarnton Road. Police spokeswoman Rhianne Pope said: "Officers found
FORMER top-flight referee Keith Hackett visited Abingdon United to pass on advice to the North Berks Referees Association, writes MATTHEW BRUCE. He took charge of the 1986 League Cup final, where Oxford United beat Queens Park Rangers 3-0 and said
COMMON sense seems to have died at South Central Ambulance Service with its decision to effectively ‘sack’ longstanding volunteer paramedic Godfrey Smith over the way he drove on his way to an emergency. Mr Smith has been told his services are
A COMMUNITY first responder has been stripped of the role after driving 33mph in a 20mph zone on his way to an emergency. Godfrey Smith, who has volunteered for the South Central Ambulance Service (SCAS) for 15 years, said the decision had left
CONGRATULATIONS to Gordon Cutting for being crowned Bus Driver of the Year. He holds a degree in astrophysics. You can imagine his passengers must value his knowledge on such matters as the speed on light, as he ferries them quickly between Chipping
TRAFFIC is backed up on Oxford’s Eastern Bypass this morning due to a broken down vehicle. The vehicle has broken down on the northbound side at Horspath Road and congestion is continuing to the Littlemore roundabout.
CRITCHLEYS UPPER THAMES VALLEY LEAGUE A DEPLETED Barton United came from behind to win 4-3 at home to Blacks Head Bletchingdon in the Premier Division. The hosts, who started with eight players and only finished with nine, trailed 2-1 at half-time
NORTH BERKS LEAGUE ANDY Marriott’s double saw Long Wittenham Athletic continue their good start to the season with a 5-2 home win over Wootton & Dry Sandford, writes PHIL ANNETS. Matt Saunders, Steve Molloy and Andy Sutherland also scored
A TEN-year-old boy is being treated for a serious head injury after a collision in Didcot last night. Paramedics were called to Oxford Crescent in the town at about 5.30pm to reports a child and a black Nissan Micra had collided. Last night
AN OXFORD MP’s petition to do more to protect children from sex abusers has gathered nearly 100,000 signatures. Nicola Blackwood, Oxford West and Abingdon MP, inset right, launched the Childhood Lost campaign at the end of last month following
Last Friends is the final novel in Jane Gardam’s great trilogy. The first, Old Filth (Failed in London, Try Hong Kong), gets its title from the nickname given to Judge Sir Edward Feathers QC (despite his fastidious cleanliness). Born in Malaya,
