An open verdict was recorded into the death of a retired loading bay operative. Victor Mott, 69, of Derwent Avenue, Headington, had been diagnosed with mesothelioma and died on May 15 this year at Oxford’s Churchill Hospital. Assistant deputy
Sassy Caro Emerald brings a nostalgic touch of glamour Alice Francis turns on the sex appeal for a sultry night of jazz Lucy Worsley revels in horrible histories Jurassic larks! Some of our dinosaurs are missing...
I recently received a call from concerned members of staff at Oxford University’s Museum of Natural History to inform me that one of their Utahraptor’s (that’s a dinosaur, to you and I) was roaming the aisles in Blackwell’s on The Broad and some rather
Win a night at the threatre - in style How’s this for a competition? Not only can you win a pair of tickets to see the legendary Maureen Lipman in her new play Daytona at the Oxford Playhouse, but also enjoy a pre-theatre slap up meal for two at
The week's stage news THE acclaimed production of Dunsinane, the sequel to Shakespeare’s Macbeth by award-winning writer David Greig, comes to Oxford Playhouse on Tuesday to Saturday, September 17-21. Macbeth is dead. Under cover of night
Dr Lucy Worsley tells KATHERINE MACALISTER why picking out the racy bits of history is a guilty pleasure You’ll have seen Dr Lucy Worsley on the television, the new darling of the BBC, shaking up the history department and giving the tweed jackets
James Luxford survives a lack of movie action I’m back in the UK, and as I write this the new Mrs Lauren Luxford (sounds like a super hero’s alter ego, doesn’t it?) and I are well rested and tanned (or in my case, burned) from a surprise honeymoon
Emma Dolman, director of Cornerstone Arts Centre, Didcot is marking a special event Here at Cornerstone this week we are mainly subsumed by the many and various preparations for our massive fifth birthday celebrations tomorrow and Saturday.
Baz Butcher of St Giles Cafe shares his thoughts on opening his own business It goes without saying that the most important aspect of any business is the people. And, thus, choosing who to employ comprises the most crucial of decisions. Decision-making
Oxfordshire's foodie news It’s amazing to think, but Browns Restaurant is 40 years old and is celebrating with a huge party in Oxford and the launch of a 40th anniversary book. Founded in 1973, the very first restaurant opened in Brighton
Annette Cunningham revisits an Oxford institution When I was in Oxford in the ‘80s, Browns was ‘it’. Quite literally. It was the place you wanted to be and, more importantly, be seen. Back then, it was all about the cocktail and barbecue
Venturing out on a chilly Sunday night turns into a truly memorable experience for KATHERINE MACALISTER Immense,” Mr Greedy announced after carefully putting down his knife and fork. “That’s the best meal that I’ve had in a long, long time.
A round-up of art exhibitions in Oxfordshire THE North Wall Arts Centre will welcome an exhibition of scarves, sculpture and works on paper by Victoria Rees to its gallery from September 2-21. The Ruskin School of Drawing and Fine Art graduate’
THE PARENTS of Didcot boy Freddie Perry have paid tribute to their “lovely son” after he died following a car accident. The 10-year-old was hit by a car near his home in Oxford Crescent on Tuesday. He died of his injuries yesterday.
The fascinating art of wood engraving is still going strong around the world and will soon be in Oxford, as SARAH MAYHEW discovers One’s mind might not necessarily jump to the notion of cutting edge art when considering the work of wood engravers
THE past two weeks have seen the closing meetings of the Diamond League athletics series. Dominated by the 100m appearances of Usain Bolt at both events, despite the fact that only Zurich contained an official Diamond League race, the series culminated
FIVE years ago, the village hall committee in Wootton, near Woodstock, was having a meeting when the discussion turned to the question of fundraising to repair the run-down centre. Among the blizzard of ideas, somebody suggested putting on a few
Gig news and gossip: With Roger Eno playing a cinema, a jazz beauty preparing to enchant Didcot - and more names announced for Oxford's Gathering festival WHEN staff at East Oxford’s Ultimate Picture Palace decided to mark the completion
Our weekly round-up of Oxfordshire's best gigs Indie-rock BABYSHAMBLES O2 Academy, Oxford Tomorrow (Friday) Tickets £25.87 from ticketweb.co.uk Former bad boy of British indie-rock, Peter Doherty has
Rock-lover Jason Collie celebrates a musical milestone in the company of a hard-rocking bunch of party-starters Alkaline Trio @ O2 Academy Islington As the O2 Academy Oxford gets ready to celebrate its sixth anniversary (my, how time flies!
Tim Hughes talks to Janet Devlin — an X Factor starlet driven to do it her way Most of the breathless young artists who enter ITV’s X Factor do it with one goal in mind: to win. Janet Devlin was different. “It didn’t really matter to me,” says
SHWAN Jalal has joined Oxford United on a month-long loan deal following an injury to Max Crocombe. The 30-year-old trained with the squad for the first time today and will go straight into the squad to face Cheltenham Town on Saturday. Crocombe
REG LITTLE talks to Rick Stein about his early life in West Oxfordshire and his time at Oxford University ahead of his appearance at the Blenheim Palace Literary Festival Rick Stein recently returned with a film camera crew to the farm in West
Gill Oliver talks to the special adviser to the Blenheim Palace and the Oxford literary festivals As special adviser to the Blenheim Palace and Oxford literary festivals, Tony Byrne has learned to expect the unexpected. A typical scenario,
POPULAR former pub landlady Pauline Stacey has died at 61 following a short illness. The mother-of-two and grandmother-of-five, who lived in Didcot, was the former landlady of The Plough in Wallingford and the Horse and Harrow in West Hagbourne
Surrounded by chocolate and fudge all day, entrepreneurs Sarah Hobbs and Jenny Silverthorne-Wright are living the dream. The two women run Cotswold Fudge and Plush Chocolates from a unit on Blur guitarist Alex James’ farm near Chipping Norton.
A LAW firm has linked up with a housing association to give teenagers a head start to a possible legal career. Botley-based Morgan Cole is working with housing provider Cottsway in a scheme which sees the youngsters, who all live in its properties
Well, what a night. Even the interval had a highlight – a tiny black feather floating elegantly in my glass (Rocky Horror played last week and they’re still finding feathers everywhere...). This week however is the turn of Willy Russell’s Blood
AN Olympic hopeful has more hurdles to jump before she makes it to Rio – and a few of those are at Blenheim Palace International Horse Trials today. Charlotte Agnew, from Kingston Bagpuize near Abingdon, is riding her 13-year-old homebred Out of
MOTOR racing and engineering business Williams Grand Prix Holdings has cut its losses, latest figures have revealed. The Grove-based company made a pre-tax loss of £2.7m for the six months to June 30 compared to £3.1m for the same period last year
A popular pub landlord known as the Dashing Dandy for his extravagant dress sense has died aged 47. Stuart Scott the landlord of the Head of the River pub at Folly Bridge, Oxford and a former landlord of The Bear in the city centre, had been involved
Apprenticeships are increasingly being seen as the great employment hope for the future. For many years they dwindled as the emphasis switched from youngsters entering traditional trades to being offered the chance to fulfil their potential at
YOUR article about community involvement in the Oxford City Council plans for Jericho (September 6) is welcome, but does not go far enough. Involving the local community should be mandatory from the very start of any development or redevelopment process
THE county’s employment market is buoyant, with a new poll of employers showing virtually every one has taken on new staff. The Oxfordshire Employment Trends Survey of 82 companies shows 99 per cent have recruited this year, with over half of bosses
Tony Byrne knows all about last-minute hitches. As special adviser to the Blenheim Palace and Oxford Literary Festivals he is used to celebrity guests cancelling at the last moment and things going wrong behind the scenes. With the start of the
Artists often thrive with space in which to work and exhibit, and Katie Coston has managed to combine both in her new base in Jericho. Mrs Coston, along with husband Micah, has set up Illyria Pottery in the former Port Meadow Designs store in bustling
Oxford teacher ROB BOWN on why the state sector is well placed to deliver A lot has been written in 2013 about how state schools should learn from private schools. One suggestion is that independent schools can teach state schools how to help their
A MAN has been jailed for falsely claiming benefits when he had more than £130,000 in the bank. Robert Wills, of Lawrence Way, Bicester, was found guilty of falsely claiming benefits over a two-year period following a three-week trial earlier this
Samuel Heslop, 38, of Lower Radley, Abingdon, convicted of assaulting and wilfully obstructing PC Alex Shepherd in the execution of his duty in Oxford city centre on March 24. Fined a total of £220, £250 costs, and a £20 victims’ surcharge. Billy
Alcopop! Records founder Jack Clothier tells MATT AYRES of his releases of CDs, tapes, vinyl records, scarves and frisbees Hard work, talent and luck are the three ingredients it usually takes to make a living out of music. When Alcopop! Records
SEAMUS PERRY on what the dons of Oxford do over the summer hols The historian Sir Keith Thomas, to whom many of the best bon mots of modern Oxford are attributed, is supposed to have said that academic life had three things to recommend it — July
Caro Emerald is more than just a pretty face. She tells Tim Hughes her sultry brand of jazz-pop has a thoroughly modern twist Cutting a dash in a long, figure-hugging dress and matching blood-red lipstick, Caro Emerald is a star from a different
DIG out that tuxedo or sexy cocktail dress and get into the spirit of the jazz age to celebrate the anniversary of one of the county’s leading arts venues. This weekend marks the fifth anniversary of the opening of Didcot’s Cornerstone, and the
Matt Ayres meets a group of Oxfordshire lads with a love of killer rock covers If you’ve ever been to a party with the atmosphere of a hospital waiting room, you’ll know that there are some situations that only one type of music can really remedy
A COMMUNITY group has applied for £1,000 to boost its work in one of the latest bids for cash from the charitable arm of the Oxford Mail. Once again the Gannett Foundation is offering grants to charitable causes across Oxfordshire. And there
HUNDREDS of Oxford’s famous buildings and companies will open their doors to the public for the sixth annual free visiting event. Oxford Open Doors, which is organised by the charity Oxford Preservation Trust (OPT), will celebrate the city’s heritage
WHILE other children spent the summer holidays messing in the sun, Lucie Oakey has been adding cups and rosettes to her bulging trophy cabinet. Lucie, nine, and her pony Robbie, 19, have won nine cups and trophies at a string of horse riding competitions
Rick Stein recently returned with a film camera crew to the farm in West Oxfordshire that had been his family home. The 150-acre mixed farm just outside Churchill, on the road to Chipping Norton, gave the celebrated seafood chef, restaurateur and
FOUR STARS To truly excel in a chosen field, you need to be challenged, pushed to the limit of human endurance to find previously untapped reserves of strength and courage. For this reason, sport is littered with bitter rivalries between incredible
THE centrepiece of Oxford’s Botanic Garden has had a buzzing few months thanks to the bumper summer. Staff planted the 955 square metre Merton Borders – the garden’s single largest cultivated area – last year and it is now in full bloom. And
A LOT of nonsense is talked by politicians (often those with millions in personal wealth) and some newspapers (with similarly wealthy proprietors) about people on benefits. For instance, they convey the impression that those on benefits are all
CLIVE Stone is a rock. For a man to go through 31 brain tumours and still be standing is incredible. For him at the same time to have continued campaigning on behalf of cancer patients, quite frankly, defies belief. His work has led to the
YOUNG people are being offered the chance to go behind the scenes of Oxford’s Pitt Rivers Museum. The tours are running on Saturday as part of a careers day to show young people the variety of jobs staff carry out behind the exhibitions. As
Paul Marlow used to serve food to the Royal Family, but his life changed dramatically in 2003 after being diagnosed with bladder cancer. Now he is unable to work and suffers pain when moving around, but the Government has decided that he no longer
A BID to remove “sexist” council titles has been thrown out. Labour and Green councillors voted to remove the “man” from the traditional term “chairman” given to both men and women at Oxfordshire County Council. But after a 45-minute debate at Tuesday
Some may be tempted to feel some sympathy for Oxford University this week. The first postgraduates are shortly due to arrive at the new Castle Mill accommodation, all no doubt looking forward to enjoying the beautiful views over Port Meadow.
A man died and two others were seriously injured following a three-vehicle smash in Woodcote yesterday. Police were called at 12.40pm following a collision between a refuse lorry and two cars near The Oratory School. A passenger in one of the
RAF Benson has been handed a major boost following the announcement of a new multi-million-pound contract to support its Merlin helicopters. The Ministry of Defence (MoD) yesterday announced a six-year, £367m agreement with Rolls-Royce Turbomeca
(senior men unless stated) COTSWOLD CLASSIC 10 Abingdon: 35 C Bedford (V40) 1.07.17, 85 T Clarke (V40) 1.13.50, 91 J Oliver (V50) 1.14.20, 103 J Wigmore (V60) 1.15.24, 180 J Wiblin (LV45) 1.24.35, 211 A Garner (V50) 1.28.13, 214 L Bedford (
London Welsh lock Matt Corker says watching the Aviva Premiership on TV can motivate the players to secure a top-flight return. A year ago, the Exiles were playing in the Premiership, taking on Leicester and Harlequins in their opening fixtures
A road near Abingdon was blocked last night after a vehicle overturned. The A338 was closed both ways between its junction with the A415 at Frilford and Main Street in East Hanney after the crash, which happened at around 6.30pm. It is not
Evidence in the trial of five men arrested when police raided a scrap metal yard may not be heard until Monday. Yesterday legal arguments continued at Oxford Crown Court in the trial of five defendants who deny charges of attempting to acquire
THE boss of a housing developer behind major schemes in Oxford says it will no longer build in the city unless planning regulations are relaxed. Andrew Saunders-Davies, chairman of Berkeley Homes Oxford & Chiltern, said regulations including
Justin Burnell is relishing testing himself in English rugby and locking horns with title favourites Bristol. London Welsh’s head coach will lead his side in a competitive match for the first time on Saturday when they face Bedford Blues
Kevin Davis’s career has turned full circle after signing for London Welsh. And now the former Oxford University student, who won a Blue in 2007, is hoping to make the most of his return to the city. “I played in one Varsity Match and missed
The Oxford Imps - intelligent, if at times immature sketch comedy I have to hand it to the Oxford Imps, they certainly know how to think fast. Their shows are marketed as “Whose Line Is It Anyway-style comedy”, and they live up to this description
A question-and-answer session about the Barton West planning application will take place today. It will form part of Oxford City Council’s east area planning committee at the Town Hall in St Aldate’s, starting at 6pm. Barton West is Oxford’
A burglar who admitted dozens of break-ins across Oxfordshire and Berkshire has been jailed. Ashley Rees, of Faber Close, Oxford, was arrested after carrying out break-ins in Little Haseley between June 28 and August 29 last year, and this year
FOUR prison officers from HMP Bullingdon have denied conspiring to pervert the course of justice. The defendants appeared yesterday at Oxford Crown Court and also pleaded not guilty to conspiring to commit misconduct in a judicial or public office
Police want to trace three men who were driving around Grove in what officers called a “suspicious” van and offered gardening services. The LDV Maxus van was seen in Meadow Close on Monday at 4.56pm. Call police on 101 with information.
A burglar used a crowbar to break into three containers at a farm and steal chainsaws, a leaf blower, a generator and disc cutters. The crime happened at the property off The Mount in Tetsworth at 11pm on Saturday. Police asked witnesses to
IT IS an unusual protest that is bound to attract attention. And that is exactly what members of the Oxford Quaker Knitters are hoping will happen as they help to create a seven-mile long pink peace scarf in protest against nuclear weapons.
OXFORD City’s Aaron Burgess broke the course record by one second as he roared to victory at the Pangbourne 10K. Burgess completed the multi-terrain course in 35mins 32secs, finishing almost a minute clear of second place. It was a successful
OXFORDSHIRE will be cheering on Banbury’s cricketers tomorrow when they compete in ECB National Club Twenty20 finals day at the Kia Oval. The county’s highest-ranked club are hoping for a good travelling support as they look to shine at the Test
Aston Rowant trainer Lawney Hill’s string are in flying form as she prepares to open her stable doors to the public on Saturday (10am-12.30pm). Cap Elorn gave her a fifth winner in the last two weeks when completing a hat-trick of wins at Huntingdon
Oxfordshire athletes Christian von Eitzen and Simi Fajemisin, who won gold at the English Schools’ Track & Field Championships in July, go for more glory at the Sainsbury's School Games in Sheffield over the next four days. Von Eitzen, who
The Oxford Union has reconsidered its decision to invite the leader of the English Defence League to a debate on patriotism. The society said security costs involved in hosting Tommy Robinson, pictured, would be significant and, as it was unable
COUNTY council chairman Tim Hallchurch was on fine form at Tuesday’s full council meeting. Councillors must have left wondering if there was anything which went right after the meeting collapsed into shambles at several points. First, Mr Hallchurch
I am writing regarding the article, (September 9) about using the successful literacy campaign methods to boost maths. I would like to make some comments and ask some questions. My first comment is that this proves that the pupils and their various
JOHN Kerry states assertively that Syria ‘crossed the global red line’ in its use of Sarin gas recently. However, the international US community said nothing of the sort when Israel used white phosphorus in Lebanon (1982, 2006) and Gaza (2009).
JOHN Kerry states assertively that Syria ‘crossed the global red line’ in its use of Sarin gas recently. However, the international US community said nothing of the sort when Israel used white phosphorus in Lebanon (1982, 2006) and Gaza (2009).
THE demise of iZi marks the end of an era. I know many will see it as just another bar gone to the wall but it was more than that. Prior to izi, there were only late-night drinking joints. It was no city centre super-club but it was more than
ON MONDAY, September 9, I attended a town council meeting. This is the first time I had ever observed at a council meeting and I was shocked and appalled at the attitude of one of the councillors in particular. During a presentation the councillor
WHILE the proposed new bridge over the canal in Jericho will certainly provide a link from the railway station to Oxford University’s new Radcliffe Observatory Quarter and to North Oxford, it will also be widely welcomed by residents of the development
Banbury's cricketers are today making a dream appearance at The Oval, when competing in the ECB National Club T20 finals day. Jimmy Phillips’s side play holders Wimbledon in the semi-fina at 12.30pm, with the aim of making tonight’s final.
William Fox-Pitt is double-handed as he defends his crown at the Fidelity Blenheim Palace International Horse Trials, which get under way in Woodstock today. The Great Britain star, who won the 50th three-day event of his stellar career when taking
Kimi Raikkonen is looking forward to renewing old acquaintances after his return to Ferrari on a two-year deal was confirmed yesterday. Raikkonen, who will leave the Enstone-based Lotus team to join Ferrari as the replacement for Felipe Massa next
A purse and sat nav were stolen by a thief who smashed through a car window in Cropredy. The crime happened in School Lane on Saturday between 3pm and 5pm. Call police on 101 with information.
A truck has been stolen by thieves in Bodicote. The flat bed truck was taken from White Post Road on Friday at 10.15pm. Police asked witnesses to call 101 with information.
An antisocial neighbour has been evicted after disrupting residents for more than two years. Sarah O’Hora, 44, was evicted from her home in Banesberie Close, Banbury on Tuesday in an operation which involved Thames Valley Police, Lambeth Housing
A study by Which? magazine found while Oxford University was among the best in the country for creative arts, it was not as highly rated for sport. More than 16,000 undergraduates across the UK were surveyed asking them to rate their universities
AN INDEPENDENT cafe chain has announced it plans to open in the former Blackwell’s Music Shop in Oxford. But traders in Broad Street fear that coffee chain Costa is eyeing up the same site and that it could “kill them off” if it moved in. The
The demise of iZi marks the end of an era. I know many will see it as just another bar gone to the wall but it was more than that. Prior to izi, there were only late-night drinking joints. It was no city centre super-club but it was more than
I Just thought I would drop you a quick question and ask if anyone else was waiting for someone to be knocked down on the pedestrian crossing outside the new shops on Marriotts Close? As a car driver, if you find yourself approaching the above
On Monday, September 9, I attended a town council meeting. This is the first time I had ever observed at a council meeting and I was shocked and appalled at the attitude of one of the councillors in particular. During a presentation the councillor
While the proposed new bridge over the canal in Jericho will certainly provide a link from the railway station to Oxford University’s new Radcliffe Observatory Quarter and to North Oxford, it will also be widely welcomed by residents of the development
JAMES Bolton produced an outstanding display to retain his Cotswold Classic title. The Woodstock Harrier completed the hilly 10-mile course near Witney in 54mins 8secs, just seven seconds slower than his best time. Bolton battled Oxford City
I AM writing regarding the article, (September 9) about using the successful literacy campaign methods to boost maths. I would like to make some comments and ask some questions. My first comment is that this proves that the pupils and their various
I JUST thought I would drop you a quick question and ask if anyone else was waiting for someone to be knocked down on the pedestrian crossing outside the new shops on Marriotts Close? As a car driver, if you find yourself approaching the above
YOUR article about community involvement in the Oxford City Council plans for Jericho (September 6) is welcome, but does not go far enough. Involving the local community should be mandatory from the very start of any development or redevelopment
FOLLOWING extensive international research, experts in Denmark have concluded that free health checks for the over-40s are a waste of time and money and conceivably self-defeating. Who are we to argue with the academic elite of a nation which has
TRADERS at Gloucester Green antiques and crafts market were pleased to see the article (September 9, Thursday traders protest at council plan to lease market) – as it gave exposure to our issue with Oxford City Council, namely it appointed a new market
LONDON Welsh have signed backs Dante Mama and Tom Luke on short-term deals. The pair, who were at Doncaster Knights last season, bolster Welsh’s squad ahead of Saturday’s Greene King IPA Championship opener against Bedford Blues at Saracens’ Allianz
OXFORD United have reduced their prices for next month’s Johnstone’s Paint Trophy clash at home to Portsmouth. Tickets go on sale at the Kassam Stadium this morn-ing, with adults £10 if bought in advance. Over 65s and students are £5
OXFORD band Foals have been shortlisted alongside music heavyweights Arctic Monkeys and David Bowie for the Barclaycard Mercury Music Prize. A full list of nominations for the illustrious prize were announced yesterday. The band’s third studio
THE body of a missing woman in her 80s was discovered by police in the Oxford Canal, Kidlington, yesterday morning. The pensioner, who was from the area, was reported missing on Tuesday night but has so far not been named. Officers searching
A fraudster who conned a family out of £13,000 in a stolen car eBay scam has had his sentence cut on appeal. Mark Clifford, 37, of Gloucester Street, Faringdon, was jailed for three years in February for fraud in relation to the sale of a stolen
The number of people signing on the dole in Oxfordshire has fallen to its lowest level in five years. Latest figures from the Office of National Statistics show 5,751 people were claiming Jobseeker’s Allowance in August, a fall of 174 on the previous
JOSH Oliver scored four times as Oxford City Stars made the perfect start to their title defence with a 12-1 win over Basingstoke Buffalo. There were seven other players on the scoresheet in a dominant display at Oxford Ice Rink. The hosts
CANCER campaigner Clive Stone has defied the odds to survive an incredible 31 brain tumours. And the 65-year-old from Eynsham has vowed to keep up his fight on behalf of other cancer sufferers. He said: “All I want to do for the rest of my
EMERGENCY services are dealing with an accident involving a car swerving off the road into a ditch on Woodstock Road, Charlbury, this morning. The road is partially blocked both ways while the vehicle is recovered.
TWO accidents and a broken down van are causing delays on the A34 this morning. A two-vehicle crash near Didcot at the Milton interchange has blocked one lane northbound and another two vehicle crash near Chieveley by the Beedon turn-off has blocked
This month’s case contains some of the classic grape varieties that really shine when handled well by good winemakers using modern equipment. These rich ripe wines go very well with a wide variety of food and can also be enjoyed equally well on
KEITH Sheard lifted the Berks Open title after victory against Mark Trafford in an all-Oxfordshire final. After coming past Lee Radford and Barry Radford (both Hampshire), Trafford saved his best for the semi-final. Set more than 19,000 by
THE 10-year-old boy involved in a collision in Didcot on Tuesday has died in hospital. He was taken to Oxford's John Radcliffe Hospital with a serious head injury as a reult of the collision which happened at around 5.30pm in Oxford Crescent and
The National Film Theatre is currently hosting a season devoted to the unsung French director Claude Sautet and his 1960 gangster saga, Classe Tous Risques, has been given a general release to help promote a programme that reveals the fabled script
Patrick White is Australia's sole winner of the Nobel Prize for Literature, yet local film-makers have fought shy of bringing his complex works to the screen. Plays like A Cheery Soul (1966); Big Toys (1980 and The Ham Funeral (1990) have been adapted
"Can you believe that 40,000 children in the UK are taking anti-depressants?” Sophia Giblin, Director of Clear Sky Children’s Foundation, has come up with a great way to support children across Oxfordshire through emotional and behavioural problems
THE Cornerstone Arts Centre in Didcot is about to mark its fifth anniversary. Following a jazz night on Friday, a day of events for the whole family is being staged on Saturday, from 10am to midnight. There will be a treasure hunt, starting
A MAN who has been fighting cancer for 10 years is dismayed after officials said they would take away his disability benefit. Former caterer Paul Marlow, who used to serve food to the Royal Family, has been told he is no longer entitled to the
EMPLOYERS are failing to recruit apprentices in a key trade due a lack of applicants, an expert has warned. Mark Syrett, regional manager for training provider JTL, says that while Oxfordshire bosses have responded to appeals to take on more electrical
A 28-YEAR bid to develop a paddock by 32 Mill Street, Kidlington has come to an end after councillors approved a three-bedroom detached house on the site. Cherwell District Council had turned down six previous bids to develop the land since 1985
MOTORISTS taking advantage of faded yellow lines to park free of charge in Banbury are being warned police will be out in force to issue fines. Over the summer months, officers have been unable to issue fines in High Street, George Street, Marlborough
PARENTS are pleased by a glowing report into a school in one of the most deprived communities in Oxford. Oxford Spires Academy opened in 2011 to replace struggling Oxford School. It was rated good in all areas in its first full inspection in
ANTISOCIAL behaviour, speeding cars, parking problems and dog fouling will be discussed at a Barton and Risinghurst neighbourhood police meeting. Antisocial behaviour has been identified as a problem in Bonny Banks Park, Underhill Circus and Richards
RACERS can pick from two classic cars in a bid to be crowned Scalextric champion at the Phoenix Picturehouse. The Walton Street cinema is starting a week-long competition on the toy race track to celebrate the film Rush which the cinema is showing
I can’t resist a buzz. Like Belle De Jour in a private shop, Oli’s Thai on Magdalen Road has been buzzing since news of its metamorphosis from a couscous restaurant to a new Thai surfaced. But what to expect? Would it be jadingly commercial and
This is one of those recipes written to encourage the cook to flavour to the strength they wish and add as much cheese as they feel fit. The first time I cooked this bread I added just a modest teaspoon of chilli powder to the dough ingredients. The
TWO STARS Not content with decimating the White House in his 1996 sci-fi blockbuster Independence Day, director Roland Emmerich reduces the Washington landmark to rubble again in this preposterous, high-octane action thriller. White House
It’s party time at the Cornerstone – and everyone is invited. In just five years, the arts centre has become such an integral part of Didcot that it’s hard to imagine the town without it. Now organisers are determined to celebrate in style. “It
Voces Sanctorum DIXIT dominus New College Ante-Chapel Saturday, 7pm For tickets and details, visit vocessanctorum.com Founded in 2010 by Matthew Collins and Oliver Doyle, Voces Sanctorum is a professional solo-voice ensemble of
Talkiing of bridges, as I do elsewhere today, an interesting new one has recently opened at Iffley Lock. This is a temporary structure giving access to the lock while the usual path is closed for repairs to the weir. I have in the past admired
On a bicycle ride through Oxford a few days ago, I encountered the traditional cluster of tourists snapping away with their cameras and iPhones around the ‘Bridge of Sighs’ in New College Lane. Being produced were yet more images of an iconic structure
The writer (and BBC broadcaster) Libby Purves had the Corporation’s former director general Mark Thompson neatly skewered on Monday even before he tried to defend the indefensible over pay-offs to his work pals before the Public Accounts Committee.
The lavish pay package awarded to the next head of Network Rail, Mark Carne — £650,000, in case this astronomical sum has slipped the mind — is in marked contrast to the modest remuneration enjoyed by Lord Hurcomb when he became leader of the British
The jibe about my “reactionary politics” in the letters column of The Oxford Times last month was a source of much amusement to me and to those who know me. It was as wide of the mark as Sir Tony Baldry’s accusation a year or so back that I was homophobic
Have you ever wondered why we eat chillies? I ask because they are not only capable of setting our mouths on fire as they activate the pain receptors in our tongues, but they have no real flavour. Chillies provide a heat sensation painful enough to
Lots of flowers in the garden are firmly in decline by the middle of September, just when a lot of salvias are just getting going. Most come from South America and they are prompted to flower by evenly balanced days which give them 12 hours of daylight
It seems that the never-ending winter and unfeasibly cold spring earlier in the year may have actually proved a blessing for our beleaguered fruiting trees and bushes. Autumn is now expected to be late and, according to the Woodland Trust which monitors
Story-telling THE KINGDOM OF THE HEART BT Studio n Wednesday at 7.30pm n Tickets: 01865 305305 or oxfordplayhouse.com Drawing on European folk tales and accompanied by live cello music from Bach and Britten, The Kingdom of the Heart is thoughtful
The Edinburgh Fringe Festival is a home from home for David Greig, so a natural place to catch up with the famous playwright. Having grown up in the city, he now lives in a village down the road, putting on a Fringe show every year since 1992, nurturing
FOUR STARS Besides the usual instruction concerning mobile phones, a direction to the audience to resist scrumping was added to the pre-performance announcement for Nutshell’s performance of Allotment last week. “As if we would!” said a woman
THREE STARS "My dad doesn’t like musicals,” a friend remarked recently, “but he’s seen Blood Brothers 12 times.” Sure, the show achieved a 24-year continuous run in the West End, and has developed its own cult following along the way. But
Britten in Oxford has become the main focus of the city’s cultural life this year. So it’s surprising to discover that Oxford Sinfonia’s forthcoming Britten concert was actually conceived long before the centenary was being talked about. “It was
This summer the newly created Bath Spa Porthleven Prize awarded five students a residency at the Porthleven Art Studio, South Cornwall. The students worked collaboratively to produce a body of work in a range of media, which culminated in this touring
Bicester-based Janine Kilroe cites as her source of inspiration the British Isles. Over 30 years she has been exploring Britain’s landscapes, our magnificent coastline and the impact that each changing season and the movement of wind and water have
Maureen Lipman has grown so used to being typecast, she can’t imagine it any other way. Why else would she protest about landing a role in Daytona even though everyone insisted she’d be perfect? “It turns out I was perfect. I really am,” she says
