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After weeks of deliberation, reading reviews and driving me up the wall, Himself at last decided on the make of child carrier to buy. - Not before upsetting a woman in Mothercare by telling her their model was crap though. - And also persuading an assistant

Oxfordshire Youth Music Theatre's sizzling new production of Hot Mikado at the Oxford Playhouse last week was hot stuff indeed. It was a fresh, lively and visually stunning treat that was positively bursting with energy and enthusiasm. This jazzed-up

MAJOR delays built up around Oxford this evening after a crash on the A34 Western Bypass. The collision between two cars, on the southbound carriageway between the Peartree and Boitley interchanges, closed the road for a time. One lane was later reopened

OXFORD Brookes University has cancelled one of its biggest concerts this year - just four hours before doors open. Tonight's show by Birmingham's Ocean Colour Scene has been called off because of a fire alarm failure at the university's student union

FIXTURES. TODAY. FOOTBALL. NATIONWIDE CONFERENCE Play-off semi-final 1st leg: Exeter City v Oxford Utd (7.45). SATURDAY. FOOTBALL. SPORT ITALIA HELLENIC LEAGUE Direct Sports & Trophies Supp Cup final: AFC Wallingford v Ardley Utd (Milton Utd,

RESULTS. FOOTBALL. NATIONWIDE CONFERENCE York City 1, Oxford Utd 0. PETER RHOADES-BROWN TESTIMONIAL Oxford Utd XI 2, Chelsea XI 4. PONTIN'S HOLIDAYS COMBINATION East Div: Luton Tn Res 3, Oxford Utd Res 2. BRITISH GAS BUSINESS SOUTHERN LEAGUE

The Wallingford Regatta this Sunday will reinforce its position as the largest one-day event in the UK with more than 2,000 individuals and 600 crews taking part. In fact, more than 300 crews had to be turned away. The regatta will again be held

Is Riesling the world's best white grape variety? Certainly many in the wine trade think so, citing qualities like vibrancy, nerviness and that classic piercing quality that makes the wines so incredibly fresh and clean even if they are off dry. And with

Believe it or not, a century ago, top-class German Riesling used to be more expensive and considerably more in vogue than cru classe claret. Indeed even 40 years ago, Riesling was regarded as infinitely superior to both Chardonnay and Cabernet. So what

PLANS to build three new restaurants on a large site in Oxford's 'pub and club zone' in George Street have been submitted by Nuffield College. The Australian-themed pub chain Walkabout had wanted to create a giant bar on the site. But opposition from

People across Oxfordshire went to the polls today to elect councillors to district, town and parish councils. Across the country, there were key elections to the Scottish Parliament and the Welsh Assembly. Nationally, the results will be looked at

Oxford Brookes University have been forced to cancel one of its biggest concerts this year - just four hours before doors open. Tonight's show by Birmingham's Ocean Colour Scene has been called off because of a fire alarm failure at the university's

FIVE people have fallen down an escalator since it opened at an Oxford hospital four months ago. The Health and Safety Executive has started an investigation into the incidents on the escalator at the John Radcliffe's new west wing. No one was seriously

VIOLET Smith from Brightwell-cum-Sotwell, whose ancestors have lived in the village since the times of Queen Elizabeth I, has died aged 96. She died on Thursday last week, and her funeral was due to be held at St John's Roman Catholic Church, Wallingford

AEA Technology 105 BMW 3159 Electrocomponents 308.75 Isoft Group 49 Nationwide Accident Repair 159.5 Oxford Biomedica 42.5 Oxford Instruments 269.75 Reed Elsevier 632.25 RM 194 RPS Group 324.75 Courtesy of Redmayne Bentley, Abingdon

THIRTEEN people working for hi-tech company Oxonica are likely to lose their jobs. The redundancy notices came after Oxonica's shares were suspended following the loss of a £6.1m contract. Oxonica, which employs about 30 people at its headquarters

Take a stroll around Oxford and you will find some fantastic book depositories. Some are obvious but others are a little bit tucked away, and I am happy to pass on directions to my favourite page-turning haunts. For the past 10 years, at the very least

LEADING restaurants joined with The Oxford Times to raise £12,000 for local homeless charities. Diners in the county once again ensured that Oxfordshire was among the biggest contributors, outside London, to the annual StreetSmart Christmas appeal.

Marti Leimbach teaches creative writing at Oxford University and lives on the Berkshire Downs with her two children, one of whom is autistic. Her latest novel, Daniel Isn't Talking (HarperPerennial, £6.99), is about a woman whose marriage starts to unravel

WEDNESDAY Talk: Legal and political philosopher Ronald Dworkin. Blackwell Bookshop, Broad Street, Oxford, 7pm. Tickets, £3, from customer service department. Tel 01865 333623. Book signing: Sofka Zinovieff signs copies of Red Princess: A Revolutionary

What I Believe Anthony Kenny (Continuum, £8.99) When it comes to philosophy, former Oxford Pro Vice Chancellor Sir Anthony Kenny is no lightweight. He has written more than 40 books on the subject and having obtained a doctorate in philosophy at Oxford

Eight years ago, Oxford English don Laurie Maguire was going through a tough period, with a parent who was dying and a relationship ending. She was teaching in the US at the time. Because it is the land of self-help philosophy, she read her way through

by Jon Stallworthy FATHOM Jenny Lewis (Carcanet, £9.95) Jenny Lewis's poems rise from dark depths, defined by the title of a book dedicated to a father she never met: "The dead hero, the young South Wales Borderer who led his troops/ across the Mesopotamian

Winston Churchill, seen here receiving the freedom of Woodstock in 1947, had a special relationship with the US because his mother, Jennie, was American. It's a connection that has always lured US visitors to his birthplace, Blenheim Palace. What

THE EYE OF THE STORM Catherine Jones (Severn House, £18.99)Former SS man Jochen Peiper was murdered on July 13, 1976, in France by a single shot from a British Service revolver. Catherine Jones, a former Army captain who now lives near Didcot, weaves

Two motorcyclists were injured in a crash with a car near Bicester. The accident happened at about 1.50pm on Tuesday when a BMW motorcycle collided with a silver Vauxhall Vectra on the B4011 at Arncott. The man riding the bike was slightly injured but

LLOYD GEORGE AND CHURCHILL Richard Toye (Macmillan, £25)This impressive and well-researched biography starts with the bald claim that David Lloyd George and Winston Churchill were the two most important figures in 20th-century British politics. While

An economist's lot is not necessarily a happy one, involving as it does a certain amount of sticking one's neck out and predicting the future. But governments and companies everywhere are consulting academics in ever larger numbers before, it seems, taking

The hall is dark, the stage is bare, it’s as if it had never been. It’s particularly sad time for the cast of a play especially as the set is ripped apart and months of dedication and the closeness of working with a small team comes to an end and a play

AEA Technology 108.5 BMW 3055 Electrocomponents 307 Isoft Group 49.5 Nationwide Accident Repair 160.5 Oxford Biomedica 44.75 Oxford Instruments 269.5 Reed Elsevier 635.75 RM 195.5 RPS Group 322.25 Courtesy of Redmayne Bentley, Abingdon

Sales of the Cowley-built Mini fell by more than five per cent in the first quarter of the year, new figures have revealed. But bosses at parent firm BMW say the drop is due to the fact that the new Mini One and Mini Cooper D models only went on sale

Oxford United's plan to buy the stadium could not have come at a better time. With the club's hopes for promotion kicking off tomorrow with fingers crossed for a Wembley triumph on May 20, a successful bid for the stadium would be the icing on the cake

The Iran Government is supplying weaponry to the insurgents in Basra, enabling them to destroy UK tanks. Iran should think carefully on this as when the UK forces leave Basra, the same insurgents will use that weaponry against Iran - as in Afghanistan

I spent many years as a police officer and now in my twilight years leading to permanent retirement, I work in retail security in Oxford city centre. All the major stores are linked together by radiolink and if the need arises, security officers assist

If there's one drink you don't want to be sipping when someone mentions the invigorating effect of a daily glass of urine, it's cider. Happily, I was thirsty enough on Tuesday's opening night not to be put off my pint as the eccentric character on stage

Violet Smith from Brightwell-cum-Sotwell, whose ancestors have lived in the village since the times of the Queen Elizabeth I, has died aged 96. She died on April 26 and her funeral will be at St John's Roman Catholic Church in Wallingford at 11am today

I WAS really looking forward to the prospect of an all English Champions League final in Athens, but AC Milan have thrown a spanner in the works. Having a guaranteed winner from the Premiership would have been great for a league, which has now fully re-established

I WAS really looking forward to the prospect of an all English Champions League final in Athens, but AC Milan have thrown a spanner in the works. Having a guaranteed winner from the Premiership would have been great for a league, which has now fully re-established

"Our loss is Heaven's gain." Those are the sentiments of the friends and family of John Arthur Peedell, known as Jack, who passed away on March 31, aged 84. Mr Peedell was born on October 22, 1922, in Abingdon, the youngest of two sons. His brother

I WAS really looking forward to the prospect of an all English Champions League final in Athens, but AC Milan have thrown a spanner in the works. Having a guaranteed winner from the Premiership would have been great for a league, which has now fully re-established

POLICE today appealed for witnesses after two motorcyclists were injured in a collision with a car near Bicester. The incident happened at approximately 1.50pm on Tuesday when the BMW motorcycle was involved in a collision with a silver Vauxhall Vectra

I Couldn't help but smile. Five minutes in a pub in Cork's city centre and I was halfway through a pint of Beamish and engaged in a conversation about James Joyce with a friendly local. There was even a traditional folk band playing, with fiddles,

Warming up, isn't it? I refer not only to the weather but to a topic intimately connected with it, rubbish collection. Since the Daily Mail - that admirable barometer of middle-class opinion - recently launched its campaign to bring back weekly collections

Robert Burns famously wrote: "O wad some Pow'r the giftie gie us To see oursels as others see us!" Perhaps television doesn't offer us that gift but TV documentaries can help us to see into other people's lives, which sometimes reflect our own. World

"OUR loss is Heaven's gain." Those are the sentiments of the friends and family of John Peedell, known as Jack, who passed away on the March 31, aged 84. Mr Peedell was born on October 22, 1922, in Abingdon, the youngest of two sons. His brother Cyril

Conductors launch manifesto to inspire communities, writes TIM ROSS A group of world-renowned orchestral conductors has called for every child to receive a free ticket to a classical music concert as part of their education. England's eight leading

It was fully 16 years since I had last visited the Black Boy, in Milton, near Banbury - which fact I discovered from the cuttings file at Newspaper House - and I retained only the haziest memories of it. One was of it being what one might style a gem

RAF Benson was the base for classified photography missions during the Second World War, writes CHRIS KOENIG Much of the work carried on at RAF Benson during the Second World War was only declassified in the late 1990s. The secrets then revealed

Introducing kids to gardening can be so rewarding, says VAL BOURNE. I was at a very sedate gardening lunch a couple of months ago, when a furious debate was sparked by a throwaway comment to the effect that children should be banned from gardens

People in Oxfordshire can find the answers to many problems on a new Oxfordshire Mental Health Information website. The site - www.omhi.org.uk - is a source of accurate and up-to-date information about mental health and other community services, such

Knowing that the children staying with me for the weekend would insist on eating beefburgers, I got cracking and made my own. They proved particularly tasty this time as I used quality mince from Challow Hill Farm, East Challow, which I bought at the

Food is not just a fuel to be stuffed down as quickly as possible because we are hungry. Nor is it or something to be served on a tray and eaten alone in a darkened room while watching television, because the words spoken by the characters in our favourite

'The greatest battle lies within," proudly declares the tagline for the third and potentially final part of the web-slinging blockbuster series, once again directed by Sam Raimi. How very true. The greatest battle for Spider-Man 3 lies within Alvin Sargent's

The agonies of coming to terms with loss inform three of this week's new releases. Yet Sarah Polley, Mike Binder and Christophe Honoré approach the subject from diametric angles, with the measured acceptance of Away From Her contrasting with the offbeat

North Cotswold Chamber Choir's latest offering was a programme of music with an American theme, featuring well-known composers such as Michael Tippett, Herbert Howells, Samuel Barber and Aaron Copland, as well as some lesser-known but rising modern composers

Campaigning yesterday drew to a close in the Government's biggest electoral test since Labour won its third term in power in 2005. Millions of voters are set to go to the polls today across England, Scotland and Wales, and all the signs are that they

That Jim Cartwright's The Rise and Fall of Little Voice should have won both the Olivier and the Evening Standard awards for Best Comedy struck me as rather strange on my first acquaintance with it in the early 1990s. Gripping drama though it is, the

Be it a reservoir or industrial waste, the environmental records centre is there with strict instructions to find out the facts, the scientific facts, writes PETER BARRINGTON When controversial environmental issues raise their heads, such as the

The year 1685, by curious coincidence, saw the birth of two children in Germany who wrote a lot of music, wore vast wigs, and ended rather tubby and famous. They were, of course, J.S.Bach and G.F.Handel, who shared the programme for Oxford Spezzati's

Arnie Somogyi's quintet, Ambulance, hit the scene at Ronnie Scott's in 2004. They followed this success by being the first jazz group to be awarded a residency at the Snape Maltings music centre in Aldeburgh, a place normally associated with Benjamin

Dorchester Abbey is the setting for a 300th anniversary concert of the music of Charles Wesley, writes HELEN PEACOCKE Many us are familiar with Love Divine, All Loves Excelling, Christ the Lord is Risen Today, Light of the World, Jesus, Lover of

Six hours to perform: no, not a Wagner epic but Rossini's opera William Tell. No wonder it was soon massively cut, and no wonder it came equipped with a substantial overture. With its slow beginning, conductors need to keep up interest in the overture

Magnificent, powerful, gripping, moving . . . last Sunday's performance of Tosca by the Chisinau National Opera was all of these things, and more. Producer Ellen Kent has brought out the melodramatic aspects of the story to great effect, drawing on the

NICK UTECHIN talks to one of the best-loved children's authors, Michael Rosen, ahead of a Playhouse appearance When Michael Rosen steps on to the Oxford Playhouse stage next week to face the frightening concept of An Audience With . . . he will quite

Anyone who is particularly fond of chocolate will find their nose twitching as they enter the Lower Gallery at Modern Art Oxford. Stand and watch the images pulsating on the large screen in that gallery for long enough and you will be positively salivating

Artweeks is 25 years old and once again Oxfordshire's artistic talent shines, writes HELEN PEACOCKE. More than a thousand artists celebrate 25 years of Oxfordshire Artweeks this month, one of the biggest displays of paintings, sculpture, photography

When, even in a smallish company, one leading dancer is injured, there's usually someone else to take on a role. When the company consists of only two men and one woman in works specially created for them, and at the last moment the woman is unable to

'O, nothing is more alluring than a levee from a couch in some confusion," cries Lady Wishfort. Her ladyship proceeds to practise said levee, but being not quite in her first youth, she collapses back on to the couch in considerably more confusion than

AN Oxford man has been charged by police following a series of animal rights raids. Stephen Barclay, 50, of Redbridge Hollow, Oxford, was last night charged with conspiracy to blackmail. Hampshire Police, which led 30 raids across the UK, Belgium

There were in the packed audience at the New Theatre on Tuesday, I am sure, many fans who would have preferred to hear the Waterboys exploring more of the 'folkier' side of their impressive repertoire. There were calls for Bang on the Ear and Fisherman's

'And in the spicéd Indian air by night/Full often hath she gossiped by my side." Titania's discussion of the late mother of her adored changeling boy is one of a number of references to India in A Midsummer Night's Dream. The 'name checks' perhaps help

Oxford Downs cruised to a six-wicket victory in the first round of the npower Village Cup at Cumnor on Sunday. The reigning Oxfordshire champions comfortably chased down a target of 224, with Wes Bartlett leading the way with a fluent knock of 69.

A brilliant all-round display by skipper Ed Tilley led Abingdon Vale to a surprise six-wicket victory over Beaconsfield in the first round of the Cockspur Cup at Hales Meadow on Sunday. It was an auspicious debut in the national club KO championship

Tiddington will celebrate the opening of their new pavilion on Bank Holiday Monday. The programme will start with a junior inter-club cricket match starting at 10.30, and will be followed by the traditional President's Lunch. In the afternoon, a limited-overs

Aston Rowant's under 15 girls are celebrating after winning the indoor Lady Taverners National final at Lord's. They represented the south region at the finals, competing against winners from Durham, Birmingham and Kent & Essex, and went unbeaten through

Anthony Neilson is a remarkably prolific man, with a score of radio and stage plays to his 40-year-old credit. Some have titles like Penetrator, Twisted and Stitching, which may raise an eyebrow. Several have explored the male psyche but in this award-cluttered

Oxford Boxing Academy stage the quarter-finals of this year's ABA Senior Novice Championships at Oxford Brookes University's Centre of Sport in Cheney Lane, Headington this Saturday evening (8). And there are three contenders from the host gym in action

Andrew Flint ended the season in style, finishing unbeaten in Forum B's final two matches of the season. It ensured his side were clear runners-up in the Division 1 table, nine points behind their A team, but 16 clear of Vikings A. RESULTS Division

Steven Sheard has got family bragging rights after beating his dad, Keith, in the semi-finals of the Men's Individual Trophy. Steven showed no respect for the holder and ten times champion by playing the table out at the Dolphin (Wallingford) with a

Nelson retained the League Cup with a 3-1 victory against Mansfield Road in the final at Oxford City. John McMahon fired Nelson into a 15th-minute lead with Anaclet Odhiambo doubling Nelson's advantage from the penalty spot just before the break.

Oxford Saints got their British American Football League Division 1 South campaign off to the perfect start with a hard-fought 24-21 win over Sussex Thunder. Leading 24-15, Oxford relaxed, allowing Sussex to cut the deficit, but Saints held on. Sussex's

Shaun Claridge, from Headington, and Banbury Borough's Martin Timms are both set to make their debuts when Oxfordshire start their Middleton Cup campaign against Berkshire at Banbury Central on Saturday, June 2. The squad will be involved in a series

OXFORDSHIRE LADIES COUNTY GOLF ASSOCIATION Mixed Pairs Stableford - Southfield: 1 D & P Murphy (Chipping Norton) 41pts, 2 S Arnold & S Mills (Henley) 40, 3 A Troughton & T Strange (Southfield) 39. Best front nine: J & G Reynolds (Chipping Norton) 21

To celebrate the launch of its new season, Creation Theatre gave away 100 free tickets last night - attached to 100 helium balloons. The event took place at La Tasca restaurant in the Oxford Castle. Trevor Osborne of the Osborne Group, which developed

This is Plum, a lovely natured mature cat that sadly came into us through know fault of her own in January 2007. She is a very affectionate, friendly cat who adores the company of people - and their laps! Plum loves to be cuddled and pampered, and will

Students at Oxford Brookes University will now be able to party at the union nightclub until 4am - a move that has left neighbours "horrified and angry". Oxford City Council has granted permission for The Venue, Oxford Brookes' students' union club

Five people have fallen down an escalator since it opened at an Oxford hospital four months ago. The Health and Safety Executive has started an investigation into the incidents on the escalator at the John Radcliffe's new west wing. No-one was seriously

North Oxford collected their first win of the season in the Shaw Gibbs Oxfordshire Foursomes League Section 2 after beating Bicester 2-1. Tim Horn and Paul Brain saw off North Oxford's Steve Smith and Mike Tippett beat Tim Horn and Paul Brain 2 & 1

Chris Panter used his local knowledge to land the Burford Pro-Am title alongside professional Dave Osborne. The Burford member and Osborne, a pro at Merrist Wood, playing the course for the first time, finished with a nett score of 140. They pipped

More than 300 mourners attended the funeral of RAF serviceman Sgt Mark McLaren from Carterton who died in a helicopter crash in Iraq last month. The service took place at Saint George's Church, in Brockworth, near Gloucester, on Tuesday. Sgt McLaren

A man has been charged with murdering two people who died in a house fire. James Cox, 62, of Albion Close, Oxford, was yesterday charged by police with murdering Howard Blake, 51, and Sian Sanchez, 36, both of no fixed abode. The charge follows a

Didcot Railway Centre is building up steam for its 40th birthday celebrations over the bank holiday weekend. Visitors can look forward to seeing steam locomotives, meeting old railwaymen gathered for a reunion and buy a new book telling the story of

Visits to the Museum of Oxford have increased by 98 per cent since admission fees were scrapped seven months ago. Between September, 2006, and March, 2007, 14,068 more visitors enjoyed the museum compared with the same period the year before. And

Oxford Lions gave it their all, before losing 52-41 at Weymouth on Friday, but comfortably secured the bonus point, and can still reach the Conference Trophy final, writes Robert Peasley. Missing Jordan Frampton, riding for Somerset, with rider replacement

Brewery giant Greene King has announced its intention to sell the Isis Tavern next to Iffley Lock. Local residents had expressed fears that Greene King planned to close the historic pub, but a spokesman said this was not the case. It is currently

TALKS are under way between Oxford United and Oxford University over a partnership to buy the United football stadium. When Nick Merry took over as chairman from Firoz Kassam last year, Mr Kassam retained ownership of the £13m stadium and rented it

During his 27 years as a police officer, Pc Jon Payne has faced fatal car crashes, violent criminals and petrol bombers. But there is one thing the father-of-two admits he could never face - being a teacher. And as a youth and schools involvement

Defender Mickey Corcoran says he is "devastated" to be missing out on the play-offs with Oxford United. The Northern Ireland Under 21 international, who initially joined on loan from Championship side Cardiff, has played a big part in getting the U's

A PENSIONER who friends joked was Oxford's oldest paperboy is recovering in hospital after a suspected hit and run. Ray Brown, known as Sailor, was initially in a critical condition in hospital after being discovered suffering head injuries lying in

An Irish sports club which has been based in Oxford for nearly 50 years could fold unless it can find a pitch in the city. The Eire Og Gaelic Athletic Association has been told by Oxford City Council there is no room at Horspath Playing Fields, where

MORE than 300 mourners attended the funeral of RAF serviceman Sgt Mark McLaren from Carterton who died in a helicopter crash in Iraq last month. The service took place at Saint George's Church, in Brockworth, near Gloucester, on Tuesday. Sgt McLaren

Controversy has been sparked by a trial run road narrowing system in the heart of Abingdon town centre. White lines have been painted in Stert Street and High Street in an attempt to mimic road slimming plans. The temporary lines were introduced on

COUNCIL tenants in Oxford can receive modifications to their homes for religious reasons. Oxford City Council has agreed to promote the fact that money is available for ethnic minority tenants for home adaptations - such as making sure they had gas

Abingdon's annual Dragon Boat racing day, a week on Sunday, looks set to be one of the best ever. So far 30 teams of 20 people have registered to take part, representing local businesses, charities and voluntary organ- isations. Last year more than

A campaign to save Wantage Hospital was given fresh impetus due to the results of a survey of townsfolk. Five thousand questionnaires were sent out to people in Wantage and Grove as part of a review of the area's health service. They were asked four

A 27-year-old motorist appeared in court accused of causing the death of a cyclist. John Walker, of Pound Lane, Wallingford, appeared at Oxford Crown Court charged with causing death by careless driving. He was also charged with driving without due

A MAN is believed to have suffered a heart attack while driving along Copse Lane, Marston, yesterday. Police and paramedics were called at 12.25pm and found the man unconcious inside his van. He was taken to the John Radcliffe Hospital, where he later

ANIMAL rights supporters reacted angrily to plans by Tory leader David Cameron to give MPs a free vote to repeal the fox hunting ban. The Witney MP told GMTV: "I have always believed that country sports are something that have taken place for years

Promoter Aaron Lanney has stressed getting rid of Andy Smith was the right decision as Oxford Cheetahs bid to arrest their alarming slump. Oxford have brought back young Czech Republic prospect Lubos Tomicek to replace veteran Smith, who never really

Mark Simms bagged a brace for Abingdon Casuals as they lifted the Autotype UTV League's Devenney Cup with as 4-1 victory over Sandman in the final at Wantage Town. Despite the scoreline, Sandman made their opponents work for their victory, thanks to

A HEAVILY-PREGNANT stray dog found in agony near Wantage was saved from almost certain death by a council dog warden. The Staffordshire cross was in a lot of pain when it was found in Childrey. It was reported to David Coates, who works for the Vale

A KIDLINGTON-based construction company has launched a dedicated eco-development wing. Kingerlee Homes is part of family-run construction company the Kingerlee Group and will be committed to creating homes that are as environmentally-friendly as possible

CITY council environmental enforcement officers have written to 129 properties in Jericho reminding homeowners about the dangers in leaving wheelie bins, boxes and bags out on the highway. Jericho city councillor Susanna Pressel said: "People keep telling

FOR the first time in more than 400 years, children in Banbury have taken to the streets to celebrate May Day. Hundreds of pupils from the town's schools revived festivities, last seen in the 16th Century, by dancing around a maypole and singing songs

NHS managers are remaining tight-lipped over who is deciding the future of Banbury's Horton Hospital. New, updated proposals on the Horton's services will be announced in July - but the Oxford Radcliffe Hospitals Trust is refusing to release the names

THE county goes to the polls today as elections are held for four district councils in the county. Seats on Cherwell, Vale, South and West Oxfordshire councils are being contested - in many cases a straight fight between the Tories and Lib Dems. Polling

BUSINESSES in Chipping Norton are being warned about new-style rogue traders. The con is to offer free work in return for a favour, but then demand payment. The first incident happened at a nursery in the town. The second incident involved an offer

ALTHOUGH she has barely had time to warm her chair and arrange her desk, the new headteacher at Oxford's Cheney School is talking about her plans. Jolie Kirby began her role in charge of the school in Cheney Lane, Headington, last month and already

A COUNSELLING service is to receive a grant of £837 from the Oxfordshire Community Foundation. The money will help Focus Banbury continue and extend its work in the area. Wally Cox, grants manager for the foundation, said: "We are delighted to contribute

Sir - The walks through gorgeous countryside around Oxford and Bladon have been smeared by the litter rats so they are fast turning into landfills of rubbish of all sorts; many prime sites are starred with the cardboard residue of entire picnics. People

PLANS to replace a former pub in Rose Hill, Oxford, with shops and flats were given the go-ahead. The plan, submitted by the Midcounties Co-op, includes four shops and eight first-floor flats on the King of Prussia site and was approved by Oxford City

OXFORD'S Miss England winner Eleanor Glynn has won a starring role in a Bollywood movie. Miss Glynn, 21, from Sandford-on-Thames, said she was delighted to have won one of the lead roles in India Rocks. Filming is due to start in London later this

A MAN has denied breaching an Asbo that bans him from begging in the city. David Ambrose, 33, of Speedwell Street, Oxford, pleaded not guilty at Oxford Magistrates' Court on Monday to two counts of breaching his Asbo. He will appear at Oxford Crown

MISSING cat Jake is back in the arms of his owner - more than three years after he disappeared. Jake went missing in 2004 and owner Katie Harrison remembered the sadness she felt at the time. She said: "Jake was always nervous, so I was especially

TRADITIONAL brewers - and drinkers - have been doing their bit to help the environment. The Hook Norton Brewery has raised £1,000 to help a new charity to care for the surrounding countryside. The brewery, based in the village of the same name, donated