Archive

Oxfordshire Under 12s kept up their winning ways with a 44-run triumph against Devon at a blisteringly hot Hook Norton on Sunday. Oxon won the toss and elected the bat, and despite losing an early wicket, Chris Knowles being bowled for a duck, they

Oxfordshire edged into the quarter-finals of the ECB Under 13 Cup, despite losing their last group game in a closely-fought encounter with Gloucestershire at Cumnor. The visitors won the toss and elected to bat, but Oxfordshire struck early as Jonathan

A MUCH-IMPROVED performance couldn't stop Oxfordshire Under 15 girls from losing by four wickets at home to Herefordshire. Winning the toss at St Catherine's, Marston, Oxon elected to bat, and everyone chipped in as they posted a useful total of 140

Banbury won the Oxfordshire under 11 crown after a 22-run victory over Aston Rowant at St Edward's School, Oxford. Playing pairs cricket, where the score starts on 200, Banbury found runs hard to come by thanks to excellent fielding and bowling from

Deciding to bat first cost Oxfordshire Under 17s dearly as they lost by an innings and 107 runs to a strong Sussex side at Blakeston Academy, Brighton. Due to heavy traffic and roadworks, Oxon arrived late, hot and bothered and understandably elected

Carterton gymnasts Georgina Money and Emily Foxton walked away with the gold and silver medals in the Southern Region Level 4 Championships at the Phoenix Gymnastics Club in Maidenhead. Georgina, 11, scooped overall gold with a score of 25.40 to become

Craig Wood hammerered a magnificent century as Wood Green School, Witney booked their place in the final of the Oxfordshire Schools Under 15 League Cup with a 66-run victory over Warriner School, Bloxham. Batting first, Wood Green rattled up a mammoth

Mid Oxon have been drawn at home to Barnet in the second round of the English Schools FA Trophy. Vale of White Horse also have home advantage against Worcester. Banbury were drawn away to Luton and if successful, are at home to either Mid Oxon or

David Kuester bagged a bronze medal at the British Masters Track and Field Championships in Birmingham after throwing 34.46m in the javelin. The Bicester and Oxford City Veterans athlete came away with five top ten finishes and two personal bests after

Horspath Hammers eased to their ninth British Premier League win in a row with a 95-80 victory over the dangerous Wednesfield Aces. Wednesfield had Polish superstar Marcin Szymanski racing for the first time, but were without Lewis Bates. Horspath

Darryl Morvan will coach Oxford City Stars next season after a successful spell in charge of the club's under 19 team. Morvan replaces Paul Donahoe, who is concentrating on playing, and will be assisted by Paul Foster. Joining Morvan in Stars' senior

The Enstone-based Renault F1 Team showed off their champion car in the presence of Prime Minister Tony Blair to mark the start of the British Motor Show. With Damon Hill at the wheel, the world champion- ship-winning Renault F1 R25 gave a short demonstration

Kevin Dolton ran out an easy winner in the second round of Littlemore's Aggregate Cup at Drayton Leisure. Fishing off the end peg on the dam wall using pellet and paste, he amassed an all-carp winning weight of 81.10.0. Alan Campbell opted for maggot-feeder

I told you in this column last week that Drominboy Jet was home and hosed in the £500 Half-Grand final on Tuesday. The Paul Foster-trained charge, favourite for the St Leger last year, duly obliged by over six lengths, posting a fast 36.94. Amazingly

The slaughter of greyhounds story that hit the national newspaper headlines at the weekend has really hit racing hard. The revelation that up to 10,000 greyhounds, who were no longer fit to race, had been killed by building merchant David Smith, has

This season's Osberton Radiators Cup has been scrapped.by the OCA. o The decision was made at an emergency committee meeting, following weeks of controversy over a decision to reinstate East Oxford 2nd into the competition. East Oxford were initially

I found it difficult to contain myself after reading some of the opinions in Wednesday's Oxford Mail Postbag. Many cricketers are on the outside looking in, and don't therefore have all the facts which have led to this sorry state of affairs, but please

Oxford Cheetahs hopes of upsetting the Eastbourne Eagles in their Elite League clash tomorrow (3.30pm) have been hit by the injuries to Ales Dryml and Davey Watt. The blow of losing Dryml is bad enough, but Watt, who rode for the Eagles last year, aggravated

EDDIE Hutchinson could make his first appearance for Oxford United when they take on Oxford City in their second pre-season match today (3). The former Brentford man picked up an injury in his first training session with United and missed the game with

AEA Technology 102.5 BMW 2567 Electrocomp 231.5 iSoft 55.25 Oxford Bio 24 Oxford Inst 210 RM 177.75 Reed Elsevier 517.75 RPS 223.5 Torex Retail 52.75 Courtesy of Redmayne Bentley, Abingdon

AEA Technology 102.5 BMW 2567 Electrocomp 231.5 iSoft 55.25 Oxford Bio 24 Oxford Inst 210 RM 177.75 Reed Elsevier 517.75 RPS 223.5 Torex Retail 52.75 Courtesy of Redmayne Bentley, Abingdon

It is Wednesday morning and Lucy Halliday is sitting radiant in her recently scrubbed kitchen, a fresh lemon cake cooling on a rack, her 15 month-old son Ben humming merrily in his high chair, her guests fed and her oldest son already at playgroup. And

Lifestyles are constantly evolving and, as we ease into the 21st century, we sit around our dining tables for longer than any previous generation. Dining is the new entertaining. Dining has moved away from the dining room and into the living space' so

I n the 1780s, Oxford experienced changes which were unprecedented in a city accustomed to centuries of academic seclusion. A beginning was made on constructing a new county prison, heralding a completely new attitude to the treatment of prisoners

Running water has returned to homes across the city centre after more than 2,000 properties were last night left dry while emergency repairs were carried out. Homes in Iffley Road and Cowley Road, in East Oxford, were affected from about 4.45pm until

D oes the punishment fit the crime? Controversy and doubt have always surrounded the issue athough today we wonder if punishments are stiff enough, but by current standards historically punishments may seem a little over the top. Certainly, at one point

Nearly 70 years ago, a boatload of children arrived in Southampton from the Basque region of Spain, rescued from the horrors of the Spanish Civil War by a humanitarian army of volunteers, led by a handful of MPs and other dignitaries. After undergoing

There are very few advantages to being married to a Zoology don, as opposed to, say, a rich and generous businessman. One of those few advantages, however, is the odd trip to a beautiful place that I would otherwise pass by on a speeding train or a slightly

The current exhibition at Bloxham Village Museum, Now and Then, is a fascinating insight in to the social history of the town, where modern, everyday items are displayed next to their ancient predecessors. But perhaps the most significant exhibit this

More and more people are becoming enthusiastic about growing vegetables, so much so that sales of vegetable seeds have outstripped flowers for the first time in decades. It may be a desire to eat really fresh food, or concerns about supermarkets and air

Otmoor, was marshland until the mid-19th century, which made it a remote area with its own distinct character and a close-knit community. Its inhabitants were fiercely independent and defensive of their rights as shown in the following legend. The locals

Your archetypal British cat lovers, we live on the edge of Ascott-under-Wychwood, surrounded by farmland and with cattle shippons only 50 yards away. Farms are a magnet to feral cats and with two female moggies of our own, we anticipated problems. The

Japanese Facial Massage uses a profound combination of Eastern rejuvenation techniques to stimulate new cell growth, tone facial muscle and remove toxins. Vital energy is redistributed and general wellbeing is enhanced. This technique originates from

A customer walks into a wine merchant on a grey September day, not long after returning from a holiday in Provence. Determined not to completely forget that holiday feeling and the fond memories of long, sunny days whiled away in the sun lounger he heads

Our visit to the Forbury Hotel in Reading did not start auspiciously. In the pouring rain, we realised that we had left our AA routefinder on the kitchen table and found ourselves driving round and round the town, hopelessly lost! It was ten minutes

If private or company car drivers don't fancy a mass market brand such as Ford or Vauxhall, or do not want to be yet another convert to the premium German brands such as Audi, BMW or Mercedes, or feel bold enough to make the move to the recently launched

In my previous Wordplay article, I noted the way that the English language alters to reflect changes in society. Working on dictionaries, as I used to do, one soon sees how quickly English changes and develops. However much we may dislike these changes

For those who love the romance of Spain with its rich tapestry of tradition, fashion and lifestyle and want to be part of it, even for a just a few days, here is a perfect solution. An Oxfordshire tour company offers a whirlwind short break that combines

April 9, 2006, was the Bicentenary of the birth of Britain's most celebrated engineer Isambard Kingdom Brunel. Among a host of events taking place during the year to commemorate this event, I have written about the construction of the Great Western

County Hall has climbed down over plans to charge rush-hour drivers in Oxford £4 an hour to park. On-street parking in the city centre was set to become more expensive than the London boroughs of Kensington & Chelsea and Westminster - with the explicit

I n the sixties and seventies, there was a craze for modernising period properties. Solid wood doors and cast iron fireplaces were ripped out, picture rails and architraves were pulled down, much to the detrement of many properties. Fortunately, many

In 1956, the world land and waterspeed record holder, Donald Malcolm Campbell, received a significant sponsorship deal from the Mobil Oil company in New York. In July of that year, Mobil agreed to pay $10,000, around £34,000 at today's value, for an

No parking charges, no congestion charge, no road tax, no spiralling petrol prices, no urban pollution. That is the Nice little promise two Cassington engineers are presenting at this week's British International Motor Show with their electric car.

Girdled by a wide moat, Broughton Castle was originally built in 1306 by Sir John de Broughton, who lies buried in a painted tomb in the 14th-century parish church. Always a fortified manor rather than a true castle, the building was much enlarged by

AEA Technology 102.5 BMW 2615 Electrocomponents 233 Isoft Group 55.25 Oxford Bio 24 Oxford Instruments 206.25 Reed Elsevier 520.5 RM 175 RPS 222.5 Torex Retail 52.75 Courtesy of Redmayne Bentley, Abingdon

AEA Technology 102.5 BMW 2615 Electrocomponents 233 Isoft Group 55.25 Oxford Bio 24 Oxford Instruments 206.25 Reed Elsevier 520.5 RM 175 RPS 222.5 Torex Retail 52.75 Courtesy of Redmayne Bentley, Abingdon

At the end of July, the Honourable Michael Jacob Beloff QC completes ten years as President of Trinity College, Oxford, and will be leaving to return to his home territory the world of law and arbitration. I met Michael in the President's Lodgings

Contrary to expectations, The Break-Up is an anti-romantic comedy, which wades through the emotional wreckage wrought by a young couple, whose relationship seems destined for the scrapheap. Jennifer Aniston and Vince Vaughn, who reportedly started dating

Paul Stammers samples the tasty, but limited menu at Oxford's newest Italian restaurant. The markets for copper and zinc seem volatile, but a few weeks ago the news that these metals had soared in value prompted silly stories about making a profit by

Tomorrow sees the start of this year's Truck Festival. Two of the organisers, PC Rae and Alan Day, tell Tim Hughes why it remains one of the UK's favourite bashes. Months of frenzied planning come to a head tomorrow, with the start of the country's

A woman whose husband was killed in a car crash last year helped raise more than £1,300 for the Oxford Children's Hospital and the Radcliffe Infirmary. Joanna Buddin, 29, of Mulberry Drive, Bicester, was devastated when her husband Adam, 30, father

It's not easy interviewing a man who is wearing a skimpy G-string. You don't really know where to direct your questions. But Cliff Oakes and the rest of the Thong Rangers certainly seem at ease in their smalls. The men, who all hail from Didcot,

GENERALLY speaking, air displays are not my cup of tea - all that neck stretching and ear 'ole muffling to see the latest deafening killing machine disappear into the heavens. However, in spite of the near-tragedy near Sturdy's Castle a few days earlier

The Rose Hill estate in Oxford has had its fair share of problems. The high level of vandalism and antisocial behaviour has made some people scared to go out, particularly at night. So it is pleasing to see that the authorities are taking advantage

As a long-standing member of Carterton Town Council, with 20 years as a county councillor to my credit, and having been mayor of the town when the plans for the north east development were first mooted, as well as being musical director of the Carterton

Liz Brighouse, leader of the Labour group on the county council, asks if we are seeing a Liberal Democrat U-turn over residents' parking charges (Oxford Mail, July 10). She claims that I supported them when I was deputy leader of the council, but am

Mum-to-be Jane Newton told of her shock after a car crashed into her bathroom, minutes after she stepped out of the shower. Mrs Newton, who is seven months' pregnant, and husband Edmund were just getting off to sleep when a Honda CR-V SUV hit the bathroom

A deal between Oxford consultants and an American health care company has prompted new fears about the future of the local NHS. The first fruit of a new public-private partnership at the Nuffield Orthopaedic Centre will be the creation of the Oxford

Dodgy stallholders selling stolen property or counterfeit goods are under growing pressure as part of a new investigation into the county's car boot sales and markets. The investigation and survey by Oxfordshire County Council follows the seizure of

An important archaeological investigation will begin on Monday around the site of Oxford's proposed new £300m Westgate Centre, with the work likely to add to city centre parking problems. The dig will take six weeks and will mean some car parking having

Man in a hole Andy Nutt, who dug up his front garden after waiting a year for a water engineer, hopes his problem could soon be solved. Welder and lorry driver Mr Nutt, 54, dug a four feet deep hole in his front garden in West End, Launton, near Bicester

Twenty women's football teams - including Oxford's Survivors United - will be kicking the silence out of domestic violence at the Oxfordshire Ball tomorrow. The first tournament of its kind in the county, the Oxfordshire Ball five-a-side tournament

Owners of Kia cars bought from the only dealer in Oxfordshire offering the range will not have their warranties honoured by the firm after a row broke out with the manufacturer. Drivers are being told they must take their cars to the nearest Kia dealership

Mature debate is usually sadly lacking when it comes to discussion of the cost of providing good democratic management of our public authorities. So it is again this week, with the predictable hysteria over the Liberal Democrats' plans to employ a personal

The need for some clear direction was underlined this week when we heard the details of the scheme which aims to improve the city's recycling record from the current poor figure of 19 per cent to an ambitious 45 per cent. The good news is that the new

Sir, Jamie Baskeyfield's letter in response to Margaret Maden's (June 30 and 23) fails to address her concern about the drastically reduced contribution of Welsh National Opera and Glyndebourne Touring Opera to the 'diverse mix' the New Theatre offers

Sir, I very much echo the sentiments expressed by S.Young and Professor Maden in your papers of July 14 and June 23 respectively. Over the years a number of opportunities for building a new venue or totally refurbish the New Theatre (which is in the ownership

Sir, The news that the future redevelopment of Oxford's West End may include a 'substantial' upgrading of the New Theatre comes in the nick of time. Already the Welsh National Opera Company has announced that it will limit its Oxford appearances to

Sir, I was very interested in your article on the Cowley-built Maestro (Report, July 7) as I have owned six of these cars over the years. I think that the basic design of the car was excellent, but it suffered from a complete lack of development. During

Sir, The planning situation is deliberately arranged to allow unfettered erection of mobile phone masts, and Gerard van Dam's letter (June 23) highlights the number of masts at the Oxford Hotel at Wolvercote. There is obvious scope for encouraging phone

Sir, I was delighted that someone raised the issue of the pollution by tourist buses again (Letters, June 9 and 16). However, your correspondent from Cutteslowe may be connected with that trade and was not strictly correct about their bus timetabling.

Sir, I was saddened to read your article about the closure of Cutteslowe Park paddling pool for the second consecutive year. I have many happy memories of playing there many summers ago and more recent memories of our children doing the same. When vast

Sir, I read with the article High risk criminals not being checked (June 23). While I make no apologies for the probation service, I do not think they are entirely to blame here. 'Sentence Planning' in prisons has been replace by the OASYS assesments

Women's tennis star and Land Rover driver, Maria Sharapova, 19, was in London for a Sony Ericsson Women's Tennis Association (SEWTA) party in Kensington, where she gave party guests and on-lookers a sneak preview of the all-new Land Rover Freelander 2

The Banbury-based motorsport company Prodrive is opening its doors to fans next week to raise money for the Oxford Children's Hospital. Visitors on July 29 and 30 will be able to see where the company designs and builds the Subaru World Rally Cars (

PLANS to make council car parking enforcement in England more motorist-friendly have been welcomed in Oxfordshire by motorists, the county council and even wheel-clampers. The Government's draft guidelines include the introduction of wheel clamping

AN IMPORTANT archaeological investigation will begin on Monday around the site of the proposed new £300m Westgate Centre, with the work likely to add to city centre parking problems. The archaeological work will be phased over a six-week period and

A HUGE £380m 'super-microscope' being built in the Oxfordshire countryside has marked its first major milestone. The doughnut-shaped Diamond Light Source the biggest civilian science facility to be built in the UK for 30 years has produced its first

A MAN who had been branded an 'antisocial gardener' has been told his efforts are an asset, not a nuisance, after three years of arguments. Oxford City Council is set to allow Malcolm Everton, 58, to cut the grass and tend flower beds of some of the

OXFORDSHIRE villagers were jubilant after being crowned winners in the annual Best Kept Village competition. The results of the competition, organised by the Oxfordshire Rural Community Council (ORCC), were revealed at a special awards ceremony last

A SCHEME aimed at getting Oxford into a culture of recycling has been branded confusing and potentially very costly. The scheme got off to a bumpy start when its finer details were agreed on Monday, amid claims that the method of collecting green waste

AN RAF Harrier jump jet crashed in an Oxfordshire field, narrowly missing a pub, a garage, houses and a car being driven by an off-duty policeman. The amazing escape happened after the GR9 fighter jet, travelling to RAF Fairford in Gloucestershire from

ELEANOR Glynn rocked her way to the Miss England crown and has the Miss World title in her sights. The 20-year-old Miss Oxford impressed national judges with a performance of the 70s rock classic Since You've Been Gone at the finals in Leicester.

The JCB Dieselmax tops a special SuperCar Paddock at the new-look British International Motor Show staged at ExCeL in London until July 30. The all-British car will be attempting to establish a new land speed record for diesel vehicles at the famous

A new three-door Honda Civic has broken cover at this week's British International Motor Show. The Type S shares the same platform and overall dimensions as the five-door Civic, but it has a sportier look and feel, with re-tuned suspension to deliver

Toyota's Yaris is a small car with big ideas. Seven years after the name first appeared, the revised model delivers improved quality, space, performance and handling. That, in itself, should be enough to recommend it, but it has plenty of other tricks

A MAN has been charged with arson following a fire at the home of a school caretaker in Abingdon. During the early hours of Sunday, two ambulance workers rescued a man from John Mason Lodge, next to John Mason School in Wootton Road. Paramedics Andy

DOCTORS have been cleared of blame over the death of a great-grandmother who fell head-first off an operating table during routine surgery on a broken ankle. Sylvia Whipp, 60, fell off the table at the John Radcliffe Hospital, Oxford, on October 20,

A HAUL of pirate DVDs including hardcore pornographic films, the latest cinema blockbusters and illegal music CDs has been seized following an investigation at a Sunday car boot sale in Oxford. Police and trading standard officers found 1,621 counterfeit

AVERAGE house prices in Oxfordshire are set to break through the £300,000 barrier in the next three years, experts have predicted. Analysts at think tank Oxford Economic Forecasting (OEF) say a combination of increased demand for homes, limited supply

A MAN who tore off a Sikh's turban in Oxford has been convicted of racially aggravated assault. Kenneth Pollard, 56, of Speedwell Street, Oxford, denied the attack on Rattandeep Singh Ahluwalia, 26, and was found guilty after a trial on Monday. Tim

THE number of sex offences in Oxfordshire has increased by almost a quarter in the last year, Home Office statistics released yesterday have disclosed. The crime statistics given by the Home Office are based on figures that were released by Thames Valley

AS the county baked this week, schoolchildren were sent home, roads had to be gritted to stop them melting and animals at a wildlife park were fed ice cubes and given a good hosing down. The mercury rose to 34.2C on Wednesday the hottest day of the

PLANS to create homes on the site of a former Royal Mail sorting office in Headington have been submitted to Oxford City Council. The sorting office in Lime Walk, pictured, was closed last year, despite demands from local people that the centre should

A "REVOLUTIONARY" deal between Oxford consultants and an American healthcare company has sparked new fears about privatisation of the local NHS. The first fruit of a new public-private partnership at the Nuffield Orthopaedic Centre will be the creation

If weather conditions present a clear and present danger to schoolchildren then we have no problem with headteachers making a decision to close their school and send pupils home but has this week's hot spell really presented such an exceptional threat

Sir, I support fully the arguments expressed in the letters and Reg Little's articles on Oxfordshire County Council's parking consultation fiasco (June 30). In addition to the issues they raised, readers should note that the scheme will have the effect

Sir, Could I alert your readers to the carcinogenic effects of John Prescott's planning guidance? In New Labour Newspeak, what you think is your neighbour's pretty back garden is already developed land. A developer can try to cram nine flats into it.

Sir, D Gautrey complains about the level of noise from flights in and out of RAF Brize Norton (Letters, July 7). To make comparisons between a commercial and military airfield is like comparing chalk and cheese; one operates for profit and the other in

Sir, In a letter pleading for a new venue for the arts in Oxford, your correspondent S. Marks comments on the Sheldonian Theatre. I do sympathise about the lack of comfort and facilities. When I took over this responsibility a decade or more ago, I undertook

Sir, Scottish Power recycles coal ash from one of its power stations. Apparently it makes a valuable ingredient in cements, grouts and concretes. Scottish Power appears to have recycled about a million tonnes of ash in the last two years. The scheme has

Sir, So Oxfordshire county councillors have, in their infinite wisdom, voted in favour of allowing RWE npower to destroy a beautiful lake in the Oxford Green Belt by filling it with fly ash from Didcot A power station. Shame on them! This decision flies

Sir, Thank you to Reg Little for his article (July 7) about my successful heart-and-lung transplant, featured during National Transplant Week. I am one of the many people whose lives have been saved or dramatically transformed by a transplant. There have

Sir, Magdalen Bridge has numerous arches over different channels of the Cherwell. Rather than close the bridge altogether, a compromise would be to allow students to jump (at sufficient time delays from one another) only at that place where the river

Sir, In the wake of The Oxford Times' effective campaign against litter, I'd like to suggest a new cause: reducing noise pollution. The sun comes out, the barbecues are dusted off, and before you know it the peace is shattered by the deafening blare and

Plans to create homes at a former Royal Mail delivery office in Headington have been submitted to Oxford City Council. The delivery office in Lime Walk was closed last year, despite demands from local people to keep it open. Oxford property company

Julie Hartley-Jones, the chief nurse at Oxfordshire's major hospitals, leaves today for Australia, to become director of nursing and midwifery for North Sydney and Central Coast Area Health Authority. Health Reporter Victoria Owen met her to look back

The vandalism and antisocial behaviour that has plagued an Oxford estate could soon be at an end as police take advantage of new powers to stop gangs gathering. Rose Hill - and Iffley Lock - will be the first areas in Oxford subject to a dispersal order

Dozens of police officers will flood into Oxford city centre tomorrow to ensure there is no trouble during a demonstration by animal rights protesters. Police say they have been forced to deploy large numbers of officers to "cope with every eventuality

A woman died from carbon monoxide poisoning after British Gas engineers failed to fix her boiler - despite being called to her home 10 times. Angela Pinkney, 35, an Oxford University admissions officer and administrator, was found dead in her bedroom

OXFORD Cheetahs promoter Aaron Lanney is thrilled by the progress of his rider Ales Dryml, who is in the Radcliffe Infirmary after being seriously injured in a crash last Wednesday. Dryml was sat up in bed and talking to his brother Lukas and family

WANTAGE Town's Peter Broad is to be honoured for his 20 years' service to the Hellenic League Premier Division club with a visit from his beloved Southampton. Broad, 37, is a lifelong fan of Championship outfit Saints, who will be sending an Academy

After swimming 68 miles to get here, adventurer Lewis Gordon Pugh splashed his way into Oxfordshire via the River Thames yesterday. Mr Pugh is halfway through an attempt to swim from the source to the mouth of the Thames. He reached the county after

BANBURY captain Benji Hector hopes his players can belatedly launch their season starting with tomorrow's visit of Henley in Home Counties Premier League Division 1. Hector's men won just once in their opening nine games before thrashing Oxford by

CHRIS Sandbach will make his Minor Counties Championship debut for Oxfordshire in their Western Division clash with Wiltshire at Salisbury on Sunday. The Oxford Downs all-rounder was unluckily bowled for a duck in this week's development game against