FERRARI'S Felipe Massa beat McLaren's Lewis Hamilton to take pole for tomorrow's French Grand Prix. Massa's team-mate Kimi Raikkonen was third but Fernando Alonso's McLaren was hit by mechanical problems and the world champion finished tenth. Behind
A state-of-the-art playground will open in Oxford before the start of the school holidays. But an adjacent multi-use hardcourt area is unlikely to be ready. After years of lobbying, work on the new £180,000 play area at The Green in Wood Farm - which
A BACKLOG of up to 500,000 items of mail will take until Wednesday to clear because of yesterday's postal strike, union leaders in Oxford have warned. And they have pledged to fight on in the bitter battle over pay, jobs and the structure of the service
The closure of an Oxford residents association has left the area without a voice, say people in Greater Leys. The Leys Residents Association (LRA) has folded after a severe fall in numbers attending monthly meetings and in requests for help. Neighbours
"Everything is cool" as far as preparations for tomorrow's Cowley Road Carnival in Oxford are concerned, according to one of the events most popular stallholders. Andy Anderson, owner of the Hi-Lo Jamaican Eating House, said the road's restaurants had
LAST June Oxfordshire was drier than the South of France, this June it's wetter than Wales. Twelve months ago, the county was in the midst of its worst droughts on record, with 7.4mm of rain falling on the county - Marseille in the south of France
Water difference a year makes - last June Oxfordshire was drier than the South of France, this June it's wetter than Wales. Twelve months ago, the county was in the midst of its worst droughts on record, with a measly 7.4mm of rain falling on the county
THE mother of a Witney motorcyclist who died in a head-on crash has welcomed a jury's verdict that his death was caused by dangerous driving. Neil Thacker, 25, of Curbridge Road, was killed on March 19 last year after his motorcycle was hit by a truck
A POWER cut in the city centre and East Oxford left more than 600 homes and businesses without electricity yesterday evening. About 400 properties had been reconnected by 8.30pm and engineers aimed to reconnect the remaining homes by 10.30pm.
A 37-year-old man has been electronically tagged and put under a curfew after admitting breaching an Anti-social Behaviour Order. Oxford Magistrates' Court heard that Stuart McGhie, 37, of Church Cowley Road, Oxford, started talking to girls under
Former national chub record-holder Matt Micallef has been among the big fish again - this time river carp, writes ANDY WEBBER. He was fishing an unnamed stretch of the Thames and his very first cast produced a mirror weighing 31lb 2oz. Micallef, who
A combined Bicester and Banbury team finished second in the National Young Athletes League at Salisbury. They missed out on first by eight points. Josh Lyons won the under 17 boys' 400m (55.9secs) and the long jump in a personal best of 5.78m. Gus
Greyhound fans, looking forward to Oxford's festival of racing in three weeks, are now focussing on the closing stages of the Blue Square £100,000 Derby at Wimbledon. It's semi-final time tonight and with the leading fancies eliminated at the quarter-final
The new-look Oxford Cheetahs aim to get their league campaign off to a winning start against the Buxton Hitmen tomorrow. Director of speedway Peter Oakes gives debuts to new signings Lee Smethills, Danny Betson, Daniel Blake and also give an opportunity
Dr Radcliffe CE School (Steeple Aston) were crowned Oxfordshire champions in the ASDA under 11 girls schools' kwik cricket finals at the Oxfordshire University Press Sports Ground. In the decider, they beat St Francis (Oxford) 232-196. Thirteen teams
Abingdon School lifted the Oxfordshire Under 15 Cup with a 70-run victory over Magdalen College School (Oxford) in the final at the Oxford University Press Sports Ground. Nat Watkins (64) and Josh Smith (43) shared an opening stand of 119 to take Abingdon
Witney Roadrunners' Phil Hails achieved a qualifying standard for the Half Ironman world championships, but then declined a dream trip to Florida because of the cost. Hails finished fifth in his age group (31-34) at the Devon Half Ironman - and with
Oxfordshire's Ed Womersley continued his impressive form as he builds up to the English Schools' Sainsbury's Track & Field Championships next month. The 17-year-old from St Edward's, Oxford, who will captain the Oxon team at Birmingham's Alexander Stadium
Rebecca Littlewood struck gold for Oxfordshire in the Midlands regional final of the English Schools' Combined Events Championships at Nuneaton. The youngster from Oxford High led from start to finish at The Pingles to take the honours in the junior
THE heyday of a popular children's activity centre is over, as Farmer Gow's prepares to leave the village of Appleton. The tourist attraction, which last year welcomed 30,000 visitors to its site, near Cumnor, is moving from its current 20-acre plot
At 6am tomorrow, smoking in pubs bars and other public buildings across England and Wales will be stubbed out for good. New laws will make it illegal to light up in virtually any public enclosed spaces and workplaces. Anyone who flouts the ban and
CHILDREN will go free on Oxfordshire's buses as part of this year's Streets for People Day. The event, aimed at encouraging more families to leave their cars at home, will be held on Saturday, September 22. Three bus companies - Oxford Bus Company
REGULARS at a Didcot pub are holding a smoking marathon in aid of Cancer Research UK. But the charity is not amused by the stunt - and said it does not accept money when smoking is known to have been part of the fundraising effort. Drinkers at The
THE staff and regulars at two Oxford pubs are marking the ban on smoking in public by staging an 'Ashes' cricket match. Jacqueline Paphitis, licensee of The White Horse in Broad Street, and Ali Dunn, licensee of The Kings Arms in Holywell Street, wanted
The mother of a young Witney motorcyclist who died in a head-on smash has welcomed a jury's verdict that his death was caused by dangerous driving. Neil Thacker, 25, of Curbridge Road, was killed on March 19 last year after his motorbike was hit by a
A backlog of up to 500,000 items of mail will take until Wednesday to clear because of yesterday's postal strike, union bosses in Oxford have warned. And they have pledged to fight on in the bitter battle over pay, jobs and the structure of the service
