Royal Mail bosses have urged people to delay sending letters until Monday, after postal workers launched another day of strike action at 7pm on Thursday night. The call came after the Communication Workers Union warned that the expected backlog of
Bicester's £70m town centre redevelopment got the go-ahead on Thursday night, despite calls for the decision to be deferred. The two-hour debate saw councillors clash with their officers over the scheme's design - with one member describing it as brutal
A Conservative shadow minister has heard of the serious worries of people hit by the under-funding of their company pension scheme. Chris Grayling visited Witney on Thursday to meet 18 ex-employees of Early's, which closed in 2002. Albert Williams,
Homeless beggar and former Big Issue seller Gareth Turp has been banned from harassing people in Oxford. Turp, 24, admitted at Oxford Magistrates' Court on Thursday two counts of begging and was given a conditional discharge. He was also handed an antisocial
Shoppers in Oxford's Cornmarket Street on Thursday could be forgiven for taking a second glance at workers in one store. Staff at handmade cosmetics shop Lush stripped off to urge customers to go naked' and buy products without packaging. However, they
Even Tony Anchors must realise why the cancer charities won't accept his donation collected from smoking - the very thing that causes cancer and other diseases (Oxford Mail, July 5). It would be unethical. I believe it was a cheap protest because Mr
Why should it come to a surprise to anyone that the recycling rate has gone up in Oxford? It does not take a genius to work out that if you give residents the means to recycle (which they didn't have before), they will indeed recycle more. So I do not
The story about Pete Sanford, 115mph hero (Oxford Mail, July 9), is beyond belief. I do not consider him to be a hero, and would challenge this to the highest extreme. This act of excessive speeding and using a mobile phone while driving is, without
Looking out across the water, it's hard to imagine that the vast and beautiful RSPB Otmoor nature reserve was once unremarkable wheatfields, used for bombing practice by Second World War planes. In the 1960s and 1970s, about a quarter of the land at
Parish councillors want children to transform a 'Berlin Wall' dividing their village into a work of art. Littlemore Parish Council wants to paint over a giant hoarding surrounding the controversial St Nicholas' House development. The 8ft white barrier
A Boeing transport jet suffered a scrape as it was landing at RAF Brize Norton air base. The civil airline plane, on lease to the Ministry of Defence, was returning with 136 passengers and 12 crew from Zagreb in Croatia. As it touched down, the nose
Celebrity chef Raymond Blanc will be one of many culinary experts giving youngsters a taste of great food at this weekend's Children's Food Festival. The event, taking place at Abingdon Airfield, will also be attended by chef Antony Carluccio, food
Two men stole a large amount of cash after conning their way in to an elderly couple's home in Middleton Stoney today. The two thieves called at the couple's house in Heyford Road at 10am, claiming to be from the water board and said they were doing
An elderly woman was restrained as two thieves ransacked her house. The 83-year-old woman was sitting in her back garden in Goosey, near Standford in the Vale, when the two men walked into her home at 11.30am yesterday. One of them held the woman
A Big Issue salesmen has been banned from begging or selling the magazine in Oxford for two years. Homeless Gareth Turp was given a post conviction Antisocial Behaviour Order (Asbo) at Oxford Magistrates' Court today. The 24-year-old was convicted
Oxford University has been accused of failing to consult villagers over a proposed new housing development near Kid- lington. The university has said it has already discussed the idea of building homes on a 368-acre greenfield site between Yarnton and
A schoolgirl who was picked from thousands of youngsters across the country to report on the climate change awareness concert, Live Earth, had an "absolutely fantastic" time. Ellen Rose, 11, of Wessex Road, Didcot, wrote to BBC Newsround explaining
Stella Vine paces around her London studio, nervously surveying her work. She is in a state of near exhaustion, desperate to finish a number of new pieces on Princess Diana, which she hopes will fill a "Diana room" at Oxford's Museum of Modern Art.
Villagers will be battling - quite literally - this weekend for better school facilities for their youngsters. Residents of Kingston Bagpuize and Southmoor are staging a mock battle which will see Roundheads and Cavaliers squaring up to each other
Stagecoach insists it is not taking the proverbial by insisting its fleet of buses in Oxfordshire could one day run on sheep's urine. The strange-but-true revelation comes as the company runs tests in Winchester, Hampshire, with buses fitted with a
You wait for a book about the Oxford Bus Company and then two come along in two years. Last year, The Oxford Bus Company - The first 125 years by Phil Ashworth was published. The book by Mr Ashworth, a journalist who is now a spokesman for the firm
Cameras - different kinds of cameras - were much in evidence around Radcliffe Square on Tuesday morning. In the garden of St Mary the Virgin Church, a television crew from Poland was preparing for an interview with Prof Leszek Kolakowski, one of that
Gays and lesbians from across the county will be coming out in force to celebrate Oxford Pride tomorrow. The event will be taking place at Oxpens Meadow, next to the ice rink in Oxpens Road, starting at noon. Running through until 8pm, the free event
Troops from Oxfordshire are being used to train soldiers in the Afghanistan National Army. Members of the 60 Close Support Squadron, based at Dalton Barracks in Abingdon, have been ferrying troops to some of the country's most hostile areas. It was
Students from Oxford's Peers School proudly displayed their GCSE coursework at their annual art exhibition. Teachers, parents, governors and primary school heads all attended the exhibition, which Peers' operations manager Bridget Morton said was "incredibly
When you're despairing of coming across somewhere new that blows you away and knocks the socks off the opposition, your luck can change just like that. And The Masons Arms ticked all the right boxes, without making a big song and dance about it, or
She's a part Lebanese former ballerina, sings a quirky mix of rock and R'n'B, and, more often than not, comes on stage in a tutu. For a promising pop star in the making, Natalia doesn't believe in doing things by the book. But her unconventional approach
Harry Potter is back for a fifth adventure. So, is the boy wizard still managing to keep up his spell on us? Well, sort of. There is a certain predictability with the Harry Potter format - the comic interlude with Uncle Vernon and co, the interlude
A new Thames footbridge will be built to improve access to Port Meadow, Oxford. The £70,000 bridge across Fiddlers Stream will link Roger Dudman Way with the Thames towpath. The steel bridge will be built by Oxford City Council and has been funded by
Oxford has gone from pariah to pioneer in hitting the magic target of recycling 40 per cent of all household waste. The city achieved the target in June, just seven months after the revamped recycling scheme was launched. And those involved in its
Traffic was delayed on Oxford's Southern bypass today when fuel spilled on the road following a crash between a lorry and a car. Two drivers were taken to hospital for treatment to minor injuries following the collision shortly before 2pm, between the
Protesters are celebrating today after NHS watchdogs decided to put the future of services at The Horton Hospital in Banbury in the hands of Health Secretary Alan Johnson. Oxfordshire Health Overview and Scrutiny Committee this afternoon agreed unanimously
PROTESTERS are celebrating today after NHS watchdogs decided to put the future of services at the Horton Hospital in the hands of Health Minister Alan Johnson. Oxfordshire health overview and scrutiny committee this afternoon agreed unanimously to refer
AEA Technology 115 BMW 3291 Electrocomponents 268.5 Isoft Group 54.25 Nationwide Accident Repair 146 Oxford Biomedica 42.5 Oxford Instruments 283.25 Reed Elsevier 653 RM 215.5 RPS Group 354.5 Courtesy of Redmayne Bentley, Abingdon
It has been billed as the final showdown - the last battle between union and management at the Royal Mail. At stake, if you listen to the Communication Workers Union, is the future of the service which - despite being much maligned - still ensures that
A visit to the "ghost village" of Tyneham, deserted since the Second World War, when it was commandeered for target practice by troops, had a profound effect on Eliza Graham. She said: "I was very haunted by the place. You could even go into the schoolroom
WAINWRIGHT'S TV WALKS Introduced by Eric Robson (Frances Lincoln, £12.99)This year marks the 100th anniversary of Alfred Wainwright's birth and, for lovers of Lakeland, there are new books about the man who plotted his way up and down the fells. Wainwright's
QUEUING FOR BEGINNERS Joe Moran Profile Books, £14.99A great title let down by a bad book is common; a good book let down by a bad title, less so. Queuing for Beginners is not a bad title, per se. Just the wrong one for this book, making it sound like
A Boeing transport jet suffered a scrape as it was landing at RAF Brize Norton air base. The civil airline plane, on lease to the Ministry of Defence, was returning with 136 passengers, including troops, and 12 crew on board the flight from Zagreb,
Police have appealed for witness following a collision between a cyclist and a bus in Oxford. A double-decker Stagecoach bus and a cyclist collided at the top of Beaumont Street, at the junction with St Giles. Police were called to the incident at 10.55am
POLICE today appealed for witnesses after a cyclist was involved in a collision with a bus in Oxford. A double-decker Stagecoach bus and a cyclist collided at the top of Beaumont Street, at the junction with St Giles. Police were called to the incident
FIXTURES. TOMORROW. CRICKET. SOMMERS HOME COUNTIES PREMIER LEAGUE Div 1: Farnham Royal v Burnham, High Wycombe v Henley, Oxford v Finchampstead. Div 2 West: Beaconsfield v Aston Rowant, Thame Tn v Basingstoke, Wokingham v Kidlington. OCA LEAGUE.
RESULTS. CRICKET. MINOR COUNTIES CHAMPIONSHIP. Shropshire 273 (R Foster 77, J Whitney 58, A Rehman 36, J Ralph 35, P McMahon 6-114) & 258-5 dec (Atiq Rehman 68, R Foster 65, J Taylor 64), Oxfordshire 69 (S Taylor 6-23) & 282 (R Taylor 114, I Hawtin
Jen Goldsack, of Wallingford, had a memorable Henley Royal Regatta, gaining a super silver medal in the Princess Royal Cup for women's sculls Until a couple of withdrawals, Goldsack, weighing in at just 9st. 4lb, looked likely to have to qualify.
A seventh Minor Counties Championship century from Rob Williams was not enough to save Oxfordshire from defeat to Shropshire in the Western Division at Banbury on Tuesday. Williams made 114 as Oxon batted with real purpose on the final day, but they
Having been taken to task last week in the letters column of The Oxford Times for my accounts of mingling with the mighty, I feel almost ashamed to admit that I was at Cornbury Park last Sunday for its annual music festival. Now the notion that I might
VAL BOURNE says strawberries are a delight - if you keep pests away Gardening may seem a gentle activity, but in reality it's a hard-fought battle against the weather conditions and the invading wildlife. The most-hard fought battle of all takes
The CFE is helping to re-establish the links between children and the countryside, writes ELIZABETH EDWARDS It is a saddening fact that children of ten or 12 do not know a swallow when they see one, observes Michael Colston of Ewelme Park Estate, as
ITV is in trouble. Its new executive chairman, Michael Grade, has got a tough job reviving the company. Michael was appointed last November but he hasn't yet managed to turn around ITV's failing fortunes. When he started the job, Grade said he wanted
From tomorrow, Oxford will be adding a new club to an already lively local comedy scene. The only difference? This time it's for children. Kids Love Comedy, the brainchild of Oxford-based FBS Productions, will offer a special summer holiday experience
HELEN PEACOCKE looks at the event's origins and what makes it one of the best arts and crafts festivals around The grounds of the graceful Georgian house at Waterperry, near Wheatley, have provided the venue for Oxfordshire's largest art fair, Art
Sometimes the simplest ideas are best. Mixing avocados with strawberries might sound an unlikely combination, but be assured the combination works. It works because you are combining the rich creamy flesh of an avocado with the sweet tangy flavour of
Thirteen years ago, chef Michael Roberts took on various posts as general manager for private hotels and inns, one of which was at The Lamb Inn, Shipton-under-Wychwood. He loved this attractive old inn then - he loves it now. Indeed, it was Michael's
Oxford's newest arts venue, the North Wall in South Parade, concludes its first three-week Summer Festival with a splendid selection of screenings and speaker events. There's a musical feel to three of the features. In Agnieszka Holland's Copying Beethoven
SHOPPERS were evacuated from the Sainsbury's supermarket at Heyford Hill last night after problems with the store's fire alarm. Although there was no fire, the alarm went off and customers were asked to leave the store until an engineer had corrected
The French film industry has been providing Hollywood with remake material for decades. However, the tables are turned with ex-critic Laurent Tirard's second feature Molière, which takes the concept behind John Madden's Shakespeare in Love (1998) and
Widely considered to be the weakest book in the seven-part odyssey of boy wizard, it seems somewhat fitting that the film version of Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix is, in some respects, the least satisfying instalment too. Screenwriter Michael
As you read through reviews of Miguel Serdoura's past performances, words like subtlety, delicacy, playfulness, fluidity and technique brilliance abound. If these enthusiastic critics are to be believed, then tonight's audience at the Holywell, where
For those wanting to learn more about electronic improvisation, which means doing clever things with your laptop, there is a special workshop tomorrow with Phil Durrant, who has worked with the likes of John Zorn, Evan Parker and Grooverider. Organised
'I much prefer it when they have real music," a fellow member of the audience complained as he surveyed the empty orchestra pit. Exactly my reaction a week earlier: on entering a large American theatre, I discovered that Agnes de Mille's ballet Rodeo
Exactly half a century after their West End debut in At the Drop of a Hat, the musical duo of Michael Flanders and Donald Swann still possess the pulling power to attract two near-full houses to the Oxford Playhouse this week. Since both humorists are
Glamour is not the image that immediately springs to mind at the mention of Banbury, but appearances can be deceptive. The walkway over the canal became a catwalk for one night only. Students from Oxford & Cherwell Valley College BA and National Diploma
Art dealer Fergus Madden is holding an exhibition of wood engravings and lithographs after Dufy, at QI in Turl Street. Raoul Dufy was born in Le Havre in 1877 and was a pupil at L'Ecole des Beaux Arts in Paris. He became an important member of the group
New Generation Artists. It's the name of a BBC Radio 3 scheme to develop young musicians. But even a cursory glance at this year's Cheltenham Music Festival programme provides a salutary reminder that there have always been new generation artists. Take
As if to underline the contrast with Glastonbury, the sun beat down on the sell-out Cornbury Music Festival last weekend. Even with 15,000 people there, making the fourth Cornbury Festival the most successful yet, it remains the relaxed, family-friendly
Nevill Holt in the rolling Leicestershire countryside has over four years developed into the flourishing junior department of Wasfi Kani's Grange Park Opera. This year its "Rising Stars", as they are styled, turned to an opera that was memorably given
I felt an immediate affinity with the warmth and humanity in the work of P.J.Crook - but who was P.J.? Was the artist man or woman? There was nothing, at first sight, that could pigeonhole the creator of the newspaper reader paintings. The style has
FIFTEEN firefighters were called to High Street in Oxford last night after a fire broke out in a clothing store. The blaze at swimwear boutique Bajan Blue, at 50 High Street, began shortly after 9pm in the ground floor of the three-storey terrace.
Nelson A ran out 4-2 winners at home to leaders Dolphin in Section 1 of the Oxford and District League. The home side got off to a flying start with Pauline Withey (10,710), Keith Sheard (12,460) and Kevin Godfrey (10,840) winning the first three games
Fifteen firefighters were called to High Street in Oxford last night after a fire broke out in a clothing store. The blaze at swimwear boutique Bajan Blue, at 50 High Street, began shortly after 9pm in the ground floor of the three-storey terrace.
FRILFORD HEATH Ladies' July Medal & Golf Foundation Brooch - Div 1: 1 J Binning 70-2=68, 2 J Simpson 91-17=74 (cb), 3 D Cochrane 91-17=74. Div 2: 1 J Harland 92-23=69, 2 J Hill 98-25=73 (cb), 3 B Hamilton 100-27=73. CHIPPING NORTON Senior Ladies' Competition
Sandy Bolton romped to victory in Kirtlington's club championships after dominating both rounds. Bolton finished eight shots ahead of second-placed Nathan Marsh, with Adam Hodgson a further stroke behind in third. The teenager's one-under-par total
PARAMEDICS were called to Oxford Hill, Witney, today after a man was found lying in the road. Ambulance crews were alerted at 7.35am and police closed the road so that emergency services could deal with the incident. A spokesman for South Central
Paramedics were called to the B4022 Oxford Hill after a man was found lying in the road this morning. Ambulance crews were alerted at 7.35am and police closed the road so that emergency services could deal with the incident. A spokesman for South
THE NUMBER of new houses earmarked for Oxfordshire could increase by up to 500 a year - under plans outlined by Gordon Brown. And military sites across the county could be redeveloped to absorb the growth. The Prime Minister announced an aim to increase
BUILDER Patrick Vigilante denies police accusations he is a leading Oxford United football hooligan. He said: "Sure, I have been in trouble in the past. But as far as being one of the organisers of football violence, that is ridiculous. "I find
A FOOTBALL fan described as a 'top dog' in an Oxford United hooligan firm' has been handed the longest ever banning order in Oxfordshire. Patrick Vigilante is believed by police to be one of the key orchestrators behind football violence in Oxford United's
Banbury Borough's Keith Holloway and Richard Redford pipped clubmates John Philpott and Calvin Carpenter 19-18 in a nail-biting Oxfordshire Bowling Association pairs quarter-final at Shiplake Village. Carpenter enjoyed better fortune in the triples
Oxfordshire's Gary Lucas has set his sights on further international honours after helping England to victory in the British Isles Championships in Edinburgh. The Banbury Borough star - one of three debutants in the 24-man side - was a member of the
Two Oxfordshire golfers just missed out on a place in The Open at Carnoustie after impressive showings in final qualifying at Monifieth. Clive Bowler, from Southfield, finished one shot short of a spot in the main draw, while The Oxfordshire's Daniel
KENNET LEAGUE Didcot 79 (12pts), Wallingford 67 (2) (Didcot skips first): P Barker 21, R Bishop 19; W Lucas 21, B Green 9; R Gilbert 22, J Beardsley 16; C Edney 15, H Oliver 23. Lambourn 62 (2), Wantage 102 (12) (Wantage skips first): M Willis 18,
Kidlington extended their lead to 13 points in Division 3 of the Oxford & District League, sponsored by Yarnton Nurseries Garden Centre, after taking maximum points against Witney Mills. With bottom side Chadlington picking up a shock 6-0 win at home
Oxfordshire edged out Isle of Wight 114-112 in a thrilling EBA Middleton Cup clash at Plessey Radar BC - but it wasn't enough to see them qualify from Group 3A. With Hampshire defeating Berkshire 112-100 at Suttons to make it three wins out of three
MUSLIMS in Oxford want to build bridges between people, not walls to separate them. That was the message on the second anniversary of the 7/7 bombings in London and in the wake of the terror attacks last week in London and Glasgow, from a conference
THREE Victorian pudding evenings served in a luxury train carriage are being held at Didcot Railway Centre. The special evenings, which will take place on July 25, August 1 and August 15, will offer dining in style in a 1930s train carriage while being
A DAY of festivities celebrating Oxford's connections with Alice in Wonderland has been hailed a major success. And its success could help to pave the way for organisers, the Story Museum, to find a permanent base in the city. The event on Saturday
HUNDREDS of schoolchildren from across Oxfordshire swapped their textbooks for camouflage gear when they joined the Army for a day of military adventure. Four hundred pupils from 28 schools across Oxfordshire and Buckinghamshire descended on St George's
SIX south Oxfordshire organisations are sharing £630,000 in grants from the district council to improve facilities for local communities. Cabinet member for finance Rodney Mann said: "These projects make a real difference to local residents. They
THE Oxfordshire branch of the Campaign to Protect Rural England will officially unveil a 50-mile circular walk tomorrow, created to celebrate its 75th birthday. The CPRE Oxford Green Belt Way links Oxford's park-and-ride sites with Otmoor, Foxcombe
POSTAL workers in Oxford are gearing up for a summer of industrial action locally on top of the national strikes. If the move is given the green light, it will follow the nationally organised series of 24-hour strikes, the latest round of which starts
A NEWLY-WED who gave up her honeymoon to support a charity which helped saved her son's life has returned home. Karen East, 27, chose not to enjoy a romantic break the day after her wedding, but instead took part in a 280-mile cycle ride from London
A WOMAN has told of her horror as two men egged on their dog as it killed her pet cat. The men giggled and cheered as the bull terrier savaged the cat in front of its horrified owner in Oxford. One eyewitness believes the dog may strike again and
BANBURY mayor Kieron Mallon has appointed two civic cadets to help him during his year in office. They are Air cadet Matthew Garrett, and Army cadet Neil Slater. The idea came from the Lord Lieutenant for Oxfordshire, Hugo Brunner, who wants to
Planning officers are considering taking legal action against a man who ordered the demolition of a 200-year-old building in an Oxfordshire village. Penn House had stood at the corner of Dog Lane and High Street in Childrey, near Wantage, for two centuries
THE future of Banbury's Woodgreen Leisure Centre has been guaranteed - for a year. Cherwell District Council will take over the management of the centre while its long-term future is considered. The contract of the existing management company, DC
THE owner of a cafe and art gallery in Church Green, Witney, has won a licence to serve drink and have six live music performances a year. Residents in the historical conservation area at the heart of the old town objected to Aidan Meller's application
Either the police have got it horribly wrong or Patrick Vigilante is a downright liar. The police say that he has an appalling record as a football hooligan, and is one of the ringleaders of violence in this area. They describe him as "one of the
A football fan described as a 'top dog' in an Oxford United hooligan firm' has been handed the longest ever banning order in Oxfordshire. Patrick Vigilante is believed by police to be one of the key orchestrators behind football violence in Oxford United's
Yet more misery will be piled on the long-suffering public from tonight as postal staff stage another strike. We thought that walkouts like this belonged to a bygone age. Decades ago, they were the norm when managements and unions fell out, but in
Campaigners fear expectant mothers will be left inside ambulances while paramedics search for a bed if the Horton Hospital's maternity unit is downgraded. At a meeting today, NHS watchdogs will be warned that plans to remove obstetric care from the
Postal workers in Oxford are gearing up for a summer of industrial action locally on top of the national strikes. If the move is given the green light, it will follow the nationally organised series of 24-hour strikes, the latest round of which starts
