Archive

  • United legends turn out to give club huge boost

    Kelvin Thomas and Chris Wilder were over the moon after Friday night’s Youth Development Benefit match proved a big success. Oxford United’s chairman and manager were among a host of well-known faces to turn out as a U’s All-Star side beat a Celebrity

  • FOOTBALL: Jeffrey's joy as Banbury escape the drop

    Banbury United can look forward to derby games against Oxford City and newly-promoted Didcot Town after they received a reprieve from relegation from the British Gas Business Southern League Premier Division. Confirmation that they had escaped the drop

  • MOTORSPORT: Prodrive chase Formula 1 spot

    BANBURY-BASED firm Prodrive have submitted an entry to be part of next year's Formula 1 world championship. Prodrive joined US F1, Spain's Campos Racing and Litespeed GP in adding their names to the list of new entrants on deadline day. Team boss David

  • Oxford Pride makes colourful start

    AN image of rainbows, balloons and a colourful parade was unveiled tonight to mark the beginning of Oxford Pride. The week-long festival will celebrate Oxford’s lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender communities, and will include everything

  • BGT star Fabia tells of highs and lows

    “I HAD the time of my life and I left on a high. The feeling I had on that stage, I was so grateful for it. “I did that kind of thing when I was 14, those were the best years of my life. “I was dancing, feeling free and letting go.

  • Blenheim gardens win top UK award

    THE 90 acres of formal grounds at Blenheim Palace have been crowned Garden of the Year. The Duke of Marlborough’s Woodstock home was judged by the Historic Houses Association to have the best gardens among the association’s 1,500 members.

  • ANGLING: Super Benwell wins carp title

    Andy Benwell was celebrating after clinching the title with victory in the last Predator Spring League match of the year. Fished by 18 on a hot and in-form Lower Court Farm, Benwell (Predator) put 186.12.00 of carp on the scales which he caught

  • TRIATHLON: Lhomme on song

    OXFORD Triathlete Julien Lhomme won his 30-34 age group race in the European Duathlon Champinships at Budapest, Hungary. His total time was 1.55.38 to complete a 10km run, 40 Km bike and 5km run. Oxford Triathletes results Little Beaver (1.5/40

  • CYCLE SPEEDWAY: Ruthless Hammers outshine Comets

    Horspath Hammers fought back as they beat defending South West Division 1 champions Poole Comets 92-84 in a thrilling exciting encounter at The Village. Hammers got off to a bad start, going 7-3 down in the opening heat before a 7-3 success from Steve

  • Tributes paid to shy Sunitinib campaigner

    TRIBUTES continue to be paid to kidney cancer drug campaigner Stephen Dallison, who died just hours after marrying his fiancée. Mr Dallison, 35, was the first person to campaign against the postcode lottery which denied sufferers the life-extending drug

  • YOUTH CRICKET: Discipline proves crucial in victory

    Tight bowling backed up by an excellent display in the field led to a deserved victory for Oxon Under 13s in their opening ECB Cup match of the season at Gloucestershire. Oxon were put in to bat, and played with great discipline on a very green wicket

  • YOUTH CRICKET: Wilkinson leads way in triumph

    Barney Wilkinson starred with 67 as Oxfordshire Under 12s eased to a 37-run victory over Wiltshire at Urchfont. Oxon’s innings was built around Wilkinson’s fine knock, and a total of 200 looked likely until Wiltshire spinners Harry Collins and Will Pascal

  • YOUTH CRICKET: Brave Oxon fail to salvage draw

    Oxfordshire Under 17s slipped to an 81-run defeat in their opening friendly two-day match of the season at Oxford Downs. The game was affected by rain on the first day, and this had an impact at the toss, with skipper Josh Smith opting to insert Wiltshire

  • YOUTH CRICKET: Solid start in vain for county

    Oxfordshire's Under 14s suffered a disappointing 81-run defeat in their final warm-up match against Northamptonshire at Banbury. The visitors won the toss and opted to bat, and with Josh Megson and Connor Williams reducing them to 20-2, Oxon seemed well-placed

  • YOUTH CRICKET: Jack seals Buscot's recovery

    Club cricket Jack Tomes took three wickets for just one run as Buscot Park recorded an unlikely victory over Didcot in the second round of the Ron Maudsley Trophy. After being restricted to 6-3 after three overs, Park’s prospects looked bleak. But

  • YOUTH CRICKET: Gardner takes a hat-trick

    LEG-SPINNER Juliet Gardner took 4-8 including a hat-trick, and then top-scored, as Oxon Under 13s beat Isle of Wight by nine wickets at Bicester & North Oxford. Bowling first, captain Laura Marshall clung on to a caught and bowled chance early on,

  • Council calls off bid for Town Green status for Radley Lakes

    PARISH councillors have called off their year-long bid to get Radley Lakes registered as a Town Green following plans to transform the area into a wildlife haven. The legal action was first launched in October 2006 to stop RWE npower, owners of Didcot

  • Motorbike classes could save your life

    A WOMAN whose husband-to-be died in a motorcycle crash just three weeks before they were due to get married, is urging bikers to take advantage of a free safety course. Police are running one-day safety workshops in a bid to cut the number

  • SWIMMING: Speedy Roshani clinches double

    Roshani Motha picked up a gold and silver for Didcot Barramundi in High Wycombe's sprint event. The 12-year-old won the 50m butterfly in 36.59secs and finished second in the 50m breaststroke in 39.28. Didcot's other medallists Silver – L Bouet (aged

  • Why didn't MP raise any concerns over expenses?

    ANDREW Smith the Oxford East Labour MP has published his expenses (last Friday’s Oxford Mail). Mr Smith has been a Labour MP for 22 years. In all that time did he ever feel there was anything vaguely wrong with the MPs’ expenses procedure? Did he ever

  • If it ain't broke...

    IN THE past I have had excellent advice from the Travel Centre at Oxford Rail Station. Since it closed, the purchase of tickets is more difficult, and less pleasant. If it wasn’t broken, why the need for change? JOHN WILLIAMS, Rectory

  • Police have their priorities wrong

    BEA Bradley and Penny Little (Oxford Mail letters) say they are being confronted by an overzealous police force at illegal hunt meetings. But with the same degree of force being dispensed at all political gatherings, it is time to question the purpose

  • French towns queue up to twin with Wallingford

    WALLINGFORD has received a flurry of twinning offers from French towns after it attempted to severe links with its European partner. Former mayor Alec Hayton tried to end Wallingford’s 30-year link with Luxeil-les-Bains after repeated attempts to contact

  • MPs should have stuck to the rule book

    MPs are saying that they have done nothing wrong on expenses, and have followed the rules in the Green Book. Therefore, would our local MPs explain why they didn’t take notice of the fact it says: Claims should be above reproach; claims must

  • It's time for a General Election

    THE only possible solution to the parliamentary expenses fiasco is for an immediate General Election. The credibilty of Parliament as a whole has been shot to bits, and it is no longer fit to carry on. This cancerous debacle will only

  • GREYHOUNDS: Foxy's run is over

    THE great eight time unbeaten run by Firelikeafox is over, despite a gallant late run that saw her finish second to Farloe Ellie whom she beat the week before to set up her record run. The Gilly Hepden-trained bitch was slowly away and back in last place

  • Beer festival makes nearly £1,350 for charity

    THE Trigger Pond pub in Bucknell raised nearly £1,350 for charity through a four day beer festival. The total of £1,347 will be split between Help For Heroes, Adderbury’s Katharine House Hospice and the Wish Charity. Landlord Sean Arnett said: “We opened

  • Ex-Mini workers 'first in line' for new jobs

    ANYONE who has worked at Oxford’s BMW Mini plant in the past will receive preferential treatment when they apply for their jobs back. The company, which earlier this month cut 850 jobs among agency workers due to falling sales, is now looking to take

  • Dorchester Festival defies credit crunch to help charity

    THIS year’s Dorchester Festival raised more than £11,000 for Oxfordshire childrens’ bereavement charity SeeSaw. The 10-day music and drama festival raised a record £20,000 in total. Over half will go to the Headington based grief support service SeeSaw

  • FOOTBALL: Banbury are reprieved

    Banbury United will be playing in the BGB Southern League Premier Division next season after they received a reprieve. Last season, the Puritans finished in the relegation positions at the end of next season, but due reorganisation of the leagues, they

  • Elvis drops in for fundraising launch

    ELVIS fans are helping launch a new Indian restaurant at the Cotswold Country Club in Kidlington tomorrow night. Organisers have sold nearly 100 tickets for a dinner and dance at the club, starting at 7.30pm. Elvis and Rat Pack tribute bands will be

  • City buses go easy access years ahead of deadline

    OXFORD’s two main bus companies have been congratulated for converting all their city buses into easy access vehicles – seven years ahead of the Government’s deadline. This week Oxford Bus Company got two new buses from a sister company, meaning

  • Probation service presses ahead on controversial centre

    CAMPAIGNERS fighting plans for a new probation centre in Oxford are angry after it emerged Thames Valley Probation is ploughing ahead with the controversial scheme. Justice Minister David Hanson has written to Oxford West and Abingdon MP Dr

  • KINGSEY FATAL CRASH: Man arrested

    A motorist has been arrested on suspicion of causing death by dangerous driving after a crash which killed a 18-year-old man and left his girlfriend fighting for her life in hospital. Greg Stiles, 18, of Thame, died in a four-car pile-up in

  • NETBALL: Kidlington boosted by Ovisher kit deal

    Kidlington Netball Club’s season has been given extra spice by a sponsorship deal with the village’s Ovisher Tandoori restaurant. The club, who have purchased new kit with the money, have just celebrated promotion to Division 1 of the Oxfordshire League

  • SCHOOL SPORT: Berry smashes 21-year record

    High jumper Cosima Berry stole the show at the North Oxon Athletics Trials at Horspath by breaking a record which had stood since 1988. The youngster, from Tudor Hall, Banbury, cleared a national standard height of 1.63m in the junior girls’ competition

  • SCHOOL SPORT: Youngsters in golden goal glory

    North Kidlington won the Kidlington High Five Netball Festival with a golden goal success against Edward Feild in the final. The two teams were locked together at 1-1 at full-time of the decider in the competition at West Kidlington School,

  • BOXING: Abingdon trio in top form

    Abingdon BC fighters rec-orded three wins out of four in their 14-bout dinner show at the town’s Guildhall. Middleweight Ben Pattison avenged his debut defeat to Dan Lachacz at Newbury earlier in the month by coming from behind after his Thames Valley

  • BOXING: Usher outs French rival

    Oxford Boxing Academy’s Dazza Usher emerged triumphant with an emphatic points victory over French rival Coulibad Madoni to claim gold at the European Box Cup at Alexandra Palace. The three-day event attracted more than 300 boxers from across Europe

  • BOXING: Rising starlet Flynn proves a class above

    Berinsfield’s national schoolboy champion Jordan Flynn (pictured) was in emphatic form at Trowbridge as he dished out a boxing lesson to Barton Hill rival Andy Grant – a beaten semi finalist at the same weight. Flynn imposed his authority

  • MARTIAL ARTS: Taekwon-do stars in big medal haul

    Five Oxfordshire fighters claimed medals at the EITF European Taekwon-Do Championships in Slovenia. More than 500 competitors from 28 countries took part in the prestigious event, with four locals scooping eight gold medals between them. Steve Luker

  • Police seal off road after sex attack near Mini works

    A 15-YEAR-OLD girl has told police she was sexually attacked by a man in the street in the early hours today. Police have cordoned off a section of Oxford Road and Horspath Road, near the BMW factory and Horspath Road Industrial Estate, Oxford

  • Police investigate 'sex attack' on girl, 15

    A 15-year-old girl has told police she was sexually attacked by a man in the street in the early hours of today. Police have cordoned off a section of Oxford Road and Horspath Road, near the BMW factory and Horspath Road Industrial Estate, Oxford.

  • Teenage girl reports sex attack

    A 15-year-old girl has told police she was sexually attacked in the early hours of today. Police have cordoned off a section of Oxford Road and Horspath Road, near the BMW factory and Horspath Road Industrial Estate, Oxford. The girl claims she was

  • Fancy A Bit Of Zebra Tonight...?

    THE SPREAD EAGLE, NORTHCOURT RD, ABINGDON 01235 521594. FLANDERS and Swann knew how to pen an catchy ditty or two, but their 1957 homage to the gnu – part of the wildebeest family – failed to mention that it isn’t much cop when barbecued. If

  • Strip Tees With Freya North

    Andrew Ffrench finds himself enjoying a tale of sex oop North in our Book of the Month. I HAVEN’T read any novels by this best-selling author before, so I didn’t quite know what to expect. The pink cover, which I gather the author helped

  • A Light Touch

    Fairport’s Simon Nicol says going acoustic is about making a small noise sound big. SIMON Nicol, right, has been at the heart of Fairport Convention since before the band existed. As a teenage whippersnapper, he hosted the fledgling

  • It's A Scream

    DRAG ME TO HELL (15). Horror/Comedy/Thriller. Alison Lohman, Justin Long, Lorna Raver, David Paymer, Dileep Rao, Adriana Barraza, Reggie Lee. Director: Sam Raimi. AFTER record-breaking box-office success with Spider-Man and its sequels,

  • Blonde Ambition

    OBSESSED (12A). Thriller. Idris Elba, Ali Larter, Beyonce Knowles, Bruce McGill, Jerry O’Connell, Christine Lahti, Matthew Humphreys. Director: Steve Shill. MORE than 20 years after Glenn Close boiled Michael Douglas’s bunny, another

  • Stephen Tompkinson Signs Off On The Joys Of Playing Comedy

    Stephen Tompkinson may be here in body, but his mind is still in Africa. Katherine MacAlister reports. IF YOU see a hot air balloon drifting over Oxford next week it may well be Stephen Tompkinson taking his eight year-old daughter Daisy up

  • Rowetta Whoops It Up

    Just talking to Rowetta is exhausting. She’s lived so many lives already, that trying to keep up with her is a full-time job. But Rowetta knows exactly what she’s doing and where she’s going and is just enjoying the ride. “YEAH, I have done a lot

  • Heavenly Blues at The Bullingdon

    LAST week saw your loyal clubbing team celebrate Simple’s 10th birthday at the Bullingdon with a startlingly brilliant DJ set from one of the world’s best electro artists, Digitalism. This week however saw us return to the same venue for a night in

  • Cancer drug fighter dies

    THE man who launched the fight for a life-extending cancer drug to be prescribed on the NHS has died just three hours after marrying his fiancée. Last night tributes were paid to Stephen Dallison, the kidney cancer sufferer whose case led to

  • Man rescued from Cowley Road flat fire

    A 59-year-old man had to be rescued from his flat in Oxford this morning. At 3am, crews from The Slade and Rewley Road fire stations were faced with a blaze in a ground-floor flat in Cowley Road. Crews wearing specialist breathing kit and using a hose

  • Man rescued from blazing flat

    A 59-year-old man had to be rescued from his flat in Oxford this morning. At 3am, crews from The Slade and Rewley Road fire stations were faced with a blaze in a ground-floor flat in Cowley Road. Crews wearing specialist breathing kit and using a

  • Saturdays' Night Fever

    Feisty ‘full on girl band’ The Saturdays tell Tim Hughes they wish some groups wouldn’t take themselves so seriously. A GREAT philosopher once said: “Girls just wanna have fun.” And, as living proof of that maxim, come the most exciting

  • Concern for missing man

    Police say they are concerned about the welfare of a missing pensioner and appealed to the public to help find him. Walter Neal, 84, of Adkin Way, Wantage, was last seen at his home address at 9am yesterday. Officers said he left home driving a grey

  • Pensioner missing from Wantage

    Police have appealed for help to find a missing pensioner. Walter Neal, 84, of Adkin Way, Wantage, was last seen at his home address at 9am yesterday. Officers said he left home driving a grey/silver Vauxhall Corsa with the registration number OE51

  • 'Serious incident' in Oxford

    Oxford Road in Horspath has been closed both ways this morning because of what police have termed "a serious incident". The road was shut both ways at about 6am. The Further updates will be filed when more information is available.

  • We all owe it

    There have been few stories that have shocked and sickened the community as much as that of the attack on Japanese student Kentaro Ikeda. The 27-year-old Oxford University student was dragged off his bicycle and hit over the head with a hefty lock as

  • Hero of the cancer drug campaign

    In September 2007, Stephen Dallison was given just a year to live. Diagnosed with kidney cancer, the 33 year-old was denied a little-known "wonder drug" called Sunitinib by Oxfordshire Primary Care Trust. Three months later, he won a battle to get the

  • Cabbages & Kings

    AS READERS may know, I delight in the role of grandparent and can bore for Britain when it comes to listing the achievements of my six grandsons. Therefore it was only fair that I should listen to two chums as they expounded the obvious virtues of