MICK Heavey’s fixation on the idea that, because I despise people who can blindly accept that meat is right and proper for human consumption, regardless of the conditions under which the animal has lived, the method of slaughter, or whether the end product
SEVERAL months had passed since my diagnosis with incurable kidney cancer and I was now ready to fight for access to Sunitinib, the global gold standard treatment for my disease. I had become sickened at the harrowing tales reported in the media where
I READ about Oxford City Council’s proposal of the possible closure of 11 of the city’s 27 public loos (Oxford Mail, June 27), in order to save £50,000. Some neighbours came home this evening (Sunday) after a large gathering with family and friends in
OH DEAR, what have some Members of Parliament done? We all know about ‘sleeping dogs’, but when it comes to ‘sleeping giants’, this is a very different thing. From a political standpoint we, the people, are just that. But this recent scandal over expenses
I RECENTLY unearthed a copy of the Oxford Mail, dated November 23, 2004. In it was a letter from Andrew Smith, the East Oxford Labour MP giving his reasons for resigning from the Cabinet. He stated that he wished to continue to support Tony Blair as
AS A CITIZEN of Oxford, can some intelligent person please explain to me why a very famous hospital, the John Radcliffe, renowned throughout the world, is in such dire straits? It is very true to say that we take no notice of situations until we become
YOUR report that car numbers are down at the Westgate car park by 26,000 proved interesting reading. You touched on the fact that while the redevelopment of Westgate is on hold, a major new shopping development is due to open in Witney in the autumn,
IT IS not very many years since the great campaigns to get better accessibility for the disabled won several triumphs – public places (including restaurants, pubs, etc), have now established accessible toilet facilities; lifts, and other aids are much
PUPILS from Oxfordshire’s largest school delved into hundreds of years of history as they prepared to mark 450 years since the school was founded. Lord William’s School in Thame, which has more than 2,000 pupils on its roll, started life as a grammar
This is the face of a man police want to speak to in relation to a sexual assault. A 21-year-old woman was approached by a cyclist at the junction of Magdalen Road and Essex Street, in East Oxford, between 2.35am and 2.45am on Friday, May 22. She was
A CLOSED down pub, which was due to reopen tomorrow, will now welcome customers early next month after a delay over its lease. Last month residents were delighted when an unnamed Oxford entrepreneur announced he was going to reopen the White House in
COUNTY council bosses have issued guidance to social services managers across Oxfordshire to ensure the elderly do not suffer health problems during this week’s heatwave. With Met Office forecasters predicting temperatures will remain warm until the
A PIONEERING link-up between Oxford’s college of further education and Oxford City FC is giving teenagers a chance to play football — and net a qualification at the same time. Oxford and Cherwell Valley College is to run sports courses at Oxford City
DAREDEVIL Karen Brooker raised £250 for charity in memory of her disabled son by overcoming her fear of heights and abseiling down the John Radcliffe Hospital on Sunday. Mrs Brooker, pictured, completed the feat dressed as Spiderman. The 44-year-old
David Ridgley hailed Aston Rowant’s travelling support as they reached the last 16 of the npower Village cup. Rowant’s captain said his side’s supporters outnumbered hosts Ashcott & Shapwick ten to one despite having to make a 280-mile round trip. Ridgley
AEA Technology 27.75 BMW 2311 Electrocomponents 141.75 Nationwide Accident Repair 80.5 Oxford Biomedica 12 Oxford Catalysts 56 Oxford Instruments 143 Reed Elsevier 453.25 RM 159.5 RPS Group 200.5 Courtesy of Redmayne Bentley, Abingdon
Oxfordshire’s dismal defeat to Norfolk in the MCCA Trophy semi-finals looked very unlikely at the halfway mark – even to their opponents. Having bowled Norfolk out for 235, Oxon did not need to go mad in their 50-over run chase, and even the most optimistic
Abingdon Vale wicket-keeper Dan King will play for Oxford University in Saturday’s One-Day Varsity Match against Cambridge at Lord’s. King is named in a team that also includes Oxford all-rounder Raj Sharma. Dark Blues captain Alex Ball
AFC Wallingford, after fears that they might have to disband, have pledged to carry on for the coming season. The south Oxfordshire club, who just over a year ago were playing Hellenic League Premier Division football, were in danger of folding, due
Jason Weller clanged off 15 dolls – including a double sixer – for the George as they beat Garsington Sports 2-1 in the Premier Section of the Greene King Oxford & District League. George took the opening two legs 29-25, 20-19 with Garsington
OXFORD house owners are trapped with a negative equity of over £11,000 on average, according to a new report. Global rating agency Fitch Ratings has estimated the average house in Oxford is worth £11,276 less than its owner’s debt, with homeowners unable
Former Chinnor flanker David Seymour has joined Sale Sharks after being released by fellow Guinness Premiership club Saracens. Seymour, 24, came through the ranks at Chinnor, where his two brothers still play, before signing for Sarries in 2004. He
Kevin Powney hit a double sixer in his 17 dolls to fire Black Bull A to a 3-0 victory over Prince of Wales in Division 1 of the Warburtons Bicester & District League. Powney missed with his second stick of the evening to fall just short of the magical
A £30m project to rebuild Witney’s college campus will still move forward, despite a lack of funding. Steve Billcliffe, who is in charge of overseeing Abingdon & Witney College’s campus redevelopment, insisted it was “business as usual” for the project
VETERAN Labour Party politician Tony Benn brought his trademark pipe to Oxford as he gave a talk on the state of politics. The 84-year-old former Cabinet minister spoke to a packed audience at Magdalen College School last Thursday. Sophie Langdale,
Police closed the Dorchester bypass after a man threatened to jump from a footbridge today. Trained negotiators were called to the Queenford Bridge over the A4074 at Dorchester at around 1.20pm. Officers closed the road between Berinsfield and Shillingford
OXFORD Mail readers have reacted angrily to proposals to close up to 11 public loos in the city. On Saturday we revealed that nearly half of the city’s public loos were facing closure this winter as part of plans to save £50,000 a year.
PASSENGERS who use Oxford’s Brookesbus services from tomorrow will be able to connect to the Internet while reclining in leather seats, as a new firm takes over the university routes. The Oxford Bus Company has taken over the services – which
CITY council bosses have been told to think again on controversial plans to knock down an Oxford office block. Residents of the Northway estate lobbied councillors over plans to demolish the Northway Centre, in Dora Carr Close, after the council
Too many cyclists are unaware of the cool back routes that whisk you quickly and quietly along traffic-free paths. Many routes are poorly signed and the city needs an updated cycle map, but these deficits are compensated by the excellent opencyclemap.org
Regular readers of Oxfordshire Limited Edition will recall the fascinating series of articles about the significance of the Green Man in Oxfordshire, penned by historian and writer Tim Healey (pictured). Tim has since created an audio-visual experience
A few weeks ago, when Carol Ann Duffy became Britain's first female Poet Laureate, I was surprised to see her praising the headlines in the Sun newspaper as ‘brilliant poetry’. She said her favourite Sun headline was ‘You can’t quit quicker
At the time of writing it is shaping up to be a lovely summer, but when you read this, in the week of Henley Royal Regatta, it may be a different story — in which case an exhibition at the town’s River and Rowing Museum has some sterling advice for
Blenheim Palace has been named as the Historic House Association Garden of the Year in the 25th year of this prestigious competition. Previous winners — all famous gardens of great repute — include Sudeley Castle, Heale House, West Dean, Barnsley House
In our series counting down to the new Ashmolean, we come, via the museum’s superb Western Art collection, to Renaissance Italy in the mid-16th century — and focus on a new painting by Titian. I say ‘new’, for I’m not referring to Titian’s wonderful
The funeral of Flight Lieutenant Mike Blee, who was killed in a plane crash at Drayton on June 14, will take place next week. The 62-year-old RAF instructor, of St Mary’s Green, Abingdon, and 15-year-old Nicholas Langley-Rice, a schoolboy from Calcot
Disappointly true to British form, it was a cool and breezy evening for the first summer jazz dinner with a French flavour at Villandry Bistrot, Bicester Village. It was not warm enough to venture out onto the 60-cover terrace to enjoy the music of
We have all heard the rumour — it is going to be one of the driest summers on record, apparently. Of course, we can not be completely certain that this will be the case — there is something reassuringly unreliable about British weather predictions
With our fickle British summers, you cannot rely on the sunshine — but when it does put in an appearance, you need to grasp the opportunity with both hands. Get out and about in the countryside, on the river, or at the plethora of summer events from
One woman needed hospital treatment after her car overturned and crashed on the M40 today. Paramedics were called to the northbound carriageway between junction seven, at Milton Common, and junction eight, near Wheatley, shortly after 8am. A spokesman
A visit to the most northerly of Relais & Châteaux’ English hotels was like being in a timewarp — a most enjoyable timewarp though. We found Farlam Hall Hotel nestled in the Cumbrian countryside, just outside Brampton, about 20 miles from
A 31-year old heroin addict has admitted committing a series of burglaries in south Oxfordshire. Thomas Pancott, of no fixed address, yesterday admitted a charge of burglary in Little Milton on March 27. He also asked Oxford Crown Court to take into
Perched sedately on a peninsula overlooking Rutland Water in England’s smallest county, Hambleton Hall (pictured right) looks as if it was built especially to make the most of the stunning lake view below. But appearances can be deceptive, because the
It is rare in this job to feel like you are being treated like royality, but on a recent trip to the west of Scotland I most defintely was. I had been invited to stay at Inverlochy Castle, the Relais & Châteaux hotel and restaurant near Fort William —
The origins of the RSPCA date back almost 200 years. In 1822, MP Richard Martin, dubbed ‘Humanity Dick’, piloted the first anti-cruelty bill through Parliament, giving a degree of protection to horses, cattle and sheep. At the time, compassion for animals
The name John Scott Haldane may not be widely known outside scientific circles, but his revolutionary thinking on respiration had far-reaching effects. Increased safety in Britain’s mines, relief of altitude sickness and the invention of the gas mask
T he first Art in Action event took place in 1977 with around 50 artists taking part. This year the event will feature 150 artists and craftsmen who will demonstrate their expertise in various disciplines, including painting, sculpture, drawing
A manor house nestling snugly in six acres of glorious gardens – could there be a more perfect setting for al fresco opera? Yet Garsington Manor, with its manicured lawns, romantic lake and breathtaking views across the Oxfordshire countryside, was a
When some people reach retirement age, they put their feet up, watch TV and potter in the garden. Others save up for a luxury cruise around the world. But that is not adventurous enough for Charles and Cecillie Swaisland, who are just about to celebrate
A man was taken to hospital with a wound to his hand after being injured in an attack by two pitbull-type dogs today. Police are appealing for information after the man was injured trying to protecting his own dog from the other animals in woods off
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In what can be described as a true act of faith, Dr Marcus Braybrooke has worked quietly but determinedly towards world peace for more than 40 years. Now a retired Anglican parish priest, living at Clifton Hampden, near Abingdon, his quest to help
I n last month’s Wordplay article, I listed some of the many loanwords which English has ‘borrowed’ from other countries. Let us look more deeply into the stories behind some of these borrowings. Attending a party recently, I wondered where the word
Not long ago I was in Spain with, among others, Nick Room who is one of the wine buyers for Waitrose — a supermarket which has a long-established reputation for employing some of the best ‘noses’ in the business, so when they have got something to say
J ohn Campbell is a fascinating and complex man. He is a chef at the pinnacle of his career and the brains behind the enduring, indeed flourishing, success of The Vineyard at Stockcross, his two Michelin-starred restaurant near Newbury
Given the contribution to the nation’s economy made by the textile industry over the centuries, it is no surprise that a number of English surnames, including my own, derive from the occupations of those working in it. The origins of Weaver, Webber
July 19, 2002, was a sad day for Witney. This was the day that Early’s Witney Mill (pictured above), the last of the town’s famous blanket factories, closed its doors for the final time, bringing to an end an industry that had shaped the local
Chris Davies, headmaster of Abingdon Preparatory School, talks about the partnership Abingdon Prep enjoys with the Jimba Gede Primary School in Kenya. In 2007, Abingdon Preparatory School initiated a link with the Jimba Gede Primary School near Malindi
One hundred years ago this month, a horse named Bomba romped home to win the Gold Cup at Ascot as his proud owner, James de Rothschild, looked on. Born in France in 1878, James went to study at Cambridge University where he developed a passion for riding
Sixth form schools and colleges play a key role in guiding students to make the important decision of which course and university to apply for. Karen David reveals how Oxford’s d’Overbroeck’s College supports its students through this critical process
Many senior schools now require pupils to sit some form of pre-test due to an excess demand for places. Robin Badham-Thornhill, headmaster of Summer Fields, Oxford, assesses the impact on both pupils and schools. Among prep school heads, the words
The examination system in this country is in a complete mess and has been undermined by Government obsession with target-setting and league tables, claims Dr Martin Stephen, High Master of St Paul’s School. No-one really noticed when the Titanic hit
Oxford colleges have a fine tradition of tortoise-keeping, and maybe this was at the back of Charles Lutwidge Dodgson’s mind when he drew together all the elements that made up his tales of Alice in Wonderland. However, even Dodgson (alias Lewis Carroll
Last year, the Girls’ Schools Association commissioned a survey of parents which asked: ‘How well do you know your daughter?’ GSA president, Jill Berry, looks at the results and how they are being used to help other parents. At the end of last autumn
So wrote the poet Robert Whitehall about the ceiling decoration of the Sheldonian Theatre, the work of Robert Streater (1624-1679), when first unveiled in 1670. A bold if somewhat risible claim, with the clear implication that ‘future ages’ would
As the the Oxfordshire Independent/State Schools Partnership, a two-year project promoting science teaching in schools, draws to a close, Karen David talks to project director Tom Kempton about what the project has achieved. The original idea came
Tim Johnson, wonders whether the pursuit of knowledge as an end in itself is outdated nostalgia, or if we actually need more Victorian values in the classroom. The prospect of imminent fatherhood, much like that of being hanged in the morning, tends
When I first moved to Oxford 20 years ago, practically all I knew of my family background was that my father was about as Welsh as they come, and that my mother’s recent forebears were of mainly Scottish and South African origin. So it was a considerable
Nine students whose homes were quarantined after a swine flu outbreak have returned to college. The Oxford Media and Business School, in St Ebbes, Oxford, sent all its students home last Wednesday after a 19-year-old girl was diagnosed with the H1N1
Education organisations are working together in Oxford this summer to deliver an ambitious project. Talk Together aims to change the world by promoting the importance of effective communication and understanding. This international project is bringing
Children, parents and staff at a primary school in East Hendred have joined forces to transform a patch of wasteland into a thriving vegetable patch. Gill Oliver took a walk down the garden path. It all started when class teacher Jan Page spotted a
Of all the ways that a parent can become actively involved in their child’s school, putting themselves forward as a governor may seem one of the most daunting, writes Gill Oliver. Many primary and secondary schools in Oxfordshire have vacancies
Council leaders have apologised for the first time for problems caused by the roll out of south Oxfordshire’s new waste collection system. South Oxfordshire District Council leader Ann Ducker and chief executive David Buckle posted a joint apology on
A former diplomat, David Lyscom has recently taken up the post as chief executive of the Independent Schools Council. Matthew Smith, editor of Attain magazine, went to talk to him to find out what the future holds for the organisation. David
Andrew McLellan spends his days working with children, opening their eyes and imagination to other cultures, just as his were when, as a boy, he spent many happy hours among the strange artefacts housed in Oxford’s Pitt Rivers Museum, where he
Howard Goodall is that rarest of creatures in that he manages to combine being a high-brow classical music composer with a truly populist touch. A much-lauded composer of choral music, his Eternal Light: A Requiem, which he recorded with the Christ Church
Ambulance crews have been called to a collision on the M40 this morning. A spokesman for South Central Ambulance said paramedics were on their way to an incident on the northbound carriageway, between junction seven for Thame and junction eight for Oxford
Oxford United manager Chris Wilder believes the prestigious pre-season friendly against Aston Villa will be a great spectacle for the fans – and will not disrupt his team’s preparations for their Blue Square Premier campaign. The U’s will take on Martin
DURING the past few years, Oxfordshire residents have been more used to coping with heavy rain, floods or snowstorms than heatwaves. But last night, they were urged to slap on the sun cream to cope with the first heatwave of the summer.
AGENCY workers, some of whom were laid off in February, started work at BMW Mini yesterday morning as a new shift began to cope with an upturn in demand. The 250 workers are on a new 11-shift system, working two shifts a day, Monday to Friday. They
A DRUNKEN man who burst into his elderly neighbour’s house, threatening him with a knife, “got what he deserved” when the pensioner, a former boxer, left him bruised and bleeding. Yesterday, Gregory McCalium, 23, was jailed for four-and-a half
A £1.3M road improvement scheme, which choked one of Oxford’s main roads for almost a year, is now giving Oxford cyclists the hump — quite literally. Bikers using a new £18,800 cycle lane, which was built as part of Headington’s London Road
When inconsiderate party animal Gregory McCalium burst into his elderly neighbour’s house in a drink-fuelled rage, little did he know what he was up against. One could forgive 71-year-old Frank Corti for being scared stiff as McCalium waved a knife
