Archive

  • RUGBY UNION: Blues checked by Sale Revival

    Oxford Univ 31, Sale Sharks 31 Oxford University had to be content with an exciting draw at home to a Sale Sharks side who improved as the game progressed on Monday night. Having led 24-0 and 31-10, the Dark Blues will be disappointed not to

  • Headington Sharks 5 Summertown Comets 3

    In an end-to-end game Sharks eventually edged out the Comets 5-3. The Sharks finally started a game brightly & Connor Madden forced a tremendous save from Joel Macy in the Comets goal. Sydney Njoroge was back to his tigerish best in midfiled and it

  • Kidlington Youth Rangers 2 Marston Saints 2

    In an exciting game Kidlington Youth and Marston Saints shared the spoils in a 2-2 draw. Kidlington were first off the mark when Sam Newcombe fired home.Marston Saints equalised just before half time when Rowan Alexander scored from close range

  • City roads gridlocked for hours after lorry overturns

    DRIVERS on the A34 and Oxford’s ring road were gridlocked for hours after a lorry overturned at a roundabout. The lorry fell on to its side at Kennington roundabout at about 7am, causing tailbacks on the Southern bypass, Abingdon Road and other

  • Enforcement must continue

    THE Oxford Mail stands squarely behind the efforts to clean up our city. Cleaner Greener Oxford was launched last week by Oxford City Council with the aim to rid the streets of the blight of litter and to educate people not to drop it in the first place

  • 'Let OAPs keep pets in homes'

    PENSIONERS should be allowed to take their pets into nursing homes, according to a care home manager. Last week, an older people, pets and housing conference was held in London – organised by Burford-based Society for Companion Animal Studies

  • Book lovers descend on Oxford Brookes

    MORE than 1,000 bibliophiles descended on Oxford Brookes University over the weekend, to view independently produced books from 70 fine presses, 15 book sellers, calligraphers, bookbinders, and paper makers at the world’s second largest fine press book

  • Man conned into buying broken TV

    POLICE have warned people not to make purchases which “appear to be a bargain” after a man was duped into buying a broken television set. Thames Valley Police said a 22-year-old bought a 44in television from two men at the Moto services, off the Peartree

  • CCTV images released in hunt for Poppy Appeal box thieves

    Police have released CCTV images of a woman they would like to speak to in connection with a theft. At about midday on Monday, November 2, a Royal British Legion charity poppy box was stolen from Salon Scandinavia in Windmill Road, Headington. Dick

  • Benson's history is in print at long last

    A VILLAGE history has been published 26 years after the death of its mysterious author. Benson residents know little about Edith Ditmas, an Oxford-educated spinster who completed her history of the village in 1981, five years before she died

  • Pupils set an environmental example

    A GROUP of teenagers trying to reduce their school’s carbon footprint have called on more young people to take action on environmental issues. The environmental awareness scholarship at d’Overbroeck’s College is thought to be the only such programme

  • 'Mindless yobs' wreck saplings

    VANDALS have destroyed a row of young trees in Oxford – for the second time in as many years. The golden ash saplings, which cost the taxpayer more than £1,500, were planted in Cowley’s Hollow Way Recreation Ground in April this year to line

  • Bicester's chance to join hospital debate

    RESIDENTS are being invited to a public meeting to tell health bosses exactly what services they want from Bicester’s new community hospital. Oxfordshire NHS Primary Care Trust is hosting a community forum to talk about its proposals to redevelop

  • Solemn return of six dead from Afghanistan

    SIX British soldiers killed in Afghanistan are due to be repatriated to Oxford tomorrow. Warrant Officer Class 1 Darren Chant, 40, Sergeant Matthew Telford, 37, and Guardsman Jimmy Major, 18, from the Grenadier Guards, and Corporals Steven

  • Load of hot air

    THE comments in The issue (Oxford Mail, November 3) about vegetarianism by Rachel Foster, were a load of nonsense. Animals do not contribute to global warming. Herbivores eat plants and their by-products are then taken up by those same plants to produce

  • Double dealing

    Last week, the Oxford Mail carried two highly misleading contributions by the Liberal Democrats, who are getting excited about elections next year. In an article on toilet closure, a Liberal Democrat activist from Wolvercote, Steve Goddard, mentioned

  • Steamrollering through

    Oxford City Council’s decision to only hold meetings for debate on very limited occasions (Nuala Young’s letter in Friday’s Oxford Mail) and its failure to deal with public furore over consultative issues (such as the closure of public toilets) while

  • Biker's thanks

    I would like to express my gratitude to all of the drivers that stopped and helped after my motorbike slipped on diesel at a roundabout in Didcot on Wednesday. I have never seen so many people jump out of their cars and offer assistance so quickly.

  • Wessex Pride

    WITH reference to the flag which flew from Oxford Castle’s St George’s Tower to celebrate King Alfred’s Day on October 26, the design of this flag dates back to 1970. It is based on the battle standard of the West Saxons, which was not a flag as we

  • Dismiss highway plans

    Having read the article in Saturday’s Oxford Mail regarding Hanson Aggregate and its A420 proposals, I am utterly disgusted with their plans. The A420 has had many names over the years, and none of them good. ‘The Road to Hell’ is one of them. Various

  • ON YER BIKE: Preaching about safety

    Welcome everyone to the Church of Bicycle Lovers... (and let’s face it, if this was the States, this wouldn’t sound so far-fetched would it?). And I say ‘praise-be’ to the prophet Raleigh bikes. Hallelujah! And may all your roads be pot-hole free. To

  • Wrestling arrives at Cowley Road venue

    IT IS a venue more accustomed to music and salsa and tea dances, but The Regal in Oxford played host to a wrestling competition this month. Contest organisers said they might now return to the venue following the success of the inaugural event

  • Chance to join debate on Bicester hospital

    RESIDENTS are being invited to a public meeting to tell health bosses exactly what services they want from Bicester’s new community hospital. Oxfordshire NHS Primary Care Trust is hosting a community forum to talk about its proposals to redevelop the

  • Police helicopter clocks up hours

    One of the Chiltern Air Support Units police helicopters has reached a significant flying landmark. On Thursday, October 15, the Eurocopter EC135 aircraft, based at RAF Benson, reached 10,000 flying hours, the second highest flying hours of its type

  • Ashmolean revamp gets public thumbs-up

    THOUSANDS of people marvelled at the multi-million pound transformation of Oxford’s Ashmolean Museum, following its public opening at the weekend. Visitors gave the £61m re-fit the seal of approval as they enjoyed five floors of artefacts – hundreds

  • School sets sights on specialist ranking

    A SCHOOL for children who are so severely disabled they cannot be cared for in state schools is bidding for specialist status. Penhurst School, in Chipping Norton, provides education and residential care for youngsters with profound and multiple learning

  • Man robbed of watch in Headington

    Police are appealing for witnesses after a robbery in Toot Hill Butts, Headington. At around 1.50pm on Saturday, a 19 year-old man was approached by two men as he was walking home. The offenders said “nice watch, give it to me” the victim then handed

  • Summertown gives Irish a scare

    Summertown United U11, which plays in the C division, gave A division side Oxford Irish U11 a scare in the second round of the cup. Summertown settled quickly into their passing game and took a 2-0 lead. Oxford Irish came back pressuring the home side

  • Furniture stolen in Shiplake burglary

    Police are appealing for witnesses after a burglary in Shiplake. Some time between 5pm on Thursday and 8am on Friday, a property in Mill Lane, which is subject to building work, was broken into. Det Con Georgina Bradley said: “The offenders stole

  • Poopy Appeal box stolen in Headington

    Police today released CCTV footage of a man and woman they would like to speak to in connection with a theft of a charity box in Headington. At about midday on Monday, November 2, a Royal British Legion charity poppy box was stolen from Salon Scandinavia

  • Man robbed of Bible in Oxford

    A man was punched to the ground and robbed of a rucksack in Oxford. At about 12.30am yesterday, a 40-year-old man was walking in the alleyway that adjoins Rose Hill Road and Hillsborough Road when he was approached by three men. They demanded

  • RUGBY UNION: Matthews off as Chinnor win

    Chinnor showed great industry to defeat Cleve 27-11 in National 3 South West at Kingsey Road in a match that saw two red cards. Veteran prop Simon Matthews, on as a replacement, was sent off for illegally using his boot at a ruck – just minutes after

  • RUGBY UNION: Hawks denied bonus point

    Henley Hawks were denied a losing bonus point by a controversial penalty try in a battling 36-25 defeat at Ealing in National 2 South. Hawks captain Matt Payne bagged the second of a brace of tries late on, but this was only a consolation after

  • RUGBY UNION: Wallingford hang on

    Wallingford 30, Trowbridge 29 Wallingford did their best to throw away a South West 1 East match they should have won comfortably. Despite leading 25-3 and 30-10 early in the second half, confidence-shy Wallingford lacked composure, especially in

  • RUGBY UNION: Norrington's nervy finish

    Wallingford head coach Chris Norrington admitted it was stressful watching as his side almost let Trowbridge sneak a victory. “How many points did we give away?” said Norrington. “It was at least 14. “I was having a heart attack. I just felt so sick

  • Raiders target Long Hanborough shop

    Burglars forced their way into News Express in Long Hanborough today. At about 2am, raiders gained access to the shop, in Main Road, by forcing the door of the property. The shop alarm was activated and the offenders fled with cigarettes, tobacco

  • RUGBY UNION: Barrett on song for Grove

    Two scintillating tries from wing John Barrett helped Grove bounce back from their first defeat with an 18-6 victory over Aylesbury in Southern Counties North. Grove fly half Roger Sevier and Aylesbury full back Gary Horne traded two penalties

  • RUGBY UNION: Bulls in first defeat

    Banbury Bulls tasted defeat for the first time in Midlands 2 East South when losing their top-of the-table clash at Market Harborough 31-12. A strong forward effort was the catalyst for the home side’s dominant display with the win seeing them leapfrog

  • RUGBY UNION: Briggs bags treble

    BB&O leagues Jack Briggs bagged a hat-trick of tries as leaders Alchester routed Premier Division basement boys Harwell 57-12. Centre Briggs’s treble came in the second half, but it was wing Andy Blacklock who got things moving with a try double.

  • Brook clean up should cut Wantage flooding risk

    THE flooding threat to homes in Wantage has been cut after tonnes of silt and debris were removed from Letcombe Brook. A tanker has pumped more than 10 tonnes of silt from the brook to boost flood defences. It is hoped the £15,000 project, which also

  • City street cleaners face 'a tide of refuse'

    OXFORD street cleaners are fighting a “never-ending battle” with litter louts as they try to tidy up the city. Takeaway packaging, cigarette butts and even syringes are dropped on our pavements and roads every night — and the team of 34 cleaners

  • HOCKEY: Banbury's Mel gets England boost

    Mel Wilkinson, who helped Banbury win 2-1 at West Witney in a South Clubs' League Division 3A derby, has been called up by England. She has been selected for the England Under 16 squad training camps in December, January and February ahead of a Four

  • HOCKEY: Rover off to a flier

    Rover Oxford 2nd started spritely in their Trysports 3 Counties League Premier 1 game at Phoenix & Ranelagh, and ran out 5-0 winners. Suzanne Williams opened with a determined effort, and Lynn Cockshott added two more – the first a mazy run and shot

  • Oxford mountaineer conquers unclimbed peak in Himalayas

    HE HAD to be hauled out of a crevasse after trapping his leg, and watched helplessly as two fellow climbers were rushed to hospital. But 52-year-old Benji Ming, from Oxford, has proved his mettle by becoming one of the first people to climb

  • HOCKEY: Coppin strike can't save Hawks

    Oxford Hawks slipped into the bottom two in Premier Division 2 of the South League with a 2-1 defeat at fellow strugglers West Hampstead. Freddie Coppin’s strike was not enough for Hawks as Ron Armstrong and Ben Harrison hit the target for Hampstead.

  • Delays for drivers continue after lorry overturned in Oxford

    Drivers on Oxford’s ring road and the A34 are still being delayed by an overturned lorry which has not yet been removed from the carriageway. The accident happened at about 7am at the Kennington roundabout, causing tailbacks on the Southern bypass

  • DARTS: Basement boys hammered by Three Tuns

    Three Tuns (Kings Sutton) brushed aside Oxfordshire Super League basement boys Grove House 9-0, losing only three legs all evening. Barry Stratford, Ronnie Anderson, Olly Varney, Marcus Wright, Jon Jukes, Ade Larner, Paul Cohen, Sean Holley and Steve

  • DARTS: Russell stars for Marston

    The Greene King ODDA George Pegram Cup men’s seven-a-side final will be between Premier champions Marston Royal British League C and Cowley Workers Club, from Section 2. Marston booked their place with a 4-1 win over White Horse in the quarter-final,

  • DARTS: Edgy Oxfordshire get off the mark

    Oxfordshire got off the mark in their second game of the Riley's British Inter-Counties Chamnpionships Division 1 campaign away to Staffordshire. It followed a home draw against Dorset and gives them a place in mid-table. Although Oxon

  • Local shares (PM)

    AEA Technology 30 BMW 2969 Electrocomponents 157.6 Gladstone 30 Nationwide Accident Repair 80.5 Oxford Biomedica 14 Oxford Catalysts 54.5 Oxford Instruments 225 Reed Elsevier 480.4 RM 150.5 RPS Group 211.4 Courtesy of Redmayne Bentley, Abingdon

  • Man indecently exposed himself in North Hinksey

    Police today appealed for witnesses after a man indecently exposed himself in North Hinksey. At about 1.20pm on Saturday, a 59-year-old woman was approached by a man in Willow Walk who exposed himself to her. The man was white, 5ft 9in

  • Starting from the beginning

    I've been writing a parenting blog since April of this year - starting later into motherhood than planned, but blogging was pretty far from my mind in those early days of little sleep, breast feeding traumas and swaddling techniques. Anyway, maybe

  • Trio deny Barton shooting charges

    THREE men have denied conspiring to murder a man in Oxford. Aaron Peters, 19, of Cardigan Street, Jericho, Dominic Wooloff, 19, of Pauling Road, Headington, and Daniel Annis, 23, of Chillingworth Crescent, Wood Farm, all denied one charge of conspiracy

  • Dog died in hot car

    A 42-YEAR-OLD man has been banned from keeping animals for a year after his dog died when he left it in a car on a hot summer day. James MacDonald admitted causing unnecessary suffering to his Rottweiler at Banbury Magistrates court on Friday.

  • Mystery about author remains

    A VILLAGE history has been published 26 years after the death of its mysterious author. Residents of Benson know little about Edith Ditmas, an Oxford-educated spinster who completed her history of the village in 1981, five years before she

  • Local share prices (AM)

    AEA Technology 30 BMW 2972 Electrocomponents 156.7 Gladstone 30 Nationwide Accident Repair 79 Oxford Biomedica 14.25 Oxford Catalyst 54.5 Oxford Instruments 225 Reed Elsevier 478.3 RM 152 RPS Group 213.4 Courtesy of

  • Dog died in hot car

    A 42-YEAR-OLD man has been banned from keeping animals for a year after his dog died when he left it in a car on a hot summer day. James MacDonald admitted causing unnecessary suffering to his Rottweiler at Banbury Magistrates court on Friday . MacDonald

  • Smart turnout at Chipping Norton Remembrance Festival

    THIS was the impressive sight when a Festival of Remembrance was held at Chipping Norton in November 1961. The standards of 30 British Legion branches were on parade at the Regent Cinema to remember the county’s war dead. The Oxford

  • Fiery finale to Guides' Oxford gathering

    ONE match – and up it goes! This was the bonfire which was lit to mark the end of the Girl Guides’ 13th World Conference in Oxford in 1950. A total of 10,000 Guides packed into the city’s South Park to enjoy the finale of the celebrations held to mark

  • Evacuees had hard landing in Oxford

    DICK Horn won’t forget his first night in Oxford as a wartime evacuee. There was no warm, comfortable bed for him and many other children – they slept on the cold, hard floor of Oxford Town Hall. Dick, who describes his experiences in his book, Huckleberry

  • The changing face of Kirtlington

    PUPILS at the village school made a detailed study of road and canal bridges in 1965, then staged an exhibition of stories, drawings and models. Ian Blunsdon, 11, and Robert Berry, 10, are seen with one of the model bridges they had made. In 1961, not

  • Oxford Horse Show had to clear financial hurdles

    THE Oxford Horse Show was one of the highlights of the city’s summer calendar. But organisers faced a continual struggle to balance the books, and every year, the future of the event seemed to be in doubt. The show was held on the Iffley Road rugby

  • Claire had smashing time on building site

    GARAGE cashier Clare Kuszmar had a smashing time – knocking down the place where she worked. Clare, 24, of Ferry Road, New Marston, Oxford, worked for Hartford Motors at Seacourt Tower, in Botley, where extensive demolition and rebuilding work was being

  • Cartoon recalls United's FA Cup exploits

    WITH Oxford United riding high in the Blue Square Premier League this season, a reader thought that we needed reminding of past glories. The 1953-4 season was particularly successful for the club, then called Headington United and playing in the Southern

  • Teenage cyclist injured

    A 15-YEAR-OLD cyclist is being treated by paramedics after suffering a broken leg in North Oxford this morning. David Staines, a spokesman for Thames Valley Police, said the accident happened when the boy was turning out on to Banbury Road

  • Lorry overturns on ring road

    Drivers on Oxford’s ring road were delayed this morning after a lorry overturned. The accident happened at about 7am at the Abingdon Road roundabout, causing tailbacks on the Southern bypass and Abingdon Road. A spokesman for South Central

  • Oxford Blackbirds B 1 Headington Sharks 4

    Headington Sharks had a 4-1 win over Oxford Blackbirds B. Tyrhys Lukonyomoi gave Headington the lead with a shot steered in from Liam Costar corner. Silas Pill doubled the lead for 2-0 at half time. Sam Jones made some great saves after

  • Lorry overturned on ring road

    DRIVERS on Oxford’s ring road were delayed this morning after a lorry overturned. The accident happened at about 7am at the Kennington roundabout, causing tailbacks on the Southern bypass and Abingdon Road. A spokesman for South Central

  • Driving ban stays in place

    The director of the Oxford Preservation Trust failed to get a driving ban overturned. Debbie Dance said she was suffering “exceptional hardship” in an attempt to overturn the six-month ban. The 51-year-old, of The Green, Marsh Baldon

  • Cup Draw - Wilder happy with home tie

    Manager Chris Wilder was delighted with the FA Cup draw which gives his in-form Oxford United team a great opportunity of reaching the lucrative third round. The U's were yesterday handed a home tie against fellow Blue Square Premier side Barrow in the

  • New call for city Laureate

    THE hunt is on for someone with a passion for verse to potentially become Oxford’s first Poet Laureate. Oxford City Council is to consider creating the post, the holder of which would be charged with boosting the city’s literary credentials and encouraging

  • £80 fine for dropping a match

    A SMOKER has been fined £80 – for dropping a matchstick. Demetrios Samouris was hit with the fine by an Oxford City Council street warden while he was shopping with his girlfriend in Cornmarket Street. Last night, the council said it

  • Neighbours save woman's life

    NEIGHBOURS fought their way through a smoke-filled house to save the life of an unconscious friend. Debbie and Paul Tyler, of Richmere Road, Didcot, knew something was wrong when they heard neighbour Laura Delaney’s smoke alarm going off shortly

  • FOOTBALL: Ford praises his City battlers

    Oxford City boss Mike Ford was full of praise for his players after they nearly held on for a replay in the FA Cup first round after a magnificent display at Burton on Sunday. City had battled back to level at 2-2, only for Ryan Austin to head

  • RESULTS: November 7-8

    FOOTBALL FA CUP 1st round: Oxford Utd 1, Yeovil 0; Burton Albion 3, Oxford City 2. ZAMARETTO SOUTHERN LEAGUE Premier Div: Didcot Tn 0, Evesham 2; Merthyr Tydfil 3, Banbury Utd 2. Div 1 South & West: Abingdon Utd 0, Bridgwater Tn 0; AFC Hayes 4, North

  • GREYHOUNDS: Oxford results

    SATURDAY’S RESULTS 7.25: 1 CANADIAN WILLIE 5-1, 2 Greenfield Major 3-1. Trio: (1x5x3). Trainer: Magnasco. Dalcash Rewind (3) 6-4 fav. Time: 27.49. 7.40: 1 CARKILLS EXPRESS 6-4 fav, 2 Hall Of Echos 4-1. Trio: (1x5x2). Trainer: A Kibble. Time: 27.03.

  • RUGBY UNION: Carter set to face Sale mates

    John Carter will come up against his former team when Oxford University take on Sale Sharks at Iffley Road on Monday night (7.15). Carter, who starts at blindside flanker for the students, played for Sale between 2004 and 2008, and will be keen to impress

  • MOTORCYCLING: Smith pipped at post again

    Oxfordshire's Bradley Smith and Julián Simón, from Spain, were again involved in a final-lap battle for victory at the last 125cc motorcycling grand prix of the year in Valencia on Sunday. World champion Simón came out on top of Smith for the third successive