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Oxfordshire’s Lucy Brown was beaten 6-3, 6-4 by Australian 12th seed Ashleigh Barty in the junior girls’ singles first round at Wimbledon.

CHILDREN in Cowley can finally get to grips with new equipment at a play area three months after vandals set fire to the facility. A total of £53,000 was spent at the Dene Road playground to repair the vandalised items and improve the equipment

OXFORD Dennell Baker, 18, of Friars Wharf, Oxford, admitted having an article with a blade or point in public, namely a 15cm kitchen knife in Harlesden High Street, on November 20. Given a youth-rehabilitation order with 12 months’ supervision, 40

CAR fanatics and families were treated to perfect weather in Cutteslowe Park for the an-nual Oxford Mail Motorshow. Hundreds of people flocked to the event yesterday, with dealers from across the county showcasing the latest models, as well as helicopter

A CHRONIC £10m maintenance backlog at city community centres, parks and cemeteries will be cleared within four years under a new Oxford City Council plan. A mounting bill for vital work at venues across the city has hung over the Town Hall for years

STAFF and pupils have been celebrating after their school had one of the country’s most improved exam results. Bicester Community College saw its GCSE results improve year on year for three consecutive years, by 20 percentage points, from 2007 to 2010

TWO students from Oxfordshire are preparing to rough it in an old ambulance to raise funds for sufferers of cystic fibrosis. Augusta Sharp, who lives near Wantage, and Eliza Johnston, a former pupil of St Hugh’s Preparatory School near Faringdon

A POWER cut has hit Oxford city centre this afternoon. Shops and businesses were affected by the outtage at 3.26pm It hit 150 properties in the Cornmarket Street, New Inn Hall Street and Shoe Lane area. Samantha O’Connor, from Southern Electric

TRAVELLERS to London are facing disruption as the Oxford Bus Company diverts services while a burst water main is repaired. The burst pipe in the Baker Street area in London will take at least 24 hours to fix. Meanwhile the X90 Espress service

OXFORD’S first bike shop cafe is already proving a magnet for hungry cyclists, according to owner Stuart Meanwell. He has moved his shop Bike Zone from Market Street to the former workshop of Maltby’s bookbinders in St Michael's Street, creating

AEA Technology 3.8 BMW 6000 Electrocomponents 261.75 Nationwide Accident Repair 95.5 Oxford Biomedica 5.4 Oxford Catalysts 85 Oxford Instruments 898.5 Reed Elsevier 537.75 RM 152.5 RPS Group 239.4 Courtesy of Redmayne Bentley, Abingdon

TEENAGERS celebrating the end of their exams are being urged to sign up for the “summer of a lifetime” and boost their CVs this month. A project for 16-year-olds is being run across the county and there are 60 places available. The six-week programme

A CONVOY of pensioners are proving they were born to be wild, thanks to a donation of new electric mobility scooters. Residents of Marston Court care home, in Marston Road, have been spotted around Oxford, after taking delivery of their new vehicles.

A JOBSEEKER has said he is “horrified” after logging on to an NHS job site and seeing other people’s data. The 62-year-old from Bicester, who wished to remain anonymous, said he visited jobs.nhs.uk to look for a new maintenance job. But after registering

HOUSEHOLDERS who cannot fit brown wheelie bins in their homes say they are being unfairly hit by the city council’s new recycling charges. Until May, residents were offered a free waste sack for garden waste, with any extras costing £7.50 each

Bradley Smith has done it again. A fortnight after securing his first Moto2 podium place in the British Grand Prix at Silverstone, the 20-year-old Oxford rider grabbed another top-three finish in the Dutch equivalent at the weekend.

LITTLE Elliott Baker is determined to keep up with other kids his age despite battling irreversible brain damage. The three-year-old spent the first year of his life in and out of hospital before being eventually diagnosed with the condition. Although

PENSIONERS had a lucky escape after they were evacuated following a blaze in a nursing home. The fire broke out in a bedroom at Old Prebendal House care home in Station Road, Shipton-under-Wychwood, shortly after 5am on Saturday. The flat was heavily

A 37-year-old man has admitted a burglary in Iffley Road. Adrian Simms, of Regent Street, East Oxford, burgled the property on June 16. He admitted the charge at Oxford Crown Court on Friday and was remanded in custody to be sentenced on August 5.

A ‘third-strike’ domestic burglar is facing jail. Daniel Smith, of no fixed address, admitted taking a laptop and two mobile phones from a property in Church Way, Iffley, on April 19. The 21-year-old, who admitted the charge at Oxford Crown Court on

Would-be stars performed in the Market Place on Saturday in the fourth annual Abingdon’s Got Talent competition. Nineteen acts competed in the event, which was organised by Abingdon Town Council. Don’t miss tomorrow’s Oxford Mail for a report and pictures

Oxford University were beaten by 52 runs in the One-Day Varsity match at Lord’s yesterday. Chasing a target of 264, the Dark Blues were always behind the required run-rate. And despite an unbeaten 58 from Dan Pascoe, fell short. Half-centuries from

Horspath came up short with the bat as hosts Slough claimed a five-wicket victory in Division 2 West. After losing the toss, Horspath found runs hard to come by as they were bowled out for 182 from their 60 overs. Adam Krol hit 59 off 76 balls including

A poor batting display saw Banbury dismissed for just 132 as they slipped to third in Division 1 after going down to a three-wicket defeat at home to leaders High Wycombe. The hosts knew it was going to be a tough day as Lloyd Sabin, Craig Haupt and

SATURDAY’S RESULTS 7.35: 1 GLOBAL MALDINI 5-2, 2 Texan Hondo 5-2. Trio: (5x3x4). Trainer: Colton. Time: 27.94. Greencroft Pearl (4) 2-1 fav. 7.50: 1 TASHAS HEART 4-1, 2 Flying Arkwright 9-4 jt fav. Trio: (2x6x1). Trainer: Colton. Time: 27.53.

COUNCILLOR Saj Malik’s letter to local residents defending Labour’s plans to close Temple Cowley Pools and gym smacks of desperation. The letter is at best misleading and, at worst, a wilful distortion of the facts. The evidence for retaining the complex

A 24-page colour publication called Your Oxford, issued by the city council, arrived on my doormat this week – and quickly found its way to the recycling blue bin. In this time of cuts in services, how much of the council taxpayers’ money was

WE’VE less than a decade to slash carbon dioxide emissions to limit climate change. Increasing world demand and peaking production will increase fuel prices. The UK must reduce fuel imports. Ninety per cent of UK journeys are less than 10 miles. We

DANCING is thirsty work, as these youngsters would have testified. The music had hardly stopped when there was a stampede to the refreshment table. Bottles of pop, straws and biscuits were quickly snapped up and despatched as the young dancers took

THESE Oxford day trippers were clearly having a good time. The lack of coats suggests the weather was kind, too. They were members of the women’s section at the Royal British Legion Club in Hadow Road, Marston, Oxford. The party were spending the day

STRICT rules were in place for anyone who had an allotment. Woe betide anyone who worked there on a Sunday, left the gates open or did not manure their plot annually. Aston and Cote Parish Council, near Witney, showed no mercy for those

WHEN mum-of-two Claire Bramwell gets tired she has to use a wheelchair because she is battling a brain tumour. But she refused to be held back by her condition yesterday and joined thousands of other women and their families in University Parks

Charlie Brain’s five-wicket haul helped Shipton-under-Wychwood into the last 16 in a crazy clash at Goatacre yesterday. The bare facts are that Shipton beat the Wiltshire champions by six wickets after fewer than 90 minutes of play. But they fail to

Oxfordshire face a huge uphill battle in their Minor Counties Championship Western Division clash with Devon at Great & Little Tew. Having dismissed their opponents for 251 with paceman Chad Keegan taking 6-54, Oxon slumped to 52-6 at the close. Having

A superb unbeaten century from Nick Ferraby helped Oxford move up to second in the Division 1 table with a 122-run victory against Bishops Stortford at Roman Way on Saturday. He made 112 off 109 balls as Oxford declared on an impressive 279-6 off 58

Aston Rowant were shot out for just 69 as they went down to a 112-run defeat at Reading in Division 2 West. After a delayed start due to the rain, three quick wickets from Karl Penhale halted the visitors’ progress. Richard Cook then claimed two victims

A four-wicket haul from Angus Laughlan was not enough as Thame Town were held to a draw in the Division 2 West clash against Dinton. Four early wickets from Lachlan saw Dinton on the ropes at 45-5. However, 107 not out from Ash Smith saw Dinton scrape

MINOR COUNTIES CHAMPIONSHIP (1st day of 3) Western Division: Devon 251 (82.1 ovs, N Hancock 63, A Allen 33, R Woodman 32, C Keegan 6-54), Oxon 52-6 (24.2 ovs, T Anning 3-5). Persimmon Village Cup Last 32: Goatacre 26 (15.4 ovs, C Brain 5-16, S Miller

I AM pleased that the BBC director-general, Mark Thompson, has decided that withdrawing BBC Oxford’s local TV news bulletins would be a retrograde step (Wednesday’s Oxford Mail). I hope BBC Radio Oxford’s distinct programming will also receive backing

THANK you to all those who have sent me used postage stamps in the past. Can I please appeal again for readers to keep sending any used stamps? We collect these for the Oxfordshire Association for the Blind. No matter how few, or how many, they will

I WRITE to you concerning your report in the Oxford Mail (May 25) headlined ‘Barton Pavilion is gone in two days’. I would like to bring to your attention a few facts that have eluded this story, as well as previous ones on this topic. Firstly, may

THE key issue in the pensions debate is the raising of the retirement age. I am nearly 59 and have been teaching for 37 years. Although I have always loved teaching, I now come home exhausted at the end of a working day that is rarely less than 10 hours

NOWADAYS it’s not enough to simply do something. No, nowadays, everyone has to be someone. And you come across this fact every day. Ask anyone what they do, and they’ll nearly always say: “Well, I work for the council at the moment BUT actually

ORGANISERS of a charity moustache growing contest in 1978 were surprised to find three women among the entrants. They were given a quick trim by barber Bill Govier to make sure everyone started as equals. The women – Sue Simmons, Jane Winfield and Rita

LIFE did not start too promisingly for the Viking Sports Club in Oxford. The football team lost its first game 9-1 to Wolvercote in the Oxfordshire Junior League and often had difficulty raising a full side. In the days of National Service, secretary

THIS is the third and final section of the panoramic picture of pupils and staff at Cheney School, Oxford, in 1955. As we recalled (Memory Lane, May 30 and June 13), the school had opened at Headington the previous year, having replaced the

VETERANS, well-wishers, troops and families turned out to pay tribute to servicemen and women at Armed Forces Day events across the county. In Abingdon, MP Nicola Blackwood was among those marking the raising of the Armed Forces Day flag in

FAMILY and friends held a special party to celebrate Marjorie May-Watton reaching her 100th birthday. Mrs May-Watton lives at Heathfield House Nursing Home in Bicester Road, Bletchingdon, and the party was held on her birthday on Friday when she opened

A TOP Tory official found dead at Glastonbury was unfazed by claims he criticised his party, colleagues said last night. Prime Minister David Cameron led tributes yesterday for West Oxfordshire Conservative Association chairman Christopher

TWO people have been killed in separate incidents after walking on to busy main roads in Oxfordshire. Thames Valley Police are investigating both crashes which claimed the lives of a young man and a woman in her 60s. The 20-year-old pedestrian was

WE all know we need to recycle. Most people genuinely want to do what they can to make a difference. That is why councils need to do everything they can to make it easy, simple and cheap for everybody to play their part. Plucking charges out

ARMED Forces Day is rapidly becoming a very important date in the nation’s calendar, and rightly so. When it was launched three years ago, sceptics questioned why it was needed, when we already marked Remembrance Sunday each November.

IN 2008, Ofsted inspectors told St Swithun’s School in Kennington to improve its physical environment to help pupils, and lots of work has taken place to smarten the school up. But one vital block has been beyond help. With the school

PENSIONERS from across Oxford brought together by a woman honoured by the Queen celebrated her achievements with a tea party. Christine Burden, of Meadow Lane, was made an MBE in the Birthday Honours List in recognition of her work setting