The latest weapon against metal thieves has been unveiled in Oxfordshire – the fibreglass manhole cover. Oxfordshire County Council is trying out one of the new covers in the hope it will stand up to the rigours of traffic and provide an alternative
After rising through the ranks to become head of modern languages at a Wantage secondary school, you could be forgiven in thinking Debbie Bowles feels she has fulfilled her potential. But after 31 years at King Alfred’s, which has 1,800 pupils, the 53
FOR the first time householders across Cherwell can now recycle used batteries on their doorstep. Over the next few weeks all homes in the district will get a special battery bag delivered with Cherwell District Council’s magazine Cherwell Link. Batteries
DINERS who ate at the Turl Street Kitchen on Saturday may well have travelled further than the food. Staff prepared a meal using ingredients grown and made within 25 miles of the city centre restaurant. The three course menu included vegetables from
BUS users in Barton, Risinghurst and Headington say services have deteriorated since much a heralded joint ticketing scheme started. Passengers using the No.8 and No.9 services from Barton to Oxford say they can wait up to 40 minutes for a bus when one
AFTER last year’s Oxford Mail/Waterstones Book of the Year winner saw his efforts turned into a Hollywood movie, 2011 winner Sarah Winman has some mighty shoes to fill. But the author said she is delighted to have scooped the accolade for When God Was
TWO financial advisers face swapping accounts for altitude sickness when they take on a charity challenge to climb to the foot of Mount Everest. Robert Briggs, 57 and Gary Bricknell, 45, are to take on the trek for a good causes fund administered by
Can you have a multiple-generational nostalgia experience? If you can, this revival of an award-winning show certainly provides it. First you descend from Waterloo Station’s main concourse, down into the abandoned Eurostar area. A huge clock is set at
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AN unusual pop-up market set up stall for the first time at the weekend – in a nightclub. The Cellar was filled with stalls selling jewellery, prints, graffiti artwork and, bizarrely, Cliff Richard memorabilia. The Saturday market was the first event
GRANDFATHER Frost’s granddaughter had to summon Christmas presents using magic, after he forgot to bring them. That was the traditional Russian Christmas tale performed to about 150 members of Oxford’s Russian community on Sunday. They gathered to celebrate
YOUNGSTERS made Christmas decorations and sang carols as Cogges Manor Farm celebrated its first Christmas since reopening. The Witney tourist attraction opened again in July after being shut for two years when Oxfordshire County Council cut funding.
BUSINESS leaders enlisted the help of youngsters to raise money in memory of a colleague who died last month. The children – and two donkeys – took part in a nativity scene in Abingdon’s Market Place on Saturday to bring some festive cheer to shoppers
Oxfordshire's Dennis Smith goes for world glory at Alexandra Palace on December 21. The 42-year-old, from Hungerford, who has played a major role in Oxfordshire’s rise to the top flight of British darts over the last few years, faces Australian world
Coach Lisa Letchford is making her mark at Wallingford. Letchford, who represented Britain at the Beijing Olympics, has steered the men’s first team to fifth place in Middlesex, Berks, Bucks & Oxon Regional Division 1 of the South League and only a few
BELLS have rung out over Witney for the past 50 years thanks largely to the efforts of one man. Terry Hester, 71, has been ringing the bells at St Mary’s Church in Church Green for weddings, funerals and celebrations since December 1961.
FIREFIGHTERS will next month launch a recruitment drive to enlist more retained crew members. They will be handing out leaflets and chatting to those interested at Thame Town Hall on Saturday, January 7, at Henley Town Hall on Saturday, January 14, and
A ROBBER who hid in wait in an Oxfordshire park before jumping out on people on their way home from nights out has been jailed. Lukasz Wozniak was sentenced at Oxford Crown Court on Friday after admitting two counts of robbery. The 27-year-old was aided
Oxford United's teenage striker Rob Hall has extended his loan spell from West Ham United by another month. The 18-year-old forward has scored six times in 11 starts since arriving for his first loan spell at the Kassam Stadium in September and has agreed
A DOCTOR has been refused permission to bring a High Court challenge over the Attorney General’s refusal to back a new inquest into the death of Dr David Kelly. Dr Kelly’s body was found at Harrowdown Hill, near his home at Southmoor, near
A DRUM teacher has been threatened with court over teaching the instrument to dozens of children from his home. Neighbours have complained that Darren Hasson-Davis has been making too much noise over the past two years teaching the drums from a shed
BB&O Premier BICESTER stayed fourth despite losing 15-13 at Swindon College. Scrum half Tom Cook put Bicester ahead with a penalty, then fly half Steve Risbridger sent supporting centre Dave Hampton over for a try. Swindon centre Scott Buchanan replied
Round-up TWO tries from Mark Wilson helped Abingdon win 31-15 at Wheatley in the BB&O Championship. Lock Vince Barnes crashed over for Abingdon’s opening try, converted by fly half Mark Roberts. James Pollard replied with a try for Wheatley, but
A TEENAGE girl would still be being abused by a former college tutor from Grove if his crimes had not been discovered by police in Germany, an Abingdon detective said last night. Freemason Ian Holden “embarked on a campaign of grooming” – filming himself
South West 1 East WITNEY were pipped 7-5 by Buckingham at Hailey Road after failing to match their visitors’ desire. The hosts suffered an early blow when flanker Marc Copperwheat went off with a hamstring pull on two minutes. Things got worse when
THIS dress may look good enough to wear — but step out into the rain or snow and it would disintegrate. For the third year running, charity shop volunteer and tailor Terrie Reynolds, has created an eye-catching window display at Headington’s Helen and
Midlands 2 West South BANBURY Bulls ended the year on a high note with their first away win of the season – a 21-10 victory at Silhillians. Bulls had to defend well early on, but led 6-0 courtesy of two penalties from fly half Mike Smith. Silhillians
Southern Counties North HARRY Carr ran in six tries as Grove hammered basement boys Marlborough 81-6. Wing Carr dominated Gro-ve’s 13-try haul, but the game began with Marlborough slotting two penalties. From there, the floodgates opened, with centre
Oxfordshire's Dennis Smith goes for glory in the Ladbrokes.com World Championship at Alexandra Palace tomorrow night. The 42-year-old, from Hung-erford, who has played a major role in Oxfordshire’s rise to the top flight of British darts in recent years
Mahler's epic second symphony, the 'Resurrection', is enough to challenge any orchestra with the huge demands it makes on the players, not just technically but emotionally and physically as well. Ye t, at Saturday night's concert - held in aid of the
KIDNEY dialysis patients from north Oxfordshire have been promised they will no longer have to trek to Oxford for treatment from April. Hospital bosses yesterday confirmed they plan to install five dialysis machines in a new £100,000 unit at Banbury’
THIS fundraising effort was anything but child’s play. A group of 12 adults raised more than £5,000 for Oxford Children’s Hospital by riding 22 miles from Didcot to the John Radcliffe Hospital on children’s bikes. They wanted to raise cash after doctors
National 3 South West CHINNOR hope to challenge the result of Saturday’s abandoned match at promotion rivals Redingensians, writes ED MEZZETTI. The visitors were leading 17-5 on 58 minutes when South African wing Ken Prinsloo suffered a broken left
National 3 South West Oxford Harlequins edged out of the relegation zone after a hard-fought 15-10 victory at basement boys Newbury Blues. Quins took the lead with a penalty from fly half Tom Jelley and created enough chances to wrap up the game at
WHAT a sensible decision by the city council to keep the Oxford stadium and halt housing plans (Oxford Mail, December 14). They are right that it should be kept for leisure use and to call for the current owners to allow speedway back. Oxford Speedway
YOU report (Oxford Mail, November 24) that Ed Turner, a leading Labour city councillor, welcomed a report by Policy Exchange, dubbed David Cameron’s favourite thinktank, which recommends that developers should be given greater freedom to build on Green
I AM astonished to read that Jane Darke (Oxford Mail, December 8) complains that the Liberal Democrats are trying to discredit her over the decision not to build on the Headington car park. At the time, as everyone was very concerned that this important
THANK you for your article on mental health in Oxfordshire (Oxford Mail, December 13). I think anything that helps to normalise and reduce stigma around mental health issues is great. I did, however, think it was a real shame that you did not include
WELL done, Eynsham. A big thank you to all those people who made the effort to come out and support the march to raise money for a bell at the repatriation memorial garden in Carterton (Oxford Mail, December 12). Your support and generosity is much
WHAT a mad world. People are dying while waiting for organ transplants. People die who are not donors and organs go to waste. Let’s do it the other way round: have a card if you don’t want to donate. It would save the NHS money and save thousands
The UK banks should be forced to add transaction times to statements as well as the dates. They juggle our money for their own benefit. I recently transferred £700 from my savings account into my current account so I could pay a bill
In addition to participating in a comprehensive head-to-head league fixture programme, many of the teams competing in the Oxfordshire Quiz League periodically assemble, in several locations, to challenge for silverware in a variety of themed ‘Tabletops
EACH Christmas, I always find myself looking back over the events of the past year and wondering what the next 12 months will bring. Certainly I think about the people who are no longer with us, but this year I have been thinking specifically about
National 2 South HENLEY Hawks slipped to fifth in the table after a 17-7 home defeat to Old Albanians and lost hooker Ed Church to a serious neck injury in the second half. Hawks took the lead on 13 minutes when wing Christoph Bart streaked away to
Chris Wilder says that he has never lost faith in Deane Smalley, despite the forward struggling for goals this season. Smalley’s successful strike on Saturday was his first in the league since his move to Oxford United in the summer, and his
The A40 was closed in both directions at Eynsham last night following a crash involving three cars and two motorbikes. Three people were taken to the John Radcliffe Hospital with serious but non-life threatening injuries, the ambulance service said.
HOPES of a white Christmas are melting away – with bookmakers now pondering whether we will have the hottest December 25 instead. Bookies have slashed the odds of the mercury hitting more than 15.6 degC on Christmas Day from 25/1 to 12/1. Meanwhile
YOUNGSTERS have been using their entrepreneurial skills to raise money for their classrooms. All 11 classes at Sandhills Primary School in Terrett Avenue, Oxford, were given £10 to invest in business ideas, with profits going back to the school. Foundation
Plans to allow horse-drawn carriages to carry tourists through the city centre have been turned down. Oxford City Council rejected the plan at a full council meeting last night. Councillors had concerns about the horses’ health in the summer, congestion
CAMPAIGNERS who want to save Temple Cowley have presented a new petition to Oxford City councillors asking them to reconsider the decision to close it. In July the council agreed to shut Temple Cowley Pools and Blackbird Leys Swimming Pool to build a
A LEGAL covenant preventing development on land at Horspath may scupper Oxford City Council plans to use it as the city’s new cemetery. Land in the Green Belt north of Oxford Road is being eyed up to solve the city’s burial crisis because existing cemeteries
A BENEFIT fraudster who falsely claimed £45,000 in handouts has been spared prison because she will pay the money back, by 2020. Debra Cook was sentenced at Oxford Crown Court yesterday after earlier admitting making a false statement for benefit
THOUSANDS of victims of crime and witnesses will have to pay more to call police on their new 101 number, an Oxford Mail investigation has revealed. Thames Valley Police, along with seven other forces, introduced the new 101 number last month
COMMUTERS will face a price hike of almost six per cent, it has been confirmed this morning. The Association of Train Companies confirmed the figure, which comes into effect from January 2. Oxford commuters travelling into London will see a rise of
CHILDREN from an Oxfordshire school got a taste of the East with a visit from their Chinese penpals. Pupils at St Peter’s Primary School, in Wootton, near Abingdon, have been corresponding with children at Yuying Primary School in the city of Changsha
LURKING behind Badvent door 20 is Ellington Mafereka who is wanted for questioning over a sexual assault in Oxford. Every day in the run-up to Christmas the Oxford Mail is joining forces with Thames Valley Police to publish a mugshot of Oxfordshire
THE case of Ian Holden is shocking. Yet we can be reassured that one slip by this horrific paedophile was enough for police in two different countries to stop his abuse.
THERE seems a worrying lack of recognition by the Home Office and police about the dangers of alienating the public with the new 101 phone number. It has been introduced as a standard number across the country and much of the theory behind
A RESIDENTS’ association has been formed to present a united front ahead of the return of controversial plans for parking permits in East Oxford. The new Magdalen Road Traders’ and Residents’ Association hopes to reach a consensus on the bid for residents
