THE A34 will remain closed until midnight after a lorry spilt 300 litres of diesel across the road earlier today. The fuel spill caused the closure of the A34 Southbound between the Milton Interchange and A4185 and delays of up to two hours
Householders face getting their post later under changes being introduced by cash-strapped Royal Mail. The OX15, OX16 and OX17 – which covers Banbury and the surrounding villages – are being affected from this week. Royal Mail said workers will deliver
THE headteacher of an Oxfordshire primary school in special measures has welcomed a report showing improvements at the school. Joan Morters, headteacher at Wheatley Primary School, believes the school could now come out of special measures
11.03: Greencroft Tomy 2, Be My Light, Loughlea Ripple, Washyourmouthout 3, SELKIRK GULL, Wee Bolt. 11.19: BOHERASH SUZIE, Angel Risky 2, Kilkeedy Maldini 3, Jumeirah Panther, Munster Call, Hillcross Spell. 11.34: Lights On 3, Swift Primrose, You Know
SARAH MAYHEW discovers there’s now much more than meets the eye behind the austere facade of Oxford Town Hall. The times they are a changin’. You can be forgiven for considering town halls to be grey, civic institutions dreamt up by grey
Paul Daniels and Debbie McGee are one of the most famous double acts in the country. And not only are they still working the magic but they have defied all their critics by remaining happily married for 30 years. Katherine MacAlister finds out what their
SAFE HOUSE (15). Action/Thriller/Romance. Ryan Reynolds, Denzel Washington, Brendan Gleeson, Vera Farmiga, Sam Shepard, Robert Patrick, Fares Fares, Nora Arnezeder. Director: Daniel Espinosa. Be careful who you trust.
Despite feeling distinctly unromantic KATHERINE MACALISTER couldn’t help falling in love (or possibly lust) with the Italian Valentine’s menu at Carluccio’s in Bicester. My love is like a wed wed wose. I know I should be taking Valentine’s
Plans to extend late-night drinking at a bar in Park End Street, Oxford, have met opposition. Thirst Bar wants to extend its opening hours from 2am to 2.30am from Sundays to Wednesdays. The bar is currently open until 3am Thursdays to Saturdays. City
Enigmatic Canadian singer-songwriter Cold Specks opens up to TIM HUGHES about her music, her breakthrough appearance on British TV and her move to London. FOR a spellbinding singer so willing to open her heart, Cold Specks is surprisingly
TIM HUGHES delves behind the ghoulish name to discover the real Band of Skulls. THE gruesome name suggests old-school metal, but Band of Skulls have their roots in something far more literary – the works of the Bard of Avon. “The name
RESIDENTS and traders in Botley will find out more about the much anticipated redevelopment of their 1960s shopping centre next week. Vale of White Horse District Council staff will be explaining the progress of plans to redevelop the Westway
A LORRY carrying 350 litres of diesel has shed its load, causing the closure of the A34 Southbound between the Milton Interchange and A4185. It is thought that 50 litres of fuel spilt on the carriageway at about 2.20pm today. The Highways Agency said
AEA Technology 0.31 BMW 5993 Electrocomponents 243.7 Nationwide Accident Repair 64 Oxford Biomedica 2.95 Oxford Catalysts 56 Oxford Instruments 1173 Reed Elsevier 552.25 RM 82.5 RPS Group 229.25 Courtesy of Redmayne Bentley, Abingdon
A COUPLE who have been married for the entire reign of Queen Elizabeth II celebrate their 60th wedding anniversary today. Irene and Ernie Eldridge, 84 and 87, married at Fulbrook Church in 1952 and mark the milestone in the village with a family meal
Do you want to have a more successful business, with a sure footing and controllable growth? Most business owners do, but they also want — and deserve — more time to enjoy the rewards of their labour and more time with their families. Can you have both
AN Abingdon primary school was alive with different languages as children took part in Mother Language Day. All the pupils at St Edmund’s School, in Radley Road, took the day off from their normal classes and were instead given a different
NEW measures to stop ageing taxis adding to pollution levels in Oxford will form part of a new clean air initiative. A move to rid the city of “dirty taxis” has been agreed by Oxford City Council and Oxfordshire County Council, in a package that will
A FORMER piano tuner and repairman who became the youngest leader of Witney Urban District Council has died following a long illness. Ken Cook, 83, right, spent his entire life living in Witney and ran music shop Kempster Pianos Ltd in High Street for
CATHERINE Barrington-Ward, who has died from acute myeloid leukaemia at the age of 70, was the last principal of Beechlawn Tutorial College in Park Town, Oxford. When the college was absorbed by D’Overbroeck’s in 1989, she became a director
“Devoted” family man and former Oxford car worker John McCarthy has died at the age of 90. Mr McCarthy, right, was born on July 24, 1921 in County Cork, Ireland. He was the youngest of five children and first came to Oxford in 1947 to
THE first Class 180 Adelante express train to be modified ahead of its return to service with First Great Western between London, Oxford and the Cotswold Line has arrived at FGW’s depot in London. The 125mph train, which has been given mechanical and
AN OXFORD law firm is leading the charge to raise £15m for Queen and charity. Solicitors Withy King became the first business to rise to the Jubilee challenge this week when they donated £600 – £10 for each year of the Queen’s reign – to Oxfordshire
A KITCHEN porter has lost his claim that he was unfairly dismissed by a Oxford prep school and discriminated against for being Albanian. Gazmir Dema, pictured, told an employment tribunal he was called a gypsy and a terrorist when he worked in the kitchen
A WELL-known Bicester photography studio has been given some celebrity sparkle. Malcolm Clarke has taken over the decades-old photography studio in Sheep Street, but his life has not always been weddings and family portraits. Working
THE driver who successfully challenged a Cherwell District Council parking fine has welcomed news the authority is repaying more than £11,000. The council has been ordered to repay fines it dished out to blue badge holders and drivers who
PLANS to extend a Bloxham traveller site has raised concerns about pressure on schools and the countryside. Scrap metal firm Smiths of Bloxham has applied to add 16 extra pitches to the 20-pitch site, between its site and the caravan park. The plans
MICHAEL and Linda Kelly feared that being in their 50s would make them too old to become foster parents. But five years and six children later they are still offering a safe home to vulnerable youngsters. And now they want other people
Residents’ photographic memories of previous Jubilee celebrations are being sought for a souvenir programme. Banbury Town Council wants pictures from celebrations for The Queen’s 1947 wedding, 1953 Coronation and 1977 Silver and 2002 Golden Jubilees.
TARGET TIRPITZ by Patrick Bishop (Harper Press, £20)‘Where is Tirpitz?” thundered Churchill in a challenging missive to his First Sea Lord. The answer lay deep in the Norwegian fjords where the battleship lay like a “beast” — a threat to convoys even
Fed up with your children’s demands for the latest electronic gadgets? Why not give them a stick instead, suggest Oxfordshire authors Fiona Danks and Jo Schofield. The two environmentalists from Watlington have photographed and described 70
Nigel Wild, a business consultant and freelance writer for The Oxford Times magazine In Business, has written his first novel — a thriller set in Second World War France. Nightwalk (£8.99) tells the story of French secret agent Guy Duplessis
“PRICELESS” collectable motorcycles have been stolen near Bicester. They were taken between 5pm on Saturday and 8am on Monday. Thieves broke into a property close to Middle Aston and stole three vintage motorbikes, a red 1950 Royal Enfield
AN INQUEST into the death of a motorcyclist near RAF Benson has yet to be opened. The 52-year-old man from Wokingham, in Berkshire, was killed after his bike collided with a car on the A4074 at about 10.20am on Sunday.
STAFF at three county branches of discount clothing retailer Peacocks are breathing a sigh of relief after their jobs were saved from the axe. The stores in Cowley, Headington and Didcot which employ 28 staff, were among 388 rescued from administration
A SCHOOL which provides an education for autistic boys has been rated “outstanding” by Ofsted for helping its pupils overcome and understand their difficulties. Residential school Swalcliffe Park, near Bloxham, has 45 pupils and includes a sixth-form
CEREBRAL palsy sufferer Ronnie Jacob is walking tall after kindhearted Oxfordshire people helped transform his life. Neighbours raised £45,000 for the five-year-old to have a pioneering operation in the US in May last year to improve his mobility
MATT Lock led the way for Oxfordshire in the South East Regional Sportshall Athletics final at Burgess Hill. Lock collected three gold medals in the under 13 boys’ age group, triumphing in the speedbounce, six-lap race and eight-lap paarlauf
OXFORDSHIRE’S Gus Jones captained England Under 18s to an 18-16 victory over France at Fylde. The London Wasps Academy player and former Oxford Harlequins junior started at openside flanker. Also achieving England honours for a second season is Cokethorpe
TRIES from centre David Massey, Ted Soppet and Harry Carr helped Oxfordshire beat Buckinghamshire 20-7 in their RFU National Under 20 Championship opener at Aylesbury. Fly half Will Millett kicked a penalty and a conversion in the South West Region A
What an uplifting story of young courage and community support. Five-year-old cerebral palsy sufferer Ronnie Jacob of Bodicote is walking tall after neighbours and friends raised £45,000 for a pioneering operation in the US last year.
The Insider was pleased to hear that David Buckle, the chief executive of South Oxfordshire and Vale of White Horse district councils, will be taking the weight off his feet soon. Running two authorities must take its toll and he has had some big issues
I WOULD just like to thank Oxford City Council’s Street Scene team, who worked tirelessly to declutter and cut back all the brambles and weeds at Bradlands. The team of Jan Dight, Eddie Ballard and Matt Dolezal worked non-stop and went that extra mile
A POPULAR before- and after-school club has been saved from the axe after finding a new home. The Dashwood Out of School Care Club reopened last week in The Dupuis Centre at St John The Evangelist Church in Dashwood Road. Managers feared the 13-year-old
NATURE reserve managers near Watlington have asked their staff to stay vigilant after five of their sheep were butchered by thieves. The Beulah Speckled Face sheep were killed at Aston Rowant Nature Reserve at the weekend, and yesterday owners Natural
A SERIES of town green applications could threaten plans for hundreds of homes next to Oxford ring road. Campaigners are looking at co-ordinating their efforts in Northway, Old Headington and Barton, targeting land on both sides of Oxford ring road.
ABINGDON: Police used the force helicopter to search for missing woman Joanna Lake yesterday as they became increasingly concerned for her welfare. Ms Lake, 58, was last seen by a friend at her home in Pudsey Close, Abingdon at about 3.15pm on Monday
OXFORD: The number of countries in which the Mini is on sale has passed the 100 mark. The full range will go on sale in Jordan with a branch in the capital, Amman. The move follows a new sales record being achieved in the Middle East by the Mini and
A MUM-of-three from Botley was told yesterday she will be extradited to the United States, accused of kidnapping her own children. The High Court ruled that Eileen Clark would face charges of “international parental kidnapping” in the US after the former
OXFORD’S biggest ever rugby league match takes place at Iffley Road tomorrow night, that’s according to the city’s two student teams. Oxford University host their Brookes rivals, with the game kicking off at 6.30pm. Brookes spokesman Joel Holmes said
AFTER a great deal of wangling (as the matinee had been block-booked) we managed to get tickets for the Witney Am Dram panto, Babes In The Wood, staged at Cokethorpe School. Apart from the woefully inadequate toilet facilities, can I just thank Grace
A MENTAL health service’s move to a new home means it should be able to double the number of people it helps. Restore, which supports people with mental health problems, was once housed in a small, leaky-roofed shop in Orchard Way, Banbury. But now
A SPANISH national who lived in Oxford is appealing against being extradited to his homeland accused of being a terrorist. Eneko Gogeaskoetxea Arronategui was told by Deputy Senior District Judge Daphne Wickham at Westminster Magistrates’ Court that
WHEN an inexperienced England face favourites Wales at Twickenham on Saturday, it will bring back fond memories for Jim Parsons. Parsons, who lives in Wootton, near Woodstock, was one of eight debutants as England hosted a star-studded Wales on January
NIGEL Marley, from Bicester, finished second in the Cotswold Marathon at Temple Guiting. Running for his first-claim club Coventry Godiva Harriers, Marley clocked 2hrs 53mins 18secs, just 46 seconds behind winner John McFarlane (Thames Hare & Hounds)
I did find Mr White (of the Oxford Humanists) very amusing, with his brand of vox pop philosophy (Monday’s Oxford Mail ViewPoints). I once worked for a man whose stock riposte to anyone who dissented from his opinion was “90 per cent of people and all
WE HAVE a national electricity grid. In view of the water shortage in parts of the country would not a national water grid be a good idea and why not finance it with all the money that it is planned to invest in the high-speed rail link?
FOR any couple longing to be parents, the grief of losing a child can be near impossible to overcome. But having to go through the birth of your first child, knowing he has already died, will be a tragedy that stays with Emma Bond for the rest of her
Centre Oscar Vallance ran in a hat-trick of tries as Oxford University bounced back to winning ways with an emphatic 41-19 victory over Crawshay’s Welsh XV at Iffley Road last night. Vallance opened the scoring, going over following a good handling move
THE glamorous Richard Dawkins appears to relish his infamy as the spokesman for atheism. On BBC1’s The Big Questions he accused Christians of believing without evidence in God. “How can we justify something that does not exist?” he asked. Dawkins
THE glamorous Richard Dawkins appears to relish his infamy as the spokesman for atheism. On BBC1’s The Big Questions he accused Christians of believing without evidence in God. “How can we justify something that does not exist?” he asked. Dawkins
THE BEST EXOTIC MARIGOLD HOTEL (12A). Comedy/Drama/Romance. Dame Judi Dench, Dame Maggie Smith, Tom Wilkinson, Bill Nighy, Penelope Wilton, Celia Imrie, Ronald Pickup, Dev Patel, Lillete Dubey, Tena Desae. Director: John Madden.
HEADINGTON residents can be forgiven for having a sense of deja vu. Anyone walking down London Road this week would have been surprised to see a shark appear on the roof of a local fish and chip shop – a third of a mile from the famous shark house in
THE grieving family of a young mum last night begged all women to go for regular cervical cancer screenings after she died just weeks before her son’s second birthday. Becky Jarvis died a week ago after being diagnosed with the disease at her first
ELYSIA Ridley was delighted with her fifth-placed finish in the Welsh National Cross Country Championship at St Fagans, near Cardiff. The 25-year-old Witney Road Runner clocked 30mins 3secs for the 7,250m course and helped her first-claim club
I KNOW I have a problem with authority. It’s just a switch inside me that flicks when I’m told what I can and can’t do. My boss will tell you. Why do you think I’m still presenting so early in the morning? It doesn’t have to be anything
WHAT I’M CALLED: Liz Leffman. AGE: 62. WHAT I DO: For the past 20 years, I have run my own business, Clothesource. As well as this, I am a trustee of my local Citizens’ Advice Bureau (West Oxfordshire), where I am responsible for social policy.
Reports that we as a county are once again heading for water shortages (Tuesday’s Oxford Mail) beggar belief. Questions need to be urgently answered. Why are our rivers and tributaries still clogged with silt, weeds, rubbish and fallen trees? Why are
Every European country should be doing more to help the people of Greece (Monday’s Oxford Mail). Huge cuts in jobs, wages and pensions are tearing Greek society apart. The medicine offered by the European Union is likely to kill the patient, not bring
OXFORD: Thames Water hopes to fix a small leak in Frideswide Square, outside the Saïd Business School, this week. The company is in talks with Oxfordshire County Council about when to start the work, which will take place overnight.
JOE Winpenny says he is a calmer and better player after a year as Chinnor captain. The 29-year-old prop took over last February when lock Matt Hutchings suffered a neck injury. Since then, Chinnor have lost only twice – and have won every game this
CHINNOR head coach Jason Bowers says it will take a massive effort to end their 100 per cent record. Saturday’s 35-3 victory over Exmouth was Chinnor’s 18th win in 18 league matches as they vie with Bournemouth for the National 3 South West title. And
A new music promoter has taken over running the Banbury Blues, Roots, and Acoustic Music Festival on Saturday, March 3, at The Mill Arts Centre, Banbury. Colin ‘Crazy Cactus’ Wills has retired after 24 events, and Tim Porter, who runs music shows in
Prime Minister David Cameron has chosen the hard hat as the outstanding product manufactured in his constituency in West Oxfordshire. The Associated Parliamentary Manufactur-ing Group, which promotes manufacturing industry in the UK, asked
THIS is the man who walked into a shop in Cholsey and stole a poppy tin just days before Remembrance Sunday. Richard Richmond, 32, is starting a five-month jail sentence after he stole up to £50 of donations from the Tesco Express store CCTV
DETECTIVES yesterday retraced the steps of a 17-year-old sexual assault victim in the hope that passing motorists may help them catch the attacker. The teenager was grabbed from behind by a stranger and sexually assaulted in Sandy Lane West
Chris Wilder is confident the flourishing partnership between James Constable and Scott Rendell can play a big role in the final few months of Oxford United’s season. The strikers both scored in Tuesday’s 2-1 victory over Barnet and look
PLANS that villagers fear will turn Adderbury into a town must be refused on Thursday, February 23, a council officer has said. Cherwell District Council planning officer Caroline Roche said the proposal for 65 homes and a sports pitch on farmland
ABINGDON will now be called Abingdon-on-Thames after councillors voted to bring back the name in a bid to attract more visitors to the town. Vale of White Horse District Council approved the plans last night after Abingdon Town Council called for the
Cyclists have been voicing concerns over the proposed redesign of Frideswide Square, Oxford. Their worries focus on the lack of cycle lanes in the two options on the table, both of which include three small roundabouts and a one-way system. The county
Cancer takes no prisoners. Regardless of wealth, sex, age, health, lifestyle. It doesn’t discriminate. It just kills. Which is why today’s story about Becky Jarvis, the 27-year-old Witney mother who died of cervical cancer before her son’s second birthday
We share Witney Town Council’s concern over the small number of people who have filled in a questionnaire about the future of the Corn Exchange. The Grade II-listed building in Market Square is the heart of Witney and has the potential to become a real
The naming of Marks & Spencer in a report on the planned second phase of the Orchard shopping centre in Didcot, shows the growing status of the town as both a place to live and to shop. Traders in neighbouring towns are understandably a little nervous
To his neighbours in Oxford, Eneko Gogeaskoetxea Arronategui was simply a devoted father. Some recall the Spaniard readily volunteering to help out at the local primary school, even lending a hand at the school disco. Donning a tuxedo for
A 1961 Ferrari 250GTE 2+2 ‘Series 1’ Coupé that belonged to the famous Italian film producer Agostino De Laurentiis will be one of the highlights of the Collectors’ Motor Cars and Automobilia sale, taking place at Bonhams Oxford, at Shipton-on-Cherwell
Sir – I was sorry to read Elizabeth Seager’s letter (February 16) about the standard of hospital food. I was in the John Radcliffe and the Churchill roughly a decade ago and patients regularly asked each other whether their visitors had brought in the
Sir – In the Middle Ages, the citizens of Oxford objected very strongly to their markets being controlled by the University and not by their own elected officials. We are now moving into a situation in which spaces where we live and shop daily come
Sir – We should all be worried by the profound concerns of the majority of the health and social care professions about the consequences of this Bill even after numerous amendments, delays and backtrackings, should it ever reach the statute book. Nobody
Sir – Just a few words on Nick Utechin’s review of The King and I (February 16), in which he said there are only three hit songs in that show. Yet, in addition to his three, there are also Hello Young Lovers, We Kiss in the Shadows and I Have Dreamed.
Sir – This month there was a debate in the House of Commons on cycle safety, in response to the recent campaign by The Times to make cities fit for cycling. With all the discussion nationally, it is almost incredible that the county council’s latest designs
Sir – Further to your article (Villagers marched in protest at plans for 1,000 homes, January 26), we would, as promoters of the Carterton East option, request that you publish this letter to clarify the situation. There is no question of threatening
Sir – I am aware of the issues between some cyclists and some motorists in Oxfordshire. There is also the problem of pedestrians. On many occasions, while waiting for a bus in High Street, I have seen pedestrians cheerfully walk off the pavement
Sir – Terry Stock (Letters, February 16) advertises the New Oxford School Trust proposal to set up a non-selective state secondary school at the Harwell Campus. He and the project website mention a variety of possible links with businesses in the area
Sir – We are writing to congratulate the city council on the introduction of the Houses of Multiple Occupation mandatory registration. This scheme will undoubtedly benefit our wards considerably. Not only will registration benefit the tenants of HMOs
Sir – Given that faiths and religions lie behind so much division in the world, it is very good that there is an Interfaith Network in the UK aiming to make the UK a place marked by mutual understanding and respect between different faiths, except that
Sir – We are strongly opposed to the Environment Agency’s decision to replace Northmoor Weir. Replacement is proposed on health and safety grounds — that manually lifting the weir paddles involves using excessive force. Ergonomic assessments are used
A CLUBBER was hit with a bottle and then kicked on the floor, and a woman was punched after throwing a drink in a man’s face. These are some of the violent incidents which has led police to take action against Banbury’s Chapel nightclub. They are
Sir – Thank you for printing the news of our plight over traffic in Crawley (Report, February 16). The situation is, as you state, quite unacceptable and as seen from your article, to have no democratic way of being represented either by West Oxfordshire
Sir – New cycle bridges across the Thames would be welcome, as is councillor Cook’s idea (Report, February 9) to use part of a new Community Infrastructure Levy (CIL) to build them. So is councillor Hoddinott’s suggestion to have a Vale of White Horse
Sir – As a Barton resident, I find it quite extraordinary that the chairman of Oxford Civic Society should claim (Letters, February 2) that trees at Barton play no role in screening us from light and noise pollution along the A40. Where does he live?
If you want to shake off winter blues, A Capella Spring Fest at Didcot’s Cornerstone could be the answer. This one-day workshop on March 11 offers chorus sessions and technique classes for singers of all ages and abilities in a supportive environment
It is entirely possible you have never heard of the photographer Sisi Burn — until you look at the small-print credit below many famous published images of musical artists that have appeared over the last 20-odd years in our major newspapers and magazines
‘I provide the glamour, and she does the magic,” Paul Daniels chuckles when I ask about his show, and Debbie laughs along. Boom boom. The duo’s show Hair Today Gone Tomorrow is on the road again and along with all the amazing magic, tricks and
BT’s new Oxford phone book has made mistakes for half the county's MPs. Boris Johnson is listed as MP for Henley, despite stepping down four years ago and moving on to become Mayor or London. John Howell is now MP for the constituency
Firefighters are still tackling a blaze that started more than 24 hours ago at Prospect Farm, Chilton. Fifteen firefighters were called to the blaze, involving 500 tonnes of timber, at 5.50am yesterday. The fire service expects to be at the
QUESTIONS have been raised about the future of a major town centre redevelopment after another Banbury retail park plan was announced. A council boss behind the Bolton Road shops plan said it would be affected by permission for a retail park by the
Through the new Localism Act, most of which comes into force in April, local groups in neighbourhoods and parishes will be able to create Neighbourhood Plans. These could help residents influence the way in which their green spaces are integrated with
AN OXFORD law firm is leading the way in attempts to raise £15m for charity. Solicitors Withy King became the first business to rise to the ‘Jubilee challenge’ this week when they donated £10 for each year of the Queen’s 60-year reign to the Jubilee
The 85th Academy Awards will be presented on Sunday evening. Much has changed since William Wellman's Wings was deemed the Best Picture of 1927 at a small dinner party in Hollywood. Yet the statuette nicknamed Oscar after librarian Margaret Herrick's
Despite having produced the world's first feature, Charles Tait's The Story of the Kelly Gang (1906), Australia didn't really have a film industry at the time the canine charmer Red Dog is set. Local directors like Raymond Longford, Charles Chauvel and
Neighbours opposing an eco-friendly Oxford University energy centre include a professor who specialises in green energy. The single-storey building would heat student flats at Summertown House in Banbury Road, as part of a proposed major revamp. But
WEST Oxfordshire District Council is to freeze its share of council tax and councillors’ allowances, and maintain free parking, in its budget for the next financial year. The council also agreed to reduce a proposed 10 per cent cut to grants
One of the oldest parts of Oxford’s railway history is set to be the centrepiece of a landscaped area alongside a bridge forming part of a new rail link to London. The Oxford Preservation Trust has already raised £400,000 to restore the old Buckinghamshire
Assisting residents to build strong and stable communities across Oxfordshire is the aim of the ‘One Community’ projects run by Oxford Citizens Housing Association (OCHA), part of the GreenSquare housing group. One Community asks residents what would
NEIGHBOURS opposing an eco-friendly Oxford University energy centre include a professor who specialises in green energy. The single-storey building would heat student flats at Summertown House in Banbury Road, as part of a proposed major revamp. But
