THE co-operative behind plans to operate a train service between Wiltshire and Birmingham, via Oxford and Banbury, has changed the abbreviated form of its name after being threatened with legal action by insurance price comparison website Go Compare.
TEMPLE Cowley Pools will still be knocked down even if a High Court challenge to the plan succeeds, a council boss has said. Campaigners fighting to save the Temple Road baths are waiting for a judge to decide if their bid for a judicial review should
A £1m refurbishment has been completed at an Oxford cinema, reviving memories of its 1930s heyday. The Odeon in Magdalen Street dates back to 1924 and the silent movie era and in 1931 was renamed the Oxford Super Cinema. Now, a £1m revamp has been
BANBURY’S Sea Cadets could have to leave their new home unless commuters take up an offer to buy parking spaces. The TS Harvester unit has been able to meet more regularly to cope with rising demand since moving into the Lower Cherwell Street unit in
THE recent snow was welcomed by two runners who are heading to Siberia next week to compete in one of the world’s toughest marathons. Engineer Philip Blazdell and personal trainer Trevor Rackley will be running across the frozen surface of Lake Baikal
THE organiser of a charity bake off inspired by hit BBC2 show The Great British Bake Off has been overwhelmed by entries. After more than 100 people swamped Kate Kellaway-Moore’s email account requesting details on how to take part in the Oxford
TRADERS in Wallingford and Wantage say the towns’ independent image can compete with major names planned at Didcot’s Orchard shopping centre. A report preparing for the £125m second phase of the shopping centre has just been submitted to South Oxfordshire
PLANS for a second out-of-town retail park in Banbury have cast doubt over a town centre redevelopment project. The man behind the town centre’s Bolton Road shops plan said it would be affected by permission for a “Gateway” retail park by the M40.
It's hard to believe that a decade has passed since the students at Oxford Brookes University launched the Human Rights Film Festival. The world has changed considerably in the interim, but human rights issues remain in every nation and this laudable
Darren Turner will race the new Banbury-prepared Aston Martin Vantage GTE in the FIA World Endurance Championship this year, alongside Stefan Mucke and Adrian Fernandez. The new championship will take the Aston Martin Racing team from Sebring
AEA Technology 0.3 BMW 5956 Electrocomponents 244.75 Nationwide Accident Repair 64 Oxford Biomedica 3 Oxford Catalysts 56 Oxford Instruments 1166 Reed Elsevier 557.25 RM 82.4 RPS Group 231 Courtesy of Redmayne Bentley
Where on earth could you go to really test a vehicle to the limit? The North Pole? The South Pole. How about both? For the Toyota Hilux pick-up has the distinction of being the first vehicle to be driven to both the magnetic North and South
A community wood of 1,500 trees has been officially opened in Woodstock. The project was part of the town’s 900th anniversary celebrations. Volunteers, including Scout groups and school pupils, helped with the planting, on land donated by Blenheim Palace
Bicester is being offered a second new hospital after a private firm launched a consultation on proposals rivalling an NHS scheme. Specialist medical developer Arkanum said it could invest up to £30m in a hospital at the new Kingsmere housing estate.
CAMPAIGNERS hoping to build a major cycling complex have promised residents will be fully consulted. Proposals to build a new £500,000 facility at the Oxford Brookes Harcourt Hill campus in North Hinksey were unveiled this week. But organisers have
THE people of Headington are finally getting their corner shop back after months of waiting. Londis will be reopening in London Road tomorrow ,almost a year to the day after it closed, leaving a gap in Headington’s shopping centre. It
A NEW art gallery is set to open its doors in Woodstock with a private view to showcase established and up and coming Oxfordshire artists. The Junction Art Gallery in Oxford Street will launch with a private view of hand-crafted ceramics, painting, glass
RELIGIOUS education has never been more under threat, the Bishop of Oxford has warned. The Rt Rev John Pritchard, who chairs the National Society of Church Schools, spoke to the Oxford Mail before taking part in the Westminster Faith Debates in London
A 1950s-themed street party will take place in the centre of Banbury to celebrate the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee. A thousand children will be given ‘ration tokens’ to get a plate of 1950s-style food for the party in Market Square. Jam, jelly and hopscotch
MP NICOLA Blackwood has waded into the row over £2.5m plans to replace a historic Thames weir. The Oxford West and Abingdon MP wants a rethink on the project to replace Northmoor Weir, near Eaton. The structure is one of the last hand-operated paddle
Abingdon Town give late tests to Corey Forbes and Lance Williams for their Uhlsport Hellenic League Premier Division trip to Fairford tomorrow. Clanfield miss Jamie Stalker (unavailable), Dan Bishop (injured) and Kieran Jennings (work) for the trip to
WHEATLEY: Two drivers escaped injury when a chipper machine broke free from a van and hit their cars on the M40 yesterday. The machine was being towed by a van when it came loose at the junction with the A418 just before 8am. Two of the three motorway
A WOMAN has been warned she may be jailed over the condition of five dogs belonging to her and her son. Police raided Nora and Sonny Mannion’s home in Denmark Street, East Oxford, after her bull terrier Yao attacked another in the street.
Didcot Town manager Dave Mudge says he will not put up with a repeat of the display in their 2-0 midweek defeat against Halesowen when they travel to Poole in Division 1 South & West tomorrow. Mudge was hoping his side would build on Saturday’s 1-0 win
MACCLESFIELD Town arrive in Oxford tomorrow as the unwanted holders of the worst form in the top seven tiers of English football. A 3-2 defeat at Northampton Town on Tuesday night extended their torrid run to eight successive league defeats. Only Stourport
CHILTON: Fire crews were expected to still be at the scene this morning of a major timber fire at Prospect Farm. Crews were called to the fire, involving 500 tonnes of timber, at 5.50am on Wednesday. No cause has yet been established.
OXFORD: City council officers are investigating whether the shark put on top of Posh Fish, in London Road, is legal or not. The three metre-long fish was put up last weekend and has since been causing a stir in Headington – already home to the famous
BT’s phone book has often been accused of being behind the times in the Internet age – and its new Oxford edition proves that. The 2012/13 edition has mistakes in its listings for three of the county’s six MPs – while also including an entry for the
Caring for a pet is a privilege, not a right. It requires responsibility, empathy, commitment and love. So it is always shocking to learn of owners who have shamelessly neglected and perverted this bond. Throughout the ages, people
Faringdon's Ben Egginton won a silver medal in the boys’ singles at the Hampshire Under 17 Bronze tournament. He missed out in the final after previously winning 21-16 over Headington’s Sam Stroudley, who took bronze. Benson’s Kezia Lawson teamed up
SATURDAY FOOTBALL NPOWER LEAGUE TWO Oxford Utd v Macclesfield. EVO-STIK SOUTHERN LEAGUE Premier Div: Banbury Utd v Chippenham Tn, Oxford City v Arlesey Tn. Div 1 South & West: Bishops Cleeve v Abingdon Utd
OXON: A motorcyclist killed in an accident near RAF Benson on Sunday has been named in his home town as John Maher. The 52-year-old from Emmbrook in Wokingham, Berkshire, was killed after a collision with a car on the A4074 at about 10.20am.
PETER Leven’s sensational strike against Port Vale in October has made the five-strong short-list for goal of the season. The Oxford midfielder lobbed Port Vale keeper Stuart Tomlinson from 57 yards as the U’s recorded a 2-1 win at the Kassam Stadium
OXON: A pensioner who stole a suitcase from a train was sentenced to 15 weeks in prison on Tuesday. Pavel Acasandrei, 71, of no fixed address, was arrested at Charlbury railway station in January and pleaded guilty to theft on Friday, February 10, at
OXON: A lorry carrying 350 litres of diesel shed its load, causing the closure of the A34 southbound and lengthy traffic delays last night. It is thought that 50 litres of fuel spilt on the carriageway at about 2.20pm yesterday forcing Thames Valley
THAMES Water was yesterday clearing up sewage from a playing field in Eynsham to get it ready for weekend sports matches. The pitches were flooded after fats, oils and grease blocked the village’s sewer network, causing a back-up. Thames Water had cleared
THE world’s most famous atheist admitted he warmed up for the debate of his life by singing hymns in the shower. Last night Professor Richard Dawkins went head-to-head with the Archbishop of Canterbury Rowan Williams at the packed-out Sheldonian Theatre
Team manager Steve Chadbone says Oxford Harlequins have nothing to lose as they bid to upset Chinnor in their National 3 South West derby at North Hinksey Lane tomorrow (2.30). With Chinnor having routed their Oxfordshire rivals 66-3 at Kingsey
MIDWEEK hero Ryan Clarke only just made the game with Barnet after being up all night with sickness. The Oxford United keeper saved Izale McLeod’s penalty six minutes from time to help record a 2-1 victory. But assistant manager Mickey Lewis revealed
Employees from two Oxfordshire yards are among the finalists in the Godolphin Stud and Stable Staff Awards 2012. Charlotte Cox, who works as a groom for Wantage trainer Henry Candy, and William Reddy, head groom at Eve Johnson Houghton’s Blewbury stables
AS the hearse carrying Senior Aircraftman Ryan Tomlin and more than 100 floral tributes drove away, a family and community stood behind broken and devastated. More than 80 family members and school friends mourned the loss of the 21-year-old hero from
WHAT better way to start a day in Oxford than to wander along the Thames pathway from Botley Road to Folly Bridge? True, much depends on the weather, and Tuesday morning ticked all the boxes. Cyclists were in a good mood, thanking me for stepping dangerously
CAN I please use your columns to say a big thank you to all my family and friends, some of whom had to travel quite a distance to be able to attend my 80th birthday party, held in Marston on Saturday. My cousin, John Allen was there to represent SERV
THESE men are being sought by British Transport Police after two bicycles were stolen from Didcot Parkway. Pc Bob Burrowes, the officer investigating, said: “The bikes were securely locked to the cycle rack at Didcot Parkway rail station by
Banbury United boss Ady Fuller has expressed his frustration after the club were thrown out of the Oxfordshire Senior Cup for fielding an ineligible player, Wes Emery, in their quarter-final clash with Oxford City. Under Oxfordshire FA rules
MORE than £400,000? What sort of job will be done in Oxford’s new loos (Monday’s Oxford Mail) with all that money? One thing has been overlooked and that is that it’s not only people with jobs who may need to use a loo, but also people without jobs or
PENSIONERS should be stripped of free bus passes to save £1bn, says the Social Market Foundation, which also proposes ending the winter fuel payment. The solution to this claptrap is to axe the thinktank now and get its staff psychiatric help. DAVID
I SEE that in a post made on Wednesday on his political blog (krmcbe.co.uk/political_blog.htm), Oxfordshire County Council leader Keith Mitchell states: “What more can I say save to thank God that we stayed out of the Euro and have our own currency to
AS someone who was strongly opposed to having an academy replace Oxford Community School, I would like to congratulate the new academy, Oxford Spires, on getting off to a good start. However, I still think that the removal of schools from the control
I regularly read Tim Siret’s letters (recently about NHS reforms, ViewPoints, February 16) with a mixture of surprise, annoyance and at times baffled amusement. I think it is worth reflecting on the following with regard to the history of the NHS.
YOUR correspondent Pauline Massey (Wednesday’s Oxford Mail ViewPoints) bemoans the loss of the Octabus dial-a-ride bus service in Oxford. As she so rightly says, the dial-a-ride service is a lifeline for elderly and disabled people, taking them door-to-door
Two men were cautioned after police received a report of hare coursing on farmland between Pyrton and Cuxham. The men, aged 21 and 45, were arrested under the Hunting Act on Sunday, police said yesterday. Their vehicle was also seized and a dog was
ABINGDON was re-branding itself within hours yesterday of a decision to change its name. Vale of White Horse District Council approved the bid from the now Abingdon-on-Thames Town Council on Wednesday night, in the hope the change will attract more
Orchard Meadow Primary School, in Blackbird Leys, has been given approval to expand. The school currently takes 45 pupils each year but will now take on 60 new children, bringing the total size of the school eventually up to 420.
Two sets of traffic lights in Oxford city centre stopped working yesterday after an electrical component failed. Lights at the junction of Beaumont Street and St Giles and on Parks Road failed yesterday morning. Oxfordshire County Council fixed the
Mickey Lewis is urging Oxford United to cement their place in the npower League Two play-off positions – and try to claw back those teams above them. The U’s lie seventh in the table, five points clear of Port Vale and six behind Torquay
OXFORDSHIRE needs a downpour every day for the next six weeks to avoid hosepipe bans, water bosses warned last night. The Government announced this week the South East is in drought and the county has suffered its lowest rainfall in 11 years. Thames
The weather is our favourite topic of conversation, though normally it’s just the minutiae we dwell on – “isn’t it cold?”, “mild isn’t it for this time of year?” and “coldest summer in years” we mutter. But today it might just be worth a
HOUSEHOLDERS face getting their post later under changes being introduced by Royal Mail. The OX15, OX16 and OX17 postcode areas – which cover Banbury and surrounding villages – are being affected from this week. Royal Mail said workers will deliver
BANBURY’S Sea Cadets could have to leave their new home unless commuters take up an offer to buy parking spaces. The TS Harvester unit has been able to meet more regularly to accommodate rising demand since moving into the Lower Cherwell Street unit
AS ANOTHER shop closes on a struggling Oxford parade, a new one is determined to buck the trend. The owners of Clements & Church tailors say they have had a positive start to trading after opening last week in the former Inspires Art Gallery in Little
ONE of the country’s greenest motorway service areas has been officially reopened nearly two years after it was destroyed by fire. Owner Moto has rebuilt Cherwell Valley Services with a £10m state-of-the-art zero carbon eco-building, using rain water
